James Suckling (96)

Cool and perfumed 2016 Brunello with black cherries, flowers and crushed stones. Medium to full body with firm, chewy tannins, yet polished and very silky. Mineral and seaweed undertones. Just a hint of bitterness. Drink after 2023.

James Suckling (96)

Cool and perfumed 2016 Brunello with black cherries, flowers and crushed stones. Medium to full body with firm, chewy tannins, yet polished and very silky. Mineral and seaweed undertones. Just a hint of bitterness. Drink after 2023.

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.

Wine Spectator (97)

Fresh and vivid, this red features cherry, raspberry, plum, floral, black tea and mineral aromas and flavors. The well-defined fruit character is nicely balanced by earthy, savory elements, lively acidity and refined tannins. This is complete, with terrific finesse and complexity.

Wine Advocate (92)

An impressive Chardonnay from the limestone soils of Limoux, the 2016 Grand Vin Blanc could rival a decent Meursault. It's buttery and toasty up front, but it backs those oaky notes with plenty of plump pear and melon fruit. Medium-bodied, it's intense, concentrated and long, finishing with bright citrus and a lingering note of pencil shavings.

James Suckling (97)

There’s lots of clove character here, but the fruit really shines through, offering up intense hibiscus, orange rind, cranberries, Thai basil and dark chocolate. Full-bodied and really structured and refined with an agile core of red berries and savory undertones. Long but minerally on the finish. Drink from 2024.

James Suckling (99)

A beautiful nose with tangerine peel, strawberries, rose petals, boysenberries, cranberries, red plums, red cherries and dark spices. Very grainy and refined on the palate with a real kick from the orange-rind undertones that permeate the entire palate. Tiptoes like a tightrope walker between power and finesse and executes its mission nearly to perfection. Drink now or hold.

James Suckling (97)

A beautiful nose that shows dark plums, vanilla, tar, tobacco and spices. Full-bodied and very powerful with punchy tannins, but some real integration to the agile fruit and acidity. The complexity and depth at the end is breathtaking. Drink from 2023.

James Suckling (98)

I love the purity of fruit to this Gran Selezione that shows hibiscus, orange peel, violets, lavender, early grey tea, cloves, tobacco and wet earth. Elegant and flowing with lithe yet structured tannins, intensely refreshing acidity and a long, complex finish. Superb sangiovese. Drink from 2023.

Presenting Barons Rothschild Reserve Medoc Speciale 2016, a compelling union of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes hailing from the reputable vineyards of Medoc, synonymous with the acclaimed Rothschild wine legacy. Harvested and meticulously selected, the grapes are vinified at a controlled temperature before enduring an extended maceration. The resulting blend is then expertly matured in oak barrels for fourteen months, endowing it with a robust and news-worthy character.

This particular vintage is elegantly expressive, featuring an audacious bouquet of red fruits layered with spice. The palate reveals a profound structure with integrated tannins, yielding a complex yet harmonious wine. Though Barons Rothschild Reserve Medoc Speciale 2016 comes from the much-celebrated Rothschild lineage, it nevertheless manages to elicit its own distinct and delightful charm. Renowned for its impeccable balance and gratifying report, this Bordeaux wine is undoubtedly a testament to the art and craft of fine winemaking.

Wine Advocate (100)

This is the stuff of dreams. Tasted so young, I did a lot of coaxing to nudge the wine along, thanks to a double decant and a few extra hours in an open bottle. I tasted both samples I had over the course of a few weeks. Those efforts served well, but the wine remains packed tight and full of nervous energy regardless, indicating that its true potential won't be seen for another 10 or 20 years, or likely more. The Bartolo Mascarello 2016 Barolo is a true icon of the vintage. The approach is elongated and silky, like lifting honey from a jar. The aromas are chiseled and focused with wild berry, licorice, candied orange peel, campfire ash, rusted iron, crushed graphite and pencil shaving. The wine's personality is downplayed, elegant and demure in one tasting but exuberant and expressive in the next. The tannins show snap and crunch, indicating they will drive the wine forward over many years of cellar age. This is one of those rare wines that is poised to improve with each increment of time. Structurally, it is perfect. If we were to create a template for an aspirational Barolo, this would be it.

Wine Advocate (100)

This is the stuff of dreams. Tasted so young, I did a lot of coaxing to nudge the wine along, thanks to a double decant and a few extra hours in an open bottle. I tasted both samples I had over the course of a few weeks. Those efforts served well, but the wine remains packed tight and full of nervous energy regardless, indicating that its true potential won't be seen for another 10 or 20 years, or likely more. The Bartolo Mascarello 2016 Barolo is a true icon of the vintage. The approach is elongated and silky, like lifting honey from a jar. The aromas are chiseled and focused with wild berry, licorice, candied orange peel, campfire ash, rusted iron, crushed graphite and pencil shaving. The wine's personality is downplayed, elegant and demure in one tasting but exuberant and expressive in the next. The tannins show snap and crunch, indicating they will drive the wine forward over many years of cellar age. This is one of those rare wines that is poised to improve with each increment of time. Structurally, it is perfect. If we were to create a template for an aspirational Barolo, this would be it.

Wine Advocate (100)

This is the stuff of dreams. Tasted so young, I did a lot of coaxing to nudge the wine along, thanks to a double decant and a few extra hours in an open bottle. I tasted both samples I had over the course of a few weeks. Those efforts served well, but the wine remains packed tight and full of nervous energy regardless, indicating that its true potential won't be seen for another 10 or 20 years, or likely more. The Bartolo Mascarello 2016 Barolo is a true icon of the vintage. The approach is elongated and silky, like lifting honey from a jar. The aromas are chiseled and focused with wild berry, licorice, candied orange peel, campfire ash, rusted iron, crushed graphite and pencil shaving. The wine's personality is downplayed, elegant and demure in one tasting but exuberant and expressive in the next. The tannins show snap and crunch, indicating they will drive the wine forward over many years of cellar age. This is one of those rare wines that is poised to improve with each increment of time. Structurally, it is perfect. If we were to create a template for an aspirational Barolo, this would be it.

James Suckling (96)

Shows beautiful, ripe cabernet aromas with currants, plums, meat and smoke. Flowers, too. Full body, deep and ripe fruit and exquisite, ripe tannins. Flavorful finish. Tight right now, but shows excellent potential. Best ever. Try after 2024.

James Suckling (96)

Shows beautiful, ripe cabernet aromas with currants, plums, meat and smoke. Flowers, too. Full body, deep and ripe fruit and exquisite, ripe tannins. Flavorful finish. Tight right now, but shows excellent potential. Best ever. Try after 2024.

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.

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!

James Suckling (99)

This is a stunning Beaucastel. A classic! Has a superb array of fruit, ranging from red, through to blue, darker purple and black. Nuances of dark, stony minerals, spices, wild flowers and herbs. So fleshy. This has impeccable balance, super-silky tannins and an extraordinarily long finish. This has decades ahead of it. Drink or hold.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Also bottled two weeks ago, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Roussanne Vieilles Vignes is utterly killer and is as good as it gets. Huge notes of orange blossom, peach, tangerine, honeysuckle, and caramelized citrus flow from this insanely good, unctuous, heavenly textured white that possesses full-bodied richness and power, yet stays light, graceful and perfectly balanced on the palate. Drink bottles anytime over the coming 4-6 years, or cellar for a decade or more. Robert Parker once famously called this the Montrachet of the Rhône, and I wholeheartedly agree with him. Don’t miss this wine!

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

The flagship is the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin, 75% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah, 10% Grenache, and the rest Counoise, brought up all in foudre. Blueberries, Peking duck, new saddle leather, black cherries, scorched earth, and an incredible sense of minerality all flow to a massive, concentrated, pure, perfectly balanced 2016 that is a prime example of the old saying, “an iron fist in a velvet glove.” It's a heavenly, perfect wine that's going to live for 30-50 years.

James Suckling (91-92)

A juicy and pretty wine with berry and chocolate character, a medium body and a clean finish. Clearly better than the 2015.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Cassis, crushed rocks, graphite, and liquid violet notes all emerge from the 2016 Château Beauséjour, one of the magical wines in this great, great vintage. Possessing full-bodied richness, building tannin, world-class purity of fruit, and an incredible finish, it’s one of those “iron fist in a velvet glove” wines that carries awesome richness and depth, yet just glides over the palate with no sensation of weight or heaviness. This legendary Saint-Emilion needs 6-7 years of cellaring and will keep for 3-4 decades. Don’t miss this wine!

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Cassis, crushed rocks, graphite, and liquid violet notes all emerge from the 2016 Château Beauséjour, one of the magical wines in this great, great vintage. Possessing full-bodied richness, building tannin, world-class purity of fruit, and an incredible finish, it’s one of those “iron fist in a velvet glove” wines that carries awesome richness and depth, yet just glides over the palate with no sensation of weight or heaviness. This legendary Saint-Emilion needs 6-7 years of cellaring and will keep for 3-4 decades. Don’t miss this wine!

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Cassis, crushed rocks, graphite, and liquid violet notes all emerge from the 2016 Château Beauséjour, one of the magical wines in this great, great vintage. Possessing full-bodied richness, building tannin, world-class purity of fruit, and an incredible finish, it’s one of those “iron fist in a velvet glove” wines that carries awesome richness and depth, yet just glides over the palate with no sensation of weight or heaviness. This legendary Saint-Emilion needs 6-7 years of cellaring and will keep for 3-4 decades. Don’t miss this wine!

The Beausite 2016 is a truly distinguished offering from the esteemed vineyards of Château de Beaucastel. This iconic French winery, located in the heart of the Rhone region, is renowned worldwide for their commitment to quality, utilising traditional grape varieties and a blend of 13 grape varieties to produce this vintage.

Highly applauded in wine publications, Beausite 2016 presents a distinct depth of flavour, leading with robust notes of blackcurrant, laced with subtle hints of sage and spice. Aged in French oak barrels, it is meticulously crafted with Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah bearing fruit harvested at premium maturity. This exemplifies the vineyard's mastery in preserving the integrity of their terroir through their organic and biodynamic practices.

Enjoy the Beausite 2016 for its perfect balance of intense flavour, alcohol and tannic structure. An investment that any serious wine aficionado would truly appreciate. Savour the embodiment of exceptional Rhone viticulture tradition in each glass of Beausite 2016.

From the sun-soaked region of Bandol in the South of France comes the Begude Bandol Rouge 2016, a product of meticulous vinification epitomising the mastery of Château de Bégude. Imbued with varietals of Mourvèdre (80%), Grenache, and Cinsault hailing from the estate's prime limestone-clay soils, this fine vintage is aged in French oak barrels for 18 months, yielding a beautiful structure.

The result is an intensely expressive wine, boasting a robust crimson hue and elegant aromas of dark fruit, spice and vanilla. Seductive blackberry, blackcurrant, earthy tones, and sophisticated tannic richness dance on the palate, leading to a long and graceful finish. Warm and full-bodied, the Begude Bandol Rouge 2016 perfectly encapsulates the Provençal terroir while reflecting the esteemed winemaking savoir-faire of the Tari family — one of Bandol's most respected wine producers.

A compelling addition to any collection, the Begude Bandol Rouge 2016 is a testament to the noble virtues of Bandol winemaking.

The Bel Colle Barbaresco 2016, a paragon from Piedmont, hails from a region renowned for offering high-quality Nebbiolo. Produced with manually harvested grapes, this premier red wine showcases the expert craft of Bel Colle's winemakers, delighting discerning connoisseurs since 1976.

The wine undergoes fermentation for two weeks, aged in French oak barrels for 2 years, before sawing in bottles over 6 months. Showcasing a striking garnet colour, it enchants with a delicate bouquet that leads with expressive red fruits and unveils notes of vanilla and spice. Rich on the palate, this full-bodied, fine wine exhibits remarkable complexity, robust tannins, and a long, lyrical finish— a testament to its quality growing conditions and meticulous production methods.

Perfect for special occasions or ageing in your cellar, the Bel Colle Barbaresco 2016 testifies to an internationally successful winery's dedication to excellence, embodying the true spirit of Italian viticulture.