New vintages of renowned wines from France and beyond, including Italy, the US, Argentina, Chile, China, and Spain, are being launched this month via Bordeaux's famous distribution network.
Here we present a quick and easy way to see tasting notes and scores for the wines being released this March on the Place de Bordeaux this September.
Wines are listed in score order. Click on the winery name to go to the individual wine's page and click 'view' to expand the row revealing the tasting note.
| Producer | Appellation | Vintage | Score | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Promontory | Napa Valley | 2018 | 100 | Gorgeous blackcurrant bramble fruit tones on the nose. A hint of plum, juniper, allspice, cinnamon, pepper and violets. Stylish and compelling, a real sense of purity from the first mouthful. So carefully controlled and delivered. Tannins are ample but finely textured and well integrated - this really stands out in the tasting and is a step-up in terms of nuance, complexity and character. Tannins coat the mouth in a powdery chalky minerality while the subtle density and quiet muscular power gives the base and focus. Nothing stands out, you know you're in California which is excellent, but it's not overt or too much. Tastes sophisticated, stylish and overall expensive! A thrilling wine that really shines and is all the more likeable because it's not showing off or shouting too loudly. Liquorice and tar end the wine on a savoury note, suggesting long cellaring and long ageing potential. I love it. A class above. Director Will Harlan, winemaker David Cilli. Click to see full details | |
| Ceretto, Bricco Rocche | Barolo | 2019 | 99 | Beautifully fragrant on the nose, pink and red floral tones, lots of rose and violet elements with some almond marzipan flecks. Smooth, succulent and supple, this balances density with sleekness, giving firm and slightly meaty tannins that grip and take hold with an overall fresh and streamlined core. Tannins are definitely at the fore, they fill the mouth and leave the powdery sensation on the tongue, while the flavours slowly expand and penetrate around the mouth giving the width and aeration. A slow burner that needs time to settle and show its brilliance, refined, delicate yet concentrated and just so multifaceted. The minerality, strawberry and raspberry, salt, smoke, tobacco, dried herbs and powdery white pepper elements come together so harmoniously. Sharp, sprightly, svetle, sexy, seductive - this has it all! Less than 2,000 bottles produced. First time on the Place de Bordeaux this year. Director Federico Ceretto, oenologist Alessandro Ceretto. Click to see full details | |
| Borgogno | Barolo (Cannubi) | 2011 | 99 | Incense, but more perfumed and aromatic on the nose full of dried flowers and wood, patchouli, cinnamon and rose. So pure and delicate on the palate, graceful and elegant with a full weight yet silky tannins that make the fruit glide from start to finish. A wonderful balance of concentration and energy, fullness but with such a juicy, plush core. Still tannic spiced edges which gives some angles as well as a bounce to the fruit profile. There's tension here, it's more straight and taught than some of the others - so well defined and linear - but more thrilling for it. Feels pent up, yet the elements are so well presented and finessed. This is a sexy wine - sensual, thrilling and exciting. I love it! One of three new Cannubi wines released from Borgogno for the first time as they make their debut on the Place de Bordeaux. Less than 200 bottles released for sole distribution on the Place. Click to see full details | |
| Bibi Graetz, Balocchi di Colore No 1 | Toscana | 2020 | 99 | One of three new single-vineyard wines from Bibi Graetz; this is a selection of the oldest Sangiovese vines on clay loam with galestro soils at an altitude of 250m in Vincigliata, home to the family's historical vineyard. No 1 refers to the first vineyard planted, comprising vines more than 50 years old, and features a label designed by Bibi's first daughter Margherita. Grapes are sorted twice before being destemmed, softly pressed and placed in open-top barriques. Spontaneous fermentation occurs with indigenous yeasts before the wine is moved into old barriques up to 20 years old for malolactic fermentation and ageing for two years before being bottled. An incredibly compelling and inspiring wine with a flawless aromatic complexity - a nose full of strawberries, violets, roses, milk chocolate, lavender, coffee, cherries, cinnamon and exotic spices - beautiful scents that put you squarely in Tuscany. A scintillating texture follows on the palate, thrilling with such liveliness, energy and poise. Finessed, but completely characterful, the tannins gliding the fruit flavours seamlessly from start to finish with such sleek, effortless forward motion. A hint of succulent sweetness comes from stewed strawberries alongside perfumed flowers and dried herbal accents. Layered and pixelated, it's intense in its complexity but graceful with freshness throughout. Such a pure expression of time, place and grape - honest and profound. I love it. Just three barrels produced, sold via the Place de Bordeaux from 2nd March. Click to see full details | |
| Château Latour | Pauillac (1er Cru Classé) | 2015 | 98 | Really gorgeous aromatics, so perfumed, acutely aromatic, pristine, clear and precise with tobacco, cocoa, ash and liquorice. Round, heady, a sexy wine, with a lot to say, generous and open, smooth and layered - this deepens straight away vertically. I love the juiciness, there’s clarity to the raspberry, blueberry and blackcurrant fruit, sleek and joyful but the texture is there with a wet stone and liquorice to the tannins that gives such grip and edge of power. Still youthful and quite serious but there’s something so appealing about it with a sexy character and complexity. Bright and sharp but also with sweetness from the ripe vintage and savoury notes of truffle, cocoa, dark chocolate giving contrast. Such enjoyable floral violet scents too that follow the wine from start to finish. Excellently controlled and delivered with supreme appeal. One you want to sit with and take your time over, and then gulp down! 69 IPT, 30% of production. Harvest 15 september to 10 October. Technical director Hélène Genin. Click to see full details | |
| Bibi Graetz, Balocchi di Colore No 8 | Toscana | 2020 | 98 | One of three new single-vineyard wines from Bibi Graetz; this is 100% Canaiolo from the most recently acquired, 12ha high-elevation vineyard plot in Olmo, from vines between 25 and 50 years old on sandy-clay loam soils full of galestro. No 8 refers to the terroir parcel with Bibi's eight year old son Ludovico creating the label. Grapes are sorted twice before they are destemmed, softly pressed and placed in open-top barriques. Spontaneous fermentation occurs via indigenous yeasts after which the wine is moved into old barriques up to 20 years old for malolactic fermentation and ageing for two years before being bottled. Gentle, light and joyful, this wine has an almost aerial quality in its presentation, a crystalline purity to the fruit profile and overall uber charm. The nose is a masterclass in aromatics comprising patchouli, wild strawberries, dried wood and flowers, baked and sour cherries, green pepper and roses. Sharp, sleek and straight on the palate but delivered with energy and excitement. Each individual element is so detailed and precise with mouthcoating tannins that give the frame, angles and structure while the bright, high acidity gives a sense of liveliness and purity. The length and freshness are incredible and it's a wine that just makes you smile. An extremely engaging and drinkable wine. Just three barrels produced, sold via the Place de Bordeaux from 2nd March. Click to see full details | |
| Michele Chiarlo, Cerequio Riserva | Barolo | 2016 | 97 | Dried flowers, red berry baked tarts, rose petals, patisserie elements. Clean, clear and sharp, this is focussed and amazingly taught on the palate. Tannins are present and firm giving the linearity to this - the straight core that drives the wine forward. It's not so expansive, the tension is so apparent still, but so well defined and really graceful. Feels sophisticated and oh so charming. Such amazing almost bitter, minty, freshness on the finish, the licks of stone, graphite, pencil led giving the salinity and minerality. Just such a gorgeous lingering impression that makes you smile. Mouthwatering acidity is up front and centre but it's cushioned and plumped by the tannins and freshness, not giving plushness but certainly adding depth. Amazingly well controlled, full of vivacity and scintillating tension. Click to see full details | |
| Ceretto, Brunate | Barolo | 2019 | 97 | RIpe, sweet, floral jammy tones on the nose, burnt/toasted patisserie, a baked fruit pie smell that is so wonderfully alluring about the Ceretto wines to me. Stylish and svelte, this has supreme charm despite being a powerhouse of a wine. Dense but sleek tannins fill the mouth, powdery and slightly metallic, a gorgeous minerality, but also with cola, dark chocolate, raspberries and pink flowers. It's taught and direct, not friendly so much, but so well worked with drive and persistency. Lively and upfront, this is out to charm and it does but in a quiet, compelling direct way. Characterful and delicious. Slate edged finish leaving the salinity. Punchy and piercing the whole way through - just excellent. New to the Place de Bordeaux this year. Click to see full details | |
| Borgogno | Barolo (Liste) | 2012 | 97 | The first time on the Place for Borgogno this year with one of three new wines from Liste. Dried exotic spices, vanilla, paprika, cinnamon, tea leaves, black pepper and incense. Delicate yet thrilling on the palate, this carries a beautiful energy thanks mostly to the high acidity with a bright, but dried cherry skin type texture, while also being concentrated and powerful. Really quite mineral, a gorgeous stony, chalky undercurrent with strawberries, fragrant cherries and raspberries alongside a peppery character on the palate. Gorgeous wide and expansive element with total freshness and such layers of flavour, vertical and horizontal. You still feel it's quite young but there's so much to like here, all delivered quite subtly despite the tannic heft that gives the structure but the flavours are nuanced and last and last leaving you totally wanting more. Less than 200 bottles released for sole distribution on the Place. Click to see full details | |
| Ceretto, Barolo Cannubi San Lorenzo | Barolo (San Lorenzo) | 2012 | 97 | Dried flowers, pot pourri nuances on the nose - so aromatic and perfumed. Dried fruit, cherries and cranberries but with baked and stewed red berry fruit too and fresh red cherries alongside caramel, coffee and dark chocolate. Round, supple and lively, this is gorgeous from the first sip, brimming with lovely sweet and almost sour cherry acidity and juicy strawberry flavours. Creamt, chalky, taught and full this is giving a mouthful of flavour and texture. I love the elegance but also the sheer confidence on show, characterful, nuanced and mouth watering - it's both fun and sensual. Multifaceted with superior freshness - such a long length, wide and expansive, the flavour goes on and on. Slight edges of bitterness fill the mid palate and finish giving the angles and the interest - cola, aniseed, medicinal eucalyptus and dried herbs. Just brilliant. Tasted (and only sold) from magnum. the flavour is still there after 10 minutes. From a 0.25ha plot. Director Federico Ceretto, oenologist Alessandro Ceretto. Less than 500 magnums released via the Place. Click to see full details | |
| Boizel, Joyau de France | Champagne | 2008 | 97 | Toasted hazelnuts and pecans on the nose, charry, buttery almonds, green apple so much aromatic complexity. Caramel, bitter lemon, orange, brioche/patisserie elements, like a buttery hot cross bun, some truffle too. Racy, piercing acidity hits the palate straight away along with such tiny, frothy bubbles that fill the mouth. The spine and tension is there, driving the wine forward with a clear vein of citrus acidity - a shot of lemon and lime, while still having the undercurrent of toasted, salty nuts. Nuanced and characterful with a hint of sweetness, sharpness and raciness all giving nuance and interest and building to an impressive whole. Well controlled with balance, construction and a gourmet feel. Made with Premier and Grand Cru grapes: Pinot Noir grapes from Mailly, Cumières, and Chigny-les-Roses, and Chardonnay grapes from Avize, Chouilly, and Vertus. Grapes are aged 12 years on their lees. Dosage 3g/L. Recently disgorged January 2023. Click to see full details | |
| Bibi Graetz, Balocchi di Colore No 3 | Toscana | 2020 | 97 | One of three new single-vineyard wines from Bibi Graetz; this is 100% Colorino from vines of up to 50 years old, planted in the family's historical vineyard in Vincigliata on clay loam soils with galestro at an altitude of 250m. No 3 refers to the third vineyard planted in the 1970s when Bibi's parents were looking for blending grapes to add power and structure to their Chianti wines. The label was designed by Bibi's third daughter Ingrid. Grapes are sorted twice before they are destemmed, softly pressed and placed in open-top barriques. Spontaneous fermentation occurs via indigenous yeasts after which the wine is moved into old barriques up to 20 years old for malolactic fermentation and ageing for two years before being bottled. Rather than give this over to a blend, Bibi has, over the years, kept back a portion of Colorino to let it shine on its own and this new bottling is remarkable. A much darker colour than the other two new releases, this is dark violet with scarlet nuances, translucent but almost dark plum in colour which correlates to the aromatic profile - a spicy hoisin plum element, with white and Szechuan pepper, blueberries, graphite, salty minerality and herbal scents. Wide and round on the palate, ample, generous, broad and muscular but so velvety with fine-grained tannins that fill the mouth entirely giving the expansive frame while the centre is filled by a moreish juicy acidity that gives the bounce and the fun. There is both power and tension which combine to a thrilling and captivating whole. A knock-out wine that deserves to be shared among friends. Just three barrels produced, sold via the Place de Bordeaux from 2nd March. Click to see full details | |
| Castellare di Castellina, I Sodi di S. Niccolò | Toscana | 2019 | 96 | Super fragranced nose, patchouli, pot pourri, Turkish Delight, rose with caramelised red berries and a touch of smoke and incense - all quiet forward and expressive. The nose alone you could smell for hours such is its complexity and beguiling nature. Powerful and concentrated on the palate, this is broad and muscular, sinewy with depth and determination. Tannins are well integrated, really giving the support to the fruit and acidity, driving the flavours forward despite the clear weight and hold. Fragranced red berries continue on the palate with a touch of stone, graphite and matchstick. Rich and big on the mid palate, becoming more focussed towards the finish. Cleary well made with lots going on. Acidity is great, it's cool, clean, sleek and packed full of flavour. Almost too much, this is a big wine, so needs time, but has lots of appeal and mouthwatering freshness throughout. Released on the 9th March. Director and winemaker Alessandro Cellai. Click to see full details | |
| Ornellaia | Bolgheri Superiore | 2020 | 96 | Black bramble fruit on the nose, heady, expressive, forward and open. Aromatic and inviting - on the riper, jammy side. Lithe and supple, this has an energy and weight giving plush tannins but with an austere, mineral grip. A curious combination but one that serves to give a round, interesting mouthful with both balsamic black and sweet blue fruits with touches of wet stone, cola and liquorice. Dark and brooding, a little sombre right now, clearly powerful with concentration and you can tell it's been well worked - feels controlled but still quite tense and constricted. The overall texture is sublime and I do love the dark sticky liquorice and bitter orange zest but this isn't quite giving the wow factor. Nice layering, linear and pure, tannins a touch dry on the finish. Refined and austere. Has a touch of ripe jamminess that detracts a little from the charming elegance you know this wine can have. 5% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Click to see full details | |
| Viña Cobos, Malbec | Uco Valley & Lujan de Cuyo | 2018 | 96 | Smells like a bonfire, stalky, green sichuan peppercorns, dark chocolate, vanilla, a touch of dark black cherry and bramble fruit but delicate, certainly not as expressive as it could be fruit wise with more of the savoury elements taking the fore. Sleek and well controlled on the palate, pure and soft, nicely plump but with a svelteness and wave of freshness. Clean with excellent tannins that support the black cherry, plum and blackcurrant fruit, giving overall structure frame and a coat the entire palate with juice and clove and liquorice-spiced minerality. I like the freshness and the cooling sensation you get on the finish. Nuanced, detailed and very well made. Director Paul Hobbs, winemaker Andres Vignoni. Click to see full details | |
| Cathiard Vineyard | Napa Valley | 2020 | 96 | Ripe and juicy blue fruit aromas on the nose with some soft wood spice, acaia, liquorice, a touch of California heat in the aromas but smells fresh and inviting. Clean, supple, lively, pure and focussed on the palate. Tannins take the fore, really quite mouthfilling with ash, smoke, tar, tobacco edges, leather and some meat, underpinning the blackcurrant, black cherry and blueberry fruit. Still quite tense, focused in the centre, driving from start to finish in one line, despite the slight weight and nice density of the tannins. A very soft vanilla sweetness is also apparent. It's both potent and poised, perfumed and pure. You can't get away from the liquorice and tar undercurrent that really marks the wine. Dark, savoury, brooding, a really complete wine. Lots of personality and manages the combination of having both Bordeaux and Napa sparkle. A delicious first vintage from the new Napa estate owned by Florence and Daniel Cathiard of Smith Haut Lafitte. Directors Justine Labbé and Fabien Teigen, consultants Michel Rolland and Frederick Ammons. Click to see full details | |
| Ao Yun | Yunnan | 2019 | 96 | Vivid dark purple in the glass - such a striking, gorgeous dark plum colour with matching scents of damsons, plums, spiced blackcurrant, liquorice, chocolate, fragrant dried rose petals, pot pourri floral elements, hoisin, peppercorns and cola. A riot of aromas on the nose - this smells deep and rich yet fresh also with a salty minerality. Supple and full in the mouth, massy with firm tannins that give a beautifully integrated structure. Mouthwateringly juicy, but really well balanced so the acidity doesn't stick out. Blueberries, blackcurrants and black cherries on the palate, fresh and lively. Quite a powerful, concentrated mouthful but kept lively by the acidity and overall freshness. Bright, focussed, crystalline quality to the fruit with a wonderful juiciness and overall zing. Hints of spiced liquorice, smoke, tobacco, clove, cinnamon and a touch of minerality as well as a fresh mint (menthol and eucalyptus) finish. Clean and precise, feels well worked, detailed with good persistence. Lots going on here. Still quite compact and full of spice but extremely nuanced and characterful. Lots of enjoyment to be had here and great ageing potential too. 6% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Director and winemaker Maxence Dulou. Ageing a third oak barrels, new oak and Chinese stoneware with the final blend decided in Hong Kong at sea level to avoid the dry air at altitude.
2019 was one of the smallest crops with an overall yield of just 16hl/ha. The vintage saw a more rainy and cool winter than average with a late budburst but homogenous, dry and warm spring - one of the warmest and driest ever. A little bit more rain fell during the summer than average with a dry and cool end of season. Overall very heterogeneous over 28ha (727 different plots) needing the latest and longest harvest since the project began lasting 72 days from 9 September to 21 November. Click to see full details | |
| Errazuriz, Viñedo Chadwick | Puente Alto | 2011 | 96 | Round, forward and supple, lively and so expressive with crystalline red and black fruit. Really well constructed with a balance between the ripe fruit, crushed stone minerality, fresh and juicy acidities, minty aspects and lovely just-grainy tannins. Such signature style to this; smooth, carefully constructed with care - not to heavy or filling but glossy and smooth. Graceful, poised and finessed, really shows the pedigree of this wine from a cool vintage with touches of toast, liquorice, dark chocolate and leather but the fruit is still at the fore doing all the talking. Great to drink today, agile and totally moreish with delicate sweet hit on the mid palate that is so enjoyable with a Cabernet fresh menthol and liquorice finish. Wonderful sculpting and styling. Smooth and so easy to like! Feels restrained yet detailed. Even more enjoyable tasting the day after opening. Ageing 22 months in French oak barrels, 77% new. A cool year with lower than average temperatures for almost every month, including January. A lower heat summation than the previous three years. Veraison was therefore longer and more heterogeneous than usual with grapes reaching maturity at the end of April. One of three new library releases of Viñedo Chadwick entering the Place de Bordeaux in March. Owner Eduardo Chadwick, winemaker Francisco Baettig. Click to see full details | |
| Michele Chiarlo, Cerequio | Barolo | 2019 | 95 | Quiet and contemplative on the nose - burnt sugar, caramelised strawberries and pink flowers. Super streamlined, this is direct and persistent with a gorgeous combination of creamy, chalky tannins and herbal strawberries so you get the texture, weight and fruitiness - fluid and moutfilling but all quite sombre right now. Not lively so much - despite the high acidity and crunchy bite to the fruit - but full of depth and layers of complexity. I love the saline finish, really putting the terroir in the glass. It feels refined and purposeful with lots going on and I love the florality that stays the whole way. A subtle beauty. Click to see full details | |
| Romano Dal Forno | Amarone della Valpolicella | 2008 | 95 | A back-vintage release completes the trio of wines released by Dal Forno onto the Place for the first time this year. The aromatics on this are divine - floral tones, incense, cough syrup but in a caramelised burnt sugar kind of way, toasted bread, smoke, sour cherries , blackcurrants with purple flowers, dark chocolate and tobacco. Focussed and direct on the palate, much more serious and austere and tight than I was expecting, strict and tense, the tannins giving the narrow frame from which the wine flows but it's super long. It has purity, clean and clear, delineated nicely but tannins restrict the pleasure a little and this loses a bit of push towards the finish. The heat also lingers a touch with some dryness. Compelling complexity with plenty of power and punch. 10% Croatina completes the blend. Owner and winemaker team Romano and Marco Dal Forno. Click to see full details | |
| Ornellaia, Bianco | Toscana | 2020 | 95 | White flowers, jasmine, peach, apricot, clementine and citrus nuances with a wet stone minerality. Thrilling and ample at the same time, a well controlled weight of almost oily peach and bitter nectarine fruit with a citrus pineapple and lemon kick and underlying hints of honeysuckle giving the florality. Clean with balanced acidity that gives a soft mouthwatering sensation adding to the complexity of the whole. Dynamic with a touch of sweetness and tension - lively and appealing. Director Axel Heinz, winemaker Olga Fusari. Click to see full details | |
| Borgogno | Barolo (Liste) | 2014 | 95 | Black pepper, caramelised strawberries, red floral scents, caramel, baked cherry tart, vanilla and cola. Energy and poise here, beautifully presented, clearly powerful and concentrated - the tannins are present, upfront and mouthcoating giving the dry but nicely filling and plump texture and supporting the red berry fruit that carries to a long finish. Gorgeous acidity gives the undercurrent and manages to push the flavours from start to finish without anything feeling too heavy. There's a lovely chalky, powdery sensation also with an energy that's still clearly youthful - this has a long life ahead. Wait at least 10 years but this has a delicious aftertaste with lovely nuanced elements of coffee, red berry, cinnamon and cola. Finessed and refined. Less than 200 bottles released for sole distribution on the Place. Click to see full details | |
| Borgogno | Barolo (Cannubi) | 2012 | 95 | Cola cubes, baked patisserie, grilled strawberries, toasted bread, fragranced cherries, dried flowers and medicinal herbs - such a wonderful aromatic profile, you could sit and smell this for hours. Polished and taught, a lovely sense of chalky, powdery minerality on the palate against wood and toast elements that give a spiced base that lingers, reminding you that this is still young and not quite yet ready to start drinking but it's extremely elegant and polished. A serious wine with so much potential for long ageing. Lovely mouthwatering acidity, really quite salty, but with a tension that keeps everything straight. A wonderful combination that will be incredible when it's ready. One of three new Cannubi wines released from Borgogno for the first time as they make their debut on the Place de Bordeaux. Less than 200 bottles released for sole distribution on the Place. Click to see full details | |
| Acaibo | Sonoma County (Chalk Hill) | 2017 | 95 | Smoked berries, cherries, blackcurrants, a dark fruit profile on the nose with chocolate, tobacco and clove elements. Supple and generous, controlled on the palate, almost sombre, doesn't shout out but delivers a really poised, calm energy with a full palate of blackcurrant and black cherry fruit that is cushioned by almost plush tannins but that keep a vein of minty freshness so nothing feels too much. Well worked, confident but without trying too hard. I like the blue fruit juiciness you get on the mid palate, with chalky tannins and gentle dried herbs - mint, sage and rosemary that give the grip and the frame. Nicely presented and overall really cooling in the mouth. Very complete, filling, generous but poised and finessed. Totally delicious and tastes very Bordeaux-like. Owners Claire and Gonzague Lurton, technical director Nicolas Vonderheyden. Click to see full details | |
| Errazuriz, Viñedo Chadwick | Puente Alto | 2010 | 95 | Slightly floral on the nose with cherry blossom notes, ripe black fruits and dried herbs - smells rich and concentrated. Direct and vibrant, this has power and concentration on the palate - a grippy, slightly fleshy to begin with but then the fine-grained tannins come into play. Sleek overall texture with some heat from the vintage coming through in the ripe raspberry, cherry and strawberry fruit with liquorice, cinnamon, clove spicing. It's quite dense in the mouth, lots of mint, full of eucalyptus and touches of toast on the mid palate, but such depth and completeness of flavour. This layers and verticality rather than wide and expansive, still with tension, sleekness and linearity. Lovely control and refinement, powerful, but well constructed and darkly charming with freshness and mass appeal. An excellent time to drink and savour the full maturity and completeness of this wine. Ageing 22 months in French oak barrels, 95% new. A cool season with long hang time. Total heat summation was 1,509 degree days, 242 fewer than in 2009, leading to a longer than usual harvest time. Drink now or hold for up to 10 years. One of three new library releases of Viñedo Chadwick entering the Place de Bordeaux in March. Owner Eduardo Chadwick, winemaker Francisco Baettig. Click to see full details | |
| Ceretto, Bernadot | Barbaresco | 2020 | 94 | Beautiful florality and almost baked cherry sweets - cherry drops - on the nose, rose, Caramac bars, vanilla, white chocolate and lavender - an infusion of sweet, fruit and floral elements. Statuesque on the palate, ripe and massy, but so well textured - like crushed velvet with a powdery and also fleshy aspect to the tannins so they expand and fill the mouth and leave a lingering chalky, powdery salinity on the tongue and cheeks. Round, ample yet defined and detailed, so much going on but with no one element overpowering another building to a really impressive overall impression. Acidity is beautiful, and there are cola flecks that give the freshness and savoury touch. The power shines at the end where the tannins constrict and just grip the final flavour, so you know this is a big wine with long ageing potential. A deliciou addition to the Place de Bordeaux this year. Click to see full details | |
| Luce | Toscana | 2020 | 94 | Smells concentrated with ripe red fruits and dark chocolate - hefty and powerfully conconcetratd. Tannins make the first impression, really filling the mouth with quite a dark savoury liquorice, tar and tobacco, chocolate flavour while the acidity just about props up the jammy red fruit. This has a certain style, it's on the more brooding, bold spectrum and there is purity to the fruit, but it feels a bit pushed with some extraction and alcohol on show in the tightness of the overall texture. Confident and out to please but will need some time. Click to see full details | |
| Tenuta di Biserno | Toscana | 2020 | 94 | Smells wild - herbal and gorgeously floral on the nose with ripe black, bramble fruit aromas. Round and supple, fully flavoured and textured with just fleshy tannins that also have a cool, mineral chalky edge giving some minerality to the palate and freshness offsetting the ripe, sweet black and blue fruit. I like the lingering powdery element and this has a certain sharp, sophistication - cool blue fruits, cola, vanilla, cedar and toast. I'd be hard pushed to put it in Tuscany though, it does smell and taste more like old-school Bordeaux or Californian wine. Massy, heavy, pushed with both oak and extraction. It has purity, but lacks the Tuscan charm that these wines can offer. Quality is there and this is enjoyable. 6% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Director Niccolo Marzichi Lenzi, winemaker Helena Lindberg. Click to see full details | |
| Château Latour, Les Forts de Latour | Pauillac | 2017 | 94 | Smells lovely, really aromatic and shining out of the glass, forward and expressive with clarity and precision on the nose full of red fruit and floral scents. Sleek and crisp, this has energy and lifeforce, I love the shape and straightforwardness but it’s the texture that’s so captivating - slightly firm but dense and chalky tannins give the bounce and cushioning on the palate while the fruit is lean and well defined. So well worked, feels careful, controlled, refined and polished. Sophisticated and just so seamless. Extremely young right now, coiled and tense still, direct from start to finish, it needs to slow down and soften and relax. Lovely pure and perfumed red fruits raspberry and blueberries alongside a slightly sharp, bitter grapefruit edge to the tannins as well as graphite and slate which lingers on the tongue and gives the mighty grip that doesn't let go. Stylish and enjoyable. 64 PIT, 6.7% press wine. 45.4% production. Harvest 11 September to 4 October. Technical director Hélène Genin. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Click to see full details | |
| Romano Dal Forno | Amarone della Valpolicella | 2017 | 94 | Beautiful florality on the palate, nuanced elements of roses and violets and peonies which give the delicacy and prettiness while the cough syrup, coffee, tobacco and dark chocolate laced plums, damsons and blackcurrants give the majority of the flavour. It's well controlled with power and weight and still quite a firm centre which feels sleek. I also love the slightly salty tang you get on the tongue. It's just missing something - the density and sombre flavour profile stops it from really shining out the glass and it lacks a touch of spark. Still quite tightly knitted and compact though, when the wine starts to open and soften this will be more than beautiful and charming. A wine for the ages. One of three wines by Dal Forno launching on the Place for the first time this year. 10% Croatina completes the blend. Owner and winemaker team Romano and Marco Dal Forno. Click to see full details | |
| Borgogno | Barolo (Cannubi) | 2009 | 94 | One of three new Cannubi wines released from Borgogno for the first time as they make their debut on the Place de Bordeaux. Gorgeous aromatics; coffee, tobacco, roses, violets, cherries, and caramel/burnt sugar-stewed strawberries. Full and massy in the mouth, but so well balanced and textured, the tannins have a lovely weight and give a beautiful depth to the mid palate. Touches of cedar spice and toasted bread on the edges give a spiced piquancy, but this is nicely filling with a crystalline aspect to the fruit and layers of powdery tannins that go vertically rather than horizontally. Powerful but fresh with blueberry nuances, cola and vanilla and medicinal herbal touches on the end. A sense of style and sophistication to this. Less than 200 bottles released for sole distribution on the Place. Click to see full details | |
| VIK | Cachapoal Valley (Millahue) | 2019 | 94 | RIpe fruit and chocolate powder on the nose with a touch of dried herbs and beautiful violet and peony floral scents. Fresh and lively, high acidity makes the mark at first balanced by creamy and liquorice-egged rasberry, strawberry and blueberry fruits giving a mixture of sharpness but also bounce by the cushioning tannins. Richly textured, layered and well constructed with energy and lift. Smooth and likeable with a juicy core and appealing red fruit flavours alongside sticky liquorice, sweet oak and smokey earth. New to the Place de Bordeaux this year and the youngest estate from Chile to list a wine with the distribution network. Vik was founded by Alex and Carrie Vik in 2006 in Millahue, in the Cachapoal Valley. The 2019 is a base of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon and 23% Cabernet Franc, aged for 20 months in French oak barrels and for six months in 'Barroir' barrels toasted with oak from the estate. Winemaker for the 2019 Patrick Valette. Current winemaker Cristian Vallejo. Click to see full details | |
| Errazuriz, Viñedo Chadwick | Puente Alto | 2009 | 94 | Aromatic and fully scented on the nose, expressive and forward with toasty scents, blackcurrant and dark bramble fruits. So smooth and suppe on the palate, lively and energetic from the get go with a rush of fresh acidities, bright and highly-toned strawberry, creamy raspberry and perfumed red cherry. Lovely bite and detail to the fruits. Clean and clear, supple and agile, great movement with layers and depth of tannins, freshness and finesse. So well constructed, generous, complete, enjoyable and eminently drinkable. A great time to enjoy this with gorgeous Maipo Cabernet markers in the ripe fruit, dark liquorice edges which are nicely integrated and give structure, and the cool minty fresh finish. A gorgeous mature wine entering a great drinking window. Ageing 22 months in French oak barrels, 100% new. One of the warmest vintages ever recorded in Alto Maipo with exceptionally warm weather towards the end of the season in March and April. Grapes were harvested in two separate batches to ensure optimal maturity, 10 days apart. One of three new library releases of Viñedo Chadwick entering the Place de Bordeaux in March. Owner Eduardo Chadwick, winemaker Francisco Baettig. Click to see full details | |
| Parusso | Barolo (Bussia) | 2019 | 93 | Dried floral tones on the nose, slightly less expressive at this point than the Mariondino and Mosconi on the nose. Baked cherries and raspberries with almost a green strawberry element. A wall of tannins makes the first impression - giving a sense of fullness, heft and power but it's not so plush or weighty in the mouth like Mosconi, it's much more direct and sleek yet with incredible density of flavour and texture. A little impenetrable at the moment, hard to see past the tannins at this point though it has excellent freshness that really gives the overall impression a lift. Acidity is there but even that is hidden and obstructed somewhat by the tannins though the ending isn't at all dry, more powdery and pleasant. Super dense and compact, tons of potential here in the complexity and it feels really well worked with precision and care. High-altitude 400m vines. Click to see full details | |
| Michele Chiarlo, Faset | Barbaresco | 2020 | 93 | Wild flowers and red summer berries on the nose, smells expressive and lively, open and appealing. Bright and shining in the glass, clear and clean, this is direct and sleek with a scintillating acidity that stays the right side of being too sharp. Tannins come in pretty quickly and just shut down the fruit persistence at this point but they're well integrated with a juicy, sapidity as well as firmness that gives the overall life, structured and frame. Cheerful and characterful with a really gorgeous freshly-picked strawberry acidity and lovely lick of wet stone, graphite salinity that gives the chalky, tongue scraping feeling towards the end. I like this a lot. Click to see full details | |
| Frescobaldi, Castelgiocondo Ripe al Convento Riserva | Brunello di Montalcino | 2017 | 93 | Fragrant red berry notes on the nose with soft herbal flecks. Deep and layered but lifted and streamlined, I love the freshly-picked strawberry flavour that hits the mid palate alongside leather, white pepper, coffee and slightly graphite-laced tannins that settle around the mouth giving the grip and frame. Supple and nicely succulent with lovely freshness throughout, it's just missing that extra push of generosity and weight from the mid palate onwards. Nicely worked, delicate yet there is clear power there. Lacking some spark with fruit that fades a bit quickly. Click to see full details | |
| Poggio Antico | Brunello di Montalcino | 2018 | 93 | A riot of red berry fruit nuances on the nose - baked and fresh, wonderfully aromatic. Bright and forward, this has a nice texture - smooth and sleek, lithe and sapid with a good juicy core of red berries, sour cherries and spicy tomato edges. Tannins give the frame and the slight grip and this has excellent fresh acidity. It's well worked, soft and light just losing some propulsion and density towards the finish but plenty to enjoy here. Click to see full details | |
| Poggio Antico, Riserva | Brunello di Montalcino | 2017 | 93 | Hickory smoked bbq sauce and ketchup on the nose - sweet, savoury leather and ripe fruit aromas. Bright and vertical, supple but also a little dry from the start, the tannis filling the mouth with a chalky, powdery grip - feels concentrated and intense right now and as a result some of the fruit friendliness has been lost. Acidity is there giving the base and keeping things lifted but the flavours are more savoury. Lightly framed with detailed aspects and a sense of verticality on the palate. Click to see full details | |
| Parusso | Barolo (Mariondino) | 2019 | 92 | Rose petals and baked cherries on the nose, really very fragrant yet delicately expressed with burnt caramel tone and lovely freshness. Intense and driving on the palate, tannins hit you square in the mouth, giving the grip (powdery yet present) as the savoury elements of dried herbs, tar and minerality come through. Neatly presented, everything is quite firm, direct, in place, with a gorgeous mouthwatering freshness but the tannins and mineral, graphite, salty, wet stone grip is very much at the fore right now. I like the clean, slightly granular texture that lingers. Strawberry, cherry, herbal raspberry - but definitely savoury not fresh, not sweet, more brooding. This has power and intensity - a deep core of flavour. Youthful and somewhat potent in the slight heat on the finish but very compelling. Precise and detailed. From high altitude (290m) old vines (20-40 years) in Castiglione Falletto. Click to see full details | |
| Frescobaldi, Castelgiocondo | Brunello di Montalcino | 2018 | 92 | Plums, hoisin sauce, a soy touch, savoury nuances on the nose with ripe red berries, dark chocolate, coffee and toasted hazelnuts. Punchy and forward, this has a lovely sense of life and liveliness to it with cool blue fruit touches, wet stone nuances and some bitter chocolate edges. Sleek and silky, smooth with lovely purity. Friendly and appealing on the palate with a lifted finish and overall sense of joy. Easy drinking for sure still with bite and edges giving the complexity and interest. i love the tannins - so well integrated but so present - they really give the wine its shape and leave the lasting impression on the finish giving the definition. Click to see full details | |
| Talenti | Brunello di Montalcino | 2018 | 92 | Caramelised and sour cherries, aniseed, gunsmoke, candy floss, liquorice and toasted sweet strawberry tarts on the nose. Ripe and forward on the palate, structured and coursing with energy and life. High acidity is apparent from the first sip with tannins that are firm but almost melt into the sides of the mouth giving a wide frame. Tense, layered, persistent. Bold, almost too much giving a slight constriction to the finish with clear heft. New to the Place de Bordeaux this year. Director Riccardo Talenti. Click to see full details | |
| Luce, Lux Vitis | Toscana | 2019 | 92 | Ripe, jammy, fully flavoured, fruity and perfumed tones on the nose - smells quite alcoholic and heady. Rich, ample, overt, deep and compact, this is brooding with power and concentration. It's thick, dense yet straight so you get a full dose of ripe fruit and dried herb flavour but with still quite firm tannins. It's determined and there is a nice push from start to finish but it's muscular and hefty. A little overpowering overall, though it will settle in time. Acidity is excellent, though has a sweet jammy tinge to it, and the tannins on the finish are a little drying with some heat from the alcohol clearly apparent. Altogether a massive wine, less graceful but certainly impactful. Click to see full details | |
| Alma | Rioja | 2020 | 92 | Sour plums and baked cherries on the nose with spiced vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, leather and strawberries. Sour on the palate too, sharp and direct with a tangy, metallic edge to the red berry fruit. Almost too severe in its purity, thrilling and racy, but not yet expanding to give weight and definition. Needs time but it has the lively, very perfumed and nuanced red fruit and a lingering edge of caramelised toast which gives a different element but it almost goes from start to finish without stopping for breath. Bright and energetic. A new wine to the Place de Bordeaux this year made by Bodega Contador. Winemaker and director Benjamin Romeo Hilera. Click to see full details | |
| Château Latour, Pauillac | Pauillac | 2018 | 92 | Ripe red cherries and plums with tobacco and spice notes - this smells hot and heady, forward and indulgent. Mouthwatering straight away - juicy with sucrosity hinting at the hot vintage. Slightly thick and plump in the mouth but tannins are also firmly textured giving bite and spiced wood elements on the tongue. The Cabernet stands out giving a medicinal herbal element and wide menthol finish that makes it feel cool and fresh, though clearly there is power there. Still quite young. I like the composition, the nuance of elements with power, structure and heft, but also the definition you get at the end reminding you it’s a serious wine. 76 IPT. 5.7% press wine. 21% production. Harvest 17 September to 11 October. Technical director Hélène Genin. Click to see full details | |
| Romano Dal Forno | Valpolicella (Superiore) | 2017 | 92 | Amazing aromatics, balsamic, caramelised red fruits, sweet almost marzipan/frangipane with lovely peonie floral elements alongside smoke and coffee. Pure and clean but given depth by a leathery savouriness and slightly grippy, powdery tannins. Bright acidity, the sharpness and florality is lovely, but the tannins do take over some of the upfront enjoyment at this stage and constrict the finish a little. White pepper, strawberries, cherries and blueberries with bitter orange peel, dried raisins, tobacco and wood spice. Lots of flavour nuance and lovely detail but just missing some glue to hold it all together. 5% Croatina completes the blend. Owner and winemaker team Romano and Marco Dal Forno. One of three wines by Dal Forno launching on the Place for the first time this year. Click to see full details | |
| Ornellaia, Poggio Alle Gazze Dell'Ornellaia | Toscana | 2021 | 92 | Very Sauvignon on the nose, elderflower, green apple, with hawthorn, bitter lemon rind and soft honeysuckle aromas. Supple and nicely weighted in the mouth, a generosity of acidity and richness so you get thick lemon yoghurt type creaminess with orange peel and apricot flesh with lively lime juice flavours. Bright and charming, almost too squeaky clean contrasting some of the oaked notes, but overall enjoyable and easy to approach. Director Axel Heinz and winemaker Olga Fusari. 6% Verdicchio completes the blend. Click to see full details | |
| Borgogno | Barolo (Liste) | 2009 | 92 | This historic Barolo estate debuts on the Place de Bordeaux this year with six tiny-production wines that have been made since 2008 but have never been released commercially. They comprise two sets of three back vintages from their Liste and Cannubi vineyards direct from the winery's cellars in Italy. This is beautifully fragranced and perfumed with dried rose petals on the nose alongside tobacco leaves, coffee granules and dark chocolate shavings, altogether quite savoury and perfumed with the fruit almost taking a back seat on the nose. Tense and still quite tannic, but so juicy with really high, mouthwatering acidity that fills the mouth. Quite muscular, you can feel the sinew in the wine, the tannins make the impression and there is subtle power here but it's a little constricted right now causing some build up and dryness on the finish. Loses a little bit of punch but complex and appealing. Less than 200 bottles released for sole distribution on the Place. Click to see full details | |
| Parusso | Barolo (Mosconi) | 2019 | 91 | Baked strawberries, almost stewed, fragrant pink flowers give the light, lifted and pretty aromas on the nose. Supple and forthright, this is bigger and more plush than Mariondino with tannins that are fleshy and fill the palate giving weight and grip at the same time. The fruit is a little hidden behind the walls of tannins but there's an undercurrent of absolute freshness and together with the racy acidity gives a sense of liveliness overall. Ample and generous yet still closed in terms of fruit forwardness, still with a vein of liquorice and savoury spice. Massy and full, it's muscular yet still quite taught and the lingering impression is a little tannic and dry, the oak stil playing a part. Click to see full details | |
| Poggio Antico | Rosso di Montalcino | 2021 | 90 | Chocolate, cherries, strawberries on the nose with nice perfumed, floral aromas. Sharp and lively, a good push of raspberry and red cherry flavour from start to finish with well-integrated tannins and an enjoyable kick of toasted cedar, rosemary and dark chocolate. Tannins are slightly rustic and you get a slight constriction on the finish with some heat from the alcohol lingering. Doesn't quite have the finesse but it's approachable and enjoyable. A value pick. Released on the 6th March. Click to see full details | |
| Luce, Lucente | Toscana | 2020 | 90 | Raisins, fruit pastilles, dates and blackcurrants - super ripe, a bit jammy on the nose with a cola tang and lots of oak, ash/tar nuances that stick out. Still quite a lot of savoury leather and tobacco elements on the palate, alongside strawberry and red cherry fruit. Lightly framed - just missing some depth and weight but easy to drink and enjoy. Click to see full details | |
| Tenuta di Biserno, Il Pino | Toscana | 2021 | 90 | Ripe but in a different style to the others Tuscan wines released on the Place this month, much more blackcurrant and dark fruits than red berries with dark purple floral flecks. Smells alluring though. Smells and tastes more like a Bordeaux with the Cabernet tones and Petit Verdot really sticking out. Has a density to it no doubt, with concentration and a certain weight on the palate. A little massy and fleshy but retains a cool core with some blueberry fruit and cola flecks. Good overall texture and persistence with body and brightness. Everything is in its place, harmonious and balanced, maybe just a little less elegant than some but there's purity, decent definition and freshness. Director Niccolo Marzichi Lenzi, winemaker Helena Lindberg. Click to see full details | |
| Ornellaia, Le Serre Nuove Dell'Ornellaia | Bolgheri | 2020 | 90 | Smoke on the nose, tobacco, smells a bit green and underripe, the capsicum and herbal spice elements sticking out. Elegant at first, forward but dry from the start, the tannins are a little raspy and grainy giving the predominant texture and covering up the fruit pleasure. There is fruit and this has fresh, mouthwatering acidity but they're lost to the tannic hold and sense of exuberance to the wine. Youthful and a little wired right now with tension at the fore. 13% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Director Axel Heinz, winemaker Olga Fusari. Click to see full details | |
| Luce | Brunello di Montalcino | 2018 | 89 | Raspberries, almonds, caramel and herbal touches. Taught and tense but where the structure overtakes the fruit and acidity leaving a wide frame and not many layers. Feels a little brutish, missing some charm and fruit density. At 15% it's on the heavier end, and it's apparent on the palate leaving some harshness in terms of heat and tannic hold with leather, ash, tobacco and graphite. Click to see full details |