2018
Keermont “Pondokrug” Cabernet Franc 2018
"I love Cabernet Franc", says Alex Starey, and you can see why when he produces wines that are as good as this single vineyard expression from Stellenbosch Mountain. Perfumed, stylish and well crafted, it has the elegance and precision of its cooler site, good underlying structure and classic black cherry, bay leaf and pencil shaving notes." Tim Atkin MW
Keermont Topside Syrah 2018
"Syrah lovers could spend a long time discussing the relative merits of Alex Starey's single parcel Syrahs. I have a very slight preference for Topside in 2018, partly because its cooler terroir on Stellenbosch Mountain was well suited to the drought conditions of the vintage. Restrained, focused and built to age in bottle, it has sage and oregano perfume, savoury tannins, refreshing acidity and minerality and flavours of plum, raspberry, red cherry and tobacco leaf." - Tim Atkin MW
Keermont Steepside Syrah 2018
"It's good to see a top Cape Syrah released with a little bottle age, especially when it’s as good as this one from a warm, north-facing site on clay soils. Complex, dense and voluptuous, it has garrigue and tarragon aromas, understated oak and flavours of cooked meat, tapenade, damson and blackberry. Superb." - Tim Atkin MW
Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino 2018
"Poggio di Sotto hits it out the ballpark once again with an extremely elegant interpretation that shows the incredible depth and nuance Sangiovese can achieve, even in an uneven vintage such as this. The certified organic 2018 Brunello di Montalcino reveals a dark ruby hue and mid-weight concentration. Indeed, the wine is lighter and brighter than most, despite Brunello's mandatory five years of aging before its commercial release. The tannins are silky and melt over the palate. Along the way, the wine offers high notes of red cherry, cassis and blue flower. This 38,000-bottle release carries a very high price tag, but your high expectations will be met." - Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate
Bodegas y Viñedos Pintia 2018 – 3L
"The 2018 Pintia comes from a cooler and wetter vintage when the grapes were picked between September 20th and October 7th, and it fermented in their new fermentation room where they feel they can be more precise. The wine still has 15% alcohol, with a pH of 3.82 and 4.6 grams of acidity. It had a shorter élevage this year and matured for 10 months in French and 18% American oak barrels, 81% of them new. The nose is very expressive, with bright cherry fruit, and the wine is fresher than the norm in the region, with integrated alcohol and oak, reflecting a very cool year, floral and perfumed. The palate is medium-bodied and reveals very fine and elegant tannins. This has to be one of the finest vintages of Pintia. 251,512 bottles, 14,144 half-bottles, 6,543 magnums and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in April 2020." - Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate
Bodegas y Viñedos Pintia 2018
"The 2018 Pintia comes from a cooler and wetter vintage when the grapes were picked between September 20th and October 7th, and it fermented in their new fermentation room where they feel they can be more precise. The wine still has 15% alcohol, with a pH of 3.82 and 4.6 grams of acidity. It had a shorter élevage this year and matured for 10 months in French and 18% American oak barrels, 81% of them new. The nose is very expressive, with bright cherry fruit, and the wine is fresher than the norm in the region, with integrated alcohol and oak, reflecting a very cool year, floral and perfumed. The palate is medium-bodied and reveals very fine and elegant tannins. This has to be one of the finest vintages of Pintia. 251,512 bottles, 14,144 half-bottles, 6,543 magnums and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in April 2020." - Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate
Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild & Vega Sicilia Macán 2018
"Their second wine in the Bordeaux sense is the 2018 Macán Clásico, which in the cooler and late year (they picked between October 2nd and 14th) fermented in stainless steel and matured in 50% new French oak barrels, 10% American oak barrels and 40% used ones for 12 months. The wine has moderate ripeness and alcohol (14%) in a fresher, subtler and more elegant year with good freshness (a pH of 3.75) and balance. It's young and creamy, a baby that will improve as it burns down that fat. Separating the press wine by quality and aging it separately seems to have increased the precision. It has to be one of the finest vintages for this wine; it is round and nicely textured. It could be an improved version of the 2016. 151,411 bottles, 1,053 magnums and some larger formats were filled during August 2020. - Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate
Valenciso Rioja Reserva Red 2018 Magnum
"The 2018 Reserva reveals developed aromas and a polished palate, tasty, almost salty flavors and a long, dry finish. It has notes of leather and meat and felt surprisingly ripe despite the cooler year, but the longer and slow growing season ripened the grapes thoroughly to 14.5% alcohol. It matured in French oak barrels, one-third of them new, for 18 months. It was bottled in December 2021. 67,000 bottles produced." - Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate
Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino 2018 Magnum
"Impressing from the first tilt of the glass, the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino makes itself known, with a heady burst of exotic spice and crushed ashen stone giving way to dried black cherries and grilled herbs. This combines the energy of the vintage with the dark balsamic-tinged fruits of Montalcino’s southern reaches, as zesty acidity maintains balance throughout, and flinty minerals saturate toward the close. It finishes long, savory and structured, yet its tannins are more rounded than anticipated, creating both a classic feel, but also leaving a mouthwatering sensation that tricks the taster back to the glass for more. Easily one of the top wines of the vintage, the 2018 is not to be missed." - Eric Guido
Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino 2018
“Impressing from the first tilt of the glass, the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino makes itself known, with a heady burst of exotic spice and crushed ashen stone giving way to dried black cherries and grilled herbs. This combines the energy of the vintage with the dark balsamic-tinged fruits of Montalcino’s southern reaches, as zesty acidity maintains balance throughout, and flinty minerals saturate toward the close. It finishes long, savory and structured, yet its tannins are more rounded than anticipated, creating both a classic feel, but also leaving a mouthwatering sensation that tricks the taster back to the glass for more. Easily one of the top wines of the vintage, the 2018 is not to be missed.” – Eric Guido
Domaine Lafarge-Vial Fleurie 2018
Domaine Lafarge-Vial Fleurie 2018 "A slightly more elegant is otherwise similar aromatic profile introduces punchy, well-detailed and lightly mineral-inflected flavors that also deliver excellent length and depth on the slightly more firmly structured finale. This too is worth your interest." - Allen Meadows, Burghound
Domaine du Bel Air Bourgueil “les Marsaules” 2018
"The wine reveals its intense red colour. The nose is distinguished by aromas of crushed black berries or wild strawberries with slightly earthy and smoky notes. The palate is rich in tasty fruit but also firm and balanced. The wine lingers on the palate on a thread of freshness and spices. An impression of gluttony continues during the tasting. No greenness, but a pure and elegant fruit that lingers in the mouth." - Winemaker's notes
Domaine du Pelican Arbois Poulsard 2018
"I like the purity and profile of the 2018 Arbois Poulsard, which, like the sample I tasted before, is quite expressive and agreeable, bright and lively, aromatic and open, quite elegant, with some tannins. It's not as funky as many examples of the grape can be. They picked a little early, and the wine is somewhat herbaceous (in a positive way) and only 11.5% alcohol." - Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate
Domaine de Montille Pommard Premier Cru “Les Rugiens-Bas” 2018
"Once again, the wood influence is subtle though not imperceptible on the slightly cooler aromas of lavender, violet, rose petal, red and dark cherry and a whiff of plum liqueur. There is excellent volume to the solidly concentrated and intensely mineral-driven flavors that possess evident muscle and power on the firm, serious and complex finale that is also clearly built-to-age. In a word, impressive." - Allen Meadows, Burghound
Domaine de Montille Volnay Premier Cru “Les Taillepieds” 2018
"A notably ripe yet attractively fresh nose is comprised by notes of exuberantly floral, spice, plum liqueur and relatively prominent menthol influences. The wonderfully sleek, concentrated and intensely mineral-laden flavors possess the hallmark refinement of a fine Taillepieds, all wrapped in a very firmly structured but not really austere finale. With that said, this is a 'buy and forget you own it' wine for at least 10 years and it should ultimately need 20 to 25 years to fully mature." - Allen Meadows, Burghound
Domaine de Montille Volnay Premier Cru “En Champans” 2018
Volnay Premier Cru “En Champans” 2018, "Once again there is liqueur-like character to the aromas of red cherry, passion fruit, spice and pretty floral elements. There is excellent volume to the caressing and palate coating flavors that are refined yet powerful on the very serious, structured and built-to-age finale. This is excellent but patience strongly recommended." - Allen Meadows, Burghound
Domaine Trapet Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin “Ostrea” 2018
"The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin Ostrea is showing beautifully, unwinding in the glass with a deeper-pitched bouquet of cassis, dark berry fruit, baking chocolate, rich soil tones and warm spices. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and mineral, this has a more structured, tensile profile than the Domaine's regular Gevrey, as well as greater reserves of tightly wound fruit. As readers will remember, this cuvée derives from old vines in the commune of Brochon."- William Kelley, Wine Advocate
Domaine Trapet Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Capita 2018
"Aromas of dark berry fruit, rich soil tones, spices and raw cocoa introduce Trapet's 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Capita, a blend of fruit from the premiers crus En Ergot, Corbeaux and Combottes, supplemented by a visual selection of small-berried clusters from Petite Chapelle and Clos Prieur that are not destemmed. Deep and layered on the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with a lovely sense of energy, powdery structuring tannins and a long, precise finish." - William Kelley, Wine Advocate
Domaine Trapet Père et Fils Chambertin Grand Cru 2018
"This is aromatically similar to the Latricières but perhaps even a bit cooler and with more earth and sauvage elements. There is a really lovely purity to the sleek, dense, intense and markedly powerful large-scaled flavors that exude an almost pungent minerality on the austere, serious and wonderfully persistent and very firmly structured finale. As the Trapet Chambertin often is, this is not a monster of concentration or structure but rather one of refinement and grace." - Allen Meadows, Burghound
Domaine Marc Roy Gevrey-Chambertin La Justice 2018
" A slightly fresher and higher-toned nose speaks of red currant, raspberry, violet and soft wisps of spice and earth. The sleek, vibrant and seductively delicious middle weight flavors possess better precision if not quite the same density and power, all wrapped in a balanced and lingering finish. This too is a quality Gevrey villages built around finesse." - Allen Meadows, Burghound
Domaine Bouchard Père & Fils Grand Cru “Chambertin-Clos de Bèze” 2018
"This too is notably ripe though the spicier and more floral-inflected dark berry fruit aromas are not jammy. While there isn't quite the same concentration there is markedly better vibrancy to the broad-shouldered flavors that possess a highly succulent mid-palate, all wrapped in a discreetly stony and sneaky long finish. The compact and built-to-age finish makes clear that plenty of patience will be beneficial." - Allen Meadows, Burghound
