Vinous (94)

The 2018 Meursault Les Perrières 1er Cru has a very pretty bouquet with vivacious yellow plum, orange pith and crushed stone aromas that gain complexity in the glass. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity that keeps this on its toes. Hints of lime and orange zest combine with wonderful salinity on the finish that feels very persistent. Excellent. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 white tasting.

Vinous (88)

The 2017 Bourgogne Blanc has a very well-defined, quite flinty bouquet that is bursting with energy. The taut, fresh palate offers wonderful salinity, and touches of vervain tea make an unexpected appearance toward the finish. Very fine.

Produced in the Burgundy region of France, by the reputable Ballot Millot winery, the Ballot Millot Meursault-Genevrieres 1er Cru 2016 is an absolute classic. The winemakers are known for their meticulous eco-friendly approaches, and the 2016 vintage is no exception. Grown in the exclusive Meursault-Genevrieres vineyard, the Chardonnay grapes perfectly express their unique terroir in this premier cru.

This wine is elegantly built with a vivacious minerality and a structured, complex palate. It strikes the discerning wine-enthusiast with a melange of tropical fruit and floral notes on the nose, layered with nuances of honey and spice. It is a fine choice for anyone seeking a rich and inviting white Burgundy.

Carefully aged in French oak barrels, the Ballot Millot Meursault-Genevrieres 1er Cru 2016 achieves a harmonious balance of fruit and oak. With a long, tantalizing finish, it is the epitome of an exquisite French Chardonnay.

Wine Spectator (92)

This is a step up. Ripe and polished, with lots of blackberry, plum sauce and melted black licorice notes that are carried by dense but velvety tannins. Extra anise, violet and incense notes push through the vivid finish, where there's plenty of buried grip. A strong showing. Best from 2013 through 2019. 3,500 cases made. -JM

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)

Readers will find a rich, flamboyant wine in the 2016 Barde-Haut. There is not a ton of subtlety here, but I am not sure that matters all that much given how immensely pleasing the 2016 is. Crushed rocks, graphite, lavender, blackberry, plum, and violet infuse a Saint-Émilion that offers tremendous textural richness as well as vibrancy. Most importantly of all, the 2016 is flat-out delicious. This is a decidedly opulent, dark Saint-Émilion with all of the elements impeccably balanced. I loved it.

Vinous - Neal Martin (95)

The 2019 Barde-Haut is beautifully defined on the nose, very pure with precise blackberry, briary, violets and iris flower, harmonious. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled tannins, cohesive and mineral-driven; the terroir is very expressive towards the finish that lingers in the mouth. Wonderful, assured and with great potential. Tasted at the Barde-Haut vertical at the château.

Vinous - Neal Martin (94)

The 2010 Batailley has a vivacious, outgoing and quintessentially Pauillac nose with blackberry, mint and graphite bursting from the glass and demanding attention! The palate is medium-bodied with ample black fruit laced with graphite, sage and cracked black pepper. Wonderful depth and grip here, fanning out nicely towards the finish where there is a soupçon of oak still to be subsumed, therefore give this another three or four years. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.

Wine Advocate (91+)

The 2014 Batailley has an attractive bouquet, lilting scents of redcurrant and raspberry coulis, quite floral and very precise. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, good depth and body, rounded for Batailley and less austere than usual. It feels closed towards the finish, tight-lipped, but there is certainly grip and presence here. It will require several years in bottle before it can show its true potential, but there is a sense of class to this Batailley that I suspect will become more evident with maturity. Tasted twice with consistent notes.

James Suckling (94-95)

Wow. The shows a new level of excellence with mint, mineral and currant character. Full body, super fine tannins and a savory finish. New definition here. Precision. New second wine from this estate moved up the quality.

James Suckling (94-95)

This is very structured and dense with lots of fruit and tannin, yet it’s tight and long. Linear and racy. Muscular.

James Suckling (94-95)

This is classically structured with a wonderful finish of extremely polished tannins and an ultra long finish. So much blackcurrant, spice and cedar. Seamless. 70% cabernet sauvignon and 26% merlot, the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot.

James Suckling (93-94)

Subtle aromas of currants and fresh flowers with some tar and graphite. Medium-bodied with firm tannins and bright acidity. Very typical and bright for Pauillac. Linear and fine. Solid and tight. Well age nicely.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (96)

You want to know what Pauillac tastes like, roll up and enjoy this vintage of Batailley. Squid ink, slate, cassis, bilberry, slate, crayon, black chocolate, plenty of tannic grip, a smudge of grilled cedar oak and a squeeze of mint, it's all here. 57% new oak for ageing. Harvest September 12 through to October 5, Axel Marchal consultant, Philippe and Frederic Castéja owners.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (87-90)

The 2016 Beau Soleil is a bit blowsy at first, but then finds its balance in the glass. Forward and open-knit, it is made in a style best suited for near- and medium-term drinking. Dark cherry, plum, espresso, wildflowers and rose petals all meld together. The new oak is a bit much at this stage, but otherwise the 2016 is nicely done. Tasted two times.

Indulge in the exquisite experience that is the Beau Soleil 2018. This spectacular red wine hails from the renowned vineyards of Bordeaux, France. A product of meticulous winemaking, Beau Soleil 2018 is a fine blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. These were given the perfect exposure to the sun, nurturing the grapes to full maturity. Expert vintners from the highly respected Château Beau-Soleil leveraged traditional methods of harvesting and fermentation to craft a wine of outstanding calibre.

As soon as you uncork a bottle, you are emboldened by the layered complexity of dark fruits, light spices intertwined with an undertone of oak. Beyond the nose, Beau Soleil 2018 teases the palate with robust tannins extending to a smooth, long finish. This wine encapsulates the best of the Bordeaux terroir, harmonising the power of bold fruit forwardness with subtle complexity. The Beau Soleil 2018 is undeniably a distinguishable gem in any fine wine collection.

Wine Enthusiast (94)

92-95 A big wine, with bitter chocolate flavors, and packed ripe fruit. It is intense and very dark, a great success.

Wine Advocate (94+)

A beautiful wine from Beau-Séjour Bécot, the color of the 2005 is an opaque purple and the wine is loaded with notes of cedar wood, Asian spice, blackberry and cassis fruit. Full-bodied and tannic, but broad, huge, and massive, this wine is still an infant and needs another 7-10 years of cellaring. This is a 40- to 50-year wine from the Bécot family.

Wine Advocate (94+)

My favorite Beau-Sejour-Becot to date, this sumptuous, dense blue/purple-hued 2009 reveals a blockbuster nose of blueberry pie, black fruits, licorice, forest floor, spring flowers and a hint of mocha. A blend of 70% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon made from tiny yields of 27 hectoliters per hectare, this big, inky, powerful, tannic wine is sensationally concentrated. With an unctuous texture, full-bodied power and tremendous levels of tannin (largely concealed behind a cascade of rich fruit), this is a fabulous effort from a beautifully situated St.-Emilion premier grand cru classe. It will need 5-8 years of cellaring, and should keep for three decades.

The Wine Cellar Insider (96)

Fleshy, sensuous, polished and packed with all the ripe black fruits, licorice, smoke, crushed rock and truffle you could ask for. Full-bodied, silky and rich, with a long, fruit-intensive finish, hold your bottles for a decade and this is going to be star!

Wine Spectator (96-99)

Juicy and forward in feel, with fresh plum, blackberry and anise notes. Dense, but still silky and refined in feel, revealing a long mineral echo through the finish. This is so pure, it seems almost too easy to drink already, just as you realize how ridiculously long it is.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)

The 2019 Beau-Séjour-Bécot is a powerful, explosive wine. Dark fruit, chocolate, cured meats and earthy notes lend quite a bit of depth. Compared with its neighbors, Beau-Séjour-Bécot is dark, broad and broodingly tannic, sometimes more power than finesse. There is plenty of character, though. That much is evident. Beau-Séjour-Bécot speaks with authority as it commands attention.

Jancis Robinson (16.5)

Fragrant, spicy, fairly light compared with Famille Perrin's Gigondas and Vinsobres cuvées. Still a closed book, but the clarity of fruit is very promising.

Wine Advocate (91-93)

Tasted as a sample blended from several foudres, the 2018 Cotes du Rhone Coudoulet de Beaucastel features scents of sun-warmed stones and ripe raspberries. Medium to full-bodied, it's plush and open-knit, already giving a lot of pleasure, and finishing zesty and long.

Decanter (92)

A well-balanced, perfectly ripe, very fresh expression this year. Fine tannins, with good grip, harmonious acidity and dark streak of concentrated fruit into the finish. You'll be glad you bought some of this. Not hugely deep or hugely complex, but beautifully balanced. 30% Grenache, 30% Mourv

Jeb Dunnuck (91)

Bottled a month ago, the 2020 Côtes Du Rhône Coudoulet sports a vivid ruby hue and is a blend of 30% each of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre, with the balance Cinsault. It’s a ripe, rounded, medium to full-bodied effort that has lots of ripe red and blue fruits as well as notes of peppery garrigue and leather. Drink this juicy, elegant Côtes Du Rhône over the coming decade.

Famille Perrin Tasting note: A fabulous year for the reds of Coudoulet of Beaucastel. Full-bodied, lush, velvety in texture, featuring notes cherry and plum paste, laced with stony minerality and garrigue accents. Very balanced wine with beautiful tannins. The finish has great length and very complex.