The 2022 from Alexander van Beek and the team at Giscours is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 3% each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. I find a real sense of fragrant harmony but also bright energy here...

A vertiginous tight-rope walk between savory and sweet on the nose, from white tea leaf to tart blackberries to bing cherries to damp earth and gunpowder on the nose somersaults into ripe blackberries, black cherries...

The pedigree and purity of this red are evident immediately from its black currant, blackberry, pomegranate, violet and wild herb aromas. Saturated with red and black fruit and picking up licorice and mineral elements...

A value play in Napa Valley Cabernet, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley offers sweet red and blue fruits, spicy oak, flowers, and hints of chocolate. Pure, beautifully balanced, and elegant on the palate, with...

Spiced and juicy plum, blueberry and oolong tea elements mingle with black licorice, crushed pine needle and clove notes. Gains momentum and complexity on the long, expressive finish, where a hint of salted toffee...

Sweet berry, plum and cassis fruit, this is ripe with precision, finesse and tension, fragrant rose and black tea aromatics, balanced, easy to share, the finesse of Cantemerle is on full display, chalky with a scrape of...

Black cherries, blackberries, earth, dark chocolate and a hint of orange peel and anise on the nose open onto a lush and indulgent palate, but with pepper and an almost bracing fresh mintinness at the back that creates...

Elegant and precise, this version offers a wild, savory and spicy floral note up front. Built around a fresh and juicy berry center, with mineral details on the fringes and subtle forest floor elements chiming in...

This shows intensity and richness on the nose with aromas of cassis, crushed blackberries and hints of cedar, tobacco, violets and graphite. It’s structured and focused on the palate, with a medium to full body. It shows...

A tightly focused beam of bitter cherry, damson plum and raspberry coulis streams through, with mouthwatering cut in the form of ocean breeze minerality that runs from start to finish. Iris and rose hip notes fill in the...

The 2023 Morgon opens on the nose with a signature Lapierre vibrancy, revealing fragrant lavender, crushed petals and vanilla. Layers of ripe raspberries, licorice and blueberries emerge, accompanied by a subtle wave of...

An assemblage of 45% Grenache, 45% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah, the 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes follows the domaine's formula of maturing the Grenache in concrete tanks, while the Mourvèdre and Syrah go into...

91+ Powerful but with no lack of focus, the 2022 Morgon Cuvée Château-Gaillard is an expression that intricately mirrors the profound terroir. Driven by its structural elements, the wine boasts tightly woven, powdery...

This stunning value offers a winning aromatic combination of briary blackberries and qualities akin to a savory meat pie made with lamb. Zingy acidity and silky tannins showcase rich flavors of cocoa powder and a jam made...

Looking better than it did from tank, Cristina's 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape is ripe and rounded, with ample amounts of black cherries and plums, an exception to the overall red-fruited nature of the vintage. Full-bodied...

The 2017 Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso Il Bugiardo displays an inviting mix of blackberries, sage, roses, chalk dust and hints of camphor. This is full-bodied with depths of silky textures and a dense core of...

For fans of bigger and more powerful Pinot Noir, the 2010 Bernardus Pinot Noir from their Sierra Mar Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands hits all the right notes. Visually opaque with a deep brick red hue, this wine is...

Moving to the reds and from the cooler Coombsville region of the valley, the 100% varietal 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon reveals a deep purple color as well as a classic bouquet of ripe black (and some blue) fruits interwoven...

97+ To be released in September 2024, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon 29 Estate is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 20 months in 83% new French oak. Black cherries and cassis set the stage, underscored by hints of dark loam and...

The 2019 Cabernet Franc Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard Agrelo also includes 15% Malbec from the clayish soils of Luján de Cuyo. Aged for 15 months in foudres, this purplish wine reveals enticing cigar ash notes alongside...

The 2020 Perricone Core wafts up with a woodland-inspired bouquet, mixing savory herbs with flowery underbrush, crushed wild berries and camphor. It opens with a pretty inner sweetness that gives way to violet-infused red...

The 2022 Etna Rosso wafts up with a perfumed blend of rosy florals and hints of juniper berry. This is vividly fruit-focused, with a wave of ripe wild berries and sweet spices that flow across a stream of brisk acidity...

A rich, toasty red, offering a silky mix of concentrated boysenberry, cassis, espresso, dried mint and black licorice flavors. The muscular tannins are tightly sprung, but well-meshed with the fruit profile, emerging to...

The 2023 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills is a terrific base appellation release, with redcurrants, framboise, peppery herbs, and floral nuances on the nose. Medium-bodied, pure, supple, and well-structured on the palate, it...

Densely packed with dark plum, boysenberry and black cherry reduction notes, this is nonetheless reserved in style, as graphite, alder, black tea and sweet tobacco nuances flicker in the background. The finish is tightly...

There are 1,400 cases of the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, which offers up charming red-fruited notes of cherries and redcurrants, plus some loamy-earth scents. While it comes across a bit more angular and more coarsely...

92+ The 2023 Morgon Cuvée Château-Gaillard, crafted from partially destemmed fruit, presents a full-bodied profile with notes of black cherry, prune, licorice and pine. The wine’s power is evident, with layered...

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Pedregal Vineyard is in a wonderful spot for drinking right now. Blended with 15% Petit Verdot, it has a deep garnet color and beautiful aromas of truffle, pipe tobacco, graphite and...