Wine Advocate (91-93)

Moving to the reds, the 2012 Fonsalette Cotes du Rhone, which was tasted from multiple barrels, offers gorgeous Grenache character with white pepper, green herbs and pine-like notes that are grounded by a superb core of fruit. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully fresh and elegant, it should be an outstanding bottle of wine with 12-15 years of longevity.

Wine Advocate (95)

The 2012 Criots-Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru comes from the family’s one-third hectare holding planted between the 1930s and 1990s. It was picked the same day as the premier crus and Celine told me that it always has a slightly higher degree of alcohol. It has an entrancing bouquet with perfumed apricot, peach and dried citrus peel notes infused with minerals – feminine and seductive. The palate is medium-bodied with a rounded, powerful, spicy opening. It is very well balanced, very concentrated on the finish. This is compelling like so many from this under-rated grand cru vineyard, though there are just four barrels instead of the usual eight in this year.

Jancis Robinson (18)

Three casks from three different spots. Slightly cloudy cherry red. Really rich and solid. From a very good producer (a long-term proposition) and made in the domaine philosophy. Lots of tannin on the end. Very energetic. Very slightly bitter on the end.

The Francis Boulard Rachais Brut Nature 2012 is a venerable display of an excellent, biodynamically produced Champagne. Crafted meticulously by Francis Boulard, a renowned winemaker whose family has been dedicated to viticulture for over two centuries, this offering encapsulates the essence of Champagne's Massif de Saint-Thierry terroir. This Extra Brut is primarily composed of Pinot Meunier, possessing a remarkably low dosage making it exceptionally crisp and unfiltered.

Certain vintage years, including 2012, are known for their exceptional quality, and Francis Boulard utilises traditional methods to exquisitely express this bounty. The Champagne is fermented in oak barrels and the bottles are manually disgorged. The result is a wine possessing complex aromatic character redolent with green apple, nougat and yuzu notes supported by a vibrant acidity that promises enduring cellaring potential.

A bottle of Francis Boulard Rachais Brut Nature 2012 is a testament to unwavering commitment to organic and biodynamic practices, radiating the brilliance of its maker and the vineyard's exceptional terrain.

Tim Atkin MW (97)

One of only five Grands Crus monopoles in Burgundy, this is sometimes regarded as being of lesser quality than the other four, but that’s unfair. The wine is improving with every vintage since it was elevated in 1992 and this is particularly fine. Delicate, sweet and stylish, it's a nunaced, fragrant Pinot with lacy tannins, effortlessly integrated oak and a bright, refreshing finish.

Wine Advocate (92)

Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Vosne Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts from Domaine François Lamarche has a refined and detailed bouquet: fresh strawberry, cranberry leaf and minerals, all very attractive. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, just a dab of oak to be fully subsumed, but with plenty of weight and volume on the pretty, quite spicy finish. It's just a delicious, well-crafted Vosne-Romanée and one of the best from the domaine in 2012.

Immerse yourself in the sophisticated world of Burgundian whites with the Frantz Chagnoleau Saint Veran La Roche 2012. This gem from Maçon is meticulously handcrafted by viticulturist duo Frantz Chagnoleau and Caroline Gon, whose passionate devotion to the delicacy of the Chardonnay grape truly shines through. With an unwavering commitment to biodynamic principles, the duo meticulously cultivates vines averaging 50 years of age, producing an organic wine of unparalleled quality.

The Frantz Chagnoleau Saint Veran La Roche 2012 boasts vibrant, complex notes of citrus and pear, underpinned by a distinct minerality gleaned from the rocky vineyard soils. This expressive wine, with 12 months of lees aging, delivers a mouth-filling palate with impeccable balance and a lengthy finish, truly celebrating its Burgundy origin. The producer's gentle, non-interventionist winemaking techniques ensure the purest expression of terroir in every bottle. An extraordinary wine for discerning palates.

Expertly crafted by renowned winemaker Frantz Chagnoleau, the Saint Veran Pre Jaux 2012 stands as a testament to the exceptional terroir in the Maconnais region of Southern Burgundy, France. Utilising organic and biodynamic practices, Chagnoleau has mastered the art of expressing the unique characteristics of this hallowed French locale. Each vintage of this wine is hand-harvested and naturally fermented, maintaining an authentic expression of the Chardonnay grape.

Franz Chagnoleau Saint Veran Pre Jaux 2012 marries the full, ripe fruit of Southern Burgundy with the precision and acidity typical of its northern counterparts. Offering an elegant nose of white flowers and juicy pear with subtle, minerally undertones, this white Burgundy is lauded for its purity of fruit and well-integrated oak. Harmonious, dynamic, and distinct, the Frantz Chagnoleau Saint Veran Pre Jaux 2012 is no casual encounter but rather your refined step into the world of fine French wines.

Wine Advocate (92)

Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Nuits St Georges 1er Cru les Boudots from young Maxime Chuerlin is slightly deeper in colour than its peers. It has an intense dark cherry, blueberry and cassis-scented nose that is relatively modern in style, well crafted and detailed. The palate is medium-bodied with sweet ripe tannin, well-judged acidity, sensual in style, more voluminous and richer than Méo-Camuzet's Aux Murgers 2012, but retaining impressive delineation and terroir expression. This is an excellent contribution to the vintage.

Vinous (98+)

The 2012 Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru is one of the outstanding wines of the vintage. Pure and sensual on the nose, replete with that breath-taking clarity, it dares to show more fruit intensity than the Romanée-Saint-Vivant from DRC served blind alongside. The palate is medium-bodied with tart red cherries and crushed stone, very mineral-driven with a wonderful, linear finish that is saving fireworks for those with the nous to age this another four or five years. Brilliant. Tasted blind at 67 Pall Mall in London.

Tim Atkin MW (98)

Always served before Le Musigny and Les Amoureuses chez Roumier, this combines elements of both red and white soils across four separate parcels, all on the Chambolle-Musigny side of the Grand Cru. For all its texture and breadth, this has freshness and focus too with sapid red fruits, nuance and length. The oak needs a little time to fold into the wine, but who's in a rush with a Pinot like this?

Tim Atkin MW (99)

Should this vineyard be a Grand Cru? Who knows, but it's always served last by Christophe Roumier when one visits the domaine. It's a site that combines heat and freshness to perfection. Crunchy, fresh and refined, the resulting wine is feminine and elegant with notes of fresh raspberries and red cherry, subtle oak and a spicy, savoury undertone. Wonderfully subtle winemaking from a brilliant vigneron.

Tim Atkin MW (96)

The higher altitude of the vineyard and its proximity to the cold air of the combe are apparent on the nose and palate of this deliciously fragrant wine. It's very chalky and chiselled with abundant minerality and freshness lifting and sustaining the fruit flavours. The slight reduction adds another dimension here.

Tim Atkin MW (98)

There's only one barrel of this in 2012 (as there was in 2003 and 1998), but someone will be lucky enough to drink it. It's Christophe Roumier's most ambitous, ageworthy wine, with two thirds whole bunch fermentation, quite marked oak and dense, yet silky concentration, with notes of cinnamon and spice combining with the red and black fruits. Very long, very complex, but still a baby.

Vinous (90-92)

The Chambolle-Musigny Les Chatelots is big, rich and explosive. Here the fruit is dark in tone, with sweet, balsamic inflected notes that add complexity. The tannins are big and imposing, but also very nicely integrated. With time in the glass, the Chatelots becomes a bit more finessed, but never loses its essential intensity.

Vinous (90-92)

The 2012 Chambolle-Musigny is a great introduction to the year. Dark cherries, plums and spices jump from the glass in a sensual, expressive Chambolle with tons of near-term appeal. Violets, rose petals and spices all flesh out on the radiant, expressive finish. The 2012 is a bit richer and broader than is normally the case, but there is plenty of vibrancy to balance the intensity of the fruit.

Vinous (93)

Brilliant ruby-red. Fragrant, mineral-laced scents of ripe red fruits, olive paste and candied rose, along with notes of chalky minerals and garrigue. Taut, focused and spicy on entry, then fleshier and weightier in the mid-palate, offering juicy raspberry and bitter cherry flavors and a touch of anise. Closes gently tannic and very long, with resonating minerality and spiciness.

Wine Advocate (95+)

This estate consistently turns out some of the greatest wines of St.-Emilion. Michel Gracia obviously learned a lot from his close friend Alain Vauthier at Ausone. The 2012 Gracia has an opaque bluish/black color and a gorgeous nose of blueberry liqueur intermixed with blackberry, incense, graphite and spice. Medium-bodied and super-concentrated, with well-integrated acidity, tannin and alcohol, this is a big, rich, profound 2012 to drink over the next two decades. Patience might be warranted to sit on it for 4-5 years prior to pulling corks. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2035. Kudos to Michel Gracia! This tips the scales at 14.5% alcohol from a blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon cropped at a low yield of 22 hectoliters per hectare.

Vinous - Neal Martin (88)

The 2012 Acte 4 has quite a strict bouquet at first that needs more encouragement than other vintages from the glass. It is well defined with blackberry, boysenberry, touches of graphite and pressed violet aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, well balanced and displaying well judged acidity. It just seems to run out of ideas two-thirds of the way through, lacking the energy displayed by the previous vintage. Tasted at the Acte vertical in London.

Vinous - Neal Martin (94)

The 2012 Grand-Puy-Lacoste has an impressive cassis-tinged bouquet with fresh tobacco and graphite infused black fruit that are very well focused and neatly integrated with the oak. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, a keen thread of acidity, finely proportioned with a vibrant graphite-infused finish. One of the standout Left Bank wines of the vintage. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index's Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.

Wine Advocate (95)

The 2012 Côte Rôtie Château d’Ampuis is a bigger, richer wine that offers full-bodied richness and a broad, expansive style on the palate. Black raspberries, toasted spices, cured meats and licorice all emerge from this incredibly sexy, complex and nuanced Côte Rôtie, and my notes finish with “wish I could drink a glass.” Enjoy bottles anytime over the coming 15 or more years.

Wine Advocate (95)

The 2012 Côte Rôtie Château d’Ampuis is a bigger, richer wine that offers full-bodied richness and a broad, expansive style on the palate. Black raspberries, toasted spices, cured meats and licorice all emerge from this incredibly sexy, complex and nuanced Côte Rôtie, and my notes finish with “wish I could drink a glass.” Enjoy bottles anytime over the coming 15 or more years.

Wine Advocate (97)

The 2012 Côte Rôtie La Mouline reminds me of the 2011 with its upfront, incredibly perfumed nose of spring flowers, cured meats, roasted herbs, olives and sweet cassis fruit. Full-bodied, beautifully textured, mouth-filling and already impossible to resist, it expands on the palate and I guarantee this beauty will put a smile on your face anytime over the coming two decades.

Wine Advocate (97)

The 2012 Côte Rôtie La Mouline reminds me of the 2011 with its upfront, incredibly perfumed nose of spring flowers, cured meats, roasted herbs, olives and sweet cassis fruit. Full-bodied, beautifully textured, mouth-filling and already impossible to resist, it expands on the palate and I guarantee this beauty will put a smile on your face anytime over the coming two decades.

Wine Advocate (96+)

The 2012 Hermitage Ex Voto (which I suspect won’t be produced again until 2015) was bottled in January of this year and it’s a big, voluptuous beauty that’s loaded with fruit and texture. Crème de cassis, black raspberries, crushed rocks and a touch of beef blood all soar from the glass of this beauty, which hits the palate with a wealth of sweet fruit, building, ripe tannin and blockbuster length. Liquid Viagra would suffice as a descriptor for this wine, and while it’s already impossible to resist today, it will age effortlessly for 25 or more years.

Wine Advocate (96+)

The 2012 Hermitage Ex Voto (which I suspect won’t be produced again until 2015) was bottled in January of this year and it’s a big, voluptuous beauty that’s loaded with fruit and texture. Crème de cassis, black raspberries, crushed rocks and a touch of beef blood all soar from the glass of this beauty, which hits the palate with a wealth of sweet fruit, building, ripe tannin and blockbuster length. Liquid Viagra would suffice as a descriptor for this wine, and while it’s already impossible to resist today, it will age effortlessly for 25 or more years.

Wine Advocate (96+)

The 2012 Hermitage Ex Voto (which I suspect won’t be produced again until 2015) was bottled in January of this year and it’s a big, voluptuous beauty that’s loaded with fruit and texture. Crème de cassis, black raspberries, crushed rocks and a touch of beef blood all soar from the glass of this beauty, which hits the palate with a wealth of sweet fruit, building, ripe tannin and blockbuster length. Liquid Viagra would suffice as a descriptor for this wine, and while it’s already impossible to resist today, it will age effortlessly for 25 or more years.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)

The 2012 Haut Bailly is quite fragrant and inviting. Dark raspberries, mint, crushed flowers, spices and rose petals all lift from the glass in this feminine, gracious Haut-Bailly that offers considerable near and medium-term appeal. All the elements fall into place in an effortless, stunningly beautiful wine endowed with personality and class. One of the wines of the vintage, the Haut Bailly will drink well for two decades-plus. This is a superb showing from proprietor Bob Wilmers and his team headed by Véronique Sanders. The decision to lower temperatures in fermentation and go for a soft, gentle extraction, along with strict selection has paid off big time.