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 99 Points Wine Spectator  | A lovely, creamy, tropical style, with mango, papaya and guava notes lending a caressing feel, while singed almond and warm piecrust accents blossom through the lush finish. Just when you think that's all there is, toasted coconut, fig, orange blossom and persimmon details kick in, lending length and dimension. The finish is ridiculously long. Best from 2020 through 2060. 

98 Points James Suckling | Crazy minerality to this, with lots of dried mango, pineapple and papaya on the nose. Botrytis-spice and nutmeg undertones. Full body, very sweet, with superb depth of fruit and richness. It goes on for minutes. Turns dense and concentrated on the palate. Speechless.

98 points Int'l Wine Cellar | Luminous golden yellow. Cool, pure aromas of white peach, honeyed mango, guava nectar, white flowers and saffron are complicated by elements of crushed stone and spicy lemony botrytis. Suave and intensely flavored, with mineral-spiced apple, mango, passion fruit and grapefruit flavors offering outstanding purity, precision, and depth. The brisk but harmonious acidity gives this great Sauternes a penetrating quality and provides a powerful spine to the very deep flavors, making it seem less opulent than it really is. This Yquem has the depth of the 2007 but boasts even greater purity and focus. Finishes bright and extremely long, with repeating suggestions of white flowers and lemony botrytis. Though it lacks the depth of the 2001 or the opulence of the 2009 at a similar stage of development, this is one of my favorite young Yquems ever: it will age spectacularly well. 

96 Points Wine Enthusiast | Barrel sample. Rich, with intense flavors of botrytis, lemon and Seville orange peel. This wine has both freshness and sweetness, with a light touch. (

 95 Points Decanter | Extremely early season, similar to 1947, three weeks earlier than average. Right from the start, you feel this wine is completely in control, playing with its balance of succulent exotic fruits, smoked saffron, wheatgrass and truffle, with a lime slice of acidity through the core. I get a physical sensation of things closing in through the palate, it's intense and concentrated, with lots of life ahead again. The season overall saw almost six weeks without rain, with a small amount at the end of August that kicked off the botrytis and ushered in the start of harvest (that carried through until October 5). 114g/l sugar. 

94 Points Wine Advocate | The Château Yquem 2011 has a complex bouquet, one that is very well defined with hints of petrol infusing the rich honeyed fruit, later melted wax and fresh peach coming through. The palate is well balanced with a strong viscous entry. There is plenty of residual sugar here and I would have preferred a little more acidic bite to offset that rich, decadent finish (this is despite their correct policy of blending non-botrytized berries in order to increase acidity.) Powerful, burly even, I would give this several years in the cellar to allow this Yquem to mellow and enter its stride. 

Jancis Robinson 18/20 Points | Very tangy aroma: almond, spiced apricot, really zesty on the nose. The palate too has depth and spice and plenty of botrytis character. Rich but fresh. Great length. Power packed and so rich. 18/20 points. 

Producer Description 

Experience the luxurious Château d'Yquem 2021 in a half-bottle format. A Premier Cru Supérieur Sauternes, this sweet wine offers a luscious palate of apricot, honey, and spice, with a balanced acidity. Perfect for a personal indulgence or intimate gathering.

Expert Reviews

Winemaker Description

Chateau de Chaintres Saumur-Champigny Les Sables is garnet with purple reflections. Fresh red fruits on the nose. A fruity and spicy attack on the palate. The mouth is supple with a mineral and elegant finish. 

Winemaker Description

Red Burgundy Elegance: Experience the finesse and complexity of Pinot Noir with this Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru from Château de la Maltroye. This 2021 Clos du Château Rouge bottling offers a harmonious blend of red fruit, spice, and earthy notes, with a silky texture and a lingering finish.

Expert Review

Allen Meadows of Burghound writes 91 Points | This is aromatically more restrained if a bit more elegant with a mix of red cherry, plum and pretty floral wisps. There is again excellent volume and a highly seductive texture to the powerful yet refined flavors that deliver very fine length on the dusty, firm and ageworthy finish. (Drink starting 2029). (2021). 

Winemaker Notes

Allan Meadows writes:  Notes of rosemary oil, pear, herbal tea and a hint of petrol are trimmed in admirably discreet wood. Here too there is excellent energy to the well-detailed and even more appealingly textured medium weight flavors that also terminate in a bone-dry and more obviously austere finale. This possesses excellent development potential and is a wine that will definitely repay at least a few years of keeping.  - Burghound  (♥ = outstanding)

Winemaker Notes

Winemaker Description

Château de Maltroye’s Chassagne Montrachet Rouge Boudriotte 2021 is a delightful red wine spilling forth with a bouquet of red and dark berries (blackberry, cherry, raspberry), complemented by subtle earthy and floral hints like violet, and a touch of spice from oak aging. Elegant and medium-bodied, its tannings are finely integrated, with a lingering finish. Seductive and delicious.

Winemaker Description

Intense and complex range of fruity Chenin Blanc, floral and spicy scents with notes of ripe fruit, pineapple, almond, anise, licorice and an ethereal nuance.

It carries appellation Savennières. The vines of an Middle Age of a score of years result from selections massales, and not clonales, to increase aromatic complexity. The grounds are primarily made schists but also sometimes of quartz and more rarely of sand. The outputs are of 30/35 hectolitres per hectare (50 authorized). Wine making out of wood or tank. Production: approximately 15 000 bottles/year.

Expert Review - 1958

Wine Enthusiast | Aromas are spirity and oaky, with traces of worn saddle leather and cedar. The palate entry is moderately rich, caramel-like and chewy; at midpalate the taste displays off-dry to bittersweet flavors of nougat, bacon fat and old oak. Ends up warming, nutty.

Producer Description 

Distilled then matured for almost 50 years in Gascony oak barrels, this Bas-Armagnac has a well-rounded nose which combines vanilla and fruity notes, while on the palate it has wonderfully long, lingering aromas of dried fruits, walnut and fig. One of a kind!  

Producer Description 

The nose is uniquely intense and develops fine aromas of orange peel, roasted and grilled bread, completed by notes of cinnamon. Savory roundness and seductive complexity in mouth.

Will perfectly pair with chocolate cakes and with a flambé pie prepared with the same XO. To be tasted as a digestive with friends or family. 

Winemaker Description

The delicious Tavel Rosé Tete de Cuvée is the first wine ever made by historic Rhone Valley winery Chateau de Manissy. It's a biodynamic barrel-aged dry Fench rosé made from Grenache, Clairette and Cinsault grapes. Rich and complex with aromas of ripe quince, dried orange, hints of almond and exotic spice.

A gorgeous Tavel and one of those rosé wines that is built for short-term aging.  The palate is silky yet full with luxurious red currant, cherry and mineral notes that cascade over the palate. A wine to serve with just about anything. Grilled tuna steaks, white meats, barbecue, ceviche. It's all good.

Expert Review

Joe Czerwiński writes:  Aged in oak foudres of 25 hectoliters, the 2022 Tavel Tete de Cuvee is in some ways the most traditional of the Tavels on offer at this impeccably run estate, eschewing stainless steel and leaving out Syrah in favor of Grenache, Cinsault and Clairette. A light ruby in hue, it does show hints of pencil shavings on the nose, alongside more classic notes of red currants, tangerines and a touch of garrigue. It's full-bodied yet not overly expansive, with the wood seemingly helping to provide structure and length.  Drinking 2023 - 2025.  - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 92+

Winemaker Description

Certified organic. 65% Mourvèdre, 35% Cinsault. The terraced vineyard faces the sea on the top of a hill that reaches 300m, forming a great natural south-east-facing bowl. Highest elevation in Bandol.

The soil is made of clay, limestone and white chalk. Fermented at low temperatures slowly for 20 days. Indigenous yeast. Aged in tank for 6 months. 

Expert Review

Wine Advocate 92 Points | A blend of 65% Mourvèdre and 35% Cinsault, the 2023 Bandol Rosé from Château de Pibarnon offers up a delicate, complex bouquet of spices, licorice, red berries, lemon, spring flowers and herbs. Medium-bodied, enveloping and beautifully structured, it’s round and juicy with a delicate, lively core of fruit and a mineral, calcareous finish. This is a classical rosé wine from Bandol. (2023). 

Expert Ratings

Wine Spectator | Airy cherry and pomegranate notes are lined with hints of tomato leaf and savory. Quick finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Drink now. — JMWine Enthusiast  This rich, Merlot-dominated wine is powered by black-currant fruits. Tannins are still there, with a tough edge that suggests heavy extraction during winemaking. The wine needs to soften. Wait to drink until 2021.

James Suckling 91 Points | Sweet berry and floral aromas follow through to a medium body with nicely integrated tannins and a deliciously juicy finish. Drink now. 

Winemaker Description

Les Deux Albions is one of the outstanding wines of Louis Barruol’s collection and highlights the exceptional value that can still be found in the Côtes-du-Rhône category. The wine combines depth, structure, and finesse with aromas and flavors of roasted game, mesquite, and olive, crushed plum, and black currants.

Expert Ratings

James Suckling 92 points "Textured, layered and focused. It expresses notes of dark berries, roasted meat, warm spices, bay leaves and some dried thyme. Medium-bodied with fine, firm tannins. Plenty of energy, focus and structure. More compact toward the finish."

Wine Spectator 91 points "This seductive red offers a lot to like, with ripe red fruit and toasted aniseed notes showing an invigorating layer of white and black pepper through the harmonious, medium- to full-bodied frame. Hints of black tea and iron shavings add energy. Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Mourvèdre and Clairette."

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2021 

The Wine Advocate 95 Points | Hints of dried herbs accent raspberries and cherries on the nose of the 2021 Gigondas le Claux. All old-vine Grenache, this is a full-bodied, rich, concentrated effort, with a long, velvety finish oozing dark chocolate. It's exciting stuff, especially considering how difficult the vintage was for some growers.

Wine Spectator 95 Points | Opulent and broad, with a generous cascade of ripe plum and winey cassis notes wrapped in talc-fine yet sturdy tannins. Chewy, with strappy black licorice and cast iron moving in. A seductive, concentrated Gigondas, with impressive harmony as every element hums along toward the seemingly endless finish. Outstanding. Best from 2025 through 2040.

Vinous 94 Points | The 2021 Gigondas Le Claux is at eye level with the Hominis Fides from the same vintage. Powerful and refined, it bursts with intense ripe red fruits, followed by hints of blueberry and traces of cloves, cedar and licorice. This outstanding 2021 red is built around a massive tannic structure. Hence, don't even think about opening a bottle before 2030, as it would be a terrible waste of what eventually will merge into a substantial Gigondas of pedigree and class.

Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points | The 2021 Gigondas Le Claux is elegant and refined, with medium-bodied richness and depth as well as ultra-fine tannins. It has an almost Pinot Noir-like quality in its ripe red fruits, spring flowers, camphor, and forest floor aromatics, and it has good concentration as well as length on the finish. As always, this single vineyard release is all Grenache that wasn't destemmed and was brought up in demi-muids.

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).

The perennial favourite Tokaj dry white wine, made of Furmint grapes. Excellent accompaniment to any type of dish. Perfectly balanced acidity, pleasant and long finish. Winemaker Description. 

Producer Description 

Aromas of blueberry and spicy, forest floor on the nose. The palate is medium bodied with plenty of dark berry fruit, earthy minerality, excellent acidity, and soft, structural tannins. Almost think of this wine like a gamay dressing up as a syrah. 

Cuvée Le Blanc is a single vineyard at 300m planted to guyot-trained chardonnay by Cosima’s parents in 2006. The parcel is south/southwest facing with pierres bleues (blueschist) soils. Her winemaking is as it has been in the region for centuries. Sulfur is not used in the winemaking process, and she adds only a small amount at bottling if needed. Her objective is “to produce terroir wines that are alive, with a soul,” wines that are as natural as possible, but also clean wines, without defects, as she has great respect for her customers. Her chardonnay is mineral and delicious, showing impressive elegance and density.

Chateau du Breuil 20 years XO XL from France, is the extra large variant with a capacity of no less than 2 liters! It is a soft calvados that is rich in full aromas. Chateau du Breuil 20 years XO is a mixture of different Calvados varieties, which are at least 20 years old. This combination makes the taste of the calvados sublimely soft with a nice sweet aspect. Producer Description. 

Winemaker Description

Tuffe is Philippe Vatan’s red made from a wide variety of parcels spread across his limestone-rich vineyards. Aged in stainless-steel in an immaculate cavernous cellar, this has classic Cabernet Franc notes that include black raspberry and just the right amount of savory herbs while finishing with well-integrated tannins. 

Expert Review

James Suckling 92 Points | Very pretty blackberry and orange-peel aromas with floral hints. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful finish. Chewy and linear. Needs two or three years to soften the extraction.

Winemaker Description

Plush, big, plummy fruit and dark cherry. Very elegant and well-integrated oak. Surprisingly fresh and cool on the palate with medium grippy tannins. Very classy and delicious. Winemaker Description.