Inky in the glass with almost no rim. Aromas of cloves, coconut, graphite, dark lush bramble fruit, plums and cherries. Full-bodied with great concentration of fruit and a super-dense and velvety palate. Extremely rich...

Rich, deep, powerful, still just at the start of its life. This is a stunning wine, the standout in the vertical. Luscious black fruits, with a careful climb of freshness and acidity through the palate, carefully placed...

The finest vintage I’ve ever tasted from this estate, surpassing the 2009 and 2010, the 2016 Château Palmer is a blend of 47% each of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, with the balance Petit Verdot, all of which was brought...

So vibrant for it’s age, this has great concentration of candied-lime and grapefruit-zest character. Terrific structure and energy on the driving palate, but all of this is wrapped in rich citrus fruit to create...

The 2016 Champagne Cristal is chalky and pristine, with a crystalline nature and notes of white peach, fresh citrus blossoms, and bright salinity. Tasted for the first time last year, it captures a precise and focused...

A very floral and gently leafy edge with lighter red fruit, leading to a very smoothly fleshy, red-fruited palate that’s sleek, even and elegant. Drink or hold.

Immediate depths straight off the aromatics, this is standout in a very strong lineup. Enticing and confident, full of estate signature, juicy and elongated tannins, spiced black fruits, baking spice, crème de cassis...

Pale to medium ruby, the 2016 Pinot Noir Cleary Ranch The Settler has a nose of granite dust, tobacco leaf, crunchy cranberry and Bing cherry with soft potpourri touches. Light to medium-bodied, it's earthy and minerally...

Salted butter, fresh pastries and lemons. Some oyster shell, too. It’s very fresh, creamy and elegant with very fine bubbles and a long, saline and delicious finish. Blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and meunier. Drink or hold.

Glorious aromas of flowers, nutmeg, dark berries, earth and black cherries follow through to a full body with ultra-fine tannins that are long and extremely polished. They go on for minutes. Reserved and shy still, due to...

Deep ruby-colored with a light purple tinge, the 2016 Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Madonna Del Piano takes on another gear with its rich perfume unfolding with lavender, black cherry, cassis, fresh leather...

The 2016 Troplong Mondot has a deep garnet color. It bursts from the glass with bold notions of plum preserves, blueberry pie, and Black Forest cake, leading to wafts of camphor, violets, and crushed rocks, with a touch...

This may not be the most concentrated wine from the appellation, but it’s a very appealing introduction to modern-style St.-Emilion. Plenty of mixed berries and a hint of vanilla on the medium-full body. Then the chalky...

Decanter World Wine Awards 2020. Intense raspberry and rose petal nose. Supple attack, silky and poised, creamy without heaviness, and there are sufficient tannins to give structure and texture. Ethereal and complex...

Composed of 56% Merlot, 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6.5% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Haut-Brion is deep garnet in color. The nose beings with simple licorice notes before slowly unfurling to deliver growing scents of creme...

Retasting the 2016 Château Latour next to both the 2010 and 2022 had me feeling like a kid in a candy store. Needing lots of air to show at its best, its dense purple hue is followed by quintessential Latour notes of...

Beautiful transparency here with fresh flowers, green tobacco, pine needles, crushed stones and sandalwood. Dark fruits in the center. Full-bodied with a wonderful balance of fruit and fine tannins as well as mineral...

I like the intense preserved-lemon character of this slightly funky and rather eccentric Blanc de Blancs champagne. Bold, bone-dry and quite tart on the palate, this will either light your fire or leave you cold. A ton of...

The 2016 B 16 is a small bottling from Bollinger that takes the place of the Grand Année, as conditions did not allow Bollinger to bottle their flagship cuveé. Brisk floral top notes give this mid-weight, expressive...

(92-95 points) A mix of domaine and contract fruit. 50% whole bunch to open the wine up a bit more in youth. Rich dense concentrated purple, a huge mouthful here but very nicely in balance, the stems bring some freshness...

(90-92 points) (no frost): Bright ruby-red. Sweet but lightly medicinal aromas of red and black cherry; seemed to close up in the glass. Supple and concentrated but quite primary, even a bit reduced, and distinctly less...

The 2016 Canon is deep garnet colored. It pirouettes out of the glass with energetic scents of Morello cherries, black raspberries, and fresh blueberries, plus wafts of lilacs, star anise, fallen leaves, and fragrant...

Ripe, sweet cherry and raspberry fruit are accented by floral, mineral and wild herbs in this alluring red. A backbone of dense, dusty tannins provides support, and the ripe fruit returns on the savory finish. Excellent...

Lots of plum and dark-berry character with citrus, cedar and sandalwood. Very pure sangiovese. Full-bodied with firm, racy tannins and cool, vivid fruit at the finish. Some mineral, tar and steel undertones. Needs time to...