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"Good full red. Deeply pitched aromas of smoke, minerals, leather and truffle. Supple and silky but nicely penetrating, with ripe, intense flavors of cherry, minerals and oak perfectly framed by harmonious acids. Subtle, textured Rioja finishing with good grip and thrust." 90pts Vinous

"This red shows depth and complexity, maturing but still fresh. It's generous on the palate, with plum, raisin, cedar and chocolate notes. A true expression of Rioja character. Drink now through 2010. 5,000 cases made." 90pts WS

85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo. Aging in French and American oak cask 36 months and aging in bottle 48 months before going to market. This wine is produced from grapes harvested in vineyards that are over 20 years old. They are bush pruned, with low yields, and hand harvested. Only the healthiest and ripest grapes are selected, and following destalking, the grapes are cold macerated prior to a cold temperature fermentation. Following a long maceration to achieve optimum colour and structure, the wine goes through a malolactic fermentation, to refine the wine, and to leave it with the necessary acidity.

Imperial is one of the renowned references in the entire history of Spanish winemaking. It is a true classic in Rioja and was first bottled in the 1920’s. Its name was originally adopted after a special bottling for the English market in a bottle called ‘Pinta Imperial’ or ‘Imperial Pint’ (an Imperial pint, half a litre approximately). The grapes to make Imperial have always come from our own 28 hectares of vineyards in Villalba (Rioja Alta), and selected vineyards in the nearby communes of Briones and Montalvo, where our vines average age is kept over 20 years to secure quality.

Rioja Alta is the westernmost part of Rioja's three subregions. Its climate is noticeably influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. The soil in Rioja Alta is rich in iron salts, limestone and clay, along with nutrients deposited in the region by the tributaries of the Ebro River. Rioja Alta is known for producing full-bodied wines with a medium alcohol content and a high acidity level that are suitable for being aged in casks, forming the basis of most red Rioja.

CVNE (Compania Vinicola del Norte de Espana) is one of the most renowned and historic bodegas in all of Spain. Founded in 1879 by the Real de Asua brothers, Eusebio and Raimundo, the company has been an integral part of the Rioja region’s ascendance in the world of fine wine. With their combination of traditional roots and innovative vision, CVNE has been one of Rioja’s most reliable sources for high quality wine. The company is still run by descendants of the Real de Asua brothers, now represented by the fifth generation with current CEO Victor Urrutia Ybarra. Since its founding, CVNE’s goal has been to increase the scope of production while maintaining the level of quality on which their reputation was built. Forty years after the original bodega was created, CVNE expanded into the Alavesa region. Today, CVNE is comprised of three separate bodegas: Cune, Vina Real, and Contino. Each of the three estates produces a distinct style of wine from a distinct terroir, and each of their flagship bottlings occupies a well-deserved place in the pantheon of great Spanish wine.

98 points James Suckling
This shows really beautiful purity of fruit with polish and sophistication. The currant and cassis aromas are so enticing and really reflect the name of the wine. Medium to full body. Extremely fine tannins. Shows a level of freshness and agility that caresses the palate. Delicate and beautiful. Mostly Howell Mountain. Drink or hold

94 points Wine Advocate
Composed of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve springs from the glass with notions of red and black currant jelly, baker?????s chocolate, menthol and spice cake plus hints of violets, cedar and kirsch in the undercurrent. Medium to full-bodied, the palate reveals a firm, finely grained texture with tons of freshness backing up the generous fruit, finishing long and perfumed. 9,644 cases were made.

97 pts Wine Advocate
sashays out of the glass with provocative Black Forest cake, warm blackcurrant, wild blueberries and black raspberry scents with an undercurrent of candied violets, menthol, pencil shavings and forest floor...Full bodied..

96 points Vinous
The 2020 Tignanello is so primary, so intensely fruit-driven, that it almost tastes like a barrel sample. A burst of red Sangiovese fruit opens first, followed by hints of blood orange, cinnamon, spice, dried flowers and mocha develop later. Time in the glass brings out striking dimensions. In 2020, Tignanello is wonderfully sleek and racy, with fine tannins that lie below a core of bright, sculpted fruit. The balance here is just sublime. I can't wait to revisit the 2020 with age. (AG) (2/2023)

95 points Wine Advocate
Newly on the market now, the 2020 Tignanello shows a gorgeous bouquet with an upfront and accessible personality. Right off the bat, you get dark cherry, dried raspberry, spice, toasted almond and citrusy blood orange. The blend is normally 75% to 80% Sangiovese with 7% Cabernet Franc. The grape in between, making up 13% to 18%, is Cabernet Sauvignon. This vintage is very pretty and won’t require a long wait. The tannins are sweet and silky. 'Tignanello proves itself as a great vineyard site in both the challenging and the classic years,' says Managing Director Renzo Cotarella. Annual production falls between 300,000-350,000 bottles. Drink: 2025-2045.ML

#3 On The Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines Of 2024!

97 points Wine Spectator
Laced with pure cherry, strawberry, graphite and tobacco aromas and flavors, this red is beautifully supported by a backbone of vibrant acidity and taut, refined tannins. Everything is framed by vanilla and toasty oak in the best sense, revealing harmony, with a long, orange-tinged finish and, yes, even drinkability at this stage. Best to give this a few more years in the bottle. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2027 through 2045.

98 points Wine Advocate
First made in 1971, this legendary Italian wine now celebrates its 50th birthday. Happy Birthday, Tignanello! The Marchesi Antinori 2021 Tignanello (made with 79% Sangiovese, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc) pulls on all the heartstrings. To be released in May, the wine shows a quintessentially pretty taste profile with tart fruit flavors, redcurrant, tea leaf, heritage rose, crushed white pepper, licorice, nutmeg, clove and chopped mint. It opens slowly to reveal more richness and exuberance with time, becoming downright voluptuous and heady a short while later. The through line, however, remains the bright freshness and minerality of Sangiovese. Compared to the 2018 vintage (which I also loved), this vintage has more overall fruit weight and volume. (ML)

98 points Vinous
The 2021 Tignanello is every bit as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel and then just after bottling. Silky and polished, with exceptional finesse, the 2021 has all the pedigree to become a modern benchmark for Tignanello and Italian wine more broadly. Bright dark red fruit, blood orange, spice, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco all soar out of the glass, framed by a discreet touch of French oak that adds raciness. In some vintages, the elements are discernible. In 2021, it is the total harmony of the wine that makes the strongest and deepest impression. The 2021 spent 17 months in wood, three months in neutral oak during the malolactic fermentation and then 14 months (50% new) for the rest of its aging. Superb.

99 points James Suckling
Intense blackberry and graphite character coming out of the glass, together with dried violets, ink and some asphalt. Full-bodied with wonderfully integrated tannins that spread across the palate and then draw you deep into the wine. Lead-pencil and blackcurrant aftertaste. Tightly wound with a cashmere-like texture. A whole and thought-provoking wine. Try after 2028 and beyond.

98 points Jeb Dunnuck
Reminding me a little of the 2009, the 2019 Château Smith Haut Lafitte has a rich, powerful style in its cassis, blueberry, and black raspberry fruit as well as its chalky minerality, smoked earth, tobacco, and lead pencil shaving-like aromas and flavors. A blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, this rich, unctuously textured beauty has terrific concentration, sweet tannins, and the vintage's hallmark elegance and finesse. One of the most concentrated, powerful wines in the vintage, it needs 4-5 years of bottle age (or a healthy decant) and will evolve for 30+ years if stored properly. Not enough can be said about what proprietors Daniel and Florence Cathiard, as well as winemaker Fabien Teitgen, continue to achieve at this estate. )

98 points Wine Enthusiast
Rich in black fruits with a structure that acts as a support. Acidity and blackberry flavors with hints of black coffee and a core of denseness that is very fine. The wine will age well, drink from 2026. Organic and biodynamic.

97 points Decanter
A soft, fragrant nose of rose petals and violets alongside raspberries, cherries, blackcurrants, cola cubes and blackcurrant leaf nuance. Tannins fill the mouth, abundant but oh so soft and finely woven into the overall body of the wine which has delicious cooling mint elements nestled between pristinely ripe blue and black fruit and liquorice spice. The flavours expand slowly along the palate gaining in depth, width and energy. This isn't an immediate showstopper but rather it takes its time, revealing itself layer by layer, so charming and seductive, asking you to linger and take a closer inspection. I absolutely love it.

97 points Vinous
The 2019 Smith Haut-Lafitte blossoms immediately on the nose of seductive blackberry, black olive and Bing cherries, perhaps a little more floral than when I tasted it from barrel, and there is a nearly Burgundy-like purity. The palate is medium-bodied with a smooth, almost creamy entry. This is very harmonious, elegant and poised, leading to a mineral-driven finish. A gorgeous, seductive Smith Haut Lafitte that will give three or four decades of drinking pleasure.

96 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte has turned out very well indeed, unwinding in the glass with a complex bouquet of dark berries, cassis, forest floor, pencil shavings, licorice and spices. Full-bodied, broad and velvety, it's layered and elegantly muscular, underpinned by rich structuring tannins and lively acids, and it concludes with a long, expansive finish. This is another estate where the viticultural and stylistic evolutions of the last decade have delivered a beautifully balanced, harmonious 2019.

99 points James Suckling
The spice and walnut aromas are so enticing. Undertones of blackberries and black truffles. Full-bodied, dense and layered with fantastic tension and seamless tannins. It goes on for minutes. All about classic structure and beauty.

95 points Wine Advocate
Containing the tiniest splashes of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve has a deep garnet-purple color and nose of plum preserves, baked blackberries and cassis with hints of menthol, sandalwood and chocolate box. Full-bodied with soft, seductive tannins and a lively backbone supporting the generous, ripe, opulent fruit, it has a decadent spiciness and great length.

94 points James Suckling
This is really beautiful with raspberry, blackberry and blueberry aromas and flavors. It?????s full-to medium-bodied with firm, integrated tannins and a beautiful finish. Shows lots of finesse and polish in the texture. Some may find it a little austere, but it should soften in a year or two. Better after 2021.

95 pts Vinous
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Heritage Selection, from the back part of the property, is plump, juicy and full of character. Inky dark fruit, mocha, floral notes and spice . All the elements come together so nicely. Picking a bit earlier than in the past helps preserve freshness as well as energy. Time in the glass brings out the wine's volume and resonance. The juicy, creamy style works well here. Inky dark red/purplish fruit, spice, rose petal and new leather build into the resonant finish. I find a bit better balance here than in the Alluvial Selection.

Double-sorted, cold-soaked; whole-berry fermentation for 16 days using native yeasts; natural malolactic fermentation for 3 months; bottled unfiltered and unfined. 20 months, 100% new French oak

89/100pts Wine Advocate:
The 2013 Corton Blanc actually comes from mainly Corton Bressandes, with 10% from Corton les Chaumes. The nose is clean and fresh with beeswax and yellow flower scents that just need to develop more complexity. The palate is medium-bodied with hints of custard cr??me and nougat on the entry, nicely judged acidity with a harmonious, slightly nutty finish that fans out gently, but does not wish to exert great length. Enjoy this over the next 4-6 years.

97 points Wine Advocate
From a beautiful site that must be seen to be believed, the Altesino 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Montosoli is redolent with dark fruit, blackcurrant and crushed slate. The mineral element of Montosoli and its schistic galestro-rich soils comes through beautifully in this vintage to add a linear sense of immediacy and verticality to the bouquet. The mouthfeel is especially elegant, and the wine's acidity is delivered expertly to showcase freshness but more importantly to highlight the quality of the fruit. The effect is very tonic and bright, and you get hints of baked brioche or oven-baked Italian focaccia bread, thanks to careful aging in Slavonian oak.

97 points Vinous
An enticing blend of steeped plums, blood orange, sage and sweet smoke makes the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Montosoli a total pleasure on the nose. Elegant and soothing, it flows across the palate with a silken wave of ripe red fruits and spices as saline minerals slowly saturate under an air of violet inner florals. The 2019 is seamless and harmonious, leaving a coating of edgy tannins to contend with a bump of refreshing acidity as suggestions of tart cranberry and a bitter tinge of clove slowly taper off. This is Montosoli terroir at its very best, and even at this early stage, it's impossible to resist pouring another glass.

97 points Wine Advocate
In my mind, this is the wine that best represents the Casanova di Neri house style. With 30 months of aging in tonneaux, it shows enormous richness and texture, and the stellar fruit quality appears with more primary elegance compared to the more expensive Cerretalto that is released with an extra year of aging. That dynamic is especially pronounced in a comparison of the 2019 and 2018 vintages. The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova has a dark vein of toasted spice, black fruit, ink, blackberry compote, licorice and star anise. Dark as night, it is exceptionally well crafted with a robust delivery of concentrated fruit and solid tannic structure. You can count on excellent cellar potential, or at a minimum, serve it with a classic steak.

96 points Vinous
The 2020 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso is a rich, resonant wine that captures the natural radiance of the Tuscan Coast. Blackberry jam, mocha, plum, chocolate, spice and espresso all build in a mid-weight yet succulent, inviting Bolgheri red. There's terrific richness and resonance here. This is a classic Guado al Tasso. In 2020, the estate did not make its top bottling, the 100% Cabernet Franc Matarocchio, opting to use that fruit for Guado al Tasso. "Late season rains were challenging for the Cabernet Sauvignon, so we chose to use all our best Franc in Guado al Tasso," CEO Renzo Cotarella explained.

96 points Wine Advocate
The Marchesi Antinori 2020 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso sees Cabernet Franc at over 30% of the blend in this vintage, with the rest going to Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% to 20% to Merlot. Matarocchio was not produced this year, and this wine benefits from the extra Cabernet Franc as a result. The 2019 and 2021 vintages of Guado al Tasso are quite concentrated and rich, whereas 2020 is leaner in texture, along the lines of the edition we saw made in 2010. There was rain in September. Managing Director Renzo Cotarella says he would not describe 2020 as a hot vintage because the rain did pose challenges at the end of the growing season. In Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast, budbreak is earlier than in other appellations, and the growing season is longer as a result. This is a benefit to the international varieties used here. The wine shows nice richness and intensity. The Cabernet Franc definitely comes through and adds the characteristic vertical lift and linearity that the grape is known for. You get black fruit, spice, white pepper and no signs of bitter stems or bramble. Sweet, almost milky tannins are interlocked with fresh acidity to give this wine good cellaring potential. The new oak was dialed back a bit in this vintage.

#9 on The Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2019!

96 pts Wine Spectator
Offers a lush, juicy mix of blackberry, blueberry and black cherry flavors that appears seamless, integrating with notes of amaretto, clove and lavender. Plush, juicy and very generous on the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2034. 1,156 cases imported.

Ethereal. Despite its sweetness, the vibrant structure and lightweight frame combine to give an impression that the dried pineapple, apricot and lemon drop candy flavors seemingly melt on the palate. - WS96

98 points Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Barolo Bric del Fiasc is the hallmark wine of the estate, and it shows. Taking on more concentration, it is pure and generous with kirsch, star anise, nutmeg, and menthol and moves impressively to the palate with ease and nobility. It offers fantastic depth while remaining true to the vintage and propels forward through an arch of acidity, while having grounded notes of Earl Grey tea, black cherry, and crushed stones as well as ripe tannins.

"Firm, fresh and complex, with an array of glazed apricot, ginger, maple and cream flavors. Features notes of truffle and mineral on the crisp finish. Drink now. 200 cases imported." Wine Spectator

98 points Jeb Dunnuck
The Grand Vin 2020 Chateau Leoville Poyferre, which is released in a stylish black bottle commemorating a century for the Cuvelier family, is reminiscent of the 2016 with its powerful, concentrated, yet vibrant and inward style. Pure creme de cassis, melted chocolate, loamy earth, graphite, and some spicy nuances all define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with a stacked mid-palate, nicely integrated oak, ripe tannins, and one hell of a great finish. This is another utterly brilliant wine from this team, which has been producing First Growth quality wines for many years now. The blend of the 2020 is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, aged in 80% new barrels, hitting 13.58% natural alcohol and a pH of 3.81. Best After 2028.

96-98 Wine Enthusiast
Rich, luscious and replete with dark plum and dark chocolate flavors, this wine shows great power as well as aging potential. Its richness is balanced by the fresher edge of acidity that stands the wine in good stead as it ages.

97 Points Vinous
The 2020 Leoville-Poyferre is every bit as impressive as it was from barrel. If anything, it has gained in freshness and vibrancy with elevage. Dark cherry, plum, mocha, graphite and a kiss of French oak are some of the many notes that infuse the 2020 with tons of character. I especially admire its vertical energy and buttoned up personality. In some recent vintages Leoville-Poyferre has been quite showy, but the 2020 also has a more nuanced side that is hugely appealing. Antonio Galloni (12/22)

96 Points Vinous
The 2020 Leoville Poyferre was bottled in June. It has a very intense nose, displaying more black fruit than its showing from barrel, also the opulence tempered since its bottling. Fine minerality, hints of clove and bay leaf develop with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a smooth opening, still slightly lactic in style as I remarked from barrel, yet with immense depth and plenty of finesse. The structure really comes through on the finish, a pinch of cracked black pepper and tobacco lending complexity. This is a great Leoville Poyferre that will give more than four decades of enjoyment, though I advise waiting several years before broaching. Neil Martin (12/22)

97 points James Suckling
Sweet berries, smoke, cedar and olives on the nose. Floral. Full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins and a pretty background and ripe fruit. Flavorful finish. Hints of bitter citrus and smoke, too. Very complex. Powerful for Falletto. Drink after 2026.