2010 - Present Wine

Expert Ratings

Audrey Frick 89-91 Points | Also tasted from tank, the medium ruby 2023 Langhe Nebbiolo is bright and spicy with candied cranberries, orange peel and spice. It has good structure and a note of fresh apricot through the finish. Drink over the next few years.  

Jancis Robinson 16/20 Points | Gentle expression of the pure fruit of Nebbiolo. With just a little tarriness on the end. This could be a teaching aid!  

Winemaker Description

This unoaked, fruity and drinkable Nebbiolo is meant to be an easy (yet not trivial) wine to share with friends during a nice and funny chat.

Drink it slightly cold, maybe while sharing a platter of mixed charcuterie or with some lovely tajarin al ragù.

Winemaker Description

Lions de Suduiraut has been specifically designed to reveal the pleasures of tasting Sauternes wines. With a specific blending style made of Semillon and Sauvignon blanc, it gives a unique personality to the wine. Smooth, subtel, fresh and mineral, with a creative profile, Lions de Suduiraut is modern and pleasant to taste young.

Winemaker Description

In clay-chalk soil, the vine is grown biodynamically in order for the terroir to fully express itself. The nose is particularly complex and fruity. Whilst the absence of sulphur during vinification is evident, it remains precise. On the palate, fruits and spices are the notes that dominate. Its supple mouthfeel is supported by unctuous tannins. A wine that pairs well with either white or red meat.

The domain might still carry the name of his parents, but Stéphane Tissot (and his wife Bénédicte) took over the family business over 20 years ago. In 1995, Stéphane began to reduce the amount of fertiliser so as to pave the way for organic viticulture. Around this time he also stopped using chemical herbicides altogether. In 1999, the then 28 hectares (now 46 hectares) became entirely organic and, after a few years, the whole domain became biodynamic in 2004 (Demeter certification). Stéphane's hard work has transformed the quality of the grapes. With such good quality fruit, vinifications are relatively easy and require very little intervention. Natural yeasts are used in fermentation and a very small amount of sulphites are added, nothing else. The end result is an excellent expression of terroir with intense aromas. Stéphane's quest to convey his many different terroirs has led him to produce nearly 50 different cuvées from many different grape varieties using various vinification methods. For example, for the Savagnin, a variety typical of the Jura, the property produces wines with and without oxidation (i.e. topping up of the barrels) and vin jaune. This domain is at its zenith and is one of the Jura's (and iDealwine's) best kept secrets.

Expert Ratings

James Suckling 97 Points | Gorgeous aromas of plums and currants with some wet earth, mushroom, bark and incense undertones. Woody. Medium-to full-bodied with such beautiful depth and length. So subtle and long. Fabulous harmony. One of the best I have ever tasted. Drink or hold.

Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points | The 2018 Napanook showed incredibly well, with fabulous crème de cassis, spring flowers, graphite, and green tobacco aromas and flavors. With terrific ripeness, medium to full body, and ripe, yet polished tannins, this beauty should be snatched up by savvy readers. It should evolve for 15 years or more. The blend is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, aged in 20% new French oak.

Robert Parker 93 Points | Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Napanook leaps from the glass with vivacious scents of fresh blueberries, black cherries, crushed blackcurrants and redcurrant jelly with hints of pencil shavings, red roses and dusty soil plus a waft of bay leaves. Medium-bodied, the palate is very tightly wound, allowing glimpses at loads of mineral and savory nuances among the taut black and red fruit notes, supported by fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing with a compelling herbal lift.

Wine Spectator 92 Points | Tightly packed, with red and black currant and cherry reduction notes compressed with sanguine, iron and singed cedar streaks. The long, finely tuned finish has a mouthwatering echo. Approachable, but no rush. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2032.

Winemaker Description

Serious minerality, with earthy stone and plum notes. Dusty tannins and a long evolution in the glass that keeps you studying.

Expert Rating

Vinous 93 Points | The 2022 Morgon Côte du Py has another very attractive bouquet with just a touch more fruit intensity than the Côte du Py, wonderful mineralité and tension. Very composed. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, a little sturdier than the Cuvée Corcelette. There’s fine grip toward the finish with a persistent peppery aftertaste. Be patient. (2022). 

Expert Rating

Vinous 92 Points | The 2022 Morgon Cuvée Corcelette has a crisp and delineated bouquet brimming with energy. Lively red fruit seems to leap from the glass. The palate is beautifully built, svelte tannins matched with a silver bead of acidity, very harmonious with a lightly spiced and persistent finish. This has a bit of Liam-Gallagher-like swagger about it—nothing wrong with that in my book. (2022). 

Winemakmer Description

The grapes are harvested late and, once they’ve been selected by hand in the vineyard, vinification begins with whole bunches. Fermentation is spontaneous with native yeasts and lasts approximately 2 to 3 weeks. The wine then ages in oak barrels for about 6-8 months, and is finally bottled unfiltered.

Young but irresistibly exuberant, Domaine Jean Foillard Morgon Cuvée Corcelette is a natural red wine, the fruit of a passion for minimally interventionist winemaking. A deep, structured, complex wine which demonstrates the best of the grands crus of Beaujolais.

Jean Foillard is a legendary pioneer of the natural wine movement. His family farms fourteen hectares with a non-interventionist mentality in the heart of Morgon, carrying on his unforgettable legacy within the region. This organic varietal Gamay is silky and smooth, marked by flavors of poppy red fruit, rose petals, and wet rocks. A stellar example of ‘reflective of the place from which it comes!

Jean Foillard made his name crafting world-class, age-worthy bottlings from tiny, prestigious sites within the Beaujolais cru of Morgon. In the last few years, however, he has also added a bottling of Beaujolais Villages to his small lineup. What inspired this expansion? Jean had been making Beaujolais Nouveau that he would rush to us each November to meet the deadline of the worldwide Nouveau celebration. Eventually, he decided he didn’t want to rush anymore. Jean thought the grapes he was using were of high enough quality to make a cuvée with more complexity and a little more longevity, so he proposed taking his time to produce a Beaujolais-Villages instead of a Beaujolais Nouveau.

Featuring grapes from high-elevation, granite heavy terroirs barely outside the region’s crus, this wine is silky and seductive, with notes of rose petals, red berries, and stones. With just the right amount of tannin and acidity, and lots of class, it is perfect for all occasions." —Tom Wolf-Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant

Winemaker Description

Being a classic modern vintage, this year is abundant in character. Golden apple and Anjou pear flavors influenced by Knudsen Vineyard fruit add to the natural weight and brightness, while vanilla and toasted cake crust sneak into the flavor mix, adding to the opulence of this blend.

Expert Rating

90 Points James Suckling | Fresh and floral nose with white stone fruit and lemony undertones. Medium-bodied with a foamy mousse and vivid acidity. Easy and refreshing. (2019). 

Winemaker Description

Clean and bright aromas with notes of Empire apple and Asian pear. Flavors of mandarin orange, pear, honeydew melon and cantaloupe are enhanced with a pleasant acidity that lingers on the finish.

Wnemaker Description

Lieb Cellars' signature wine is produced from some of the oldest vines on the North Fork. Fermented entirely in stainless steel tanks, this wine is vibrant and crisp with notes of lemongrass, rose petals, and sugared lemon peels. After a finish of star fruit and green apple, there is a touch of sea spray."

Winemaker Description

Pale straw yellow color. The clean, intense aroma and the dry flavor with pleasant citrus aftertaste make this Pinot Grigio a wine of character and versatility. Excellent as an aperitif. Ideal accompaniment to seafood salads, fish-and shellfish-based pasta and rice courses. Perfect with white meats, boiled or grilled fish and with souffle."~Wine

Winemaker Description

A Columbia Valley Cabernet crafted to highlight concentrated Washington red fruit in an accessible style. This is an inviting Cab with plenty of complexity and structure with silky tannins.

It’s also very versatile with food. Enjoy it with beef tenderloin or pasta.

Expert Rating

90 Points Wine & Spirits - Best Buy | Straight-ahead red, this wine is dark and lean, offering scents of caramel, cedar, plum and mint. It’s a steal for the price, with firm, slightly bitter tannins to put up against a smash burger. (2020). 

Winemaker Description

Most white Sancerre should be enjoyed young and fresh; but a handful of growers believe that more complex, rich wines are possible. 

The ‘Grande Cuvée’ is aged for 15 months in large, 600-litre oak barrels. The rest stays in stainless steel tanks. The fruit is beautifully integrated and is of the ripe grapefruit sort and blends harmoniously with the slightly spicy flavours of the oak.

Winemaker Description

The palate has mouthwatering white peach and nectarine flavours intertwined with walnut and pistachio characters and touches of minerality weaving its way through.

Winemaker Description

A decadent golden green color, this wine charms with delicate aromas of orange peel and spice. The palate is mineral-driven—full bodied, rich and round with notes of hazelnut and white flower. Hints of pepper linger on the lengthy finish.

Expert Rating

94 Points Wine Spectator | Creamy in texture, this white evokes peach, floral and pastry aromas and flavors. Beautifully balanced, unfolding gracefully to a long citrus- and mineral-infused aftertaste. Very approachable now, but should develop over the next decade, too. Drink now.

Winemaker Description

L'Antique' was created 30 years ago, and is one of my very first Sancerre cuvées. The grapes come mainly from the best Silex hillsides in the village of Saint-Satur. For this cuvée, I wanted to follow my grandfather's footsteps by making an unclarified, slightly filtered wine, allowing the elegance of the terroir to shine through to the full.

Expert Rating

92 Points Decanter | Flinty, mineral and bright with punchy citrus and grassy notes; inviting and fresh with a fleshy texture and vibrant finish. (2022)

Winemaker Description

Ripe cranberry and cassis on the nose. Focused dark bramble fruit on the palate, layered with cocoa and clove. Vibrant acidity balances beautifully with opulent fruit and carries through to a long and elegant finish.

Blend: 69% Zinfandel, 20% Carignane, 8% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet, 1% Mataro

Expert Ratings

96 Points Decanter | Enormously complex and full of personality. Lots of juiciness and briaryness, with notes of espresso, soy sauce and gaminess. Very rich, impressive and structured, 2020 was Ridge’s 55th consecutive vintage of Geyserville, a wine that many Ridge collectors consider the winery’s best Zinfandel blend. Its pedigree is uncontested. Made from old vines, some of which are more than 125 years old and 60% of which are 50 years old or older, leading of course to tiny yields. A historic field blend of approximately 69% Zinfandel, 20% Carignane, 8% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet and 1% Mataro (the old name used in California for Mourvedre). The grapes are grown in three adjoining vineyards, all of which are defined by an ancient washout of the Russian River that carried and deposited gravel and river stones to the site.

95 Points Points Wine & Spirits |  The founding partners at Ridge purchased the MonteBello Winery from Leo and Evelyn Trentadue, who also farmed some of the oldest surviving vines in Sonoma County at their ranch on the Alexander Valley floor near Geyserville. The Old Patch, planted in the 1880s, has provided the base of the blend for Ridge’s single-vineyard wine since 1966. In 2020, it was harvested just as the first fires brokeout generations of vines at the Trentadue’s ranch provided 28 different lots, with John Olney selecting 20 for this wine. He finds that carignan, which makes up 20 percent of the mixed planting (along with small amounts of petite sirah, alicante bouschet and mataro), provides the acidity to refresh the zinfandel, which accounts for 69 percent of the vines. The early harvest produced a ripe, rich Geyserville with racy energy. The dark blueberry flavors are layered with red cherry, their seemingly weightless concentration sustained in a sleek, clean and graceful impression that lasts. A great 2020

Tasting Panel 95 Points | An opulent, charming blend of 69% Zinfandel, 20% Carignane, 8% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet, and 1% Mataro. Ultra-smooth and seamless, with rich flavors of plum and blackberry. Stunning and long, it’s a triumph of winemaking skill.

Wine Spectator 92 Points | Deeply structured and briary, with a mix of red and black fruit accented by licorice, dill and savory underbrush flavors. Finishes with medium-grained tannins. Zinfandel, Carignan, Petite Syrah, Alicante Bouschet and Mataro.

Winemaker Description

My first harvest job was picking grapes and running trucks full of grape bins to wineries throughout Oregon.  It was a crash course in "the wine life".  Alberto was the first guy to show me how to identify grapes on the vine, the first guy to show me how to pick grapes (I did, ok), the first guy to show me how to strap down bins, and how to not ride the brakes. This wine is named after him.

An aromatic co-fermentation of Tempranillo, Syrah, Grenache, and Alvarinho, all from the northern edge of the Willamette Valley.  This wine was native fermented in old French oak. It is unfiltered and unfined (vegan).  

Black raspberry fruit is balanced by savory meat characteristics. Fine and abundant tannins are starting to soften and the wine will continue to improve for several years.

Winemaker Description

This unusual wine marries the peppery spicy red-fruit flavors of the grape with terroir-driven components mixing rock, root and soil. 

Winemaker Description

The depth and complexity of old-vine Chardonnay are showcased in the enticingly expansive orange blossom, white peach, rose petal, and manuka honey nose of the 2022 Belle Côte Chardonnay. The rich texture on entry builds to a broad, structured mid-palate with a creamy, viscous mouthfeel with intense orange marmalade flavors and accents of clove and nougat leading to a round, seamless finish. A balanced, yet powerful wine that promises to reward several years of cellaring.

Expert Ratings 

98 Points Robert Parker |  tasted the 2022 Chardonnay Belle Côte from tank shortly before it was due to be bottled. It's lively and generous with singular scents of lemon drop, pie crust and toasted meringue, plus integrated tones of matchstick and allspice. The medium-bodied palate is defined by its lacy, lightly mouth-coating texture. Its deep core of creamy, lemony flavors is enlivened by mouthwatering acidity, and its juxtaposition of depth and energy calls you back for another sip.

94 Points Wine Spectator | This powerful version opens with a toasty mix of spices, buttery toasted brioche and carmelized apple pastry. Offers plenty of plump ripe peach, apricot and melon flavors, with a note of marmalade at the core. Candied ginger, graham cracker, salted, toasted almond and marzipan linger on the finish.

Winemaker Description

Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc is a stunningly crafted white wine, sourced from vineyards throughout the Columbia Valley, including their Horse Heaven Estate Vineyard. Crisp, vibrant and delicate in flavor, this Sauvignon Blanc white wine brims with the cool freshness of citrus and herbs that pair particularly well with light seafood and vegetable dishes. 

Winemaker Description

Chateau Ste. Michelle crafts this wine to be their complex yet approachable Merlot. The wine offers aromas of black cherry, leather and spice with layers of rich dark red fruit flavors and a long, smooth, sweet finish. A touch of Syrah adds a jammy fruit character. 

Winemaker Description

A blend made from vines with limited grape production. This wine expresses the astonishing diversity of the country's viticulture through the talent of our chief winemaker. The result is a blend of incomparable quality that reflects the essence of both the grape and the origin, articulating a unique character for each vintage.

Expert Rating

93 Points James Suckling | A juicy red with lots of berries, olives and spices that mingle impressively well together in the succulent, medium-bodied palate that’s framed by silky, polished tannins. Quite effortless and bright, with excellent drinkability and a long finish. Delicious now, so why hold?

Expert Ratings

Wine Enthusiast 95 Points | Made by Elias Fernandez in partnership with Doug Shafer, this red totally rocks in smoky toasted oak and a tease of char. Intense and electrifying, it offers rich layers of dark cherry, clove and dried herb. It's bulky and substantial while preserving a sense of grace, with a backbone of supportive refreshing acidity. 

James Suckling 91 Points  | So much violet and other flowers with purple fruits. Full body, firm and velvety tannins and bright acidity. Salty and tangy finish. Lively. Some tar and raspberry.

Winemaker Description

Malbec is a newcomer to Napa Valley and Eighty Four has been loving the challenge of taking on something new. From initial fermentation they were pleased by the wine’s deep color and soft, supple vibrancy. The wine aged for 20 months in 75% new oak to allow it to take on a bit of heft and richness and to speak purely of its varietal character, a generous mix of black and red fruit.

Expert Rating

93 Points Wine Spectator | A wine that suggests a sense of place, this is refined and just a hint rustic, which adds to the authenticity. Notes of cherry and pomegranate are laced with hints of white pepper and bay leaf. Drink now.

Winemaker Description

Located at 1000 to 1200 ft., the vineyard overlooks upper Chiles Canyon and remnant walls of the grist wills built by pioneer J.B. Chiles. Brooding dark purple plum raspberry flavors dotted with sage and black peppercorns.

Winemaker Description

Clos du Temple is a very pale and glittering rosé. Its nose reveals notes of ripe fruit (apricot, white peach), floral notes of rose and spicy green pepper aromas. On the palate, we find the same scents, with a delicate finish of blond tobacco.

Expert Reviews

95 Points James Suckling | Pale salmon color with a copper tinge. A serious rosé with a discreet mineral whiff to the fresh vanilla, tangerines, peaches, thyme, spices and fresh flowers. Full-bodied for rose with a broad structure to it. I love the texture and the creamy, yet fresh mouthfeel, rendering a taut palate with fresh, medium acidity. Flavorful and long. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink now or hold. (2021). 

95 Points Decanter | Pale creamy white. Perfumed aromas of lemons and lavender. On the palate, the oak is well integrated, with notes of creamy, honeyed richness and white almonds, opening up to vibrant, ripe red berries and fl oral notes. The palate is intense and powerful with rounded ripe fruit, a well-balanced structure and mouth-watering, salted lemon concentration. Rebellious in terms of pricing and weighty complexity, the wine, despite being released when young, has a strong focus on ageability. (2021). 

93 Points Wine Enthusiast | Inviting pomegranate and white lily aromas pop on the nose of this rosé. The palate is plush with rose petal, raspberry sorbet and vanilla flavors. Beautifully balanced with a generous finish. (2021). 

92 Points Wine Spectator | Elegant and pure, this brings together floral, wild strawberry and white peach with garrigue and fleur de sel on a seamless palate. Creamy and harmonious, with impressive concentration and good length. Reveals talc-fine mineral notes that bring a pleasing bitter edge. Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Viognier and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2028. (2021). 

90 Points Robert Parker | A blend of Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault, Viognier and Mourvèdre, the 2021 Languedoc Cabrières Rosé Clos du Temple was matured for six months in French oak barrels. Evoking aromas of oak, smoke, jasmine, rose petal, gooseberry and spices, it’s tense and fleshy, medium-bodied to full-bodied, lively and rather muscular with a long, fresh finish dominated by oaky notes, which are a little prominent for me at the moment. (2021). 

Winemaker Description

Magoutes Vineyard is located at 800 metres above sea level in the inhospitable region of Siatista in Macedonia. The rosé is a blend of 80% Xinomavro and 20% of the über rare Moschomavro (meaning black Muscat), grown almost exclusively by Dimitri Diamantis.

This is a classic case of the vineyard holding sway over the wine making, thanks to Dimitri's very low intervention methods. Spontaneous fermentation, racking off skins and then left in old barrels to finish.

Delicate, partridge eye colour, subtly aromatic bouquet with hints of redcurrants and fraises de bois, the flavours are wonderfully fruity within a structured core of zingy acidity. 

Winemaker Description

Guided by the idea that “less is more,” this wine is dry and fresh, with crisp fruit flavors and bright minerality. Some of their grapes come from family vineyards in Napa Valley, with the majority coming from Suisun Valley, a “hidden gem” wine region only a short drive from Napa. Suisun shares a similar maritime climate and produces exceptional fruit. Their farming practices enable us to create a wine that is not overly ripe – while also not herbaceous – featuring low alcohol and bright acidity.

Winemaker Description

Old vines located at the foot of the two mountain ranges that frame the Ebro River valley, where the grapes provide greater fruit character. 35% Tempranillo from the highest area of Samaniego near the Sierra Cantabria mountains and 65% Garnacha from Alto Najerilla, in the triangle formed by the towns of Badarán, Cordovín and Cárdenas, in the Sierra Demanda mountains.

Tempranillo and Garnacha are fermented separately. 100% destemmed, but without crushing. Cold fermentation with native yeast and a short maceration. Subsequently, the two wines are blended and refined in concrete for approximately 5 months. 

Winemaker Description

Complex, yet racy and savory, with fresh currants and currant leaves, as well as red chili pepper, cocoa powder, dark olives and a hint of cigar. This is a full-bodied red with tight, fine-grained tannins and elegant blackberries on the palate. Complete and long with some sweet spices at the end. 84% cabernet sauvignon, 12% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot. Drink or hold.

Winemaker Description

Medium body with red berry and spice notes. 

Winemaker Description

Deep violet in color, intense, and with a great aromatic complexity of red fruits together with floral notes of violets and roses. On the palate, it is a tasty wine with a soft spell and a superb freshness, along with the elegance and power so characteristic of Puente Alto. It is a wine with a velvety texture, lush body, and a very long and persistent finish.

Expert Review

James Suckling 97 Points | Deep and serious with black olives, blackberries, blueberries, tobacco leaf, sweet red capsicum, ash, dried meat and a hint of black chocolate. This is a more direct, full-bodied Don Melchor, filled with solid blackberries and wrapped by tight, fine-grained tannins. Long and deep. 92% cabernet sauvignon, 6% cabernet franc, 1% merlot and 1% petit verdot. Better after 2024. (2020). 

Vinous 95 Points | The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Don Melchor has a 6% dash of Cabernet Franc along with 1% splashes of Merlot and Petit Verdot from Puente Alto, Maipo, and was aged for 15 months in 71% new French barrels. Vivid garnet red in the glass. The aromatic profile features red fruit such as cherry and black currant along with hints of mint, spice and pepper over secondary aromas from the aging process, including a gentle whiff of cedar. Intense in the mouth, with juicy freshness and young tannins that will integrate better in time. The fruit was especially vivid this year, adding greatly to the nuance and subtle details. This will growth deeper in the bottle. (2020). 

Wine Spectator 95 Points | Inviting aromas of chocolate-covered cherry, dried rose petal and petrichor set the stage for this well-structured red, which balances concentrated berry and mission fig flavors against vibrant acidity, lending a lush, mouthwatering quality to a finish that swirls with cassis, spices and fine tannins. Drink now. (2020). 

Winemaker Deswcription

Jean-Marc Boillot was one of the younger generation in Burgundy who was determined to improve his family’s wines. In 1984, after vinifying 13 vintages at the family’s domaine, Henri Boillot, Jean-Marc walked out in protest, intent on producing highly concentrated, rich, and ripe wines. He became the winemaker for Olivier Leflaive for the next four years and at the same time produced wines from 5-acres of vineyards, bottled under his own label. The wines impressed Boillot’s grandfather, who bequest half his vineyard to Jean-Marc. Boillot runs his domaine from his grandfather Henri Boillot’s house and cellars in the village of Pommard. Jean-Marc’s maternal grandfather was the late Etienne Sauzet, from whom he also inherited exceptional vineyards.

The 2021 Macon-Villages has a clear and brilliant appearance with a silver luster and green reflections. The bouquet is a range of delicate and generous fruits. In the mouth the wine shows a creamy texture with a beautiful balance between refreshing sweet fruit flavors and juicy, mouthwatering acidity. A wine to be enjoyed immediately.