On the restrained side, relatively speaking, this white offers attractive aromas of tangerine, lime blossom and honeysuckle, with just a suggestion of oak. The palate harmonizes texture with refreshment, echoing the nose...

As with almost all of the Syrahs here, the 2020 Syrah The Deal was not destemmed, saw an extended maceration, and spent 18 months in 40% new French puncheons. Deep ruby/purple-hued, it has an incredibly floral perfume of...

The very young and faintly reductive 2021 Albariño is only 12.5% alcohol (the 2020 is 13.5%). It's austere, sharp and vibrant, and the back label specifies one to three years, which to me is not its drinking window but...

Louis Moreau farms 52 acres in the villages of Beines and Chablis, most of his parcels on sandy clay. He ferments this wine in stainless steel without added yeasts, then ages it on the fine lees. In 2018, he achieved a...

Bright salmon-skin color. Fresh pit fruits, red berries and a hint of orange pith on the incisive nose. Tight and sharply focused on the palate, offering vibrant strawberry, white peach and tangerine flavors that put on...

Deep magenta. A complex, intensely perfumed bouquet evokes black raspberry, kirsch and lavender, along with vibrant mineral and exotic spice flourishes. Incisive red and dark berry, bitter cherry and succulent herb...

94+ The 2016 Aglianico del Vulture Superiore Cruà takes things to a more serious level, as musky black currants, plums, flowery underbrush, wild scrub and herbs smolder up from the glass. This splashes across the palate...

Cooked apple, lemon curd and light vanilla on the nose, together with stone, mineral and some dried flowers. Medium to full body with a creamy texture and beautiful fruit. Hints of vanilla and pie crust in the aftertaste...

The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino has aromatics of menthol and medicinal herbs, brushed leather, and black cherry. The palate is dark fruited without weight, marked with dried blackberry, black tea, dried herbs, and...

A bright yet firmly structured Chianti Classico, with iron, leather, almond and floral accents surrounding a core of cherry fruit. Sleek and intense, with a lingering finish echoing cherry, red berry and mineral notes...

A beautiful red with rather flamboyant fruit, showing crushed berries, flowers and some chocolate and walnut undertones. It’s full-bodied and layered. Creamy texture. Drink or hold.

The 2020 Distique 13 is the best wine I have tasted from Mangot in some time, perhaps ever. Vibrant and explosive, the 2020 offers up blueberry jam, graphite, crushed rocks, lavender, licorice and exotic spice. Distique...

The serious 2018 Mengoba Mencía Alicante Bouschet shows the potential of 2018 to produce very fresh reds that are both approachable and deep, complex but easy to understand. I think he has come to a blend that shows the...

The 2017 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard didn't show any heat or excess ripeness from a warm and dry year. On the contrary, it's austere and has citrus acidity, with great freshness and minerality. The palate is...

Shiraz sourced from old vineyards in the Barossa (Krondorf, Tanunda, Marananga, Ebenezer and Moppa) and the Eden Valley. Vibrant and pure at heart with deep black plum, black cherry and boysenberry fruits, plentiful...

Inky violet color. Heady, smoke- and spice-tinged cherry, blueberry, peony and incense aromas show excellent clarity; mineral and cured meat notes build with aeration. Juicy and energetic, especially in the context of the...

Fresh and perfumed with dark-berry and chocolate aromas, as well as freshly cut flowers. Medium-bodied with fine, silky tannins and attractive berry and walnut undertones. Lightly silky and extremely drinkable. Drink now.

This is a very pretty, with currant, cherry and some mahogany and cigar-box character. It’s medium-to full-bodied with tight, linear tannins that are long and very intense. Polished nicely. Hard not to drink now, but...

94+ The 2018 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast spent 15 months in 30% new French oak. It's pure class, offering bright citrus and pineapple fruit as well as lots of white flowers, salty minerality, and just a touch of background...

This elegant wine is a classic and standard bearer of Soave. It shines with aromas of ripe Fuji apple, orange blossom, marzipan and lemon oil. Cool and crisp on the palate as if biting into a perfect apple, this wine...

The 2019 Le Grand Clos is a quiet and graceful wine. It's as if a symphony orchestra has been playing pianissimo and then they've come to a collective pause, holding its bows and breath before releasing the tension and...

Aromas of currants and fresh herbs. Medium to full body, a soft and juicy texture and a long finish. Juicy yet tight. Excellent second wine. Better in 2020.

This is the first vintage of the Australian producer's foray into Napa Valley. It is tightly structured yet supple, bursting in bright currant and strawberry flavors. Savory components of sage, dried herb and black pepper...

A cuvée made for winemaker Brennen Leighton's wife and a field blend of 70% Mourvèdre, 25% Grenache, and 5% Syrah, the 2017 Gratitude ranks with the finest Mourvèdres to come from the state. Awesome notes of black...

The 2019 Pinot Noir (Sta. Rita Hills) is a very beautiful and expressive wine. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender and spice open in a mysterious, sensual Pinot loaded with class. Vineyards site are Domaine de la Côte, La...

Blood orange color with attractive notes of cherry stones, dried flowers, strawberries and tangerines. Hints of iron and pie crust. Full of flavor, with a full body, sleek bubbles and a deep, beautiful fruit quality...