Special Designation

97 points Falstaff"Bright ruby colour. Riveting nose with exquisite spicy notes, cinnamon blossom and clove, followed by cassis and damson. Full-bodied and vibrant, revealing many layers of vivid tannin followed by bags of juicy berries." 95 points Wine...

92 points Vinous"The 2021 Chardonnay The Agnes from Crystallum is tight and minerally on the nose, sharp and stony to the point where it can easily deceive you into thinking it comes from far cooler climes. The palate is fresh and tensile, almost steely,...

94 points Wine & Spirits"Weighted toward pinot noir (70 percent), this Champagne is powerfully structured with red fruit that pours out of the glass. With air, the wine’s mineral acidity turns frisky, the layered intensity of cèpes and...

97 points Wine Enthusiast"A fragrant note of peony and a touch of violet are the first impressions on the nose. With more air, a sense of creamy vanilla emerges. The palate, illuminated by pervasive freshness, is dense in flavors of red cherry and forest...

98 points DecanterBeware the siren with the ruby-red lips. In a smoky room, here she strides – confident, cool, arresting. Slender, stalky cherry and a smear of blackcurrant bite, spiked with crushed peppercorns. No sunny smiles here, this is...

92 points Wine Enthusiast"Pale-pink in the glass, this rosé is redolent with chalk, river-rock and cherry aromas on the nose, touching both the fruit and mineral camps. It's clean and crisp on the sip, where a citrus-powered acidity cuts sharply...

98 points Jeb Dunnuck"The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Boisrenard is a Grenache-dominated field blend (80%) that also includes 15 other varieties. Brought up all in foudre, it boasts a dense purple hue to go with a sensational, full-bodied,...

92 points Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate“A pure expression of Chardonnay, the Passopisciaro Vini Franchetti 2018 Passobianco is a generous wine with lots of honey, dried apricot and apple baked in butter. Ultimately, this expression from the...

96 points Wine Enthusiast"Enticing aromas of blue flower, woodland berry, menthol and pipe tobacco shape the expressive nose. Full-bodied and youthfully austere, the linear palate features Morello cherry, spiced cranberry, licorice and wild mint...

100 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate"Every bit as profound as the 2010, yet in a more voluptuous, lower acid, hedonistic style, the inky colored 2009 Hermitage les Bessards (aged all in new French oak) offers incredible intensity and depth in its...

Vinous Reverie NotesThe Les Sources d'Agape  estate is located in the town of Saint-Amour-Bellevue , the northernmost of the Beaujolais villages. Like the Clos des moines Clunisiens, the estate consists of an island of 6 hectares of vines in Cru...

99 points Wine Enthusiast"Aromas of rose, violet, red berry and baking spice mingle with a whiff of menthol on the nose of this compelling, gorgeous red. The vibrant, full-bodied palate is all about flair and finesse, delivering crushed raspberry,...