2018

92 points Wine Enthusiast"In this wine, lemon and green-apple flavors are edged with hints of dried orange peel and hazelnuts. While ripe on the palate, it maintains a steely, sharply honed edge and delicately salty, chalky finish that grounds it firmly...

95 points Wine Spectator"Round and opulent, this red features cherry, raspberry, rose, menthol, tobacco and mineral flavors. Dense and firmly structured, with superb balance and terrific length. Combines power and finesse. Best from 2026 through 2047...

90 points Jeb Dunnuck"Leading off the reds, the 2018 Lirac checks in as 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre brought up in 25% new oak. This elegant, pure Lirac exhibits notes of black raspberries, ground pepper, flowers, and spice. With...

91 points James Suckling"Wild plums, raspberries, lemon leaf and button mushrooms on the nose. Some licorice, too. It’s medium-bodied with fine tannins and fresh acidity. Savory, with lightly leafy and mineral character. Drink now." Vinous Reverie...

96 points Wine Advocate"The 2018 Valbuena comes from a cooler vintage with good yields that required sorting and selecting in search of a happy and vertical version of Valbuena, pushing a little more and giving the wine a little more oak, especially...

94 points Jeb Dunnuck"The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Ambervale has plenty of classic Cabernet currant and cassis fruits as well as a complex underbelly of cedarwood, forest floor, tobacco, and violets. These all carry to a medium to full-bodied Cabernet...

93 points James Suckling"This has aromas of hazelnuts, praline, raspberries and spiced cherries. Polished and creamy yet well-structured, with a full body and firm, finely-knit tannins. Beautifully crafted and framed. Try in 2024." 92 points VinousThe...

95 points Wine Advocate"To my palate, the 2018 vintage sometimes feels a little too ripe or baked. I was reminded of those characteristics when tasting the Fèlsina 2018 Fontalloro. There is plenty of dark fruit at its core, but this wine also...

95 points Wine Enthusiast"The quiet, elegant nose features delicate aromas of cherries, strawberries and figs, along with weightier notes of earth and stone. The fruit elements turn more decadent and syrupy on the palate, but a subtle citrus bitterness...

99 points Wine Advocate"The 2018 Canon is blended of 72% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc, with a pH of 3.69 and 14% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, it comes sashaying out of the glass with glamorous notes of cinnamon stick, baked blackberries, black...

100 points Jeb Dunnuck"Scheduled to be bottled early in 2022, the 2018 Côte Rôtie La Mouline is a blockbuster of a wine offering full-bodied aromas and flavors of black raspberries, cassis, spring flowers, espresso, and violets. Coming from a...

Vinous Reverie NotesTraditional method wine without excess, slender, enhanced with the extra-dry qualifier. Persistent bubbles with the added bonus of pleasant toasted touches that mingle with the foam.