Wine Advocate (100)

From bottle, the 2023 Château Cheval Blanc is one of the most compelling wines of the vintage, just as it was from cask. Bursting with aromas of cherries and mulberries mingled with notions of violets, rose petal and anise, it's full-bodied, velvety and layered, with a deep and enveloping core of vibrant fruit, ripe tannins and a long, expansive finish. It's a blend of 52% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, drawing on fully 46 of the blocks that make up Cheval Blanc, and it attained 13.8% alcohol.

Wine Advocate (100)

From bottle, the 2023 Château Cheval Blanc is one of the most compelling wines of the vintage, just as it was from cask. Bursting with aromas of cherries and mulberries mingled with notions of violets, rose petal and anise, it's full-bodied, velvety and layered, with a deep and enveloping core of vibrant fruit, ripe tannins and a long, expansive finish. It's a blend of 52% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, drawing on fully 46 of the blocks that make up Cheval Blanc, and it attained 13.8% alcohol.

James Suckling (99)

Super refined and beautiful with flowers, spices, dried fruit and hints of stones. Medium to full body with very fine tannins and a gorgeous finish. Shows great finesse and depth. Savory character, as always, but in check. Drink in 2022.

James Suckling (100)

This is the greatest Cheval des Andes ever. Discrete aromas of blackberries, flowers, stone and licorice. So perfumed. The integration of fruit, tannins and acidity is fantastic. Full-bodied, tight and solid with beautiful depth and integrity. Extremely long and exciting. Complex and compelling with such refinement and length. A blend of 62% malbec and 38% cabernet sauvignon. Available in September 2020. Better after 2024.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2018 Cheval des Andes is a blend of 70% Malbec and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon fermented in small lots in 3,000- to 8,000-liter tanks and matured 40% in 225-liter oak barrels, 40% in 400-liter oak barrels and the remaining 20% in 2,500-liter oak vats for 13 months. Ninety percent of the oak used was French and the rest a blend of Austrian, Slovenian and German oak, 50% of it new. 2018 has been one of the best vintages in recent times in Mendoza, and the wine shows it. It's a cooler vintage, and the wine has improved in freshness and elegance without losing any clout. It's 14.5% alcohol and has a pH of 3.73. This is young, juicy, elegant and balanced and still has some herbal and toasted notes; it's medium to full-bodied, with the creamy and luxurious texture of the modern Bordeaux, ultra fine tannins and a long, dry and precise finish. It's still undeveloped and seems to have all the components and the balance between them for a long and positive development in bottle. With wines like this, I sometimes wish I had a time machine so I could see them in 20 years from now... I think this is the finest Cheval des Andes I've ever tasted. 100,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2020.

Tim Atkin MW (99)

Cheval des Andes continues its steady ascent towards the summit of the very best and most sought-after New World reds. I tasted this wine over the space of a day and was very close to giving it 100 points. Made from an equal blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, it combines fruit from Las Compuertas and Paraje Altamira to brilliant effect. Aged in 50% new barrels and foudres, it’s effortlessly complex and detailed, with refined tannins, graphite and cut grass aromas, cassis and bramble flavours and remarkable palate length.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2020 Cheval des Andes was harvested from the last of February for the first time ever. It was Gabillet's second vintage at Cheval des Andes, and that year, he had to start without waiting for Pierre Olivier Clouet and Pierre Lurton from Cheval Blanc; when they arrived, they had finished picking the Malbec, which surprisingly was fresher in Las Compuertas (because of the higher percentage of clay?) than in Altamira (where the vines suffered more stress), saving the freshness. They now harvest using cold trucks (for the first time), and they also started earlier in the morning (six in the morning, impossible earlier in Mendoza...), which he reckons was very good for the precision of the wine. They used 40% 225-liter barrels, 40% 400-liter oak barrels and 20% 2,500-liter foudres, half of them new and with an élevage of 15 months on average, depending on the lots and varieties from 12 to 18 months. The final blend was 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, which makes a comeback as it was not used since 2016. The key was to finish the fermentation of the Petit Verdot without skins, and that way, they have been able to use it in the blends of 2021, 2022 and 2023 in small but increasing percentages. This is slightly riper than 2019, with a little more alcohol (14.5%) and with very good structural tannins but saving the freshness, and it has the spicy side from the Petit Verdot (Gabillet talks about white pepper). The wine has the ultra sleek and polished texture and the elegance and the balance that is the signature here; the wine is very clean and precise. I see very good regularity across the three vintages I tasted next to each other—this 2020 and the 2018 and 2019. Overall, this is a triumph over the adverse conditions of the vintage. They produced their usual 100,000 bottles (since 2018), as they are renewing their vineyards and want to keep the volume stable. They produce this volume from the 36 productive hectares they have in Las Compuertas and Altamira. There are some more changes: in 2020, they went for a lighter bottle, weighing 100 grams less than the one they used in 2018 and 2019, but close to 300 grams less than the bottle from before. It's also a slimmer bottle, always thinking about the environment. They are very focused on agroecology, accelerating the regenerative viticulture and using cover crops; they have planted 1,900 trees in the last three years, creating small clusters of biodiversity for birds. They have transplanted some centenary olive trees and keep their sheep and lamas on the property. Very green-minded.

Vinous (98)

A blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon from Altamira, 48% Malbec from Altamira and Las Compuertas and 3% Petit Verdot from Las Compuertas, the 2021 Cheval des Andes showcases a blend in peak form, both in terms of varieties and origins, all from Mendoza. In many ways, 2021 was a Bordeaux-like year for a region as dry and sunny as Mendoza. The wine reflects this, offering delicate cherry and blackberry fruit along with a touch of wild herbs, layered with hints of ash and orange petit-fours. Dry, with fine-grained, lightly reactive tannins, the palate is juicy and enveloping. Though leaner than in previous years, it remains equally refined. Long and nuanced, this is such an elegant wine.

Vinous (98)

The 2016 Barolo Cannubi is beautifully perfumed and gracious. Sweet red berry, kirsch, mint, tobacco and dried flowers all lift from the glass. A wine of total finesse, the 2016 is just stunning in its beauty and arresting sensuality. Time in the glass brings out the wine's silkiness and captivating inner perfume. This is such a fabulous expression of Cannubi. What a wine!

Vinous (95)

The Barolo Cannubi is absolutely gorgeous in 2017. Hot and brutally dry conditions notwithstanding, the Cannubi is creamy and sensual in the glass, with impeccable balance, soft, racy edges and tons of allure. It is easily one of the most sensual, compelling Barolos of the year. Ripe dark red/purplish fruit, spice, mint and cedar meld into the beautifully textured, resonant finish. I am so impressed with the wine's freshness. Perhaps the anti-hail netting helped keep some shade on the fruit. What a wine.

Vinous (93)

The 2015 Barolo Mosconi is striking in this vintage. The natural richness of the year seems especially well suited to this Monforte site, where the wines tend to be born with a natural sense of textural breadth and volume. Black cherry, chocolate, spice, new leather and menthol grow in the glass in a full-bodied, virile Barolo that speaks to power above all else.

Vinous (96)

The 2016 Barolo Mosconi is a gorgeous wine made all the more remarkable given that Mosconi can't really be said to be a top-level site. Dark and imposing, the 2016 captures all the breadth and tannic clout that are such signatures of this site. This is an especially brooding, virile Barolo, but Chiara and Giorgio Boschis clearly brought out all the best the vineyard had to give.

Vinous (98)

The 2019 Barolo Mosconi is the most potent of the three Barolos in the range. It exudes Monforte darkness and virile intensity from the very first taste. Black cherry, plum, mocha, sage, tar, lavender and spice infuse the 2019 with tons of character. This is one of the most elegant wines I have ever tasted from Mosconi, a site that does not naturally lend itself to finesse.

Vinous (95)

The 2011 Barolo Via Nuova is once again fabulous. A wine that brings together the very best of the modern and traditional schools, the 2011 is all about balance. Hints of lavender, sage, violets, dark cherries, plums and new leather add nuance in a pure, crystalline Barolo endowed with tons of nuance allied to a vertical sense of structure. The sensual voluptuousness of the vintage softens some of the contours, which only adds to the wine's considerable appeal. Although it is early, the Via Nuova is shaping up to be one of the wines of the year. It is every bit that compelling. The Via Nuova is a blend of six sites: Terlo and Liste (in Barolo), Mosconi, Ravera di Monforte (in Monforte) and Gabutti and Baudana (in Serralunga).

Vinous (100)

In my opinion, the 2016 Barolo Via Nuova is the single greatest Barolo Chiara Boschis has made in her storied career. A monumental, thrilling wine, the Via Nuova captures all the best the vintage had to give. Explosive in the glass, with stunning aromatic depth, the 2016 is drop-dead gorgeous from the very first taste. Dark macerated cherry, lavender, spice, menthol and rose petal are kicked up a few notches from underlying veins of acidity and tannin that give the wine its energy and drive. The 2016 is a wine of extraordinary harmony, purity and finesse with an eternal finish. The 2016 Barolo Via Nuova is a blend of seven plots: Terlo, Liste, Paiagallo, Ravera di Monforte, Mosconi, Gabutti and Baudana.

Vinous (97)

The 2019 Barolo Via Nuova is another gorgeous wine in this tasting. Soaring and broad in its aromatic intensity, the 2019 has it all. The blend of seven sites works so well. Readers will find a seamless, wonderfully complete Barolo. Dried flowers, herbs, mint, rose petal, kirsch and orange zest lend notable complexity throughout. The 2019 is deep and also quite rich, but not at all heavy. There is a touch of oak sweetness, but it just adds to the wine's exotic beauty.

Le Lucciole is an elevated version of Predappio, sourcing from the 0.8 hectare parcel of Raggio Brusa vineyard. Perched at the lofty altitude of 350 meters, this vineyard is unique in its East-facing situation and poor soils. 100% Sangiovese, this is a very special Italian born-and-bred wine of sensational quality.

The 2018 is a genuine representation of the gracefully balanced vintage. While it offers a welcoming freshness and acidity, there is also a superb concentration to support the wine to cellar in the long term. Production is ultra-limited, only 5,000 bottles were produced.

Vinous (95)

The 2019 Sangiovese Romagna Predappio Riserva is shaping up to be the most classic and refined rendition I've yet tasted of Le Lucciole. The past nine months have added dark, savory depths to its captivating bouquet of crushed raspberry, grilled herbs and smoked dark chocolates. This is silkier and more supple today. A stern mineral core underscores wild berry fruits and exotic spices. Tantalizing acidity adds balance through the structured finale. The 2019 reminds the taster that its years are shy of maturity, tapering off with a saturation of fine tannins that grumble beneath an air of balsam herbs and violet florals. This bottle was followed over two days and never faltered. What a beauty.

Vinous (95)

The 2019 Sangiovese Romagna Predappio Riserva is shaping up to be the most classic and refined rendition I've yet tasted of Le Lucciole. The past nine months have added dark, savory depths to its captivating bouquet of crushed raspberry, grilled herbs and smoked dark chocolates. This is silkier and more supple today. A stern mineral core underscores wild berry fruits and exotic spices. Tantalizing acidity adds balance through the structured finale. The 2019 reminds the taster that its years are shy of maturity, tapering off with a saturation of fine tannins that grumble beneath an air of balsam herbs and violet florals. This bottle was followed over two days and never faltered. What a beauty.

Clear bright ruby colour, the nose is driven by intense crunchy fruits together with floral aromas and the palate is characterised by silky tannins balanced with nice acidity and a long and fresh elegant finish.

Vinous (92)

Mixing both savory and sweet, floral and herbal, earthy yet packed full of bright cherry-berry fruits, the 2019 Sangiovese makes quite a first impression. This is silky in texture, yet juicy and spry with zesty, red berry fruits motivated by brilliant acidity under an air of inner violets and exotic spices. The 2019 has energy to burn, tapering off long and slightly grippy, creating a classically dry impression while also holding your attention firm with its lingering hints of licorice and candied almonds. There is so much balanced pleasure to be had from this Predappio Sangiovese.

Vinous (92+)

The 2020 Sangiovese Romagna Predappio is spicy and deep, with sweet rose and dusty black cherries accentuated by hints of ash and mint. This is undeniably elegant in feel, washing silken waves of ripe wild berries across the palate that leave a mineral staining, along with sweet inner herbal tones. It finishes with a lingering concentration and super-fine tannins as tobacco and cocoa notes slowly fade. The 2020 will require a bit more time in bottle to soften its contours, but it’s packed full of potential. It’s hard to think of this as Chaira Condello’s entry-level wine.

Vinous (93)

The 2017 Carema is soft, open-knit and wonderfully expressive. Rose petal, crushed red berries, orange peel, mint, chalk and white pepper give the 2017 its bright top notes. The 2017 is a bit lighter than the 2018 tasted alongside it, but also a touch more accessible today. It, too, is absolutely delicious.

Following on from the remarkable efforts of 2017 and 2018, the 2019 Carema from micro-estate Chiussuma admirably builds on thestrength of the previous two vintages and represents just the 4th release from this rapidly ascending superstar producer. The quintessential Carema, capturing the essence of the high-altitude conditions and rocky mica-schist soils. Perfumed, fine-boned and structured for an extensive period in the cellar this is a compelling example of why the region has been dubbed the Chambolle-Musigny of the Alto Piemonte.

Wine Advocate (97)

"2013 was a dream year," Chris said. This 2013 Hoffmann Vineyard Shiraz is exceptional. It's monumentally big, but it shows finesse and detail in the mouth that transcends the alcohol and the omnipresent tannin. The tannins... they are ultra fine and totally marbled through the fruit. They drag the flavor out across the tongue—I can still taste it two minutes later. It's extraordinary. "We were in no hurry to pick the fruit—we were just waiting for structure and shape," Chris explained. This is kaleidoscopic and provides a 360-degree view of the wine in the mouth. The wine was matured for just under five years in wood.

This is sensational with blackberries, blueberries and mineral. Extremely floral, too. Full-bodied but so seamless and refined with polished tannins that just melts into the wine. Goes on for minutes. A subtle and glorious wine that will be a new classic for Napa Valley. An emotional red that touches your soul. Energy. 46% cabernet sauvignon, 31% cabernet franc, 17% petit verdot, and 6% merlot. Very approachable now but better in 2022.