96-98+ Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"The 2020 Pontet-Canet is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, aging in 50% new French oak barriques, 35% concrete amphorae and 15% in one-year-old barrels. Harvest began on the 14th September for the Merlot, and the final lot of Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested on 30th September.

Opaque purple-black in color, it needs significant aeration and swirling to coax out evocative notes of black cherry preserves, raspberry pie, blackcurrant pastilles and damp soil, before launching into gorgeous floral and spice notions of red roses, cinnamon stick, star anise and cardamom, with a waft of crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate reveals a lot of depth and polish, delivering mouth-coating red and black fruits with loads of fragrant earth and floral sparks, framed by velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral tinged. This is a singular, fascinating expression of the vintage and highly recommended!"

92 Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

A youthful and saturated ruby hue, the 2021 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley is ripe and spicy, with aromas of fresh pine, cherry liqueur, and fresh wildflowers. Medium to full-bodied, with ample richness on the palate, it reveals notes of ripe berries, turned forest floor, and toasted baking spice, and it has a classic feel, with good structure and a long finish. Drink it over the next few years.

92 Wine Enthusiast

Savory, tea-like aromas and flavors dominate this charming, lighter-style wine as fresh acidity and light tannins give a slight, mouth-watering grip on the palate. Perfect for a roast chicken, sauteed mushrooms or sauteed salmon.

96 Sam Kim - Wine Orbit

Gracefully rich and complex, the wine shows dark fruit intensity, warm spice, mocha and toasty oak characters on the nose, leading to a wonderfully weighted palate delivering terrific weight and persistency. Splendidly framed by beautifully melded tannins, finishing impressively long and gratifying. At its best: now to 2035.

94+ Antonio Galloni - Vinous

The 2018 Barbaresco Albesani is another gorgeous wine from Roagna. Crushed red berry fruit, mint, tobacco, orange peel, spice and crushed rocks open nicely with some coaxing. Deep and powerful, yet also wonderfully understated, the Albesani has a ton to offer. It is also one of the few wines in this vintage here that most certainly needs time.

92 Erin Larkin - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2022 Bannockburn Pinot Noir is a blend of the four vineyards: Cornish Point, MacMuir, Block 3 and Block 5. It leads with violets, cherry blossom, pomegranate pearls, star anise and cracked fennel seeds. In the mouth, the wine is supple and spicy, with lashings of fruit flavor and a balancing splay of tannins through the mid-palate and finish. Nicely handled wine, satisfying and supple. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

98 Georgina Hindle - Decanter

Now part of the AXA Millésimes group, Pichon Baron was founded in the late 17th century. Its grand vin is sourced from the very oldest vines on the estate, with each plot fermented separately. With 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot, this was aged for 18 months – 80% in new barrels. Georgie Hindle: Floral, sweetly scented raspberries on the nose with some milk chocolate aromas. Broad-shouldered but graceful too. Wow, this is excellent. Vincenzo Arnese: Poised and balanced. The nose is ripe and concentrated with notes of prune, dark cherry and blackcurrant, cola and liquorice. Good body and rich, integrated tannins. Fantastic long finish. Great potential. Andy Howard MW: Not at all showy, this is a wine to give time to. Wonderful dark fruit on the palate with floral notes, elegant tannins and integrated oak. A classic Pauillac, which is remarkable in the context of 2017 overall.

96 Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

A blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot aged 18 months in 80% new French oak, the 2017 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron sports a vivid purple hue as well as gorgeous notes of creme de cassis and black raspberry fruits interwoven with classic Pauillac lead pencil, crushed rocks, chocolate, and violet notes. Full-bodied and concentrated, yet elegant and seamless, it has remarkable purity, flawless tannins, beautifully integrated acidity, and a great finish. It's going to hit the early stages of prime drinking in 7-8 years and cruise for 20-25 years or more.

96 Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

CELLAR SELECTION This wine is both weighty and stylish. Its power comes from luscious black fruits that are juicy and powerful. Expect this wine to age well and drink from 2024.

96 Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Independent

Made from 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot, the 2017 Pichon Baron is deep garnet in color. It races out of the glass with super-charged scents of warm black and red currants, mulberries, and Morello cherries, plus suggestions of Ceylon tea, rose oil, and Sichuan pepper. The medium-bodied palate is so fine and elegant, with a gorgeous backbone of freshness and densely pixilated tannins, finishing long and fragrant. This is very impressive.

96 Jonathan Choukroun - Vert de Vin

The nose is elegant, aromatic and offers a very beautiful finesse of the grain, power as well as richness (but full of finesse). It reveals notes of ripe blackberry, ripe cassis, small notes of raspberry associated with touches of small ripe berries as well as fine hints of liquorice, wild strawberry, spices, toasted as well as an imperceptible hint of badiane, chocolate and an imperceptible hint of pepper. The palate is fruity, well-balanced and offers a fine acidulous frame, gourmandize, definition as well as richness (but full of balance). In the mouth this wine expresses notes of fleshy/juicy blackberry, juicy raspberry, small notes of cassis associated with a touch of cornflower/lily and a very discreet hint of mild tobacco. Tannins are elegant. Good length. A very discreet hint of caramelization/vanilla on the persistence.

96 J. D'Angelo - International Wine Report

The 2017 Château Pichon Baron is a standout and one of the finest wines from the vintage. Composed of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot this stunning Pauillac begins to impress with this striking aromatic profile consisting of dark cherries and currants which are beautifully woven together with fresh spring florals, graphite, tobacco, spices and hints of roasted coffee. This possesses a gorgeous medium-plus body with outstanding overall purity and elegance. Impeccably structured and balanced this goes on to thoroughly impress through the long, firm finish. This is an extremely impressive showing from this challenging vintage and while this will likely need a few years of bottle age before it hits its stride it should also go on to have a long graceful evolution ahead for years to come.

95 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

The currants, blackberries and spices are very pretty here on the nose. The palate is medium-to full-bodied with round, compact tannins and a fresh, linear finish. Cool and racy. Strong and focused. Drink after 2023.

95 James Molesworth - Wine Spectator

Well-built, featuring the pure, fresh core of currant and blackberry fruit that is the vintage's hallmark, all backed by well-integrated tobacco, cast iron and roasted apple wood notes. Grippy, but with enough energy to keep bringing you back rather than tiring you out. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2024 through 2040

97 Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

Another spicy, complex, fresh 2021, the 2021 Pinot Noir Super Chill has some classic, Burgundian leafy herbs and underbrush notes as well as a beautiful core of raspberry and dark cherry fruits. It's vibrant, medium to full-bodied, has riveting purity, and ultra-fine tannins. This is legit sensational Pinot Noir. Drink bottles over the coming 7-8 years.

96 Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Independent

Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2021 Super Chill Pinot Noir needs a bit of swirling to bring out a complex perfume of garrigue, violets, crushed rocks, and forest floor giving way to a gorgeous core of pomegranate, kirsch, and fresh raspberries. The medium-bodied palate is tightly knit with stacked layers of red berries and minerals, framed by silt-like tannins and refreshing acidity, finishing very long and fragrant.

92 Neal Martin - Vinous Media

This bottle of 2023 Morgon comes from the first bottling run completed in March 2024 (there will be five bottlings until September). Lapierre told me that this is destined for markets in Japan, Canada and a little for the US. The nose reveals dark berry fruit, sous-bois and light Indian ink aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins and crisp acidity, a little rustic in a good way with a slightly savory finish. Lovely.

97 Antonio Galloni - Vinous

The 2020 Cantenac Brown is a knock-out. A Margaux of towering intensity, the 2020 is dense and vertical at the same time. It’s a combination that works so well. Dark cherry, plum, chocolate, new leather, licorice and cloves all saturate the palate. There's real depth and concentration here from the summer heat and small size of the berries, but at the same time the 2020 has more freshness and energy than some recent years. There have been quite a few changes here in recent years, starting with a new parcel on the Margaux plateau that entered the blend in 2019 and move towards lower toast levels in the barrels. Cantenac Brown remains a potent, opulent Margaux, but 2020 has a measure of classicism as well. Superb.

96 Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider

Deep, dark and rich, the wine is packed from start to finish with layers of lush, polished, ripe, sweet, pure, black and dark red fruits, flowers, espresso, hints of chocolate and oceanic influences. There is a beautiful sense of symmetry, purity, freshness, length and lift that already expresses its essence. The finish continues with its layers of ripe, opulent, yet refined fruits. This is a top vintage for Cantenac Brown that will age gracefully for 2-3 decades. Drink from 2026-2055

96 Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com

The 2020 Château Cantenac Brown showed beautifully and is a serious, concentrated, powerful Margaux that's going to need bottle age. Ripe blackcurrants, toasty oak, ripe tobacco, and dried flower notes all define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a layered, balanced mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. It shows the more focused, slightly understated style of the vintage, yet everything is in the right place, it has terrific purity, and it’s just a brilliant Margaux. I followed this bottle for multiple days, and it never put a foot wrong. It will hit its prime drinking window in 7-8 years and evolve for two decades.

96 Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

This grand estate that recently changed hands has produced a seriously promising wine. Bold black fruits and dark tannins are just beginning a fine interplay, reinforced by the wine's acidity. Expect a good future for the wine.

95 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

Plenty of blackberry, spice, iron and crushed lead pencil aromas follow through to a full body with chewy, velvety tannins and a rather cool side to it. Crushed stone and slate undertones. Try after 2026.