New Arrivals

95 points Vinous
The 2019 Prieuré-Lichine is impeccable. Creamy, layered and resonant in the glass, the 2019 hits all the right notes. Sweet red cherry/plum, lavender, rose petal, spice, mint and blood orange all build effortlessly. Over the last handful of years Prieuré-Lichine has been the singe most under the radar wine in Margaux. The 2019 is another fine edition. Class, polish and sensuality make Prieuré-Lichine absolutely irresistible

94 points Vinous
The 2019 Reserve de la Comtesse is elegant, silky and nuanced, with terrific presence and tons of pure class. Crushed red berry fruit, mint, blood orange, rose petal and spice all build with a bit of aeration. I am so impressed with the wine's breadth and textural intensity. The 2019 Reserve is without a doubt one of the best recent editions here. Antonio Galloni (02/22)

92-94 points Vinous
The 2019 Reserve de la Comtesse is conspicuously deep in colour. The bouquet takes time to unfurl with exceedingly pure blackberry, raspberry and cassis aromas, the oak seamlessly integrated. The palate is very well balanced with fresh acidity, fine grain tannins, a touch of salinity developing towards the finish that has more grip than previous vintages. Superb. Neal Martin (6/20)

96 points James Suckling
This is extremely linear and refined with a super-fine line of tannins running through the center of the wine. It?€?s full-bodied, yet tight and sophisticated, with a long, long finish. Plenty of blackcurrant, dark chocolate, walnut and cedar in the aftertaste. Try after 2025.

93 points Vinous
The 2020 Sociando Mallet has retained its impressive aromatics from its showing in barrel with beautifully defined blackberry and raspberry fruit, pressed violet and light cedar aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with firm backbone, a little powdery in texture, fine backbone with ample freshness and tension towards its graphite-infused finish. Bravo!

94 points Jeb Dunnuck
The 2020 Chateau Marquis D'Alesme Becker showed well, and this tiny Margaux estate continues to producer fabulous wines under the helm of Marjolaine de Coninck. Based on 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, it has a juicy, medium-bodied, round, even sexy style that carries lots of cassis and assorted darker, blue fruits, notes of spicy wood, flowers, and violet, soft tannins, terrific balance, and great finish. Coming from a mix of gravelly, sandy soils and aged in 50% new French oak, this beauty hit 14% natural alcohol (no doubt helped by the large Merlot component) and is going to benefit from just a few years of bottle age. It's going to see its 20th birthday in fine form. Best After 2026

Organic

96 points James Suckling
Attractive aromas of blackberries, plum skins, cloves, cardamom, dark chocolate, cedar and graphite. Some wet stones, too. Full-bodied, opulent and broad-shouldered. Structured and refined. It has a deep core of ripe black fruit covered with layers of plush and velvety tannins that linger for a long time on the palate. Really long and even.

96 points Jeb Dunnuck
I continue to absolutely love what this estate puts in the bottle, and it remains an incredible value given its quality. The 2020 Château Saint-Pierre (Saint-Julien) reveals a deeper ruby/purple hue to go with gorgeous aromatics of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, gravelly earth, and chocolate. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it shows the more elegant, pure, precision style of the vintage, has perfectly integrated background oak, ripe tannins, and a great finish. This brilliant Saint Julien will benefit from 4–6 years of bottle age and have 30+years of overall longevity. Bravo.

95 points Jeb Dunnuck
Tasted on multiple occasions, the 2020 Château Lascombes is clearly another brilliant wine from this château that readers will love. Sporting a deep purple hue as well as a classic bouquet of cassis, dried flowers, freshly sharpened pencils, and obvious minerality, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, has a layered, elegant mouthfeel, lots of building tannins, and a great finish. It’s going to need 4-6 years at a minimum but is some serious Margaux brilliance that will have 30 years of longevity.

95 points James Suckling
Aromas of crushed blackcurrants and cherries with dried Provence herbs, lavender, raw walnuts and spiced cedar. Graphite, too. Full and muscular with a broad-shouldered, velvety tannin structure that goes on for minutes. Textured and chalky with a lingering finish. Very polished. 55% cabernet sauvignon, 40% merlot and 5% petit verdot.

Organic

97-99 points Jeb Dunnuck
This ch??teau has been firing on all cylinders of late, no doubt due to the talents of technical director Nicolas Audebert, and a wine that's going to flirt with perfection is their 2022 Ch??teau Rauzan-S??gla. Powerful notes of black cherries, currants, smoked tobacco, chocolate, and leafy herbs all define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, concentrated texture, ripe yet building tannins, and a great finish. This is a legit great wine that's going to rival the 2010, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2020.

97-98 points James Suckling
The freshness and clarity of the fruit is really something with black currants and cherries. Brilliant. Full-bodied, layered and round with polished tannins. I like the intensity and focus with such precision and gorgeousness. Is this the 2016 plus more?

97 points Decanter
Gorgeously fragranced on the nose with perfumed black fruits and pink flowers - smells very Margaux. Clean and crisp, a beautiful precision from the start with ripe and rich fruit but cool fresh acidity and sleek, fine tannins. A little shy, still compact and tightly knitted, but lovely detail, so well worked, almost delicate but there's still quite fleshy, plush fruit. Excellent concentration but delivered with an easy sleight of hand, expanding with time in the glass. Glamorous, scented, inviting, deep and seductive. A brilliant and totally moreish wine. Yield of 30hl/ha. 3.7pH. 17% press wine. Harvest 2-28 September. Ageing in French oak for 14-16 months, 15% new. In organic conversion. Tasted twice.

93-95 points Vinous
The 2022 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou contains a lot more Merlot this year as they were compensating for the lack of Cabernet Sauvignon, this Deuxième Vin raised in 80% new oak. It has a delineated bouquet with a mixture of red and black fruit. The briary and smoky aromas feel more understated compared to its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and seamlessly integrated oak that lends a silky texture. Very harmonious with an insistent grip (the IPT is 93), it lacquers the mouth long after it has departed. That Pauillac tincture is displayed and defines its precise finish. Excellent, but be warned that the oak will require several years to assimilate fully. Not so far behind the Grand Vin because of the growing season.

93-95 points Jeb Dunnuck
The second wine of this great château, the 2022 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou is based on two-thirds Merlot with the balance mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, raised in 80% new French oak. Hitting 14% natural alcohol, its vivid purple hue is followed by stunning aromatics of cassis, blueberries, tobacco, graphite, and chalky minerality. Full-bodied on the palate, it brings plenty of concentration and structure yet is balanced and has a great mid-palate and outstanding length. If there was a ranking for the top second wines in Bordeaux, this would be in the top handful of releases.

95-96 points James Suckling
The density of fruit is serious with blackcurrants, black berries, crushed stone and coffee beans. Yet it’s not heavy and overdone. The palate is full and rich, but also agile and weightless, with tannins that are spread and pretty.

93 points Vinous
The 2022 Réserve de la Comtesse Is a sexy wine. Plush contours wrap around a core of black cherry, plum, graphite and dried flowers. The 2022 is unusual in that it includes all the Petit Verdot produced at the property. That's a decision that paid off handsomely. Antonio Galloni

96 points Decanter
Juicy and intensely ripe in terms of texture - tannins are fleshy but also really cool giving this a push-pull of bright acidity and actually quite serious mineral elements of flint and liquorice. Such an appealing weight in the mouth, layered and structured with expressive fruit and lively juiciness all combining to a stylish and inviting whole. So much going on but managed with finesse and elegance. A clear success in 2022. Harvest 8-30 September. Ageing 21 months in French oak, 60% new. Tasted twice.

96-97 points James Suckling
This is one hell of an Issan with blackberry, blackcurrant, and hazelnut aromas and flavors. Cherries. Cedar. Full and intense with tannins that are long and bright. Goes tight at the end, indicating greatness. 65% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 2% cabernet franc, 2% malbec and 1% petit verdot

96 points Decanter
Deep, heady, really quite seductive and aromatic on the nose, draws you in with bramble fruits, chocolate, exotic spices and perfumed floral nuances. Juicy and lively, pure and focussed, but such a vibrancy to this wine. Sweet and sour elements combine with really salty, chalky, powdery and quite filling tannins that give the nuance of flavour and texture. Bright yet serious, finessed yet layered. Lovely intensity of elements. On the more savoury side right now in terms of lingering flavour but there?€?s mouthwatering acidity giving the liveliness and sense of fun. I really like this, textured, upfront, forward, extremely drinkable and so approachable, but thrilling too. An exciting wine with great integration and finesse and still clear strength underneath. One of the most exciting wines this year. Stylish, potent and polished. I love it! A yield of 30hl/ha. Harvest 15 - 28 September. 1% PV planted in 1948, 12% press wine. 2% Malbet and 1% Petit Verdot complete the blend. Total acidity: 3.55. 50% new barrels. 3.67pH.

97-98 points James Suckling
This is a big move forward for Giscours. Full-bodied yet agile and fresh with tannins that are precise and integrated, with great beauty and length. Well-structured and vivid. Extremely fine yet defined tannins, and then it opens like a butterfly.

96 points Decanter
A seriously impressive and beguiling Giscous in 2022 and one of the most elegant. A remarkable wine with gorgeous clarity and purity and just the most gentle seduction, even more so because it really doesn't feel as if it's trying too hard yet still delivering depth and complexity. Fresh and lifted, fragrant and so juicy but with textured tannins that give both the weight, structure and density to the quite bright, tangy, vibrant fruit. Nicely composed, feels quite powerful yet restrained and finessed offering lots of immediate drinking appeal but with a serious backbone that suggests long ageing too. Elegant, fineseed, subtle confidence with such cool minerality that gives freshness all the way through. It's not the most dense, or fleshy, but so refined. A compelling wine. Possible upscore in bottle. 3% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. 3.70pH. A yield of 27hl/ha, the lowest ever. No Sirene de Giscours this year. 100% grand vin. Ageing 17 months, 50% new oak. 10-15% press wine

95-97 points Vinous
The 2022 Giscours is a regal, sophisticated wine. Succulent red cherry, blood orange, spice, menthol and rose petal lend notable vibrancy and freshness throughout. Most surprisingly, the 2022 remains light on its feet, especially for a wine made from such low yields in a warm, dry year. Over the last few years Giscours has been one of the most improved properties in the Médoc. The 2022 is another step in that direction. Sublime.

95-97+ points Jeb Dunnuck
I was able to taste the 2022 Château Beychevelle on multiple occasions, and it never failed to impress me. Based on 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that will see 18 months in 70% new oak, it's one of those wines that makes you stop and say "wow" due to its purity, depth, and texture. Sporting a dense purple hue as well as lots of blueberry and black cherry fruits, it's full-bodied and has a layered, seamless mouthfeel, building yet gorgeous tannins, and subtle background notes of crushed violets, flowers, and graphite. This is a sensational effort from director Philippe Blanc.

95-97 points Vinous
The 2022 Beychevelle was picked between 12-29 September at 36hL/ha, matured in 70% new oak. It has an intense bouquet with black cherries, blueberry and touches of cassis and violet. Not as ostentatious as some other Saint-Julien wines at this early stage, but delineated, and it positively brims with energy. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit framed by beautifully-sculpted tannins. The 2022 is very harmonious, satin-like in texture, and gently fans out toward the finish. It ends up being one of the most seductive Beychevelles I have tasted from barrel, one not to be overlooked. Chapeau, Mr. White! 14.08% alcohol. (Neal Martin)

The Chassagne-Montrachet Village is matured in 20% new oak. It has a generous bouquet with orchard fruit touches of almond and patisserie. It will require a couple of years to absorb the oak. The palate is well-balanced with a fine bead of acidity countering the richness though it needs to muster a little more complexity on the finish.

The grapes for this cuvée are sourced from four separate parcels within Pierreclos: Margots, Le Château, Les Grands Buys and La Bucherate. The average age of the vines is forty-five years. The vineyards face east, southeast and south and are situated about 350 feet above sea level on the gently sloping hills of Pierreclos. The wine is aged in cuve in contact with the fine lees but without any exposure to oak.

Organic

92 points Wine Advocate
These are not happy times for Dolcetto, with many vintners today ripping out their vines to replace this grape with Nebbiolo. The Roagna family is determined to keep its two parcels of Dolcetto in Barbaresco. Luca's grandfather drank Dolcetto every day, and just as he loved it, this wine is made in an old-school style. Fruit comes from 70- and 80-year-old vines. The 2023 Dolcetto d'Alba sees an incredible 100 days of maceration, and the idea is to get as much tannin as possible from the skins and seeds because Dolcetto is not naturally tannic. Winemaking is an infusion with submerged cap. Pump-overs and punch-downs are largely avoided. This gives the wine just enough structure for a modest aging window. Otherwise, you get very pleasurable, crunchy fruit over a mid-weight delivery with delicate tones of rose, violet and cherry cola

Organic

95 pts Wine Advocate
The Caiarossa 2019 Caiarossa is a complex blend featuring Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, Syrah and Alicante from vineyard sites across this beautiful property in the high hills off the Tuscan coast. This organic and biodynamic wine is full and generous to the palate, yet it never feels heavy or too extracted. The wine is balanced and fresh with thick layers of dark fruit, crushed stone, tobacco and exotic spice.

97 points Wine Advocate
The nose of the 2020 Reserva is beautiful, perfumed and floral, showy and expressive, really open. The palate is medium to full-bodied, with fine-boned and very fine and chalky tannins. It has 14% alcohol, not a shy red, with power and concentration, freshness and terrific balance. It has a long finish with a touch of licorice and violets. It has to be among the best vintages for Reserva. 2020 was a very good year for Dominio del Águila. It matured in French oak barrels for 33 months. 38,221 bottles and 868 magnums produced. It was bottled in July 2023. It is young but approachable and should age beautifully.

Organic

97 points Wine Advocate
The Ribera del Duero red 2021 Matallana comes from a challenging year but with very good potential for quality and quantity. It has grapes from different vineyards in five different villages on different soils, where they made a big selection to keep the very best grapes; they got 80,000 kilograms of grapes and ended up producing some 22,000 bottles. It fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel and oak vats. It matured in French oak barrels of different sizes for 14 months. This is a superb classical Ribera del Duero with ripeness, concentration, balance and elegance and the freshness from a cooler year marked by the big snowstorm in January and a milder summer. It has 14.4% alcohol with a pH of 3.72 and 4.6 grams of acidity. It's very spicy and peppery, showy and extroverted, very spicy with some exotic notes of nutmeg, ripe wild berries, violets and herbs. It's medium to full-bodied with very chalky tannins and is tasty, almost salty.

Crafted by Telmo Rodriguez

94-96 points Wine Advocate
The nose of the 2022 Flor de Pingus has a peachy note (peche de vigne!). It's perfumed, elegant, more fruit-driven, tender, delicate and ripe without excess (but possibly the ripest of the 2022s, perhaps the influence of the younger vines). It has a tender palate with glossy tannins and a rounder mouthfeel. The finish is dry, even a little austere, with fine chalkiness. In general, the 2022s showed quite well, much better than expected. The wine was blended and clarified and is in tank waiting to be bottled. They expect to bottle the 2022s in June (or late May). They expect some 89,000 bottles, a little less because the young vines suffered more with the heat.

80% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha sourced from the prized Finca la Pedrizavineyard.

95 points James Suckling
[#38 Top 100 Wines of Spain 2023] A more vibrant and fruitier expression of Ardanza this year with strawberries, mussels, warm spices and berries. Round and silky on the palate with lovely spices and a long, nicely saline finish. A nice touch of creaminess works really well here and further extends the finish. 80% tempranillo and 20% garnacha. Drink or hold.

94 points Wine Advocate
2017 was not an easy harvest, but it produced some beautiful and classical wines, like the 2017 Viña Ardanza Reserva, which shows a little more advancement and polish and is ready to drink. It was produced with 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha from their vineyard La Pedriza in Tudelilla. It fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and matured in American oak barrels, 36 months for the Tempranillo and 30 for the Garnacha (that was harvested 15 days later), with six rackings. It's ripe and aromatic, tertiary, with 14.5% alcohol and mellow acidity, a medium-bodied palate and sleek tannins. It has a pungent note of clove and pepper, some licorice and ink and the cherries in liqueur from the Garnacha. An updated classical Ardanza. 600,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2021.

80% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha sourced from the prized Finca la Pedrizavineyard.

95 points James Suckling
[#38 Top 100 Wines of Spain 2023] A more vibrant and fruitier expression of Ardanza this year with strawberries, mussels, warm spices and berries. Round and silky on the palate with lovely spices and a long, nicely saline finish. A nice touch of creaminess works really well here and further extends the finish. 80% tempranillo and 20% garnacha. Drink or hold.

94 points Wine Advocate
2017 was not an easy harvest, but it produced some beautiful and classical wines, like the 2017 Viña Ardanza Reserva, which shows a little more advancement and polish and is ready to drink. It was produced with 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha from their vineyard La Pedriza in Tudelilla. It fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and matured in American oak barrels, 36 months for the Tempranillo and 30 for the Garnacha (that was harvested 15 days later), with six rackings. It's ripe and aromatic, tertiary, with 14.5% alcohol and mellow acidity, a medium-bodied palate and sleek tannins. It has a pungent note of clove and pepper, some licorice and ink and the cherries in liqueur from the Garnacha. An updated classical Ardanza. 600,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2021.

In a word... Ripe. Dense purple in color, this wine opens with aromas of ripe red fruits, cherries, anise, cedar, savory spice, roasted coffee, and tobacco. The wine is velvety and lush presenting delicious flavors of raspberry, cherry and plum with warm baking spice, earthy undertones, and a hint of vanilla. The flavors are complemented by lively acidity and fine tannins that lift the wine suggesting a long life. The finish is long, supple and mouthwatering. This Paso Robles Cabernet is the perfect match for local almond wood grilled chicken with a side of stone ground grits, roasted poblano chiles and pepper jack cheese

Dry