Producer: Dehours et Fils
The Dehours Champagne Brut Grande Reserve is the result of an assemblage of Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with a great percentage of vin de rèserve, fermented according to Solera methods, embraced by Jerome in 1998.
Producer: Jacquesson
For the 2018 harvest in Aÿ, Dizy, Hautvillers (68%), Avize and Oiry (32%), the previous winter was exceptionally rainy, this was followed by a mild, stormy spring. The weather changed from June onwards, becoming fine and dry, resulting in a particularly early harvest: we started picking on 30 August and finished on 11 September. The vines were in perfect...
Producer: Jacquesson
NV Extra-Brut Cuvée No. 743 (2015 base) is soft, open-knit and caressing. The natural radiance of 2015 comes through in the wine's ample, creamy feel. Apricot, spice, dried flowers, hazelnut and lightly honeyed notes are all beautifully laced together.
Producer: Jacquesson
2019. Winter was mild and dry. Spring frost struck three times and mainly caused damage to our Chardonnay vines, hence the predominance of the Pinots in this cuvee. Summer was dry with heatwaves that caused sunburn. We harvested a very high-quality crop with moderate yields from 12th to 22nd September. The wines are structured, balanced, long and complex....
Producer: Bouquin Dupont Fils
A wonderful champagne, 100% Chardonnay of Avize from vineyards more than 60 years old. A base of citrus fruit melted with the scent, and taste, of a custard where there are also two drops of lemon juice. Delicious and enjoyable.
Producer: Jacquesson
2017, the harvest from Ay, Dizy, Hautvillers (66%) Avize and Oiry (34%). Winter and Spring were exceptionally dry; the beginning of Spring was mild but, in April, destructive frosts ravaged the vineyards, especially in the Côte des Blancs. Temperatures then rose and the weather was good until July. The end of the growing season was hot but very wet. The...
Producer: Dehours et Fils
The Champagne Rosè Oeil de Pedrix is the result of an assemblage of Meunier and Chardonnay from old vineyards. Flowery Champagne Rosè Extra Brut, particularly fine and fresh with a very limited production.
Producer: Podere Poggio Scalette
The 2021 Il Carbonaione is a regal, elegant wine. Silky, beautifully perfumed and persistent, the 2021 is everything I want from Il Carbonaione. All the purity of Sangiovese caresses the senses in a wine that is both textually intense and also light on its feet. Dark red-toned fruit, rose petals, cinnamon, new leather and cedar are some of the many...
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Canonica's 2011 Barolo Paiagallo is a real knockout. A wine that embodies the ripe exoticism that makes this vintage so compelling, the Paiagallo simply has it all. Sweet, perfumed aromatics open into a core of sumptuous fruit. Black cherry, plum, sage menthol and licorice notes abound.
Producer: Giuseppe Rinaldi
The 2005 Barolo Cannubi S. Lorenzo-Ravera is one of the most searingly tannic, austere wines of the vintage. Bright, incisive and tightly wound, the 2005 is going to need another decade or so to soften, even then I am not sure it will be an especially pleasurable wine, as the spiking acidity and intense tannins both are overpowering.
Producer: Angelo Gaja
The 1982 Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo is laced with sweet red cherries, freshly cut flowers, mint, spices and pine. This is an especially polished, refined San Lorenzo that emphasizes finesse over the power that is more typical of this site, although there is no shortage of tannin. With air, the 1982 keeps getting better and better.
Producer: Bruno Giacosa
The 2017 Barbaresco Asili is all class. Sweet red cherry, kirsch, orange peel, wild flowers and sweet spice lift from this vibrant, beautifully delineated Barbaresco. The 2017 doesn't quite have the sweetness or inner perfume of the best Giacosa Asilis, but it is nevertheless a very pretty and expressive wine that pulses with energy and personality.
Producer: Giuseppe Rinaldi
The 2006 Barolo Brunate–Le Coste is another highlight in a night full of stunning wines. Still tannic and virile, the 2006 is also one of the most reticent Barolos of the evening. Its explosive energy and dark, balsamic profile are super-classic. Readers need to be patient, but the 2006 is everything I had always hoped it would be. Maybe even more.
Producer: Bartolo Mascarello
Bartolo Mascarello’s 1985 Barolo is fabulous. This is one of the better 1985 in Barolo. Most other examples have shown some signs of tiring, but this wine is fresh, powerful and absolutely gorgeous.
Producer: Cappellano
In 2017, Cappellano’s Barolo Piè Franco is back to being a wine of pure and total sensuality. Crushed flowers, sweet red berry, mint, chalk and white pepper are some of the man notes that grace this ethereal, elusive Barolo.
Producer: Giacomo Conterno
Roberto Conterno took full control over the running of the Giacomo Conterno estate in 2003. Roberto continues to practice the traditional winemaking techniques, producing long-lived wines.
Producer: Giovanni Canonica
Giovanni Canonica's 2012 Barolo Paiagallo is lifted, gracious and nicely expressive. The sweet red cherry, tobacco, mint, spice and blood orange notes give the wine much of its aromatic presence. There is a slight hint of gaminess that lurks beneath.
Producer: Giuseppe Rinaldi
The 2016 Barolo Brunate is a tightly wound wine with striking inner perfume, sweetness and energy. Deep, dense and powerful, the 2016 exudes a sense of classical austerity that will thrill Rinaldi lovers.
Producer: Cavalier Lorenzo Accomasso
Cavalier Lorenzo Accomasso is one of the legend of Barolo, with a very recognisable imprinting and traditional style, Accomasso's wines are now very highly rated and keenly sought-after by connoisseurs and collectors worldwide.
Producer: Paolo Scavino
The 2013 Barolo Cannubi is a powerful, intense wine, with tons of depth and powerful tannins that are going to need time to soften. Dark cherry, plum, mocha, leather and torrefaction notes give the wine its decidedly brooding personality.
Producer: Bartolo Mascarello
The 2020 Dolcetto d'Alba is a very pretty, classically built wine. Then, again, that is what I expect to taste at this venerable address.
Producer: Giacomo Conterno
A much more overt, powerful wine, the 2010 Barolo Cerretta races across the palate with explosive fruit and tons of pure, unbridled energy. The Cerretta is shaping up to be magical. Bottled only in magnums.
Producer: Produttori del Barbaresco
The 2017 Barbaresco Pora is rich, creamy and layered, with a bit more generosity than is typically the case. Sweet red cherry, red plum, spice and rose petal are amplified in a radiant, open-knit Barbaresco.
Producer: Angelo Gaja
Deep ruby-red. Superripe aromas of dark berries, espresso, licorice and bitter chocolate. Sweet, opulent, smooth and broad, with compelling floral and dark berry flavors. Finishes with superb, slowly mounting fruit and noble tannins that coat the entire palate.
Producer: Giacomo Conterno
Here in its debut vintage at Conterno, the 2015 Barolo Arione is wonderfully aromatic and nuanced. The 2015 is a fascinating wine to follow over the next several decades.
Canonica's 2011 Barolo Paiagallo is a real knockout. A wine that embodies the ripe exoticism that makes this vintage so compelling, the Paiagallo simply has it all. Sweet, perfumed aromatics open into a core of sumptuous fruit. Black cherry, plum, sage menthol and licorice notes abound.
