98+ Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

"One of the top handful of wines in the vintage, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée De Mon Aïeul is all Grenache, from the different terroirs (one sand, one clay, and one limestone) that was 50% destemmed and aged all in older demi-muids. Reminding me of the 2007 with its incredible perfume of ripe black raspberries, strawberries, flowery incense, peppery and Provençal garrigue, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a round, expansive texture, gorgeous tannins, and a blockbuster of a finish. A wine of incredibly purity, precision, and elegance, yet also with power and opulence, this sensational effort is in need of 3-4 years of bottle age and will keep for two decades."

98 Wine Enthusiast

"Typically a standout even amongst the best of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, this monumental bottling is sourced from 75- to 90-year-old Grenache planted in a diversity of pebbly, sandy and clay soils. Fermented partially in whole clusters, it offers black-cherry and raspberry flavors that are herculean in ripeness yet silken and deft, lifted by streaks of salt, crushed stone and smoke. A stunner in youth, the wine will likely improve through 2035 and hold further. -AL"

96 Antonio Galloni - Vinous

The 2019 Barolo Castelletto Vigna Pressenda is gorgeous. Delicate and perfumed in the glass, the 2019 offers up a beguiling mélange of dark red cherry, rose petal, mint, cedar, blood orange, spice and crushed autumn leaves. In 2019, the Monforte tannins are especially refined, something that is very rarely the case here at this stage. What a wonderfully precise, sophisticated, nuanced wine this is. Impressive.

95 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

Fresh and vibrant with red berry, blood orange, crushed hazelnut, hibiscus and spice aromas and flavors. Medium- to full-bodied, tense and linear with a backbone of firm, finely grained tannins and steady minerality. Needs some time. Try after 2027.

95 Monica Larner - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The Conterno Fantino 2019 Barolo Castelletto Vigna Pressenda is medium dark and more concentrated compared to many of its peers. This wine shows a solid bouquet with fixed aromas of wild cherry, long-stemmed rose and candied orange. With time, even more floral aromas are coaxed forward from the bouquet. Beyond those are oak-driven notes of allspice and cinnamon. The tannins are polished, and the wine offers quite a bit of fruit texture. Production is 6,600 bottles.

94 Bruce Sanderson - Wine Spectator

Presents cherry, raspberry, sun-kissed hay, mineral and spice aromas and flavors that curl around an acidic spine and tannins. This has all the right components, matched to a slim, taut frame, with fine length. Best from 2026 through 2043. 600 cases made, 180 cases imported

94 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

"Subtle and complex aromas with sliced spiced pear, ginger and honeysuckle. Full-bodied with layers of fruit and a creamy and enticing texture. Salted caramel and hints of nuts. Cooked apples and tarte tatin at the end. Dosage 5g/L. Disgorged in August 2021. Drink or hold."

99 Audrey Frick - jebdunnuck.com

The 2019 Barolo Sperss is rich with dark mineral earth, black cherry, and Earl Grey tea. Long and mouthwatering, it has a powerful structure while retaining finesse. It is fantastically balanced, with gripping tannins, fresh acidity, and notes of forested earth and ripe red berries. A wine for the long haul, this is another great and noble wine to drink over the coming three decades.

98 Antonio Galloni - Vinous

A wine of stature and breeding, the 2019 Barolo Sperss is pure Serralunga power. Dark toned fruit, lavender, licorice, gravel and crushed rocks soar from the glass. There is plenty of the brooding intensity and tannic heft that are such signatures, but the 2019 is also wonderfully refined.

93 Wine Enthusiast

The superlative wood and dried fruit flavors have coalesced to yield an intense wine. Its sweet sultana flavors and generous richness go with the spice and pepper edge from the wood aging. It is a great wine that is ready to drink. ROGER VOSS

92 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

"An archetypal Alsace dry riesling with a wide spectrum of aromas ranging from lemon and crisp pear to fresh pineapple and candied orange. Very crisp and focused palate with a wonderful freshness that’s hard to resist. Long, ample finish that’s very clean. From organically grown grapes. Drink from release. Screw cap."

94-96 Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

A solid step up over the Les Tourelles, the 2022 Les Griffons De Pichon Baron is also Merlot-dominated and checks in as 50% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Petit Verdot that will spend 18 months in 40% new French oak. Gorgeously pure cassis, smoked earth, graphite, tobacco, and crushed stone define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with a layer, concentrated mid-palate, fine tannins, and a great finish. The purity and precision here are truly something.

93-95 Neal Martin - Vinous Media

The 2022 Les Griffons de Pichon Baron represents 22% of the production and is matured in 40% new oak. It has a very focused bouquet, a mixture of red and black fruit, crushed violet and a light marine influence. The palate is medium-bodied with sculpted tannins, very tensile, intense yet weightless toward the long graphite-infused finish. This is just superb.

92-93 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

Refined and pretty aromas and flavors of currants and blackberries on both the nose and palate. Medium body. Fine tannins and a fresh finish. 50% merlot, 46% cabernet sauvignon and 4% petit verdot.

90-92 William Kelley - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2022 Les Griffons de Pichon Baron is the more serious of the estate's two second wines, with Cabernet Sauvignon rather than Merlot dominating the blend. Revealing aromas of dark berries, cherries, spices and pencil shavings, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with powdery tannins and a more structured profile than Les Tourelles

92 Jane Anson - Inside Bordeaux

For me this is the one to pick in 2022 from the 2nd wines of Pichon Baron, deep ruby red in colour, a core of intense tannins, crunchy cassis and bilberry fruit, strictly Pauillac with a powerful intense character that is easy to love. Excellent quality, brooding with a ton of spice. 40% new oak. First full year with Pierre Montegnut as technical director, plus first year with new tanks, and sorting facilities, including the abiliity for cold maceration for every plot.

97-98 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

Blackberry, iron, hazelnut, crushed stone, hints of salt and spice. Medium to full body. Fresh and vivid. Very sophisticated and classy. The tannins are silky and so fine, but then it opens up at the end of the palate.

93-95+ Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

The 2022 Château Bellefont-Belcier is a lively, medium to full-bodied Saint-Emilion that shines for its vibrancy and purity while still bringing beautiful depth of fruit. A blend of 72% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, it has a terrific sense of minerality in its red and blue fruits as well as notes of graphite, woodsmoke, and spring flowers. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, this ripe, concentrated, yet incredible elegant 2022 stays nicely focused, has fine grained tannins, and outstanding length. Tasted multiple times with consistent notes.

93-95 William Kelley - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

This estate's renaissance continues, and the 2022 Bellefont Belcier is both the finest and most elegant wine that the team has produced today. Mingling aromas of plums and sweet berries with notions of rose petals and bay leaf, it's medium to full-bodied, with a deep core of vibrant fruit, beautifully refined tannins and a suave, seamless profile. Readers will remember that this derives from a beautifully situated hillside vineyard, sandwiched between Larcis Ducasse and Tertre Roteboeuf on either side, with holdings belonging to Pavie and Troplong Mondot on the plateau above. The 2022 is a blend of 72% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.

91-93 Antonio Galloni - Vinous

The 2022 Bellefont-Belcier is quite dark and somber. In recent years, Bellefont is not as brooding as it once was, which is a positive, but the dark, introspective nature remains. Plum, chocolate, licorice, espresso and incense are some of the many notes that open with a bit of coaxing. There’s certainly plenty of depth, yet the 2022 is on the understated side at this stage. Tasted two times.

93 Wine Spectator

A savory streak leads the way, with a core of açaí, black currant and blueberry reduction notes following closely, while cool cast iron and graphite details lengthen the finish and offer a sense of place. This could use a touch of cellaring to round fully into form. Best from 2025 through 2035. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 3,500 cases made.

97 Anne Krebiehl MW - Vinous Media

The 2022 Riesling Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain Grand Cru was harvested among the last Rieslings but had one of the lowest alcohols, with 12.8 %. A lovely sharp, green aromatic flavor, almost of watercress intensity, fresh, green and vigorous without being unripe, sets an initial aromatic highlight. The famed smokiness arrives on the second sniff, followed by gloriously aromatic tangerine. The palate is exquisitely precise, stony, taut and naked, but oh so nuanced with immense citrus brightness. This is a marvel glimmering with zestiness, citrus and such stony directness. (Bone-Dry)

95 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

Very pure and attractive fruit character here with blackberries and blueberries with crushed violets, dark chocolate and savory herbs undertones. Some citrus peel and wet stones, too. Full-bodied with super fine tannins and crunchy acidity that gives tension and energy to the fruit. So polished and silky. Very long. A blend of petit verdot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

94+ Monica Larner - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

An organic blend of 40% Petit Verdot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc, the Brancaia 2020 Ilatraia (in the bottle with the black label) shows an inky dark appearance with lots of black and purple fruit intensity. This beautiful estate is nestled within the thick forests of Radda in Chianti, one of the wildest corners of the appellation. This vintage is slightly more accessible in terms of mouthfeel, but it still delivers ample spice, grilled herb and black pepper. Some 40,000 bottles are being released now.

94 Antonio Galloni - Vinous

The 2020 Ilatraia is a potent red that is going to need at least a few years in bottle to soften. Swaths of tannin wrap around a core of black fruit, chocolate, new leather, licorice, incense and lavender. A wine of substance and power, Ilatraia is not as forthcoming as most wines from the Tuscan coast. I suspect the high percentage of Petit Verdot in the blend has a lot to do with that. This is a superb showing, especially for a vintage that yielded generally lighter wines on the coast.

97 Neal Martin - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Now with a couple years in bottle, I am erring to the Taylor’s over the Fonseca (although these can always change!) The Taylor’s show more delineation and refinement with pure black currant, cassis, pencil box, hints of marzipan and a hint of dark chocolate. The palate is full-bodied and sumptuous with super-fine tannins, very pure blackberry and boysenberry notes interlaced with cedar, dried fig and a touch of black pepper on the beautifully refined finish. Excellent.

97 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

This is solid as a rock with firm and chewy tannins. Has grip. Full-bodied and off dry with gorgeous fruit. Dried fruit such as raisin and prune too. Long and very intense. Gorgeous. Great bottle.

90 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

Lovely nose of cherries, blackberries, cassis and sweet spices. Medium-bodied with soft tannins. Juicy, silky and fruit-driven. Drink now. Glass stopper.

96 Decanter

Inviting youthful nose peach, mango marmalade, quince and honeyed undertones. The palate is fresh and focused, quite layered with a lovely balance and length.