93+ Luis Gutierrez - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2023 Albariño, which represents their take of the vintage, was produced with grapes from 165 hectares of the 14 hectares they own. It goes back to the alcoholic degree of 2021, 12.5%, compared with the 13.5% of 2022. 2023 seems to be somewhere in between those two previous vintages: cooler and with a better distribution of rain than in 2022 but with warmer temperatures than 2021. The wine is still very young and primary, a little reductive even, with a balsamic hint that should go away with a little more time in bottle. This matures in stainless steel with lees until it's bottled. It has varietal notes of white flowers and grass. It's fresh and balanced, light to medium-bodied, easy to drink, sapid and tasty, with an almost salty twist in the finish despite its young age. It has a pH of 3.2 after going through full malolactic. There will be around 95,000 bottles, but not all the wine has been bottled yet, kept in stainless steel with the lees and the natural carbonic gas. The bottle I tasted was bottled in May 2024, but all bottles have the bottling date on the back label.

86 Cellar Tracker

"Based on 239 notes and 215 scores from 189 users on Cellartracker as of 5/29/15."

91 Joe Czerwinski - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Finding an Oakville Cabernet for under $100 isn't easy, so Groth's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon could be termed something of a value, offering up scents of dried herbs, cherries and loamy earth. Medium to full-bodied, there's a supple, creamy mouthfeel and soft tannins on the finish.

91 Antonio Galloni - Vinous

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is a fabulous introduction to the Groth wines. Soft, curvy and open-knit, the 2021 is already quite pleasing. Succulent dark red cherry/plum fruit, rose petal, cinnamon and a kick of sweet French oak all meld together. This pliant, seductive Cabernet Sauvignon is quite the charmer. Best of all, it will drink well right out of the gate. <

96-98 Neal Martin - Vinous Media

The 2022 Grand Puy Lacoste was picked from 7 to 23 September and contains more Merlot due to the high quality of the fruit, matured in 75% new oak. There is 14.2% alcohol. Therefore, this lends this GPL a little more precocity and sensuality compared to other vintages, not cut from the same "classical" cloth as, say, the 2019 or 2020. Underlying this velvety veneer are enticing traits of freshly-rolled tobacco and undergrowth. The palate is medium-bodied with finely-sculpted tannins. Silky smooth in texture, so much so that it belies that backbone underneath. There is a peacock's tail of mineral-rich, quite peppery black fruit on the finish, completing a Pauillac endowed with huge potential.

95-97 William Kelley - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

A blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot, the 2022 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is a brilliant classic in the making, wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, violets and pencil shavings, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated palate that exhibits beautiful structural refinement and purity of fruit. Classy and integrated, it is somewhat reminiscent of a modern-day and less forbiddingly structured version of this estate's brilliant 1982.

95-96 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

A very structured and rich red with black berry and chocolate. Full-bodied with a solid core of fine tannins and a fresh and muscular finish. Dusty texture. Yet it remains bright and vivid. 3.55 pH. 79% cabernet sauvignon, 21% merlot.

96 Decanter

Gorgeous vibrant purple colour in the glass, deep and darkly scented, black bramble fruits, flowers, cinnamon, dark chocolate and liquorice. Firm and forward, this is generous but sleek, so you get power and concentration but also juicy liveliness, great tension and energy. I really do like the ease of this, it's not trying too hard but delivered with poise, punch and purity. An excellent wine that really over delivers - so well presented, detailed, finessed and refined but still with the strength coming at the end in the wave of liquorice, dark chocolate and wet stone terroir markers. A brilliant wine with potential to deliver such excellent drinking pleasure. I love it. 3.57pH. A yield of 38hl/ha. 60% grand vin, 40% second wine. Eric Boissenot consultant. Harvest 7-23 September. Yield of 38hl/ha. Ageing in French oak, 75% new.

93-95 Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Independent

The 2022 Grand-Puy-Lacoste, 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot, is deep garnet-purple in color. Warm cassis, black cherry preserves, and kirsch aromas leap from the glass, followed by touches of chocolate mint, cedar, and pencil lead. The medium to full-bodied palate features fine-grained tannins and bold freshness to support the tight-knit red and black berry layers, finishing long and lifted. This is wonderfully energetic! pH 3.57.

96 Beverage Dynamics

Mesmerizing toasted brioche aromas leap from the glass, while fl avors of caramel apple, orange, lemon zest and honey dance on the palate. Tasting blind, one could be fooled into thinking this is Champagne. A remarkable wine that overdelivers for its price.

92 International Wine Report

"The 2015 'Pelos' Sangiovese is a wonderful showing. It instantly opens inviting aromatics of fresh dark cherries and red plums woven together with spices, herbs, fresh cut florals and underlying hints of leather all emerging from the glass. On the palate this is medium-plus bodied and well-structured with firm, yet nicely polished tannins and lovely acidity keeping it fresh and inviting. It continues to impress with its excellent overall balance as it heads into the long finish. While this is already quite appealing in its youth, it should also continue to drink beautifully over the course of the next five years."

91 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

"Black cherries, underbrush, cloves, ash and tar. Full-bodied with structured and chewy tannins and a fruit-forward but very enjoyable finish. Drink in 2021"

94-96 Yohan Castaing - Robert Parker's the Wine Advocate

The 2022 Haut-Bailly offers up aromas of dark berries complemented by accents of iris, lilac, rose petals, graphite and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, dense and concentrated, dense, it's layered and textural, with a deep core of fruit, powdery tannins and a penetrating, saline finish. Vinified along traditional lines, it is a structured wine that will take some time to hit its stride, but at this early stage it appears suppler and more seamless than its 2020 and 2019 predecessors. A blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc from grapes picked from September 7 to 27, it's maturing half in new barriques and half in one- or two-year-old barrels.

93 Erin Brooks - Robert Parker's the Wine Advocate

The 2022 Pinot Noir Estate was vinified with 40% whole clusters and matured in used oak. The nose is bursting with cranberry, pomegranate, mushrooms, woodsmoke and underbrush. The medium-bodied palate has a core of earth and spice-laced fruit. It has a frame of chalky tannins and juicy acidity and a long, nuanced finish. 5,268 cases produced.

97 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

Apple, brioche, flint, pear and slate aromas with hints of apple tart follow through to a full body with gorgeous richness and depth, yet it grows on the palate. Very vertical and goes deep. Best ever. Drink or hold.

100 Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

Moving to the Grand Vin, the 2020 Vieux Château Certan is another legendary wine from this vintage, ranking with the best Bordeaux ever produced. Based on 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc that spent 18 months in 65% new French oak, it has a deep, powerful, full-bodied style as well as incredible purity and precision in its darker cassis, graphite, gravelly earth, and tobacco-driven aromatics. With perfectly integrated oak, again, incredible purity, and perfect, ultra-fine tannins, it deserves 8-10 years of bottle age and will be a 40- to 50-year wine.

100 Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Independent

Deep purple-black in color, the 2020 Vieux Chateau Certan is composed of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, the youngest vines being 41 years old and the oldest 80 years old. The nose is shut tight to begin, needing a lot of air to call forth beguiling scents of rose oil, sandalwood, star anise, and black truffles - to begin - giving way to a profound core of plum preserves, blueberry compote, boysenberries, and molten chocolate with a fleeting waft of vanilla pod and sassafras. The full-bodied palate is fantastically structured, with very firm yet very fine, smooth tannins and amazing tension supporting the dense, multilayered fruit, finishing with epic length and a whole firework display of mineral and floral notes. This is superb.

98-100 Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2020 Vieux Château Certan is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, picked on the 14th to the 24th of September for the Merlot, then on the 28th and 29th of September for the Cabernet Franc. The pH is 3.77 and the alcohol is 14.5%. Deep purple-black colored, it needs considerable coaxing, swirling and a lot of patience before it finally lets rip an intoxicating perfume of ripe, juicy black plums, Morello cherries, candied violets, black truffles and crushed rocks, giving way to hints of black tea, molten licorice and Sichuan pepper, plus a waft of dusty red soil. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers achingly ripe, silt-like tannins and shimmering freshness that melds with the black fruits and earthy layers with jaw-dropping seamlessness, finishing with layer upon layer of mineral and savory suggestions and, finally, a gorgeous floral whisper. There are going to be two ways to approach this: 1) Just let the remarkably sensual, inexplicable beauty of it wash over you or 2) Try to unravel all those intricate layers and have it blow you mind. Either way, this is simply an incredible achievement—bravo Alexandre and Guillaume Thienpont!

99 Antonio Galloni - Vinous

The 2020 Vieux Château Certan is a wine of total harmony and finesse. Absolutely nothing is out of place. Supple and seamless, the 2020 is an infant, but it is so impressive. Crème de cassis, lavender, mocha and licorice are some of the many notes that emerge from the glass, but more than anything else, the 2020 is a majestic Pomerol that will thrill those lucky enough to own it. There's not much else to say. The 2020 spent 18 months in barrel, 65% new.

99 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

Real Pomerol here with black berry, chocolate, hazelnut and walnut aromas and flavors. Dark fruits. Crushed stone. It’s full and intense with great focus. Powerful yet so balanced and intense. Juicy center palate. Fantastic length. Great clarity. Drink after 2028.

98 GEORGINA HINDLE - DECANTER

A pure, classy, understated VCC that manages to be elegant and delicate while hinting its potential for glamour and star power. Coiled and tightly knitted with rich and ripe black fruit flavours; currants, plums, figs and blackcurrants with a scintillating energy and grip. Effortlessly stylish yet beguiling, more of a sleeping beauty right now, concentration is clear with such detail to the fruit, well integrated tannins and thrilling acidity, but delivered sleekly. Confident winemaking on show, a wine that has been 'crafted for our children and grandchildren' says Alexandre Thienpont.

95 Monica Larner - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"The 2020 Barbaresco boasts an ample set of aromas with wild cherry, blue flower, sweet spice and crushed limestone. As always, the wine paints an exciting and authentic portrait of Nebbiolo, albeit with a little more richness and texture in this vintage. This is especially true in terms of the palate, where the wine offers mid-weight intensity with melting tannins. This ambitious release of 300,000 bottles is slated to hit the market in fall 2023."

94 Wine Enthusiast

"Embrace the harmonious blend of cooked cherries infused with an array of mixed spices, accompanied by subtle hints of medicinal herbs and rose water. Soft and rounded, yet possessing a discernible edge, this wine presents a fruit-forward profile loaded with flavors of cherry and raspberry, all the while, complemented by refreshing acidity. Its polished and elegant character develops throughout the bottle and will age deep into the future while still being great today. -JP"

93 Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

"Ripe red in color, the 2020 Barbaresco boasts a nice balance of purity and ripeness, with lifted spice notes of dried cherries, peppercorn, pine, and anise. An impressive Barbaresco, it’s medium-bodied and offer sanguine richness and yet has a weightless feel. It’s propelled forward through the palate, with bright orange peel notes, vibrant acidity, fine tannins, and a long finish. It has more richness in this vintage as well as having a lot of finesse and elegance to offer. It’s an exceptional entry Barbaresco. Drink 2026-2040."

92 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

"This is aromatic and attractive with notes of dried cherries, hibiscus, cocoa and bark, following through a medium body with polished and refined tannins with velvety texture, and a linear finish. Fresh and floral at the end with a bright red fruit backbone. Drink from 2025."

92 Antonio Galloni - Vinous

"The 2020 Barbaresco is a lovely, harmonious wine that will drink well with minimal cellaring. Forward fruit and soft curves are perhaps a bit uncharacteristic for young Barbaresco but that also make the wine very enjoyable. Juicy red cherry/plum fruit, rose petal, spice, cedar, mint and tobacco all meld together in the glass. Classicists will probably prefer other vintages, but it's hard not to like the 2020 for its charming, effusive personality. At the same time, aeration brings out greater aromatic presence and a good deal of structure, too."

97 Mark Squires - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2018 Xisto, released only in certain years, is a blend of 40% old vines (70 years), 30% Touriga Nacional and 30% Touriga Franca from vines planted in 1987, all aged for 20 months in 85% new French barriques. It comes in at 14.5% alcohol. As gorgeous as the regular Tinto is, this is a step up, or two. It is a bit oakier but also more polished and better structured. It's easily as delicious, although the oak covers up some of that these days. This is approachable now because the tannins are very ripe, but it will be even better in a couple of years. That will allow some chance to pull in more wood. It does tighten a bit with air, so aging it can't hurt. It should age well. It has some things to prove in the cellar, but I'm leaning up today. There were 7,000 bottles produced.

91 Wine Enthusiast

From one of the properties owned by the Milhade family, this wine is dominated by dark Merlot and rich tannins. It is dry, with some bitterness from extraction, while also having plenty of juicy blackberry fruits to balance. Drink the wine from 2022. ROGER VOSS

88 Wine Enthusiast

Under the same ownership as neighboring Château Lousteauneuf, this property offers a densely structured wine that is also fresh from black-currant acidity. The current dryness will soften to give a rich, always textured wine. Drink from 2023.