"First made in 1971, this legendary Italian wine now celebrates its 50th birthday. Happy Birthday, Tignanello! The Marchesi Antinori Tignanello Toscana 2021 (made with 79% Sangiovese, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc) pulls on all the heartstrings. To be released in May, the wine shows a quintessentially pretty taste profile with tart fruit flavors, redcurrant, tea leaf, heritage rose, crushed white pepper, licorice, nutmeg, clove and chopped mint. It opens slowly to reveal more richness and exuberance with time, becoming downright voluptuous and heady a short while later. The through line, however, remains the bright freshness and minerality of Sangiovese. Compared to the 2018 vintage (which I also loved), this vintage has more overall fruit weight and volume." (ML)

98 points | Vinous

"The Tignanello Toscana 2021 is every bit as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel and then just after bottling. Silky and polished, with exceptional finesse, the 2021 has all the pedigree to become a modern benchmark for Tignanello and Italian wine more broadly. Bright dark red fruit, blood orange, spice, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco all soar out of the glass, framed by a discreet touch of French oak that adds raciness. In some vintages, the elements are discernible. In 2021, it is the total harmony of the wine that makes the strongest and deepest impression. The 2021 spent 17 months in wood, three months in neutral oak during the malolactic fermentation and then 14 months (50% new) for the rest of its aging. Superb." (AG)

96 points | James Suckling

"The currants and spices are very pretty, with some hazelnut undertones. Medium- to full-bodied with juicy tannins and a flavorful finish. Very structured for a Tignanello, with medium chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Very polished and curated with a deft winemaking hand coming through. Needs three or four years to soften, but it’s all there."

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Marchesi Antinori Tignanello Toscana IGT 2020 has "Violets and lavender with dark fruit and hints of dark chocolate. Sophisticated nose. Medium-bodied with fine tannin structure that gives this finesse and beauty. It’s very long and goes on for minutes. Precision."

96 points | Wine Spectator

Marchesi Antinori Tignanello Toscana IGT 2020 is "Delightfully approachable on the nose right away, with warm mocha notes and cool graphite aromas against Bing and black cherries. The palate is equally outrageously delicious and easy to love even in its unbridled youth, with more cherries, blackberries, raspberries and chocolate inside a framework of tannins made to measure and acid built like an invisible force field."

95 points | Robert Parker Wine Advocate

"Newly on the market now, the Marchesi Antinori Tignanello Toscana IGT 2020 shows a gorgeous bouquet with an upfront and accessible personality. Right off the bat, you get dark cherry, dried raspberry, spice, toasted almond and citrusy blood orange. The blend is normally 75% to 80% Sangiovese with 7% Cabernet Franc. The grape in between, making up 13% to 18%, is Cabernet Sauvignon. This vintage is very pretty and won’t require a long wait. The tannins are sweet and silky. “Tignanello proves itself as a great vineyard site in both the challenging and the classic years,” says Managing Director Renzo Cotarella."

94 points | Wine Spectator

A concentrated red, with black cherry, blackberry, iron, tobacco and vanilla flavors framed by sweet spices and toast accents. Ends with mouthcoating tannins, yet is pretty well-balanced overall. Alluring and classy.

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The Ultimate Single Vineyard Blend From The Mind Of Jason Woodbridge.

100 points | Wine Advocate

'Deep garnet-purple, the Hundred Acre 'Wraith' Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 drifts effortlessly out of the glass with compelling scents of Morello cherries, boysenberry preserves and blackcurrant pastilles, plus hints of unsmoked cigars, wild sage, underbrush and pencil shavings. The taut, tightly packed, muscular, full-bodied palate quakes with energy, supported by beautifully ripe, grainy tannins, finishing incredibly long and provocatively perfumed. So lively and layered, this Wraith perfectly captures the captivating vibrancy of this great, great vintage! Drink: 2027-2067.' (LPB  Dec 2021)

98 points | Jeb Dunnuck

'The Hundred Acre 'Wraith' Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 is one of those wines that would be a perfect example of the expression “iron fist in a velvet glove.” Full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, it has that classic 2018 frame that carries pure darker currant and cassis fruits as well as complex notes of leather, licorice, and spring flowers. This layered, multi-dimensional, perfectly balanced 2018 will reward 3-4 years of bottle age and cruise for 20-25 years.' (JD Feb 2023)

97+ points | Wine Advocate

'A blend of fruit from the three single vineyards, the Hundred Acre 'Wraith' Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 offers up more cherries and cranberries beautifully complemented by deep loam and mocha undertones. It's full-bodied, lush and velvety in texture with a long vibrant finish. It's even a bit tart. Drink 2024 - 2040.' (Joe Czerwinski February 2023)

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"The Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino 2017 opens to a saturated and shiny dark ruby color. This edition is loaded with black and purple fruits, such as blackberry preserves and plum. Those more robust tones are followed by spice, tar and campfire ash. The tannins are young (but not stemmy or bitter), and you'd be best served by letting this wine age and relax with more cellar aging. Il Poggione always makes some of the smoothest and most texturally enriched wines in the appellation, and this vintage is no exception."

93 points | Vinous

"Masses of ashen earth, smoke, dusty cherry and roses with nuances of clove lift up from the Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino 2017. This is silky and pliant upon entry, presenting a rich display of intense red and hints of black fruits laced with chalky minerals that drenches the palate. Penetrating acidity and grippy tannins create a burst of cheek-puckering tension, clenching down hard with youthful poise, as notes of licorice and hard red candies linger through the structured, medium-length finale. There are some moments where the 2017 reminds you that it comes from an incredibly hot and dry vintage, yet overall, it’s a huge success for the year. That said, it needs time to unwind from its youthful state. Production was down 15–20% at Il Poggione in 2017 due to severe selection of bunches, and all of the fruit that would have been reserved for the Riserva Vigna Paganelli was added to the Brunello instead."

17 points | Jancis Robinson

"Lustrous deep ruby. Firm, deep cherry fruit on the nose and with an undertow of savoury spice. Lots of perfumed sour-cherry fruit on the palate and with bags of firm, but polished tannins on the finish. A bit austere right now, but with great length as well as potential."

91 points | Decanter

"Il Poggione started harvesting Brunello grapes on 1 September based on desired sugar and acidity levels. To curtail unripe tannins, winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci removed a small percentage of seeds at the beginning of fermentation, particularly from the earliest picked plots. The resulting wine is a heady mix of allspice, leather and prune plums. There is ample concentration on the palate and a zesty citrus note lends freshness. It's grippy but overall balanced, with just a touch of astringency nudging through. I’d give this another year to come together. Drinking window: 2023-2028"

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"The Louis Roederer Cristal 2008 is a perfect wine, and Champagne simply does not get any better. This incredible wine offers a beautiful perfume of clean, crisp fruits, layers of complexity in its toasted spice and white flowers, and an utterly seamless yet powerful style on the palate.

This is a rich, decadent expression of Cristal, yet it’s still crystalline and elegant, with no sensation of weight, and it just glides over the palate. Haute couture at its finest, this majestic, profound, legendary Cristal can be drunk any time over the coming 2-3 decades. Drink 2018 - 2038" Tasted Dec 2018

19.5 points | Jancis Robinson

"16% malo, only on Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims. ‘There were many similarities with 1996, which allowed us to replay the 1996 vintage! Maybe we picked 1996 a bit early, so 2008, we waited longer by at least a week than in 1996.

Lots of tasting – far more than in 1996 when Roederer based picking only on analysis – and there was no malo in 1996.’ For the first time ever, they decided to release it later than the younger vintage, 2009 – so 2008 had nine years on lees.

The last batch of 2008 will be disgorged in March 2019. (Scan the back label via the Roederer app to get the disgorgement year.) Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon is coy about the assemblage. ‘I’m looking for chalkiness.’ In 2008 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay reflected perfectly the balance of their plantings. 40% of the estate was biodynamic then.

Really dense nose with lots of evolution but still extreme freshness. Some apple-skin character. Bone dry but wonderful lift and freshness. Long and super-lively. Real undertow but very racy on the nose. Lots to chew on. Really elegant! Drink 2018 - 2038" Dec 2018

99 points | Vinous

"The Louis Roederer Cristal 2008 is one of the most complete, most dazzling Champagnes I have ever tasted. A stunning wine from any and all perspectives, the 2008 simply has it all. Spherical in construction, with superb persistence. The 2008 takes hold of all the senses and never gives up.

One of the many things that makes the 2008 special is a combination of ripe fruit and bright, piercing acidity. Marzipan, lemon confit, dried flowers, orchard fruit build into the explosive, resonant finish.

“We learned from the mistakes of 1996, when we picked more on acid than ripeness, as was the norm in Champagne back then,” Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon told me recently. “In 1996, the best fruit turned out to be the last picks, where the fruit was physiologically ripe. Today, we aim to pick all our fruit with that criteria. Drink 2020 - 2050" Antonio Galloni Dec 2019

100 points | James Suckling

"OMG. A masterpiece. A benchmark. Tight and structured, with fantastic precision and structure. A sharp line of acidity throughout, with fine and tight bubbles. Pineapple, lemon, white apricot, seashell, biscuit, blanched almond, and chamomile hint.

Vertical and mineral. Dosage 7g/L. Special release in magnum and aged two or three years longer on the lees than the normal bottling. I can’t go higher than this.  Even better in a few years." August 2022

99 points | Decanter

"A sublime Champagne from Cristal from the famous and much praised 2008 vintage, which Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon calls a ‘dry and cool year that was a replay of 1996’. ‘The 2008s are so good because all the cellar masters learnt from 1996 - we adapted,’ he said during the masterclass in New York.

Sharp, tangy, seriously mouthwatering, direct and compelling, with tension at the very beginning that slowly expands and widens as the flavours relax in the mouth. Brioche, toasty notes on the nose with just-ripe green and yellow fruit aromas. Great energy and confidence are on show, with hints of white chocolate that offset the low pH and high acidity.

Pure and expressive, this is a wine that really gives the emotion with flavour that just lasts and lasts in the mouth full of red berries and chalkiness. Simply divine. Drink 2023 - 2050" Georgina Hindle (June 2023)

« The Cristal 2008 is deep, intense and masterful. It offers the quintessential reflection of its chalk soils which lend it its velvety texture and delicate tension. »— Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, Cellar Master

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An extremely rich and ripe wine with currant, cherry and balsamic aromas. Hints of leather. Follows through on the finish. Full body, round and velvety tannins that are reserved and beautiful. Sweet and sour. Savoury, too. Drink or hold. This has a long life ahead of it. (Oct 2017)

96+ points | Wine Advocate

The 2009 Bolgheri Sassicaia is the richest and darkest edition in recent memory. This super-charged Sassicaia boasts enormous power and concentration thanks to its impressive phenolic foundation. Black currant and blackberry confit are followed by spice, leather, tar, road paving and black truffle. It shows preliminary tertiary signs of liquorice and crushed minerals. The wine wraps thickly over the palate, delivering tight textural firmness and integrated structure. You taste the fruit's sweetness and the oak tannins' depth. No matter how you approach it, this wine scores very high on the intensity meter. Drink 2018 - 2040. (Monica Larner April 2017)

17.5/20 points | Jancis Robinson

Deep brick-garnet. Cigar box and dried thyme scents lift from the glass, with dried cassis too. Touches of black tea and five-spice oak give subtle complexity. Just a touch of volatility. Relatively full-bodied, with a rich and velvety texture. Notably, grainier, firmer tannins than the 2016 – a bigger and more robust wine – without quite the elegance of the 2016. Quite a different character. (Tim Jackson March 2019). Drink 2016 - 2026.

97 points | Vinous

Bright, full ruby. Pure, perfumed aromas of blackberry, cassis, lead pencil, violet and minerals, complicated by a super ripe note of crushed raspberry. Extremely primary and pure, offering sharply defined cassis, violet and mineral flavours of great class. The perfectly integrated acidity and vibrant floral character from the cabernet franc give the middle palate a terrific lift. Though very ripe in its flavour profile, this wine conveys a rare lightness of touch typical of Sassicaia but rare for this vintage on the Tuscan Coast. Finishes with noble tannins and outstanding palate-staining length.

For all its creamy power and charm, I really like this wine's balance and the subtle delivery of its complex flavours. I have tasted every vintage of Sassicaia on countless occasions, and other than the legendary 1985, I have no doubt that this is one of the two or three best Sassicaias at a similar stage of development. Though 2009 won't surpass the once-in-a-lifetime 1985, it is starting its life in a bottle with almost the same perfectly balanced, opulent, creamy texture and depth of that incredible wine, which I remember tasting in Rome and Tuscany immediately upon release.

In fact, that wine was so good that even though I was still a university student (and thus on a student budget), it was the first time in my life I ever bought a full case. If I were a university student today, I'd do the same with the 2009, even though the price of Sassicaia is far higher today. There's profound potential here, but younger wine writers and consumers who weren't seriously involved in tasting back in the '80s may well be surprised by this wine's voluptuous, atypically opulent texture and, thus, miss its sheer greatness. (Ian D'Agata, Sept 2012)

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99 points Jeb Dunnuck

I’d wager the wine of the vintage, Hundred Acre 'Few and Far Between' 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon is knockout stuff and has incredible aromatics of spiced currants, leafy tobacco, crushed stone, flowers, and lead pencil shavings. It’s rare to find this level of purity and seamlessness in 2017, and this is full-bodied red has a deep, layered mid-palate, awesome tannins, and a great, great finish. If you want to taste the best of 2017 in Napa, this beauty is it. (2/2023)

97 points Wine Advocate

Deep garnet coloured, the Hundred Acre 'Few and Far Between' 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon prances out with fragrant earth and underbrush scents over a warm cassis and blackberry preserves core, plus wafts of unsmoked cigars and mossy tree bark. The medium to full-bodied palate reveals a perfumed, graceful expression of the vintage, featuring silky tannins and a lively backbone, finishing with a spicy kick. (LPB) (12/2021)

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