A spare, faintly dank and decidedly sour - though, for all that, not uninteresting - non-dose blend tasted alongside could scarcely have contrasted more vividly with Lenoble's NV Brut Intense Disg. 2/2013, which is as immediately... Read More
The apple-scented NV Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs (L-231-323-01) is a highly focused, delineated, and pure sparkling wine filled with zesty apple and floral flavors. It has outstanding length yet lacks the friendly, expansive nature... Read More
One of the handful of candidates for wine of the vintage is the 2006 Ausone. In fact, while tasting it, I was thinking, is there any estate in Bordeaux that, since 1998, has made as many legendary wines as proprietor Alain Vauthier... Read More
The 2008 Melbury flows across the palate with layers of dark sensual fruit, spices, licorice, leather and tobacco. Clean veins of minerality frame the fruit beautifully through to the finish. Floral notes add an element of brightness... Read More
The 2008 Quella is a dark, brooding wine loaded with super-ripe dark black fruit, smoke, tar and licorice. It is a seriously intense wine that will require bottle age. This is an especially authoritative wine from Bond. Anticipated... Read More
Branaire-Ducru has consistently been one of the finest 1975s. I have come to the conclusion that it will never resolve all of the tannin, but the wine has such a large-scaled, muscular, rich, concentrated personality that the... Read More
Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Brane-Cantenac starts off a tad restrained and reluctant to show, opening out to notes of baked blackberries, plum preserves and crème de cassis with hints of cigar box and tar. Medium... Read More
This beautiful 2003 exhibits a dense ruby/purple color, a vigorous youthfulness, and plenty of mulberry, black currant and cherry fruit intermixed with notions of cedarwood, baking spices and roasted herbs. Ripe, medium to full-bodied,... Read More
Beautiful aromas of chocolate, berries, cherries and earth. Very complex and classy. Medium- to full-bodied, with very refined tannins and a long, fresh finish. A delicious, balanced red. Canon is clearly back on top and making... Read More
This is the finest Canon produced under the Chanel ownership and John Kolasa's administration. A striking minerality interwoven with black currant and flower aromas jump from the glass of this medium to full-bodied, dense,... Read More
Deep garnet in color, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection comes wafting out of the glass with drop-dead gorgeous scents of Christmas cake, Chinese five spice, sandalwood and dried roses over a core of warm cassis, dried... Read More
The basic cuvee, the 2010 Carginan, exhibits some licorice, roasted herbs and red and black currants in a straightforward medium-bodied, but satisfying style. The classic cuvee should drink well for 2-3 years.- Robert Parker Jr.... Read More
Their special cuvée, the 2005 Prima, has a very dense ruby/purple color and a big, sweet kiss of black fruits, earth and spice as well as a cedary nuance to the aromatics. This medium to full-bodied, rich wine is a real star and... Read More
Superbly balanced, with lovely, elegant fruit flavors. Quite succulent in style. Medium ruby-garnet, with an elegant, earthy strawberry aroma, balanced fruit and medium tannins.--1959 Bordeaux horizontal. -JS WS
Well-kept bottles of this wine have been fully mature for 20-25 years but show no signs of decline, one of the magical aspects of great vintages of profound Bordeaux wines. Showing considerable amber to the garnet color, this... Read More
During its first 10-12 years of life, this was a perfect wine, but it now seems to be in a stage where the fruit is still present, but the previous exuberance and intensity have faded slightly. There is plenty of amber at the... Read More
This 1982 is still displaying a beautiful deep ruby/purple hue as well as a stunning set of aromatics consisting of blue and black fruits, loamy earth, flowers, licorice, and spice box. The wine is medium to full-bodied with sweet... Read More
I have now tasted the '99 GE some 6 times since my original review in Issue 5 and it continues to improve, indeed to the point that I have raised my score modestly. There is still a touch of new oak framing the penetrating... Read More
Unfurling in the glass with aromas of red berries, rose petals, sweet soil tones and orange rind, the 2019 Pommard 1er Cru Les Pezerolles is medium to full-bodied, ample and velvety, with a fleshy core of fruit and a vibrant,... Read More
The 2014 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, which is completely destemmed, has a sweet, almost pastille-like bouquet with maraschino cherry, blueberry and violet notes, not unlike a Chambolle Amoureuses in some ways. I like the exuberance... Read More
While Dunn's Cabernets slumped in quality in the difficult vintages of 1988 and 1989, the 1990s exhibit exceptional richness, depth, power, and ferocious tannins. The 1990 Cabernet Sauvignon-Napa is an opaque, awesomely concentrated,... Read More
One of Bordeaux's most schizophrenic properties, as disappointing as Figeac's 1989 has turned out, the 1990 is fabulous. This property has not made a wine as rich as the 1990 since 1982. In contrast to the 1989, the 1990... Read More
Incredible aromas of flowers, currants, blackberries, and minerals. Full-bodied, with a supersolid core of fruit, incredibly finely knit tannins and a finish that goes on and on. This is really superb. Much better than from barrel.... Read More
The 2015 Giscours is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. That is in stark comparison to older vintages, for example the 2000 Giscours that was 50/50 Cabernet and Merlot. This vintage is matured in... Read More
Graham is another great port house, producing one of the deepest-colored and sweetest styles of vintage port. Along with Taylor and Fonseca, Graham has probably been the most consistent producer of great port in the post- World... Read More