89-91+ Allen Meadows - Burghound

A slightly more elegant nose also reflects good Chablis typicity on the more floral-suffused aromas of apple, pear and quinine. In the same vein as the nose, the mouthfeel of the seductive, even opulent, medium weight flavors is more refined and just a bit denser as well, all wrapped in bitter lemon-inflected finish. I like the balance and this too could be enjoyed young or aged for a few years to good effect.

96 Wine Enthusiast

This is a wine that reminds us why we love the fermented grape in the first place. From the heady, hopelessly charming perfume of mixed berry compote, peppery spice, sage and dried flowers on their stalks, to the wonderfully bright acidity that plays alongside taut, sinewy tannins and tangy berry, floral and herbal notes—it's hard to resist. Characterful and expressive, with enough structure to pair with glazed duck or to cellar for several more years.

94 Wine Spectator

A distinctive white, with fleshy mango, peach and apricot flavors at the core, plus notes of candied ginger, lemon curd and candied kumquat. Floral details, herbal accents and a drizzle of honey linger on the finish. Drink now. 18,000 cases made.

91 Antonio Galloni - Vinous

The 2023 Sauvignon Blanc (Russian River Valley) is classy and polished to the core. Citrus peel, marzipan, white flowers and light tropical inflections all grace this aromatic, beautifully perfumed Sauvignon Blanc from Merry Edwards.

94 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

"Showing apricots, peaches and sage, this is layered and savory. On the palate, it’s vibrant and refined with silky texture, crisp acidity and a long finish. From organically and biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink now."

93 Decanter

"Broad and energetic, there's so much going on… Ripe, round and full, with lush, broad and surprisingly developed fruit flavours. Great length."

99 Luis Gutierrez - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2021 Clos Erasmus is not a shy wine and comes in at 15% alcohol but with a pH of 3.3. The search here is for balance, as power comes as a given in Priorat. It was produced with 70% Garnacha and 30% Syrah, mostly from 40-year-old vines, except for a small plot of around 85-year-old vines. The vineyards are certified organic, and they've practiced biodynamics since 2004 but never got certification. The vinification is simple and the same as for Laurel: the bunches cooled down for 24 hours before being sorted and destemmed, then the grapes were put into the vat, where they warm up and start fermenting with the indigenous yeasts. It was pressed and put in barrels, 40% of them new, where it underwent malolactic and aged for 18 months. It feels like the most elegant and ethereal Erasmus ever despite the 15% alcohol on the label. It's very young and feels a bit shy, slightly developing notes of Mediterranean herbs, wild berries and flowers and is a little closed but very harmonious and insinuating. It's medium to full-bodied, with very fine and elegant but abundant tannins. It does feel lighter than previous vintages, possibly the effect of the cooler year. 3,400 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2023.

95 Erin Brooks - Robert Parker's the Wine Advocate

Matured for 11 months, the 2023 Pinot Noir Silice Vineyard has dramatically unfurling scents of red cherry, cranberry, bergamot, tea leaves, damp earth and mushrooms. The medium-bodied palate is concentrated and nuanced with citrus-laced flavors. It’s structured by chalky tannins and mouthwatering acidity and has a long, layered finish. 1,667 cases produced.

100 Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

Released in a special bottle to celebrate the 25th harvest of Gerard Perse, Looking at the Grand Vin, the 2022 Château Pavie is 52% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon raised in 75% new barrels for 20 months. It brings a more focused, precise style in its darker berries, graphite, crushed stone, and floral aromatics and flavors. These carry to a full-bodied Pavie with flawless overall balance, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. This pure, powerful, yet aristocratic Pavie will benefit from 7-8 years (you can drink it even today) and have 3-4 decades of longevity.

97-99+ Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Independent

The 2022 Pavie is a blend of 52% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon with a pH of 3.67. Yields were 31 hl/ha. Deep garnet-purple in color, it erupts from the glass with powerful notes of juicy blackberries, black currant pastilles, and wild blueberries, followed by classic hints of violets, licorice, red loam, wood smoke, and crushed rocks. The full-bodied palate delivers fantastic tension between the intense, muscular black fruit flavors and a lively backbone, framed by beautifully ripe, rounded tannins, finishing long and fragrant. Superb.

99 Peter Moser - Falstaff

Deep dark ruby ​​garnet, inky, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate rim brightening. Fine nuances of liquorice, floral notes, black forest berries, blackcurrant and tangerine zest, inviting bouquet. Substantial, tightly meshed, mineral and taut, tight tannins, ripe and long lasting, dark fruit on the finish, showing great length and certain aging potential.

98 Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider

Deep, dark, intense, concentrated, powerful, long, and rich, this is an attention-seeking wine from the moment it hits your glass, with its opaque, black-purple hue. With just a swirl or two, the wine releases notes of black, red, and blue fruits, licorice, espresso, chocolate, and smoke. Surprisingly, even with this much weight, the wine is nimble, balanced, and fresh on the palate. That sense of lift remains from the mid-palate through to the finish. This is the first vintage where you find the vines from Bellevue Mondotte, and Pavie Decesse integrated into Chateau Pavie. The wine blends 52% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc with 18% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2030-2065.

97 Antonio Galloni - Vinous

The 2022 Pavie turned out beautifully. Although a touch reticent post-bottling, the 2022 impresses with its notable energy and vibrancy. Dark-toned fruit, leather, spice, menthol, licorice and gravel stain the palate. The 2022 offers tons of textural intensity but without the overt weight that was once such a signature here. I can't wait to see how it ages.

92 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

This is wonderfully fragrant, with attractive notes of olive, mulberry and peppercorn. It’s juicy, medium- to full-bodied and very bright, with fine-grained tannins and a lively finish. 74% syrah, 11% grenache, 8% cabernet sauvignon, 6% cinsault and 1% viognier. Delicious already. Drink now.

91 Monica Larner - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

With an ample 1.2 million bottles made, the Boekenhoutskloof 2023 Swartland The Chocolate Block is one of South Africa's most popular restaurant and retail wines. The blend is 74% Syrah, 11% Grenache, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cinsault and 1% co-fermented Viognier. Eighty percent of the grapes are farmed by the in-house team. No new oak is used except for the Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest sees neutral barrel. Proprietor Marc Kent says the wine is on its way to officially becoming organic. People underestimate the influence of the Cinsault, he says. It takes away from the roughness of the other grapes, and along with Grenache, creates a more perfumed style of wine. The Chocolate Block is its own brand, representing a fruit-forward, accessible and food-friendly red wine with medium-plus texture and pleasant softness.

91 Neal Martin - Vinous Media

The 2023 The Chocolate Block, arguably the Cape's most successful brand in terms of both quantity and quality, is a mixture of 70% estate fruit (mainly from Porseleinberg) and 30% from partnership vineyards on reddish soils that have supplied fruit for 15 to 20 years. It matured for 12 to 14 months in 95% used barriques. Fruit picked after the rains was not included in the blend. The 2023 has a fresh nose with redcurrant and pomegranate fruit, earthy notes and a touch of tea leaf. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy red fruit and fine acidity, fresh and vibrant with brown spices and black pepper toward the finish. According to the label, production totaled 4,043 barrels in this vintage—it is some achievement to produce a label of such scale at this level of quality. The Cape couldn't ask for a better ambassador.

92 Anthony Mueller - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Fresh and zesty, showing breadth and depth with citrus and spiced apple tones, the 2022 Clara Sauvignon Blanc is focused, complex and bright. Medium to full-bodied, the Sauvignon Blanc displays fantastic weight, with a round and spicy mouthfeel. Flavors of Marcona almond with nuances of dusty florals and Meyer lemon sway with a delightful mineral tension. Made from only free-run juice, the Sauvignon Blanc is naturally fermented in neutral oak before resting for nine months in a combination of old French and acacia barrels. Nicely done!

95 Kerin O'Keefe - kerinokeefe.com

The straight 2021 Barolo from Francesco Rinaldi & Figli is an absolute stunner, starting with its beguiling fragrance that combines wild rose, Alpine herb, red berry, dark spice and a whiff of sun-warmed hay. All about finesse and flavor, the palate captivates with layers of wild strawberry, red cherry, star anise and crushed mint before a blood orange finish. It's bright and balanced, with vibrant acidity and a backbone of firm, refined tannins. This is still youthfully and austere and shows terrific aging potential. What a fantastic showing. Drink 2031–2041.