Wine Advocate (100)

I’ve been lucky enough to have the 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Deus ex Machina numerous times over the past year, and while still youthful, it’s starting to shows hints of evolution and secondary nuances. Cassis, crushed rocks, graphite, beef blood and iron-like aromas and flavors are all present here, and it offers incredible depth and richness on the palate, with gorgeous purity, masses of tannin and a rock-star finish. A wine that could make you run out of adjectives, it too is another wine that goes flying off the scale.

Experience the epitome of exquisite, tailor-crafted wine with the Clos Saint Julien 2013. Revered for its finesse, it is an irreplaceable testament to the rich terroir of Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux. This exemplary wine manifests meticulous winemaking by Catherine Papon Nouvel, a third-generation vigneron revered in the industry.

Clos Saint Julien 2013 is an assertive union of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. With 18 months in French oak, it boasts complex layers of succulent fruit and velvety tannins. Exhibiting an intoxicating bouquet of black currant, plum, and graphite, it is punctuated with a lingering spicy finish with light toast nuances.

Uncompromising commitment and organic farming techniques are evident in the vigorous health of the vine and the purity of the fruit. You’re not merely buying a bottle of wine with the Clos Saint Julien 2013; you're investing in a narrative of vinicultural passion symbolising French winemaking at its finest.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (95)

The 2017 Clos Saint Julien is a total knockout. Lavender, mint, inky dark fruit, spice, licorice, chocolate and leather all open up in the glass, but it is the wine's nuance and total sense of precision that impresses most. A wine of great delineation, the 2017 is simply brilliant. Don't miss it.

Jancis Robinson (18)

Heady, perfumed, flattering nose. Very rich start and refined finish with real neatness. Reminds me of the 2005 but with possibly more precision. Long.

Wine Spectator (94)

This sports some seriously delicious plum, blackberry and boysenberry fruit flavors, inlaid with ample brambly grip and backed by lively anise and tar accents on the finish. Vivacious. Best from 2019 through 2029. 200 cases imported.

Wine Advocate (93-95+)

The inky black/blue-colored 2015 Saint Joseph Les Royes from the Courbis team was brought up in one-third each of new, once and twice-used barrels. It offers sensational notes of crème de cassis toasted bread, licorice and pen ink in a massive, rich, concentrated, layered style that is shocking in its depth and richness. It's a crazy good St Joseph.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (94)

Depth and power through the mid palate, good quality tannins, this is classically restrained St Estèphe power, with savoury yet juicy black fruits. Living up to its potential En Primeur, one to look out for, and a strong 2nd wine that beats out many 1st wines in the vintage. If you liked the Dame de Montrose 2010, get on board with this.

An embodiment of sheer sophistication, Daniel Rion Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Hauts Pruliers 2014 is an exquisite French fine wine from the prestigious Nuits-Saint-Georges region in Burgundy. Impeccably produced by the legendary winemaker, Daniel Rion, this vintage showcases a commitment to traditional wine-making techniques, matured for 18 months in partially new French oak barrels to promising an intricate and full-bodied taste profile.

The Hauts Pruliers vineyard sits on Jurassic limestone, hence the wine presents a delightful minerality accompanied by intense red berry, and spicy, earthy undertones. This lavish red Burgundy, robust yet balanced, promises a long, elegant finish. Daniel Rion, with roots in winemaking since 1955, operates on sustainable farming practices, ensuring every bottle produced truly reflects its terroir. For connoisseurs, Daniel Rion Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Hauts Pruliers 2014, is not only a wine; it's a sumptuous journey through Burgundy's viticultural heritage.

James Suckling (94)

Blackberry, blueberry and sweet-tobacco aromas. Full-bodied, dense and layered with ripe tannins and a chewy yet polished, tannic finish. A young Bordeaux with plenty of structure and focus. A blend of 71 per cent cabernet sauvignon and 29 per cent merlot. Try after 2022.

James Suckling (94-95)

This is linear and tight with beautiful concentration of tannins and dark fruit, as well as tar and dark chocolate. Full, yet racy and long. Very solid and structured with tannins that integrate well into the wine. Better than the 2018.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (92-95)

(70% whole-cluster fermentation) Brilliant red-ruby. Initially reserved, pure nose exploded with aeration to reveal black raspberry, spices and minerals. Succulent, sharply delineated and solidly structured, with highly complex flavors of red fruits, wild herbs, flowers, smoke and earth. Finishes with very fine tannins and superb length and class. Here one senses a full expression of this vineyard's terroir

Wine Advocate (97)

With only about 100 cases produced each year, finding a bottle of the 2015 Cote Rotie la Landonne will prove much harder than drinking it. It's indeed a terrific wine but a bit closed and cedary at this particular moment, the 40% new oak standing out on the nose. But this cuvée has a long track record of excellence, so expect it to blossom with time in the cellar. It's concentrated and powerful but amazingly light on its feet, with firm, ample tannins that manage to convey a sense of ripeness as well. Tar, black olive, cassis and espresso elements all speak to the grape (100% Syrah) and the single lieu-dit origin.

Wine Enthusiast (92)

91-93 Barrel sample. Well structured, this has dry tannins over vivid black fruits. It shows acidity but also great juicy sweetness.

Vinous - Ian D'Agata (90)

(a blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 5% petit verdot and 5% cabernet franc; 13.4% alcohol): Deep red. Open-knit aromas of red cherry and cassis complicated by intense notes of clove, nutmeg, incense and bay leaf. Then creamy and soft on the palate, but with lovely lift to the flavors of dark berries, minerals and cedar. The silky-sweet finish shows lovely aromatic persistence, not to mention very good intensity for a 2004. Drinking deliciously right now; at its relatively reasonable price today, this would be an excellent choice for restaurant dining.

James Suckling (99)

The intensity and perfumes on the nose are extremely impressive, offering pure blackberries and violets, as well as bark, wild-mushroom and raw-tile notes. It’s full-bodied with creamy tannins that envelop the wine and a gorgeous, subtly complex center palate with all the flavors found on the nose. Endless finish. Love the finesse and length to this. Greatest ever. 65% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot and 5% petit verdot. Try after 2026.

Jeb Dunnuck (96-98+)

Reminding me of the 2016, the 2019 Domaine De Chevalier checks in as 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot that was brought up in 35% new French oak. Its vivid purple color is followed by a classy bouquet of crème de cassis, damp earth, tobacco leaf, and spring flowers. With medium to full-bodied richness, stunning purity of fruit, silky tannins, and a good spice of acidity, this beautiful, classic, quintessential Chevalier will need 5-7 years of bottle age yet keep for 4-5 decades in cold cellars. Tasted twice.

Wine Advocate (93)

A forward, sexy-style Cote Rotie that shows more oomph than most in the vintage, Jamet's 2000 Cote Rotie offers the hallmark complexity of the estate with its perfumed raspberry, game, flowers, olives and peppery bouquet. This carries to a full-bodied, voluptuously textured, seamless wine that has excellent purity, low acidity and tons of charm. Probably closest in style to the 1990, drink this character-filled beauty over the coming 5-7 years.

James Suckling (99)

Fabulous aromas of crushed berries such as blackberries and blackcurrants, not to mention spices. Wet earth and cedar, too. Complex. Full-bodied, yet agile and complete. A dense center palate. Ultra-round tannins. Everything in the right balance. Wonderful to taste but better to drink in 2022.

Wine Advocate (94)

A magnificent sleeper of the vintage, the 2008 Duhart Milon is the shrewd consumer’s wine to purchase by the case as prices do not yet reflect its qualitative resurgence. Composed of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot that came in at 13.09% alcohol, it is a surprisingly intense effort displaying a marvelous texture, plenty of black currant, licorice, unsmoked cigar tobacco and earthy characteristics, a full-bodied mouthfeel and stunning purity as well as density. Enjoy this top-notch 2008 over the next 20-25 years.

From the emblematic cellars of Domaine de la Grand'Cour, the Dutraive Chenas lieu dit en Papolet 2020 is a sublime embodiment of its terroir and artisan winemaking. This fine representation of Beaujolais is crafted by Jean-Louis Dutraive, a fervent advocate for organic viticulture and traditional vinification. Grown in the distinctive vineyard of 'En Papolet', the Gamay grapes receive superior sun, nurturing soil and controlled temperature affording remarkable consistency and quality.

On the nose, this wine reveals tantalising layers of ripe cherry, crushed berries and delicate violets. A full-bodied palate with an exquisite balance of fruit, tannins and minerality promises a sensual, lingering finish. Dutraive's technique of semi-carbonic maceration ensures the deepest extraction of the fruit's essence, beautifully preserved in the purity of this low-sulphur, unfiltered wine. A 'Dutraive Chenas lieu dit en Papolet 2020' promises to elevate your fine wine experience and is a compelling testament to Dutravie's reputation in producing world-renowned Beaujolais.

Vinous (92-94)

The 2018 Echézeaux Grand Cru is matured entirely in new oak. It soaks up that wood nicely thanks to the ample fruit concentration of black cherries and cassis, here joined by attractive pine/cedar aromas that gain intensity with every swirl of the glass. The palate is a little woody at the moment and needs more fruit on the midpalate, to the extent that I wager Rouget's Vosne-Romanée Beaumonts might ultimately show better. We will see.

Vinous (91-93)

The 2018 Nuits Saint-Georges Village is matured in 30% new oak, although Emmanuel Rouget took this sample from a new barrel. It has a refined, pure nose, not powerful yet finely tuned, with subtle floral aromas. The well-balanced palate has a core of red fruit laced with blood orange and citrus peel notes that carry through to the lively, effervescent finish. I am deeply impressed by this Village Cru. Chapeau!

Wine Advocate (90-92)

The 2018 Vosne-Romanée Village is showing beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of raspberries, exotic spices, orange rind and smoked duck, deftly framed by the subtle imprint of some 30% new oak. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, textural, and enveloping, with a ripe but succulent core of fruit, supple tannins and a fragrant finish. It's a blend derived from lieux-dits Aux Ravioles, Aux Ormes, Les Jacquines, Aux Réas, Vigneux and Barraux.

Wine Advocate (96)

Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2014 tasting, Faiveley's 2014 Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru has a ravishing, pure and sensual bouquet with red cherries and crushed strawberry fruit laced with minerals. It needs another two or three years to fully assimilate. The palate is beautifully balanced with fine tannin, very focused and tensile with shimmering, effervescent red fruit fanning out on the finish. Stunning—but it is unquestionably built for the long-term. Tasted September 2017.

Vinous (94-96)

The 2017 Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru comes from two parcels. It has a charming bouquet of ebullient raspberry and wild strawberry aromas; hints of vanilla pod and rose petal lend complexity. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, gentle grip and a saline, oyster-shell-tinged finish that lingers in the mouth. This is one of Faiveley’s most impressive offerings in 2017. Superb.