James Suckling

Niepoort Redoma Reserva Branco 2021 / Mineral, lemon, lime and flint on the nose. Reductive and fascinating. Medium to full body with creamy texture. Lemon rind and curd. Some nougat and stone. Flavorful and driven finish. Drink or hold. 94p

Château Haut-Brion Blanc 2018 / Opulent and perfumed for this great white in 2018, with lemon curd, cooked apple, lilac, lime flower, stone, rock and hints of sandalwood. It’s full-bodied, yet tight and compressed with layers of fruit that are integrated and focused. Needs time to open and show its true greatness but stunning. Try after 2025.

99p

Pingus 2021 / Violets, flint, graphite, dark chocolate, ink pot, and hints of herbs such as tarragon. Black truffles. Tar and hints of sandalwood. Black tea. Medium-bodied with very linear tannins that are tight and polished with fine silky texture. It’s endless and seamless. Profound and deep. Super structure and balance. This needs six or eight years of bottle age at least. Try after 2032. 100p

Joseph Phelps Insignia 2018 / Blackberry and black chocolate with mint, conifer and clove. Sweet tobacco, violets and flowers, too. Some graphite. Cool and complex. Full-bodied with ultra fine, dusty tannins and a wonderful, extremely long finish. Savory and refined. A classic-styled 2018. This needs time, but is so approachable and gorgeous. One of the best Insignias ever. Alive and changing all the time. 40% Stags Leap AVA. 87% cabernet sauvignon, 8% petit verdot, 3% malbec and 2% cabernet franc. Leave this for five or six years, but so wonderful now.

Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino Riserva 2019/ The quality of the tannins is so impressive in this wine, even though it’s a tannic year. Medium to full body. Lovely complexity and length. Barrel sample. Bottled next year and released in 2025. 99-100p

Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc 2021 / This has so much depth and power, with complex notes of flint, oyster shell, white pepper, dried mango, lemon, papaya, apricot stone and chalk. Medium-to full-bodied. Bright, yet creamy. It’s so long and concentrated. Wait and see. 90% sauvignon blanc, 5% semillon, 5% sauvignon gris. From organically grown grapes. 98-99

Château Mouton-Rothschild 1959 / Another perfect bottle. This has been a long-time favorite with mint and fresh basil, as well as currants and dried fruits on the nose. It turns to dried flowers. Full-bodied with spices, berries, and light eucalyptus character. Christmas cake too. Full body with velvety tannins. This bottle was almost mid-shoulder height, but it was a perfect wine. 100 points

DRC Montrachet 1990 / So dense and layered with an amazing character of apples, cream, dried pineapples and apricots. It's full-bodied but not heavy, and there's incredible energy in the wine that shocks you to the bone. Goes on for what seemed like hours on the palate. This is one of the greatest dry whites I have ever consumed.

Niepoort Redoma Branco 2019 / A bright, vivid white with sliced-lemon, green-apple and some white-pineapple aromas and flavors. It’s medium-bodied with a tight palate and a bright, vivid finish. Stone and lemon rind at the end with just a hint of lemon curd. Drink now.

Harlan Estate 2018 / 100 points / Classy earth, oak and bay-leaf character on the nose, together with dark fruit, such as currants and blackberries. Forest flowers, too. Full-to medium-bodied, linear and tight with coolness and freshness. Mint and spearmint to the dark fruit. Lasts a long time. Such balance and intensity. Tight now, but great energy and length this year. Incredibly sophisticated and seductive. A joy to taste now, but try in 2025.

Petrus 2015 / The aromas to this are a reference for Pomerol with truffles, black olives, black licorice and dark fruit. Even brown sugar. Full-bodied, layered and multi-dimensional. Chocolate underlines the character above. The perfect tannin texture, length and balance make you think you're dreaming. All about harmony and beauty. Love to taste it now but needs at least five or six years. 100p

Château Angelus 2018 / The aromas are incredibly complex with dark berries, elderberries, bay leaves, cloves and tile, follow through to a full body with layers of creamy and lightly dusty tannins that deliver a lingering finish and great attention to detail. The flavors range from black fruit to earth and stones. It’s reserved and poised with great intensity and power, in a toned and formed mode. One for the cellar. Try after 2026.