95 JS Bright and intense with blackberry, blueberry, and lemon rind. Full-bodied, yet tight with tannin tension and form. Mineral and Asian mushroom too, plus a bright finish. Just about ready. Love tasting this. - James...
91 JD Based largely on Marsanne, with some Viognier as well, the 2020 Côtes Du Rhône Clavin Blanc comes from vines around the estate, just across the road from Châteauneuf du Pape. White peach, tangerine,...
97 + VM / 97 WA / 97 JS / 97 JD For the 14th edition of Ornellaia Vendemmia d’Artista, Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg have interpreted the “Il Vigore” character of Ornellaia 2019, chosen to describe...
97 DE / 96 WS / 95 AG / 95 WE / 17.5 JR An intense clarity of fresh red berries from the start, which builds anticipation on the magnificent and magnifying nose. On the palate there’s counter-balancing mature buttery...
91-93 VM The 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Combe de Dessus has a well defined bouquet. The 1O% stems lend just a very slight pepperiness, hints of dried blood emerge with time and complement the dark berry fruit. The palate is...
91 DE/86 VM Amélie Berthaut farms a large parcel of Pinot in Concoeur in the heights above Nuits-St-Georges, where she produces this lovely wine that shows great purity of cherry and rose petal-scented fruit. The...
93 DE/89-91 VM From a large parcel of old vines east of the village, with 20% whole clusters in the fermentation - which is done in concrete - plus a gentle combination of punching down and pumping over. The wine is aged in...
89-91 VM / 88-91 BH The 2019 Vosne-Romanée Village, which was de-stemmed, offers blackberry and crushed chalk aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity, quite feisty towards...
91-93 VM The 2019 Fixin Les Crais, which includes 20% stems addition, sports dark berry fruit like the Les Clos, touches of iodine and violet, showing just a little more amplitude by comparison. The palate is medium- bodied...
86-89 BH / 90.4 CT Note: from a 1.7 ha parcel of vines planted in 1902 that gave only 15 hl/ha in 2013 Tasting note: A background application of wood sets off gently earthy aromas of mostly dark berry fruit. There is fine...
People rarely think to cellar Sauvignon Blanc, but this lemon-guava scented version from one of Napa Valley's most historic producers only becomes more compelling over time. It's fully drinkable now, but stash it away for...
94 JS / 93 WA / 92 VM / 92 JD This shows lots of chocolate and vanilla on the nose, together with ripe dark fruit and some wet earth. Floral undertones, too. Full-bodied and balanced with a meaty structure and ripe tannin...
93-96 JD / 95 DE / 93-95 WA / 94 JA / 93-94 JS / 92-94 VM / 90-92 WI Coming from a mix of clay and gravelly soils spread across a 10-hectare vineyard and 40-year-old vines, the 2021 Château Clinet is another...
Frank Cornelissen arrived on Mount Etna in 2001 at the head of a small handful of producers who would go on to make this region famous, but fame was never his intention. The goal throughout the twenty-four hectares of...
93 VM Almost as if lava stones and ash could be infused with raspberry and black cherry preserves, and then brushed with grilled sage and, finally, add a burst of white pepper–the 2020 Nerello Mascalese Munjebel Rosso...
98 DE / 96-98 WA / 94-96 JD A very Clos des Papes vintage,' says Vincent Avril, and I know what he means - a vintage that naturally delivers the kind of fresh, elegant wines that this estate is famous for. A tasting of...
98 DE / 96-98 WA / 94-96 JD A very Clos des Papes vintage,' says Vincent Avril, and I know what he means - a vintage that naturally delivers the kind of fresh, elegant wines that this estate is famous for. A tasting...
95-96 JS / 94-96 VM / 93-95 JB / 92-94+ WA / 93 DE / 89-91 WI / 90 JA A serious and saline red with blue fruit, cloves, iodine and black licorice. Oyster shells, too. Medium to full bodied with fine, firm tannins that run...
100 WA / 100 NM / 98 WS / 97 DE / 18 JR Pale to medium gold colored, the 2009 d'Yquem bursts from the glass with gregarious crème caramel, allspice, dried apricots, mandarin peel and pineapple upside down cake scents...
94-97 JD / 95-96 JS / 95 JA / 95 DE / 93-95 VM / 93-94+ WA / 92-94 WI The top wine, the 2021 Château Léoville Poyferré is a beauty and certainly makes the most of the vintage. Based on 60% Cabernet...
8% ABVVintage 2020 started with a mild winter, but also some good humidity. Budbreak and flowering happened early in April / June and summer continued through September. Overall, this vintage had more sunshine hours than...
17 JR Rare is it to have a wine of such impeccable balance that it becomes impossible to break it down into its individual elements. Even more rare is to have that wine be a Spätlese. Yet there we are. And here it is...
97 JS / 96+ WA / 96 WS / 96 DE / 18.5+ JR / 95 WE / 94 VM ID#419046 is Krug Grande 169th Edition per Krug website, however the edition is not noted on the label. This is a layered Champagne with very fine tannins and...
95 DE / 92 WS / 92 JS Founded in 1976, the eponymous Nicolas Feuillatte brand is part of Centre Vinicole-Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte, now the best selling Champagne brand in France, and the third best selling in the world...
98 JS / 97 DE Best In Show Decanter World Wine Awards 2022 This remarkable Amarone won the very highest acclaim from its original judging panel and then sailed through every subsequent judging stage, to the extent that its...
89 BH Tasting note: Whiffs of menthol and wood surround the peppery and spicy red and dark berry fruit aromas. There is very good volume and punch to the medium weight flavors that possess more supporting structure than...
90-93 JS / 89-91 JD / 88-92 WA / 89-91 VM An elegant and mineral red with a medium body and tight, fine tannins. Stony, with fresh red-fruit and citrus notes. Tight center-palate. Fresh and fine. Second wine. 84% merlot and...
96 WA / 94 JS This is one of my all-time favorite Brunellos, and although personal tastes are fluid and may change from time to time, there is something timeless and solid about this wine. It's like a touchstone. The...
92 BH Tasting note: A cool and relatively restrained nose is really quite pretty once it begins to open with good Chablis character that gradually emerges in the form of iodine, oyster shell, citrus rind and mostly white...
96 JS / 93-95 WA / 91-94 BH This vineyard is one of the oldest owned by Louis Jadot since the XIXth century. It is located in the very heart of the appellation (next to the Corton Pougets) which then expanded after 1966...
93 WA / 93 BH The 2016 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru (Domaine Louis Jadot) is showing well from bottle, unwinding in the glass with a youthfully primary bouquet of ripe cherries, red berries, candied peel and cassis that's subtly...
93 BH / 92-94+ / 93 JS Tasting note: This backward effort requires extensive swirling to reveal its restrained and spicy nose that mixes both red and dark currant, freshly turned earth and whisper of wood toast. There is...
92+ WA / 90-92 BH From bottle, the 2016 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Estournelles Saint-Jacques (Domaine Louis Jadot) is showing beautifully, offering up a youthful but expressive bouquet of dark wild berries, currant leaf,...
89-92 BH Tasting note: A spicy nose consists of dark currant, violet and Asian-style tea nuances where a note of dried orange peel can be discerned. Similarly there is that lovely trait of inner mouth perfume to the velvety...
100 JD / 98+ RP / 98 JA / 98 WE / 97 VM / 97 JS /18 JR Pure gold, the 2010 Château Léoville Poyferré, which was drunk beside a perfect 2009 Latour, offers everything you could want from wine...
97 VM / 97 JS / 95 WA / 95 DE The 2009 Dom Ruinart is showing beautifully today. Rich and ample with terrific freshness, the 2009 is a gorgeous, modern-day Dom Ruinart that marries vinous intensity with energy and more...
93-94 JS / 88-90 VM A juicy red with plums, berries and hints of citrus and minerals. Medium body. Creamy texture. Some black olive comes through. Second wine of Peby. - James Suckling. The 2021 Le Merle de Péby...
98 JS / 96 WS / 96 WE / 18.5 JR #100 James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of 2020 A firm and vivid Champagne with a precise, focused palate. Full-bodied and dry. It’s very layered and bright with light...
96 WE / 17.5 JR Enticing aromas of blue flower, woodland berry, menthol and pipe tobacco shape the expressive nose. Full-bodied and youthfully austere, the linear palate features Morello cherry, spiced cranberry, licorice...
95-96 JS / 94 JA / 94 DE / 90-93 WA / 90-92 VM / 89-91 WI This is very framed and beautiful. Tannin tension, in a very fine and polished way. It’s full-bodied, yet agile and almost weightless. Long and persistent with...
96 JS / 94+ WA Beautiful rose-gold color with lots of ripe pear, golden apple, mango and pineapple on the nose. Hint of honey. It’s full-bodied and creamy on the palate with toasted almonds alongside tropical fruit...
99 JS / 96+ WA / 96 VM / 95 DE Incredible aromas of apple skin, pie crust, praline and flowers. So young in the nose. Full-bodied with super-fine tannins. It’s tight and refined, yet structured and intense. Really...
94 WA / 94 DE / 92 VM / 92 BH The 2018 Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos has turned out nicely, unfurling in the glass with aromas of ripe citrus fruits, confit lemons, pear and orange blossom. It is full-bodied, elegantly...
93 VM / 90 BH / 90-94 JM The 2018 Chablis Vaulorent 1er Cru has a perfumed nose of dandelion, jasmine and crushed chalk aromas, a faint sea spray note emerging with time. The palate is well balanced with a spicy ginger...
93 VM / 92+ WA / 91 BH The 2018 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre is clean and precise on the nose, perhaps more in the vein of a traditional Chablis than, say, the Butteaux. The palate is fresh and lively with crisp...
93-94 JS / 92 JA / 91 DE A pure merlot with black-olive and blackberry aromas and flavors with a medium body, creamy tannins and a juicy finish. All here. - James Suckling In theory, an organic wine from 100% Merlot should...
95 JS / 94 WA Extremely fresh and intense with waxy and lemony character, as well as candied apples. Full body. Lots of fruit and flavor. Layered and powerful. Excellent depth and flavor intensity. - James Suckling This...
100 JD / 96-98 Lastly, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Sanctus Sanctorum is one of those wines that’s hard to describe as it seems to change every time you come back to it. Offering a more translucent ruby hue as...
Domaine de Collotte covers 17 hectares, mainly in Marsannay with small parcels in Fixin, Chambolle Musigny and Gevrey Chambertin. The Collotte family is related to Fougeray to Beauclair whom most Burgundy enthusiasts are...
92 WS This is ripe, with a slight cooked feel to the cherry, blackberry and blueberry aromas and flavors. Starts out pliable, firming up as the dense tannins sweep in on the finish. Best from 2026 through 2045. 25 cases...
93 VM Glistening ruby-red. Fresh red and blue fruit, baking spices and potpourri scents Shows intense, along with smokey mineral topnote. Sweet and expansive in the mouth, displaying boysenberry, kirsch, savory herb and...
94 VM / 92 WE Vivid red. Spice-accented raspberry and cherry on the highly fragrant nose, along with hints of incense and baking spices. Silky and focused on the palate, offering vibrant red fruit and floral pastille...
93 VM Bright ruby-red. Assertively perfumed aromas of fresh red fruits, cola, candied flowers and baking spices show fine clarity and minerally lift. Sweet and precise on the palate, offering juicy raspberry, cherry and...
100 WI / 98 WA / 98 JS Composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot, the 2019 Dominus was harvested from September 29 to October 10. It was aged in 40% new oak. Deep garnet-purple colored, the...
90-92 JM 30% Whole Bunch Fermentation; 40% new wood. Deep purple, a soft but charming nose with surprising depth of fruit behind, a few blackberries with dark raspberry and then a fresher finish with more red fruit...
93-96 VM 80% new wood. No whole bunches are used as they do not wish to hide the muscular shoulders of Clos Vougeot. Intense purple. There is a huge volume of fruit but with excellent tension behind, a good fruit acid...
93 WA / 92 JS / 91 DE / 91 WS / 91 WE / 16 JR The latest rendition of Delamotte's NV Brut Blanc de Blancs is drinking very well out of the gates, offering up aromas of crisp orchard fruit and citrus zest mingled with hints...
97 JS / 96+ WA / 95 VM / 96-98 JD If anyone tells you that Châteauneuf is just a big red that’s never elegant, then they need to taste this masterpiece of elegance. So many spicy and savory nuances on the very...
95 WS / 95 JS / 94 DE / 93+ JD / 93 WA Well-built, with a steady intensity to the waves of white peach, star fruit, acacia, honeysuckle and mirabelle plum. Delivers flashes of lemon shortbread and quinine through the...
100 VM The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the truly exceptional wines of the vintage. As I worked through this series of retrospective tastings, I had hoped to find at least one wine like this. A truly epic 2011. When I...
93 WE / 91 JS Aubaine is a new project from Andy Lytle of Lytle-Barnett and Winemaker Isabelle Meunier of Lavinea. Planted in 2015, this young vineyard's debut is a strong one. It's impeccably balanced with pinpoint citrus...
92 JS / 91 WE Lots of cherries, raspberries and spiced plums on the nose with cloves, rosemary and savory, earthy undertones. It’s medium-bodied with fine tannins and a fleshy texture. Flavorful, spicy finish. Drink...
93 JS / 92 WE Aromas of baked blueberries, brambleberries, pine cones, crushed shells and rosemary. Some chocolate orange, too. It’s medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins and bright acidity. Fragrant and vibrant...
The Gran Reserva 1999 is an elegant wine, elaborated with Pedro Ximénez grapes harvested in mid-August and laid under the sun for 7 to 9 days to concentrate all their sugars. After the press, it was left to rest for...
90-92 WI / 89 DE Pale lemon-yellow in color, the 2021 Liot bursts with notions of orange blossoms, candied ginger, and key lime pie, giving way to subtle scents of white pepper, nutmeg, and yuzu zest. The palate delivers...
90-92 VM / 89-91 WI The 2021 Les Charmes Godard opens with striking aromatics. Jasmine, white pepper, mint, orchard fruit and a hint of spice all meld together effortlessly. A white of crystalline purity and total finesse,...
93 JA / 91-93+ WA / 90-92 VM Precise and finessed black fruits here right from the first moments, this is high Cabernet Sauvignon, lovely black savoury fruits that suit the slighly serious feel of Duhart. Expect precision,...
94 VM / 92 JS The 2017 Chablis Forêts 1er Cru is powerful and explosive, with a captivating mélange of bright citrus fruit and stony mineral-inflected tones. Citrus peel, white flowers, crushed rocks and white...
90-92 VM The 2021 Clos Manou is supple, racy and super-expressive. A burst of red/purplish fruit, rose petal, mint, spice and lavender lend quite a bit of up front intensity. Clos Manou is beautifully done in 2021...