Wine Advocate (97+)

The 2015 San Leonardo pours forth with a beautiful velvety appearance and sultry dark garnet color. This wine shows a lot of life and dark fruit purity with black plum, blackberry, cassis and tarry prune. There is a delightful note of black pepper that is specific to this warm and sunny vintage. The fruit shows softer and richer concentration compared to past vintages and more pulpy density that gives this edition a bigger profile in terms of mouthfeel. Production is 75,000 bottles. San Leonardo is a wine made for long aging, but the nice thing about this vintage is that the bouquet remains quite accessible at this young age. Nevertheless, I'd still suggest keeping this bottle in your cellar so that it can calmly finish its evolution.

Vinous (96)

Another year in bottle has added unexpected depths and dimension to the 2016 San Leonardo. It wafts up with an alluring bouquet of smoky black currant and plum skins, complicated by savory herbs, hints of white pepper and fresh tobacco. It's hard chiseled edges have formed into smooth contours now, velvety yet youthfully dense, washing mineral encased dark red and black berries across a core of brisk acidity as a combination of saline-minerals and grippy tannins add tension toward the close. This finishes incredibly long yet also structured, begging for time in the cellar, as hints of licorice and earth tones grumble under an air of inner violet florals. The potential within the 2016 San Leonardo is off the charts, yet it will require a good amount of time to come fully into focus. Bury your bottles deep.

Wine Advocate (95)

The Tenuta San Leonardo 2017 San Leonardo (in a heavy glass bottle) shows subtle but unmistakable generosity and exuberance that is absolutely in line with this hot vintage. In this regard, the 2017 stands apart from past vintages from this estate that is celebrated for its elegant, undertone and long-term approach. This wine is slightly more accessible too, with plush, dark fruit, balanced oak spice and perfumed rose over a polished, silky mouthfeel.

Wine Advocate (98)

This edition from the legendary Tenuta San Leonardo estate in Trentino is presented with an artist-signed label. The special release of 999 bottles features the surreal artwork of Simone Berti. From a cool vintage, the 2018 San Leonardo is incredibly fine and beautiful with a filigree of aromas that recalls wild blackberry, tobacco, pressed rosemary, cherry tartlet and orange marmalade. The wine's elegance is extraordinary, and the mouthfeel is very fine and precise. This classic vintage will certainly appeal to San Leonardo purists. I recommend giving it a long runway to age.

James Suckling (97)

Attractive aromas of cherry, dark mushroom, bark and walnut follow through to a full body with lots of ripe cherry and berry character in the center palate. Firm, chewy tannins draw you down the palate. Extremely long. From organically grown grapes. Better than the superb 2015? Drink after 2023 and onwards.

James Suckling (98)

Wow. This is really complex on the nose with black cherries, mushrooms, dried flowers and cedar. Some crushed stone and dry earth or tile. This is full-bodied and very layered with wonderful depth of fruit and creamy tannins. It’s focused and serene. Better than 2015. From organically grown grapes. Try in 2024 and onwards.

James Suckling (96)

Unique aromas of dried flowers and sandalwood with ripe black cherries. Breathtaking. It’s full bodied yet rather agile and weightless with fine dusty tannins that float across the palate. Wonderfully done for this difficult vintage. Gorgeous and delectable now. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (98)

The purity and polish here shows wonderfully the moment you stick your nose in the glass, with complex aromas of plums, berries, cedar and violets. It’s full-bodied and ever so refined with elegant and intense tannins that take you deep into the wine. This is a thoughtful and finely crafted Brunello that needs time to show you its greatness. From organically grown grapes. Try after 2024.

James Suckling (97)

A rich, layered red with blackberry and chocolate, as well as cured-meat and wet-earth undertones. It’s full-bodied with depth, intensity and focus. Lovely, velvety tannins and a long, creamy-textured mouth feel. Generous finish with tension. Better than 2015. Try after 2024.

Jancis Robinson (17.5)

Just a hint of reductive funk on the nose with citrus blossoms and citrus savoury flavours underneath. Much more mid-range tones on the nose compared with the Sta Rita Hills wines, with notes of stone fruit – a touch of white-peach pit and nectarine skin – with passion fruit and loam on the nose followed by loam, quinine and even a bit of green olive alongside a fresh saline savour on the palate, carrying plenty of fresh acidity throughout. A very different wine than the Sta Rita Hills. While the Sta Rita Hills wines are finessed and energetically wound, the Bien Nacido, in comparison, is savoury and earthy with more breadth across the palate while still made in a restrained style. It is clearly just a different site and soil type. Lots of flavour and power of presence for such a low-alcohol wine. The quinine note nips tight the edges to bring more tension to an otherwise broader palate expression. Lots of length. (ECB)

Jancis Robinson (17+)

Floral and citrus aromatics carry into a savoury, lively, saline and citrus palate that leaves even the tactile effect of saline on the palate through the long finish. Flinty accents also persist throughout. While the aromatics are pretty and lifted, they transform into a palate of power. There is initially less complexity here than the other Sta Rita Hills wines but more power of presence. This wine is the most palate-filling as well. It wants a bit of time in bottle to integrate and gain finesse, which it certainly has, but it is showing as restrained exuberance currently instead. Allow it some time in the cellar before opening. (ECB)

Decanter (95)

It was a great pleasure to visit Rajat Parr in Santa Barbara at the beginning of this year and to see some of the extreme sites his team are farming. Since 2011, Raj and his winemaker Sashi Moorman have been producing consistently thrilling Chardonnays and the 2014s may well be their best to date. This wine, which hails from a vineyard planted in 1971 by the pioneering Richard Sandford, is beautiful, opening in the glass with a complex bouquet of lemon zest, tart pear, tangerine oil, subtle hazelnut and a lick of noble reduction. On the palate the wine is concentrated, intense and deep at the core, with great cut and energy through a finish that tingles with minerality. At 12% alcohol this is very far from the caricature of California Chardonnay, and readers who are about to get stung by 2015 Burgundy pricing should give this a serious look.

Jeb Dunnuck (96)

An estate that has been firing on all cylinders recently, the Merlot-dominated 2016 Château Sansonnet sports a saturated ruby color as well as a beautiful bouquet of macerated black cherries, blackcurrants, smoked earth, spice, and tobacco. This ripe, sexy, full-bodied beauty has terrific overall balance, a layered texture, no hard edges, and a beautiful finish. It's a gem in the vintage and is well worth a case purchase. The blend is 90% Merlot and 5% each of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, all brought up in 80% new French oak. Don’t miss this brilliant wine.

Jeb Dunnuck (96)

An estate that has been firing on all cylinders recently, the Merlot-dominated 2016 Château Sansonnet sports a saturated ruby color as well as a beautiful bouquet of macerated black cherries, blackcurrants, smoked earth, spice, and tobacco. This ripe, sexy, full-bodied beauty has terrific overall balance, a layered texture, no hard edges, and a beautiful finish. It's a gem in the vintage and is well worth a case purchase. The blend is 90% Merlot and 5% each of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, all brought up in 80% new French oak. Don’t miss this brilliant wine.

Jeb Dunnuck (96+)

This estate has been on fire of late and that doesn't appear to have changed with the 2018 Château Sansonnet. Revealing a dense purple hue as well as a young, unevolved bouquet of pure crème de cassis, graphite, crushed violets, bouquet garni, chocolate, and distinct chalky minerality, it delivers remarkable purity, full-bodied richness, silky tannins, and flawless balance. A wine that builds slowly with time in the glass, offering a beautiful mix of richness, elegance, and length, it's as good, if not even better than the 2016. Don't miss it!

James Suckling (95-96)

A powerful and intense red with blackberry, blueberry and ultra fine chewy tannins. It’s so long and energetic. Dense center palate.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (94)

The 2023 Sansonnet is a deep, powerful wine from the Lefévère family. Blackberry, chocolate, new leather, licorice and a kiss of sweet French oak inform a sumptuous Saint-Émilion that delivers on all counts. Extroverted and plush, Sansonnet is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. This is a terrific edition.

Wine Advocate (97)

From the lightest, sandiest soils in the Gras Châteauneuf stable, the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Saintes Vierges is a blend of 80% Grenache, 18% Mourvèdre and 2% Cousoise. Befitting its origins, it's the most perfumed of the three wines this year, with floral, rose-like notes, a veritable potpourri of spice and herb shadings and a vibrant core of red berries. It's labeled (like the others) at 14% alcohol but feels lighter on the palate, soaring in silky arches of intermingled red berries and delicate tannins, then lingering elegantly on the finish.

Wine Advocate (95-97)

Still in foudre, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Habemus Papam looks to have softened considerably since I tasted it last year. Floral-herbal notes accent ripe cherries, while the palate boasts a wonderfully rich, creamy texture. Full-bodied, with supple tannins, this tour de force is long, silky and elegant.

Wine Enthusiast (96)

It's hard to choose a favorite among Santa Duc's 2017 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but Le Pied de Baud stands out for the seduction of its smoky, floral nose. Raspberry and red cherry flavors are pristine and plump, etched by fine strokes of fur, charred earth, violet and tea leaves. An opulent but freshly balanced blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Cinsault framed by fine, persistent tannins. Approachable already but should improve further through 2030 and hold further.

Wine Advocate (96)

Marked by aromas of resinous herbs, roses and raspberries, the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Le Pied de Baud is an enthralling blend of 80% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre and 5% Cinsault from the Le Pied de Baud lieu-dit, in the south of the appellation. Raspberries, strawberries and redcurrants all make appearances, supported by crisp acids and silky, just-ripe tannins. Young Benjamin Gras is looking for tension in his wines, and this wine captures that elusive quality, lingering tautly on the mouthwatering finish.

Jeb Dunnuck (94-97)

Lastly, the 2015 Gigondas Hautes Garrigues (60/40 Grenache and Mourvèdre) is a beauty boasting killer notes of dark fruits, crushed rocks, pepper, garrigue and scorched earth. This seriously good 2015 has building richness, a stacked mid-palate and a huge finish, all suggesting short-term cellaring will be your friend. It will keep for two decades of more.

Wine Advocate (95-97)

A blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre, the 2017 Gigondas Les Hautes Garrigues is less aromatic than it was last year, folding in darker notes of black cherries and chocolate. Yet it's still wonderfully full and textured, with a plush, velvety feel and a long finish. It seems to grow in aroma and flavor the longer it's in the glass, always a good sign.

Wine Enthusiast (92)

Plum, berry and cassis aromas give this single-vineyard sibling of Medalla Real Gran Reserva a riper nose than its brother. A fruity palate is fleshy and bursting with plum, berry and chocolate flavors, while this Cabernet is medium in depth on the finish. Drink now–2024.

Experience the graceful allure of the Sara Vezza Barolo Ravera 2016. Masterfully crafted in the heart of Piedmont, Italy, this vintage red boasts a disciplined structure thanks to the region's cool climate and strict harvesting laws. With ageworthy finesse, Sara Vezza's traditionalist approach ensures the full expression of Nebbiolo in each bottle. The integrity of old-world winemaking runs deep in the Vezza family, cultivating a product steeped in authenticity.

The Sara Vezza Barolo Ravera 2016 presents an elegant tapestry of dried roses, crushed minerals and ripe red fruits forming a beautifully complex palate. Harmoniously balanced and well-integrated tannins invite a long, lingering finish. While ideal for decanting, its unflinching quality and potential for cellar ageing renders it a prominent contender for any discerning collector.

Whether indulged now or stored for a special occasion, the Sara Vezza Barolo Ravera 2016 promises a captivating journey through Italy's quintessential wine heritage.

Indulge in the exquisite Sara Vezza Barolo Ravera 2017, a jewel of the Langhe region in Piedmont, Italy. The carefully cultivated Nebbiolo grape varietal has been masterfully utilised by the respected Vezza family, who have passionately nurtured their craft over the generations. Their commitment to high-density planting, traditional viticulture methods, and meticulous grape selection manifests in a sublime expression of the Nebbiolo grape.

The Sara Vezza Barolo Ravera 2017 boasts a tapestry of elegant aromas, from wild cherry and fragrant rose petal, to undertones of leather and tobacco. It graces the palate with a full-bodied, velvety texture, underpinned by a well-structured tannic backbone. Decanting is advised to fully reveal the wine's complexity and intensity. This wine not only stands as an epitome of terroir-driven Barolo but is also an extraordinary testament to the Vezza family's winemaking finesse.

Decanter (99)

To be honest I gave the Sassicaia 1985 a 100 points at the same tasting, but those notes have already been published, and it’s a vintage that has been celebrated plenty of times. Both bottles were from one of the standout tastings of the year – in Rome, a vertical of Sassicaia dating back over five decades. This 2006 has guts and glory, there is stuffing here. The exotic heat comes through like a pan-seared filet steak, nothing more than a flash fire that gives way to succulence. More exoticism with the dancing array of flavours, from plums, damson and spices to forest fruits and heather then the menthol kicks comes in. You just want to linger over this glass, pick apart the individual flavours and get to understand what it is saying.

Wine Enthusiast (95)

This iconic Italian wine from Bolgheri's landmark Sassicaia vineyard (characterized by little rocks, or "sassi") offers an elegant bouquet comprised in equal measure by mineral, fruit and spice nuances. The wine consists of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc and the finish is long, smooth and very fine. This is an ageworthy wine that should not be opened before 2018.