James Suckling (96-97)

Fantastic depth of fruit with layers of firm, chewy tannins that are medium-grained and long in the mouth. Full and dynamic. One of the best ever.

James Suckling (96-97)

Fantastic depth of fruit with layers of firm, chewy tannins that are medium-grained and long in the mouth. Full and dynamic. One of the best ever.

Decanter (96)

Juicy and lively, cool and crisp with concentrated but cool tannins that give the structure and density. It's massy, full, upfront, but retains a charm in that nothing is harsh or austere or too spiced. It's full but there's something very captivating about this, has excitement and vibrancy and will be totally delicious and moreish when the time is right. Lovely acidity, beautiful red fruits, crisp and tense yet layered and ripe, mineral too. Gives you the emotion! Harvest 7-27 September. Ageing in French oak, 60% new, 40% one year old.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)

The 2023 Cantenac Brown opens with gorgeous, captivating aromatics. Crushed flowers, dark red-toned fruit, blood orange, cinnamon and dried autumn leaves are some of the notes that grace this elegant, super-refined Grand Vin. This is the first vintage made in the new cellar, a facility equipped with twice as many tanks as the old winery, in different sizes that allow for smaller picks. The 2023 is a beautiful wine done in a new style for the château, one that showcases an added touch of finesse. Give this a few years to come into its own. Today, Cabernet tannins are a touch imposing.

The Cantine Garrone Valli Ossolane Ca d’ Mate 2018 is a luxurious embodiment of the small-scale winemaking heritage of Piedmont, Italy. This fine red wine, handcrafted by the Garrone family who has mastered the art of winemaking since 1947, embodies the spirit of local traditions and time-honoured expertise. Sun-ripened grapes from the reputable Ossolane Valley imbue this vintage with a robust, nuanced body making it a must-have for grape enthusiasts.

Every bottle of Cantine Garrone Valli Ossolane Ca d’ Mate 2018 encapsulates the Essences of Nebbiolo, Croatina, and Vespolina, aged subtly in stainless steel vats to preserve their authenticity, resulting in an explosion of bold, red-fruited pleasures. The artisanal approach, practised by generations, ensures every sip is a testament to the vibrant Italian terroir. This wine perfectly marries complexity and harmony, offering an exceptional finish that lingers, making it a wonderful addition to any discerning collector's cellar.

Relish in the divine experience of the Cantine Garrone Valli Ossolane Ca d’ Mate 2019, a wine of outstanding quality and deep-rooted history. This exquisite artisanal wine hails from Northern Italy's Piedmont region, crafted by the time-honoured Cantine Garrone Winery, renowned for their dedication to organic and biodynamic winemaking. An entrancing blend of Nebbiolo, Croatina and Vespolina grapes, nurtured amidst mountainous terrains, the wine flawlessly captures the rich and distinctive terroir of its birthplace.

Upon uncorking the Cantine Garrone Valli Ossolane Ca d’ Mate 2019, immediately discern waves of aromatic complexity, encompassing ripe cherries, wild berries, and subtle hints of spices. It graces the palate with striking depth, plum-red hues, and velvety tannins, bound together in an elegant, medium-bodied structure. The wine concludes with an impressively persistent finish, making it a harmonious pairing for hearty Italian dishes. An expertly-crafted testament to the manufacturer's passion, this bottle promises a sophisticated and memorable tasting experience.

Experience unrivalled vitality and elegance with Cantine Garrone Valli Ossolane Prudent Diecibrente 2017. As one of Italy's spectacular Piemonte region's hidden gems, this refined wine exhibits remarkable complexity and subtlety. The family-owned Cantine Garrone meticulously crafts this exquisite creation in the picturesque Ossola Valley, rooted in organic viticulture and adherence to the region's unique varietal heritage. Prudent Diecibrente 2017 is a reflection of the hard work and dedication the Garrone family has invested in their vineyards since 1946.

It's a distinct fragrance narrative, grounded in the character of hand-picked Nebbiolo grapes, immersed in local nuances. Embracing traditional winemaking processes, this red's vibrant berry profile is balanced by soft tannins and a lively finish that lingers on the palate. The Cantine Garrone Valli Ossolane Prudent Diecibrente 2017 is indeed a harmonious fusion of tradition and terroir, intended for the discerning drinker's table.

The Cantine Garrone Valli Ossolane Prudent Diecibrente 2019 is a captivating blend of Nebbiolo and Vespolina grapes. This aromatic red wine is meticulously crafted in the breathtaking region of Piedmont, Italy. Set on the ethereal bank of the Toce River, the Cantine Garrone winery upholds generations-old tradition of premium winemaking, under the current custodianship of the Brusa family. The vineyard’s unique mountainous terroir bestows upon the Prudent Diecibrente 2019 a rich intensity and a deep ruby hue.

Expertly hand-harvested and vinified in stainless steel at controlled temperatures, this wine offers an intriguing aromatic complexity of red fruits, spices, and a hint of vanilla. Ably structured with tannic extracts, it concludes on a long, satisfying note of ripe fruit. Recommended with hearty dishes, the Cantine Garrone Valli Ossolane Prudent Diecibrente 2019 is a testimony to exquisite Italian wine artistry – an unforgettable journey of sensory indulgence.

Renowned for their exceptional winemaking, Cantine Garrone brings forth another masterpiece - the Tarlap, Valli Ossolane 2020. Made in their prestigious vineyards, laid amidst the ethereal landscapes of the Italian Piemonte region, this top-quality wine is the embodiment of the Garrone family's dedication to pristine viticulture and restrained winemaking. The wine, made in limited quantities, showcases the unique terroir, embracing native grape varieties along with sustainable and organic farming practices.

The captivating Tarlap, Valli Ossolane 2020, encapsulates the charm of the mountainous Ossola valleys, reflected in its full-bodied palate, well-rounded tannins, and balanced acidity. The winemakers have scrupulously hand-harvested the grapes at optimal maturity, using spontaneous fermentation to preserve the archetypal characteristics. Cantine Garrone's expression of this wine is indeed a tribute to their adherence to tradition, intertwined with modern innovation. Experience the quintessential Italian excellence with Cantine Garrone, Tarlap, Valli Ossolane 2020.

Wine Advocate (93)

Caparzo is one of two properties in Montalcino owned by the beautiful and charming Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini. The other property is Altesino. This wine, the Caparzo 2015 Brunello di Montalcino is a very classic interpretation that delivers the goods without any distracting bells or whistles. The wine opens to red and purple fruit aromas with background tones of dried herb, potting soil, cedar wood and light spice. Fruit comes from a site with heavier clay soils, and you get hints of that extra density and richness here. This vintage offers all you need in a model Brunello from a very beautiful and generous vintage. I always admire the wines of Caparzo for their accessible and immediate drinking style. Some 160,000 bottles were corked in August 2019, and the wine hit the market in January 2020.

Jeb Dunnuck (92)

This large estate has turned out a classic wine in 2017 that just screams of Saint-Estèphe. Checking in as a rough blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, and the rest equal parts Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it will spend 18 months in 60% new French oak. Textbook Saint Estèphe dark fruits, damp earth, and tobacco leaf all flow to a medium-bodied, rounded, nicely textured wine that has the cooler, perfumed, aromatics style of the vintage, good mid-palate depth, and gorgeous purity of fruit. Classic Bordeaux lovers will dig this.

Jeb Dunnuck (92-94)

From the team at Calon Ségur, the 2018 Château Capbern is another smoking good Saint-Estèphe. In 2018 it’s a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that will spend 18 months in 60% new French oak. This ripe, sexy wine (it hit 14.6% natural alcohol) sports a deep purple color as well as blockbuster notes of crème de cassis, jammy blackberries, crushed flowers, and scorched earth. Despite all the fruit and texture, it stays beautifully balanced, has classic Saint-Estèphe earthy minerality, ripe tannins, and a great finish.

Jeb Dunnuck (92-94)

From the team at Calon Ségur, the 2018 Château Capbern is another smoking good Saint-Estèphe. In 2018 it’s a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that will spend 18 months in 60% new French oak. This ripe, sexy wine (it hit 14.6% natural alcohol) sports a deep purple color as well as blockbuster notes of crème de cassis, jammy blackberries, crushed flowers, and scorched earth. Despite all the fruit and texture, it stays beautifully balanced, has classic Saint-Estèphe earthy minerality, ripe tannins, and a great finish.

Jeb Dunnuck (94)

I love the nose on the 2019 Château Capbern, a medium to full-bodied, spicy, rich, tobacco and cedar pencil-filled beauty with ripe yet building tannins, a great mix of richness and freshness, and a blockbuster of a finish. It's incredibly impressive, and while it offers pleasure even today, it deserves 5-6 years of bottle age, and I can't imagine it not evolving for two decades.

Jeb Dunnuck (94)

I love the nose on the 2019 Château Capbern, a medium to full-bodied, spicy, rich, tobacco and cedar pencil-filled beauty with ripe yet building tannins, a great mix of richness and freshness, and a blockbuster of a finish. It's incredibly impressive, and while it offers pleasure even today, it deserves 5-6 years of bottle age, and I can't imagine it not evolving for two decades.

Jeb Dunnuck (94-96)

Readers looking for an off-the-charts value should snatch up the 2020 Château Capbern, which emerges from the same team as Calon Ségur. Offering a vivid bouquet of cassis, leafy tobacco, violets, damp earth, and chocolate, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, perfectly ripe fruit (not overripe, not underripe), ultra-fine, integrated tannins, and the mix of freshness and richness that’s part of all great wines. It’s a hidden gem in Saint-Estèphe.

Wine Advocate (94+)

Although this wine does not follow the logic of the MGA (or official map of vineyard crus) for Barolo, fruit is sourced exclusively from the Gabutti vineyard in Serralunga d'Alba. The 2013 Barolo Otin Fiorin Piè Rupestris is a magically ethereal, light and delicate expression that delivers a silky embroidery of wild raspberry, rose, dried violet and crushed stone aromas. The wine shows an incredibly fine and nuanced texture that lacks any overt sense of power or muscle but that instead imparts impressive length, depth and general dimension. The wine shows the richness of Serralunga d'Alba but remains light-footed and delicately fleeting all the while.

Vinous ()

The 2014 Barolo Barolo Rupestris is a very pretty, fragrant wine. In this vintage, the Rupestris is a bit more ethereal than it usually is, and yet there is a lovely underpinning of structure that gives the wine its shape. Beautifully perfumed and gracious, the 2014 Rupestris opens with enticing scents of sweet tobacco, mint, dried herbs, orange peel, dried cherry, cedar and rose petal. The 2014 should drink well with minimal cellaring, but I expect it will also age gracefully while retaining its somewhat delicate feel.

James Suckling (95)

This is a very decadent Brunello with dried stems, charcuterie, bay leaf, Thai basil and earth. Full-bodied and dense, the deeply interlocked layers of dark fruit nearly tripping over the ropey, chewy tannin structure. Drink from 2026.

Kerin O'Keefe (96)

All about finesse and flavor, this stunner opens with quintessential aromas of classically crafted Brunello including violet, perfumed berry, new leather and forest floor that mingle with eucalyptus notes. It dances across the palate, offering juicy red cherry, orange zest, star anise and saline before a white almond close. Lithe tannins and fresh acidity keep it elegant and bright. Delicious and already approachable, it will age well for another decade or more.

Wine Spectator (96)

This red is all about finesse, delivering superb balance and complexity, with cherry, raspberry, earth and wild herb aromas and flavors. Succulent and charming, yet with a solid base of tannins and vivid acidity, this remains focused through the long aftertaste. Best from 2026 through 2042. 4,575 cases made, 3,000 cases imported.

Vinous (96)

The 2011 Cardinale is another of the many exceptional wines I tasted with Chris Carpenter this year. The 2011 is beautiful and exceptionally polished, but at the same time, the flavors are beautifully defined, crystalline in their beauty and flat-out striking. In this vintage, Cardinale is all about finesse and persistence, with less volume than some previous versions, but a touch more aromatic refinement. Today the 2011 is a bit compact, but I expect it to gain texture with more time in bottle. The blend is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Merlot from vineyards on Howell Mountain, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain, Diamond Mountain, the St. Helena bench and a small parcel in Yountville adjacent to Blankiet

Jeb Dunnuck (98+)

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is based on a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot that spent 22 months in 81% new French oak. It’s a wonderfully complete, borderline perfect wine that shows the class of this estate as well as the vintage, revealing a seamless, full-bodied style that carries lots of blackcurrant, graphite, lead pencil, and tobacco aromatics, a deep, layered mid-palate, ultra-fine tannins, and flawless balance. As with most of Chris’s 2018s, it’s a wine that builds slowly with time in the glass, offering a layered, singular character. It’s a gorgeous 2018 that can be drunk today with ample pleasure, but it will ideally be given 4-6 years of bottle age, at which point it should evolve gracefully for 30-40 years.

James Suckling (94-95)

A really succulent, refined second wine with berries, chocolate and light toasted oak. It’s full and completely integrated with seamless tannins and a fresh finish. Lovely, sweet ripe fruit in the center palate. Extremely refined. 90% merlot and 10% cabernet franc.

James Suckling (94-95)

This is very fine and racy with refined tannins that are long and really precise. It’s medium-bodied with a lovely, creamy texture. Really long and bright.