$75 - $100 Wine

Expert Reviews

Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points | (Tasting Date November 17, 2023) |  A rich though youthful golden hue, the NV Champagne Special Cuvée Brut is classic and ripe with lush, rounded, and complex aromas of golden apricot, hazelnut, wet stone, and black cherry. Made with 45% of the wine coming from the 2019 vintage, with 55% reserve wine, it’s full-bodied yet elegant and light on its feet, with a ripe and luxurious feel and just a hint of warmth on the finish. The mousse is refined and rounded. Long on the palate, it's inviting now but will have plenty of life ahead of it if stored property. This exceptional cuvée with its distinctive personality continues to be one of the best entry wines to the range from this house and is a benchmark wine for them.

James Suckling 93 Points |  (Reviewed August 7, 2023) Lovely density and a fine-bubble texture. Dried apple and apricot with hints of dried flowers. Medium to full body. with medium-rich fruit. Spice, zest and ginger character. Usually 10% in barrel. 60% pinot noir, 25% chardonnay and 15% pinot meunier. About 40% reserve wine kept in magnums. Always really well done. Drink now.

Decanter 95 Points | If it’s good enough for James Bond, it’s good enough for you. Bollinger Champagne has made a number of cameos in James Bond films over the year. This non-vintage Special Cuvée is an example of a classic Champagne done well. Notes of marzipan on the nose and the palate give toastiness and leesy notes, specifically sourdough. It’s classic for a reason and would only elevate any table it finds itself on. 

Jancis Robinson 17/20 Points (Tasted October 14, 2022) |  Look out for that lot code, as this is a particularly stunning rendition of Bollinger, almost certainly improved with the bottling in magnum. Very fine texture, quite deeply coloured, remarkably fine mousse. Savoury, biscuity notes on the palate. Great length – a lovely example.  - Jancis Robinson 17

Robert Parker 92 Points |  Like its rosé counterpart, the latest release of Bollinger's NV Brut Special Cuvée is showing especially well, bursting from the glass with aromas of honeyed apples, crisp stone fruit, buttery pastry, ripe lemons and fresh walnuts. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and vinous, with a deep core of beautifully ripe fruit, racy acids and a pillowy mousse, it's a charming, characterful wine that proves that Special Cuvée is firmly back where it belongs.  Drinking 2021 - 2025.

Expert Reviews

Antonio Galloni of Vinous writes 91 Points | The NV Brut Rosé (base 2020) is another wine that points to the progress Mathieu Roland-Billecart has made here in recent years. Pliant, creamy and super-expressive, this edition is striking. It has a good bit of textural richness and is fresher than the 2018 tasted alongside it. Of course, some of that may be as simple as time in bottle. Pomegranate and grapefruit are laced into the brisk, finely cut finish. This release is based on 2020, with 46% reserve wines back to 2014. Dosage is 4.7 grams per liter. Disgorged: second trimester 2023.  Drinking 2024 to 2030.

Tim Hewson of Decanter writes 92 Points | Based on the 2020 vintage, Billecart-Salmon's signature rosé appears to be on its finest form of recent years under cellar master Florent Nys, full of fragrant, crunchy redcurrant, red cherry and orange fruit with an alluring hibiscus-like floral lift and subtle green peppercorn spicing. The Meunier wraps the intensity of the vintage base in a little softness that keeps the focus on effortless ease (helped by the selection of delicate Chardonnays and young, fresh reserve wines), all adding up to a rosé of immediacy and charm, sweet-natured without sweetness and fragrant without overt fruitiness. 40% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 30% Pinot Meunier.  Drinking 2024 to 2027.

Winemaker Description 

The 2019 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has notes of red cherry, raspberry, blackberry, iris, vanilla and clove. Ruby in color, this elegant wine has great acidity and lift on the mid-palate. Black currant and warm baking spices linger with a deep and fruity finish. It will provide drinking pleasure through 2047 given proper cellaring.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019

Jonathan Cristaldi of Decanter Magazine, 95 Points: Aged in 50% new and 50% second-use American Oak from the Duncan family's The Oak cooperage in Higbee, Missouri. Matt Duncan joined me for my tasting, and he says the Petit Verdot in the blend, of which there is 0.4%, is co-fermented with the Cabernet Sauvignon, intended to bring focus to the Cabernet fruit. A compelling, brooding, muscular rendition of Cabernet from Alexander Valley with gorgeous boysenberry notes, black currants, and rose petals laced with vanillin notes and toasty oak. Medium to full-bodied with black currants, ripe blackberry and black cherry notes framed by velvety tannins laced with that irresistible vanillin note. Toasty oak spices lend a hint of sweetness, balanced by grippy acidity. Long and complex, revealing umami, garrigue, and crushed slatestone on the finish. It's a terrific wine from the Alexander Valley.  Drinking 2023 to 2035.

James Suckling, 94 Points: Handsome and classic for a Sonoma County cabernet, this full-bodied, approachable wine offers abundant aromas of black cherries, toasted oak and tobacco backed by gorgeous black cherries and black olive flavors on moderate tannins. It’s 95% cabernet sauvignon. Best through 2034. 

Alder Yarrow  of JancisRobinson.com, 17/20 Points: Smells of sweet black cherry and cola. Flavours of black cherry, cola and hints of mocha have a nice bright juiciness thanks to excellent acidity. Powdery tannins coat the mouth and stiffen slightly with time. The oak is very well integrated here, making its presence felt in the gradually more muscular tannins and a scent of woodiness in the finish.  Drinking 2024 to 2034.

Audrey Frick of Jeb Dunnuck, 91 Points: The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley includes tiny splashes of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot was aged for 24 months in 50% new American oak and the rest in second-use barrels. The 2019 is the current release, as the estate likes to hold back their wines until they are ready to drink. It offers notes of toasted oak, preserved red plum, forest floor, a hint of coconut, and vanilla. Full-bodied, it has a rounded, creamy texture with a coating feel, sweet tannins, and its oak profile lasting through the ripe finish. It is going to show its best over the coming several years.  Drinking 2024 to 2027.  - Jeb Dunnuck 91

Winemaker Description 

Pretty aromas of ripe boysenberry, dark cherry and cassis, coupled with scents of sweet oak and herbal spice, introduce plush, deeply concentrated, black fruit flavors bolstered by bright acidity and well-structured tannins. This classic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon boasts a long, lovely finish featuring savory fruit, spice and mineral tones.

An excellent companion to beef, rich pork dishes and game.

Winemaker Description

Blended from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes, this is a succulently fruity, supple and aromatic Champagne with fine bubbles and a crisp, refreshing finish of extended length.

Taittinger Cuvée Prestige Rosé is intense cherry-pink in color with extremely fine, persistent pinpoint bubbles rising in delicate strands to the surface of the wine. Its classic, aromatic Pinot fragrance of red raspberries and strawberries is offset by elegant, subtle floral and earth nuances. 

On the palate, the ripe, full berry flavors are vibrant yet refined, delicately balanced by a fresh acidity which carries into a crisp, refreshing finish of persistent length.

Expert Reviews

Audrey Frick writes: The NV Champagne Prestige Brut Rosé is 30% Chardonnay, about 20% Meunier, and the rest Pinot Noir, with 12-15% still red wine added from Pinot Noir and the base vintage from 2018. It pours a deep pink color and offers aromas of ripe red cherry, fresh flowers, and blood orange. Full-bodied and juicy all the way through, it is ripe with loads of wild berry fruit and has a long and slightly warming finish. It would be suitable as a wine to end the night or as a juicy aperitif. Drink 2024-2034. 9 grams per liter dosage.  - Jeb Dunnuck 92

James Suckling writes: Blood orange color with attractive notes of cherry stones, dried flowers, strawberries and tangerines. Hints of iron and pie crust. Full of flavor, with a full body, sleek bubbles and a deep, beautiful fruit quality. Blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier with 14% red wine. Drink now.  - James Suckling 92

Yohan Castaing writes: The NV Brut Prestige Rosé from Taittinger showcases a delicate yet perfumed bouquet with aromas of plums, gooseberries, wild strawberries and pastry. On the palate, the Champagne is moderately weighted and delicately fleshy with bright acids, a lively and minty mid-palate and a finish featuring a light, graceful note of gastronomic bitterness.  - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 91

Winemaker Descripton

Sophisticated Pinot from a classic California name who is devoted to crafting wine with a bold new world flair while using original rootstock from Burgundy. Always sourced from an exemplary single plot in the cooler regions of Russian River Valley and matured in an abundance of new oak for 12+ months.

The 2022 comes from a cooler Russian River site and offers a complex bouquet of red currants, smoked earth, ground pepper, and exotic floral and rose hip notes. Rich, medium-bodied, and seamless on the palate, its incredibly classy as well as perfectly balanced.

Pair with: baked salmon, roasted pork loin, duck with figs

Expert Review - Vintage 2019 

James Suckling writes 97 Points | Fresh currants and raspberries pop out of the glass, together with oranges and cedar. Such purity of fruit in the nose. Full-bodied, yet so refined and vertical. It goes deep and long with tight, compressed tannins that are pure and exciting. Really tight and focused. Precise. Try after 2026.  - James Suckling 97

Georgina Hindle writes Decanter 96 Points | Stylish nose, feels polished and poised. A svelte style with satiny tannins and such depth of flavour - intense but nuanced with perfumed edges and red and black cherry flavours. You feel the sculpting of the fruit, there are layers of flavour and with good support round the edges and softly chewy tannins. Such a long finish too, really goes on and on. I love it, you get the power without doubt but it's very neatly packaged right now with a smoothness and clarity that's impressive.  Drinking 2025 - 2045.  - Decanter 96

Jane Anson of Decanter writes 96 Points | A concentrated but graceful feel to this Issan, showcasing why it is one of the powerhouses of Margaux without necessarily flexing its muscles the most obviously. Takes a few moments to unroll on the palate but as it does it expands both forward and outwards, beautifully filling the mid palate with creamy brambly fruits and firm but flexible tannins. This inches open, suggesting it has an extremely long life ahead of it, and is close to the 2016 in expression, although not quite with the depth of expression of that exemplary vintage. 50% new oak, 3.7pH. 45% of overall production went into the 1st wine. Harvest from 25th September to 11th October.  Drinking 2029 - 2045.  - Decanter 96

Jeb Dunnuck writes 95 Points | Pure cassis, graphite, violets, damp earth, and chocolate notes all emerge from the 2019 Château D'Issan, a richer, medium to full-bodied, powerful Margaux. It develops a gorgeous sense of minerality with time in the glass, has plenty of mid-palate oomph, integrated oak, and just terrific overall balance. It's a stunning success in the vintage in Margaux, which was one of the more challenging in the vintage. This will round into form with just 4-5 years of bottle age and cruise for two decades or more. Bravo.  Drinking 2026 - 2047. - Jeb Dunnuck 95

James Lawther MW of Jancis Robinon writes 17.5 Points |  A touch restrained but pure, bright, juicy and intense. Palate silky and substantial with the backing of plentiful tannins. Perception of old-vine intensity. Builds to an impressively long finish. Similar to 2016 but more aromatic freshness.  70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot.   Drinking 2027 - 2045.  Jancis Robinson 17.5

Neal Martin of Vinous writes 94 Points | The 2019 Château d'Issan has a glorious Margaux bouquet with pressed violets fusing with the black fruit and crushed stone scents. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, fine delineation, taut and fresh, a pinch of black pepper towards the structured and detailed finish that lingers in the mouth. Superb. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.  - Drinking 2025 - 2045.  William Kelley of the Wine Advocate writes 94 Points | The 2019 D'Issan is showing well from bottle, offering up aromas of sweet berries and plums mingled with violets, orange rind and raw cocoa. Medium to full-bodied, lively and nicely concentrated, with lively acids, powdery tannins and a seamless, elegant profile, it's a charming, perfumed wine that will offer a broad drinking window. The blend is dominated by an atypically high proportion (70%) of Cabernet Sauvignon. The heart of Issan is its walled "Clos" to the rear of the picturesque moated château, which is complemented by more recently acquired holdings situated on the same gravel terrace.  Drinking 2025 - 2055.

Winemaker Description 

A bold, structured wine. Crafted by one of the few women winemakers in Barolo, it showcases a perfect blend of tradition and innovation.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020

James Suckling 97 Points | Very primary fruit with beautiful aromas of peaches, strawberries, berries and flowers. It’s medium- to full-bodied, with bitter citrus, cedar, chocolate and coffee bean character. Tight at the end. From five villages, primarily Serralunga, Monforte, La Morra, Grinzane Cavour, and Novello. Needs two or three years to open and will age for a very long time.

The Wine Advocate 94 Points | This wine represents a blend of Nebbiolo from Serralunga d’Alba (Ornato, La Serra and Briccolina), Grinzane Cavour (Gustava and Garretti), La Morra (Roncaglie), Novello (Ravera) and, more recently, Monforte d'Alba (Mosconi). The Pio Cesare 2020 Barolo has an approachable style for sure, with classic Nebbiolo tones of berry fruit, orange peel and licorice. It reveals an integrated and silky personality and tannins that feel very inviting for near and medium-term drinking.

The Wine Spectator 93 Points | A mix of cherry, strawberry, rose, tar and underbrush aromas and flavors highlight this elegant, solidly built red. Supple in texture until dusty tannins emerge on the finish. Shows fine balance overall, with a super long finish.

Winemaker Description 

A classic style Barolo. Excellent structure, harmony and elegance. Soft tannins and balanced fruit. Approachable, but with a very long ageing potential.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019 

Neal Martin writes: The 2019 has a beguiling bouquet with red berry fruit, truffle and light Provençal herb scents that are beautifully defined. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins. This is exquisite in terms of balance, silky smooth, building gradually with a harmonious and quite effortless finish. Divine - this is a stellar showing. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. - Vinous 97

Georgina Hindle writes: A rich, full and heady nose. On the palate there's ripe blackcurrant, red cherries, raspberries and strawberries but also some mint, black pepper and truffle. Excellent precision and density with a seductive dark chocolate edge. Feels well handled with a sense of classicism. A powerful, muscular and confident wine, but with suppleness - this has density but also grace with a cooling finish comprising liquorice, mint and soft salinity. A great wine. Drinking - Decanter 97

James Suckling writes: A perfumed nose of mulberries, plums, chocolate orange and cloves. Hints of toffee, too. Medium-to full-bodied with firm, ripe tannins. Caressing, velvety and rich core of dark fruit. So supple and polished. 88.5% merlot, 7% cabernet sauvignon and 4.5% cabernet franc. Drink after 2024. - James Suckling 95

William Kelley writes: The 2019 Gazin is a fleshy, dramatic wine that wafts from the glass with aromas of ripe berry fruit mingled with subtle hints of truffle and violets, its new oak already entirely integrated. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and seamless, it's broad and textural, with lively acids, powdery tannins and fine length on the finish. - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 94

Jeb Dunnuck writes: While the 2019 Château Gazin isn't going to match the 2018, it's an elegant, solid Pomerol delivering spicy red and black cherry fruits, notes of cedary herbs and flowers, medium-bodied richness, silky yet building tannins, and a great finish. This elegant, nicely structured, balanced beauty will benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and keep for 15-20 years. - Jeb Dunnuck 94

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022

Decanter 96 Points | Woolsey Road benefits from two pillars of the Chardonnay world: it originates from the Hyde family’s cuttings of Old Wente and is farmed by the third and fourth generations of the Martinelli family. This Chardonnay showcases a remarkable flavour intensity, with rich citrus fruit—lemon, lime, and grapefruit zest—woven with oyster shell minerality. Restrained yet brimming with tension, this wine has so much going on. A real depth of fruit and mineral integrity is evident, though it remains somewhat shy, biding its time. Make no mistake—this will blossom into a rich and excellent wine, fully deserving of its high praise. It is focused and laser-like in its precision, with remarkable restraint and tension. This vineyard is owned by the Martinelli family and was planted to Ramey’s specifications in 2007. According to Ramey, it lies directly south of the Martinelli Winery on Woolsey Road. The vines are spaced one metre by two metres on a northeast-facing slope. Planted on 420A rootstock, known for its low vigour, the vines are cane-pruned. The site’s Huichica clay loam over clay soil composition contributes to the wine’s mineral-driven precision. This cool-climate site was planted with Old Wente cuttings from Chardonnay vines Ramey originally planted at Platt Vineyard.

The Wine Spectator 94 Points | Fragrant, focused and precise, offering flavors of lemongrass and lemon blossoms, with Meyer lemon and green papaya accents, plus a touch of tangerine. Shows green tea, lemon balm and white pepper notes on a mouthwatering frame, with a hint of salinity that lingers. Drink now.

Vinous 94 Points | The 2022 Chardonnay Woolsey Road Vineyard is another dense, ample wine in this range. The Woolsey Road has a good deal of phenolic intensity. There's real breadth and resonance here. Lemon confit, white pepper and dried herbs are nicely amplified.

James Suckling 93 Points | Richness and concentration are the hallmarks of this full-bodied, mouth-filling wine. Deep in Bosc pears, baked apples and baking spices, it offers a creamy texture balanced by moderate acidity. Drink now or hold.

Winemaker Notes

Rich, intense color. An expressive nose, a sophisticated combination of pure black and red fruits. The palate is wonderfully smooth with powerful intensity, maintaining its fineness and elegance. A beautiful acidity, propelling the wine on a long finish. 

Expert Ratings

96 Points Jeb Dunnuck:  Beautiful blue fruits, tobacco, damp earth, and floral notes all emerge from the 2019 Château Branaire-Ducru. It's medium to full-bodied, flawlessly balanced, has silky tannins, and shows the quality of the vintage perfectly. A blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, it will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and cruise for two decades or more. It reminds me of the 2009. Barrel Sample | 94-96

96 Points Wine Enthusiast : This is a richly perfumed wine that has bold tannins and dense black fruits. There is a fine line of juicy acidity cutting through all the richness to lend freshness against all the concentration. This is for long-term aging. Barrel Sample | 94-96.

95 Points Robert Parker Wine Advocate, William Kelley writes: The 2019 Branaire-Ducru unwinds in the glass with aromas of raspberries, blackcurrants, sweet soil tones and hints of cigar wrapper, rose petals and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's youthfully tightly wound, with terrific concentration, tangy acids, powdery tannins and a long, saline finish. While this is a little reserved out of the gates, its energy and classical proportions will richly reward bottle age.  Drinking 2029 to 2065.

95 Points James Suckling: Very clear fruit character of blackcurrants, orange peel and spices. Some walnut, too. It’s full-bodied with integrated, polished tannins and shows finesse and focus. Love the focused fruit at the end of this. Strength with finesse. Give it four to five years of bottle age. Try after 2024.

94 Points Wine Spectator Leads with vivid violet and cassis, while dark plum, blackberry and boysenberry reduction notes follow quickly. Racy, structured and well-built, with graphite and apple wood driving through the finish. Very pure and aromatic, featuring a nice sanguine echo that lingers at the very end. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025.

94 Points Decanter, Andy Howard MW writes:  Lifted floral notes are combined with dark currant fruit flavour and fine tannins on the palate. A very elegant Branaire-Ducru and relatively restrained in the context of 2019. Will appeal to those who prefer the more subtle style of Bordeaux, with more nuance than up-front power and weight. The fruit is clean and pure, and there is a lovely freshness on the finish. Good mid-term drinking.  Drinking 2025 to 2040.

Expert Reviews

Wine Enthusiast 93 Points | Reflecting this producer’s predilection for dry Champagnes, this wine is crisp, with minerality and tight citrus fruits. The wine is beautifully textured, needing a few more months in bottle.

The Wine Advocate 93 Points | The latest release of this new cuvée, the NV Blanc de Blancs Nature from Laurent-Perrier offers up aromas of white fruits, flowers, confit citron and baked bread. It has a medium to full-bodied, tense and perfectly balanced palate with bright acids and a delicate vinous core of fruit, segueing into a long, saline and chalky finish. Based on the 2014 vintage (60%) complemented with the 2012, it is derived from vines planted in the communes of Avize, Cramant and Chouilly.

Wine Spectator 92 Points | This racy Champagne is driven as much by its crackling acidity as it is by the very fine, vivid mousse, which offers a layered framework for the rich mesh of pastry cream, lemon curd, poached apricot and almond biscotti flavors. Lightly toasty on the satiny finish. Drink now.

Winemaker Description 

The wine has a white gold color with a fine sparkle.The nose displays minerality and hints of citrus.On the palate the wine is balanced and sustained with a finish that is fresh with notes of lemon.

The Blanc de Blancs is a true wine for gastronomy pairing well with the finest fish: sea bass with salt crust, scallops, grilled marinated squid with lemon, thyme, olive oil as well white meats such as veal tartare with ginger and lemon.

Expert Review - Vintage 2019

Jeff Porter of the Wine Enthusiast writes 91 Points | Roasted cherries, warmed clove and star anise aromas waft from the glass as dried floral hints and wild thyme rise as the wine opens. Mouthfilling with loads of mixed wild berries fresh, dried and preserved all combined with oak spice finishing with subtle earth and superfine tannins. Drink now–2040. 

Bruce Sanderson of the Wine Spectator writes 91 Points | A dense, compact red marked by plum, cherry, leather, forest floor and tar aromas and flavors. Well-balanced and lingers on the finish, where chalky tannins leave their impression. Best from 2027 through 2042. 

Expert Review

Robert Parker | The aromatics offer plenty of cedar and spice...While the flavors are full bodied and moderately concentrated.

Winemaker Description

On the palate, it reveals a fresh attack followed by an ample, structured, long-lasting finish. The wine unfurls in successive stages and ends with top-quality tannins produced by whole cluster fermentation. It features aromas and flavors of smoked ham, violet, graphite, graphite, and licorice.

Expert Review

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019 

The Wine Advocate 95 Points | Offering a clean and bright fruit profile, the Fattoria dei Barbi 2019 Brunello di Montalcino shows plum, dark cherry and blackberry. The fruit presented in this vintage is fresh, velvety, nicely contoured and still tastes quite primary in nature. This bodes well for the wine's future bottle evolution. The tannins are slightly chalky but supported by rich texture...Great job here.

James Suckling 95 Points| Blueberry and orange peel with some cedar and nutmeg in the aromas and flavors. Medium to full body with firm and polished tannins and a flavorful finish. Polished and refined, yet structured. Solid wine.

Wine Spectator 92 Points| Fresh and lively, this light-bodied red offers flavors of cherry, strawberry, earth and herbs, with crisp tannins emerging on the finish. This is approachable now but should improve with a few more years of age. Drink now through 2038.

Vinous Media 91 Points|The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino opens with a mentholated freshness, blending savory herbs with wild strawberries and camphor hints. It’s softly textured and supple in feel, more lifted than expected. Crisp red berry fruits cascade throughout and are supported by brisk acidity. This finishes tannic and long, leaving a bitter tinge to linger as hints of licorice fade. I find myself craving a little more flesh on the bone. That said, with maturity should also come more fat that should help to balance the 2019.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019

Vinous Media - 95 Points: "The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino lifts from the glass with a lovely floral bouquet, mixing rose petal, lavender and violet with hints of worn leather and dusty earth. This is a model of balance and purity, with crisp wild berry fruits guided by fresh acidity as a cascade of sweet spice gives way to fine-grained tannins toward the close. It finishes impossibly long and staining yet still fresh, tapering off classically structured and dry. The future is bright for this wonderfully harmonious White Label Brunello from Casanova di Neri." Eric Guido

The Wine Advocate - 95 Points: "The Casanova di Neri 2019 Brunello di Montalcino shows thick fruit fabric with stitchings of underbrush, pressed rose, bright cherry, tobacco and balanced oak spice. This wine definitely has a special groove. It offers a ripe, round texture with good acidity followed by fine, chalky tannins. This is impressive quality for 109,600 bottles produced. In fact, this is one of the best village Brunellos from Giacomo Neri and his family made so far." Monica Larner

Wine Spectator - 94 Points: "The core of ripe cherry fruit is complemented by woodsy, mushroom, iron, spice and saline flavors in this intense red, with a long, resonant aftertaste. Though balanced, this could benefit from a few more years to really hit its sweet spot." Bruce Sanderson

Jeb Dunnuck - 93+ Points: "Pouring a rich red color, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino White Label takes on layered, savory aromas of leather, tobacco leaf, dried cherries, mocha, and a light rustic quality, although it’s very well-balanced. Medium to full-bodied, it’s pure and energetic, with rich, ripe concentration and ripe tannins. It’s approachable now and is a great entry into the vintage...It’s also a great value. Drink 2024-2034." Audrey Frick

Winemaker Description 

Tropical fruit aromas of guava and pineapple with hints of toasted marshmallow and lavender. Flavors of pear, white peach and key lime. A weighty entry that is balanced by lively acidity brings complexity and elegance to this lovely wine. Enjoyable upon release and over the next six to seven years.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019 

James suckling 91 Points | This is a solid margaux with blackberries blackcurrants and undertones of fresh tobacco wet earth. it full layered beautiful energy structure. tight at the end as should be. try after decanter great depth starting to really achieve class generous dashes chocolate coffee mocha. combines tannic hold freshness an excellent wine black fruits bilberry blackberry finished off fine tannins smoked oak. brilliant marquis de terme.

Jeb Dunnuck 91 Points | The 2019 Château Marquis De Terme showed better now than from a bottle tasted earlier this year. Giving up plenty of darker, almost black fruits as well as tobacco, gravelly earth, and spice, it's medium to full-bodied, has a round, fleshy, sexy mouthfeel, quality tannins, and a great finish. (2019).

Wine Spectator 91 Points | Features cherry and black currant puree notes with some inner freshness, while black tea, alder and violet hints form a pretty backdrop. Nice steady finish, too. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now. (2019).

Robert Parker 90+ Points | Aromas of rich black fruits, cherry preserve and pencil shavings introduce the 2019 Marquis de Terme, a medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy wine with a broad attack that segues into an ample mid-palate framed by ripe but youthfully assertive tannins. This is a muscular, rather chunky Margaux that will reward a bit of bottle age and which, with time, may make my score seem conservative. This is an evolving estate, as fully 25% of its vineyards have been replanted since 2009. Cabernet on rich soils between Labégorce and Château Margaux represents the core of the blend. Best After 2025. (2019).

Winemaker Description

This exquisite blend of grapes, stemming from four different harvests, showcases its strong personality through a symphony of fruits and a full-bodied, elegant presence. Singular in its expression of terroir, a revelation of the variety that nature offers from one year to the next.

Réserve Rosé evokes romance and harmony. The initial nose reveals fresh red fruits with a touch of brioche. The first sensation is reminiscent of biting into a perfectly ripe Morello cherry, bursting with full and mature aromas. Powerful, yet remarkably subtle with an extraordinarily long-lasting finish.

Winemaker Description

Dassai "23" is the sake that defines Dassai. It is made with rice that has been milled so that only 23% of the original size of the grains remains, this is the highest degree of milling of any sake in the world. Going to this extreme allows us to create a sake like no other, a sake that is the pinnacle of refined elegance, subtlety, and delicate flavors and aromas.

To craft the ultimate Junmai-Daiginjo sake, we polished down Yamada-Nishiki rice to 23%. Delivering delicate floral aromas with a palate reminiscent of honey and an elegant lasting finish. We will be donating a portion of the sales of the Dassai Beyond and Dassai 23 series to medical professionals. Winemaker Description. 

Expert Ratings - Vintage 2019

Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points |  The 2019 Rosso Di Montalcino is ripe but energetic, with pure red cherry, rose petal, orange peel, and white pepper. It is medium-bodied, with elegant ripe raspberry with a graceful feel. Seamless, with fine tannins, it is supple and soft in its texture and raises the bar in a big way for the category. 6,700 bottles were produced. 

Vinous 93 Points |  An unbelievably pretty blend of dusty rose, cherry and sage wafts up from the 2019 Rosso di Montalcino. It’s strikingly beautiful and graceful within, silky yet cool-toned, mixing saline-tinged minerals with ripe red fruits and floral nuances that resonate throughout. The 2019 finishes structured yet potent and long, leaving lingering dried cherry and licorice notes. Cellaring will be required, but with that said, this is a Rosso of astonishing depth and complexity.

Winemaker Description

The Pian dell Orino estate is adjacent to the Biondi Santi property. This area has a long history of being particularly suited for growing grapes for high quality wines. Husband and wife team Caroline and Jan's love for Tuscany and passion for viticulture binds them particularly to this land, their vines and the resulting wines. 

The wines are produced from four different vineyards that have a total area of 6 hectares. From the beginning they studied the soil and the structure of each vineyard in order to fully understand its characteristics. Fossils, petrified shells and chalk sediment all testify to the earth’s evolutions and recount marine flooding and periods of drought in the area. 

The wines are produced from four different vineyards that have a total area of 6 hectares. From the beginning they studied the soil and the structure of each vineyard in order to fully understand its characteristics. Fossils, petrified shells and chalk sediment all testify to the earth’s evolutions and recount marine flooding and periods of drought in the area. 

Winemaker Description

A deep garnet red in color, it has an ethereal bouquet of dried fruit. On the palate, it is full-bodied, warm, mouth-filling and dry. A substantial wine of rare elegance that lends itself well to ageing.

Excellent with richly flavored main courses based on red meat, such as braised meats and game, and perfect with mature cheeses. It can also be enjoyed on its own at the end of a fine dinner.

Undisputedly symbolic of the Speri company, the Amarone Sant’Urbano is a superb example of a fine, classic wine. It is an extraordinary wine with great complexity and a vigorous structure, which has always been top for its elegance and quality.

Expert Review - Vintage 2019