Top Rated Wine

99 Points - Jay Miller (erobertparker.com)

At the top of the pyramid is the 2005 Syrah Astralis Vineyard. It is sourced from a vineyard planted in 1920 and is one of the Syrah cuvees in which 100% new oak is utilized (along with Brookman, Hickinbotham, and Piggott Range). It delivers an ethereal bouquet of smoky oak, violets, espresso, black pepper, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. Densely packed and tightly wound, all it needs is time. The wine is totally harmonious,

Possibly the “wine of the vintage,” the 2008 boasts an inky/blue/purple color as well as a glorious perfume of spring flowers, blueberry and blackberry liqueur, camphor, truffles and crushed rocks. With great fruit on the attack and mid-palate, a medium to full-bodied, multidimensional mouthfeel and a skyscraper-like finish, this prodigious effort over-delivers, even for this phenomenal terroir. Give it 5-8 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 40-50 years.

97 Points - Stuart McCloskey

Lively and fresh, the 2013 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard from Chanin Wines exhibits notes of cherries and blackberries with plenty of floral characteristics. A medium-bodied, focused and crisp style of Pinot Noir.

From the famous proprietor Denis Durantou, this blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc from a vineyard just adjacent to its more famous neighbor, Pomerol, is a terrific 2012, one of the best Les Cruzelles I’ve tasted, right up there with some of the impressive Lalande de Pomerols of 2009 and 2010. This wine is supple-textured, opulent and full-bodied, with a dense ruby/purple color, loads of mocha, black cherry and currant fruit. Long, full-bodied, rich, it is best drunk over the next 10-12 years. A sleeper of the vintage.

The ’02 Cuvée Nicolas François is made from solely Grand Cru fruit (60% Pinot Noir & 40% Chardonnay) and is one of the most beautiful Champagnes that I and many critics have tasted for many years. Some are comparing the ’02 to the great and legendary 1964, which is an extraordinary tribute. A Champagne that can be easily described as hauntingly beautiful as the balance between power and endless complexity is something very rare. The best wine from Billecart’s portfolio and will reward a further 10-15 years of cellaring (if you can resist).

This Pinot Noir is blessed with an incredibly intense, powerful nose - the perfume is extraordinary, almost exotic. Although young, the palate is showing beautiful structure, filigree tannins and is utterly sensuous. This is an irresistible Campbell Ranch, a little fatter and more generous than the previous two vintages.

97 Points - James Halliday

Typical bright, deep hue; the bouquet exudes flowers (roses, violets), spices and a throbbing heartbeat of gently savoury dark fruits; the palate magically twists all these characters into a single silver-coated stream of red and blue fruits, the tannins no more than background haze, oak a slender frame. A gorgeous pinot of the highest category.

96 Points - Antonio Galloni

The 2013 Chardonnay Bee Block is the creamiest and most expansive of the three Varner Chardonnays. Pastry, lemon oil, honey, wild flowers and mint are some of the many aromas and flavors that develop in the glass. While the Amphitheater Block and Home Block could use another year or two in bottle, the Bee Block is already quite open and expressive. There is so much to like here.

The Doisy-Daëne Blanc Sec 2014 has a pleasant, refined bouquet with scents of green apple intermingling with lime and granitic scents. The palate is taut and fresh with a sharpline of acidity and a penetrating malic finish that leaves the palate feeling totally refreshed and asking for more. Very fine.

95 Points - Antonio Galloni

The 2014 Chardonnay Bien Nacido is all about precision, class and nuance. Even with all of the richness of the year coming through, the Bien Nacido retains superb precision and detail. The oily, waxy feel only adds to the wine's weight and overall texture. Chanin's Bien Nacido emerges from Chardonnay grafted onto Riesling rootstock that was originally planted in 1973 in the W-Block.