Domaine Lionnet Cornas Terre Brulée 2018 – Precise, mineral-accented scents of blackberry, cassis and exotic spices are accompanied by a slowly emerging floral nuance. Sappy and energetic on the palate, displaying sharp delineation to its concentrated black/blue fruit, floral pastille, olive and allspice flavors. Finishes extremely long and spicy, with intense mineral thrust, a hint of candied violet and subtly chewy, harmonious tannins that make a late appearance.

Rioja has always held a special place in my heart. I started getting into wine seriously in my early 20s, when I waited tables in a number of Boston and Cambridge-area restaurants. There were no sommeliers back then, and that opened a lot of avenues for waiters to learn about wine. I discovered pretty early on that l liked reds with bottle age, but I could hardly afford any of the established heavy hitters of that time. Rioja was the happy exception, as the wines were very much under the radar. Any time I needed a wine with a bit of age for a special occasion, it was always Rioja.

Suntory Shiojiri Winery Iwadahara Merlot 2015 Shiojiri, Kikyogahara, Nagano / Floral, aromatic nose of sweet cherries. The palate is supple, fresh and shows pure red fruits with nice texture and a bit of grainy tannin. But the emphasis here is on lovely pure fleshy fruit. Really expressive and pure. 92/100

Latour vertical 1934 - 2005 in Copenhagen / Latour 1961 was, as expected, a monumental wine. Sixty years old wine and not ready yet. Still young and vigorous. Oceans of fruit and tannin perfectly supported by underlying acidity.  Enormous potential! 99-100p.

2017 Opus One / Ruby. Cassis, blueberries, anise, spices, vanilla, liquorice, some coffee, layered nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, juicy, spices, liquorice, detailed and layered, nuanced, intense and superb length. 96

Robert Otaley Finisterre Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 – From the Pedestal and Batley vineyards in the famed Wilyabrup sub-region of Margaret River. Two to three weeks post fermentation maceration and then 18 months in new and older French barriques. Just 400 six-packs. 

Very dark red. This is tight, youthful and really needs time. Has seriously good balance. Dry herbs, blackberries, hints of bell pepper and tobacco leaf. This is quintessential cabernet. Balance and concentration, yet light on its feet. Very fine tannins. It will do ten years standing on its head. Great stuff. My pick of the entire release for this year. 96.

CHATEAU MARGAUX 2017 / 89% cabernet sauvignon, 8% merlot, 2% cabernet franc, 1% petit verdot/ 100% new oak. Red currants, succulent and intense, also sweet… great harmony and choral resonance… I realise I’ve drifted off in my own thoughts with this wine… the flavour lingers so. This is BDX, it is the best wine we’ve had today (this week/month etc) and it is the reason why we seek to make and drink better wine. Holy crapola.

2020 Smith Haut Lafitte/ A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot aging in 60% new barriques, the very deep purple-black colored 2020 Smith Haut Lafitte makes an impactful entrance, opening with flamboyant notes of blackcurrant pastilles, chocolate-covered cherries and molten licorice, leading to nuances of ground cloves, woodsmoke, crushed rocks and dusty soil. The medium to full-bodied palate bursts with opulent black fruit preserves and shimmering mineral sparks, framed by exquisitely ripe and fantastically firm tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with epically long-lasting earthy and savory layers. This is the singular voice of Smith Haut Lafitte at its finest, and wow-oh-wow is it worth a listen. This 2020 has an alcohol of 14.5% with a pH of 3.65. The tannins this year were a little higher than 2018 and 2019. A little less than a third of production went into this grand vin. 98-100p

Meerlust Rubicon 2017 / Pure Cabernet expression, with leafy spice interest from Cab F and Merlot. Super balance and purity here, with volume that unfolds with time in the glass. Very promising for future Rubicon. 95/100

It's truly amazing how big Napa cabs can deliver full enjoyment at their very young stage. In a blind tasting I was sure that the wines were from late 2000s, not late 2010s! So smooth and well-integrated and harmonous. Pure pleasure!    

Cullen Diana Madeline 2019 / Deep dark red. Elegant aroma which is marked by cassis and a light leafiness and a suggestion of Cabernet Franc's characteristic blackcurrant-leaf quality. Dry, refined tannins giving a dry mineral character. Plush and full in the mouth, the mineral character as much in the tannins as in flavour. ‘Toast to mum’, says Vanya Cullen. Smoky but not reductive. Layers of paper-fine tannins. Elegant. Opens up to a slight note of curry leaf. Or is it tobacco, or both? Very, very dry without being drying. Ultimate in refinement. 

The Único released in 2021, 10 years after the harvest, is the 2011 Único, selected from 40 of their 210 hectares of vineyards. 2011 is a concentrated and ripe vintage, and they selected 95% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon that were cooled in a cold room for 24 hours before being sorted; the bunches and grapes macerated at 9 to 10 degrees Celsius for three to four days, and then it was inoculated with a pied de cuve to ferment with pumping overs. Malolactic was in stainless steel, and the wine was put through a long aging, 10 years between oak and bottle, using new and used French and American oak barrels and 20,000-liter oak vats. For Vega Sicilia, 2011 was a fresher year than 2010, not the common idea about those vintages in Ribera del Duero. The wine has a developed nose with some notes of ripe black fruit, meat and underbrush, somewhat herbal and perfumed. There is something about the nose of the Únicos that I cannot quite describe but is quite distinct, and it's in this vintage and also in the Reserva Especial. 88,288 bottles, 3,505 magnums, 318 double magnums, 60 Imperial and 3 Salmanazar were produced. The wine was bottled in June 2017.

Vega Sicilia is also increasing their capacity to age wines in 40,000-liter oak vats to decrease the impact of the oak in the wines. Their 210 hectares of vineyards produce more than enough grapes to produce between 250,000 and 300,000 bottles.