Wine Over $100

This wine figures prominently on my list for ‘best of the vintage’, edged out only slightly by its stablemate Clos de Bèze. It is a wine of great intensity, with pronounced, forward, brambly blackberry fruit,... Read More

The 2021 Insignia captivates the senses with vibrant aromas of black cherry, hibiscus, and wild blackberry, subtly accented by fresh earth and a hint of Tahitian vanilla. On the palate, these dark fruit characteristics are harmonized... Read More

La Grande Dame 2015 has a luminous golden hue. The nose reveals a strong, airy and delicate attack. On the palate, La Grande Dame 2015 offers on the palate a silky texture and on the nose, floral notes of jasmine and acacia evolving... Read More

A blend of 44% Sangiovese, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot, the 2019 Modus is a very contemporary wine with soft extraction, lots of dark fruit and gentle tannins spread over a full-bodied style. You get sunshine and warm... Read More

The 2018 Laurea is a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. It absolutely shines with red currant jelly, Morello cherries and black raspberry scents plus hints of dried mint and unsmoked cigars.... Read More

Sourced from six different Napa Valley vineyards and a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon from Accendo is a dark, cassis-laden effort tinged with violets and black... Read More

I tasted the 2019 Syrah Reva on July 8, shortly after its bottling in June. The 2019 is particularly elegant, with notable detail and vibrancy. I've been more curious about the reaction of consumers to the 2019 Reva than I... Read More

A solid, powerful style, this expressive red is well-marked by new oak, with plum, cherry, cigar box, menthol and sun-kissed hay flavors. Balanced and lively, with refined tannins and a long, spice-infused finish. Best from 2025... Read More

Though well-marked by new oak, there's a vibrant quality to this Barolo, along with cherry, raspberry, iron, tar and tobacco flavors. Supple, almost elegant, with a long, spicy aftertaste, this shows plenty of detail and energy.... Read More

The Altesino 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Montosoli has a rich and syrupy side that underlines the brightness of the fruit in this vintage. That core of dark fruit is framed by mineral notes of black slate and crushed river... Read More

The Marchesi Antinori 2021 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso is 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Franc from a hot year that also benefited from better underground water reserves because 2020 actually saw quite... Read More

The rich texture wraps around plum, cherry, graphite, tobacco and earth flavors, with a line of dusty tannins underneath. Fresh, elegant and long, ending with a pleasant astringency.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of two sites in Coombsville. Scorched earth, herbs, licorice, mint and black cherry all grace this savory, wonderfully layered Cabernet. All the elements come together, with bright acids... Read More

The 2018 Red Blend H Block Hudson Vineyard is composed of 56% Cabernet Franc and 44% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps from the glass with gregarious scents of kirsch, black raspberries, wild blueberries and red roses... Read More

Rousseau’s Charmes is the first grand cru tasted in the cellar. The emphasis here is on the purity of fruit and silky expression rather than the lush density of some growers. There is a hint of spice to the ripe, ethereal... Read More

The 2021 Pinot Noir The Belles Soeurs opens from bright orange peel to a deeper core of pomegranate, raspberry, dried earth and botanicals, really blossoming as it spends time in the glass and from day to day after the bottle... Read More

A blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Proprietary Red EE Tench Vineyard offers up a wonderful range of dark fruit—black cherries, cassis and blackberries—couched in hints of dark chocolate.... Read More

The 2019 Torre Muga showcases the classical blend of Tempranillo, Mazuelo (Cariñena) and Graciano, all from old and some ancient vines. The grapes are harvested into 200-kilogram boxes, the bunches destemmed and the grapes... Read More

2020 was drier than average until the harvest, when it rained and diluted the grapes, and they had to wait to regain concentration. The result is that the 2020 Alión is a wine with better balance and freshness. They felt... Read More

Dark fruit notes of blueberry and plum on the nose with hints of dried oregano. On the palate, this Cabernet segues from dark fruit notes to savory undertones, while showing off a silky texture. Full-bodied and dense in structure,... Read More

A blend of (organic and biodynamic) Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese, the 2019 Sammarco is more austere and even robust compared to the punchier style prized throughout this portfolio. This is a firmly grounded wine,... Read More

The 2018 D'Alceo is a wild, exotic wine. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot come together in a wine that is sumptuous, layered and exceptionally beautiful. Inky blue/purplish fruit, sage, mint, lavender and chocolate are... Read More

Showing richness, dark fruit, bold cherry and blackberry, the Castello Romitorio 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (with exactly 7,456 bottles made) embraces the exuberant character of the vintage, its warmth and its sunshine.... Read More

This is a very interesting wine that tests a cool growing site in a hot vintage. The Castello Romitorio 2017 Brunello di Montalcino Filo di Seta comes from a high-altitude vineyard with dark soils and pockets of slate and shale.... Read More

Flashy, with boysenberry and mulberry pâte de fruit notes that roll through, throwing off licorice snap and açaí berry notes as well. Ends with a high-gloss toasty finish, but the fruit pushes through easily... Read More

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant black cherries, warm cassis, chocolate pie and blackberry preserves notes plus nuances of wild sage, forest... Read More

A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill is another wonderfully evocative triumph from this family-owned Pitchard Hill pioneer. Deep garnet-purple colored, it storms out... Read More

“This year we have slightly less Cabernet Franc in the blend because we are only using the oldest vines, planted by my grandfather, as a tribute,” Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal said. “These are 60- to... Read More

A blend of 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc, the 2022 d'Yquem is a strong candidate for the title of wine of the vintage. Exhibiting a remarkably delicate, complex and energetic bouquet of rose, confit citrus, exotic... Read More

An amazing Ducru, one of the wines of the vintage. Hugely persistent, chiselled and precise, yet succulent in its berry and cassis fruit character. The slate and pencil lead finish slows things down and grabs hold of you, I love... Read More

Clean pale yellow with hints of green and a nice brilliance. Crisp on the nose with ripe fruit and powerful, toasted bread, fresh almonds and hints of butter. Lots of finesse, elegance, white flowers and some mineral on the palate.... Read More

The 2018 La Mission Haut-Brion is a blend of 53.5% Merlot, 42.9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3.6% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it emerges from the glass with a first wave of stewed black and red plums, mulberries and... Read More

The wine's richness comes both from the dark tannins and the pure, classic black currant flavors. Acidity, yes, but surrounded by dense fruits and tannins that give the wine considerable structure and the potential to age... Read More

The 2020 Les Carmes Haut-Brion has turned out beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of blackberries, red fruits, exotic spices, rose petals, raw cocoa and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and layered, it's... Read More

One of my favourite wines of the vintage, this is a wonderful example of high definition winemaking but still offering plenty of Pauillac swagger. Smells dark and slightly savoury, full of black fruit and toasted aromas. Bright... Read More

The 2018 Montrose is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Very deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a good amount of air to unlock the vibrant scents of crushed blackberries, preserved... Read More

This wine's floral perfume is matched by generous tannins that surprise by their strength. The fruit flavors offer a mix of black and red berries. They are finely structured and concentrated, balanced by tightly woven acidity.... Read More

The 2016 Pavie a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Very deep purple-black in color, it needs a little coaxing to begin, slowly unfurling to reveal a fragrant perfume of violets, chocolate-covered cherries, crushed blueberries... Read More

The brilliant 2020 Pichon-Longueville Baron offers up inviting aromas of sweet berries and cassis mingled with pipe tobacco, loamy soil, pencil shavings and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, its velvety attack... Read More

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, aged in 60% new barriques, the very deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Smith Haut Lafitte bursts onto the scene with showy scents of crème... Read More

The 2020 Troplong Mondot is composed of 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, harvested from 4th September and lasting for about three weeks. The pH is 3.53, the IPT (tannin index) is 75 and the alcohol is... Read More

This well-balanced and elegant wine shows beautifully integrated black fruits, oak spices and hints of mint and cedar in the aroma, with similarly delicious flavors wrapped in fine-grained tannins for a velvety texture. Blended... Read More

After more than 30 years, Don Melchor has reached a solid position that enables it to face new challenges, highlighting its maturity and ability to express its own identity through Viña Don Melchor. This identity is built... Read More

This is so aromatic with blackcurrant, blackberry, graphite, iron, pine bark and orange peel. Hints of wild sage and peppermint. Seductive perfumes. Full-bodied with extremely well-integrated tannins that have great length. Elegant... Read More

Distinctive, with a vivid display of mulberry, pomegranate and plum fruit aromas and flavors that glide through easily, carried by a silky but persistent structure. Reveals nice floral nuances through the finish, with a late twinge... Read More

Corison's 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Kronos Vineyard is more floral than the other offerings, easily marrying hints of thyme blossom with fresh cassis and a delicate touch of vanilla. It's medium to full-bodied, marginally... Read More

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon features blackberry preserves, baked red and blackcurrants and star anise notes with touches of fallen leaves, dried lavender and tapenade. Full-bodied, firm and crunchy... Read More

Perhaps there's a subtle added touch of leafy complexity to the 2020 Maya that the Cabernet Sauvignon doesn't show, but otherwise, this 60-40 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc is reasonably similar, with black... Read More

Black cherries, dark loam and cassis appear on the nose of Dalla Valle's 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, joined by hints of cedar and vanilla. It's medium to full-bodied, firm, tannic and sturdy but essentially ripe, with... Read More

This white is rich, with considerable breadth for the vintage. Features a fleshy texture that embraces peach, mirabelle plum, vanilla, lanolin and mineral aromas and flavors. The bone-dry finish reveals lemon and stone. Drink... Read More

Dive into Chateauneuf du Pape Boisrenard Beaurenard 2021, a classic Rhône blend. Aromas of blackberry compote, garrigue herbs, and cracked pepper lead to a palate of dark cherry, plum, and hints of leather. Rich tannins... Read More

An inky colored effort, the 2016 Côtes du Roussillon Villages Les Vignes de Bila Haut offers a beautiful freshness and purity as well as fabulous notes of jammy blackberries, violets, pepper and hints of leather. Rich, concentrated... Read More

Concentrated but not weighty, this has an ethereal quality to its attractive licorice, cherry pie and fragrant incense notes, shored up with chalky tannins and a dusting of graphite that offsets the warmth. Beautifully textured,... Read More

Deep, shimmering ruby. Expansive, mineral- and spice-accented red and dark berry preserve, incense, cola and garrigue qualities on the finely detailed nose. Palate-staining cherry pie, raspberry, boysenberry, floral pastille and... Read More

A heavenly wine, with a beautiful earthiness rippling through decadent flavors of poached pear, stewed apple, honeycomb, pastry and spiced fig. Stealth power underscores the up-front fruit, with steely mineral, refreshing lemon... Read More