Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese 2012
“. . . a beautiful wine in the making, wafting from the glass in a complex and very pure and elegant mélange of pear, white cherries, orange zest, slate, a touch of petrol, bee pollen and violets. On the palate the wine is medium-full, long, pure and nicely reserved, with a fine core, ripe acids and superb length and grip on the very refined and youthful finish. A gorgeous wine in the making . . .”
93+ John Gilman, View From the Cellar
Albert Boxler Pinot Gris Sommerberg 2007
“. . . redolent of diverse pit fruits along with smoke, musk, and carnal suggestions of veal sweetbreads (which might make an appropriately indulgent accompaniment!). As in the case of the corresponding generic bottling, this displays surprising amounts of alkaline and saline mineral character as well as citrus (principally pink grapefruit) zest pungency, which are welcome . . . . Polished, refined, and with impressive finishing cling . . .”
92 David Schildknecht, The Wine Advocate
Dubreuil-Fontaine Corton Clos du Roi 2013
“From a 0.62 ha parcel . . . . the expressive aromas of earth, game, smoke, forest floor and dark berry fruit aromas have no trouble being appreciated. There is excellent size, weight and power to the full-bodied flavors that possess excellent punch and ample minerality on the balanced, complex and solidly persistent finish.”
92 Allen Meadows, Burghound.com
Louis Jadot Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts 2012
“Dark red . . . . aromas of black raspberry and musky chocolate show a medicinal reserve. Fine-grained, seamless and suave on the palate; dry in a positive way. Soil-inflected flavors of dark berries, leather, smoked meat and minerals show an intriguing saline quality and noteworthy complexity. Very mellow, round and long wine with superb richness and lingering perfume.”
92-94 Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Marchand-Tawse Morey-Saint-Denis Clos des Ormes 2011
“The mid-palate of the medium-bodied flavors is quite round and supple and the supporting tannins are quite fine. I very much like the freshness and the sense of underlying tension . . . persistent finish. A wine of finesse.”
87-90 Allen Meadows, Burghound.com
Confuron-Cotetidot Pommard Les Arvelets 2009
“. . . fresher and more elegant nose introduces detailed and lightly mineral-inflected middle weight flavors that possess both fine precision and vibrancy, all wrapped in a dusty finish of medium complexity that benefits from well-integrated tannins plus solid length.”
89-91 Allen Meadows, Burghound.com
Domaine Leroy Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes 2007
“A simply gorgeous range of seductive if serious aromas that include both red and blue pinot fruit, black raspberry, maraschino cherry and spice notes, several of which continue onto the classy, pure and wonderfully deep and palate-staining flavors oozing with ripe extract that completely buffer the firm but ripe tannins on the gorgeously persistent finish. A stunner of a Charmes and as good as any produced in 2007.”
94 Allen Meadows, Burghound.com
Les Astéries 2009
“From vines sitting on hard limestone, this wine is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc that offers prodigious levels of extract, richness, complexity and overall harmony. A fabulous wine, with black fruits galore intermixed with a liqueur of crushed rocks and spring flowers, the wine has plenty of tannin and is best cellared over at least 4-5 years and consumed over the following two decades. This property, owned by Jonathan Maltus, is located 100 meters from his Le Carré, and of course the nearby Clos Fourtet, which produced a perfect wine in 2009.”
98 Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate
Bellevue Mondotte 2008
“An extraordinary effort in this vintage, this 2008 was made from lower yields than the 2010 (the 2008's equaled 20 hectoliters per hectare) and is a blend of 90% Merlot and equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon . . . . The result is a backward, dense purple-colored wine revealing a crushed rock-like liqueur along with highly extracted, massive flavors of black currants, sweet cherries, licorice and toast. This full-bodied effort requires 5-6 years of bottle age and should last for 25-30 years.”
95+ Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate
Hosanna 2006
“This limited production wine is made from 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc from the very finest part of the vineyard on the plateau of Pomerol, which used to be known as Certan-Giraud. It often reminds me of Cheval Blanc, at least from an aromatic perspective, but in 2006 the wine seems to verge in the direction of the more exotic, flamboyant style of Le Pin. Dense plum/ruby to the rim, with a sweet nose of roasted coffee, caramel, mocha, and lavish quantities of black cherry and black currant fruit, this wine has a lush, sensual texture, full-bodied depth, and stunning length and purity. This is a beauty . . .”
94 Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate
Langmeil Shiraz The Freedom 1843 2005
“. . . from a dry-grown vineyard planted in 1843 which is believed to be the oldest surviving pre-phylloxera Shiraz vines in Australia. The wine was aged for 24 months in 70% new French oak and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Purple-colored, it gives up a sexy perfume of pain grille, smoke, violets, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. Surprisingly light on its feet, the wine is full-flavored, opulent, and very long.”
94 Jay S. Miller, The Wine Advocate
Rocche dei Manzoni Barolo Vigna Cappella di Santo Stefano 2004
“. . . drop-dead gorgeous. The wine reveals notable clarity in its translucent, violet-hued color. Vibrant dark cherries, tar, smoke, sweet herbs and toasted oak sweep across the palate in a stunning expression of Nebbiolo and the high-altitude [Santo Stefano di] Perno vineyard in Monforte d’Alba. This wine is all about precision, delineation and striking balance. The oak is beautifully integrated and the tannins convey an impression of vitality and poise. This is an emotional, breathtaking Barolo of the highest level.”
96 Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Noël Verset Cornas 2000
“. . . this is a wine I drink with some frequency, as I had the good sense to buy more than a case of it when it came out. It really is a lovely vintage for Monsieur Verset, as the wine wafts from the glass in a pure and vibrant mélange of black raspberries, cassis, black olives, pepper, a beautiful base of Cornas’ stony soils, a touch of licorice and grilled meats. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very transparent, with a great core of black fruit, superb complexity, moderate tannins and outstanding focus and grip on the very, very long and perfectly balanced finish. This has been drinking very well for several years now, but it is not evolving at a particularly fast pace and I am thinking that I will not touch a bottle for several more years, as this may well end up every bit as stellar as the 1985 Verset if it is given enough time in the cellar.”
93+ John Gilman, View From the Cellar
Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano di Neive 1989
“The 1989 Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano is like a drug. Impossibly sweet, layered and silky on the palate, the 1989 is firing on all cylinders today. This is just about as good as it gets. Bruno Giacosa’s 1989s are among my favorite wines from anywhere in the world.”
98 Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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