(95+ points) One of the greatest hits from Rare Champagne, the 2012 Rare Millésime is produced from fruit harvested between September 10 and 26. Disgorged in November 2023 with a dosage of eight grams per liter, it is a...

Just as 2004 Champagnes often seem to eclipse 2002 today, some wonder whether 2013 will do the same to the highly rated 2012. This doesn’t seem to be the case with Sir Winston Churchill, though, where 2012’s strengths...

Fragrant, scented and full of charm, but lighter than its richer stablemate Château Clerc Milon, tasted at the same time. This was a good vintage from the Mouton Rothschild stable, and the team there read it well. Remains...

The 2012 Sena is the product of a warm year combined with the peak of the overripe, oaky approach in style. A blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Carmenere, 12% Merlot, 7% Malbec and 6% Petit Verdot aged for 22 months in...

The 2012 Brut Rosé Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon is a very sexy Champagne, but it is also quite reserved, especially within the context of the year. Crushed rose petal, kirsch, white pepper, slate and mint are all beautifully...

Sleek and harmonious, with chiseled acidity and a satinlike mousse supporting a fine weave of poached apricot and cherry fruit, pickled ginger, pastry and macadamia nut flavors. Long and mouthwatering, with a clean sweep...

A supple, plush and expressive red, layering currant, plum, sage and white chocolate flavors on a polished frame. Shows tremendous presence, lingering deftly on the open-weave finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah...

Deep garnet in color, the 2012 Canon storms out of the glass with powerful notes of baked blackberries, prunes, and scorched earth leading to hints of sandalwood and tobacco with a waft of dried herbs. The medium to...

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...

Spice, lift and zest - the hallmarks of the vintage are immediately apparent on the nose. Some woody, roasted spices are starting to take root now, along with damsons, and crushed damson stones. Rounded, rich and plush on...

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...

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...

The 2012 du Tertre has a well-defined nose: fully-mature with hoisin, dark plum and a light, ferrous edge, not powerful but focused. The palate is well balanced with saturated tannins, fine acidity, quite cohesive and...

Aromas and flavors of tar, berries and dark chocolate. Full body, relatively firm tannins and a finish that fills the palate. Well done. Second wine of Lynch-Bages.

The 2012 Amabile del Cerè is flat-out stunning, boasting a seductive display of baked apple, fig paste, mint, spiced orange and hints of burnt sugar. It’s weighty and textural yet full of vibrant energy, as floral-laced...

A seriously mature Champagne, this vintage of Celebris is rich with fruit that has now softened. With rich acidity, the wine has now rounded with a beautifully textured wine that is very ready to drink. — Roger Voss

Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2012 Haut-Brion leaps with vibrant blackcurrant cordial, preserved plums, tar, and licorice scents, followed by touches of graphite, dried roses, and cardamom plus a hint of crushed...

The 2012 Graacher Himmelreich Auslese (AP #15 13) opens clear, cool, precise, smoky and very elegant on the nose. Light but intense and very elegant on the palate this delicious, racy and stimulatingly piquant and grippy...

More reductive on the nose than the Himmelreich Auslese Gold Capsule, the 2012 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Gold Capsule (AP #19 13) combines its deeper mineral character with a perfect expression of highly noble...

As with the 2011, this is pretty much ready to go, although a very different style, with fatter fruits, less elegant but more fruit-forward, enjoyable ripe blackberries and blueberries, touches of liqourice and smoked...

The 2012 Les Forts de Latour has a light minty bouquet, more red than black fruit, touches of orange peel and light pencil shaving scents. The palate is medium-bodied with good density, fine tannins, becoming increasingly...

The 2012 Les Forts de Latour has a light minty bouquet, more red than black fruit, touches of orange peel and light pencil shaving scents. The palate is medium-bodied with good density, fine tannins, becoming increasingly...

I thought the 2012s would be a good place to start this lunch, as the wines have always been quite open and seductive. That is very much the case today. The 2012 Cristal is quite delicate and floral, with hints of pear...

The 2012 Gran Reserva Especial Castillo Ygay is 81% Tempranillo and 19% Mazuelo from Rioja Alta. Delicate and complex, it delivers aromas of soft mint, fine cherry, red fruit, undergrowth and evolved oaky flavors such as...

The fruity strawberry, cherry and raspberry notes are firm and inviting, gaining depth and persistence. Ends with gripping tannins and a stemmy note. Drink now through 2022. – JL

Deep, shimmering ruby. An expansive, hugely complex bouquet evokes an array of black and blue fruit, floral and exotic spice qualities, along with vanilla, espresso, licorice and tobacco notes that build as the wine opens...