Share your thoughts - Win $50 Gift Card!

Producer Description 

Like the rest of Quinta do Noval, the Nacional parcel ripened early in 2020 and was harvested in one day on 17th September. Deepest inky crimson-black colour; sullen and dense on the nose but with underlying opulence; amazing depth and concentration, nothing raw about this despite its youth. Broad, ripe, gravelly tannins, focused with glorious spice and richness. Big and broad on the finish but with remarkable freshness and finesse for a hot year. A ‘wow’ of a wine with a lifetime or more in bottle ahead.

Expert Review

Wine Spectator 99 Points | A bird of a different feather, this shows remarkable purity for the vintage, along with a rippling tension that sets it completely apart. Delivers a mix of cassis, plum sauce and açaí berry compote on the fruit side, along with bramble, salted licorice, cast iron and bittersweet chocolate notes filling in throughout. Massively structured, too, and there's even a flash of violet at the very end—which takes a while to get to. A special wine. Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Cão, Sousão and Tinta Roriz. Best from 2040 through 2070.

Decanter 99 Points | Like the rest of Quinta do Noval, the Nacional parcel ripened early in 2020 and was harvested in one day on 17th September. Deepest inky crimson-black colour; sullen and dense on the nose but with underlying opulence; amazing depth and concentration, nothing raw about this despite its youth. Broad, ripe, gravelly tannins, focused with glorious spice and richness. Big and broad on the finish but with remarkable freshness and finesse for a hot year. A ‘wow’ of a wine with a lifetime or more in bottle ahead.

Vinous 99 Points | The 2020 Nacional was picked from 1 to 22 September, a relatively short harvest. It has a magnificent, exquisitely defined bouquet with a purity that bowls you over, perhaps even more intense than the 2019 Nacional tasted alongside. The palate is extraordinarily pure and intense, slightly viscous in texture, with layers of cassis, black cherries, blood orange and a dab of spice. Seamless on the finish. This is a worthy follow-up to the stellar 2019 Nacional. The two will fight between themselves for supremacy. Tasted at the Quinta do Noval tasting at Spring restaurant in London.

Producer Description 

Livingston Cellars Rhine is a pleasantly sweet California Rhine that balances a crisp mouthfeel with bright fruit flavors. Livingston Cellars offers affordable award-winning wines that consistently exceed expectations.

Producer Description 

Dry Chenin blanc. Bright yellow with green/grey hues. 

This cuvée reveals a smoked and mineral ensemble, paired with white or yellow fruit notes (pear, peach, apple), enhenced by aromas of smoked buts (hazelnut).

Smooth and fresh, flavours of white fruit and citrus, good acidity and interesting bitterness on the finish. Elegant finale, reminding of a white fruit purée.

Producer Description 

Made entirely from the grapes grown on Taylor’s own properties, Taylor’s is one of the few remaining houses which still produces a 40 Year Old Aged Tawny Port. A sublime port of very great age which shows the old olive-gold hue of its many years in cask. Decades of evaporation have concentrated this extraordinary wine to an exceptional density, with a powerful nose of dried fruit, honey and a touch of spice. Impressions of nutmeg, roasted coffee and an intense nuttiness converge both in the bouquet and on the palate. The wine´s rich, intense, voluptuous, almost viscous texture culminate in a finish of incredible length.

Expert Reviews 

Mark Squires of the Wine Advocate 95 Points | The NV 40 Year Old Tawny Port was bottled with a bar top cork in 2014. It comes in with 125 grams per liter of residual sugar. Big, weighty and mouth filling, this is an aromatic Tawny that finishes with acidity and tension. Gripping on the finish, its flavors become more interesting as long as it sits in the glass (or on your palate). It is not, perhaps, as sunny as the Fonseca, its sibling reviewed this issue, but it is denser and more gripping. Comparing to the Taylor 30 (also reviewed), I'm not sure I liked the 40 here all that much better. The 30 is a bit fleshier while this 40 is a bit more concentrated in flavor and aromatics. Perhaps some additional age also helped this 40 combat some of the aggression on the 30. They are both pretty fine, a difference of five to Midnight and five after, rather than night and day. It is still a fine experience and my favorite of the group. Don't drink it too warm. Room temperature is mostly too warm. The sweet spot for most tends to be 58-62 degrees Fahrenheit.

Expert Reviews

Allen Meadows of Burghoud writes 94-96 Points | As with several wines in the range, there is a subtle touch of wood evident on the ripe and ultra-pure floral-inflected nose of violet, lavender, rose petal, exotic tea and red cherry scents. There is impressive concentration to the middleweight plus flavors that brim with dry extract that imparts a seductive mouthfeel as well as buffers the borderline robust tannins shaping the hugely persistent and strikingly powerful finish. This is brilliant but it's also very much built-to-age so buy it and forget it.

Critic Notes

Allen Meadows of Burghound writes 92-94 Points | Sweet Spot: A slightly more elegant nose combines notes of red cherry and raspberry with discreet touches of earth and discreet wood. The slightly finer and succulent middleweight flavors possess very good verve while exhibiting very fine depth and persistence on the first, dusty, youthfully austere and built-to-age finale. Once again, patience strongly suggested as this should make for a beautiful bottle in time. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2023

The Wine Spectator 91 Points | "Juicy and intense, with concentration to the passionfruit, pineapple, Key lime and kumquat flavors at the core. Details of toasted green tea, lemon thyme and makrut lime leaf add aromatic intensity, with a touch of crunchy sea salt on the finish. Drink now. 8,259 cases made, 207 cases imported." 

Winemaker's Notes:

Te Koko 2023 is initially reticent on the nose, but with time in the glass opens to reveal notes of just-ripe mango, lemon verbena and juicy sun-warmed lemon. The palate is concentrated and mouthwateringly complex. The sun-warmed impression continues, with notes of meadow hay, preserved citrus, and white nectarine, with layers of salted almond and a gentle smoky minerality leading through to a long and focused finish. 

Winemaker Description

Carignan with a small amount of Mataró. Sourced from 11 rows at one end of the Truquilemu vineyard, 75+ year old vines. Ancestral farming by hand and horse.

Granitic soils. Hand harvested. Fermented with indigenous yeast. Pressed whole cluster. Aged in old barrels over one winter— barrels fourth use or more.

Winemaker Description

While the 2021 vintage is defined by concentration and fine tannins often found in warm, dry vintages, it is nuanced by the freshness and liveliness typical of this cool growing region. The balance of elegant, forward profiles from the Bearman Bend Vineyard with the structured, spice-driven qualities from Monument Tree Vineyard come together to create a compelling snapshot of the Anderson Valley. Aromas of ripe wild strawberry rose and cedar on the nose are complemented by supple tannins and a long, lifted finish.

Expert Reviews

James Suckling 93 Points | Nicely deep in black fruit and savory flavors, this well-balanced wine offers excellent focus, depth and length. It’s medium- to full-bodied, moderately tannic and delicious. Stays fresh with good acidity from the first sip to the lingering finish.

Decanter 92 Points | A Pinot Noir blend of grapes from Bearman Bend, the Twomey estate in Anderson Valley, along with Ferrington Vineyard and Monument Tree Vineyard fruit. Lovely, bright, crunchy red fruit, rich cedar spices, dried floral notes, and dusty minerals. Satiny fruit races across the palate, along with plump tannins, electrified by terrific acidity. The fruit concentration is penetrating but never overpowering and is framed by a clove powder and cedarwood dusting on the long finish. Director of Winemaking Justin Hirigoyen has moved the program further away from whole cluster fermentations to avoid too much vintage variation, and readers should expect a consistent fruit-forward, structured style in Twomey's Anderson Valley Pinot Noir.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

Burghoud Allen Meadows 93-96 Points | An expressive, ripe and airy nose features the relatively primary essence of plum liqueur, kirsch, spice and earth notes. The strikingly intense and sleek larger-bodied flavors possess only average concentration yet there is impressive power on the moderately austere and beautifully long finish that tightens up noticeable as it sits on the palate. I suspect that this will flesh out and add richness with time in bottle though like several wines in the range, this is going to require extended patience.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

Burghound Allen Meadows | Ripe yet very fresh aromas include those of red and dark pinot fruit along with floral top notes, in particular violet. The vibrant and delicious, if not especially dense, middleweight flavors conclude in a dusty and lingering finish that flirts with rusticity. Solid quality here in a package that should reward mid-term keeping.

Winemaker Description

Exclusively crafted under the meticulous care of the Herzog family and Herzog Wine Cellars’ head winemaker, David Galzignato, the Yesod wine series features three ultra-premium single-vineyard wines. Each wine is sourced from some of the most acclaimed vineyards in Napa Valley, California, and are a testament to the family’s rich history and the ambitious vision for Herzog Wine Cellars.

Expert Reviews

Robert Parker 95 Points | Brilliant aromas of black cherries and cassis jump from the glass, as the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Peak Edcora Vineyard bursts with fruit. All Cabernet Sauvignon, from a site that neighbors Stagecoach Vineyard, this is a medium to full-bodied, densely concentrated example of mountain fruit, yet it's one that is not harsh or tough, with well-ripened tannins and a plush, lingering finish. Bravo. 

Jeb Dunnuck 94+ Points | All varietal, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Peak Edcora Vineyard is another deep purple-hued wine in the lineup with tons to love. Pure cassis, graphite, leafy herbs, and damp earth-like nuances all shine here, and it's medium to full-bodied, with beautiful mid-palate depth, ripe, integrated, yet ample tannins, and a great finish. It offers pleasure today, yet I see no reason this shouldn't evolve for 15+ years if well stored. It's another gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon in the vintage. 

The Wine Independent 97+ Points | Deep garnet-purple in color, the single-varietal 2021 Peak Edcora Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon charges out of the gate with bold notions of creme de cassis, blackberry pie, and boysenberry preserves followed by nuances of dark chocolate, camphor, and black olives. The medium to full-bodied palate is laden with black fruit and savory layers, supported by firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing on a lingering minty note. 

Winemaker Description

Produced from a small walled vineyard close to the Lanson winery in Reims, this is a splendid wine. Its richness is balanced by the intense freshness and minerality of the Chardonnay, with apple and citrus flavors that still in the background. Now mature, this wine is ready to drink.

Expert Reviews

Wine Enthusiast 97 Points | Produced from a small walled vineyard close to the Lanson winery in Reims, this is a splendid wine. Its richness is balanced by the intense freshness and minerality of the Chardonnay, with apple and citrus flavors that still in the background. Now mature, this wine is ready to drink.

Wine Advocate 94 Points | Disgorged in July 2016 with only three grams per liter dosage, the 2007 Brut Blanc de Blancs Clos Lanson is showing very well indeed, unwinding in the glass with notes of dried white flowers, citrus oil, toasted brioche, oyster shell and smoke. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and vibrant, with a racy spine of acidity, good concentration and chalky structuring extract. This is quite a tightly knit, tensile wine, despite the warm mesoclimate and two years on cork, which suggests it will enjoy a long future.

Vinous 93 Points | Clos Lanson's 2007 Brut Blanc de Blancs is a very pretty, soft Champagne that can be enjoyed with minimal cellaring. Bright citrus and floral notes, along with soft contours, give much of its immediacy and sheer allure. Understated and classy, the 2007 will drink well for a number of years, but it is also remarkably giving and enjoyable today for a relatively young Blanc de Blancs. Although it is not super-complex, the 2007 offers quite a bit of freshness and character. An open bottle was still in great shape when I re-tasted it a few days later. Disgorged: July 2016.

Wine Spectator 93 Points | Fragrant, featuring lime blossom and ground spice notes, this fine and creamy Champagne offers a broad range of lemon parfait, chopped hazelnut, spun honey and dried cherry flavors, underscored by chalky minerality. Elegant and well-knit, with a firm, focused finish. Disgorged July 2016. Drink now through 2030. 665 cases made.

Producer Description 

Intense, dark ruby red color. Exquisite aroma offering classic notes of dark berry jam and hints of leather. A wonderfully elegant palate, revealing soft tannins and lingering layers of fruit and spices that carry through to the finish.

A rustic Italian style blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc & Merlot. Perfect with Spaghetti!

Producer Description 

In the glass there is a full color, deep, gold. Has yellow fruit with van toast and amandelen.

A full body followed by a thin length with full height.  A great gastronomic. 

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

Producer Description 

Las Beatas is a spectacular 1.9 hectare property which Telmo and Pablo have invested tremendous time and energy: 15 years of renovative viticultural work took place before a single bottle was made.

There are at least ten grape varieties grown on eight terraces, predominantly Tempranillo with 30% Garnacha, some Viura and traces of many other rare, perhaps unidentified cultivars, all planted on cold sandy soils. Las Beatas was made and aged in a single 1200 liter old French foudre. This is a refined, elegant and fluid wine with great complexity and nuance that will age beautifully. 

Producer Description 

Tropical, laid back feel to this - pineapple fruit with bright acidity. Robert Parker compared the sweet wines of Tirecul as the most notable sweet wines from anywhere in the world. Les Pins is the estates entry level sweet wine.

Château Tirecul La Gravière is located in the Monbazillac appellation, in southwest France. This estate was created in 1992, when Bruno and Claudie Bilancini decided to rent 9 hectares of one of the region's flagship vineyards, the “Vignobles de Tirecul”, a site historically considered one of the region's Premiers Crus. Bruno, an oenologist by training, previously worked at the local cooperative.

They purchased the 400-year-old estate five years later and now have 16 hectares of vines. The estate's production is based around four main wines produced most years, a dry white IGP Périgord named Cuvée Andrea and three sweet wines from the Monbazillac appellation. Limited quantities of red Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blends and sparkling wines are also produced. The estate uses a high proportion of Muscadelle in its wines. Bruno Bilancini claims that the quality of Monbazillac Muscadelle is superior to that found in Bordeaux, because the Monbazillac vine is largely virus-free. The couple have always farmed using environmentally friendly methods, deciding to adopt organic farming in 2009 and obtaining certification for all their vineyards starting in 2012.

Les Pins is a blend of Sémillon and Muscadelle whose grapes are affected by noble rot . Fermentation takes place in barrels and vats for 1 to 2 months, then aging lasts 12 to 24 months in vats and French oak barrels.

Producer Description 

A nectar from one end of the tasting to the other! An intensely golden adornment, a nose of perfectly over-ripe Chenin, underlined by great elegance, a note of almond cream, quince, very ripe peach skin.

The palate is very straight, freshness, tension and sweetness so well integrated, a finish of candy sugar crystals but also the fine bitterness of the schists, it is a very beautiful vintage, a wine built to last and already so pleasant to taste now. It is the cuvée representative of the estate's terroir, i.e. almost five vines.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022 

Allen Meadows of Burghound writes 88-91 Points | Notes of wet stone, apple, carnation and spice lead to round and supple but slightly denser medium weight flavors that seem almost easy-going on the mid-palate before instantly tightening up on the balanced if youthfully austere finale that could also benefit from developing more depth.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

Burghound Allen Meadows writes 89-92 Points | A cool, pure and airy nose features aromas of Granny Smith apple, citrus rind and an appealing floral top note. There is both good volume and a lovely texture to the generously proportioned and stony middleweight flavors that exude a refreshing salinity on the balanced, long and complex finale. This is an excellent Puligny villages, indeed Jobard rarely misses with it.

Expert Reviews

Allen Meadows Burghound 91-93 Points | Here too the nose is quite fresh with its combination of apple, white flowers and just sliced citrus, especially lemon. There is both excellent punch and a lovely texture though only average density to the lingering and balanced finish where a touch of youthful austerity slowly emerges. While this could be enjoyed young, it has apparent development potential so at least a few years of keeping are recommended. (2022). 

Vinous 93-94 Points | The 2022 Meursault-Blagny 1er Cru had a lot of reduction when I tasted it from barrel though its intensity was clear. The palate is very promising: wonderful tension here steely and spicier than the Meursault Village with touches of fennel and white pepper on the finish. Quite feisty and surely one for long-term aging. (Drink between 2026-2048).

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2021 

Jane Eanson 100 Points |  Another great vintage in Tuscany, following a run of exceptional years, and as you might exect from this estate, we are here right at the top of what the vintage has produced. Expect to find softly grilled and smoked.

The Wine Advocate 100 Points |  Here it is: A quintessential Sassicaia that represents the excellence of the vintage and also respects the unique taste profile of this distinguished Tuscan blend of Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc. The Tenuta San Guido... 

James Button of Decanter writes 99-100 Points | In 2021, ‘we had a nicely paced harvest... surely a very fortunate vintage for us, for Bolgheri,’ said Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta at the launch in London of the 2021 vintage of Sassicaia. Welcome rain in mid-August came at just the right time to save the harvest, and production ended up being slightly higher than in 2020. Around eight to 10 separate vinifications were made, fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and spontaneous malo. The wines were racked to second- and third-use barriques in December 2021, then racked into a mixture of new and used barriques in March 2022. The last step was to make the final blend in stainless tanks, where the wine underwent micro-oxygenation before bottling and further maturation in bottle. Rich dark fruit and herb aromatics are pockmarked by blueberry and petrichor, leading into an intense and vertical palate that's super-fresh with a delightful breezy, saline character. Textured, integrated tannins emphasise the refinement of Sassicaia, showing just a touch of youthful dustiness. Tangy, bright black, blue and red berry fruits overlay underlying hints of dark chocolate and forest undergrowth in a remarkably precise fashion, with pomegranate and a stony minerality surfacing on the mid-palate. 2021 demonstrates lovely sapidity of fruit along with that characteristic freshness and lightness of step, finishing long and poised. Superb.

Kerin O`Keefe writes 99 Points | The gorgeous 2021 Sassicaia stuns with its class, extreme elegance, energy and depth. It’s remarkably fragrant, featuring enticing aromas of cassis, cedar blue flower, exotic spice and a whiff of sea breeze. The delicious palate is focused and loaded with finesse, delivering ripe raspberry, black currant, blood orange, star anise a hint of coffee bean accompanied by taut, fine-grained tannins. Bright acidity gives it racy tension and provides impeccable balance and serious aging potential. Drink 2029–2041.

Producer Description 

Deep violet in color with glints of ruby. On the nose, it shows intense and highly complex aromas that evolve in the glass, with notes of herbs, fresh red fruits, spices, and a touch of menthol. 

On the palate, it has a great elegant structure and excellent volume and acidity, giving it a long, pleasant finish. This is a special wine that represents the uniqueness of its vineyard with a real sense of place.

Expert Review - 2020 Vintage

Jesica Vargas of The Wine Enthusiast 90 Points | This wine is predominantly Malbec, coming from old vines in Maule Valley. It has a nose of eucalyptus and earthy raspberries. Fine tannins and moderate acidity hold a palate full of cherries, herbs and tobacco. Savory notes shape the aftertaste.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

Christina Pickard of The Wine Enthusiast: This is a bright, fruity Chardonnay with notes of peach, lemon and white florals. It's midweight with some textural weight, freshness and a long peachy finish.

Winemaker Description 

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