The black olives and dark fruit come through on the nose with violets and wet earth. Full and very chunky and powerful. Yet it’s lively and vivid with excellent energy. Fantastic. Pure merlot. Leave it until 2030.

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 blue fruits and flowers with some dark chocolate come through clearly. It’s medium-bodied with firm tannins that are integrated and long. Savory finish. Needs three or four years to soften. Drink after 2026.

97+ There were only seven barrels of the superb 2020 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru Très Vieilles Vignes, as the Roty family's ancient vines yielded a mere 18 hectoliters per hectare. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of...

The 2020 Le Pauillac de Chateau Latour is a blend of 53% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it springs from the glass with vivacious notes of stewed blackberries, raspberry...

Aged in wood for 10 months, this wine has weight and richness that are underlined by the density and juicy acidity. It provides a fine example of Pinot Noir from Sancerre, with intensity and a promising future. Drink from...

The 2020 Le Bourg is a baby. This is not due to be released until March 2026 and you can see why: it is far too young. The 2020 provides the flavor of a big wine, but it's not a big wine, remaining just short of...

The 2020 Saumur Champigny is super succulent and already welcoming despite its release date being almost a year away from tasting. What's good about this is its elegance and balance despite the warmth of the vintage...

This youthful Loire red has a touch of funk on the nose that slowly dissipates with aeration to reveal a wealth of red-berry fruit and some wild herbs. On the fresh, medium-bodied palate there’s plenty of depth and some...

A tangy, harmonious red, with dusty earth and potpourri merging with bitter cherry and dried currant. Delivers a refined profile, thanks to tangy acidity and silky tannins, with gamy underpinnings and an iodine note...

Moving to the single vineyard 2020 Côte Rôtie La Landonne, this beauty is 100% Syrah that spent 16 months in a mix of new and used barrels. It's similarly deep purple/plum-hued yet has a more mineral-laced, focused...

90+ The 2020 Gevrey villages from Philippe Harmand is really strong this year. The wine delivers a vibrant aromatic constellation of sappy black cherries and dark berries, grilled meats, dark chocolate, woodsmoke, a fine...

Moving to the 2020s, this is an incredible vintage for Rostaing. The 2020 Vin De Pays Des Collines Rhodaniennes Les Lezardes comes from the same three parcels every year, and the 2020 has a great nose of juicy raspberry...

On the nose, a core of blackberry is gently framed by mushroom, thyme, turned earth and flaky salt, making for a complex nose. This is a straightforward but refined expression with dark fruit that stays long through the...

Dense, with blackberry and plum flavors shaded by iron, earth and spice. Shows broad shoulders and dusty tannins, but plenty of fruit too. Drink now through 2028. 442 cases made, 775 cases imported.

(97+ points) The 2020 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru has a refined bouquet, beautifully poised with brambly red fruit, hints of sous-bois and incense. This is utterly seductive. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy...

(94+ points) Aromas of rich cherries, cassis, burning embers, violets and dark chocolate introduce the 2020 Pape Clément, a medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy wine that's ripe, layered and generously extracted but...

The 2020 Dame de Montrose does not quite have the horsepower of its peers on the nose—quite floral and Margaux-like—though it is nicely defined. The palate is medium-bodied with a ripe, sweet entry. Marmalade- and...

The 2020 Lascombes has a discrete, finely delineated bouquet that unfolds in the glass with blackberry, bilberry, crushed violet and a touch of iodine. The palate is medium-bodied with sour cherry and brown spices on the...

The classic 2020 Saint-Joseph Les Grisières presents wafts of graphite, crushed violets, ripe red fruits and cedary undertones. Elegant and refined, this concentrated and neatly structured red has all the ingredients for...

(92+ points) The flagship cuvée from Denis Barraud, the 2020 Lynsolence comes from a tiny 2.5-hectare vineyard of gravelly soils over clay and limestone located on the lower plains of Saint-Emilion. As always, it’s all...

Stating 15.5% alcohol on the label, the modern-styled 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tradition is a blend of 80% Grenache, 15% Syrah and 5% Mourvèdre. Pale ruby-colored, swirling the glass unveils aromas of cooked red and black...

The 2020 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru has a fragrant, perfumed and classier bouquet than Hudelot-Baillet's Bonnes-Mares: well-defined with clever use of stems. Wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned...

The 2020 Pinot Noir Clos de la Faille Monopole is from vines planted in 1998 next to a geological faultline at 280m altitude on a mix of Triassic sandstone and limestone topped with iron-rich tertiary conglomerates. The...

(92+ points) The 2020 Beaune 1er Cru Montrevenots was cropped at a meager 16 hectoliters per hectare, but the results are brilliant. Bursting with aromas of dark berries, sweet soil tones, smoke and spices, it's medium to...