Wine Advocate (97)

Subtle notes of baking spices frame hints of tea, olives and raspberries on the nose of the 2016 Cote Rotie la Landonne. A paragon of elegance, it's medium to full-bodied, but silky from start to lingering finish. It's a wine that's pretty much guaranteed to make even the steeliest curmudgeon smile, as it's so bright, ephemeral and luscious. It's not the rich, ripe wine the 2015 is, but it's suave, complex and long.

Jeb Dunnuck (95-97+)

A bigger, richer, more brooding wine, the 2017 Côte Rôtie La Landonne boasts stunning (and classic La Landonne) aromas and flavors of black fruits, smoked meat, and scorched earth. Full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, and structured, this is one of the few 2017s that’s going to really demand cellaring.

Wine Advocate (96-98)

For the 2018 Cote Rotie la Landonne, Pierre Rostaing put together a blend from two barrels. Wow. Toast and mocha notes frame raspberries and blueberries in this medium to full-bodied offering. It's simultaneously rich, silky and concentrated. Packed with flavor and depth, it looks as if it will be approachable within a couple of years yet be capable of evolving for a couple of decades.

James Suckling (100)

Earthy aromas of bark, sand, truffles, graphite, rust, terracotta and sandalwood rise up from the deep with Burgundian poise; fruitier orange zest and preserved lemons glimmer in their wake, while riper incense and tar lurk in this dense forest of aromas. Physics itself gives way as the line between reduction and oxidation is blurred. There’s such richness to the center palate, but the fruit there is vivacious and elegant, swaddled in robust but generous tannins that breach the outermost reaches of the mouth. The finish is hauntingly long, the after effects of the acidity unworldly. This is certainly in a quiet, reserved stage of evolution, and will need time to fully mature in bottle. Drink in 2025.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (94)

Sensual, racy and inviting, the Réserve de la Comtesse is one of the very finest wines readers will find in its peer group. Sweet dark plum, rose petal, spice and chocolate notes build into the silky, beautifully resonant finish. The 2016 has so much to offer. Moreover, it is flat-out delicious. Don't miss it!

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (94)

Sensual, racy and inviting, the Réserve de la Comtesse is one of the very finest wines readers will find in its peer group. Sweet dark plum, rose petal, spice and chocolate notes build into the silky, beautifully resonant finish. The 2016 has so much to offer. Moreover, it is flat-out delicious. Don't miss it!

James Suckling (93-94)

A rich and dense second wine of Pichon Lalande with a full body, round and juicy tannins and a fruit-driven finish. Chewy, too.

James Suckling (93-94)

A rich and dense second wine of Pichon Lalande with a full body, round and juicy tannins and a fruit-driven finish. Chewy, too.

Jeb Dunnuck (94)

A candidate for the second wine of the vintage, the 2019 Pichon Comtesse Reserve is stunning stuff that surpasses the Grand Vins of most châteaux. Pure cassis and darker currants as well as tobacco leaf, lead pencil, and spring flowers all define the bouquet, and it's pure class on the palate, with a seamless, elegant, supple mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. It's one classy Pauillac that I'd be thrilled to drink any time over the coming two decades.

Vinous (93)

Deep ruby-red. Intense red and blue fruit, floral and spice qualities on the fragrant nose, along with hints of succulent flowers and musky earth. Sappy and penetrating on the palate, offering juicy black raspberry, mulberry and cherry flavors sweetened by a vanilla flourish. Smooth tannins build slowly, adding shape to a very long, smoke- and spice-laced finish. 30% new French oak.

The Resonance Pinot Noir Resonance Vineyard 2019 is an exemplary embodiment of the noble Burgundy grape, crafted with meticulous care in the heart of Oregon's celebrated Willamette Valley. Taking advantage of this region's unique terroir, the vintners at the highly esteemed Resonance estate utilise organic and biodynamic farming practices to ensure the utmost quality and authenticity in each bottle.

A deep ruby in hue, this stylish yet intricate Pinot Noir showcases supple tannins intertwined with a vibrant acidity, underlining an intoxicating bouquet of ripe red cherries, wild berries and delicate violets. The 2019 vintage displays the depth of its old vine pedigree through a meticulous élevage in French oak barrels, adding sophisticated layers of complexity and whisperings of warming spices and sweet toasty undertones. Elegant and poised, the Resonance Pinot Noir Resonance Vineyard 2019 is a voluptuous addition to any fine wine collection.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2021 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley overdelivers for the price. It’s bursting with scents of cranberry, rhubarb, allspice, mushrooms and bitters. The medium-bodied palate pairs highly concentrated, spicy flavors with dusty tannins and fireworks of fresh acidity, and it has a long, layered finish.

Tim Atkin MW (94)

"We've gone more focused" says Nuschka de Vos of this complex, amphora, foudre and old wood-aged Chenin, inspired by the wines of Vouvray. Beeswax, lanolin and fennel aromas lead into a palate with good texture and structure and a pithy, mouth-watering finish.

Vinous (95)

The 2018 Capstone (or Cornerstone, as it is labeled in the UK & Europe) presents an intense nose of copious black cherry, boysenberry and cassis scents; crushed violet and incense develop with minimal encouragement. The balanced palate is medium-bodied with very supple tannins, ripe but not overly sweet, and caressing toward the plush finish. Irresistible and quite cerebral.

Tim Atkin MW (94)

In certain vintages, Cornerstone can be one of the best value wines in the Reyneke portfolio. Marrying Cabernet Franc with 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, with maturation in 15% new wood, this no longer includes Merlot and is all the better for it. Graceful, granular and leafy, with caressing tannins, fine oak and bright plum and red berry flavours.

Tim Atkin MW (95)

It doesn't say so on the label, but this Reserve Red is made entirely from Syrah and is often one of the Cape's best examples of the grape. Inky, rich and concentrated, it has aromas of iodine and incense, savoury, almost bloody flavours, subtle oak and a sappy, tapering finish.

Tim Atkin MW (97)

After 20 harvests in South Africa, Rudiger Gretschel regards 2017 as the best vintage he's ever experienced. The quality of this world class Syrah would appear to bear him out. Dense, chewy and complex, it's a Cape Cornas, with dark, brooding damson and blackberry fruit, notes of tapenade and rosemary, subtle oak and a finish that lingers on the palate for a minute. 2022-32

Tim Atkin MW (97)

A wine that led the way for Polkadraai Hills Syrah, this is a stunning new release from Johan Reyneke and his team. Indecently perfumed with fynbos, lavender and black pepper aromas, wild, savoury tannins and a core of dense tapenade, damson and blackberry flavours. Sublime stuff.

Tim Atkin MW (98)

Consistently among the Cape's greatest red wines, this is a brilliant, world-class Syrah that ages convincingly too. Thyme, rosemary and oregano aromas leap out of the glass, offering a prelude to a palate that is dense, layered and intense, with black pepper and tapenade flavours, thrilling minerality and effortless complexity.

Tim Atkin MW (96)

Johan Reyneke sets aside a 0.5-hectare corner of a larger two-hectare parcel to produce this world-class Polkadraai Hills Syrah. Very much a granite-influenced style, this is earthy, intense and savoury, all clove, white pepper, bramble and blackberry fruit with a twist of stem ginger. 2024-32

Tim Atkin MW (96)

This brilliant, barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc comes from the top part of the Willow Spring parcel and is the latest in a line of brilliant releases under this label. Saline, pithy and flinty with hints of nettle and elderflower, fine oak and a finish that goes on for ever. Drink 2019-2027.

Tim Atkin MW (96)

A welcome relief from the blandness of many commercial Sauvignon Blancs, this is an ambitious, dynamically farmed white from the brilliant team at Reyneke. Sappy, reductive and nettley, with a flinty note that's reminiscent of a great Pouilly-Fumé and a long, saline finish. 2020-24

Tim Atkin MW (95)

A wine that takes its inspiration from Pouilly-Fumé, according to Rudiger Gretschel, this varietal Sauvignon Blanc is remarkably chiselled and pithy, with gooseberry and elderflower flavours, subtle wood, granitic minerality and leesy texture and complexity.

Matthew Jukes (19.5)

I have written up Reyneke wines many times over the years, but this is the first occasion I am featuring three outstanding wines from this pioneering, biodynamic/organic specialist estate. To date, these are the finest wines made by Johann Reyneke, cellarmaster Rudiger Gretschel and winemaker Barbara Melck. Rudi and Barbara were in town recently to showcase their phenomenal creations. My featured white is a super-elite Sauvignon Blanc with more elemental power and thrilling restraint than an ocean of inferior wines from this ubiquitous grape. It is granted a gentle caress of oak from 10 months on its lees in 300L French hogsheads, and I cannot remember a Sauvignon as moving or as rewarding since 2017 Barre à Mine Michel Redde appeared on this page back in 2019 and Reyneke’s wine is £20 cheaper! If you adore cosmic, dry white wines, you must find this wine – I awarded it a very rare 19.5/20 score.

Vinous (95)

The 2019 Syrah Biodynamic is drop-dead gorgeous on the nose, offering blackberry, blueberry, crushed violet and light star anise aromas that blossom with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with velvety tannins and great depth and intensity, equaled by a finesse that leaves you wanting more on the finish. A sublime Syrah from Johan Reyneke.

Wine Advocate (96+)

The 2019 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard trades places with its Horseshoe neighbor in this vintage, beginning with a reticent, dark-fruited nose of fresh herbs, black tea, black pepper and allspice that steadily gains momentum. It is superbly elegant and restrained on the palate, with a pleasing undercurrent of sumptuous dark fruits and finessed but persistent tannins. The length and persistence of the finish are spectacular and, in this vintage, is what narrowly edges out the Horseshoe bottling. I find it endlessly fascinating to compare the two as they are consistently neck-in-neck and impressive shapeshifters in the glass.

The Wine Independent (97)

This Barone Ricasoli 2018 Casalferro is a selection of the best Merlot from three different vineyards with different exposures, heights, and vine age. The first impression on the nose is of sweet red fruits with a slight green note but after time this melts into a background of sweet spice. On the palate it is soft and medium-full bodied with an elegant texture, gentle acidity and freshness and fine tannins. This is a lovely, graceful example of Merlot. Drink 2022 to 2035.

Jancis Robinson (18)

Dark garnet – much darker than Geyserville 2021. Extremely sophisticated and complex on the nose already! Quite a contrast to the Geyserville. Lots of ripe, slightly dusty, well-integrated fruit hits the front palate and then the wine builds towards the rich finish. You could enjoy this now but it might be a bit of a shame – not least in view of how well the 2009 shows today. Definitely a wine for the table.