Red

#68 on The Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines Of 2025

90 points Wine Spectator
Ripe with cherry, this is juicy and pure, showing accents of earth and leafy underbrush. Winds down leisurely, with balance, a firm edge and fine length. Drink now through 2028.

92 points Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of blackberry and white chocolate with a touch of cedar lead the way for flavors of pomegranate, raspberry, milk chocolate and a touch of spice. Polished tannins evaporate into a long and vivid finish.

91 points Wine Spectator
Vanilla, licorice, dried mint, incense and tar notes offer a fragrant overtone to flavors of black raspberry, blackberry, dried fig and iron. This medium- to full-bodied red is refreshed by lively acidity and structured by lightly chalky tannins. Drink now through 2031.

(40% Garnacha, 30% Samso, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah) Camins del Priorat is a delicious entry-level offering from the famed winemaker Alvaro Palacios. It offers full-bodied, rich, deeply concentrated flavors of crisp cherry and ripe berries, with exotic floral and spice accents and a beautiful, seamless texture. A wine that always over delivers for the price, and a great introduction to high-quality Priorat! - Distributor

92 points Tim Atkin
It's light and we don't know why after such a dry summer," says Bertrand Sourdais of his Tinto Fino from 771 different parcels in San Esteban de Gormaz. Juicy, floral, refined and well balanced, it combines subtle wood spices, bramble, plum and blueberry flavours and sculpted tannins. 2024-29

91 points Wine Advocate
The Marchesi Antinori 2023 Bolgheri Rosso Guado al Tasso Il Bruciato is an easy blend of Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The 2023 vintage reveals a more powerful and riper character compared to 2022. Baked flavors do come through in this latest vintage with prune and cooked plum. But you also get added sweetness from the barrel aging that imparts dustings of cinnamon and nutmeg. The tannins are soft and accessible.

The review is on the previous vintage.

94 points Wine Advocate
I also tasted the 2022 Anza where he added the grapes of one more plot in Laguardia. The wine has his house style of elegance, subtleness and nuance; it's clean and precise and does not show any heat or oak. It's seamless, bright and velvety. Delicious. 23,420 bottles produced. It was bottled in September 2023.

Diego Magaña purchased another two plots to make one hectare in the zone of San Martín, planted with 80-year-old vines and in Villalba on stony soils, where the plants are 50 years of age. He's now thinking about organic certification, as he has not used any systemic treatments since 2020, and the vines are herbicide free. He's one of the more precise, new young producers in Rioja (and Bierzo), his wines are elegant and clean in the best modern style you can think of.

• Mostly Tempranillo with some Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo, Viura and Malvasía Riojana
• 30 to 50+-year-old bushvines in pure limestone soils
• Fermented with indigenous yeast in open-top wood vats with whole bunches as vintage allows
• Raised for about a year in one 4,000L tina and 225L barrels, all used

93 points Jeb Dunnuck
The 2023 Zinfandel Old Vine was raised in 600-gallon foudre with a small proportion (8%) in new oak, and it’s roughly 90% Zinfandel along with an eclectic field mix. The nose opens to bright peppery spice, fresh cut flowers, and black raspberries, with deeper notes of fresh sanguine earth coming through. The palate is full-bodied yet restrained, with a detailed structure and length with a mountainous feel. It’s a great lens into the range they produce here at Bedrock and a tremendous value. Drink 2025-2032

From winemaker and Master of Wine, Morgan Twain-Peterson.

Organic

Crafted by Brianne Day. 100% Pinot Noir from organically farmed vineyards within the Willamette Valley. The majority of the blend is from Finnigan Hill Vineyard – a higher elevation site in the Chehalem Mountains AVA. Other vineyard sources include Yamhill Springs Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, as well as Roshni and Cassin Vineyards in McMinnville AVA. Fermented with native yeasts and matured in neutral French oak

94 points James Suckling
A mix of red and black fruits with lavender and fresh herbs followed by vanilla, blanched almonds and a hint of black ink and pencil lead. Full-bodied, firm and juicy tannins with good acidity backbone. Sound and harmonious wine with beautiful drinkability. Terrific quality. This needs two or three years to take the edge off

Organic / Biodynamic

94 points Vinous
The 2022 Garnacha Navaherreros hails from Gredos, a subzone of San Martín de Valdeiglesias. It delivers pure ripe guinda with gentle herbal notes, pomegranate, grenadine and a background of cinnamon. This light-bodied red is delicate and enticing with tannic grip and a touch of ripeness. Richness meets whole-bunch tannins to create a compact palate.

Organic / Natural

White Horse is Bloomer Creek's light-hearted tribute Cheval Blanc, the great Saint-milion blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The Cabernet Franc for White Horse comes from Bloomer's Auten and Barrow Vineyards (vine age ranges from 9-25 years), the Merlot comes from Barrow Vineyard and was planted in 2015. Vinification is similar to the 2019 Cabernet Franc, with a blend of destemmed, crushed and whole cluster fruit fermented in open vats over a three week period. The wine is matured for two years in oak before bottling, unfined and unfiltered.

Natural / Sustainable

Capitán Xurelo is a red blend from many different vineyards. It's produced like of the all reds here, with full clusters that were foot-trodden and fermented with indigenous yeasts. It finished fermenting in barrel and remained there until the next harvest, when it was transferred to stainless steel where it matured for a further eight months. Here, they look for a more austere, perhaps rustic profile. This has tons of notes of acid berries and is light to medium-bodied, with a minty and balsamic touch.

Organic / Biodynamic

92 points Wine Advocate
The red 2020 Phincas is a village wine from Elvillar produced with grapes from their older biodynamic vines. It's mostly Tempranillo with 10% Graciano and 5% Viura fermented with full clusters in concrete and matured in 225- and 500-liter barrels for 30 months and then blended together and put in an oak vat for a further six months. It's ripe at 14.5% alcohol, with notes of dry herbs and esparto grass, with a Mediterranean feeling to it. The palate is full-bodied, with dusty tannins and a dry finish. Better with food.

92 points Wine Spectator
Chalky in texture and firmed by fine-grained tannins, this fragrant red layers a zesty underpinning of cracked pink peppercorn and crushed stone with blackberry coulis, medicinal herb, cinnamon and floral notes. Well-meshed, with a lingering, aromatic finish. Drink now through 2035. 850 cases made, 92 cases imported.

Organic / Biodynamic

96+ points Wine Advocate
For Juan Antonio Ponce, the 2022 La Estrecha is the vintage that better showcases the finesse of Bobal that they have been looking for, which he describes as fine, ethereal, fresh, elegant and intense. The plot has vines over 75 years old, with 90% Bobal and other mixed varieties on granite soils. It fermented with 100% full clusters in a 4,500-liter barrel and matured in a 5,000-liter oak foudre (instead of in 600-liter barrels like in the past) for 10 months. The wines are not fined, filtered or cold stabilized. This has only 12.5% alcohol, which is possible in the Mediterranean. This is very pale, delicate and ethereal, the change in the élevage from barrels to larger foudre seems to have had a big impact in the wine that feels more relaxed. 4,800 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2023.

91 points Decanter
Produced since 1979, Castellares annata sees its usual dollop of Canaiolo Nero as well as a brief passage in small French oak barrels. It is slightly confected to begin, then comes into focus with pure, fresh dark raspberry. Intense floral nuances of violet and rose join in, carrying over on the palate. It is concentrated in flavour with a light dusting of chalky tannins, while intrinsic juiciness keeps it agile. Admirable depth and length for the category. -Michaela Morris, Feb 2025

95 points Wine Advocate
The white Godello 2023 La Salvacion was produced with grapes from a one-hectare centenary plot in Arganza, the northernmost and cooler village in Bierzo, a plot on clay and slate that was regrafted from Mencia some 20 years ago. The destemmed grapes were pressed in a pneumatic press, and the juice fermented in 500-liter oak barrels after setting for 24 hours. It matured in those barrels for one year, with the lees but without batonnage. It has 13% alcohol, a pH of 3.07 and 7.25 grams of acidity, meaning good ripeness and very good freshness and acidity. It's vibrant and very tasty, piercing and pungent, with a nice compromise between power and elegance. It's more direct, sharp and tasty but with restraint; it takes time to open up in the glass. 6,700 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2025.

Cesar Marquez Perez, Raul Perez's nephew, is one of the most precise winemakers in Bierzo with the family Castro Ventosa range and his personal project, which he started in 2015. In the 2023 vintage, he is releasing a new wine from the Villegas area, a lieu-dit in Valtuille on sandy soils. The single-vineyard wines are aging in increasingly larger oak containers, combining 1,200-liter vats with 500- and 600-liter barrels. He owns 7.2 hectares and works a further seven with local growers across Bierzo, from altitudes ranging between 450 to 850 meters above sea level. His production is slowly growing, and he now crafts 60,000 bottles per year.

As he told me while tasting the wines from the family winery, Castro Ventosa, which he also vinifies, "2023 was a cooler vintage with rain at the beginning of the harvest. The wines have a floral, serious and elegant profile with a contained alcohol content of 12.5% to 13%." These are some of the finest and more elegant wines he has produced so far.

Organic

The composition is 60% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is marked by a vibrant ruby/garnet color married to a richly spicy nose with hints of tobacco and coffee in the background; the flavors are dominated by red currant, cassis, and raspberry; the texture is silky and the wine is smooth and generous on the palate; the subtle tannins have grip but are graceful making this wine particularly welcoming over the near term.
The Pueyos follow traditional vinification techniques. After a 3 day cold maceration, fermentation takes place in both cement tanks and stainless steel tanks. Either way, temperatures are closely monitored so the fermentation proceeds at a controlled pace with maximum temperatures reaching 28 degrees Celsius. The “cuvaison” (fermentation + maceration) usually lasts between 15 and 20 days. Closely monitoring the temperature during fermentation helps avoid extracting the harsher, more bitter tannins that can appear if the temperature gets too high. Half of the wine is aged in barrels for 18 months following fermentation. Only 25% new barrels and 25% one-year-old barrels are used each year, to avoid overwhelming the fruit. The second part of the cuvée is aged in cement tanks. The two parts of the wine are ultimately blended, then fined with egg whites before bottling.

The 2017 vintage was tied for Third Place in PJ Wine's - Wine of the Year 2021 blind taste-off.

93 points Jeb Dunnuck
Tasted on two seperate occasions, the 2021 Chateau Cote de Baleau reveals a dense ruby hue to go with beautiful aromatics of ripe black cherries, roasted herbs, leather, and smoked tobacco. It's a rich, medium-bodied nicely concentrated, elegant Saint Emilion with a supple, layered mouthfeel, ample tannins, and outstanding length. It's a gorgeous 2021 that readers will love. Drink bottles over the coming two decades.

93 points Wine Enthusiast
Owned by the Cuvelier family, owners of Premier Grand Cru Classé Clos Fourtet, this estate of 44 acres has produced an elegant wine. A fine line of fresh acidity cuts through perfumed black fruits and still firm tannins.

91 points Vinous
The 2021 Côte de Baleau is a delight. Plump, juicy and forward, the 2021 is a fine choice for drinking now and over the next decade or so. Charming. - Antonio Galloni

94 points Vinous - Neal Martin
The 2022 Cote de Baleau has an expressive nose with clean and precise blackberry, graphite, pressed violet and iris scents. The palate is medium-bodied with a little more flesh than the Poujeaux. It's crisp, focused and mineral-driven, with plenty of energy on the finish derived from the limestone part of the vineyard. This is superb. Drinking Window: 2027 - 2037

93 points Vinous - Antonio Galloni
The 2022 Cote de Baleau is another gorgeous wine from the Cuvelier family. Deep and racy in the glass, the 2022 possesses terrific energy from start to finish. Blood orange, cinnamon, cherry, rose petal, new leather and mocha are all finely cut in this aromatic, mid-weight Saint-Emilion. The 2022 is a stellar Cote de Baleau and a wine that points to greater ambition for this property. Moreover, Cote de Baleau is one of the best wines readers will find in its price range. Impressive.

93 points Wine Spectator
This is stylish, with a core of mulled black cherry and black currant fruit that glides through, laced with chestnut, violet and alder hints, all backed by a tug of warm earth on the lengthy finish. Solid. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2027 through 2038

Organic

91 points Vinous
Ripe raspberry, pressed violets, licorice and dried herbs compose the multifaceted aromatic profile of the 2022 Cotes du Rhone Coudoulet de Beaucastel. Shaped gently by soft tannins, this refined red contains solid substance and caps off with persistence on the classic finish. Give it another two years to start revealing its full potential.

Organic

Organic

92 points Jeb Dunnuck
A blend of 54% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the 2020 Château Ormes De Pez offers up a great perfume of red and black currants, sweet tobacco, sandalwood, and spice. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, with ripe tannins and good overall balance, it's another terrific 2020 that offers pleasure even today yet will evolve for 15+ years if well stored.

92 points Wine Spectator
Fresh and direct, with lilac and savory notes running with a core of damson plum and red cherry coulis. Reveals a piercing iron note on the sneaky long finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2034.

Organic

Domaine de Boissan, located in Sablet, dates back to the 18th century; today it is in the capable hands of Christian and Cathy Bonfils, who are fifth-generation growers originally from Burgundy. Their Cuvee Prince d'Orange from 35-year-old vines; aged in oak for 6-8 months, it has hints of hazelnut and pepper on the nose and a palate that is rich and complex with a touch of blackcurrant on the finish.

Danielle Meunier of Château Haut Segottes is the winemaker. Chateau Haut-Segottes second wine provides a supple, beguiling counterpoint to the flagship cuvée’s muscular classicism. Comprised entirely of Merlot—partly from a one-hectare plot in the dark-sand soils of Corbin, and partly from a hectare in Fortin—Clos Petit-Corbin displays the sheer elegance the variety can achieve in this appellation. Florent and Danielle employ no new wood here, and a small portion of the wine remains in tank during the élévage, thereby further emphasizing its purity and drinkability. What strikes the drinker about this wine is its sense of grace: this is not Merlot forced into some caricature of voluptuousness or gym-pumped into an awkward imitation of Cabernet; rather, it revels comfortably in its lip-smacking red-fruited prettiness. It’s the kind of wine that can only be produced here, and only by growers who are able to fully trust noble Merlot to be its truest self.

94 points Decanter
Spicy, savoury and toasty, displaying aromas of dried herbs, cloves and cocoa, some dried black fruits notes. Very long finish.

92+ points Wine Advocate
A new wine from the Viña Real winery, the 2020 Bakeder is a village red produced with Tempranillo grapes from Laguardia. It has contained oak and good ripeness at 13.95% alcohol, a more modern style of red that shows very young, quite fruit-driven and with a soft mouthfeel and velvety tannins. It has purity of fruit, elegance and finesse with respectful oak after 10 months in French barriques. There are some 30,000 bottles of this. It was first produced in 2019.

This wine is rustic Nebbiolo through and through, that is delightful to drink even in its youth. The body is a very pretty elegant red hue, with traditional notes of smoke, leather and scorched earth. There is a slight note of oak that pairs nicely with some dusty tannins on the finish. It does needs to unwind a bit in the glass, which is typical for the varietal. This is a solid value in traditionally made Nebbiolo.

The De Forville family emigrated to Piedmont from Belgium in 1848 and established themselves in the village of Barbaresco in 1860. Here, the family was instantly engaged in growing the Nebbiolo grape under the direction of Gioachino De Forville. Now, the fifth generation is in place: Valter and Paolo Anfosso, the two sons of Bruno and Mafalda.

In the early part of the twentieth century, the De Forvilles sold their wine in bulk directly to restaurants and to retailers who then bottled the wine. In 1940 the estate bottled its first wine and now virtually their entire production is bottled at the estate

The nearly 11 hectare domaine is divided between holdings in the villages of Barbaresco [4.5 hectare] and Castagnole Lanze [6.5 hectare], a commune that is about four kilometers east of Barbaresco in the direction of Asti.

Their Barbaresco is the standard-bearer for the estate. The vines are planted exclusively within the confines of Barbaresco and are scattered among various “crus”, including Rabaja and Pozzo. The average age of the vines is 35 years. After harvest, the juice is fermented in stainless steel for approximately two weeks; then the wine is racked into large oak “botti” to age at least 18 additional months and frequently longer before being bottled. This wine is emblematic of the work done at the De Forville estate: the wine is rigorously traditional, marrying the finesse of Barbaresco with the alluring aromas and flavors of truffle, earth, berries, rose, tar and leather and carrying, most important of all, a backbone of sweet, dusty tannins that give length and breed.

#66 on The Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2023!

91 points Wine Spectator
Offers good energy and refined flavors of blackberry, dusky spices and black olive that build structure toward medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2031.

Organic

40% Malbec, 30% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is the one wine in our Mexican wine selection that speaks to the Mexican heat. This is a full-bodied red with a voluptuous presence on the palate and chewy tannins. Reminded me of the wines of Ribera del Duero, decadent but crafted really well.

Organic / Biodynamic

92-93 points Wine Advocate
The sample of the 2022 Pétalos has a fresh twist of watermelon, which is quite remarkable, as the summer torrid and very dry and they expected much riper wines. Some 25% of the grapes used here are from owned vineyards in the village of Corullón and 80% purchased grapes. They used more white grapes this year, more than any other year, to give the wines freshness. The result is much better than expected; there's not much acidity, but using so many different plots allows more room to play with the blend, which is something they can only do here and in Corullón. It's perfumed and quite harmonious, balanced and fresher than expected. They expect to fill some 290,000 bottles. This is the 20th anniversary of Pétalos and the 25th anniversary of the winery

Organic

92 points Wine Enthusiast
Oregon and Washington fruit collide to shout, "gamay, gamay, hey." The wine is a mix of whole cluster carbonic maceration and traditional fermentation done in stainless steel, concrete and neutral oak. It is packed with aromas and flavors of strawberries, dark chocolate, pickled watermelon and cut grass. The acidity will make you feel alive.

Winery: Gamay is simply the most delicious, delightful, versatile grape. It hails from the Beaujolais region and also flourishes in the Loire Valley of France, and has witnessed rapid popularization in growth in the U.S. over recent years.

We fell hard for the carbonic maceration fermentation technique while learning about and making wine in the Beaujolais region. Produced like a traditional Beaujolais-Villages wine, we utilize carbonic and semi-carbonic maceration as the layering components.

Fruit, juice, spice, and everything nice.

Aromas of cherry, strawberry and a hint of toffee are present on the nose. In the mouth, the wine has a delicate floral and berry palate which is nuanced by supple oak and vanilla characteristics.

After strict pruning and a mid-season green harvest to control yields, the grapes are hand-picked in small boxes with hand-sorting at the vineyard and the winery to ensure only the finest grapes. Prefermentation cold maceration is followed by alcoholic fermentation at 82°F, with malolactic fermentation in barrels for 21 to 28 days. Aged 50% in three year old French oak barrels and 50% in steel tanks for 10–12 months.

With 18 wonderfully diverse appellations across the region, 12 of which are Premier and Grand crus, Bertagna is among the top ranking Domaines in Burgundy. A desire for perfection and emphasis on quality, coupled with significant investments in technology and vineyard management, result in some of the region’s most compelling wines.

Organic / Natural

This is PJ Wine's 2024 Wine Of The Year!
Now with a new sale price!

Organically farmed Syrah from the lieu-dit "Les Picheres", less than 2km from the vines of Domaine Alain Graillot in Crozes Hermitage. Vinified with thirty percent whole cluster, semi carbonic maceration, and aged in old neutral barrels from Domaine de la Romanee-Conti.

The bouquet is enchanting, a dazzling display of white flowers, bramble fruit, and a slight note of baking spice. The fruit is lush and plush and feels incredible on the palate (semi-carbonic maceration at play). The finish is silky smooth showing great balance and drinkability. Equis is a joyful, playful wine that doesn't take itself too seriously and yet presents enough layers to keep the most classic plates engaged. This is a crowd pleaser for sure!

Maxime Graillot, the son of iconic Crozes-Hermitage producer Alain Grailliot.
100% Syrah
40+ year old vines
From the lieu-dit ?????Les Picheres?????, less than 2km from the vines of Domaine Alain Graillot
Rocky gravel terroir
30% whole cluster
Indigenous yeast
Aged in older barrels

Organic

91 points James Suckling
Strawberries, oranges and nutmeg on the nose, followed by a fresh, fruity and medium-bodied palate. Lots of juicy fruit. Drink now or hold.

Domaine des Marrans is located in Fleurie, in the heart of the northernmost section of Beaujolais. Founded in 1970, the current proprietor is the young and talented Mathieu Mélinand, who joined the family domaine in 2008. With old vines and crystalline granite sites, Mathieu is growing some of the most pristine Gamay we know. The vines are pruned in the traditional Gobelet vinetraining method and the harvest is done only by hand, using small crates to minimize oxidation. In the cellar, vinification is old school, with semi-carbonic maceration using whole clusters, minimal intervention, and only indigenous yeasts used. The wines are then aged in large older barrels for 10 months before bottling. This lineup is remarkably pure and fresh for 2015, with a grain and spice to the old vine Gamay that underlines how Mathieu nailed the harvest date for this vintage. These wines display their terroir with clear definition and racy floral deliciousness.

92 points Wine & Spirits Magazine
The vláhiko grape gets its name from the Vlach people, a Romance-speaking ethnic minority of the southern Balkans, extending into northern Greece. The grape is one of several indigenous varieties that Thomas Glínavos works with in his family’s vineyards near Lake Ioánnina, in semi-mountainous Epirus. Crunchy acidity points up the herbal and floral notes accenting the red fruit here. Pulsing with energy, this will take a light chill well for your next grilled lamb chop.

Organic / Natural

Predominently grown on gravely clay-limestone on marl soils, these 30 year old vines are undergo selective harvesting at the end of August and beginning of September. Whole-clusters are macerated for four weeks in stainless steel followed by spontaneous fermentation that lasts four weeks with temperature control. Aged for five months before release.

The estate has its roots beginning in 1919 when Xavier Richard purchased the adjacent properties from his neighbors, but it wasn't until his son Jean Richard took over did they begin concentrating on wine. In fact, by 1947 the domaine cultivated a local reputation in the area for its wines and by 1976, Pierre Richard continued the family tradition extending the property to Mantry where a former hill of vines has been reclaimed. Situated in the heart of the Jura, between Seille River and Lons le Saunier, the soils are perfect for white wine making and the vineyard plots have names that reflect on their past uses: "Les Charmes", "La Croix du Gyps" ... etc. But the domaine is small, encompassing only 9 hectares between the communes of Le Vernois, Voiteur and Mantry. After studying viticulture and oenology at Beaune, taking jobs in vineyards of St. Emilion and Cotes de Provence, Vincent returned to take over the family domaine in 2009 and follows in a long tradition of organic practices in the making of his wines.

Organic / Natural

100% Syrah from the northern Rhone, 30 year-old vines.
Vinification Method: Grapes are hand-harvested and undergo a very long maceration at a low temperature—without destemming. The wine is fermented in wooden tanks and aged on fine lees in second-hand oak casks for eight months. The wine is bottled without filtration. The wine has a total SO2 of only 25mg/L.

Hervé Souhaut created Domaine Romaneaux-Destezet in 1993. Hervé works 5-hectares of old and ancient vines—between 50 to 100 years old. He is very fortunate to own two vineyards in the Rhône Valley just opposite the storied hills of Hermitage in Saint Joseph. This region is widely recognized as being one of the finest areas for wine production on the planet; thanks in part to its elevation, ancient vineyard sites, and southeastern and southern exposures. The domaine is located further into the hills of the Northern Ardeche in the tiny town of Arlebosc, about a 30-minute drive, winding through the hills from St Joseph. The winery is underneath the 16th century “les romaneaux” fortified farm and sits in the middle of the vines that make up the Souteronne, Syrah, and white cuvées.

Hervé works entirely on whole grape bunches and semi-carbonic maceration. His philosophy is to extract a delicate balance of tannins from the grapes, to make a wine with subtlety and finesse. This stands in contrast to many of the storied wines of the Northern Rhone that are made with much more extraction of tannin, where they are designed to be practically undrinkable in their youth, as time is needed for them to soften and open up. Hervé prefers to make a wine that is drinkable right away, but we must say his wines have such a fantastic level of purity and acidity, that the older bottles we have tasted have incredible potential to evolve into what we find to be one of the most spectacular natural wines in existence

92 points Vinous
The 2021 Lalama blends 85% Mencía, 8% Brancellao and 7% other grapes from Val do Bibei, Ribeira Sacra. Aged up to 14 months in barrels and , it displays a deep purple hue with blue tones. It's expressive, with herbal and red fruit notes, hints of blood orange, pomegranate, violet and a subtle barrel influence. Fine tannins, slight freshness and a touch of wet earth balance its ripeness.

91 points Wine Spectator
A briar patch in a bottle, this hearty red abounds with bold raspberry, roasted anise and smoky black pepper flavors that build tension and structure toward broad-shouldered tannins. Drink now through 2031

The Valliant Pinot Noir is made with the same authenticity, simplicity, and raw perseverance as Eden Rift. The wines are romantic and honest, just like the families that have farmed this estate over generations. The 2022 vintage showcases bright acidity and balanced structure. Soft and silky in texture, it is an approachable wine with classic cherry pit, savory, brambleberry, cherry and plum with a refined finish.

Under Vine Since 1849 ? Eden Rift is the oldest continuously producing estate vineyard in California. Located just 20 miles from the Monterey Bay, the 120-acre estate rests on the San Andreas Faultline and is part of the Cienega Valley AVA. Early vintners saw potential in the limestone and dolomite-rich soil, planting Pinot Noir on the estate in 1860. Post prohibition, the focus on Pinot Noir & Chardonnay was lost until 2016 when Christian Pillsbury acquired the estate. Christian assembled a team of young industry professionals starting with winemaker Cory Waller to once again create some of California’s most vivid energetic Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The extreme terraces and diverse terroir in a single contiguous valley make California’s oldest estate vineyard one of its most exciting new projects.

93 points James Suckling
A super-drinkable, linear Cabernet Franc showing a mixture of blue plums and red cherries with a fresh mineral quality. Juicy, fresh and expressive on the palate, with a medium body and a long, extensive finish. Streamlined, with nothing redundant. Pretty irresistible now, but can hold.