98 Wine Enthusiast

A single-vineyard Alicante Bouschet wine aged in tonels 3 and 4, two handsome wood casks big enough to walk through. The wine is only released in selected years. This vintage, now almost mature, shows both aging potential and great power as well as elegance. There is a fine juicy character that gives it unique freshness while it matures. Drink now or just wait until 2024.

97+ Mark Squires - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2013 Tinto Tonel No. 3-4 was aged for 40 months in large Portuguese and Brazilian tonels, then held back for 22 months in bottle. It comes in at 14.5% alcohol. When last seen, this was brilliant. It is on track and developing well. Dark and more closed, this lacks the lively and fresher style of the regular Estate Tinto (either the 2014 or the 2015), but it has more power and plenty of depth. The flavor profile is perhaps not quite as enticing, as it is acquiring a bit of a darker feel, but this is well done. It is a long-term wine that is nowhere close to finishing its development. It is also not at peak. Grab some if you can find it and have a cellar. There will be, I'm told, a small amount of Tonel No. 3-5 in 2015, but nothing after that until 2021.

96 Decanter

Mouchão’s best variety (Alicante Bouschet), best site (the oldest Carrapetos vineyard) and best ‘barrels’ (two aged 5,000-litre tonel numbered 3 and 4) strut their pedigree on an inky palate, saturated with deliciously concentrated, yet animated, blackcurrant and redcurrant, with signature stewed mint tea nuances. Dried fig, violets and black olive notes emerge. Whole-bunch fermented, pithy tannins are involving and very dynamic. Lovely balance, length and precision.

94-96 Neal Martin - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The Château de Fargues 2014 has an opulent, rounded and powerful bouquet that delivers a payload of botrytized fruit that is precise, upholding the de Fargues style, hints of mandarin and Clementine developing in the glass. The palate has a huge weight in the mouth: a fine line of acidity with layers of clear honey, marmalade and a dash of ginger on the finish. This represents an immensely pure Château de Fargues with enormous length and intensity. Superb.

90-93 Jasper Morris, MW - Inside Burgundy

100% destemmed, 20% new wood, one new barrel in five. More lees were retained for the elevage, to add a reductive character so as to delay the need to add sulphur. A fine mid purple. The nose remains on the reductive side. Good tension and much cleaner fruit on the palate, with fine persistence. Drink from 2030-2035. Tasted Nov 2024.

94 Wine Enthusiast

This deep ruby-colored wine has a bouquet of black cherry, milk chocolate and clove. Flavors of blackberry, baking spices, mocha and violet are supported by opulent tannins and a sophisticated whiff of smoke that endure on the palate.

98+ Joe Czerwinski - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Slated for a September 2024 release, Spottswoode's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon comes across as more vibrant, floral and fresh than the 2020. Violet and cassis notes are accented by hints of crushed stone and pencil shavings on the nose. Hugely complex yet harmonious, this medium-bodied effort is firm but silky in feel, with a long, elegant finish. Lovely stuff.

93 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

"The vibrant white currant, blackcurrant and white peach aromas pull you into this sleek and pristine, barely medium-bodied dry riesling. Very pure and clean in the long, zesty and stony finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap."

94 Revista Adega - Revista Adega

A red blend composed of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Alicante Bouschet, aged for 18 months in oak, partly in 500-liter barrels and partly in 25 hl foudres. Here, too, there is a stylistic shift towards more tension, precision, fruit clarity, and depth, while maintaining the generous profile of its perfectly ripe red and black fruits, all supported by taut, sandy-textured tannins and vibrant acidity, which give the wine fluidity and persistence. Undoubtedly, the best version of this red wine tasted by ADEGA to date. Alcohol 14%.

97 Kerin O'Keefe - kerinokeefe.com

Hailing from the MGA of the same name that’s more commonly called Altenasso and located in Castiglione Falletto, the 2021 Garblèt Sue’ is another stunner from Brovia, starting with its enticing nose of blue flower, perfumed berry, ground clove and fine tobacco blend. Showing great structure and restraint, the youthfully austere palate features red cherry, cranberry, star anise and menthol accompanied by firm, refined tannins. It’s well balanced, with vibrant acidity that keeps it energized. Showing great aging potential, give this time to fully unwind. Drink 2033–2051. Abv: 14.5%

96 Monica Larner - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The Brovia 2021 Barolo Garblèt Sue' is beautifully sharp and refined, showing intensity, elegance and length. This is how you do Nebbiolo. The wine has extremely fine tannins but with glossy substance. They stay the course to give firmness from behind. The name Garblèt Sue' is a local dialect expression for Garbelletto Superiore. This is a 0.8-hectare site with evolved Sant'Agata Fossili Marl soils. Given the wine's structure, it ages in slightly smaller 30-hectoliter French and Slavonian oak casks. This is a release of 1,700 bottles.

94+ Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Bettinelli Sleeping Lady Vineyard comes skipping out of the glass with bright notes of kirsch, redcurrant jelly and blackcurrant preserves, giving way to a more serious earthy/savory undercurrent of smoked meats, crushed rocks and wild fungi. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers fantastic freshness to the densely laden red and black fruits, supported by ripe, grainy tannins, finishing long and savory.

94 Owen Bargreen - OwenBargreen.com

"Entirely sourced from the high elevation ‘XL Vineyard’ in the Walla Walla Valley, the 2015 ‘Fianchetto’ was aged in 60% new French oak for 30 months and also saw two years of bottle age before release. The flavor density is outstanding considering the challenges that presented themselves in this exceedingly warm vintage, as ripe dark currants collide with cherry cordial, Earl Grey tea and exotic spices on the palate. Super refined and elegant, this has a long way to go. Drink 2021-2033"

92 Stephen Tanzer - Vinous Media

"Dark red-ruby. Aromas of cassis, black cherry, dark raspberry, licorice and bitter chocolate complemented by sexy spicy oak tones. Fine-grained, very ripe and classically dry, combining serious alcoholic clout and surprising energy. Plush, concentrated red berry flavors are lifted by a floral element that's rare for such a ripe Bordeaux blend. This powerful wine finishes with broad, dusty tannins and serious sweetness. Constant wind at this site typically results in small, thick-skinned berries, and Naravane noted that the tannins here can easily get out of whack. He presses the wine before it's fully dry and allows the fermentation to finish in barrels. (15.3% alcohol; aged for 28 months in 80% new Tronçais oak; from SeVein vineyards)"