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The 2016 Clos Fourtet is a blend of 90% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc aged in 60% new oak. It has a generous, well defined licorice-tinged fruit that is very focused. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, blackberry and boysenberry fruit with that salted licorice theme continuing. This Clos Fourtet has impressive concentration, yet there is real elegance and persistence, fanning out wonderfully towards the finish. Mathieu Cuvelier has overseen another outstanding Clos Fourtet. Tasted twice, with a second bottle demonstrating a tad more backbone but equally admirable.

Crafted in a fresh, elegant, restrained style, the wine exhibits a golden yellow color with green hues, offering an enticing nose of stone fruit, honey, nuts, and brioche. On the palate, it is medium to full-bodied with vibrant, tense acidity, leading to a long, mineral-driven finish.

Tim Atkin: 96Pts; James Suckling: 94Pts; Wine Advocate: 93Pts

A vibrant, terroir-driven expression of Tinto Fino from organically farmed vineyards in the heart of Ribera del Duero. This wine showcases bright red fruit and floral aromas framed by fresh acidity and a sleek texture, reflecting the unique climate and soils of the region. It offers approachable elegance with depth, making it a versatile companion at the table.

After fermentation, the Crianza spends 12 months in French oak barrels, where subtle oak influence integrates with the fruit without overwhelming it. This maturation adds gentle spice, toasted notes, and softening of tannins, resulting in a wine that balances freshness, structure, and complexity with immediate drinkability.

Points Awarded

James Suckling: 89Pts

Crafted from the Fuentelún parcel, the 35-year-old area of the estate, where vines emerge from the sandy soils in rows from north to south.  This Reserva strikes a beautiful balance between power and elegance, showcasing the region’s capacity for both ripe fruit expression and refined structure. This wine reveals layered aromas of dark berries, savory herbs, and elegant spice, supported by firm yet polished tannins and a lingering sense of freshness.  

Following fermentation, the Reserva is matured for 24 months in French oak barrels, allowing the wine to develop depth and complexity while integrating tertiary notes. The extended barrel ageing promotes rich texture, fine grain tannins, and subtle notes of cedar, vanilla, and smoke, resulting in a wine that harmonizes fruit, wood, and terroir for an expressive, age-worthy profile.

Points Rewards:

Tim Atkin: 93Pts 
Guia Penin: 91Pts

It matches its intensity with focus, revealing its kaleidoscopic notes with precision and power. Fistfuls of rose petals, lots of minerals, a touch of leather, and a dusting of spices, licorice, espresso and underbrush frame this wine’s black and red fruits, combining to create a perfume that promises an exciting palate, and this wine does not disappoint! Vibrant acidity animates this concentrated Barbaresco that matches its dry extract with chewy tannins, fine minerality, and a gorgeous structure.

Robert Parker: 94Pts; Wine Spectator: 91Pts

The wine is aged for approximately 20 months in American and French oak barrels, followed by bottle ageing. This combination brings warmth, vanilla, and subtle toast, supporting the fruit and giving the wine its signature smoothness, elegance, and ageing potential.

Points Awarded:

Guia Penin: 93Pts

This great wine is made for cellaring. It is slowly following its evolutionary path. It oscillates between periods of closure and openness during which one discovers a vast aromatic palette filled with a mix of black fruits, the scents of woody underbrush, and hints of minerals. The tannins have a strong presence and the acidity provokes a fresh finish in the mouth. Its anticipated maturity is without a doubt in 15 to 25 years.

Wine Enthusiast: 94 Pts; James Suckling: 93 Pts; Robert Parker: 90 Pts

Wonderfully ripe Pinot Noir that sits somewhere between the Burgundian and New World styles. Classic Pinot fruit flavours of cherry and raspberry dominate the palate with the oak just bring a hint of earthiness. Ruby red colour, beautiful play of colours, cherry and raspberry like flavours and aromas. A hint of oak from the barrique barrel ageing, well balanced, soft acidity and ripe finish. Lovely served as an aperitif, or alternatively serve with dark meats as a main course or pair with cheese.

Showing spectacularly, the 2017 Chateau Canon checks in as a final blend of 77% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Franc that’s from one of the most exceptional terroirs in the appellation. Hitting 14% alcohol, it reveals a ruby/purple hue as well as gorgeously sweet raspberries and cassis-like fruit interwoven with notes of spring flowers, rose petal, white chocolate, and spice. While it doesn’t have the massive opulence of the 2015 and 2016, it’s more classically styled as well flawlessly balanced, with a terrific sense of minerality, ultra-fine tannins, and a brilliant finish. Give bottles 5-7 years in the cellar, and it will evolve gracefully for 30-40 years. 

The 2017 Haut-Batailley was cropped at 50hl/ha according to Jean-Charles Cazes since they escaped frost damage. It is the first vintage that the Cazes family have full responsibility for (incidentally, the 2016 remains unsold at time of writing). Matured for 18 months in 60% new oak, it has developed nicely since I last tasted it: blackberry, bilberry, graphite and mint aromas stride out of the glass, veins of blue fruit emerging after a couple of minutes of aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, quite cohesive and dense with good grip towards the finish. There is suppleness here, but there is backbone too.

A blend of 86% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc, the 2017 Chateau Clos Fourtet comes all from the upper limestone plateau and spent 18 months in 60% new French oak. This deep ruby/purple-hued effort offers a rocking perfume of ripe black raspberries, cassis, crushed stone, chocolate, and flowery incense. Powerful, full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, it’s beautifully done, has ripe, present tannins, and a great finish. It ranks with the gems in this solid vintage and will benefit from just short-term cellaring and cruise for 20-25 years or more in cold cellars. 

Pale gold in color with a fine mousse, the Brut Majeur is aromatic on the nose. On the palate, it is well balanced and shows great style and complexity. Pinot Noir gives the wine richness and a long finish while Chardonnay, from the finest soils of the Ci«ote des Blancs, adds delicacy, liveliness and freshness.

Falstaff Magazin: 91Pts; Wine Enthusiast: 91Pts

This is the equivalent of 2 regular bottles.

Ageing takes place for around 21 months in new French oak barrels, carefully selected to enhance structure without masking the fruit. The result is a wine of depth and elegance, with firm but polished tannins, layers of spice and graphite, and a long, age-worthy finish.

The ancestry of Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut can be traced back to 1846, when Maison Perrier-Jouët launched its historic Cuvée K, the world’s first lightly dosed champagne in the style today known as “brut”. Dosed at a sugar level of less than 5% – daringly little for an era when champagnes regularly contained up to 40%. Maison Perrier-Jouët became renowned for its brut champagnes, which it was able to produce owing to the fact that its high quality grapes required very little added sugar – a philosophy maintained to this day.

The Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut is delicate, elegant and balanced. The striking freshness and vivacity of the floral and fruity fragrances (yellow fruits and fresh fruits) take root, before giving way to subtle notes of vanilla and butter, lending the wine a fruity and consistent character. The notes of cherry plum, lemon and bergamot orange emerge first, then make way for the flowers of fruit trees, such as lime and honeysuckle. These are followed by notes of butter, madeleine cakes and vanilla sugar. Lingering notes of grapefruit, white peaches, green pears, apple trees and green hazelnuts round off the taste.

Perrier-Jouet Belle Époque Champagne is an exquisite vintage cuvée that has captivated champagne enthusiasts since its first release in 1964. With its instantly recognizable bottle adorned with the elegant spray of Japanese white anemones, it stands as a testament to the timeless beauty and artistry of Maison Perrier-Jouët. The inspiration behind the design of the bottle comes from the brilliant mind of Emile Gallé, a renowned master of the Art Nouveau movement. In 1902, Gallé created the delicate and graceful spray of Japanese white anemones, which has since become an iconic symbol of Perrier-Jouet . The intricate details and meticulous craftsmanship of the bottle reflect the dedication and passion that goes into creating this exceptional champagne.

Tasting Notes:

On the eye: A pale gold, clear and luminous, like the rising sun.

On the nose: Delicate aromas of fruit – vine peach and poached pear – and linden and hawthorn blossom.

On the palate: Notes of juicy vine peach lend a fine texture, complemented by poached pear and rhubarb.

Paring: This prestigious cuvée pairs naturally with noble ingredients: king prawns with creamy polenta, sole meunière, Parmesan or Comté cheese.

Ratings:

James Suckling: 94pts; Wine Spectator: 94pts; The Wine Independent: 93pts

The 2016 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion, crafted with 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36.5% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, is just as captivating from bottle as it was from barrel. Fresh, silky and inviting, the Chapelle is all class. Floral notes lead into a core of expressive red cherry and plum fruit. Medium in body, silky and exquisite in its balance, the 2016 has so much to recommend it. I would prefer to give the wine a few years in bottle to allow a broader range of aromas and flavors to develop, but even today, the Chapelle is gorgeous. The 21% Cabernet Franc in the blend adds striking brightness and perfume throughout.

Wine Advocate: 94Pts; James Suckling: 94Pts; Jeb Dunnuck: 94Pts; Wine Enthusiast: 93Pts; Wine Spectator: 93Pts; Vinous: 92Pts

Great intensity of color. Its aromas powerfully express the character of the Carmenere varietal (forest fruits, eucalyptus, and leather), with notes of torrefaction – laurel and clove – licorice and black pepper. Great fullness on the palate and robust tannins. Retro-nasal aromas of toasted bread and spices ending in a long finish.

Tim Atkin: 92Pts; Descorchados: 90Pts

Ripe al Convento is a wine made with scrupulous care and attention from individual berry selection in the vineyard to vinification and ageing in the cellar. It is a Brunello Riserva with powerful personality and exceptional ageing ability. The wine spend a minimum of 2 years in a mix of Large Slavonian oak ovals and French oak barrels, and release 6 years only after harvest.

On the highest hills of this estate, which began producing wine in the year 1800, asmallSangiovese vineyard amazes us with extraordinary emotions. At an altitude of 450 metres, the vineyard benefits from warm sun in the afternoon, galestro type soil, and fresh Mediterranean breezes, producing a uniquely elegant Brunello Riserva, with personality and longevity.

Pipe tobacco, spiced plum, menthol and blue flower are some of the aromas you’ll find on this enveloping wine. Full bodied and savory, the structured, generous palate combines muscle and finesse, doling out fleshy morello cherry, raspberry jam, licorice and a dollop of vanilla alongside velvety tannins. It’s already approachable but will age well for several years or more.

James Suckling: 97 Pts; Decanter World Wine Awards: 96Pts; Falstaff: 96Pts; Wine Enthusiast: 95Pts; Wine Spectator: 94Pts; Wine Advocate: 94 Pts; Vinous: 93 Pts

Crafted from substainably-grown grapes, certified by Agriqualita