WA 96-99 Scheduled to be bottled next year, the 2015 Clape la Porte du Ciel is another tour de force from this team that’s unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage. More clean, straight and fruit driven than previous vintages, without...

992WS Stephan von Neipperg of Château Canon la Gaffelière was an early proponent of Castillon vineyard potential and chose this property which is on the same ridge as Saint-Emilion. Acquired by Stephan von Neipperg in late 1998,...

94pts WS The finest Champagne that I have ever tasted from Giraud is the NV Brut Grand Cru Aÿ Fût de Chêne MV13, a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay that's based on the 2014 vintage, supplemented by fully 40% older wine from a...

92pts WS The latest rendition of Giraud's NV Blanc de Craie Brut offers up aromas of citrus oil, fresh pear and linden blossom. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, vinous and satiny mtextured, with a delicate mousse, ripe but racy...

93 pts WS The NV Hommage à François Hémart Brut is a tribute to François Hémart, ancestor of Giraud born in Aÿ in 1625. The historical cuvée of the domaine has a straw-yellow to golden color and opens with a...

95 pts RP/95pts Vinous "The latest releases of the NV Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru V. O. (Version Originale), like its "Initial" counterpart, is derived from the 2012, 2011 and 2010 vintages and was disgorged in December 2018. As usual, it's produced from...

97+pts J. Dunnuck- The 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape L'Avenue is all Grenache sourced from a single parcel near the estate and aged 18 months in demi-muids. This deeply colored beauty boasts a huge perfume of black raspberries, blackberries, dried...

93 JD The classic 2017 Gigondas Tradition cuvée from this estate is a real winner as well as a smoking value. A blend of 80% Grenache and 10% each of Syrah and Mourvèdre that wasn’t destemmed and was aged all in foudre, it boasts...

98 JD/97WS "The inky colored 2016 Cornas Les Vieilles Fontaines is the flagship of the estate and comes from the La Fontaine lieu-dit. It sees a longer maceration and between 15-20% new barrels. It offers a powerful, concentrated, incredibly textured...

94 pts Wine Spectator-"featuring red currant fruit wrapped with melted red licorice, apple wood and bay leaf notes. The focused finish has ample spine, with a strong bolt of iron at the end. Best from 2020 through 2035"

90pts Vinous. The NV Extra Brut is a gorgeous entry-level wine with plenty of Bouzy richness and breadth. Red stone fruit, dried flowers, mint and chamomile are all nicely pushed forward, but it is the wine's soft curve and open-kint personality that...

Attaining cult wine status is not an easy feat, and certainly not when the odds are stacked against you. Laurent Vaillé has achieved what others thought impossible. Having spent his early career training under such masters as Jean-François...

92 RP "Hints of garrigue accent raspberries and Rainier cherries in the 2016 Gigondas. This blend of 60% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre and 5% Cinsault is full-bodied and supple, with no hard edges, just lovely fruit. Long, seamless and...

96 RP "The 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Urgonien is a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre, from 1.14 hectares planted on limestone-based soils. Rose petals and cherries fill the nose, while the full-bodied palate delivers fresh fruit, hints of...

97-99 JD "Up with the finest vintages of this cuvée and a candidate for perfection, the 2016 Terrasses du Larzac La Peira checks in as a Syrah-dominated blend raised all in barrel. It got more than one expletive in my notes and offers heavenly...

95-97 JD "The deepest colored of the three wines in this report, the 2016 Terrasses du Larzac Matissat is a Mourvèdre-dominated cuvée raised all in barrels. This smoking good barrel sample is absolutely loaded with notions of cured meats,...

JD 94-96 "Slightly deeper colored, the 2016 Minervois La Livinière Amandiers might just be the finest vintage of this cuvée to date. Sensational notes of blackberries, scorched earth, wood smoke, and peppery garrigue all emerge from this...

95 RP "Virtually all Mourvèdre (there are a few Grenache and Syrah vines mixed in), the 2016 Gigondas Le Plateau was fermented as whole bunches and developed an exotic nose, ranging from hints of flowers and herbs to fraises des bois, cherries,...

95 RP "Egly's 2009 Brut Grand Cru Millésime is a 100% Ambonnay blend of Pinot Noir (70%) and Chardonnay (30%). Fermented in Burgundian barrels for eight months and disgorged in April 2018 with two grams of dosage, this cuvée offers a very...

95 WS notorious for its elegance, balance and ageing potential. Beaucastel has an exceptional terroir at the Northern limit of Châteauneuf du Pape, exposed to the Mistral wind. All thirteen varieties of the appellation have been organically...

93pts R. Parker A blend of 70% Clairette, 25% Grenache Blanc and 5% Bourboulenc, Usseglio's 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc is a pleasant surprise. Made mainly in stainless steel, it's full-bodied and creamy textured, yet it balances that richness...

100 Pts J. Dunnuck Getting more than one exclamation in the notes, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de Mon Aïeul is a deep, rich yet vibrant red that offers a kaleidoscope of kirsch liqueur, garrigue, crushed flowers, Asian...

98pts J. Dunnuck Deeper and richer than the Champelrose, the 2015 Cornas La Sabarotte comes from a great vineyard in the middle of the appellation and was raised in new barrels. Its huge nose of black raspberries, cassis, licorice, and violets give...

93pts RP Sourced from the fruit of 36 family-owned plots in Oger and Mesnil-sur-Oger, the NV Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru is very fine and intense on the clear, precise and perfectly ripe nose, with lovely brioche and aromatic fruit notes. Beautifully...

97pts JD-From a cooler terroir of sandy soils just beside the domaine, the 2016 Gigondas Le Lieu Dit is another tour de force from this brilliant estate. It sports a medium ruby color as well as a rocking bouquet of kirsch, blackberry liqueur, rose...

97+ JD The 2016 Gigondas La Colline (100% Grenache from a tiny corner of the La Colline vineyard) gives a big blast of blackberry and kirsch fruit to go with complex garrigue, toasted spice, and dried earth. This full-bodied beauty packs an incredible...

95 WS/96 WA/99pts J. Dunnuck- it’s the best vintage to date, it’s going to be great comparing it to bottles of the 2005, 2007, 2010, and 2015 over the coming 15+ years. This beauty offers a thrilling blend of kirsch, blackberries, smoked...

93pts Vinous "Light bright yellow. Expansive aromas of nectarine, orange, honey and white flowers develop a smoky mineral note. Fleshy citrus and pit fruit flavors become more lively with air, picking up notes of candied ginger and fennel on the back...

An expressive and seductive wine. The nose evokes a basket of fruits gilded by the sun, apricot, quince, peach and citrus fruits. Some sweet notes of flowers (lilac, rose and violet) and honey make the whole set even more charming. The mouth is gourmand...

RP 99 - "2010 Cote Rotie Chateau d’Ampuis is an incredible effort that’s made from 93% Syrah and 7% Viognier. Coming from the estate’s top sites and aged 38 months in new oak, it has no problem standing beside the top three...

WA92- A blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 5% each Cinsault and Mourvèdre, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape is full-bodied, rich and round. Despite being a touch on the warm side, it's deceptively easy to drink, with sexy flavors of raspberries...

97 JD-  As always, the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée De Mon Aïeul is all Grenache (from La Serres, La Crau, and La Guigasse) that was not destemmed and was brought up all in used demi-muids. It's an extraordinary wine,...

98JD/97WA-The 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Vieilles Vignes is another killer effort from this estate. Coming from the La Janasse and La Crau lieux-dits and brought up in foudre, its deep purple color is followed by blockbuster notes of...

94-96 WA- Made from 100% Grenache (from the Grande Serres, la Crau and La Guigasse lieux-dits) and completely destemmed, the 2015 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aïeul is still aging in a mix of old demi-muids, and it’s a wine...

99pts JD A true “wow” wine, the deep, concentrated 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Hauts-Lieux (there's 20% Mourvèdre) offers awesome notes of blackcurrants, smoked meats, graphite, crushed rocks, and licorice. Extraordinarily...