96 Anne Krebiehl MW - Vinous Media

For some strange reason, the 2022 Pinot Gris Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain Grand Cru had the highest acidity of all the wines harvested in 2022 - even a touch more than the Riesling Roche Calcaire. This is one of the mysteries of nature. Only a vestige of pear appears on the nose. The palate is absolutely focused. Tasted blind, this would be hard to recognize as a Pinot Gris. This is unreal with its chiseled, scalpel-like acid streak, wonderful and glorious. The pear of Pinot Gris returns on the finish. The 2022 is bracing, gorgeous, unusual and magical. There's far more Rangen than Pinot Gris. (Bone-Dry)

88 Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

Produced at Quinta do Ameal in the Lima Valley, this wine is crisp, ripe and full of lemon and lime flavors. Lively and with great freshness, the wine is ready to drink. — Roger Voss

100 Robert Parker - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"One of the more flamboyant and sumptuous wines of the vintage, this inky/purple-colored St.-Julien reveals thrilling levels of opulence, richness and aromatic pleasures. A soaring bouquet of creme de cassis, charcoal, graphite and spring flowers is followed by a super-concentrated wine with silky tannins, stunning amounts of glycerin, a voluptuous, multilayered mouthfeel and nearly 14% natural alcohol. Displaying fabulous definition for such a big, plump, massive, concentrated effort, I suspect the tannin levels are high even though they are largely concealed by lavish amounts of fruit, glycerin and extract. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040."

100 Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

The greatest wine I’ve ever tasted from this address is the 2009 Léoville Poyferré, which is a step up over both the 2000 and the 2010. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and the balance Cabernet Franc that hit 13.9% alcohol, it offers everything you could ask of a wine and reveals a saturated purple color as well as incredible notes of crème de cassis, blueberries, lead pencil, exotic Spices, and dried flowers. Incredibly full-bodied, super concentrated, deep, and opulent, yet still pure, fresh, and lively, it has sweet tannin and a hedonistic vibe that hides its underlying structure. Drink it anytime over the coming three decades.

98 Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Independent

The 2009 Leoville Poyferre is medium to deep garnet-brick in color. It bursts from the glass with bombastic notions of kirsch, raspberry preserves, warm cassis, and stewed plums, plus suggestions of Ceylon tea, candied violets, and Indian spices. Medium-bodied, the palate is soft, plush, and seductive, delivering seamless freshness to lift the perfumed fruit to a long finish.

97-98 VERT DE VIN

The nose offers power, deepness, concentration as well as a nice intensity of the grain. It reveals notes of boysenberry, strawberry and more slightly zan associated with touches of star anise, nutmeg, Madagascar pepper as well as hints of blueberry / flowers and a subtle hint of anise. The palate is fruity and offers juiciness, smoothness, good definition, some intensity, concentration as well as a finely tight tannic structure. This wine expresses notes of juicy / pulpy blackberry, tangy cassis and more slightly raspberry associated with touches of cherry, blueberry, lily, camphor, racy minerality and hints of coffee. Tannins are precise. Presence of a subtle hint almost thyme on the finish / persistence.

97 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

Beautiful blueberries and blackberries with some blackcurrants and flowers on the nose. Some black olives and crushed stones, too. Full-bodied with creamy tannins and lovely depth. The tannins are so integrated and plush, but fine-grained. Persistent finish. A red that gives wonderful pleasure now, but will continue to do so for decades ahead.

94 Joaquín Hidalgo - Vinous Media

The 2020 Pago de Carraovejas is a blend of 92% Tempranillo, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot from Querada del Botija in Peñafiel, Ribera del Duero. Aged for 12 months in French (80%) and American (20%) oak barrels, it's garnet-red with a purple sheen. The aromas begin with enticing notes of strawberry, blackcurrant, sour cherry, spice and finely tuned oaky layers. On the palate, it's dry and juicy, with finely-grained tannins and a chalky texture invigorated by well-balanced acidity. Compared with previous house vintages, this is a precise new style for Ribera del Duero.

97 Eric Guido - Vinous Media

"With the 2016 still being held for release down the road as it slowly comes into focus, today it's the 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta that is being released into the market. This is dark, sultry and almost animalistic in nature, as crushed fall leaves and earth tones open the experience, giving way to masses of macerated black cherries, cedar shavings, spiced cookies and a lifting hint of camphor. It floods the palate with velvety textures while maintaining fantastic energy, as stimulating acidity adds unexpected vibrancy, and tart wild berries slowly saturate. While structured, the tannins are sweet, and the wine remains remarkably fresh, almost crunchy, as an air of inner rose and balsam herbs slowly fades. Frankly, I can't believe the 2017 finished at 16% abv, because it is simply so palatable and charming."

95 Wine Spectator

"A dark, brooding red that effortlessly marries a lovely range of kirsch, blackberry paste, dried mint and eucalyptus flavors with fine, sculpted tannins and a rich streak of minerality, showing lots of smoke, fresh earth and iron. This offers concentration and power, revealing even greater detail and expression as it opens in the glass, but at the same time this is an exercise in balance and restraint. Corvina, Rondinella, Oseleta and Croatina. Drink now through 2035. 1,350 cases made, 250 cases imported."

96 Kerin O'Keefe - kerinokeefe.com

Enticing aromas of blue flower, pipe tobacco and crushed berry mingle with an earthy whiff of tilled soil. On the tense, full-bodied palate, tightly woven, refined tannins accompany juicy strawberry, red cherry, star anise and rusty nail. Vibrant acidity keeps it balanced. Drink 2026-2038. 14.5% abv. November 2022

94 Eric Guido - Vinous Media

What a darling; the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino from Padelletti seduces with vivid black raspberries, wild blueberries and sweet roses forming its bouquet. It envelopes the palate with ripe red fruits and exotic spice, all energized by a core of vibrant acidity, as saline-minerals add a crunchy sensation. Its tannins are round and sweet, gently tugging at the cheeks, as hints of hard candy and licorice fade. At times, tasting the 2018 is more like eating perfectly ripe fruit off the vine than sipping wine, and I mean that in the best possible way. Give this beauty a couple of years of cellaring, and then enjoy it with abandon.

94 Decanter

Claudia Padelletti has been running this historic property for decades. Since joining in 2008, her son Silvano has made small tweaks without forsaking the staunchly traditional approach - and the wines have gained in purity and precision. The 2018 is another admirable example: a beguiling interplay of flint, balsamic herbs and fragrant lilac lace though juicy red berries. Light on its feet, this Brunello has a lovely, elegant flow. The gracious structure makes it immediately approachable but there are depths and layers that will keep giving for another decade or so.

92 Luis Gutierrez - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

I also tasted the 2022 Viñedos en Labastida. The wines are produced in a similar way to highlight the differences of the places and vintages. In 2022, it's a similar blend of different plots with some 85% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha and 5% white grapes, and it had a similar vinification and élevage in 500- and 600-liter oak foudres in their cave. It's very primary and fruit-driven, with a nose of ripe berries and herbs, a lactic twist and a fine thread in the palate, with surprisingly fine tannins for a 2022. 3,600 bottles were filled in September 2023.

99 Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

The 2019 Syrah Lorraine is ultra-classic and is about as textbook an example of this cuvée as I can recall. Black raspberries, cassis, spring flowers, and baking spices all flow to a full-bodied, round, velvety textured, utterly seamless Syrah with ripe tannins, a great mid-palate, and a gorgeous finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. It's impossible to resist today (and I see no need to delay gratification), yet it will continue to deliver the goods any time over the coming 20-25 years.

87 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

A little reductive on the nose with cherries, roasted espresso, grilled herbs and lemon leaves. Medium-bodied with chewy tannins and tangy acidity. Rustic. Sustainable. Vegan. Drink now. Screw cap.

94 Antonio Galloni - Vinous

The 2020 Pinot Noir Isabelle is a blend of the best barrels across all the vineyards Au Bon Climat sources from. Dark and enveloping, the Isabelle has a ton to offer. Dark red/purplish fruit, spice, lavender and licorice are nicely pushed forward. There's minimal stem inclusion here, and that comes through in the wine's lush fruit and supple contours.

93 Eric Guido - Vinous Media

Remarkably pretty and floral, the warm vintage 1996 Ciallabianco is a finessed and delicate effort with spearmint and almond custard suggestions embellishing ripe peach. It's soothingly round with a salty tinge and fresh acidity. A savory wave of pit fruits and green citrus tones settle on the palate. The 1996 tapers off with tension, long and staining yet still fresh and lightly structured. This is in a gorgeous place, and there is no fear of decline.

93 Antonio Galloni - Vinous

“The 2018 Pinot Noir Flax Vineyard shows a more red-toned profile than the other Pinots in the range. Cedar, iron, dried herbs, anise and leather add an attractive upper register. This mid-weight, expressive Pinot offers terrific persistence and long, clean finish.”

94 Wine Spectator

This is what 20-year-old is all about. Subtle aromas of toffee, caramel and flan, with hints of dried fruits. Medium- to full-bodied, with sweet fruit and a long coffee aftertaste that turns to honey and apricots. Very fine indeed. This is superb. Drink now. 500 cases made.

91 Wine Spectator

Incredibly sweet and unctuous. Medium in body with intense honey, truffle and caramel character and long, long aftertaste. Can’t put it down. (JS)

97 Decanter

A collaboration project between Dalla Valle Vineyards of Napa Valley and Ornellaia of Tuscany. This is the third release, and despite the challenging vintage, winemaker Maya Dalla Valle and founder and proprietor Naoko Dalla Valle, along with winemaker Axel Heinz and CEO Giovanni Geddes da Filicaja of Ornellaia have produced one of the standout wines of the vintage. Effusive blackberry aromas are intermixed with graphite, cassis, liquorice, toasty cedar wood and tanned leather. This is a seamless wine with superb structure, freshness, and depth of character. Medium to full-bodied with rich dark cassis, loamy earth, elegant, fine-grained tannins, dusted wild herbs, brown spices, and a fabulously long mocha-tinged finish. It almost defies gravity—dense and powerful, yet with a tremendous lightness of energy. Sold in 3-pack wooden boxes.

96+ Joe Czerwinski - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Loaded with scents of blueberries, black cherries and cassis underpinned by a framework of cedary oak, DVO's 2020 Red Wine is a 300-case blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot aged 23 months in 60% new French oak. Full-bodied without being overly high octane, it shows admirable suppleness and ripe tannins. A blend of fruit from Oakville and Coombsville, it's almost creamy-rich in texture on the palate, then lingers elegantly on the lengthy finish. Nicely done!

95 Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

Coming from a collaboration between the team at Dalla Valle and Ornellaia in Italy, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon yet includes 7% Merlot, and this cuvée is sourced from throughout the valley. It's a brilliant 2020 that I'd be happy to drink. Cassis, darker currants, spicy wood, and chocolate all define the aromatics, and it has terrific purity and elegance. Full-bodied, concentrated, and textured, it has some building tannins that warrant short-term cellaring, but it should have two decades of longevity.

95 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

A very fine-tannined red with blackcurrants, blueberries and lead-pencil shavings. Medium to full body, silky tannins and a fresh, flavorful finish. Lovely now and can age in the future. Joint venture wine from Tuscany’s Ornellaia and Napa’s Dalla Valle. Drink or hold.