Unique with spot-on extraction. Expect a mineral profile with savory plums, blue fruit and dark cherries. Not a beast but a nuanced, medium-bodied and evenly packed red with etched tannins that are not overpowering...

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is intense, smoldering up with a dark blend of blackcurrants, crushed rocks, hints of graphite and sage. This is cool-toned and crisp, with crunchy red and black fruits that cascade across the...

The 2022 Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard sees more whole clusters and less new oak than the other wines in the Pisoni range, a combination that affords it noticeably more clarity and balance. The nose opens with dehydrated...

The 2020 L'Hêtre has a more restrained and nuanced bouquet that unfolds in the glass, with more mineralité and terroir expression than the preceding d'Aiguilhe. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled tannins and...

This 2005 is really coming into its own, with soft, welcoming rose bud, chalk, bilberry, cocoa bean and tobacco. The tannins remain well structured, and you can see the muscles that kept this pretty closed for the first...

An alluring red, with fresh boysenberry and black pepper-dusted plum flavors underscored by smoked bacon, charred cedar and mocha. Pure and polished, this is well-built and seductive. Drink now through 2030. - J.M.

The 2016 Brunello Di Montalcino pours a rich ruby hue yet remains transparent, with savory, layered aromas of red cherry, saddle leather, cedar, damp forest floor, and wild herbs. It is medium to full-bodied, with a ripe...

This is stylish, with perfumy black tea and smoldering charcoal aromas followed by lightly mulled plum, fig and blackberry fruit. An echo of juniper shows on the mineral-edged finish. Drink now through 2024. — JM

A classy, balanced and sumptuous du Tertre, a ton of appellation and vintage signature. Lace-like tannins, overperforms the estate at the time, showing just how much quality and value is out there for this vintage...

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...

Rich and supple, evoking cherry, blackberry, graphite and tobacco aromas and flavors. The dense, dusty tannins emerge as this builds to the long, lively finish, where a light astringency lingers. A bit rustic. Best from...

Located in Les Rugiens-Bas, this is a very fine example of Pommard which carries the weight and power expected of the AC but combines this with purity and a high degree of elegance. Dark and brooding in the glass, this is...

Vallana's 2018 Boca is an old-school, super-classic wine. Firm tannins wrap around a core of macerated dark cherry, cinnamon, licorice, dried herbs and menthol. The 2018 needs a good decant. Readers will find a sturdy...

(92-94 points) When Mortet launched his own label, this cuvée took the back seat when compared with the Charmes-Chambertin; but his work in the vineyards is paying off, as evidenced by the 2022 Mazoyères-Chambertin Grand...

A beam of acidity cuts through this scintillating red, lending energy and driving its cherry, strawberry, mineral and spice flavors. Both ripe and supple, this firms up while playing out on the long and lively finish. All...

With roughly 4,960 cases produced, the 2023 Château Bellefont-Belcier comes from a brilliant terroir just beside Larcis Ducasse and Pavie (as well as Troplong Mondot and Tertre Roteboeuf). Based on 72% Merlot, 18%...

A blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5.5% Cabernet Franc, and 3.5% Petit Verdot aged 18 months in 60% new French oak, the 2023 Château Branaire-Ducru offers terrific aromatics of pure cassis, graphite, lots of...

Warm vintage, among the warmest on record, but without heat spikes, this has a creamy quality to the tannins, combined with welcoming fragrant fennel, clove and Medoiterranean scrub aromatics that combine generosity with...

The first year with sufficient quality grapes, plus an improved global outlook, at least with the Chinese market, to allow the new owners to show what they had achieved over the previous four or five years. It is one of...

Toasted notes on the nose, remnants of oak and blackcurrant. Full and round. Plush, gently chewy fruit and powdery tannins give this a wider mouthfeel than some. Plenty of flavour and classic claret character, freshness...

This is a blend of 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, matured in barrels using just 40% new oak, and in vats, for 15 months. Some smoky oak in the aromatic profile here, with a fruit profile that...

Packed with ripe, juicy cherry, blackberry, pomegranate and floral aromas and flavors, this red is supple and beautifully integrated. Earth, iron and tobacco accents add detail as this winds down on the lazy, resonant...

95+ The 2021 I Sodi di San Niccolò is a powerhouse. Many recent vintages have been showier, but not the 2021. It's a wine that is going to require many years to shed its baby fat. Dark fruit, lavender, rose petal, menthol...

Dried flowers, pot pourri nuances on the nose - so aromatic and perfumed. Dried fruit, cherries and cranberries but with baked and stewed red berry fruit too and fresh red cherries alongside caramel, coffee and dark...

The 2012 Latour…wine of the vintage? It has to be a serious contender. In this blind taste-off between the five First Growths, its quality shines through. With exceptional delineation on the nose, it just oozes class with...

From bottle, the 2023 Château Cheval Blanc is one of the most compelling wines of the vintage, just as it was from cask. Bursting with aromas of cherries and mulberries mingled with notions of violets, rose petal and...

An elegant expression of Cornas, with real complexity. High-toned cherry and olive tapenade are laced with sweet bay leaf, lavender and earth. Well-managed tannins support the supple core of red fruit. Shows a refined...