90+ POINTS

Floral and spice-focused. Juicy red and black fruits linger on the palate with notes of orange zest, potting soil and black tea.
Pairs well with: Chicken & Turkey
Certified Organic - Sustainable

Latitude is 100% Côte des Blancs Chardonnay from vineyards on the southern side of Vertus. These vineyards are on roughly the same latitude, hence the name, which also hints at the breadth of texture that the wines from these sites (having more clay in the soil) tend to offer up.

Pairs well with: Shellfish, crab & Lobster

Biodynamic

Complex wine fermented in barriques for 40% of the grapes. Very intense straw yellow colour. The nose is lively with balsamic notes and aromas of woody resins. Remarkable notes of ripe fruit such as apple, pear, papaya, and then honey, wet stone and spices. Full and vigorous, with great structure. Enjoy it in a large glass.

Pairs well with: Fish

Mature plum, vanilla, toast and toasted oak sensations lead the nose. The palate opens with juicy black cherry and plum layered with coffee, dense chocolate and bitter espresso that slightly diminish the impact of its Nebbiolo pedigree and purity. It's already accessible but should also age well.- Wine Enthusiast

The history of the Rebourseau family goes back to 1782, humble farmers involved in viticulture which were passed on from one generation to the next. Through the years the objective was to bring the production of each appellation to its best level, ensuring the wines reflect the most accurate version of their climates. Clos Vougeot, which covers approximately 50ha is considered one of the best Grand Cru sites in Burgundy. The Rebourseau is a wine with pronounced minerality expressing earthy notes of fern, moss and truffle, revealing velvety tones of coffee beans and black radish.

The truly exceptional 2018 vintage of Viñedo Chadwick displays an intense ruby red colour with violet shimmer. Elegant, fresh and linear entry on the nose, with aromas of cherry, cassis, raspberry and delicate notes of blueberry pie. The palate shows red fruit and blackberry, all framed by soft tones of bitter chocolate and some cedar, subtly filled by very fine-grained and silky tannins. Extremely elegant, intense and of a unique depth, this is perhaps the most balanced vintage ever crafted of Viñedo Chadwick, promising a great aging potential." - Francisco Baettig, Winemaker February 2020

The Tollot-Beaut family is a based at Chorey-Les-Beaune with vineyards located in Beaune, Savigny, Aloxe-Corton and a small holding in Corton Charlemagne. The 2020 Corton Grand Cru, which comes from Les Combes as usual (though not on the label), has a lovely nose with brambly red fruit, black truffle and subtle pencil box aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins, very fine tension and an almost sorbet-fresh, quite mouth-coating finish. It will require time in bottle...but this Corton will be worth the wait.

The Groffier family is a longstanding name in the Cotes du Nuit. Their family can be dated back to the 1800's, but it was grandfather Robert who started bottling wines at the Domaine. Two generations later, Nicholas Groffier has taken over elevating the wines to an unprecented level yet still maintaining the traditions learned from both his father and grandfather. Although their cellars are located in Morey-St.-Denis, they own no vineyards there, rather 0.8ha in other appellations, most notably Bonnes Mares, and one full hectare in the Chambolle Musigny Les Amoureuses, making them the largest land owner of the area. This 100% pinot noir is a muscular wine with black cherry and blackberry aromas. The palate is full-bodied with a serious tannic grip around the iron, tobacco and earthy notes. This has great ageability on it, put this one away to let it mellow.

Named for the giant old-growth Douglas fir sitting right at the top of the vineyard, Old Firs is a study in terroir. No matter the length of the growing season, nor the size of crop, Old Firs always has a hallmark salinity backed with a ton of power and intensity. The furthest west of all our plantings Old Firs Block is constantly in a deluge of fog and cold Pacific winds. The site speaks clearly year after year through both winemaking and vintage. This is one for the ages. 

“2018 Hillside Select is an enticing balance of opulence and energy. This classic Cabernet Sauvignon fills the glass with vivid aromas of blackberry, black cherry, warm earth, and baking spice. The flavors richly echo the wine’s aromas, adding juicy layers of summer briar fruit, berry compote, cinnamon, lively red and black plums, and mocha with a long, radiant finish. Structured tannins offer the promise of a lengthy, sumptuous tenure in your cellar.”
— Elias Fernandez, winemaker

For six generations, Domaine Noellat has been farming their 20ha of land. With entreprenurial spirit, the family was always looking to adapt to new technologies, while respecting the traditions handed down from one generation to another. The cellar was built in 1980 while in 2007 an ultra modern winery was erected with state of the art stainless tanks and a dedicated tasting space in the cellar. Cousins Sebastien and Sophie work closely together making strategic decisions based on the nature of each harvest. Echezeaux is considered to be one of the premium wine-growing regions of Burgundy. The 0.80ha site perhaps used to be home to Gallo-Roman ruins, and the vines now grown there have an average age of 70 years. The bouquet of this 100% Pinot noir is rich and exotic with a rich texture, fleshy tannins and a touch of black pepper and spice on the finish.

One of the most remarkable white wines in South America. Ripe lemon, mandarine orange, tarragon, white mint and superbly integrated, smoky oak. Then on the palate this is practically vibrating with energy and precise, linear acidity; almost Mendoza meets Grand Cru Chablis in style. Gorgeous, chalky texture and no end of flavour. Superb.

94 points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate" Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it absolutely sings of red roses, black tea and tilled black soil with a core of crushed blackberries, Morello cherries and cassis plus a hint of cinnamon stick. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers a great intensity of ripe black berries and floral layers, framed by soft, silken tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. (LPB)" (11/2018)

94 points - James Suckling

93 points - Wine Enthusiast

91 points -Jeb Dunnuck "The outstanding 2016 Château Marquis de Terme is an attractive, elegant wine that has classic Margaux character. Black cherry and blackberry fruits, hints of graphite and smoke earth, and plenty of tobacco leaf all emerge from this medium-bodied effort, which has some firm tannins and a great finish. Give bottles 3-4 years to let these tannins chill out, and it should drink beautifully for 15+ years. " (2/2019)

Chateau Margaux is one of the prestigious first growths, and the only one from the Margaux appellation of the left bank of Bordeaux. In existence since 1500, the Ginestet family acquired the property about 1950, then purchased by the Mentzelopoulos in 1977 who still runs it to this day. The Chateau Margaux red blend is an assemblage of 90% Cabernet Sasuvignon, 7% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. A brilliant Bordeaux according to critics boasting powerful aromas of blackcurrants, sweet tobacco, spices, violets and pencil shavings. The palate is elegant, yet complex and compelling. This vintage scored a perfect 100 points from several critics; one of several vintages of the decade to have scored this high. This will age for decades.

Tasting Note
Delicate golden color with soft green glints. Intense nose with tremendous aromatic richness. Initial notes of citrus zest are followed by lemon tart, and then toasted notes reminiscent of freshly baked brioche. The palate offers mandarin zest and candied orange, enlivened by a touch of star anise which underscores the wine's aromatic freshness. Dense and rich, the palate has good length with a pleasant hint of bitterness on the finish.
It is only in Sauternes that botrytis can develop, giving Rieussec its unique richness. This noble rot meets our grapes to create a delicate osmosis that we reveal by harvesting each grape at the ideal moment. Once bottled, our wine starts its life cycle, drinkable from the earliest stage to the longest aging potential: when kept chilled once opened, it can be enjoyed for several weeks without deteriorating and can match a thousand flavors and occasions from noon to midnight.
Blend: 89% Sémillon, 9% Sauvignon Blanc, 2% Muscadelle

Winemaker Notes
A creamy attack, buttery and spicy, characteristic of Pagodes de Cos precedes elegantly balanced aromas of blackcurrant, blueberry,blackberry, violet, bergamot and black tea. The 2019 vintage also presents velvety tannins and a very long finish with a magnificent,refreshing touch of salinity. Incredibly dense and elegant, Pagodes de Cos 2019 is a wine with instantaneous powers of seduction.
Blend: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot

Chateau Montrose is a 2nd growth in the Saint Estephe appellation of the left bank of Bordeaux. The location itself is exceptional, facing the Gironde Estuary which means the 95ha vineyard benefits from the moderating influence of this body of water during hot summers and harsh winters. This red blend is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot and scored over 95 by many of the critics. All typical Medoc aromas and flavours of blackcurrant, licorice, pencil lead, crushed stones, warm spices and violets. Balanced and impressive, give this a decade before opening and age for the next 30+ years.

A dense, opaque wine with classic Fonseca aromas and flavours, dense blackberry and blackcurrant, spice, coffee, cocoa, and prune. Thick, velvety tannins give the wine a voluptuous density on the palate.

This wine will develop for decades in the bottle. 98 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate Sappy and sensational in flavour and fruit, moderate tannins around the edges on first taste, velvety texture and a long finish.

The combination of great fruit and fine structure makes this a great Fonseca.

It is intense with fresh fruit of red profile, very delicate. A bouquet of floral notes and dine herbs. The wood is almost imperceptible, due to the use of semi-new oak barrels during the ageing. On nose is delicious, subtle and delicate, representing the freshness of a cold vintage.
Palate: Medium body, light and silky texture. Very fruity with very fresh red fruits. The tannins are very fine and fresh leaving a feeling of daintiness and softness.

" The 2016 Haut-Bages Libéral has turned out beautifully. Rose petals, lavender and sweet red cherry are some of the notes that grace this fine, translucent Pauillac. Medium in body and precise, with exquisite finesse and nuance, the 2016 is incredibly expressive today. This is a fabulous showing from proprietor Claire Villars Lurton. (AG)" (1/2019) -Vinous 95 points

Without a doubt, Chateau Troplong Mondot has one of the most enviable and unique terroirs on the St. Emilion appellation on Bordeaux's Right Bank. Specifically located on the highest point of Saint-Emilion's famous limestone plateau, the 43ha estate has ideal soils and exposure. The resulting wines combine strength and elegance, complexity and precision. This 2014 Bordeaux red blend consisting of 90% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc The wine has a rich fruit basket of blackcurrants, blackberries and raspberries accompanied by graphite, espresso and earth. The palate is fresh and precise that is rich, classy and elegant. Drinking well now, but certainly has 20 years of life left in it!

Blend: 50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Franc
Drinking Window: 2004-2045

93 Points - Robert Parker
“Ausone's extraordinary minerality is present in the 1995, yet there are more aromatics, a richer, more multidimensional palate impression, and a fuller texture - all with the terroir brilliantly expressed. The wine boasts a dense ruby/purple color and an emerging but tightly knit nose of spring flowers, minerals, earth, and black fruits. Rich, with an opulent texture and surprising sexiness for a young vintage of Ausone, the medium bodied 1995 displays exquisite balance between its acid, tannin, alcohol, and fruit. Although it is not yet seamless, all the elements are present for an extraordinary evolution in the bottle. This wine will age at a glacial pace for 30-40 years. "

Blend: 50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Franc
Drinking Window: 2010-2035

95 Points - Robert Parker
“Is the 1999 Ausone the wine of the vintage? Dense purple color, a compelling bouquet of licorice, minerals, black and blueberry liqueur, extraordinary delineation, high tannin, superb extract, and phenomenal richness all are the stuff of a legend. This wine seems impossible to have emerged from a vintage like 1999. Proprietor Alain Vauthier produced only 20,000 bottles because he eliminated one-fourth of the tiny crop. The result is out-and-out fabulous, but the wine needs 12-15 years of cellaring."

Blend: 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot
Drinking Window: 2010-2035

96 Points - Wine Advocate
“Tasted blind at Farr's 2002 Bordeaux tasting. This is a beautiful wine. A bouquet surfeit with joie-de-vivre and elan, ripe black cherries, cassis and a touch of damson, but underneath all that precocious fruit is a real, tangible sense of minerality. The palate is silky smooth on the entry with vestiges of creamy oak still to be resolved, wonderful persistency on the licentious finish. Gorgeous! Tasted October 2009.."

Blend: 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc
Drinking Window: 2007-2047

96 Points - Wine Advocate
“A very deep purple colour. The nose needs some coaxing. It is more delicate than usual, not as precocious than the 2003. The palate is more about poise than power - very fine acidity. Robust tannins, more masculine than in previous years. Huge grip though, its concentration creeps up on you and makes its presence felt on the persistent finish. Very broody at the moment. Perhaps missing that profundity of the 2000 or 2003, yet it has that brilliant poise that makes Ausone so special. A return to the more classic style definitely. It may need time to come around though, perhaps 5 to 6 years. Tasted April 2005."

Blend: 55% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot
Drinking Window: 2016-2066

98 Points - Robert Parker
“Possibly the "wine of the vintage," the 2008 boasts an inky/blue/purple color as well as a glorious perfume of spring flowers, blueberry and blackberry liqueur, camphor, truffles and crushed rocks. With great fruit on the attack and mid-palate, a medium to full-bodied, multidimensional mouthfeel and a skyscraper-like finish, this prodigious effort over-delivers, even for this phenomenal terroir. Give it 5-8 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 40-50 years."

Blend: 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot
Drinking Window: 2020-2060

98 Points - Robert Parker
“The 2010 Ausone struck me as another brilliant, potentially perfect wine, which should come as no shock to people who have been following Vauthier's work over the last decade or more. Backward and intense, this wine offers up notes of crushed chalk/rock mineralilty interwoven with blueberry, black raspberry and cassis as well as some graphite and vanillin. It is incredibly rich but at the same time precise, fresh and vivacious. This is a super wine, but it will require enormous patience from its potential suitors. Forget it for a decade and drink it over the following 50+ years."

Drinking Window: 2000-2035

90 Points - Robert Parker
"Tasted from my cellar, the 1986 has consistently been outstanding, falling short of being sublime. The spicy, peppery bouquet reveals aromas of dried herbs and red currant fruit. Medium-bodied, austere, but youthful, vigorous, and concentrated, this wine still requires 4-5 years of cellaring. It is surpassed in this vintage (which favored the northern Medoc and Cabernet Sauvignon) by its rivals, Lafite-Rothschild and Mouton-Rothschild."

Blend: 92.9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7.1% Merlot
Drinking Window: 2023-2078

100 Points - Vinous
“The 2016 Latour showed in stunning fashion out of barrel. Bottled in July 2018, it has retained a very deep, almost opaque color. The utterly beguiling bouquet features blackberry, graphite, crushed rose petals and a touch of licorice, though this ebbs with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with such fine tannins that the power and backbone of this Latour are barely registered by the senses. There is bewitching symmetry here, and incredible length, plus a persistency on the finish that is enthralling. Is it a perfect Latour like the best bottles of the 1928, 1961, 1982, 2000 and 2010? I think it might be. The 13.5% alcohol is a whole percentage point less than the 2010, making it more approachable. Drink 2023-2060"

Blend: 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot
Drinking Window: 2028 - 2058

95 Points - Robert Parker
"The 2021 Château Margaux saw a traditional élevage in new barrels, with bottling in July, and as readers will remember, it's a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot that benefited from late picking, appreciable percentages of saignée, and a strict selection. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis, blueberries and raspberries mingled with hints of licorice, white flowers and charcoal, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a broad attack, lively purity and sweet structuring tannins, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. It's a classic that will richly reward bottle age."

Blend: 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, and 9% Cabernet Franc
Drinking Window: 2005-2055

95 Points - Robert Parker
"Bottled in June, 1997, this profound Mouton is more accessible than the more muscular 1996. A blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 19% Merlot, it reveals an opaque purple color, and reluctant aromas of cassis, truffles, coffee, licorice, and spice. In the mouth, the wine is "great stuff," with superb density, a full-bodied personality, rich mid-palate, and a layered, profound finish that lasts for 40+ seconds. There is outstanding purity and high tannin, but my instincts suggest this wine is lower in acidity and slightly fleshier than the brawnier, bigger 1996. Both are great efforts from Mouton-Rothschild."

Blend: 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc
Drinking Window: 2008-2043

95 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
"A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 1998 Château Mouton Rothschild comes from a vintage that saw beautiful early season weather but rain in September and October that made the vintage more complicated for the Médoc and Graves region. A more medium to full-bodied effort, it has terrific complexity in its red and black currant fruits as well as smoked tobacco, loamy earth, spice box, and chocolate. Balanced, elegant, and silky on the palate, its oak is perfectly integrated, it has fine tannins, and it’s smack in the middle of its prime drinking window."

Blend: Cabernet sauvignon 83 %, Merlot 15 %, Cabernet franc 1 %, Petit verdot 1 %
Drinking Window: 2026 - 2055

96 Points - Decanter
"Gorgeous deep pink purple rim to the glass. The nose is bright and intense, heady with perfumed aromatics and edges of graphite, cocoa and sweet red cherries. Such clarity on the palate, excellent tension from the get go with beautifully expressed cherry and strawberry fruit that has a soft, ripe fleshy core. The tannins are fine but plentiful, coating the mouth providing the structure and frame. This has such a sense of quiet confidence - it's not shouting so much but gently showing off its many layers of fruit, acidity, minerality and freshness. This really grows on you, expanding and deepening as the flavours travel across the palate, coming in waves. Understated and introverted at the moment but still harmonious and classy. I love it. Just 41% of grand vin. 3.73pH. Drinking Window: 2027-2050"

Blend: 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 4% Cabernet Franc
Drinking Window: 2026 - 2050

96 Points - James Suckling
"This wine has a tightness and linear energy, with red currants, herbs, plums and hints of dark chocolate. Medium-bodied with beautiful integration and length. Racy and focused. Just the right amount of wood and fruit with tannins. Second wine of Chateau Margaux."

Blend: 67% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon
Drinking Window: 2028 - 2050

98 Points - Antonio Galloni, Vinous
The 2021 Vieux Château Certan is a spectacular tour de force from Alexander and Guillaume Thienpont. What a wine. Vibrant and magnificent in its precision, the 2021 races across the palate, revealing seemingly endless layers of nuance over time. Dark blue/purplish fruit, cinnamon, new leather, graphite, lavender and crushed rocks all build effortlessly. The Cabernets are dialed up in 2021 and that comes through in the wine's flavor profile and overall feel. The purity of the flavors is just mind-bending. Harvest took place between September 25 and October 4. The blend is 67% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. Readers who can find the 2021 should not hesitate, as it is truly magical. Score

Blend: 84% cabernet sauvignon, 10% carmenere, 3% merlot, 2% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot
Drinking Window: 2026-2037

95 Points - James Suckling
"Refined sweet tobacco, black olives and hints of paprika, cedar, iron and anchovy-like savoriness. Refined sweet berries on the palate with a lovely savoriness. Medium-bodied and restrained, plush and generous, with fine tannins and a lengthy finish. 84% cabernet sauvignon, 10% carmenere, 3% merlot, 2% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Drink or hold"

Blend: Cabernet sauvignon 69%, cabernet franc 16% and merlot 15%
Drinking Window: 2000-2050

100 Points - Robert Parker
"The 1986 possesses outstanding richness, a deep color, medium body, a graceful, harmonious texture, and superb length. The penetrating fragrance of cedar, chestnuts, minerals, and rich fruit is a hallmark of this wine. Powerful, dense, rich, and tannic, as well as medium to full-bodied, with awesome extraction of fruit, this Lafite has immense potential. Patience is required. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2030. Last tasted 11/94"

Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Drinking Window: 2010-2030

90 Points - Robert Parker
"As I wrote last year, Lafite's 1994 is the first 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine made at this estate. The only other wine that had such a high Cabernet content was the 1961. The 1994 is not an easy wine to figure out. I felt more positively about it this year than last, but it is an atypically powerful, ferociously tannic, frightfully backward Lafite that appears to require 15-20 years of cellaring before its huge tannin level will begin to melt away. The extraordinarily dense color saturation and intense ripeness undoubtedly suggest that something profound may well emerge from this wine in two decades. On the other hand, 20 years of aging could result in a marvelously well-constructed wine that remains hard, tough, and charmless. It's a gamble, but for readers who love Lafite and have the necessary income, it may be worth it. Although it appears even more backward than the 1986 Lafite, it possesses enough positive components to elicit considerable interest. For your children's children's children? All of the wines in this segment were tasted between March 19 and March 28 in Bordeaux. Most of the important wines from both the 1994 and 1995 vintages were tasted three separate times during my ten-day stay in Bordeaux."

Blend: Cabernet sauvignon 74%, merlot 18% and cabernet franc 8%
Drinking Window: 2008-2040

95 Points - Robert Parker
"The 1995 Lafite-Rothschild (only one-third of the harvest made it into the final blend) is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 8% Cabernet Franc. The wine was showing spectacularly well when I tasted it in November, 1997. It exhibits a dark ruby purple color, and a sweet, powdered mineral, smoky, weedy cassis-scented nose. Beautiful sweetness of fruit is present in this medium-bodied, tightly-knit, but gloriously pure, well-delineated Lafite. The 1995 is not as powerful or as massive as the 1996, but it is beautifully made with outstanding credentials, in addition to remarkable promise. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2028."