90+ Points | Critical Acclaim | Wine & Sparkling Wine

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022

Jeb Dunnuck 92 Points | Sourced from six different vineyards at varying altitudes, the 2022 Versante Nord is aged in concrete tank and exhibits perfumed and lifted aromas in the glass, featuring wild raspberries, brambly Mediterranean herbs, dried roses, and dusty earth. It’s pure on the palate, with great energy and peppery spice, as well as lots of focus. It’s a total pleasure to drink now and will drink well over the coming 10 years.

Vinous 92 Points | The 2022 Nerello Mascalese Versante Nord entices with a dusty blend of rose petals, wild strawberries and sweet spice. This is soothingly round with a pretty inner sweetness and depths of ripe red and blue fruits that swirl across a stream of juicy acidity. It tapers off long and staining, just gently tannic, ending with a wild blueberry and blood orange saturation. The 2022 aims to please.

Expert Review - Vintage 2020

The Wine Spectator 91 Points | A crowd-pleaser, with boysenberry and acai berry fruit flavors streaming through, while a silky but persistent structure carries this through the chocolate-framed finish. Caressing in feel, with a subtle savory echo at the very end. Drink now through 2033. 141,348 cases made.

Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points | Made from 60% Pinot Noir and the rest Chardonnay and pouring a vibrant silver/yellow color, the 2018 Champagne Brut Vintage (like all these wines) was aged in stainless steel without any oak. In the glass, it opens to springy and dewy floral aromas of honeydew melon, fresh flowers, citrus blossoms, and pastry dough. Medium-bodied and inviting, it’s approachable now and takes on a more mineral character on the palate without ever feeling austere. All its components move seamlessly through the palate, with a refined mousse and a kiss of sunny feel on the finish nodding to the warmth of the vintage, but it’s clean and refined all the way through. This is going to improve with age, but it’s quite enjoyable now. Drink over the coming 15 or so years. It was made exclusively from Premier Cru and Grand Cru villages, was aged for 6 years on the lees, and saw 7-8 grams per liter dosage.

James Suckling 94 Points | I like the berry fruit aromas mingling with bread crust, grapefruit and lemon pastries. It's lively on the palate, with excellent structure and a bright wild-berry character. Clean and nicely focused. 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay.

Vinous 93 Points | The 2018 Brut Vintage is absolutely delicious, just as it was last year. Floral and citrus notes give the 2018 lovely aromatic lift to play off its mid-weight personality. This is a classy, polished Vintage Champagne marked by notable brightness. Airy, elegant and silky in feel, the 2018 is an absolute delight.

The Wine Advocate 93 Points | From a year marked by above-average maturity—at least as of this writing—and a relatively early harvest that began on August 20th, Pol Roger’s 2018 Brut Vintage, disgorged in March 2024 with a dosage of seven grams per liter, offers a generous and expressive interpretation of this cuvée. Aromatically, it unfurls from the glass with notes of pear, peach, orange zest and pastry, with a touch of exotic fruit. On the palate, it is full-bodied, muscular and textural, with a core of rich, sweet fruit supported by succulent yet vibrant acidity, culminating in a long, enveloping finish. Stylistically, the 2018 vintage aligns more closely with the gourmand profiles of 2015 and 2012 rather than the more tensile 2016 or 2013. The cuvée is composed of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay.

The Wine Spectator 93 Points | This sleek, mineral-driven Champagne has a lacy mousse and a smoky underpinning, with Meyer lemon peel–infused acidity driving an appealing range of flavors, including nectarine, macerated raspberry, saffron and crystallized honey, plus a touch of toasted brioche. Long and lively on the finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2035. 

Memo Notes

Pol Roger is one of the most highly respected and enduring Champagne houses, famous for its history, consistent quality, and, most notably, its legendary association with Sir Winston Churchill.

The house is known for producing Champagnes that embody finesse, elegance, and balance, with a fine, persistent mousse (bubbles). They are one of the few Grande Marque houses that remain family-owned and operated.

Expert Review - Vintage 2023

The Wine Advocate 93 Points | The 2023 Malbec leads with an elegantly perfumed, juicy bouquet accented with turned-earth aromas. The texture is precise, vibrant and straightforward, concluding on a high-toned finish with a savory, sturdy core.

Memo Notes Summary 

The Catena Malbec Classic Mendoza 2023 is widely considered an excellent, high-value representation of Argentine Malbec. It comes from the prestigious Bodega Catena Zapata, a pioneering winery in high-altitude viticulture.

The classic Catena Malbec is a versatile wine that pairs beautifully with a wide range of savory dishes:

Classic Pairing: Grilled red meats, especially leaner cuts like skirt steak, flank steak, or sirloin.

Cheeses: Aged cheeses, sharp cheddar, blue cheese, and Manchego.

Dishes: Roasted lamb, beef empanadas, hearty stews, or pasta with rich, tomato-based sauces.

Expert Review - Vintage 2024

The Wine Spectator 93 Points | Lush and intense, with mouthwatering notes of Key lime, tangerine and lemon cream. Hints of matcha, freshly grated ginger and white pepper add complexity and aromatics through the intense finish, where the flavors gain torque, power and freshness. 

Each year, Wine Spectator editors survey the wines reviewed over the previous 12 months and select our Top 100 based on quality, value, availability and excitement.

This annual list honors successful wineries, regions and vintages around the world.

20 of 2025 - Top 100 Wines. The Wine Spectator

The Wine Advocate 93 Points | The 2024 Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc leads with a gentle mix of cassis and vanilla pod, juniper, green apple and fresh linen, jasmine tea and petrichor. In the mouth, the acidity is bright, making for a crunchy, intensely flavorsome wine that has admirable restraint and finesse.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

Decanter 94 Points | Ripe, round, and juicy with rich orchard fruit flavours, balanced saline-earthy notes and a slightly oaky character. 

Expert Review

James Suckling by Andrii Stetsiuk 96 Points |  Joyful and juicy but also concentrated and very precise, this is a stunning cool-climate chardonnay. Brimming with sliced pear, white peach and white flower aromas. The delicate oak is already beautifully integrated on the mouth-filling yet only medium-bodied palate. Then comes a wave of toasted hazelnut flavor in the very long and super-silky finish. Drink from release.

Producer Description 

• 100% Chardonnay
• The Knoll, Lahoma Vineyard
• small sandstone hill
• Umbrella training system – results in more shading
• Cold soak overnight
• Fermented in 3 French oak large format puncheons
• Aged 10 months in the puncheons, stirred regularly
• 13% abv

As a Harvard educated Economist, Kelby made the unusual transition to wine in pursue of his passion. He also brought with him his deep love for music as a way to inspire his winemaking approach. For well over a decade, he patiently perfected his art while working at another winery. Finally in 2023, Kelby and his also-winemaker wife Julia, embarked on the adventure of their dreams and launched Apollo’s Praise. Despite the wait, the musical influence is as strong as it has ever been. Every bottle suggests an unusual pairing. Turn the bottle around to find a recommended song to listen to while enjoying a glass!

Kelby and Julia produce complex, yet approachable wines by carefully merging art and science. Every single one of them is the reflection of vintage variation, site specificity and unique varietal characteristics. Unsurprisingly, critics regard their highly-sought-after Lahoma Vineyard series as some of Finger Lakes’ best wines.

Apollo’s Praise philosophy in Kelby’s and Julia’s words: “The Best Wines are Art. They are an expression of culture and speak to where they come from, when they come from, and who they come from.”

Winemaker Description 

History: George Elworthy trained as a winemaker at Lincoln University, and worked several vintages in Marlborough and overseas. When Jules Taylor started her own wine label in 2008, trained winemaker and hubby George Elworthy became general manager (or “general dogsbody”). Not wanting to let wife Jules have all the fun, George launched his own label in 2011. With his tongue firmly in his cheek, he called it “The Better Half” Style: Delicious, fruit-driven wines that are meant to be enjoyed right now. Not left to gather dust in your wine rack.

Winemaking: Wines are fermented using minimal intervention and modern winemaking techniques.

Vineyards: Grapes are sourced from a selection of grower and estate vineyards in sunny Marlborough, all of which are 100% certified by the Sustainable Winegrowers NZ Scheme.

2024 Vintage:

The 2024 Marlborough season was warm, dry and windy. Vine growth began late, and it quickly became obvious that the harvest would be much smaller than previous years.

With fewer berries on the vine, the warm temperatures through summer caused one
of the shortest ripening periods on record. Cool evenings helped retain acidity during ripening and balanced the concentrated, ripe fruit flavors.

Grapes were harvested from various Marlborough sites throughout March 2024, with a high proportion coming from the slower ripening, more aromatic Awatere subregion. The wine was fermented in stainless steel at cool temperatures and bottled under screwcap for maximum freshness.

Food Match:

Enjoy al fresco with fresh shellfish with a squeeze of lime, or any kind of salad. For
something more substantial, pair it with Thai- or Vietnamese-flavored dishes.

Winemaker’s Notes:

Color: Pale yellow.

Nose: Punchy citrus aromas of lime and grapefruit leap from the glass, along with notes of guava and fresh cut grass.

Palate: Dry, juicy and intensely flavored on the palate, with bright citrus notes and a pop of guava. The finish is long, carried by vibrant, refreshing acidity and a dash of salinity.

Expert Review - Vintage 2024 

The Wine Enthusiast 90 Points - Best Buy |  Appealing aromas of lime, white peach and kiwi fruit lead to a palate that’s shows lovely, delicate fruit woven neatly with bright acidity and padded by a softly pithy texture. It steersclear of the green, underripe pungency common to this style and is the better (half) for it.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2023 

Vinous 92 | The 2023 Chablis La Boissonneuse has another generous and well-defined bouquet with Clementine and peach skin, just a hint of candy floss and spice. Quite mercurial in the glass. The palate is taut and fresh with a fine bead of acidity. Sapid in the mouth with plenty of extract and umami sensation on the finish. This should be on your shopping list. Rated 90-92

Allen Meadows Burghound 90 Points |  In contrast to the Les Plantes, here the expressive nose is quite fresh with its notes of just sliced citrus, green apple and enough typicity to be convincing. There is excellent vibrancy to the sleek and well-defined flavors that display good length on the youthfully austere and highly refreshing finish. This isn't however especially complex so a few years of keeping are recommended. Rated: 87-90

Expert Review - Vinage 2021

The Wine Spectator 93 Points | This 2021 Blanc de Noirs opens with enticing aromas of bright citrus, pineapple, raspberry, and cherry, which harmonize with hints of toasted nuts and puff pastry. A tart and tangy entry, showcasing Cara Cara orange, nectarine, and peach, intertwines with a touch of almond cookie. A vibrant acidity in this bottling supports a long quenching finish. 

Winemaker Description 

This 2021 Blanc de Noirs opens with enticing aromas of bright citrus, pineapple, raspberry, and cherry, which harmonize with hints of toasted nuts and puff pastry. A tart and tangy entry, showcasing Cara Cara orange, nectarine, and peach, intertwines with a touch of almond cookie. A vibrant acidity in this bottling supports a long quenching finish. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

The Wine Advocate 92 Points | The 2022 Reserva Tinto was produced with a multi-grape blend of Alicante Bouschet, Trincadeira, Touriga Nacional, Aragonês and Cabernet Sauvignon from granite and schist soils that fermented in stainless steel, concrete vats and marble lagar, with malolactic in stainless steel, and matured in French and American oak barrels, 20% of them new, for 12 months. It has a serious nose that is Mediterranean, spicy and smoky, with notes of dry hay and straw, ripe fruit and a hint of iron. It's medium- to full-bodied, with abundant tannins and some oak flavors. It comes in at 14% alcohol, with a pH of 3.61, finishing very dry. Wait a bit. 500,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in April 2024.

Winemaker Description 

Winemakers: Sandra Alves and João Ramos

Color: Intense Ruby.

Aroma: Deep and complex, dominated by red fruits and spicy notes.

Palate: Lively and complete. Solid body, fine and vibrant tannins. Red fruit and  dominate spices. Persistent and balanced finish.

Esporão Reserva is the wine that captures the essence of Herdade do Esporão. It was the first wine made by Esporão in 1985. A classic obtained exclusively from our organic grapes. The diversity of Herdade do Esporão, together with the different characteristics of the grape varieties, the soils, the maturity of the vines and the character of those who make this wine consistently over the years, results in a rich, intense but always harmonious wine.  Label by Eduardo Aires. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019

Jane Anson 96 Points | Inky, glass-staining in colour, this is richly textured and intense, easily rivaling the best ever vintages at the property. Filled with creamy damson and cassis fruit, with a sense of precision and restraint to the frame, held in by fine but plentiful tannins. 30% 1st wine, highest ever Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% new oak for ageing. An exceptional wine, marking 125 years since the founding of Suntory in Japan.

The Wine Advocate 95 Points | The 2019 Lagrange has turned out beautifully in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of cherries, blackberries and cassis mingled with hints of loamy soil, pencil shavings and bay leaf. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with an ample core of lively fruit, powdery tannins and succulent acids, it's suave and seamless, concluding with a long, expansive finish. The result of an extremely rigorous selection, and incorporating fully 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is the finest wine this château has produced in the modern era. Remarkably, it was released at the same price en primeur as the 2005! 

Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points |  While I don't think the 2019 Château Lagrange matches the 2018, it's not far off, with a more elegant yet still concentrated style. Beautiful crème de cassis, spicy oak, tobacco, chocolate, and new saddle leather notes all emerge on the nose, and it stays tight, compact, and focused on the palate, with plenty of firm tannins. It opens up beautifully with time in the glass but merits 4-6 years of bottle age, and it should evolve for 20-25 years or more.

Expert Review

96 Points Decanter, Clive Pursehouse: This is quite the Chardonnay from Brianne Day and the renowned Eola Springs Vineyard in the best Chardonnay appellation in America. Winemaker Brianne Day chose three different blocks and three different cones: Hyde Wente, Mount Eden and Chardonnay 96 (a Dijon clone). She picked the Hyde Wente and Mount Eden early for structure and acid, and the Dijon 96 was picked later to flesh out the palate with riper fruits. Captivating lemon curd aromas and rich, honeyed apricots are followed by almond pastry cream - dollops of rich lemon cream, ripe peach fuzz, and rich apricot flesh.

Winemaker Notes

I have been wanting to work with another stellar Chardonnay site and was delighted to have the opportunity to purchase fruit from this gorgeous vineyard in the Eola Amity Hills. In an effort to get to know the vineyard well, I chose three different blocks and three different clones; Hyde Wente (California heritage clone), Mount Eden (another Cali heritage clone) and Chardonnay 96 (a Dijon clone). The Hyde Wente and Mount Eden were picked a little earlier for the structure and acid and the Dijon 96 a little later for some stone fruit and riper fruit. The wine is lively, lithe, and has a fairly solid mineral structure with a supple and glossy mid palate. Lemon curd, peaches, river stones, lime zest, sweet orange, honeysuckle and a hint of pastry all come to mind. - Winery

#1 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2025

#8 James Suckling Top 100 Wines of the World 2025

Château Giscours, a Grand Cru Classé in 1855, is a wine with a big personality that expresses the expertise of our teams and the full wealth of our terroir in the Margaux appellation. Château Giscours is an elegant, well-structured wine with magnificently bright aromas. It is a wine that develops wonderfully over time, the enjoyment of which is passed down from generation to generation.

98 James Suckling: Stunning aromas of blackcurrants, dark mushrooms and black cherries with forest-floor notes. Full body that fills your mouth with fine, caressing tannins and dark, flavorful fruit. The tannins are very intense and structural, spreading across the palate in layers and giving intensity and energy. Plenty of energy and verve here. This has gravity, too. 64% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 3% petit verdot and 3% cabernet franc. Best after 2029.

97 Jeb Dunnuck: The deeply colored and glass-staining 2022 Château Giscours is packed with cassis, black cherries, violets, and graphite-like aromatics. Medium to full-bodied, it’s concentrated and intense, with beautifully ripe tannins, a pure, graceful mouthfeel, and a long, structured finish. There’s serious depth here, and while it already shows remarkable balance. Rating: 97+

96 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: The 2022 Giscours has realized all the potential it showed en primeur, wafting from the glass with a deep bouquet of sweet berries, mint, rose petals and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's textural and enveloping, built around lively acids and sweet powdery tannins, concluding with a long, resonant finish. As I pondered two years ago, why is the 2022 so good? There are many reasons, but one is the high proportion of old vines—almost 60% of the blend derives from vines that are over 50 years old—in a vintage that favored vines with deep, well-established root systems.

96  Decanter: A seriously impressive and beguiling Giscous in 2022 and one of the most elegant. A remarkable wine with gorgeous clarity and purity and just the most gentle seduction, even more so because it really doesn't feel as if it's trying too hard yet still delivering depth and complexity. Fresh and lifted, fragrant and so juicy but with textured tannins that give both the weight, structure and density to the quite bright, tangy, vibrant fruit. Nicely composed, feels quite powerful yet restrained and finessed offering lots of immediate drinking appeal but with a serious backbone that suggests long ageing too. Elegant, fineseed, subtle confidence with such cool minerality that gives freshness all the way through. It's not the most dense, or fleshy, but so refined. A compelling wine. Possible upscore in bottle. 3% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. 3.70pH. A yield of 27hl/ha, the lowest ever. No Sirene de Giscours this year. 100% grand vin. Ageing 17 months, 50% new oak. 10-15% press wine. Tasted twice.
Barrel Sample: 96

95 Wine Spectator: Warmed cassis and plum notes form the core, while lilting lilac, violet and iris accents stream throughout. Offers a flash of black tea on the finish, along with a beguiling, cashmerelike mouthfeel. Judicious toast lets it all play out beautifully. A pitch-perfect example of the vintage profile. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019

The Wine Advocate 92 Points | Owned by the Cuvelier family, proprietors of Léoville-Poyferré, this picturesque Saint-Estèphe estate has produced a fine 2019 Le Crock. Wafting from the glass with aromas of blackberries, currants, loamy soil and cigar wrapper, it's medium to full-bodied, broad and fleshy, with an ample core of succulent fruit underpinned by ripe, powdery tannins.

The Wine Spectator 92 Points | Leads off with sweet bay leaf, tobacco and warm earth hints, which are quickly met by a core of steeped plum and black currant fruit. Shows subtle charcoal dusting and a note of cast iron that add fuel to the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2035.

Vinous 92 Points | The 2019 Le Crock is a powerful, burly Saint-Estèphe. A rush of black cherry, scorched earth, licorice, tobacco and menthol makes a strong opening statement. Rich, virile and packed, the 2019 is big, hearty wine that shows the savory personality of Saint-Estèphe. The tannins are a bit coarse, but then again, that is to be expected. There is certainly a lot of wine here.

James Suckling 92 Points | Lots of blackcurrants and spices with some dried flowers follow through to a medium body with firm, silky tannins and a bitter-citrus and dark-walnut aftertaste to the fruit. Needs time to soften. Try after 2024.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

James Suckling 92 Points | Very snappy and crisp on first sip, this gains depth and complexity in toasted almonds and butter as it opens. Alive with crisp apples, lemon zest and a mineral tang that gives a very lively texture and great balance. Medium-bodied. Blended from 60 sites in the region, it was partially barrel fermented.

Winemaker Description 

Olivier Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc Les Sétilles (family garden) has become one of the most popular items in the entire Frederick Wildman portfolio. Year in/ year out this wine represents impeccable quality and unsurpassed value in the French wine category. This wine exceeds expectations of even the most discriminating of palates.

Les Sétilles is sourced from vineyards within the communes of Puligny Montrachet and Meursault, with each village representing roughly half of the final blend. Grapes are sourced from multiple plots within each village in an effort to maximize complexity of the final wine.

Vintage consistency is the goal with this wine so the blending of lots and aging technique will vary according. Roughly 60% of the wine is aged in Allier oak, only 10% of which is new. The remaining 40% of the wine is aged in stainless steel to preserve clean varietal character.

Expert Review

The Wine Spectator 94 Points | A very inviting, open style, with butterscotch and caramel notes framing the core of glazed pear, caramelized peach, golden raisin and warm fig flavors. The lush finish lets crème brûlée and ginger cream details hang, showing a flash of honeysuckle for lift.

Winemaker Description 

If time is marked by special moments, Kopke’s history is written in exceptional years.
Years that are worth keeping, so they can be relived and celebrated any time. When we retrieve years from Kopke’s history, we are creating more history: the age on the label of this Kopke Port wine is the average age of all the wines in the blend.

The wine should be stored in a cool and dry place, sheltered from light and temperature uctuations, and the bottle should remain in an upright position. Over time, it is natural that sediment will form at the bottom of a bottle of Port wine.

• Hand-picked at the optimum time, the grapes are then destemmed, crushed and converted into wine through a process of careful maceration to extract their colour, tannins and aromas, enhanced by constant churning during fermentation. This takes place in vats (lagares) at a controlled temperature (between 28-30°C) until the right degree of sweetness (baumé) is achieved. At this point, grape brandy is added to create the final fortified wine. A wine of high quality, made by blending wines of different harvests to achieve the array of sensory qualities that are typical of these aged tawny Port wines. These wines have each matured in oak casks for varied periods of time, with the average age of all the wines in the blend defining the age on the label. The resulting blend expresses the characteristics given by the ageing in wood.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2023

The Wine Advocate 91 Points | Celebrating its 30th anniversary (1991-2021), the Castello di Montepò 2021 Sassoalloro is a selection of the special BBS-11 clone of Sangiovese from across the estate vineyards. The property measures 600 hectares and has 60 hectares of vines that have been carefully mapped and subdivided with help from the universities of Florence and Pisa. This wine offers a 360-degree view of the estate's winemaking philosophy with a fresh and accessible dinking style. There is plenty of cherry, wild berry, earthy mineral and dried spice over a medium texture.

James Suckling 91 Points | Expressive nose of balsamic, sour cherries, orange peel, dried roses and spice box. Hints of cardamom and hazelnut. Firm, chalky tannins that spread across the palate, with a medium to full body and creamy, delicious finish. 30th anniversary bottling. Drink from 2024.

Winemaker Description 

The Toscana Rosso 'Sassoalloro' by Tenuta Castello di Montepò, owned by Jacopo Biondi Santi, is a red wine of great charm that tells the entire vision of the winery since its first harvest. A Sangiovese that has been selected from the historic family estate where the famous Brunello di Montalcino is produced, and which has been planted in this wonderful corner of Tuscany, not far from Scansano.

Vinified in steel, it matures for just over a year in barrique before an additional aging in the bottle. Deep fruity and spicy aromas, with notes of cherry and raspberry, followed by balsamic and herbal notes. Soft and elegant, fresh with well-integrated tannins in a solid structure. An elegant red wine with a definite territorial adherence, suitable for any occasion.

It is a rare phenomenon that a wine can trace its origins to a single man. Brunello di Montalcino, however, owes its existence to the creative genius of Clemente Santi and his nephew Ferruccio Biondi Santi who in the eighteen hundreds started producing barrel-aged single-varietal wines in Montalcino, betting on the extraordinary quality potential of Sangiovese grosso. Since 1888, the first vintage of Brunello in history, Biondi-Santi has continued to produce wines renowned for their elegance and extraordinary longevity.

No compromise. Only a painstaking, yet simple attention to detail and an artisanal sense of excellence accompanies the production of the Brunello Biondi-Santi, that is produced exclusively with estate grown grapes, hand selected from our high-altitude vineyards. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2024

James Suckling 92 Points | White-pepper and apricot aromas dominate, slightly herbal in a positive way. Vibrant on the palate with medium body, weight and silkiness. Crisp, juicy finish.

Winemaker Description 

Pale yellow with green reflexes. Aroma : Fruity bouquet (apples and pears). Taste : Soft and full with a long A nish, elegant body, balanced acidity.

#85 James Suckling Top 100 Wines of the World 2025

Blend: 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot

Expert Reviews

100 Points  Jeb Dunnuck: A sensational Pauillac as well as the finest wine from this château since the 2009 (although the 2010 might have something to say about that), the 2022 Château Pontet-Canet sports a deep purple hue as well as a heavenly perfume of crème de cassis, smoke, incense, leafy tobacco, and chocolate. This beauty has sensational purity, a deep, layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, flawless balance, and incredible precision and detail in its aromas and flavors. Despite its opulence and power, it has a solid underlying structure, and its tannins are sweet and polished; it has remarkable depth and concentration, and it just does everything right. It should have 40, 50, if not 60 years of overall longevity. The 2022 is based on 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, brought up in 50% new barrels, 35% in amphora, and the rest in once-used oak.

99 Points by James Suckling: The concentration of dried herbs such as thyme, sage and mint with blackcurrants and Spanish cedar is mesmerizing. Full-bodied with a dense and intense palate, this has creamy, crunchy tannins and a long and flavorful finish that goes on for minutes. Punchy and rich with lots of power. The real identity of Pontet-Canet comes through despite the hot and dry growing year. 57% cabernet sauvignon, 35% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot. From biodynamically grown grapes.

95 Points by Decanter Magazine: Vibrant, vivid purple colour in the glass, rich and deep. Smells bright, super fresh and expressive on the nose with freshly-picked blackcurrants and perfumed purple flowers - the Petit Verdot, really standing out. Clean and clear, creamy, powdery and softly chewy on the palate. The texture is lovely, you can tell they haven't over extracted but there’s still clear concentration with a gentle succulence provided by the acidity, cool freshness and appealing mineral touches alongside liquorice, clove, dried herbs and bitter chocolate. Enjoyable and well defined if still a little compact. 3.85pH. 4% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. 15% press wine used. Harvest 8 - 28 September, the earliest and longest ever. 20% lower yields than in 2021. The technical team used a clay sunscreen on the grapes to avoid burning. Tasted twice. Barrel Sample: 95

Winery Information

For over three centuries, Château Pontet-Canet has been owned by just three families, showcasing exceptional stability and uniqueness as a premier Bordeaux estate. Today, the winery is run by the Tesseron family, with Alfred Tesseron as owner and his daughter Justine Tesseron as CEO.

Château Pontet-Canet is the first major Bordeaux estate certified organic and a pioneer in biodynamic farming, cultivating grapes without chemical treatments. To further protect the vineyard soils, the estate uses Percheron workhorses instead of heavy tractors on half of its vineyard — a true blend of tradition and innovation.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2024

Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points | Based on 70% Clairette and 30% Roussanne and barrel fermented in demi-muid and foudre, the 2024 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc is gorgeous, pure, and layered. It offers honeyed white peach, white flowers, subtle croissant, and spice aromatics. Medium to full-bodied and incredibly layered, it has remarkable acidity and a great finish that shows sensational purity and length.

The Wine Advocate 94 Points | Ethereal, fresh and perfumed, the 2024 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc opens with aromas of white fruits, herbs, spices and confit citrus. Medium- to full-bodied, pure and seamless, it is layered and textured, leading to a long, penetrating finish of great finesse. All precision and delicacy, this blend of 70% Clairette and 30% Roussanne is a stunning wine. It matured for six months in a combination of barrels, foudres and amphorae.

Memo Summary Notes 

Isabel Ferrando’s reputation for outstanding wines has grown every vintage since her first release in 2003. As a woman owned business and winemaker, Isabel has built a tremendous reputation producing highly acclaimed wines. 

"Proprietress Isabel Ferrando has taken her Saint Prefert estate to France’s highest level, and she’s unquestionably making some of the most profound wines on earth today, including both reds and whites.”   —Wine Critic - Jeb Dunnuck

"Hard work. Subtle tweaks. Responsible farming. An uncompromising dedication to quality. Isabel Ferrando keeps doing things the right way, and her wines are dramatic proof.” —James Molesworth, Wine Spectator.

"one thing that remains constant is the incredible quality that continues to emerge from this talented winemaker.” Jeb Dunuck. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2024

Vinous 93 Points | The first of the two white wines, the 2024 Versante Nord is a blend of varieties sourced from six different vineyards at varying altitudes from the north side of the valley, which receives more sunlight during the day. This wine offers a wealth of power, with notes of salted pineapples, fresh sage, smoky earth, and saline. It’s bright with acidity, salinity, and a light wild side, though very well-managed. It had been bottled just three weeks earlier, so this tasting was a preview prior to its release. Drink over the coming 8-10 years.

Winemaker Description 

This wine offers a strikingly pure expression of Mt. Etna’s eastern slopes. Grown on volcanic soils at high elevation, this white blend is taut, mineral, and refreshingly saline, with notes of citrus zest, herbs, and crushed rock. A brilliant new bottling from one of Etna’s most exciting voices—available now on pre-sale in limited quantities.

Eric Guido also last year assigned 91 Points to this plot- and said as follows of the 2023 vintage - Crushed rocks, dried flowers, raw almonds and freshly sliced nectarines form a savory bouquet as the 2023 Carricante Versante Est opens in the glass. Nearly salty in character, it washes across the palate with ease, showing tart orchard fruits and hints of lemony custard. The 2023 finishes with medium length, leaving a pleasant chamomile air to linger.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022

James Suckling 92 Points | A deliciously dark-fruited tempranillo that has aromas and flavors of grilled herbs, charcoal and black plums. Hints of soy, too. It’s full-bodied with ripe, mellow tannins.

Winemaker Description

Intense purple color. Aromas of tobacco, licorice and blackcurrants. Full-bodied with hints of toast and mature fruit. Long balanced finish.

Expert Reviews

Jeb Dunnuck 92 Points | Pouring a bright pale yellow hue, the NV Champagne Reserve Brut is from 2019, with 40% each Pinot Noir and Meunier and 20% Chardonnay. It opens to reveal notes of wet asphalt, ripe white peach, and fresh redcurrant. Medium-bodied and approachable, it has a rounded mid-palate, a chalky and pithy texture with a lively yet fine mousse, and a light note of brûléed grapefruit rind on the finish. It’s an attractive and balanced wine with a clean finish. 

The Wine Spectator 92 Points | A lithe and graceful Champagne, with sleek acidity animating flavors of chopped raspberry, nectarine, preserved lemon and oyster shell. Fine and satiny in texture, offering a persistent, lightly spiced finish. Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay.

The Wine Advocate 90 Points | A blend of 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Meunier and 20% Chardonnay, the NV Réserve Brut from Champagne Leclerc Briant is showing well today, evoking a lively, fresh bouquet of pear, verbena, lime tree, herbs and menthol. Moderately weighted and tense, it's vinous and energetic with an incisive mid-palate and a mouthwatering, fresh finish. 

Expert Review.

The Wine Enthusiast 95 Points | It is the 57th bottling of these bubbles. I hope you pick up a bottle to enjoy. This wine is bright, with aromas of Golden Delicious apple, orange blossom, acacia honey and mineral on the nose. Flavors on the palate are baked Bosc pear, mandarin orange, fresh walnut, toasted brioche and kaffir lime. The wine offers a subtle, creamy mousse, with a long, lifted and dry finish.

The Wine Spectator 91 Points | Fragrant and refreshing, this sleek version offers appealing flavors of green apple, Meyer lemon and yeast roll. Finishes bright, with acidity.

Winemaker Description 

Blanc de Blancs (white from whites), made from Chardonnay, is the counterpart to the Blanc de Noirs (white from blacks), made from Pinot Noir. Blanc de Blancs was the first wine Schramsberg produced in 1965 and was America's first commercially produced Chardonnay-based brut sparkling wine. Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs gained international recognition in 1972 when then President Nixon served the wine at the historic "Toast to Peace" in Beijing, China.

The Schramsberg style of Blanc de Blancs is dry and crisp. Small lots of barrel fermented wines, some of which complete malolactic fermentation, are added to stainless-steel fermented wines to create added complexity in the blended base wine. After undergoing a second fermentation in bottle, the wine then ages on its yeast lees for about two years prior to disgorgement. With its vibrant, fruitful and focused nature, this sparkling wine will maintain its freshness, structure and refined finish for many years, even decades following its initial release.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020

The Wine Spectator 95 Points | This is supple and complex, delivering cherry, strawberry, summer meadow, earth, leather and iron aromas and flavors. Firmly structured, this picks up a hint of licorice as it winds down on the lingering finish, with tannins that are solid yet civilized. Shows fine potential. Best from 2028 through 2046. 1,670 cases made, 540 cases imported.

Jeb Dunnuck 92 Points | The medium red 2020 Barolo Cascina Nuova is spiced and fruity with notes of ripe grenadine, pink peppercorn, dried apricots, and polished leather. Open and approachable, it offers ripe, supple tannins, even acidity, and a clean finish with good length. It’s a very charming wine with a wide drinking window for enjoyment over the next 10 years.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2021

The Wine Enthusiast 94 Points | This is the flagship Chardonnay produced by Domaine Anderson. It is a glimpse into the winemaking style of the house, highlighting the cool climate, sunshine and proximity to the Pacific Ocean. The nose conveys pithy apple, youthful nectarine and butterscotch candy. The palate intensifies these notes, along with high acidity, minerals, cinnamon and a mouthwatering finish.

Jeb Dunnuck 92 Points | Made from estate-grown, certified organic vineyards, including three single-vineyard designates (Navarro-Fairhills, Walraven, and Dach), the 2021 Chardonnay Estate is a light-bodied white that is tangy in acidity and fresh citrus notes, expertly showcasing both the cool-climate region and coolness of the vintage, one of the earliest harvests on record in the Anderson Valley. Meyer lemon and a twist of lime highlight the aromatic profile, with more lemon developing on the palate as a nice complement to the green and Golden Delicious apple flavors.

The Wine Spectator 91 Points | With sleek notes of lemon, pear and yuzu alongside racy acidity, this pops out of the glass, finding wonderful harmony with the grace notes of white pepper and vanilla custard, plus a hint of salted butter shortbread on the finish. Drink now. 1,000 cases made.

Winemaker Description 

Expert Review - Vintage 2023 

Vinous 92 Points | The 2023 Etna Rosso Pietradolce is a dark and brooding effort with a whiff of flowery underbrush and ashen stone giving way to crushed black cherry. Silky smooth, it sweeps across the palate with ripe wild berry fruit and a collage of sweet spice, all guided by juicy acidity. The 2023 leaves a saturation of primary concentration and a tinge of tart blackberry while finishing with tension. This is far from an easy-drinking, simple Rosso. It should excel through medium-term cellaring.

Expert Reviews- Vintage 2020 

The Wine Enthusiast by Mike DeSimone 94 Points | This deep garnet-colored wine has a nose of black currant, sage leaf and cherry pipe tobacco. It is smooth at first sip and then bold tannins settle in and coat the tongue and gums. Blackberry, raspberry, cocoa powder, crème brûlée and orange zest flavors are accompanied by a note of butterscotch that endures on the palate.

James Suckling 92 Points | Spicy oak to the fresh blackberries with some vanilla, smoke, walnut and dried orange peel. Chewy and pretty tannic with juicy fruit on the tight, medium- to full-bodied palate. Long and grippy finish. Needs at least two years to come around. Better from 2025.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2023

James Suckling 96 Points | I really like the crunchy character to this, with ripe, al dente pinot noir character highlighting the strawberry and lemon notes. Medium-bodied, lively and energetic with citrus and crushed stone undertones. This is so satisfying and fresh.

The Wine Spectator 95 Points | The 2023 Moonlight Race Pinot Noir is stalky, spicy and bright, with note of Campari/blood orange that mingle alongside dark chocolate, coffee, blood plum and star anise. If anything, this feels slightly lean rather than plush, but it works well within the scope of the wine. In the mouth, the tannins and acidity work together as one, making this wine feel integrated, serious, and fun, all at once. Recommended. It is very fine. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

The Wine Advocat 94 Points | The 2022 Moonlight Race Pinot Noir is supple and spicy, with pink peppercorn, cherry blossom, red apple skins, a hint of blond tobacco and white pepper. The wine is light in the glass (but vibrant) and the tannins suit it—they are totally fresh and fine—finely milled and like poudre. Superb, silky, totally satisfying and enlivening. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Here are some technical numbers for you. Vineyard percentage is 56% Burn Cottage Vineyard, 22% from the Sauvage Vineyard and 22% from Luna Vineyard. Seven percent whole bunch was in the ferment with 17 days on skins and oak included 22% new French oak. The wine's pH is 3.73, with a total acidity of five grams per liter.

Expert Reviews

The Wine Advocate 90 Points | The NV 10 Year Old Tawny was bottled in 2013 with a bar top cork. It comes in at 106.7 grams per liter of residual sugar. Some Ports emphasize flavor, others emphasize structure. This starts out with perfect focus, elegant but increasingly intense on the tight finish. Early on, it was all about the structure, with a haze of velvet. The flavors were a bit muted initially, but it unfolded into an elegant and graceful whole with a flavorful finish. Its bright, clean feel always remains as it fleshes out and puts on weight. 

The Wine Spectator 90 Points | Refined, with bright flavors of dried berry, plum compote and cherry tart that are long and lush. Very creamy on the finish, which features chocolate mousse.

The Wine Enthusiast 90 Points | In the full Fonseca style, this aged tawny shows both rich fruit and a more serious wood-aged character. Good acidity follows the sweet initial taste, broadening into ripe flavors of nut, plum jelly, and a final crisp acidity.

Winemaker Description 

Warehouse stored item - please allow one to three business days to fulfill.

The Wine Enthusiast 90 Points | While this wine is currently quiet, it shows a lot of promise. Mouthwatering and long on the palate, it offers attractive citrus pith, delicate white flowers and fresh almonds.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022

James Suckling 93 Points | Sweet and silky, this is a very charming Chambolle-Musigny village wine with a lot of floral finesse, the warm, powdery tannins deftly supporting the long, polished finish. From vineyards below the Bonnes Mares grand cru with red soil. Matured in small oak barrels, but none of them were new.

Winemaker Description 

Georges Lignier owns a prime 0.71ha parcel of 70-year vines that cuts across the “Les Drazey” and “Les Bussieres” vineyards in Chambolle-Musigny, just below the 1er Cru “Les Sentiers”.  The finesse of this wine speaks of the Chambolle pedigree, though its ideal location and ancient vines produce a depth that elevates it to a level beyond what one would expect from a Villages.

Warehouse stored item - please allow one to three business days to fulfill.

James Suckling 93 Points | An enticing but well-balanced wine that combines a super-creamy texture with vivid tropical fruit, poached pears and baking spices. It's all barrel-fermented in about 30% oak and shows the characteristic toast, dough and light butter notes of an excellent chardonnay. Affordable for the quality. Drink now or hold.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022

Jeb Dunnuck 91 Points | Adelsheim’s single vineyards were planted in the early 2000s on very steep slopes at 485 to 625 feet elevation. The bright red 2022 Pinot Noir Boulder Bluff Vineyard has a fruity and floral profile with notes of candied raspberries, pressed flowers, sweet herbs, and fresh soil. It takes on more tension on the palate, with finely coiled tannins, juicy, ripe fruit, mouthwatering, fresh acidity, and a long feel throughout the finish. It’s focused and has a good, compact, yet elegant feel. Drink 2025-2037.

The Wine Advocate 92 Points | The 2022 Pinot Noir Boulder Bluff is supple and inviting. Matured for 10 months in 33% new French oak, it opens with wafts of iodine and woodsmoke that give way to wild berry fruit and accents of rose petal and tangerine. Medium-bodied, it offers layer after layer of red fruit, citrus and spice. It’s structured by finely chalky tannins and mouthwatering acidity and has a long, layered finish.