James Suckling (92)

Pretty density and flavor for Carruades in this less than perfect year. Shows tobacco, cream and chocolate aromas and flavors with black currants. Full to medium body, fresh finish. Drink now or hold.

From the skillful hands of winemaker Cecile Tremblay springs the renowned Cecile Tremblay Bourgogne Croix Blanche 2013, hailing from the heart of the Côte de Nuits in Burgundy. Crafted meticulously with Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc, this exquisite gem reveals layers of depth, delicacy, and constant character throughout, reflective of the terroir's calcareous soils. Tremblay, known for utilising organic and biodynamic principles, exerts her mastery to create this unique cuvée, adhering to rigorous hand-harvesting, whole-cluster pressing and natural, minimal intervention wine-making techniques.

A marvel to behold, the Cecile Tremblay Bourgogne Croix Blanche 2013 features a gentle straw hue with fleeting golden nuances, artfully intertwining fresh white flowers, ripe pears and toasted hazelnuts on the bouquet. On the palate, it builds a remarkable balance of generous minerality and corrected acidity. The finish, elegant, lengthy yet poised, affirms its undeniable appeal to the discerning wine connoisseur.

Vinous (89-91)

(from three parcels of vines, in Les Fremières, Aux Echanges and Les Maladières, ranging in age from 6 to 95 years): Good medium red. Fresh aroma of wild raspberry complicated by exotic notes of peach and lees. Juicy and fresh on the palate, and tighter than the village Morey; less opulent but more gripping. Still a bit youthfully clenched on the back end but I find the notes of vineyard peach and blood orange fascinating.

Immerse yourself in a bottle of Cecile Tremblay Nuits-Saint-Georges Albuca 2013 - a fine Burgundian wine from one of the region's most illustrious winemakers. Crafted from grapes grown in the heart of Nuits-Saint-Georges, this vintage exhibits a beautiful dark cherry hue. Made by Cecile Tremblay, granddaughter of iconic Burgundy producer Henri Jayer, its provenance is certainly remarkable.

The traditional wine-making methods stand out; grapes handpicked and vinified in oak barrels for 18 months. These practices result in a complex yet balanced wine, rich in dense black fruit and earthy undertones, supported by firm tannins and a hint of spice. On the palate, it reveals a persistent finish that lingers, ensuring an unforgettable experience.

As you savour the Cecile Tremblay Nuits-Saint-Georges Albuca 2013, you're not just tasting a wine; you're experiencing a piece of Burgundy's rich wine heritage.

Vinous (89-92)

Good full red. A raspberry aroma is complicated by wild notes of game and smoky lees. At once dense and juicy, showing excellent creamy depth for village wine. Really spreads out on the back end to saturate the entire palate. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins and serious structure. This wine is always large-scaled and reduced in the early going, notes Tremblay, and is generally the last to be bottled. Should make a superb village wine.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (89-91)

The 2013 Certan de May is lovely. Mid-weight, gracious, finessed and expressive, the 2013 is laced with sweet red and black cherries, smoke, dried flowers, tobacco and spices. Naturally, the structure is that of the year, but all the elements are nicely balanced just the same.

Indulge in the sumptuously rich elegance of CG Paris Chiroubles Vieilles Vignes 2013, a French masterpiece bestowing a distinctive tasting experience. CG Paris masterfully crafts this exquisite jewel from century-old vines in the foundational soil of the Beaujolais region, lending an exceptional quality that transcends the norm. The 2013 vintage, a particularly zealous year, gives birth to apply, ripe red berries, and subtle spice undertones, mingling delicately with structured tannins and a remarkably fresh finish.

Made using traditional viticulture methods, the heritage of the craft shines through in every sip; the dedication in following an organic ethic takes the forefront of this producer's approach. CG Paris Chiroubles Vieilles Vignes 2013 graces the palate with a harmonious balance of intensity and elegance, embodying the essence of traditional French winemaking. Matured for ten months in oak barrels, it's not just a wine; it's an expressive narrative of an age-old tradition, bottled. An ideal choice for those seeking wine of refined taste and unrivalled depth.

Vinous (92-94)

Bright red. Sexy, high-toned aromas of strawberry, raspberry, crushed-stone minerality, rose petal and truffle, complicated by an exotic suggestion of white fruits (Claude de Nicolay compared it to a riesling!). Wonderfully perfumed and stylish, with bright acidity giving definition and lift to the strawberry and rose petal flavors, with the exotic quality carrying through in the mouth. More youthfully imploded than the Bressandes, but the tannins arrive late, allowing the wine's perfume to fill the mouth and linger.

Vinous (92)

Full, dark red. Urgent primary red fruit and sandalwood aromas suggest a distinctly exotic carbonic maceration quality that reminded me of Beaujolais. More classic on the palate: broad, spicy and dry, with superb aromatic perfume to the flavors of red fruits, earth and crushed stone. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins and a captivating light touch.

Vinous (90-92)

(vinified with 30% whole clusters; this finished its malolactic fermentation in August): Bright, dark red. Aromas of cherry, flowers, spices and pepper are lifted by a pungent limestone topnote. Juicy, sappy and sweet; more evolved and showy today owing to the earlier malo. The building tannins are firm but elegant and not at all dry, with the finish delivering lovely length and grip. I like the influence of the stems here.

Wine Enthusiast (95)

Powerful and structured, this wine is dark with black fruits. The rich fruit and acidity are surrounded by firm tannins provide a solid scaffolding. With acidity and tannins at the end, this complex wine will age slowly, so don't drink before 2022.

Wine Advocate (94)

Slightly more ripe, voluptuous and textured than the more Syrah-dominated l’Esquerda, the translucent purple-colored 2013 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Latour de France Occultum Lapidem comes from the schist soils around the village of Latour de France. A blend of 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 10% Carignan that was harvest on September 15 and aged all in concrete tanks, it’s a fabulous wine that offers elegant notes of red and black raspberries, roasted herbs, pepper, melted licorice and asphalt. These flow to a medium to full-bodied 2013 that has a full, layered mid-palate, beautiful fruit, fine tannin and a classically focused, dry finish. It continues to freshen up in the glass, has integrated acidity and lots of class. Buy this brilliant wine by the case and drink it over the coming decade.

Wine Advocate (94)

Showing beautifully from barrel and now from bottle, the 2013 Côte Rôtie la Mordorée comes from schist soils, was completely destemmed and spent 18 months in 25% new French oak. Its deep purple color is accompanied by classic notes of raspberries, bay leaf, olive tapenade and violets. Possessing beautiful minerality, a full, layered mid-palate and building tannin, drink this beautiful wine anytime over the coming 15 or more years.

Wine Spectator (97)

Sleek, with mouthwatering flavors of red currant, raspberry and cherry preserves forming the core, while a dusting of cocoa, a snap of red licorice and a long, lingering iron spine complete the picture. Very pure and focused. The minerality wins out in the end.

Wine Advocate (100)

Completing a trifecta of perfect whites, the 2013 Ermitage l’Ermite Blanc is another sensational effort that offers incredible minerality/liquid rock in its pineapple, tangerine, flower oil, mint and caramelized citrus-driven bouquet. Full-bodied and beautiful on the palate, with more tension and focus than the Cuvee de L’Orée or le Meal, it has perfectly balanced richness, structure and freshness, with no hard edges and a blockbuster finish. It won't be accessible for another 3-4 years and will most likely be immortal in the cellar.

Wine Advocate (97)

A classic expression of the gorgeous, sunbaked vineyard, the 2013 Ermitage le Méal is as ripe, sexy and voluptuous as they come in the vintage. Black raspberries, jammy blackberries, licorice, toasted spice and crushed flowers are just some of the nuances in the bouquet. Full-bodied, mouth-filling with ripe tannin, plenty of mid-palate density (which can be lacking in some wines in the vintage) and with a great finish, it has the balance and texture to dish out pleasure today, but will have 25 or more years of overall longevity.

Wine Advocate (100)

Easily the finest vintage of this cuvee to date, the 2013 Ermitage le Meal Blanc doesn’t give an inch to the more heralded Cuvee de L’Orée or l’Ermite. Pure perfection in a glass, with awesome caramelized citrus, pineapple, crushed rock, toasted bread and buttered peach, it’s full-bodied, massive and concentrated on the palate, with incredible purity, richness and length. As with the other top whites here, it needs a year or two in the cellar and will have 2-3 decades of longevity.

Wine Advocate (100)

Easily the finest vintage of this cuvee to date, the 2013 Ermitage le Meal Blanc doesn’t give an inch to the more heralded Cuvee de L’Orée or l’Ermite. Pure perfection in a glass, with awesome caramelized citrus, pineapple, crushed rock, toasted bread and buttered peach, it’s full-bodied, massive and concentrated on the palate, with incredible purity, richness and length. As with the other top whites here, it needs a year or two in the cellar and will have 2-3 decades of longevity.

Wine Advocate (98+)

The star of the show in 2013 is the 2013 Ermitage le Pavillon. Coming from the west and eastern edges of the Bessards lieu-dit and aged in 30% new French oak, its sensational black/blue color is followed by the awesome bouquet of cassis, smoked earth, graphite and caramelized meats that could come from no other terroir in the world. Full-bodied, massive, dense, sexy and with a liquid rock-like character that comes out with time in the glass, it has sweet tannin and a blockbuster finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. It needs 5-6 years of cellaring and will have 30-40 years of more of ultimate longevity.

Vinous (92)

Inky ruby. Intensely aromatic cherry and dark berry aromas are complemented by hints of licorice, peppery spices and cola. Deeply concentrated but taut dark fruit flavors show a suave blend of power and vivacity, and a mineral nuance adds lift. Gains heft and sweetness on the clinging finish, which features a smoky mineral quality and fine-grained tannins that come on slowly.

Indulge in the luxurious 'Charles Audoin Pommard En Mareau 2013', a testament to the mastery of viticultural arts and artisanal winemaking. Château Charles Audoin, known for crafting legendary wines, redefines the splendour of the Burgundy region with this exquisite Pinot noir. Born in Pommard, famed for its gravelly soil and ideal grape-growing climate, this richly layered red wine reveals an evolving palate of cherries, licorice, and earth notes.

This 2013 vintage, matured for 18 months in 30% new French oak barrels, embodies exceptional tannic structure and extraordinary depth of flavour. A testament to the winemaker's consummate skill, insight, and meticulous approach, this wine retains Charles Audoin's signature precision and flair for revealing the character of Pommard's unique terroir.

Are you ready for a Burgundian grand cru experience? The stately, yet elegantly balanced, 'Charles Audoin Pommard En Mareau 2013' is sure to be an epicurean delight not soon forgotten.

Essi Avallen MW (94-97)

Charles Heidsieck’s racy 2013 vintage is a blend of ten Grands and Premiers Crus: Oger, Vertus, Chouilly, Cuis, Verzy, Aÿ, Ludes, Ambonnay, Tauxières and Avenay-Val d’Or. Usually appreciated for the richness and toast-enriched complexity of its Vintage cuvées, Charles Heidsieck 2013 plays on totally different assets, cool refinement and silky linearity. Despite excellent ripeness of the grapes, the October harvest brought about a tight acid line and fine aromatic restraint to it. Toastiness is subtle for the time being, but remarkably elegant, perfectly lining the sweet orchard fruit profile. Its best quality is the prism like radiance and purity of fruit. Showing highly youthful, this wine promises to be slowly but gracefully ageing. Suitably dosed at 9g/l.

Indulge in the splendour of Chateau Clarisse 'Cuvee Vieilles Vignes' 2013 - a remarkable product from the esteemed Puisseguin-Saint-Emilion region of Bordeaux, France. Handcrafted by talented winemakers, Olivier and Didier Dauga, it's an authentic blend, undoubtedly reflecting its terroir. Prominently Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with grapes hand-selected from thirty-year old vines, the wine carries distinctive complexity and depth.

Delving into the winemaking process, maturation involves 14 months in French oak barrels to amplify the inherent flavours. As a result, upon uncorking, you're greeted by an intense nose of ripe red fruits, plum and truffle. On the palate, the Chateau Clarisse 'Cuvee Vieilles Vignes' 2013 showcases a beautiful balance of elegant tannins, enveloping textures and a lingering, full-bodied finish.

A testament to time, effort and tradition; this is a bottle for collectors and connoisseurs, bringing a unique, French wine experience to your cellar.

Indulge in the resplendent taste of the Chateau Clarisse 'Cuvee Vieilles Vignes' 2013, a meritorious selection from the prestigious regions of Puisseguin-Saint-Émilion in Bordeaux, France. This superb red wine is the pièce de résistance of the Chateau Clarisse vineyard, meticulously crafted from mature, 55-year-old vines nestled in rich clay soil, infusing the vintage with a unique mineral depth.

Harvested by hand at optimal ripeness, the fruits go through traditional vinification in temperature-regulated stainless steel vats combining modern techniques and age-old tradition. The finest Merlot (90%) and Cabernet Franc (10%) grapes lay aging for 18 months in French oak barrels, giving the wine an elegant, velvety texture.

Chateau Clarisse 'Cuvee Vieilles Vignes' 2013 exudes a harmonious symphony of complex aromas from succulent dark berries to delicate notes of spices and cacao, culminating in a long-lingering soft finish. It's a perfect addition for serious collectors and enthusiasts of fine wine.

Burghound (95)

Noticeable but not invasive wood and menthol frame a slightly riper array of aromas that are quite similar to those of the regular cuvée. Here too there is outstanding density and power to the even more concentrated broad-shouldered and robust flavors that possess even better depth and persistence on the impeccably well-balanced, saline and palate coating finish. This is presently extremely primary and while it's clear that this offers huge upside development potential it's also clear that plenty of patience will be required.

Vinous (92+)

Bright, dark red-ruby. Black cherry and licorice on the ripe but cool nose. Concentrated and deep but light on its feet, showing strong minerality and inner-mouth tension. More energetic than the 2014 and very primary today. Finishes tactile, fresh and long.