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Rare Egon Müller Revisited:
2018 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Kabinett Alte Reben Auction

Across the range, Müller's wines are simply extraordinary. Still, there's a quality to the Kabinetts that's special, especially so for the Auction bottling.

Go-To Piedmont Value:
2016 Roagna Langhe Rosso

Langhe Rosso is a humble designation (like Bourgogne Rouge), but Roagna's has no trouble going head-to-head with serious Barolos and Barbarescos.

Rhône Royalty:
2018 Chave Saint-Joseph

While the Hermitage is among the world's great wines, Chave's Saint-Joseph is where you find outrageous value. 

"A thrill to taste"
2017 Giacamo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia

No other producer that I've tasted reaches the level of gracefulness and precision that Conterno did in 2017.

"Excellent underlying tension"
2019 Roulot Meursault Villages

The 2019 combination of snap and punch is simply thrilling. The layers of stone fruits, spice, and minerals are crystal clear. Its power is beautifully buoyed by a racy acidity. 

Depth, Force and History:
2000 J.B. Becker Berg Bildstock Spätlese Trocken Magnums

Here is a wine of depth and force, a rigorous and structured dry Riesling now entering its glorious drinking window, the peak experience of which will last for another decade.

"Terrific concentration and balance. Bravo!"
2012 Montbourgeau L'Etoile Vin Jaune

Montbourgeau produces some of the finest and most elegant Vin Jaunes. Their only rival is Macle's great Château-Chalons. 

“In a word, lovely” - 2017 D'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Duc

Angerville’s monopole Clos des Ducs is the crown jewel of Volnay.

Piedmont Holy Ground Revisited: 2013 Oddero Barolo Vigna Rionda

Rionda is a well-exposed, limestone-rich vineyard that has the potential to deliver some of the greatest Barolos around. 

"The potential is huge"
2019 Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Grosse Lage

The 2019 Himmelreich Grosse Lage is absolutely gorgeous. It boasts outrageous clarity with an intense yet ultra-fine expression 

"The 2013 Barbaresco Pajè will leave readers weak at the knees"
2013 Roagna Barbaresco Pajè

When they were released, we felt that the 2013 Roagnas represented the high-water mark for this well-established estate.

"A lovely sense of detail and vibrancy" -Burghound
2019 Bachelet Côte de Nuits - Villages

The 2019 takes the stony core and builds a subtle soil inflected minerality that's rendering with incredible precision. There are ultra-clear layers of red fruits and a beautiful textural elegance.

Wine of the Year #3: Bobby's Pick
2020 Chacra Chardonnay

The combined efforts of Piero Incisa della Rochetta and Jean-Marc Roulot have really paid off. Hailing from Argentina's Patagonia region, the 2020 Chardonnay is simply a tour de force irrespective of geographic qualifiers. This is not great Southern Hemisphere Chardonnay. It's world-class Chardonnay.

Wine of the Year #2: Ian's Pick
2019 Bachelet-Monnot Puligny-Montrachet

These are revelatory expressions of Burgundy. The amount of finesse and luminous mineral precision that they are able to tease out is astonishing. 

Wine of the Year #1 - Joe's Pick
2020 Stein Riesling Palmberg Kabinett Trocken

There's no way to adequately capture the importance of Ulli's wines. In a world where striving for greatness seems most important, these wines work on an entirely different and more humble wavelength. When Ulli hits the mark, there's something beautifully and quietly persuasive about the wines. The 2020 Palmberg Kabinett Trocken is an excellent example of this.

"This very powerful effort should be capable of rewarding up to a decade of cellaring"
2019 Dauvissat Chablis 1er Cru La Forest

By all reports, Dauvissat's 2019 Forest is an epic bottle. The wine combines Forest's classic Chablisienne profile with an incredible scale. It's a very impressive combination. 

"This offers unusually good quality for a Gevrey villages."
2019 Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin VV

It exists on a special plane amongst villages bottlings. It shares this space with a few other bottles - Roumier Chambolle, Mugneret-Gibourg Vosne-Romanée, etc.

Once and Never Again:
La Bota de Vinagre de Jerez Gran Reserva Bota No #106 Half-Bottle

Equipo Navazos and the La Bota series have changed the landscape of sherry. The #106 takes sherry vinegar to a whole new level.

Chianti Standard Bearer:
2015 Castell'in Villa Chianti Classico Riserva

This is Sangiovese as it should be: finessed, harmonious, and understated.

2017 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cerretta

No other producer that I've tasted reaches the level of gracefulness and precision that Conterno did in 2017. The Barolo Cerretta serves as a monument to what Conterno achieved in 2017.

2019 Dominique Lafon Meursault "Narvaux"

After decades of crafting some of the greatest white Burgundies, Dominique Lafon may be making the best wines of his illustrious career. It has been amazing to watch. 

2019 Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Cherbaudes

Cherbaudes is one of the overlooked bottles in Fourrier's line-up.

2020 Emrich-Schönleber Grosses Gewächs: Frühlingsplätzchen & Halenberg

Have no doubt, 2020 is a profound vintage for Frank Schönleber.

"One of the most elegant and restrained wines of the year"
2017 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo

Bartolo Mascarello's Barolos are legendary. They are some of the most soulful expressions of Nebbiolo that you'll ever taste.