92 Points - Wine Spectator. The Jayson Red Wine was produced from grapes from a selection of prime sites in and around Atlas Peak in eastern Napa. Hailing from the outstanding 2021 vintage, a year noted for its opulence, this blend of 81% Merlot and 19% Cabernet Sauvignon is wonderfully full and plump. The grapes were hand-picked and hand-sorted before undergoing fermentation in stainless steel tanks to enhance its fresh fruit profile and retain its bright acidity. The wine was then racked into

93 Points - Wine Spectator. The Pahlmeyer Jayson Cabernet Sauvignon was produced from fruit from Pahlmeyer’s mountain-grown vines. It’s a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Merlot, so a classic Bordeaux blend. 2018 was an outstanding vintage, the unusually cool growing season saw the grapes ripen more slowly and gave them the opportunity to develop even more complexity. Once deemed ready, the grapes were harvested at night to preserve their freshness and ensure the aromas

93-95 Points - The Wine Independent. Pahlmeyer made the most of the glorious 2021 Napa Valley Merlot vintage – a year that seems destined to rival or even eclipse the extraordinary 2013, 2018, and 2019 havests. The grapes for the Pahlmeyer Merlot 2021 were grown on high-elevation blocks and were hand-harvested, allowing for rigorous vineyard selection and gentle handling. Once in Pahlmeyer’s state-of-the-art winery, they were given a further hand sort and destemmed, with only perfectly ripe frui

96+ Points - The Wine Advocate. The profoundly successful 2021 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon vintage - a year that seems destined to eclipse even the extraordinary 2013, 2018, and 2019 vintages – allowed Katie Vogt and her team to create a masterpiece. The Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red 2021, a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 1.5% Petit Verdot, and 1.5% Malbec, is the product of high elevation sites at Upper Range, Waters Ranch, and Vagone. The grapes were hand-harvested at night to pres

It's rare to find a wine from the Napa Valley composed of all five Bordeaux-style varietals. But, for many years, that has been Papillon's focus. The raw strength and prestige of Cabernet Sauvignon buttressed by the opulence of Merlot, the spiciness of Cabernet Franc, the depth of Malbec and the sheet unctuousness of Petit Verdot come together seamlessly. Vivino Rating: 4.4 (Oct 2024) Tasting Notes The dark crimson core and brick rim sets the stage, as aromas of currant, blackberry, blue fruits,

It’s a bold claim to say a wine – especially a Shiraz – is unlike anything you have ever tasted, but in the case of the De Toren Black Lion Shiraz, it happens to be true. As De Toren puts it, ‘The Black Lion wine is the heirloom of years of winemaking in De Toren’s continuous quest for perfection’. Planted on ancient soils with specially selected vines and nurtured by hand manicuring and individual attention, nothing is left to chance. Irrigation is kept to a minimum and the vines are treated or

Nothing is left to chance with the De Toren Private Cellar Patronus Malbec. Taking its name from the Latin for ‘patron’, this is a wine where winemaking is turned not just into an art form, but into an obsession. The tiny harvest goes through an incredibly stringent selection process with only the finest old Malbec vines on the property being considered for use. Once chosen, individual bunches are selected at harvest and then, post-destemming, individual grapes. Following a long, yet cool, ferme

No South African wine is as revered or acclaimed as the Book 17 of De Toren Private Cellar. This Western Cape wine is produced from a classic Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. The vines are planted on poor, free-draining soils which force them to dig deep into the sand and granite soils in search of nutrients, reducing the vines’ vigour and imparting complexity. Once they have reach optimum ripeness, the grapes are hand-harvested and rushed to the press house. Here

94 Points - Tim Atkin MW.  The Cuentaviñas Alomado 2021 is another wonderful wine from of this extraordinary Rioja bodega. Produced from a single vineyard which is home to vines that are over 60 years old, it marries tradition with innovation to startling effect. It’s planted with a mixture of Tempranillo grapes alongside the white varieties of Viura, Malvasía Riojana and Calagraño in what’s now known as a ‘field blend’. Innovation continues in the winery where the wine is barrel fermented in sm

94 Points - Jeff Leve. Even in the context of Pomerol, Clos l’Eglise is a tiny property. In an average year, its 5.98-hectare vineyard (which isn’t a walled ‘clos’) yields only 2,800 cases of wine, and given its rising popularity, stocks are quickly exhausted. The secret to its success – alongside the huge investment by its owners the billionaire Garcan-Cathiard family – is its sandy-gravel topsoil, hard-pan subsoil and climate which is drier in the summer and winter than further west in the Med

95 Points - Faltstaff. Solengo was the brainchild of the legendary winemaker and father of Super Tuscan wines, Giacomo Tachis. The first vintage was 1995 and is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Sangiovese. The wines are aged in French barriques for twelve months and are blended just before the bottling. A long period in bottle follows before the finished Solengo is released. Solengo, by the way, means solitary wild boar in Tuscan, and describes perfectly the regal, powerful,

Founded in 1882, Domaine de La Croix is ​​close to the village of La Croix Valmer and the beaches of St. Croix. Tropez. In the 1955 ranking, the winery was designated as Cru Classé de Provence and is the largest Cru Classé vineyard in the area. Cuvee Empereur is the most prestigious wine of the domaine and produced in only very small quantities.  Wine Press "This wine belongs to the breed of greats and will accompany summer aperitifs and gourmet meals with equal success." - Laurent Derhé, Presid

Mercury Head Cabernet Sauvignon is the flagship wine of Orin Swift and emphasises their guiding principle: Without quality grapes, great wine is impossible. It comes from the best lots from very select vineyards in Napa Valley and the wine is a testament to those vineyards, to their principle and to what is possible in Napa Valley. The Liberty Dime on each bottle symbolises winemaker Dave Phinney's favorite coin in his collection growing up and his most prized possession. Vivino Rating: 4.6 (Sep

94 Points - Decanter. After an enforced eight-year break in the early 2010s, where they were prohibited from making Zinfandel, Orin Swift Cellars delved into various grape varieties in California to great success. The 2021 vintage of Eight Years in the Desert is the fifth instalment of a rare and cherished wine. This exceptional Zinfandel boasts a deep maroon core and opens with captivating aromas of wild blackberry, pepper, oatmeal raisin cookie, forest floor, bay leaf, and spices. The taste is

92-95 Points - Jasper Morris MW. A rare chance to savour the stunning Meursault Cuvee Charles Maxime 2021 from Meursault masters, Domaine Latour Giraud. 2021 was a lovely but hugely challenging vintage in Burgundy. The little wine that was made offers a delicious combination of freshness, elegance, and harmony. The Cuvee Charles Maxime is a wonderful example of how good 2021 white Burgundy can be.  Boasting generous quantities of citrus, almonds, lemon confit and just a hint of butter, it’s powe