94 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

Evolved, complex wine full of depth, with aromas of forest floor, prunes and blackberry jam, plus subtle spice and smoky wood. The overall elegance is confirmed on the palate with medium body, integrated, refreshing acidity and savory, long, layered finish. One of the best Ripassos tasted this year. Drink now.

93 Eric Guido - Vinous Media

The 2021 Ripassa Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore entices with a beguiling bouquet of sweet herbs, wet stones, crushed blueberries and hints of spice. It is silken and round, with weighty textures offset by cooling acidity as masses of ripe red and blue fruits swirl throughout. The finish has grippy tannins balanced by a bump of fresh acidity as hints of plums fade slowly.

93 Wine Spectator

The 2021 Ripassa Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore entices with a beguiling bouquet of sweet herbs, wet stones, crushed blueberries and hints of spice. It is silken and round, with weighty textures offset by cooling acidity as masses of ripe red and blue fruits swirl throughout. The finish has grippy tannins balanced by a bump of fresh acidity as hints of plums fade slowly.

96 Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

More open, upfront and sexy, the 2009 Grenache This is Not an Exit is comprised of 79% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 3% Viognier and 3% Roussanne that spent 31 months in roughly 35% new French oak. Showing overflowing richness, with notions of incense, spice cake, potpourri and creamy raspberry fruit, it is a full-bodied, voluptuous and decadent Grenache geared for drinking over the coming decade or so. Drink now-2023. About as good as it gets across the board, these singular, incredible wines are the result of an obsessive attention to detail at all stages of the wine making process. There is no secret or hidden magic going on here. The incredibly talented and down-to-earth Manfred Krankl simply walks the walk as opposed to only talking about attention to detail or offering up the standard, wine is made in the vineyard comments. Looking at the vintages focused on here, 2009 has produced a decadent, voluptuous style that offers up thrilling levels of fruit as well as an approachable, heady richness that-s hard to resist. While they possess ample depth and structure, I would drink these before either the 2010s or 2011s. The 2010s here are stunning and have everything; gorgeous fruit, awesome concentration and incredible purity. While the most age-worthy of the recent vintages, they're a spectacular drink even today. The 2011s, which were all tasted out of barrel, have additional freshness and focus over the 2010s. They have solid concentration and overall balanced profiles that should allow them to cruise in the cellar.

99 Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

One of the most singular wines of the appellation, the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Réservé comes from sandy soils in the northern part of the appellation and is based on 85% Grenache, 10% Syrah, and 5% Cinsault raised all in foudre. Blackberries, roasted garrigue, graphite, cassis, and ground pepper all soar from this fabulous Grenache, which has ultra-fine yet substantial tannins, full-bodied richness, and a broad, layered, incredibly compelling style. Borderline perfection, it doesn't get better than this in the vintage, so hats off to Jean-Paul Daumen for another truly singular, magical wine. Give bottles 2-4 years and enjoy over the following 15-20 years.

96 Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Independent

Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2022 Golden Hour Pinot Noir slides out with seductive scents of cranberries, Bing cherries, and mulberries, followed by nuances of lilacs, cinnamon stick, and cardamom. The medium to full-bodied palate has a solid structure of fine-grained tannins and great tension framing the bright red berry fruit, finishing long and earthy.

17 Jancis Robinson's Purple Pages

Tasted blind. Stewed fruit on the nose. Impenetrable tannic fizz on the palate. Has all the formidable structure of Hermitage. Dark, savoury, austere and leathery to finish.

94 Antonio Galloni - Vinous

The 2021 Nebbiolo d'Alba Vigna Arione is all class. Perfumed and silky on the palate, with medium-bodied structure, the 2021 embodies the virtues of elegance and class. Crushed flowers, white pepper and mint play off a core of vibrant, red-toned fruit. What a beautiful wine this is. As a reminder, the Nebbiolo d'Alba Vigna Arione emerges from a section in Arione that is just outside the Barolo appellation. Vines here were replanted after the 2015 harvest. The Nebbiolo was vinified in wood and then spent 31 months in cask, a classic Barolo élevage.

93 Stephen Tanzer - Vinous Media

Bright ruby-red; more saturated than the 2014 version. Sexy burnished dark-chocolate oak complements aromas of dark berries, licorice pastille and fresh herbs. A superb balance of sweetness and harmonious acidity gives shape and definition to the rich, dense but restrained flavors of dark berries, bitter chocolate and licorice. A richer, deeper and perhaps even more youthful version of the 2014. Finishes with serious tannins but also plush and smooth, with licorice and bitter chocolate flavors coating the molars. Like the 2014, there's a slight warmth here but this wine has even more buffering material and length.

95 Monica Larner - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The Quintarelli Giuseppe 2016 Cabernet Alzero is a blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot. The two Cabernet grapes see between one and two months of appassimento, and because these varieties do not share the light color and big berry size of the traditional Valpolicella grapes that are usually used in the air-drying process, the Cabernets reach a higher sugar content in a shorter time frame. The winery team has been working to reduce the sweetness you might associate with older vintages of this wine, and indeed, the Alzero has gone from 20 grams per liter of residual sugar in the past to seven grams today (with a powerful 16.5% alcohol content). There is a subtle herbal note with green curry leaf that transitions to jammy blackberry and blackcurrant. This is a wine of broad shoulders, big richness and a generously fleshed-out texture (my sample came from a bottle that had been opened most of the day).

94 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

Super-fresh aromas of lemon peel, with subtle green-apple and buttery notes. Leafy lime touch, too. Medium body with an additional strawberry flavor, long and elegant acidity and a tight-knit structure. Long, fruity finish. Disgorged in 2023. Dosage 3g/L. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.

98 Kerin O'Keefe - kerinokeefe.com

The newest addition to Paolo Scavino’s already impressive Barolo lineup, the 2021 Bussia Vigna Fantini another drop-dead beauty from the estate. Hailing from a vineyard the family purchased in 2018 where the previous owner had planted different clones of Nebbiolo including the Rosé variety, it’s intense and fragrant, opening with heady scents of rose, iris, cake spice and menthol. Full-bodied but boasting a weightless concentration, the enveloping, delicious palate doles out raspberry compote, ripe Morello cherry, licorice and vanilla before a minty close. Velvety tannins provide seamless support while fresh acidity keeps it well balanced. Drink 2031–2041. Abv: 15%

98 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

A super-fresh and elegant Barolo with leafy lightness, red currants, watermelon, licorice and a touch of sweet violets on the nose. Slight sweetness on the palate, with a lot of minty flavors, a full body, fresh acidity and quite firm yet velvety tannins. Great overall harmony, with a savory aftertaste and a lavish finish.