1 | Wine | Saint Emilion, $20 to $50, Unrated

"The nose is intense and floral with hints of red fruit and oak not yet completely absorbed. The mouth is flavorful with immediate tannins that envelop and saturate the taste buds. This long, persistent wine has returning sensations of fruit and a note of fresh acidity that guarantees its longevity."

"Sweet and sour cherries, red currants, loamy soil notes and roasted herbs. ...make an appearance in this round, surprisingly elegant and pretty wine, which displays good freshness, a nice equilibrium and a medium-bodied mouthfeel." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"A sleeper of the vintage. ...this impressive, full-bodied, surprisingly concentrated 2008 offers an opaque ruby/purple color as well as a glorious perfume of lead pencil shavings, spring flowers, blueberry liqueur and cassis. Full-bodied and impressively broad and savory with silky tannins, it is an unqualified success in the vintage." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"This is a sleeper of the vintage. This sexy, beautiful wine has the same potency as the 2010, which is surprising given the difference in alcohol strengths in these two vintages. Soft, round and opulent, this sexy 2008 reveals lots of white chocolate, espresso roast, Christmas fruitcake, black currant and cherry characteristics in its flamboyant bouquet. Round, medium to full-bodied and lush, it can be enjoyed now and over the next decade."

"The 2008 La Confession is a sleeper of the vintage. Super successful, this spicy wine exhibits some toasty oak and loads of licorice, espresso roast, blackberry and cassis. A blend of 66% Merlot and 34% Cabernet Franc, it hit 13.8% natural alcohol. The purity, the texture, and the multi-layered mouthfeel all are impressive and make this wine very drinkable now but capable of lasting for at least another 12-15 years." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"Violets and dark berries, with loads of aromas. Full-bodied, with a gorgeous core of sweet and ripe fruit. Long and dense, yet stylish. 10 acres. Next to Clos Fortet. 90 percent Merlot and 10 percent Cabernet Franc." -Wine Spectator, 94-97 pts.

"This is a solidly made, modern-style St.-Emilion from nearly eight acres of vineyards, with one parcel planted in 1901. Yields were just 25 hectoliters per hectare, and the wine hit 13.8% alcohol. Consultant Stephane Derenoncourt teams up with proprietor Michael Bortolussi to produce this rather showy, flamboyantly styled St.-Emilion with an opaque ruby/purple color, plenty of sweet plum, black currant, and black cherry fruit with some licorice, roasted herbs, and sweet oak. An intense 2009, this wine has good acidity, high but ripe tannin, and should drink well for 15 or more years." -Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, 90-92 pts.

"A flamboyant St.-Emilion, this largely-Merlot blend displays notes of Christmas fruitcake, cedar wood, tobacco leaf, and loads of black currant and blackberry fruit. A showy, extravagantly concentrated, hedonistic style of St.-Emilion, with some wood smoke and roasted herbs adding nuance to the full-throttle aromatics and long, lush, silky flavors, this wine can be drunk now or cellared for up to 15+ years." -Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, 93 pts.

"Loads of aniseed and black licorice aromas. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a lovely balance of fruit, and everything else. Love the length." -Wine Spectator, 92-95 pts.

"Blackberry with licorice and black olive on the nose. Full-bodied, with lots of richness. Very concentrated, but I think it will come around just right. 80 percent Merlot, 20 percent Cabernet. This is really full throttle. Rock and roll." -Wine Spectator, 92-95 pts.

"Another sleeper of the vintage, this wine possesses exuberant black cherry liqueur notes intermixed with blacker fruits, some lead pencil shavings, incense and plum sauce in an attractive, fat, fleshy style that exhibits low acidity and oodles of fruit. Drink it over the next decade." -Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, 89 pts.