95pt wines

Pale straw with green highlights, the 2022 Sauvignon Blanc is savory and floral with aromatics of fresh herbs, grapefruit rind, beeswax, and soft floral notes as well as delicate oak spice. Medium-bodied, it has an elegant, supple... Read More

A wisp of reduction on first nose gives way to some great stone fruit flavours and plenty of flesh through the mid-palate. This will take its time and is full of promise, although the red is the real standout in this vintage.... Read More

Such a flinty nose that delivers a full package of minerality. Quarry, chalk, gun powder and lime. The nose really speaks to you. Creamy and textured on the palate with bright but chiselled acidity and real tension. One of the... Read More

The dried-mango and pineapple character is so delicious in this wine. It’s full-bodied and medium-sweet, with a pretty density and a fruity finish. Wonderful balance to this super Sauternes. This is a little in reserve now,... Read More

The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée De La Reine des Bois is a deeper, more masculine wine with gorgeous cassis and blackberry fruits as well as graphite, licorice, crushed stone, violets, and lavender nuances. Rich,... Read More

A bit higher pitched compared to the Pajana, the 2019 Barolo Ginestra Ciabot Mentin is pure with anise spice, kirsch, and rocky earth. More linear than the Pajana, with equally if not more impressive length and finish, it is evenly... Read More

Black cherries, asphalt, hedgerow, dark spices and dried Mediterranean herbs. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate with dusty, effusive tannins and a vertical finish. Pristine and stripped-down. Drink or hold.

The 2021 Pinot Noir Hirsch Vineyard is gorgeous, with a floral perfume of fresh roses, raspberry eau de vie, fresh coniferous herbs, and spice. Medium-bodied, this stunning wine has wonderful transparency, with fine sweet tannins,... Read More

Taking on dark mineral tones, the 2021 Chardonnay Platt Chardonnay is outstanding. Notes of crushed stone, white flowers, and wild mint are followed by a medium-bodied white with a fantastic core of concentration, suspended tension,... Read More

Vineyard Owner: Joly Family
Vine Age: 45-50 years
Soil: Shale and sand
Exposure: Southern
Density: 20 hectoliters per hectare
First Year of Production: 1130

Vintage Report

The 2021 vintage is the smallest volume we’ve ever... Read More

Rustic and masculine; classic and modern. A woodsy first impression of rugged cedar, tobacco, incense, cardamom, and white pepper reminiscent of Crozes-Hermitage. As the wine unravels from its infancy; highlights of dried rose... Read More

The larger production 2020 Côte Rôtie Brune Et Blonde is a winner, and readers could do much worse than a case of this in the cellar. Ripe black raspberries, spring flowers, smoke, and some meaty nuances all shine... Read More

One of the most exciting tasks each year is tasting through all of the reserve red wine barrels and creating Upslope, the best Syrah from the vintage. We look for intensity, balance, aging potential and that mysterious “wow”... Read More

This flagship blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot was Stephan Asseo’s raison d’être to leave France and make wine in the US. Blueberry compote on the nose, which evolves into dark and brooding... Read More

Fiore di NO is Natalie Oliveros' personal touch for La Fiorita. This is a selection of 2 of our 4 vineyards: Pian Bossolino (360m) and Collesorbo (180m). For millions of years, time has allowed for a strong interaction between... Read More

A single vineyard expression from Pian Bossolino, La Fiorita’s Riserva was picked on 10 October. It comes across as very ripe in its aromas of wild black cherry and exotically spiced plum. Traces of smoke interject. There... Read More

Thanks to its perfect mastery of the Chardonnay’s vinification, a rare and demanding grape variety, Laurent‑Perrier offers a 100% Chardonnay champagne without added sugar. From a year when maturity allows a sufficient natural... Read More

The Vintage is the choice of an exceptional year from which only a selection of the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Grands Crus will enter into a future iteration of Grand Siècle. It is a rare and outstanding wine that expresses... Read More

This iteration of Grand Siècle is almost entirely composed of two of Champagne's greatest recent vintages, so expectations are high. The wine more than meets them, tempering the generosity of 2012's fruit –... Read More

On this 6ha vineyard, 15 year-old cordon spur-trained Sangiovese Grosso vines are planted at a density of 4,500 plants/ha. The grapes are harvested by hand in the last week of September, are then crushed and transferred to tank... Read More

#10 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2022

Intense, bright and luminous golden hue. Dynamic effervescence with a continuous stream of fine bubbles. Intense, fragrant bouquet of great purity. Concentrated and candied citrus fruit mingle... Read More

This is silky with real tannic finesse and while it doesn't have the intensity of some vintages it has beautiful balance and purity with sweet plum, violets and blueberry. It’s not as long as some but still displays... Read More

Vigna Loreta is a small single vineyard, and the 2016 Brunello Di Montalcino Vigna Loreto has aromas that are forward with menthol, sweet chewing tobacco, and saddle leather. It is full-bodied, with notes of red plum, vanilla,... Read More

Vigna Mondoca lies at the top of Bussia Soprana, close to the famed crus of Dardi and Pianpolvere. This wine is aged in 30hl oak barrels for approximately 36 months. Very restrained and mineral, the nose is mostly focused on rhubarb,... Read More

From a great site outside of Santa Maria, the 2020 Chardonnay Le Souvenir Sierra Madre Vineyard is another ripe, powerful Chardonnay revealing musky notes of melon, honeyed lemon, toasted bread, and hints of almond paste and chalky... Read More

Aromas of red and black cherries, violets, and rose petals leap from the glass. The palate is layered and plush, with a long, lingering finish. The 2021 “Victor Francis” is a gorgeous wine that showcases the beauty... Read More

Peach, honeyed pineapple, toasted spices and some brioche all emerge from the 2020 Chardonnay Sierra Madre Vineyard, another incredibly textured, opulent, yet balanced and seamless Chardonnay from this team. It brings plenty of... Read More

All varietal, the 2020 Grenache Peake Ranch Vineyard reveals a deep ruby hue to go with a fresher, more focused, elegant style on the palate. Black cherries, black raspberries, toasted spice, licorice, and leather are just some... Read More

The 2020 Pinot Noir Peake Ranch Vineyard comes from the estate vineyard on the eastern side of the appellation and was destemmed and brought up in 32% new French oak. This medium-bodied effort has a seamless, focused mouthfeel... Read More

The 2020 Syrah Peake Ranch Vineyard offers a vivid purple/ruby hue to go with the fresh, elegant, pure style that's the hallmark of this estate. Blackberries, spring flowers, smoked game, and ground pepper are just some of... Read More

Tasting notes

Straw yellow with golden reflections. Intense aromas of orange blossom and citrus peel introduce an exotic bouquet of tropical fruit: mango, papaya, passion fruit. Notes of iodine and toasted bread spread with vegetable... Read More

Very pretty and precise with tight tannins and polish. It’s linear and compact with blackberry, blackcurrant and cherry character. Racy and polished.

Lastly, the 2021 Proprietary Red was just bottled in July of this year and checks in as 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Carmenere, and the rest Petit Verdot and Merlot, brought up in 64% new French oak. It offers... Read More

A standard-bearer for the Napa Valley. Our fourteenth vintage of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon combines thoughtfully selected hillside and valley floor vineyards.

This appellation Cabernet is blended from a combination of hillside... Read More

A great 2015 vintage champagne! Super-elegant synthesis of pinot noir and chardonnay character with a dazzling interplay of complex red apple, citrus and delicate floral aromas with racy acidity and chalky minerality, that is... Read More

Powerful and sleek, this shows a glistening beam of yellow apple wrapped in stylish oak, with tremendous underlying concentration. Modern and very well-executed, with a saline streak, this hums with mineral energy and impressive... Read More

The 2020 Chardonnay Rinconada Vineyard has a core of white peach and apricot with touches of raw almonds, acacia, hay and lemon cream. Medium-bodied, it has a rounded, gently grippy texture, dynamic flavors that range from bright... Read More

A vibrant, agile and poised Chardonnay with aromas of pears, apples, sweet spices, jasmine and hints of stones. It’s medium- to full-bodied with precise definition on the palate. Fresh acidity and crunchy fruity at the center... Read More

More Cabernet-dominated, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five checks in as 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot, and a splash of Malbec. It has incredible purity in its cassis, graphite, lead pencil, and camphor... Read More

A blend of 94% Syrah and 6% Petite Sirah, the 2018 Relentless looks to be just about sensational, offering a dense purple color as well as rich, loaded notes of blackberries, currants, smoked meats, peppery spice, and violets.... Read More

The 2019 Terminim 'Alder Springs Vineyard' Syrah is made by the iconic Don Patz, who was the founder of Patz & Hall. This wine was made in partnership with the famous Francois Villard who is one of the top producers in... Read More

This is really polished and refined, yet remains polished and beautiful, with cherries and berries, as well as light hazelnut and walnut undertones. Compact and silky. Drink after 2024, but already so attractive.

It reveals fresh and floral aromatics, with bright red fruit, rose petal, dried thyme, and dusty earth. The palate is crisp and refreshing, with ripe raspberry, candied strawberry, and tea leaf. Its structure is medium-bodied... Read More

The 2012 Brut Rosé La Grande Dame is the finest wine I've tasted from Veuve Clicquot in several decades. Offering up aromas of red berries, bee pollen, orange zest and freshly baked bread, it's medium to full-bodied,... Read More

Confident complexity on display here, fresh, powerful spicy notes of tobacco and grilled coffee beans alongside cool blueberry fruits. Winemaker Michel Friou has made a brilliant wine in this vintage that expands outwards through... Read More

Dark and enveloping, the 2021 Pinot Noir Cuvee Alyce is the richest offering in this lineup. Pouring a deep red/purple, it’s saturated with aromas of boysenberry liqueur, lavender, cedar, and licorice. Ample and full-bodied,... Read More