James Suckling (92-93)

Wonderful improvement here, with blackberry and chocolate character, full, round and soft. Very well done indeed.

Vinous (87-90)

Very good dark red. Reduced aromas of redcurrant and mocha. Rich and savory, with lively red fruit flavors complicated by spicy and meaty nuances. This nicely dense wine really spreads out to coat the palate. Finishes with dusty, late-arriving tannins and very good length.

Vinous - Neal Martin (95)

The 2010 Coutet has quite an intense bouquet with linseed oil and wax resin infusing the dried honey aromas, then orange pith and a touch of saffron. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity. Harmonious and extremely well focused, this conveys a sense of energy on the finish that makes you want to return for another sip. Excellent. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.

James Suckling (98)

This is very Asian with black tea, mushroom and bark aromas, and ripe fruit undertones. Full body, round and polished. Edgy structure with blackberry, mushroom skin and cedar. Fantastic finish. Just a baby. Stock up for the cellar. Better in 2020 but already excellent.

James Suckling (96)

Lots of plum character, chocolate, bay leaves and rosemary on the nose. Iodine, too. Full body and lots of concentration, yet this also delivers amazing freshness and balance. Ultra-fine tannins. Finish is very long, flavorful and wonderfully polished. This is all about refinement in combination with power. Drink or hold.

Wine Enthusiast (95)

Certain wines exude a sense of elevated excellence. This one gets to that level via aromas of spice cake, baked plum and tobacco aromas. A stocky saturated palate is structured and built to age, while this tastes of cool blue fruits, herbs, coffee and chocolate. A smoothly textured finish deals cocoa and mocha notes. Drink through 2040.

Wine Enthusiast (95)

Certain wines exude a sense of elevated excellence. This one gets to that level via aromas of spice cake, baked plum and tobacco aromas. A stocky saturated palate is structured and built to age, while this tastes of cool blue fruits, herbs, coffee and chocolate. A smoothly textured finish deals cocoa and mocha notes. Drink through 2040.

James Suckling (93)

This is so good already. What an amazing precision of fruit for this wine, with a blackberry and blueberry character as well as minerals. Full and super silky with lovely fruit. Gourmand. Tasty. I want to drink it. Always great value!

Wine Spectator (92-95)

This has a nice briary core, showing dark fig and plum flavors, with a backdrop of roasted sage and tobacco. Offers good muscle and heft, but also the rounded feel of the house style. Tasted non-blind. Score range: 92-95

Wine Spectator (92-95)

This has a nice briary core, showing dark fig and plum flavors, with a backdrop of roasted sage and tobacco. Offers good muscle and heft, but also the rounded feel of the house style. Tasted non-blind. Score range: 92-95

Wine Enthusiast (95)

94-96 A very structured wine, retaining great acidity and freshness. The tannins cut right to the heart of the wine. The aftertaste is solid and chunky.

Wine Enthusiast (95)

94-96 A very structured wine, retaining great acidity and freshness. The tannins cut right to the heart of the wine. The aftertaste is solid and chunky.

The Wine Independent (98)

A blend of 70% Semillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc, with 138 grams per liter of residual sugar, the 2010 Yquem has a pale to medium straw-gold color. After considerable aeration, it erupts from the glass with a powerhouse of flamboyant notes of crystalized ginger, honeydew melon, mango pudding, and lime leaves, followed by nuances of honeysuckle, white pepper, fennel seed, and crushed rocks. The palate is fantastically fruity, youthful and oh-so-rich, delivering citrus and tropical fruit layers with compelling tension, finishing very long and with wonderful purity.

The Wine Independent (98)

A blend of 70% Semillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc, with 138 grams per liter of residual sugar, the 2010 Yquem has a pale to medium straw-gold color. After considerable aeration, it erupts from the glass with a powerhouse of flamboyant notes of crystalized ginger, honeydew melon, mango pudding, and lime leaves, followed by nuances of honeysuckle, white pepper, fennel seed, and crushed rocks. The palate is fantastically fruity, youthful and oh-so-rich, delivering citrus and tropical fruit layers with compelling tension, finishing very long and with wonderful purity.

The Wine Independent (98)

A blend of 70% Semillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc, with 138 grams per liter of residual sugar, the 2010 Yquem has a pale to medium straw-gold color. After considerable aeration, it erupts from the glass with a powerhouse of flamboyant notes of crystalized ginger, honeydew melon, mango pudding, and lime leaves, followed by nuances of honeysuckle, white pepper, fennel seed, and crushed rocks. The palate is fantastically fruity, youthful and oh-so-rich, delivering citrus and tropical fruit layers with compelling tension, finishing very long and with wonderful purity.

The Wine Independent (98)

A blend of 70% Semillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc, with 138 grams per liter of residual sugar, the 2010 Yquem has a pale to medium straw-gold color. After considerable aeration, it erupts from the glass with a powerhouse of flamboyant notes of crystalized ginger, honeydew melon, mango pudding, and lime leaves, followed by nuances of honeysuckle, white pepper, fennel seed, and crushed rocks. The palate is fantastically fruity, youthful and oh-so-rich, delivering citrus and tropical fruit layers with compelling tension, finishing very long and with wonderful purity.

Wine Advocate (98)

This is a deeply communicative and articulate wine that boasts immense power and persistence. The 2010 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta is a creation of enormous beauty and unflinching intensity. The wine speaks at loud volumes with black cherry, spice, tarry smoke, barbecue marinade and grilled rosemary. Those balsam notes add length and continuity to the bouquet. In the mouth, the wine is complete and penetrating. It wraps thickly over the palate to soothe and entice your taste buds. Yet there is enough crispness to keep it from feeling cloying or too heavy. There is a point of tannic astringency on the finish that will accompany this wine over the next decade of its aging evolution. For that reason, it's best to wait before popping the cork on this memorable vinous experience.

James Suckling (99)

The aromas of this wine are perfect with decadent and wild fragrances of sliced fresh mushrooms, truffles, blackberries. Incredible complexity. Full and balanced. Racy, refined and amazing. The spirit of Cannubi. Drink or hold. But why wait?

James Suckling (99)

The aromas of this wine are perfect with decadent and wild fragrances of sliced fresh mushrooms, truffles, blackberries. Incredible complexity. Full and balanced. Racy, refined and amazing. The spirit of Cannubi. Drink or hold. But why wait?

Introducing the extraordinary Daniel Etienne Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Lys 2010, a masterpiece from the celebrated Burgundy region of France. Skillfully crafted by illustrious winemaker Daniel Etienne Defaix, this wine showcases his prestigious lineage and expertise spanning over 400 years. The Defaix domaine, recognised for meticulous, traditional winemaking, nurtures this Chablis to perfection, infusing each bottle with crisp minerality and profound depth.

This vintage marries the ideal 2010 harvest conditions with a complex, slow fermentation process. Using indigenous yeasts, it is fermented in stainless steel, then aged on lees for a minimum of 36 months, ensuring structure and balance. Its intense bouquet of fresh honeysuckle paired with citrus undertones transforms on the palate into an explosion of stone-fruits, honey and a striking mineral backbone. Descended from vines planted in the unique Kimmeridgian soil, the Daniel Etienne Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Lys 2010 encapsulates the authentic expression of its historic terroir.

The Daniel Etienne Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 2010 is a sublime example of French white at its pinnacle, representing a legacy steeped in more than four centuries of artisanal winemaking. Crafted in the illustrious Chablis region of Burgundy, its pedigree is linked to the hallowed limestone and Kimmeridgian clay soils that lend distinguished minerality and richness.

This exceptional single-vineyard Chablis, made by Daniel Etienne, the most recent heir of the Defaix line, manifests a fascinating interplay between intensity and elegance. The wine undergoes a meticulous vinification process, involving extended fermentation and long, slow maturation in vat to achieve an optimal meld of flavours. The result is an intricately layered wine exuding lively citrus and orchard fruit characteristics, delicately layered with floral and flinty notes.

The Daniel Etienne Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 2010 marks a compelling testament to the deftness of Defaix, amalgamating tradition, terroir, and artistry in each bottle.

Vinous - Ian D'Agata (87-90)

Dark ruby-red Nicely ripe aromas of cassis, lead pencil, menthol and flowers. Juicy, intense and focused, with plenty of lift to the red berry, mineral and cedar flavors. Finishes soft and moderately long.

Vinous (88-91)

Palish red. More stony on the nose than the Sizies, with a perfumed quality to the strawberry, cherry and menthol aromas. A step up in texture and sweetness, displaying an element of smoky minerality and a slightly edgy quality on the plate. Finishes with a firm mineral spine and an herbal nuance.

Vinous (90)

(15.8% alcohol; Cabernet Sauvignon blended with 7% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc; 40% new French oak): Liqueur-like black cherry, blueberry, mocha and licorice on the nose, along with hints of pepper, fresh herbs and woodsmoke. Hugely ripe, plush and chewy but initially a bit dulled by alcohol. Rich, deep dark berry and chocolate flavors emerged with air. Finishes long, sweet and ripely tannic, with enough acidity to maintain its balance. A major no-holds-barred mouthful of Cabernet.

Vinous (91)

(15.5% alcohol): Saturated bright ruby. Pungent aromas of blackberry, cassis, spices, violet and peppery herbs, along with some exotic chocolatey oak notes. Plush, velvety wine with some high tones of dried herbs. Wonderfully broad and concentrated, although some will find this a bit herbal. Finishes very long, with serious dusty tannins and surprising energy and lift. There's no rush to drink this blend; as sweet as it is, there's good spine and structural support here for further development in bottle.

Vinous (89)

(15% alcohol): Full ruby-red. Aromas of cassis, boysenberry, redcurrant, licorice, tobacco leaf, fresh herbs, cedar and graphite. Suave and fine-grained, with its dark berry flavors enlivened by an herbal element and firm acidity. This dry, savory wine finishes with firm tannins and decent length, if not with quite the dimension or sweetness of the 2011 version. Firmly structured Merlot in a rather Cabernet style, with its tannins turning a touch dusty with air.

Vinous (90)

(15.7% alcohol; aged for 22 months in 50% new oak; 4 g/l r.s.): Full ruby-red. Musky blueberry, black raspberry, mocha, licorice pastille and violet on the nose, plus a hint of smoked meat. Very sweet, concentrated dark berry and pepper flavors show a slight warmth and liqueur-like ripeness leavened by firm acidity. Densely packed and filled in but not heavy. Finishes with serious tongue-dusting tannins and excellent length. I suspect this will be better once it absorbs some of its baby fat and early sweetness.