89 Eric Guido - Vinous Media

The 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Castel lifts from the glass with peppery herbal and floral tones before giving way to crushed blackberries. It's round and pliant with juicy acidity that motivates the ultra-ripe red and black fruits within. The slightest hint of heat comes through in the finish (17% abv) as confectionary spices resonate under an air of inner violet florals. This is a good effort, yet the 2017 could use more freshness on the nose to take it to the next level.

96 Josh Raynolds - Vinous Media

Saturated purple. Deeply pitched blackberry, cherry, olive paste, vanilla, bacon fat and pungent floral qualities on the intensely perfumed, mineral-accented nose. Sappy and densely packed yet vibrant as well, offering bitter cherry, dark berry liqueur, smoked meat, mocha and candied violet flavors and a hint of salty olive paste. Shows superb detail and mineral thrust on the youthfully tannic finish, which hangs on with strong, floral-driven persistence.x000D There's a lot going on here but, by all means, give it some time. 50% new oak.

95 Wine Spectator

Lush, warm and inviting, with waves of steeped plum, blackberry and fig fruit cruising through, underscored by licorice root, loam and ganache accents. Features a subtle violet note that skitters through the finish, adding range. Best from 2024 through 2036. 140 cases made, 20 cases imported.

93 Luis Gutierrez - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2020 Mixtura Blanco fermented in a 2,450-liter Stockinger oak cask that was first used for the 2019 wine, so the influence from the wood is subtler but it's still there. It's 50% Treixadura on sandy granite soils in Ribeiro and 50% Albariño from the zone of Melgaço in Portugal on granite and clay soils. It fermented and stayed in the foudre until it was needed for the next harvest, then transferred to concrete tulips, where it matured for one more year. It has a perfumed nose and a creamy touch, spicy and smoky but subtle and elegant, and the palate is velvety with pungent flavors, good ripeness, 13% alcohol and nice balance, still young and with good length. Clean and modern. It should develop nicely in bottle. 10,000 bottles were filled in August 2022.

91 Wine Spectator

This tense, structured red offers layered blueberry and cherry flavors accented by notes of black tea and dusky spices. Finishes with medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2032. 4,000 cases made.

91 Eric Guido - Vinous Media

Delicate and understated, the 2022 Pinot Noir Grande Cuvée opens with a peppery citrus tinge and dusty dried strawberries. It's round and softly textured with pure red berry fruits riding a wave of brisk acidity. An herbal tinge comes forward over time as gently grippy tannins tug at the cheeks and hints of licorice fade.

95 Vinous Media - Vinous

The 2021 Haut-Bages Libéral is a powerful, dense wine. Black cherry, mocha, plum, licorice and incense are all amplified in a brooding, dense Pauillac endowed with notable textural richness and tons of sheer power. Aeration releases the wine's bracing acidity and aromatics, yet the 2021 remains quite rich. Yields were just 31.5 hectoliters-per-hectare, about 30% lower than normal. Haut-Bages Libéral is a rare 2021 that needs time to shed some of its considerable baby fat. It's a seriously impressive wine from Claire Lurton. The 2021 was aged 40% in new oak, 40% in once-filled barrels and 20% in a combination of amphora and concrete vat. –Antonio Galloni

96 Antonio Galloni - Vinous

The 2019 Barolo Castelletto Vigna Pressenda is gorgeous. Delicate and perfumed in the glass, the 2019 offers up a beguiling mélange of dark red cherry, rose petal, mint, cedar, blood orange, spice and crushed autumn leaves. In 2019, the Monforte tannins are especially refined, something that is very rarely the case here at this stage. What a wonderfully precise, sophisticated, nuanced wine this is. Impressive.

95 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

Fresh and vibrant with red berry, blood orange, crushed hazelnut, hibiscus and spice aromas and flavors. Medium- to full-bodied, tense and linear with a backbone of firm, finely grained tannins and steady minerality. Needs some time. Try after 2027.

95 Monica Larner - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The Conterno Fantino 2019 Barolo Castelletto Vigna Pressenda is medium dark and more concentrated compared to many of its peers. This wine shows a solid bouquet with fixed aromas of wild cherry, long-stemmed rose and candied orange. With time, even more floral aromas are coaxed forward from the bouquet. Beyond those are oak-driven notes of allspice and cinnamon. The tannins are polished, and the wine offers quite a bit of fruit texture. Production is 6,600 bottles.

94 Bruce Sanderson - Wine Spectator

Presents cherry, raspberry, sun-kissed hay, mineral and spice aromas and flavors that curl around an acidic spine and tannins. This has all the right components, matched to a slim, taut frame, with fine length. Best from 2026 through 2043. 600 cases made, 180 cases imported

92 Wine Spectator

Taut and elegant, with mulled plum and cherry flavors shaded by spice, tar and chocolate. Offers dusty, integrated tannins, and plays out slowly on the long finish. Best from 2024 through 2038. 95 cases imported.

90 Wine Spectator

"Refined, with bright flavors of dried berry, plum compote and cherry tart that are long and lush. Very creamy on the finish, which features chocolate mousse. Drink now." —K.M.

93 Wine Spectator

Pretty, with bergamot, date, fig and caramelized peach flavors gliding through, framed by a caramel note that lingers on the polished finish. This gains intensity as it opens in the glass. Lovely. Drink now. 780 cases made. –JM

91 Wine Enthusiast

This wine, produced at Château Phélan Ségur, is elegant with ripe berry fruits and a layer of tannin that is still full of potential. It has great spice and layered acidity.

95 Wine Enthusiast

This layered, nuanced, spicy wine offers enticing aromas, intricate flavors and a balanced, appetizing mouthfeel. Red and black cherries, cranberries, black tea and cinnamon are just a few of the flavor descriptors. Vivid acidity meets warm fruit ripeness for great balance.