Ed Chin

9.4

Loving the fruit and it’s showing only a hint of nuance. This vintage seems huge compared to the other vintages I’ve been fortunate to try. — 6 days ago

Jane Nuss

9.4

Medium ruby. Pronounced aromas of black and red cherry, black plum, blackberry, raspberry, vanilla spice, earth, leather, and smoke. Juicy dark fruits on the palate, accompanied by mint and licorice. Dry and full-bodied, with velvety tannins, medium acidity, and a soft, balanced texture. Despite its high alcohol, the wine feels harmonious and refined. The finish is long and elegant. A polished and sophisticated expression of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, emphasizing nuance and finesse. Best with 30 minutes of decanting. Ready to drink now but will only improve with age.
— 2 years ago

Grant Simpson

9.4

Age has treated this well still incredibly young, but some of the nuance showing. Quality is apparent. These need time……. — 5 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Mid to pale dirty red - like garnet in colour. Sweet ripe raspberry notes with a smelly nuance - a touch of Brett which is not unusual in CdP in my experience. That note blew off after a couple of hours. Interestingly Barb thought a baked apple note which I didn’t get but I see James Molesworth did, albeit 10 years ago. Palate is medium bodied with those savoury spicy raspberry earthy flavours from the nose. Medium minus acid, still with good grip with a little bitterness to finish off - not off putting. I was advised to drink this 2009 before the older 2007 - the latter being a special vintage. — 5 years ago

Anthony Lombardi

9.8

Aromatically, pretty much perfection. Elegant & silky with layers of texture. Kept unfolding with nuance & detail with air. Acid brightens the pure brisk fruit. Drinking beautifully at age ten. — 5 years ago

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9.6

Gaja's 2016 Barbaresco is positively stellar. A wine of poise and grace, the 2016 has so much to offer. Expressive spice and floral notes open up first, but what really stands out is the wine's nuance and delineation. There is a sense of translucency to the 2016 that is impossible to miss. Sweet red cherry, mint, cinnamon and rose petal develop in the glass, adding further shades of nuance. Quite simply, the 2016 is one of the very finest Gaja Barbarescos in recent memory. This is such a gorgeous wine. Don't miss it. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, November 2019) — 7 years ago

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9.6

The 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia is powerful, rich and explosive, with tremendous drive. Even so, several bottles have been quite closed. That is probably a very good sign for the long-term, but readers should not plan on touching a bottle anytime soon. A wine of vertical drive and aromatic nuance, the 2016 Rancia is super-complexed. Only with a few hours of air does it show the nuances and layers that were so evident from barrel. The 2016 is a painfully stubborn wine in the early going, but it will offer superb drinking pleasure for those who can wait. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, August 2019) — 7 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2023 – Pessac-Léognan, BDX France 🇫🇷

Overview
A beautifully balanced Pessac-Léognan red blend of Merlot 55%, Cabernet Sauvignon 42% , Petit Verdot 2% and Cabernet Franc 1% that delivers finesse, aromatic complexity, and immediate approachability while maintaining classical structure and aging potential. A textbook expression of modern-classic Pessac harmony.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackcurrant, blackberry, ripe plum, and dark cherry layered with cedar, graphite, cocoa nib, tobacco leaf, crushed gravel, and subtle floral lift. The fruit feels vibrant and pure with beautifully integrated oak and savory mineral nuance.

Mouthfeel
Medium-to-full bodied with finely polished tannins and excellent balance between freshness and density. Silky entry, energetic mid-palate, and a long, clean, gently savory finish. Elegant rather than massive, delivering precision and drinkability without sacrificing depth.

Food Pairings
Grilled ribeye, lamb chops, duck breast, mushroom-based dishes, herb-roasted poultry, aged hard cheeses, and classic French bistro fare. Equally rewarding with refined meals or elevated casual cooking.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is exactly the kind of Pessac that keeps you reaching for another glass, delicate yet layered, polished yet expressive, and dangerously easy to enjoy young. Immediate gratification today, with the structure and balance to reward cellaring down the road. A beautiful testament to classical Pessac elegance done right.

Did You Know?
Château Smith Haut Lafitte is known for its gravel-rich soils in Pessac-Léognan, which drive freshness, mineral tension, and aromatic lift in both red and white wines, helping maintain balance even in warmer vintages. — 5 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.2

2018 vintage. Decanted and tasted after 3.5 hours. Super dark color. Spicy berry and ripe plum nose. Medium body. Plenty of nuance. Mocha/coffee grounds/maple syrup finish. Let the flame wars commence… — 5 years ago

aik

9.0

pure, but matured fruits. There is storky nuance. — 5 years ago

Nicolas Lau

9.2

One of my first Spanish wines. An old world wine with a beautiful nose of cherry and mineral earth, stone perhaps. And the palate supports that with a nuance of acidity that's both strong but very controlled and long. This wine I will remember. Balanced, light oak, and delicious. — 5 years ago

Bob McDonald

8.9

Delectable - this is the Craighall Vineyard Pinot Noir - not offered in your choices. This wine had a lovely vibrant colour of dark crimson. Aromas of cherry but somewhat latent and still promising much. My experience with Dry River Pinots is that they need at least 10 years and I cannot understand the Drinking Window from the winery as 2019-2022. I have made a note to drink my 2nd one in 2025. This is a big full bodied concentrated Pinot with plenty of Tannin. Only 649 bottles of the Craighall made. The next day still solid, dense and ungiving - without nuance. Needs cellaring time. — 5 years ago

Mike Evans

9.4

A touch of mint and evergreen, a dash of spice, a small strip of leather, and brilliant tart cherry, great class and nuance with a touch of rough tannin giving it all something to hold on to. It blossoms with air but still maintains nice grip. — 7 years ago

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9.5

Deep red. Displays sexy, highly perfumed aromas of red fruit liqueur, Asian spices, incense and smoky minerals, along with an exotic potpourri nuance. Densely packed with flavor, yet lithe as well, displaying alluringly sweet raspberry preserve, cherry, blood orange and floral pastille qualities that show superb delineation and mineral lift. Fine-grained tannins lend gentle grip to an extremely long, focused finish that shows noteworthy clarity and insistent spice and floral pastille qualities. (Josh Raynolds, Vinous, June 2019) — 7 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of three hours. The 2012 Villero pours a pale, slightly hazy garnet with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing and initially a little grumpy with the fruit showing a touch stewed and everything a little muddled. However, with about 30min of air, it started to freshen up! This is a trait I find common with traditionally made Nebbiolo from Barolo and Barbaresco in solar years. Morello cherry, raspberry, bruised strawberry, dried roses, tar, dried green herbs, talcum powder, and gravelly earth. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and grippy. There is so much nuance and yet, the quality is undeniable. Hard to stay away from. Drink now with patience to let it freshen up in the glass after opening but this should drink well through 2037. — a year ago

Kamall

9.3

My new favorite CA Chardonnay. So much depth and nuance. Great acid structure. Lovely! — 4 years ago

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9.5

Brilliant ruby. Smoky, mineral-tinged aromas of raspberry, cherry preserves, garrigue and exotic spices show excellent clarity and acquire a gamy nuance as the wine opens up. At once rich and energetic in character, offering well-concentrated red berry, bitter cherry and spicecake flavors and a sweetening touch of candied lavender. Shows fine definition and finishes gently, spicy and impressively long, with repeating florality and steadily building tannins. (Josh Raynolds, Vinous, October 2021)
— 5 years ago

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9.4

Limpid orange. Mineral-accented blood orange, strawberry, floral and succulent herb scents show fine definition and pick up a spicy nuance with air. Chewy and densely packed yet energetic and sharply focused on the palate, offering vibrant red berry, bitter cherry, citrus pith and honeysuckle flavors and a deeper peach pit flourish. The mineral and floral notes return on the very long, precise finish. (Josh Raynolds, Vinous, June 2021)
— 5 years ago

Tom Casagrande

9.0

When I lived in Houston in the aughts, I drank a few fragrant Cotes Du Rhônes from this estate, so I was eager to try their Giggie, even though I’ve grown tired of Southern Rhônes as the climate has warmed and Phillipe Cambie seemingly put a spell over the majority of producers. Well, this is a bit better than the typical blocky, heavy wines that seem increasingly prevalent there. It’s densely colored (of course), but the nose has a bit more elegance and nuance than the typical Gigondas estate these days, showing fresh dark berry fruit, really interesting almost chaparral-like garrigue/earth notes, warm stones, and meadowy wildflowers. In the mouth it’s dense, but a little lighter than the new norm thank goodness, with nice savory flavors and decent acids. Tannins are soft. It won’t make me forget Giggies from the early ‘80s, but it’s nice. — 5 years ago

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9.0

The 2017 Chardonnay is soft, supple and absolutely delicious. Light tropical notes, lemon confit, white flowers and bright acids give the 2017 striking nuance as well as character. The Foxglove Chardonnay is built on a core of fruit from Los Alamos, with a touch of fruit from Paso Robles, vinified and aged in steel, with no malolactic fermentation. Best of all, it is a stunning value. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, September 2019) — 7 years ago