(96-98 points) Deep purple-hued, the 2025 Château Pontet-Canet showed beautifully both times I tasted it, with incredibly classic Pontet-Canet notes of cassis, violets, iris, and gravelly earth and graphite. Based on 56%...

(97-100 points) A Merlot-forward blend of 62% Merlot, 26.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11.8% Cabernet Franc aged in 60% new French oak, the 2025 Château Haut-Brion is slightly more dense and structured compared to its...

(97-99 points) Cassis, currants, smoky tobacco, chocolate, and graphite all define the 2025 Château Cos D'Estournel, a powerful, ripe, concentrated beauty based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot...

The perfume bursts with a bouquet of flowers, candied lemon peels, pineapple, white peach, orange, mango, vanilla, saffron, and anise. It is a lively, bright, energetic vintage for Chateau d'Yquem. Rich, intense, opulent...

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

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...

The 2018 Prieure-Lichine has a deep garnet purple color. It opens with notes of stewed plums and crème de cassis, laced with cedar and Indian spices, leading to notes of sassafras and chargrill. Medium to full-bodied, 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...

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...

(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...

(95-97+ points) Checking in as a blend of 65% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon from 7.25 hectares of vines on a limestone hillside just outside the village of Saint-Emilion, the 2025 Château Ausone...

(97-99 points) Sporting a stunning deep purple hue, the 2025 Château Beau-Séjour Bécot reveals cassis, graphite, liquid violets, and black raspberry on the nose, with a liquid rock-like minerality that speaks to this...

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%...

An elegant Champagne that glides across the palate on its satiny mousse, integrating a chalky underpinning and pleasing range of white cherry, grainy pear, toasted almond, vanilla wafer, and pretty verbena and ginger...

A subtle hue of gold in the glass, this vintage Billecart seduces with aromas of lemon meringue, freshly baked brioche, just picked apples and spring flower bouquet along with a classic underlying chalkiness. Bringing it...

A composed, deeply refined nose unfolds with Granny Smith apple, macadamia and saline patisserie, accented by violet. The palate is poised and authoritative, its fine, persistent perlage carrying rose petal, fresh almond...

The NV Champagne Le Rose, which pours a medium salmon color, is a benchmark wine in the range and classic for a reason. Medium to full-bodied, with intertwining notes of flowers and spice, it boasts notes of cherry...

Billecart-Salmon's 2016 vintage continues the house's drive to creatively lower dosage levels, coming in with just 1.9g/L in this year of extreme weather. The 2016 will be at its best from mid-2024 but is already showing...

The 2004 RD, or ‘recently disgorged’, version of La Grande Année may not be so recently disgorged today; it is often said that it may not age as well as the standard version, and the bottle tasted here was certainly...

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...

Sourced predominantly from the Grand Crus of Oger and Mesnil-sur-Oger, the NV Champagne Grand Cru Blanc De Blancs Extra Brut pours a medium yellow color and is expressive on opening, with notes of lemon bars, honey, pear...

The NV Champagne Premiere Cuvee Brut is a medium yellow hue, showing beautiful mature and pure notes of layered and nicely maturing notes of apricot. Medium to full-bodied, it has more volume and fills the palate with a...

(95-97+ points) A big step up over the Marquis, the 2025 Château Calon Ségur is based on 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, and will spend 20 months in 100% new oak. The nose...

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...

(96-98 points) Ripe cherries, graphite, crushed flowers, and assorted blue fruits all define the 2025 Château Canon, another great wine from this team, which checks in at 76% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Franc and will spend...

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...