95 Wine Enthusiast

"MacRostie's Pinots from this vineyard on the edge of the Sonoma side of Carneros always are big, ripe, powerful and ageable. This '07 shows the fat, ripe character of the vintage, offering luscious raspberry, cherry, cola, red currant liqueur, bacon, anise, spice and sandalwood flavors. But it's balanced enough to change in interesting ways over the next 5-7 years. Really a glamorous wine for your best meals."

97+ Luis Gutierrez - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The NV La Bota de Manzanilla Pasada 120 Botas NO is the most recent bottling of this mythical wine, in this case the result of combining the “Bota Punta” with two outstanding casks of the 1/15 solera. This is an extraordinary Manzanilla of character, complexity and depth, with 14 years of average age, matured under flor for 10 years (and in a more oxidative way the last four to five years) in topped-up barrels. So, it's a little in the way of turning into an Amontillado but keeping the biological and saline character of the Manzanilla. I tasted from an opened bottle, and the wine had closed down and took some time to open up. The nose is impressive, for the first time with some Amontillado hints, mainly hazelnuts and a little varnish. It has concentration and depth, persistence and pungency. It's approachable and has the stuffing and balance to age nicely. 3,000 half-liter bottles produced. It was bottled in 2023.

100 Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

"Spring flowers, roasted herbs, graphite, chocolate, and scorched earth intermixed with blackberries define the 2020 Côte Rôtie La Mouline. Made from 89% Syrah and 11% Viognier and aged 42 months in new French oak, it's full-bodied, rich, and textured, with violets and smoked meats emerging with time in the glass. This concentrated, pure, super-rich, and sexy wine has flawless overall balance, ultra-fine tannins, and sensational length. Hide bottles for 5-7 years. Drink 2030-2050."

98 Nicolas Greinacher - Vinous

Bottled in February 2024, the 2020 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline is a masterpiece. Crushed violet, black cherry, graphite, olive tapenade, crushed rocks and cedar notes race out of the glass. A shot of espresso and minty shadings add further complexity. Stacked with ample flavor concentration and impressive depth, the 2020 hails from the glass with a vivid, energetic lift that races through from start to finish. Moreover, the round, sweet and gently enveloping tannins are remarkably refined and integrated for such a young wine, suggesting that the 2020 won’t require as much time to come around as usual. In short, this is a brilliant La Mouline that Guigal enthusiasts will want to snatch up.

98 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

Such a concentrated, focused yet bright La Mouline for the vintage. The nose reveals aromas of blackberries, dark plums, violets, undergrowth and black pepper. It's full-bodied with very fine tannins. It's ample, dense and yet so refined. The power is all under control, with the velvety, voluptuous core of dark cherries and berries mingling through the spices in harmony. The refined tannins guide the mid-palate onto a textural, long finish. Try after 2026.

95 Matt Walls - Decanter

Sticky damson and plum fruit, just a little touch of prune in the mix. Medium-bodied with fresh, fine tannins; quite an ethereal style of La Mouline, with floral hints and plentiful spicy oak among the roses. A compact style of wine for the vintage that suits what this vineyard delivers - good expression of terroir. I would drink this young, though it will no doubt age fairly well. From lieu-dit Côte Blonde and at the beginning of its 40 months in new French oak barriques.

97-99 Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

The 2020 Côte Rôtie La Turque brings a touch more mid-palate density and offers a straighter, more inward bouquet of cassis, graphite, smoked meats, and iron, with subtle gamey, bloody background nuances. It too is full-bodied and has a concentrated, structured mouthfeel, remarkable purity, and a killer finish.

98 Nicolas Greinacher - Vinous

The 2020 Côte-Rôtie La Turque reveals an intense and intricate bouquet of black pepper, licorice, iodine, mocha, graphite and cedar notes, showcasing outstanding complexity. Full-bodied and deeply concentrated, it shines with refreshing acidity and an ultra-precise balance that maintains a serene sense of harmony. With a long, generous and impeccably refined finish, this is a serious La Turque that's elegant to the core.

98 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

The nose is like what you smell when you enter a spice market in the Far East. Great concentration and underplayed power on the full-bodied palate, but also graceful, the generous dose of toasty oak almost perfectly integrated. Extremely long finish that keeps on pumping out the berry fruit, butter, orange and stone character. Drinkable now, but best from 2027.

94-96 Joe Czerwinski - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Notes of espresso and barrel char ride above notes of purple raspberries in the 2020 Cote Rotie La Turque. It's full-bodied, with ample concentration and length, but it seems to lack a bit of depth compared to other recent vintages. Let's see what next year brings.

96 Matt Walls - Decanter

This feels like a classic, with the weight and tannins necessary to help this age, but it's not as massive as some recent vintages. Star anise, cinnamon and nutmeg - very much about the spice this year - this is bold and sweetly fruited, with juicy, pliable tannins and a long finish. Vines are on the Côte Brune, planted by Marcel Guigal in 1980 (first vintage 1985) after being abandoned since 1935. La Turque is a central part of Côte Brune, less than 1ha. This is only at the beginning of its 40 months in new French oak barriques.

96 Kristen Bieler - Wine Spectator

A sublime bruiser of a wine, with layer after layer of chocolate-coated cherry and mulled plum. Notes of grilled herbs and apple wood smoke infuse the rich palate, with ample oak that is well-integrated. Nearly glycerol in feel, with power that builds, driven by a spine of iron and well-hewn tannins. Syrah and Viognier. Drink now through 2040. 90 cases imported.

84 Cellar Tracker

This is a cellartracker.com score based on 11 users as of 5/15/15

91 William Kelley - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The latest release of the NV Baltimore Rainwater (Rare Wine Company) is showing well, mingling aromas of ripe peach, candle wax and dried fruits with hints of walnuts. Medium to full-bodied, ample and enveloping, it's fleshy and elegantly satiny, with a lively core of fruit, nicely integrated sweetness and a nicely defined finish. This bottling, based on young Verdelho, is crafted to evoke the Rainwater Madeiras of the 19th century—wines that were especially prized in the city of Baltimore.

92 Wine Spectator

"A lovely hint of honeysuckle accents the flavors of mirabelle plum, white cherry, anise and grated ginger in this vibrant Champagne, which is finely knit and detailed in texture, with a mouthwatering finish of ripe fruit, spice and chalk accents. Disgorged November 2019. Drink now through 2025. 40,000 cases made, 6,930 cases imported."

90 William Kelley - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"The latest release of Ployez-Jacquemart's emblematic NV Extra Quality Brut was disgorged with around five grams per liter dosage after three years on the lees. Mingling aromas of orange oil and fresh peach with hints of brioche and smoke, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with a tightly wound core, racy acids and a dry, chalky finish. It will show even better after an additional year or two on cork."

94 Tastings.com (Beverage Testing Institute)

Violet color. Aromas and flavors of blueberry and blackberry, leather, mocha, and tobacco, and cedar with a round, lively, bone-dry medium-full body and a warming, interesting, medium-long finish that exhibits touches of red and black berries, chocolate covered acai, cherry cordials, and black tea with well-integrated, coating, firm, woody, drying tannins and moderate oak flavor. Powerful and lush red and black fruits with layers of oak that will integrate and show best with years in cellar.

92 Robert Parker