92 International Wine Report

The 2020 Rive de Malva Saint-Joseph delivers aromas of black raspberries and bramble fruit, which is woven together with spices, pepper, wet stones, lavendar and hints of licorice. On the palate this with nicely balanced with medium body that is wrapped in a silky tannins which continues to impress all the way through the racy finish. A lovely wine to approach now, but should become even more compelling after some short-term cellaring.

92 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

A very good introduction to this appellation. Quite a complex nose of black pepper, smoke and blackberry with a hint of leather. The palate is medium-bodied but focused and energetic, the gentle tannin already well integrated, the finish long and clean. Drink or hold.

92 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

"A juicy and open Brunello with lovely purity of fruit. Medium-bodied with aromas of plums, sour cherries, chocolate orange and cardamom spice. Silky tannins and a rounded, tasty finish. Drink or hold."

91 winescritic.com

"Raspberries, currants, cherries, wild strawberries, white musk and green mandarin peel. Medium bodied, biting tannins and a finale of optimum workmanship, graceful and luminous. Drink now."

92 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

This has a ripe berry-soaked character with toasted cedar, cocoa powder and cigar box. Firm and chewy with a full body and polished tannins. Juicy and dark-fruited backbone with notes of bitter spices and crushed stones to close. Try after 2024.

92 Wine Spectator

Expressive, with cherry paste, mulberry preserves and plum compote, this delivers a zesty, bramble-edged feel through the licorice-accented finish. Approachable, but with solid grip underneath, so there's no rush. Drink now through 2035. 250 cases made.

91 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

This is perfumed with note of jasmine and acacia as well as cloves, white pepper and an attractive tropical backbone. Vivid and crunchy on the palate with a medium to full body and a thick, oily texture. Long finish. Drink now. Screw cap.

93 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

Aromas of blueberry and blackberry with spearmint, as well as stone, following through to a medium to full body with polished, refined tannins and pretty fruit at the finish. Try after 2022, when it will have opened a little.

92-93 Jonathan Choukroun - Vert de Vin

The nose is fruity, fresh, well-balanced and offers a good definition, gourmandise and power. It reveals notes of cassis, blackberry and small notes of blueberry associated with a touch of wild strawberry as well as slight hints of flowers, vanilla, liquorice and very discreet hints of spices. The palate is fruity, juicy, elegant, precise, well-balanced and offers a good definition, gourmandise, tension as well as a small creaminess. On the palate this wine expresses notes of cassis, blackberry, juicy raspberry and small notes of blueberry associated with small touches of liquorice, toast, vanilla and slight hints of coffee

92 Antonio Galloni - Vinous

The 2018 du Paradis has come together nicely in élevage. Punchy red berry fruit, crushed flowers, spice and mint give the 2018 its effusive personality. Fresh, vibrant and delineated, this charming, mid-weight Saint-Émilion has plenty to offer. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.

94 winescritic.com

"Intriguing and at times spicy alternating notes of red prunes with hints of coriander, mixed citrus fruits and quinine. Full bodied, concentrated and harmonic in the sip with a horizontal closure yet decidedly vibrant and juicy. Better from 2023."

93 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

"This is a rich and flavorful Brunello with aromas of sandalwood, mocha, bramble berries, roasted hazelnuts and cigar smoke. Full-bodied, with well-integrated tannins framing a tasty core of dark fruit. Chocolaty finish. Turn slightly chewy at the end and even austere. Drink from 2023."

93 winescritic.com

"Intriguing and decisive in the sensory profile alternating notes of red prunes, currants, raspberries, cut cedar and grapefruit with citrusy hints of lime and bergamot. Full bodied, very soft tannins and a finale in the classic mold, well made. Drink now."

95 winescritic.com

Very concentrated in the primary profile showing notes of raspberries, blackcurrants, cherries, pomegranate lavender in flower and agapanthus. Fresh and vibrant on the nose showing a medium to full body, perfectly mature, integrated tannins and a finale of super-fine beauty and elegance. Better from 2022.

90 Wine Enthusiast

Tasted simultaneously to the similarly compelling 2018 vintage, this 2019 Clos du Paradis offers ripe blackberry and plum flavors with an added richness and density of mouthfeel. While fresh in acidity, it's a robust, velveteen Pinot Noir coated in layers of espresso-powder tannins that leave a subtly charry tinge on the finish. Hold till 2024. The wine should drink well through 2035

93 Wine Spectator

"A compact red, fresh and medium- to full-bodied, with a subtle toasty overtone to the flavors of black plum and blackberry reduction, cigar box, vanilla and loamy earth. Dense tannins are fine and well-meshed, emerging on the firm finish. Tight-knit, with underlying power but overall grace, this should open with some age. Tempranillo. Best from 2025 through 2033. 850 cases made, 300 cases imported."

95 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

"A firm, wonderfully silky red with plum, berry, cherry and walnut aromas and flavors. It’s tight, very long and linear with tension and focus that goes on for minutes. Best ever? Drink after 2025."

94+ Monica Larner - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"The Franco Pacenti 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (with 6,500 bottles made) is a dense and nicely concentrated wine with plush and rich fruit flavors. Blackberry, plum and wild cherry cede to spice, potting soil and blue flower. There is an underlying mineral component as well. Although this Riserva has integrated nicely in the six years since the harvest, the fruit feels fresh and youthful nonetheless. Give it a few more years in your cellar. Some 6,500 bottles were made."

94 International Wine Report

"The 2016 Riserva is muscular and full of energy, as it offers inviting aromas of black plums, blackberries, black tea leaves, wild myrtle, juniper berries and cloves. The burnt citrus fruits in the background recall winter afternoons by the fireplace as the nuances of cinnamon, vanilla, cedar pieces and tangerine peel linger. It possesses a full body with fine-grained, velvety tannins that lead into a savory finish. Exceptional wine from an extraordinary vintage in Montalcino."

95 Decanter

Dense raisin, oak and bramble compote nose. The palate has a good sense of purity, with notes of blackberry and black cherry fruit. Smooth and approachable, with a good volume of filigreed tannin in the background and a very long, savoury finish. Well-balanced, not excessive; complete and unforced.

96 Wine & Spirits

Arnaldo Alejandro Rodriguez Coca and his family farm 37 acres in Burgos, including the 60-to-70-year-old parcels in La Horra that provide fruit for this wine. His 2014 tastes like Spanish food, the flavors giving joyful pleasure and flavor detail that lives on with stubborn Spanish perseverance. It’s the kind of unfettered length of flavor you might find in a great grand cru Burgundy, lasting here with a completely Iberian turn. Part of that is the sunny ripeness of hedonistically sweet fruit, floral, juicy and completely fresh. Part of it is the dark tones of spice, of anise and musk that brings up an appetite for game, perhaps wild duck braised with wild mushrooms. At once luscious and restrained, this is seductively delicious.