90+ Points | Critical Acclaim | Wine & Sparkling Wine

91 Points Wine Spectator | Rich and full, this intensely savory rosé is texturally very pure and integrated, with a beguiling mix of sea salt–coated pink grapefruit, rose petal and tangerine notes. Notes of chamomile tea and a green herbal thread add complexity through the succulent, penetrating finish. Tibouren and Grenache. Drink now.

Clos Cibonne’s iconic Cuvée Tradition stands uniquely apart from other Rosés as a classic, one-of-a-kind Côtes de Provence rosé featuring the tibouren grape in the lead role. Cuvée Tradition is legendary amongst experienced French wine collectors for its texture, substance, and ability to age gracefully for a decade or more.

The wine has a salmon-orange color. The nose is enchanting, warm and matures into smooth spicy aromas. Winy, mellow and surprisingly mineral on the palate. Winemaker Description.

Expert Review

91 Points Wine Enthusiast | This second wine of the Haut-Brion's newly acquired Château Quintus is rich, with layers of black plums and dense juicy tannins. A dark Merlot-dominated wine, it's smooth and likely to be ready soon. Drink from 2017. (2012).

Expert Review - Vintage 2019

97 Points James Suckling | Very attractive combination of dried fruit and spices with black cherries and plums. Aromas of flowers and sandalwood, too. Full-bodied and very refined, yet intense, with plush, velvety tannins that are wonderfully integrated and intertwined with the fruit. Ripe center palate.

Our Professional Review

Rand Sieger Buyer, 67Wine | This lovely Pinot Noir comes from a 6th generation family winery in the Thermen Region, just a short drive south from Vienna.

Cistercian Monks planted Pinot Noir vines here as early as the 12th century. Aging is done only in old oak barrels to preserve  the purity and freshness of the fruit. Aromas and flavors of bright red fruits are accented by a light peppery spice on the finish. 

Expert Review

James Suckling 91 Points | I like the smoky, dried-cherry, blackberry and strawberry character and just a hint of dark chocolate. It’s full-bodied, round and flavorful. Drinkable now, but better in 2021. 

Winemaker Description

Produced from vines planted well south of the cluster of northern-Thermenregion villages that comprise the majority of their holdings, Stadlmann’s Pinot Noir (called “Blauburgunder” locally) is simultaneously fresh and substantial, offering the textural harmoniousness of their white wines, as well as a lifted and elegant spice character that puts one in the mind of excellent red Burgundy. (After all, it was the Cistercian monks who brought Pinot Noir from Burgundy to the Thermenregion in the late 1100s.) Like the estate’s white wines, this is fermented and aged entirely in large, well-worn oak casks and bottled without fining and with only a gentle filtration.

Winemaker Description

Lush and powerful, the 2020 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir showcases this valley’s great fruit. The wine presents vivid aromas of amarena cherry, marionberry, lilac, and baking spices. Subtle notes of rhubarb, currant, rosemary, and earth add depth and complexity. Lively and youthful, the wine delivers excellent balance, purity of fruit, and sustained richness with a velvety texture, and it is sure to develop beautifully in the cellar.

This dinner table classic pairs exceptionally with coq au vin, mushroom ravioli, roasted pecans and walnuts, grilled vegetables, or creamy cheeses. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2020 

Wine Spectator 90 Points | This has nice, subtle energy, with rippling rooibos tea, blood orange and red currant notes that meld steadily through a savory finish. 

Winemaker Description

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2018

Wine Spectator 93 Points | This is richly layered, with cassis, crushed plum and blackberry puree flavors moving through slowly but steadily, while warm earth, ganache and black licorice notes follow along. Picks up a tarry edge on the finish as the fruit takes an encore. For fans of the muscular, fruit-driven style. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2036. (2018). 

Wine Advocate 97 Points | The 2018 Insignia is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc. The vineyard sources this year include: 30% Las Rocas (Stags Leap District),18% Yountville (Oak Knoll District), 13% Banca Dorada (Rutherford), 18% Suscol (South Napa Valley), 14% Home Ranch (St. Helena), 12% Las Rocas (Stags Leap District), 7% Barboza (Stags Leap District). It was aged for 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Deep garnet-purple colored, it comes storming out of the glass with powerful notes of blackcurrant cordial, stewed black plums and boysenberries, plus hints of cedar chest, graphite, menthol and wet slate with a fragrant waft of clove oil. The medium to full-bodied palate already demonstrates remarkable balance at this youthful stage, featuring a firm backbone of fine-grained tannins and bold freshness to support the tightly wound, crunchy black fruits, finishing long and spicy. (2018).

Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points | Very much in the style of the vintage with its pure, concentrated, yet also elegant and focused style, the 2018 Insignia offers up a vivid purple hue to go with lots of red and blue fruits, menthol, tobacco, graphite, and distinct minerality. With an almost Bordeaux-like style, medium to full-bodied richness, present tannins, and a great finish, it's a beautiful, classic Cabernet Sauvignon blend from this team that's going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for two decades or more. (2018). 

James Suckling 99 Points | Blackberry and black chocolate with mint, conifer and clove. Sweet tobacco, violets and flowers, too. Some graphite. Cool and complex. Full-bodied with ultra fine, dusty tannins and a wonderful, extremely long finish. Savory and refined. A classic-styled 2018. This needs time, but is so approachable and gorgeous. One of the best Insignias ever. Alive and changing all the time. 40% Stags Leap AVA. 87% cabernet sauvignon, 8% petit verdot, 3% malbec and 2% cabernet franc. Leave this for five or six years, but so wonderful now. (2018). 

Winemaker Description

Ruby-red color. The nose is complex and elegant. Notes of dry flowers, hay and rose petal, accompanied by a hint of chamomile. It is fresh, balanced, silky, enveloping and full-bodied on the palate. The tannins are prominent yet well-integrated. The finish is long and persistent. We recommend decanting a few hours before serving.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020

Jeb Dunnuck 98 Points | A medium red hue, the 2020 Barolo Rocche Di Castiglione offers more complexity and is more nuanced in the glass, with notes of dried raspberries, tangerine, roses, dried herbs, and cedar. Medium-bodied, it is crunchy with an elegant feel but has balanced structure and retains a somewhat more chiseled feel that’s true to the vintage. It has a lot to enjoy now and also has a wide drinking window. Drink 2025-2050.

The Wine Advocate 96 Points | The Vietti 2020 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is a very delineated wine with sharp ferrous notes, cherry cola, redcurrant and chalky mineral. It is extremely precise in terms of its aromas. The effect is direct and layered, showing different sides and increasing complexity as it opens in the glass. Dried floral notes, purple flower and iris also appear delicately. The chalky tannins feel abrupt at this young stage, but this wine is built to last nonetheless. Only 3,512 bottles were created.

Vinous 96 Points | The 2020 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is a magical wine from a magical site. It marries finesse and volume to a degree that is not found in most of the other wines in this range. Castiglione Falletto is the center of the Barolo production zone, literally and figuratively, the place where many different soil types meet. As a result, the wines often possess mind-blowing balance, which is very much the case here.

Winemaker Description

Impenetrable garnet ruby red. Very elegant to the nose, it reminds of marasca with spicy and liquorice notes. Rich, full with remarkable cherry notes and a marasca ending lightly spiced. Tannins are soft and pleasant.

Expert Review

Wine Enthusiast 90 Points | Rich aromas of cocoa powder and carob ride over the dense dark-berry core on the nose. Wild-berry flavors are wrapped in cinnamon and clove accents on the palate, with integrated tannins and fresh acidity lending support. It's accessible now and should hold well through 2025. — Alexander Peartree

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020

Wine Spectator 95 Points | This is lush, yet dense and lively, offering black cherry, blackberry and black currant fruit, shaded by mineral, cedar and spice elements. Firms up by the finish, echoing fruit, mineral and spice accents, with fine length. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024. (2020). 

Wine Advocate 94 Points | From a warm vintage, the Tenuta Sette Ponti 2020 Oreno (a blend of certified organic Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot) is very rich and fleshed out, and definitely softer compared to the 2019 vintage before it. This wine shows lots of savory fruit and velvety concentration with blackberry preserves and baked cherry. Oreno awards you with a very generous expression from Tuscany that can be enjoyed in the near- or medium-term. (2020). 

James Suckling 97 Points |  A red with a layered, velvety texture, showing blackberry and black-olive character, together with some iodine and graphite. Full-bodied and rich with lots of fruit and chewy tannins. Savory. 50% merlot, 40% cabernet sauvignon and 10% petit verdot. Needs two or three years to soften. (2020). 

Winemaker Description 

The Antique Amontillado comes from a very old Fino (8 yrs old) which is refortified from 15.5% to 18.0% ABV and introduced into a solera of Amontillado where it spends a further 12 years.

Light ambar color. Exceptionally aromatic, completely dry and long aftertaste. 

Expert Reviews

92 Points Robert Parker | The NV Antique Amontillado is amber-colored and has a subtle nose of tobacco, some iodine, pollen, beeswax and hazelnuts. The medium- to full-bodied palate shows lots of concentration and acidity, with a very intense finish. 4,000 bottles are produced yearly.

91 Points Wine Spectator | A dry, nervy style, offering balsam wood, clove, dried orange peel and Brazil nut notes that weave together through the lacy finish. Shows range, but stays delicate in feel overall.

Winemaker Description

Villapanes is a rich mahogany color and boasts seductive, toasty aromas of almonds, caramel, fig and a hint of floral perfume. On the palate it is dry, generous and full-bodied, with persistent and lasting flavors.

Pair with roast poultry, red meat or salty, aged cheeses. 

Expert Reviews 

93 Points Wine Spectator | A shade darker than its peers, relying more on black walnut, Brazil nut and singed orange peel notes, while dried persimmon and quince flavors add a succulent side. Light rye and green tea hints echo through the razor-sharp finish, where sweet details peek in.

91 Points Robert Parker | The NV Villapanes Oloroso wears a dark amber-brown robe and has a very intense nose, showing some marmalade, dark tobacco and brandy notes. The palate is textbook Oloroso, round, ample, warm, a little spirity, ending with dry walnut flavors. It manages to balance power and elegance quite well.

91 Points Wine & Spirits | Dominated by notes of salted almonds, this Oloroso has its fair share of sweetness to balance that saline side, making it more readily accessible to a wider range of palates and fitting perfectly with smoked pork.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2017

The top Cabernet is the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Dancing Bear Ranch, which comes all from the Howell Mountain AVA. It's another inky colored beauty boasting a terrific perfume of black and blue fruits, ground herbs, spice box, graphite, and forest floor. With brilliant minerality on the palate as well as full-bodied richness and an expansive, opulent texture, it has sweet tannins and is approachable today, yet will benefit from short-term cellaring and cruise for 25-30 years. It's one of the few 2017s to come close to its 2016 counterpart. Bravo!  Drinking 2024 to 2054.  Jeb Dunnuck 97

Bottled only three weeks ago, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Dancing Bear Ranch is composed of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 1% Merlot, having spent 22 months in 60% new French oak. Very deep garnet-purple in color, it reveals beautiful notions of kirsch, red and black currant preserves, raspberry pie and warm plums with hints of red roses, stewed tea, underbrush and cinnamon stick. Medium-bodied, the palate has wonderful red fruit and floral intensity intermingled with black fruits, framed by firm, grainy tannins and a wicked backbone of freshness, finishing very long and mineral laced. Very different from the epic 2016 Dancing Bear, but very exciting!  Drinking 2020 to 2038.  - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 95+

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Dancing Bear ranch is a gorgeous Howell Mountain red. Succulent black cherry, plum, licorice, spice, new leather, rose petal and blood orange all run through this deep, resonant, unctuous Cabernet Sauvignon from Cakebread. This is a very pretty wine.  Drinking 2022 to 2032.  - Vinous 93

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

Expert Review - Vintage 2015

Wine Spectator 91 Points: A fresh and elegant red, with a lovely range of spice, graphite and violet aromas wafting through notes of pure black cherry and mineral. Long and creamy, with fine-grained tannins firming the herb-laced finish. Drink now through 2029.

Wine Advocate 92 Points: Made with organically farmed fruit, the Tormaresca 2015 Castel del Monte Aglianico Bocca di Lupo is one of the top-end wines from this estate and indeed the whole region of Puglia. This pure expression of the mighty Aglianico grape opens to a deep array of dark fruit flavors followed by sweet spice, tobacco and savory smoked bacon. This is a linear, but full-bodied expression with the tannins to cut through a juicy rib-eye steak. It ages in oak for 18 months.

James Suckling 94 Points: This shows real freshness for the aglianico grape, contributed in part by the fresh sage and thyme undertones and also the backdrop of fresh blueberries and citrus. Hints of charcuterie. Full-bodied and ripe, but very structured and fine with elegant, caressing tannins. From organically grown grapes.

Winemaker Description

A medium-bodied Pinot Noir with remarkable floral, cherry and raspberry aromas. In the mouth, bright fruit flavors with a wonderful texture and extraordinary acidity. Smooth and balanced with a long, silky and velvety finish.

Expert Review

92 Points Wine Spectator | A medium-bodied red with aromas of wild raspberries, porcini, dried herbs and smoked meat. Powdery, fine tannins with a chalky feel. Concentrated and taut with a savory, mineral finish. Drink or hold. (2019)

Winemaker Description

Black crimson in color, this wine leaps from the glass with powerful aromatics of blueberries, fresh plum, licorice and nuances of chocolate biscuit. The seamless texture is laced with fresh berry fruit, coffee, vanilla cream and warm spice, giving us a full-bodied Shiraz with an endless depth of flavor and great length.

Expert Review

Robert Parker 92 Points | Once you taste a few of a producer's wines side by side, you really start to get a feel for stylistic preference between warm vintages and cool ones. I surprise myself by saying here that I prefer the warmer vintages at Mollydooker (this does not make it right) because the sunshine and ease with which ripening can occur in a warmer year really seems to suit the plush, high-octane style being proliferated here. So, this 2021 Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz is far more on the blue fruit spectrum than the 2020, which has a complex array of sweet/savory/spice characters. The detail here errs to blackberry, blood plum and resin—a spicy, full-bodied Shiraz. Not for the faint of heart.

Expert Review

Vinous 97 Points Josh Raynolds writes |  Glass-staining ruby. Exotically perfumed black and blue fruit, incense and candied licorice scents, along with mineral, olive and exotic spice overtones. Seamless and expansive on the palate, offering deeply concentrated yet lively blackberry, boysenberry, cherry-cola, salty olive and floral pastille flavors that show outstanding energy and mineral lift. Slow-building tannins grow on a strikingly long, focused finish that strongly echoes the licorice and mineral notes.

Winemaker Description

Opaque, a dark core with a lighter deep red concession on rim. An eruption of fruits. At once lively and expressive, conceding Grange personality yet still not revealing all .... Dark coffee grind, malt and tapenade merge with black earths, almost verging on peat. Mandated V.A and formic notes propel a slurry of dark-skinned berried fruits, flirting with dark liquorice and soy. Oak completely hidden, long since absorbed. Now, back to the glass for a second sniff! Initially the ‘enlivened’ dark fruits of a Christmas pudding or boiled fruitcake mix demand attention. But there’s much more to complement these fruits – impressions of ironstone, graphite, iodine, black ink, and a black pudding viscosity. Formidable, meshed tannins – texturally honeycombed, without the honey! Oak has entwined itself invisible. Yes, every barrel still new, and completion of fermentation off skins in barrel still Grange modus operandi. Integrated, measured ... and clearly more than one sip required to gain an authentic ‘first-impression’. Certainly a wine of its vintage. A Grange of 2015. 

Expert Reviews

100 Point James Suckling | Much anticipated vintage for Grange and it is a powerhouse of concentration and complexity. Aromas of orange and lemon peel to start, then graphite, blackberries, plum paste, black cherries, boundless sweet oak spice, fresh cedar, tar, mahogany, roasted coffee and chocolate - the list goes on. Such complexity. Classic Grange, offering such deep, dark intensity. The palate has immense richness and depth with a super succulent and very long, fleshy, deeply weighted array of dense, velvet-wrapped tannins that run so long. The fruit flavors sit in the blackberry, blood-plum and blueberry zone with succulent, long and assertive structure, carrying through in an utterly seamless mode. The finish is tightly wrenched, in spectacularly powerful style, locking this wine in for a very long haul. Best from 2030.

98 Points Jeb Dunnuck | The flagship 2015 Grange is a monster of wine and one of those rare wines that blends power and elegance perfectly. Revealing a saturated purple color, it’s seemingly more forward and seductive than past great vintages, which I suspect is due to the incredible purity of fruit as well as the wine’s flawless balance than any change in winemaking or stylistic shifts. I also think the acidity is healthy, and the 2015 tips the scales at 14.5% alcohol, which is certainly in the sweet spot, if not tame, for beautifully ripe Syrah these days. A blend of 98% Shiraz and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 20 months in new American oak hogsheads, it offers an extraordinary perfume of sweet crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, camphor, Asian spices, licorice, and wildflowers. This is followed by a full-bodied, powerful yet incredibly seamless and elegant Shiraz that has no hard edges, a big, dense mid-palate, ripe tannins, and a great finish. Coming close to rivaling the 1986, which has always been a benchmark vintage of Grange for me, the 2015 offers a more polished, elegant, approachable style. Vintage comparisons aside, this is a legendary example of Grange in the making. The savvy wine lovers out there will give this 7-8 years of bottle age (I’ll probably be out of bottles by then) and enjoy over the following 2-3 decades.

98+ Points Robert Parker | The nose of the 2015 Grange features the wine's characteristic lifted aromas, joined by pronounced American oak influence and bold blackberry fruit, plus hints of red meat, raspberries, asphalt and vanilla. It's dense and concentrated on the palate, full-bodied yet balanced and firm, with a rich, velvety texture and long, plush finish. Don't expect great complexity at this stage—it's much too young to show much more than the primary fruit and oak elements—but this is a Grange that should easily go three or four decades.

97 Points Wine Spectator | Distinctive and powerful, yet still elegant, showing restraint despite the dense and generous flavors. Precise notes of dark chocolate, maraschino cherry, mahogany and toasted coconut complement the core of wild blackberry and blueberry fruit. The tannins are smooth and polished, delivering some tug on the finish, which persists as subtle hints of dried lavender and white pepper linger. Drink now through 2040.

97 Points Wine Enthusiast | This vintage of the famed wine is perhaps its most approachable to date. The nose is open and expressive, with waves of aromas ranging from licorice, currant and plum to baking spice, furniture polish, freshly picked olive, mushroom and vanilla. The mouthfeel is satiny in texture, awash with fruit and spices of all shapes and sizes, all wound by fine tannins. Drink through 2040.

Winemaker Description

Hugonis with its powerful and austere style is the most prized product of Tenuta Rapitalà, the legacy wine. The seal of Hugonis Bernardi – a knight in armor with two leopards – which appears on the label, is the coat-of-arms of the family of Hugues Bernard de la Gatinais and his son, Laurent.

100% estate-grown fruit is sourced from Nero d’Avola and Cabernet Sauvignon plots situated between 1,000 and 1,300 feet above sea level on rich, clay soils. Guyot-trained vines have limited yields of 28 quintals per acre.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2013 

92 Points Wine Advocate | The top shelf wine released by Tenuta Rapital is the 2013 Hugonis. The wine represents a bold blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Nero d'Avola from the southwest corner of Sicily. This wine is teaming with rich fruit flavors and backing spice. Cola, balsam herb and licorice add to the overall complexity. Hugonis closes with a sweet cherry note and offers thick textural richness. (2013).

90 Points Wine Spectator | Rich notes of black currant, bay leaf and anise are set in an elegant, medium- to full-bodied frame that is well-knit, with supple tannins. Creamy, showing hints of smoke and spicy mineral on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Nero d'Avola. Drink now through 2023. (2013). 

Winemaker Description

This is a truly remarkable vintage of our iconic flagship wine. The bouquet is intense with fragrant notes of wild sage, blackcurrant, cedar, and fresh mint. The palate is expansive and full-bodied with a sumptuous mouthfeel, showcasing layers of ripe blackberry, redcurrant, and red rose petal alongside earthier tones of graphite, licorice root, gravely stone, and dark chocolate. Subtle baking spices from the French oak barrel aging provide sandalwood, clove, and Ceylon cinnamon notes, while the signature “Rutherford Dust” tannins are silky, polished, and fine-grained, finishing long with a cocoa powder texture. Slightly reserved upon release but incredibly drinkable, elegant, and pleasing, the tannins provide approachability with beautiful harmony and balance. There is significant presence, depth, and concentration in this Private Reserve, foreshadowing cellar-worthy potential that will continue to evolve, unfold, and develop across the next few decades.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2021 

Jeb Dunnuck 98+ Points | “The flagship 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Georges De Latour Private Reserve is in the same ballpark as the 2019 and is an incredibly elegant yet concentrated 2021 that does everything right. Purple-hued, with ample cassis, wild sage, graphite, and darker chocolate-like aromatics, it picks up a Graves-like gravelly earth character with air and is full-bodied, has ripe, polished tannins, beautiful overall balance, and a great finish. As with many of the top 2021s, it’s a touch reserved and closed and needs 4-5 years of bottle age, but will drink well for 30 years.”

James Suckling 98 Points | “Intense aromas of iodine, blackcurrants, cedar, sandalwood and mint follow through to a medium to full body with silky tannins that spread across the palate and expand in a balanced and harmonized way. Hints of chocolate and fruit at the end. Some tar. Drinkable but better in a few years. Try in 2027 and beyond.”

Wine Spectator 95 Points | “This is packed with dark, winey flavors of black currant and blackberry paste underscored with alder, sweet tobacco, warm paving stone and black licorice notes, while a violet accent fills the background. The polished finish makes this accessible now, but there’s plenty of life ahead. Drink now through 2042.” James Molesworth  - Wine Spectator’s #2 Wine of the Year 2024

Winemaker Description

The soil at Le Claux is a yellowish limestone marl and produces the most “Burgundian” wine at Saint Cosme. “It’s extremely refined and fresh with lots of bouquet. Its propensity to mature is excellent,” says Barruol. The wine features aromas and flavors of wild strawberries, violet, peat, Chinese Five Spice, and camphor.

Grenache is the pale-colored, red-fruited, and potpourri-scented red grape variety of the southern Rhône and can be paired with both rustic and sophisticated dishes. Full-bodied Grenache-based wines are ideal with stews, braises, and grilled meats, while lighter versions can work well with dark fish and tomato-based dishes such as ratatouille. 

Expert Reviews

Wine Spectator 97 Points | This is packed together, with taut iron cables providing a platform for mouthwatering bitter plum, cassis and blackberry reduction flavors. Sage, bay tobacco and warm earth notes play equally important roles, adding superior range and depth. Everything pulls together through the finish, though the end point takes some time to reach. Best from 2025 through 2040. (2019).

Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points | The 2019 Gigondas Les Claux is one of the powerful yet elegant wines and offers a great bouquet of red and black fruits, graphite, crushed stone, and spice. It’s full-bodied and tannic and needs time, but the balance is spot on, the tannins are perfectly ripe and polished, and it has a gorgeous finish. Give it 2-4 years and enjoy over the following 15+ TASTING DATE 1/25/2022. (2019).

Winemaker Description 

A superb and age-worthy Barolo by Giacomo Conterno, from the Francia vineyard in Serralunga d’Alba. 100% Nebbiolo. Fermented with native yeasts and aged in large oak casks. Red fruits, roses, tar, licorice and spices notes. Powerful and complex. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2018 

Expert Reviews 97 Points Wine Advocate | Of the three Barolo samples I tasted from barrel (including Arione and Cerretta, which are also from Serralunga d'Alba), the Giacomo Conterno 2018 Barolo Francia was the furthest behind and the hardest to pin down at this stage in its infancy. I have opened my range of scores accordingly to compensate for the magical unknowns that are likely to occur as the wine moves toward greater harmony and integration before its commercial release. The wine is linear and pointedly focused, lacking the width and volume it will gain when given more time to flesh out and relax. The aromas are also quite primary and simple at this point, with dark cherry and even a hint of ripe strawberry ceding gradually to grilled herb, blue flower and baked brick. This vintage of Barolo Francia will require patience. (2018).

95 Points Wine Spectator | Delivers depth and power, with menthol and wild herbs shading cherry and plum flavors. The balance tips toward the tannins in the end, yet this doesn't feel overly astringent, just more structured than many '18s. Picks up a mineral element as this lingers on the finish. Be patient. (2018).

95+ Points Vinous | The 2018 Barolo Francia is powerful, deep and also a touch austere. It shows the edginess of all the 2018s, but also has a feeling of textural creaminess that adds tons of character. Spice, menthol, leather and a whole range of balsamic overtones build into the deep, imposing finish. Roberto Conterno decided to forego his Barolo Monfortino in 2018, opting instead to blend all the casks into his Francia bottling. When that happens, Francia often surprises down the road. That could very well turn out to be the case here. (2018).

Expert Review

Wine Spectator 90 Points | Dense, with blackberry and plum flavors shaded by iron, earth and spice. Shows broad shoulders and dusty tannins, but plenty of fruit too.Vinous 91 points The 2020 Pommard Les Vignots has a lively, minty bouquet that is well defined, quite floral with iris flowers emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, quite structured with a vibrant saline finish that lingers. This must be the "dark horse" of Monnot's range. (2020).

Winemaker Description

The 2019 Napa Valley Cabernet is our interpretation of a quintessentially classic style. The color is deep garnet and the nose yields aromas of dark chocolate, pomegranate, cedar shavings, blackberry, and leather. The palate exhibits flavors of blueberry compote, black cherry, espresso, and cigar box with bright and juicy fruit forward sensations. The texture is rich and bold with well-structured tannins that make it approachable now and will yield great results in the cellar for decades. 

Expert Review

91 Points Jeb Dunnuck | A wine that’s been made since 1967, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is a beautifully textured, medium-bodied, sweetly fruited charmer that has lots of cassis and redcurrant fruit, some spicy oak, ripe tannins, and the balance to evolve and drink nicely for a decade. I think it’s outstanding. (2019).

Winemaker Description

Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label is the signature champagne of the House. Dominated by Pinot Noir, it offers the perfect balance of structure and finesse. Golden-yellow in color, with a foaming necklace of tiny bubbles. It is pleasing to the nose; initially reminiscent of yellow and white fruits, then of vanilla and later brioche. Note the fine balance between the fruity aromas coming from the grape varieties and the toasty notes, the result of the three years of bottle aging. The first sip delivers all the freshness and strength so typical of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label with a symphony of fruit following (pear, lemon). It is a true member of the Brut family, well-structured, admirably vinous.

Expert Reviews

James Suckling 92 Points | This has aromas of grapefruit, citrus peel, quince, toast and almonds. It’s medium-bodied with creamy, fine tannins. Silky texture. Nutty complexity at the end.

Decanter 91 Points | Noticeable fruit intensity and fresh notes of red fruits, fresh blueberries and a small amount of quince. Interesting and quite demanding. Blend : 55% Pinot Noir, 15% Pinot Meunier, 30% Chardonnay.

Wine Spectator 90 Points | A crisp and lacy Champagne, with a hint of smoke underscoring flavors of poached apricot, pastry cream and pickled ginger. An overtone of Mandarin orange peel ties it all together.