86 Cellar Tracker

"Based on 239 notes and 215 scores from 189 users on Cellartracker as of 5/29/15."

95 James Halliday - Australian Wine Companion

One of my favourite champagne houses. This entry point has one-third each of pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay from 30 crus, 25% reserve wines, spending 4 years on tirage. It has a flowery bouquet, terrific mouthfeel thanks to a hint of honey, and Meyer lemon cleansing the finish and aftertaste.

95-97+ Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

I was able to taste the 2022 Château Beychevelle on multiple occasions, and it never failed to impress me. Based on 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that will see 18 months in 70% new oak, it's one of those wines that makes you stop and say "wow" due to its purity, depth, and texture. Sporting a dense purple hue as well as lots of blueberry and black cherry fruits, it's full-bodied and has a layered, seamless mouthfeel, building yet gorgeous tannins, and subtle background notes of crushed violets, flowers, and graphite. This is a sensational effort from director Philippe Blanc.

94-96 Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Independent

A blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Beychevelle has a TPI of 78 and a pH of 3.8. It is deep garnet-purple in color and needs a swirl or two to wake up pronounced notes of crème de cassis, plum preserves, and Morello cherries, giving way to nuances of candied violets, Darjeeling tea, and dark chocolate. The medium to full-bodied palate is densely laden with layers of black fruit preserves, supported by fine-grained tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long with a mineral lift.

94-96 Antonio Galloni - Vinous

The 2022 Beychevelle is fabulous. In most recent vintages Beychevelle has been a flamboyant, extravagant Saint-Julien, but in 2022 is its surprisingly vibrant and fresh, almost shockingly so. Ripe red cherry/plum fruit, blood orange, rose petal and spice are all beautifully delineated. More than anything, I admire the wine’s freshness and drive, qualities that have not often been present in recent vintages. That makes the 2022 one of my favorite recent vintages here. Tasted three times.

94-95 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

The tannins are very well-integrated with lovely bright fruit of currants and blackberries. Medium to full body. Vivid and pretty. 54% cabernet sauvignon, 42% merlot and 4% petit verdot.

92-94 William Kelley - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cherries and cassis mingled with hints of violets and licorice, framed by creamy new oak, the 2022 Beychevelle is medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, with a fleshy core of fruit framed by rich, unusually suave and polished tannins in the context of recent vintages at this address. It's a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, with a pH of 3.85, quite typical for this address.

90 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

"Currants, red plums and green olives follow through to a medium-bodied palate with lightly chewy tannins and a crunchy, medium-length finish. Not complex, but quite well-balanced. Drink now."

90 Joaquín Hidalgo - Vinous Media

"If there's a wine that encapsulates what Chile can offer as a crowd-pleaser, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon from Los Vascos might just top the list. Sourced from Peralillo in the Colchagua Valley, it boasts a purple hue. The fruit-forward nose features blackberry and cherry notes, along with hints of pepper. Indulgent, clingy and flavorful, the faintly grippy tannins ensure a textured mouthfeel."

89 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

Sour cherries, milk chocolate, figs and baked raspberries on the nose. It’s ripe and full-bodied. Jammy red berry fruit combined with sweet spice on a flavorful finish. Sustainable. Drink now.

93 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

A pretty nose of raspberries, redcurrants, dried flowers, vanilla and peppercorns. Medium-bodied with sleek tannins and bright acidity. Juicy and crunchy with a rich, spicy finish. Drink or hold.

95 Monica Larner - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"The 2020 Barbaresco boasts an ample set of aromas with wild cherry, blue flower, sweet spice and crushed limestone. As always, the wine paints an exciting and authentic portrait of Nebbiolo, albeit with a little more richness and texture in this vintage. This is especially true in terms of the palate, where the wine offers mid-weight intensity with melting tannins. This ambitious release of 300,000 bottles is slated to hit the market in fall 2023."

94 Wine Enthusiast

"Embrace the harmonious blend of cooked cherries infused with an array of mixed spices, accompanied by subtle hints of medicinal herbs and rose water. Soft and rounded, yet possessing a discernible edge, this wine presents a fruit-forward profile loaded with flavors of cherry and raspberry, all the while, complemented by refreshing acidity. Its polished and elegant character develops throughout the bottle and will age deep into the future while still being great today. -JP"

93 Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

"Ripe red in color, the 2020 Barbaresco boasts a nice balance of purity and ripeness, with lifted spice notes of dried cherries, peppercorn, pine, and anise. An impressive Barbaresco, it’s medium-bodied and offer sanguine richness and yet has a weightless feel. It’s propelled forward through the palate, with bright orange peel notes, vibrant acidity, fine tannins, and a long finish. It has more richness in this vintage as well as having a lot of finesse and elegance to offer. It’s an exceptional entry Barbaresco. Drink 2026-2040."

92 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

"This is aromatic and attractive with notes of dried cherries, hibiscus, cocoa and bark, following through a medium body with polished and refined tannins with velvety texture, and a linear finish. Fresh and floral at the end with a bright red fruit backbone. Drink from 2025."

92 Antonio Galloni - Vinous

"The 2020 Barbaresco is a lovely, harmonious wine that will drink well with minimal cellaring. Forward fruit and soft curves are perhaps a bit uncharacteristic for young Barbaresco but that also make the wine very enjoyable. Juicy red cherry/plum fruit, rose petal, spice, cedar, mint and tobacco all meld together in the glass. Classicists will probably prefer other vintages, but it's hard not to like the 2020 for its charming, effusive personality. At the same time, aeration brings out greater aromatic presence and a good deal of structure, too."

96 Monica Larner - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Showing enormous precision and direction, the 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo (with 25,000 bottles released) is a generous expression of Sangiovese that boasts singular intensity. This organic wine offers black fruit, grilled rosemary, pressed rose and crushed limestone. All of these aromas enjoy special, forward-moving intensity that dovetails into the ample fruit generosity that this sun-filled vintage will be remembered for.

96 Wine Spectator

This red is tightly wound, linear in profile and full of black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, fresh loam and mineral flavors, supported by lively acidity and dense, suave tannins that integrate nicely with the tension and silky texture. Shows terrific length. Best from 2026 through 2045. 1,800 cases made, 700 cases imported.

95+ Antonio Galloni - Vinous

The 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is one of the most backward editions of this wine I can remember tasting. Dark and almost somber, the Vigna del Sorbo packs a ton of intensity in its deceptively mid-weight frame. In many vintages, Vigna del Sorbo is quite showy in its youth. That is not at all the case with the 2020, a wine that will require many years to be at its best. Hints of lavender, dried herbs, plum and graphite appear over time, but the 2020 is very clearly an infant. There is a feeling of youthful austerity (in a positive sense) that I find quite alluring. The 2020 Sorbo is a wine for those who can wait.

94 Wine Spectator

Seductive and expressive, with a firming layer of bitter almond, citrus pith and mineral notes buoying a ripe mix of melon, yellow plum and peach flavors. Big in stature, with remarkable density and saltiness, this hums through the powerful finish with serious energy, flint and smoke. Marsanne and Roussanne. Drink now through 2035. 330 cases made, 55 cases imported.

92 Joe Czerwinski - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2019 Crozes-Hermitage Blanc Domaine Defrance Notes Blanches—a parcel selection of Marsanne grown on galets in the area of Chanos-Curson—is a big, rich, full-bodied and oaked effort that delivers the goods. Notes of baked apple and ripe pears mingle easily on the nose, while the finish is reasonably clean and refreshing, despite the wine's bulk.

90 Wine Enthusiast

There's a vibrant floral element to the bouquet of this pretty white, with supporting tones of freshly cut pear, peach and white melon. The palate is medium-full in feel, with a lovely rose-spiked peach accent that carries across the palate and is then refreshed by ample acidity. The finish ends clean and refreshing, with very good lingering vibrancy.

93 The Tasting Panel

Cherries basted in brown sugar and cassis-soaked beets are just some of the elements to be found in this layered, distinguished red. A suede-soft mouthfeel intersects with spiced sandalwood on the long finish.- Meredith May

99 Luca Maroni - Annuario dei Migliori Vini Italiani

100 winescritic.com

"Imperial and decidedly austere on the nose showing deep notes of black prunes, blackberries, wild myrtle, Mediterranean herbs, sandalwood, cumin and juniper berries. In the background hints of cedar and burnt mandarin peel blend with wild thyme, marjoram and sage. There's more in the sensory frame which comes out slowly with nuances of gentian and coriander. Full bodied, perfectly blended tannins of extraordinary workmanship and admirably fine grain and an exciting finale with fresh, whispering, balsamic echoes of iced mint and maritime pine. An extraordinary expression made in Maremma, perhaps the best ever for Saffredi, the most elegant and cohesive ever tasted. A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot. A perfect wine, a divine wine. Better from 2025."

99 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

So much crushed stone, rosemary, lavender, mint and blackberry. Full-bodied and very structured with layers of powerful and polished tannins. It goes on for minutes. Ink, blackcurrants and blueberries. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 35% merlot and 5% petit verdot. Needs at least five or six years to open. Try after 2025.

97+ Monica Larner - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

My article on icon wines from Tuscany focuses primarily on releases from the 2018 vintage. Fattoria le Pupille releases its top wine, the 2019 Saffredi, earlier than the rest. This blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot is explosive. The percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon has been slightly increased in this vintage (and we can expect the same in the warm 2020 vintage that saw the percentage of Merlot further reduced). This 2019 expression boasts a very compact and powerful quality of fruit with deep intensity, thick layering and a velvety texture. This is a real beauty that should be put aside for a few more years of aging.

97 Antonio Galloni - Vinous

The 2019 Saffredi is one of the most elegant wines I have ever tasted here. It offers a beguiling mix of opulence in its fruit profile with a classic sense of structure that holds it all together. Super-ripe dark cherry, plum, mocha, licorice, leather and cloves infuse the 2019 with notable darkness. I would give the 2019 a few years to soften, as the tannins are pretty imposing today.

97 Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Independent

The 2019 Fattoria Le Pupille Saffredi from the souhthern part of Tuscany, has a very youthful nose with very gentle sweet oak spice, some light tobacco notes and dark red and blue fruits, yet it still needs more time to open up. It is extremely smooth and silky on the palate with some good concentration but there is still a weightless feel to it. The tannins are very gentle and integrated with a chalky twist on the finish. It is already looking very balanced and harmonious, concentrated yet supremely elegant. The blend for this vintage is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot.

96 Wine Spectator

Elisabetta Geppetti inherited Fattoria Le Pupille from her father-in-law in 1985. Through passion and determination, she developed the vineyards in southern Maremma from the original 10 acres to nearly 200 today. In 1987, with the help of the late Giacomo Tachis, Geppetti launched Saffredi, a Bordeaux-style blend that has become the estate’s flagship. The original 12-acre Saffredi vineyard was planted in 1985 and 1986; an additional 22 acres were planted on an adjacent hillside between 2006 and 2010. The 2019 comprises 70 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 26 percent Merlot and 4 percent Petit Verdot, aged 15 months in French oak, 70 percent new. It’s the highest-rated Saffredi since the stellar 2004.