A bright, fresh, fruity wine, with well-defined ripe apple, pear, melon, tropical banana and citrus notes alongside a honeyed character and lifted florals. Very pretty. Quite luscious and surprisingly weighty, with zippy acidity that makes it a wonderful sipper and also fabulously versatile with food.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary (1968-2018) with a seal on the front label, the San Felice 2018 Vigorello is 35% Pugnitello, 30% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. When the wine was first produced in 1968, it started off as a Sangiovese-based blend. Cabernet Sauvignon was added in 1979, and Merlot came later. Recently, Pugnitello and Petit Verdot were introduced and the Sangiovese was taken out completely. This is a generous, full-bodied wine with 40,000 bottles released. The Pugnitello (a grape named after the Italian word for 'fist' due to its tight concentration) underlines the wine's black color and earthy notes of black truffle. The other grapes add concentration, structure and black fruit flavors. Drink date: 2024-2032. Score - 94. (Monica Larner, robertparker.com, Feb. 9, 2023)
Ripasso revives young Valpolicella wine on Amarone pomace, concentrating colour, texture and depth. Farina's take bursts with black plum, dried raspberry and a hint of anise over a gentle pepper lift. Its supple weight and lively acidity shine beside hearty stews or turkey burgers. Drink: 2025-2027. Score - 90. (nataliemaclean.com, June 21, 2025)
Following the success of the 2022 vintage first listed at Waitrose, the 2023 doesn't disappoint. The aromas entice of their own accord, suggesting hot stones baking under the Greek sun, with a squeeze of lemon, mint and crushed rock. There are florals too: white blossom, jasmine, beguiling and fragrant. The palate is succulent and tasty, combining florals with a zesty citrus zing and line of clear, mineral freshness. Lots of clarity here, and lots to like, this is a wine to impress your Mum with, with its really fresh and dry finish. I'd pair it with shellfish, or a mint and parsley tabbouleh. Drinking window: 2024-2027. Score - 92. (Natalie Earl, decanter.com, April 16, 2024)
Tavel is famous for its robust, ageable rosés. This one is Cinsault, Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre from vines approaching 35 years of age. It's tangy, fresh and structured, with red pepper, strawberry, melon, and savoury herb undertones. You can pair it with everything from seafood to ribs. A treat now or at Thanksgiving or holiday dinners, this will also age through 2030.
Apple, pear, peach and melon give this southern Rhône white plenty of fruit, while lemon-lime acidity, honey, almond and a chalky mineral note add shape. It has more body than many simple whites, making it comfortable with shrimp scampi, Mediterranean fish, chicken or creamy cheeses.
The careful work done at San Felice, especially on nearly lost varietals like Pugnitello, provides the impeccable raw materials that are then polished into a masterpiece. Like seeing the piece of stone in Carrara and then the finished David. Score - 95. (Danielle Callegari, Wine Enthusiast, April 1, 2025)
A dark and rich version, featuring blackberry, plum, wild herbs, mint, iron and tobacco aromas and flavors. Dense and powerful, it finishes long, echoing the fruit, iron, herb and tobacco notes. Pugnitello, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2045. Score - 95. (Bruce Sanderson, winespectator.com, June 3, 2021)
Pouring a dark magenta, the 2021 Grattamacco is fruity and floral with aromas of lavender oils, plum, mocha, incense, and sweet earth. Full-bodied, it has refreshing acidity, defined, ripe tannins, and a good finish. It has a lot of potential and should improve and stand the test of time. It's fantastically detailed. Drink date: 2026-2050. Score - 98. (Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com, March 18, 2025)
Whatever happened to inexpensive Chablis at this village level but the reality is you get what you pay for and $39 buys you one of the most proper and well-orchestrated Chablis on the market today. Bit of lemon drop oil [on] the nose, which is of course a nice way to delve deep into citrus and limestone chalky Chablis. Less of that mineral here because, well fruit and this is the dictionary entry for high-level AOC. Still a Fèvre is a Fèvre that will treat you right. Liking 2023, that much is clear. Drink 2025-2028. Tasted April 2025. Score - 90. (Michael Godel, winealign.com)
100% Mencia. Our Best in Show journey across Northern Spain continues with a 2020 Bierzo, grown just across the provincial border from Galicia into Castilla y Léon. It's another zone of steep slopes and old vines - the variety in this case being Mencia (known as Jaen in Portugal's Dão region). This wine is deep black-red in colour and vivacious and urgent in aroma: wild plums mingled with the woodland scents of leaf, copse and forest floor. The palate is fruit-packed and vibrant, vigorous with an energy derived both from ripe acidity and fresh though smooth tannins; look out, too, for a stony, bitter-edged finish perhaps derived from the region's slate soils. Wonderful drinking now in the flush of youth, but fruit of this quality will hold well for a few years yet. Best in Show. Score - 97. (Decanter World Wine Awards, 2023)
Burnt orange peel, peaches, slightly flinty on the nose. Delicate palate with high-toned acids, lemon peel, creaminess and a toasty length. Score - 90. (Decanter World Wine Awards, 2025)
The 2023 vintage in Niagara was beautiful, warm and sunny throughout, but with very small yields. As a result, wines are very concentrated with great acidity. This elegant Chardonnay was vinified in concrete with ambient yeast and aged on the lees for nine months. Evoking pineapple, nectarine, lemon curd, orange blossom and wet stones, it'll pair well with lemon-roasted chicken or turkey.
Pessac-Léognan depth shows in cassis, blackberry and black cherry, joined by cedar, cigar box, cacao, dried herbs and earthy spice. The fruit is ripe but not jammy, and the grippy tannins give the wine a firm, savoury profile that calls for cassoulet, game or roasted mushrooms.
Southern Burgundy Chardonnay shows in pear, apple, peach, apricot and citrus, with butter, butterscotch, light oak and mineral notes in the background. It is not a heavy, creamy style; instead, bright acidity and a refreshing finish make it useful before dinner or with chicken, risotto and white fish.
Excellent, benchmark-quality Rioja crianza that shows the spicy side of the vintage. Peppery, juicy and bright, with a medium body and a nice chew of fine-grained tannins. Quite long. A smart buy. Drink or hold [into the mid-2030s]. Score - 93. (jamessuckling.com, Aug. 8, 2024)
Plum, blackberry, red fruit and raisin form a plush Malbec profile, supported by oak, vanilla, cinnamon, clove, cocoa and a touch of leather. The texture is silky and jammy, with tannins adding depth at the end, particularly alongside steak, burritos or other hearty fare.
This Douro reserva leans dark and rustic, packed with blackberry, wild plum, licorice and chocolate, then framed by oak, vanilla, spice and leather. The body is full and the tannins assertive, though the fruit keeps it drinkable with barbecue, braised beef or mature cheeses.
It's gorgeously fruited and intensely expressed on the nose, showing passionfruit, pineapple, mango and lime zest aromas. The palate delivers excellent weight and fruit power, wonderfully supported by vibrant acidity, making it delicious and hugely appealing. At its best: now to 2030. Score - 95. (Sam Kim, wineorbit.co.nz, Sept. 2024)