Shiraz/Syrah

91 points Vinous"Inky ruby. Smoky, mineral-accented aromas of cherry-vanilla, blackcurrant and plum, with hints of tobacco and cured meat. Suave and seamless in texture, with good mineral lift to its sweet dark fruit flavors. The finish is smooth and...

93 points John Gilman, View from the Cellar"The 2016 Brézème “Vielle Serine” Domaine de Pergaud bottling from Éric Texier is crafted from a parcel of petite serine that is more than seventy years of age. It is...

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...

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...

95 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate"A superb Maison Bleue, the 2019 Hermitage La Maison Bleue seamlessly blends cherries and cassis into a purple mashup of fruit carried on rich, velvety waves of texture. Full-bodied and intense, it finishes complex...

96 points Wine & Spirits"A blend of fruit from the lieux-dits Les Bessards, Le Sabot and L’Ermite, this 2019 draws together a picture of the Hermitage hill in all its grandeur and complexity. At its center, it’s bright and juicy,...

95 points Wine Enthusiast"Extreme amounts of cracked black pepper spice up the crumbled lilac, dark-black-plum and snappy red-currant aromas on the dynamic nose of this cool-climate bottling. There's a wild zestiness to the palate, where the peppery...

97 points Jeb Dunnuck"While the Les Grandes Places gets all the love, I also love the Fortis cuvée, which has a more approachable, seamless style that I adore. The 2018 Côte Rôtie Fortis (which includes 5% Viognier and was brought up...

94 points Jeb Dunnuck"From a terrific vineyard on the southern side of Saint Joseph, the 2016 Saint Joseph Les Royes offers more finesse and elegance, with awesome notes of cassis, crushed violets, pepper, and spring flowers. Showing terrific minerality...

93 points Vinous"The 2020 Syrah Biodynamic uses 30% whole bunch, natural ferment with two daily pumpovers to limit extraction. It has quite an intense dried mint bouquet, very floral and generous, well-defined and focused. The palate has a little sinew...