Very minerally with crushed stone and limestone. Black berries and blueberries. Violets. Full-bodied with tight and firm tannins and lovely length. Tannic and firm. Needs time to soften and come together. But beautiful...

(94+ points) The 2020 Magari is floral with a perfume of violet, wild raspberry liqueur, candied black cherry, and cedar. The wine is full-bodied but without weight and offers a silky texture. Pure and inviting, with a...

Attractive aromas of ripe cherries, dried strawberries, dried orange peel, spices and crushed stones, following through to a medium to full body with compact tannins that are firm and finely grained. Smooth and textured...

The 2020 Barbaresco Cottá is another fabulous wine in this range from Sottimano. Dark and super-classic in bearing, the 2020 has tremendous stature along with a darker and more somber personality than usual. The balance...

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...

A blend of 58% Syrah, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Optimus has a deep ruby color and a deep core of red and black cherries, chargrill, thyme, charcuterie and desiccated violet. The full-bodied...

Perfumed aromas of red and black cherries, red licorice, cooking spice and rose water. Medium-to full-bodied with steady acidity that helps to articulate the dark-fruit and tobacco flavors, but retains freshness...

I continue to absolutely love what this estate puts in the bottle, and it remains an incredible value given its quality. The 2020 Château Saint-Pierre (Saint-Julien) reveals a deeper ruby/purple hue to go with gorgeous...

Owned by Beaune producer Louis Jadot, this estate produces some fine wines. Ripe black fruits and layers of tannins show that this is still developing into a ripe, floral wine. The wine is full, packed with fruit and...

As with almost all of the Syrahs here, the 2020 Syrah The Deal was not destemmed, saw an extended maceration, and spent 18 months in 40% new French puncheons. Deep ruby/purple-hued, it has an incredibly floral perfume of...

Saturated ruby. Assertively perfumed, mineral-tinged red berry, cherry, lavender and incense scents show outstanding clarity and spicy lift. Concentrated yet lively black raspberry, cherry-cola, succulent herb and floral...

A beautifully layered red with blackcurrant, hazelnut and lead-pencil character and fine, velvety tannins. Full-bodied and reserved. It’s like a tightly knit ball of polished tannins that are cashmere in texture. So very...

A blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Estate Cuvée is another outstanding wine from L'Aventure in the challenging 2020 vintage, offering singular concentration and elegance. Deep...

Deep and serious with black olives, blackberries, blueberries, tobacco leaf, sweet red capsicum, ash, dried meat and a hint of black chocolate. This is a more direct, full-bodied Don Melchor, filled with solid...

The 2020 Paixar is the one wine from the portfolio that is completely different from the others and comes from high-altitude vineyards in the zone of Dragonte on slate soils. In 2020 and 2021 they used the whole field...

The wonderful red-cherry fruit with hints of redcurrant and blackcurrant pulls you into this very expressive wine. For all the ripeness, the really striking thing about this is the great vitality, the way it leaps and...

(95-97 points) Not yet bottled, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes is all very old vine Grenache from the sandy soils of the Cristia lieu-dit. Brought up in demi-muids and a mix of new and used barrels, it gives...

94+ They consider 2020 Safrà the more balanced vintage to date, with the help of the Arcos structure, which makes it longer and more complex. It's 70% Mandó and 30% Arcos that fermented in stainless steel vats with 30%...

(91 - 93 points) The 2020 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains (Maison Louis Jadot) has turned out especially well this year. Revealing notes of cherries, cassis, rich spices and smoke, it's medium to full-bodied...

(VN 94-96 points) Inky violet. A wild, smoke- and spice-accented bouquet evokes kirsch, cassis, smoked meat, olive and succulent herbs, with mineral and floral notes emerging as the wine opens up. Firm, sharply etched...

Notions of cherries, berry compote, sweet soil tones and smoke introduce the 2020 Morgon, a medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy wine with lively acids, melting tannins and a saline finish. As usual, it's derived...

Supple, sensuous and fresh, there is a vibrancy and purity to the fruits that makes you want to pay attention. Full-bodied, rich and generous, the wine feels as good as it tastes as it feels. The fruits linger and expand...