Matured 100% in foudres, the 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape from Château de Beaucastel evokes aromas of dark wild berries, dark cherries, spices and licorice mingled with a touch of chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, deep and dense,... Read More

Tasted from foudre, the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin is approximately 60% Mourvèdre (from the same parcel, year after year), with the balance a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Counoise. Ripe plums... Read More

Ripe raspberry, pressed violets, licorice and dried herbs compose the multifaceted aromatic profile of the 2022 Côtes du Rhône Coudoulet de Beaucastel. Shaped gently by soft tannins, this refined red contains solid... Read More

Already bottled (I believe, anyway), the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Demoiselles checks in as 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah that was all destemmed and aged in a mix of concrete tanks and very old barrels. It has a medium-bodied,... Read More

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Pitray features bright, expressive wild blueberries, black raspberries and warm plums scents with hints of spice cake and potpourri. Full-bodied, the palate is laden with juicy blue and black... Read More

A sleeper, Du Tertre's 1996 exhibits a black ruby/purple color, a sweet black fruit-scented nose, medium to full body, well-integrated tannin, and fine purity and depth. This wine should age nicely, yet have a degree of accessibility... Read More

A youthful deep purple color shines in the glass. Black cherry and plum aromas are augmented by hints of cedar, wild herbs, and cocoa powder. The palate is ripe and chewy, with grainy, slightly gritty tannins supporting the medium-bodied... Read More

Powerful and muscular, the 2019 Ducru-Beaucaillou offers up aromas of cassis, raspberries and cherries mingled with notions of violets and iris, framed by a generous application of creamy new oak. Full-bodied, velvety and concentrated,... Read More

“It would have been nonsense not to acquire such a great neighboring vineyard.”
–Baron Eric de Rothschild

Previously known as Duhart-Milon-Rothschild, Château Duhart-Milon is a winery located in the Pauillac... Read More

Distinctive, with atypical (for St.-Emilion) force and drive to the black currant, roasted cedar and maduro tobacco flavors, which are supported by a dense, loam-tinged structure. Terrific roasted espresso, ganache and fig paste... Read More

The tasting

Nose

The nose gives off elegant, fruity and floral fragrances.

Palate

Round and smooth, this wine seduces the palate with its intense fruity expression, its fine tannins and its great freshness.... Read More

The 2016 Fleur Cardinale is medium to deep garnet-purple colored and bursts from the glass with crushed blackberries, mulberries and chocolate-covered cherries with hints of spice cake, dried herbs and fragrant soil. The palate... Read More

Composed of 77% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, with an alcohol of 14.5% and a pH of 3.57, the deep purple-black colored 2020 Fleur Cardinale bursts from the glass with powerful notes of crushed blackberries,... Read More

Aged in high quality oak barrels, the wine acquires its complexity over a period of months, subtly combining aromas of dark fruit and spices with the tannins in the wood, to reach a sublime balance. The complex blending procedure,... Read More

This firm wine shows the tannic side of the vintage. Those tannins are dusty, enriched with black-currant fruits and a dense backdrop. The wine is concentrated and elegant, very ageworthy and not likely to be ready before 2025.... Read More

Situated south of the left bank's prestigious chateaux, the appellation Graves is among the best sources for delicious and versatile white wines. This blanc is incredibly consistent, year in and year out. An exquisite blend... Read More

The 2020 Haut-Brion is more aromatically demonstrative than La Mission Haut-Brion, bursting with aromas of blackberries and raspberries mingled with licorice, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings and nicely integrated new oak. Full-bodied,... Read More

This is one of the three biodynamic estates that are owned by Gonzague and Claire Lurton. The wine is generous while also firmly structured in the style of this property. A dense, dry core surrounded by blackberry and black-currant... Read More

A few more years will add more weight and complexity to the sweet, elegant, fresh, bright, black raspberry and plum notes. You can drink this early, but time will allow this to unfurl. Quite nice for the vintage.

The 2019 La Mission Haut-Brion unwinds in the glass with aromas of inky berry fruit, wild plums and cherries mingled with notions of warm spices, burning embers and creamy new oak. Full-bodied, deep and layered, it's rich... Read More