1 | Wine | 95 or higher, 2007 | Page 3

"Ripe, with the lush crème de cassis and crushed plum fruit of the vintage, showing excellent focus and drive, with racy acidity and taut, licorice-tinged structure. Turns flashy and exotic on the finish, with mulled blueberry, incense and fruitcake notes that are laid over impressive, graphite-filled grip."

"The dense ruby/purple-tinged 2007 Cote Rotie La Mouline will be bottled around the time this report is released. A superb effort made in the style of the 1991 (which is drinking beautifully at age 20), the 2007 displays silky, velvety tannins, a seamless integration of acidity, alcohol and tannin, and a luscious bouquet of charcoal, lychee nut, black cherries, raspberries and forest floor. Full-bodied, opulent and irresistible, this complex, supple 2007 can be enjoyed now and over the next two decades." 95-97 pts, reviewed by Robert Paker.

"This is a giant of a wine lurking behind fresh flowers and ripe fruit. Starts off in a friendly way, then takes hold of the palate, with intense blueberry and blackberry fruit and chewy yet fine tannins. Mouthpuckering, but impressively complex and long. Really kicks in on the finish. The best Taylor since 1994."

"Slightly liqueur-like aromas of raspberry, minerals and menthol. Compellingly dense, sweet and deep, with a saline minerality contributing to the wine's chewy texture. The explosive, spicy, resonating finish features strong, horizontal tannins and compelling sappiness. More elegant than Vietti's Barolos but nonetheless hugely rich for Barbaresco." Reviewed by Stephen Tanzer.

"The 2007 Hermitage Ex-Voto is a flamboyant, exuberant, showy effort that flirts with perfection. Its nearly overwhelming perfume of spring flowers, balsamic notes, blackberries, cassis, melted licorice and espresso roast is followed by an intense, full-bodied wine with silky tannins, massive concentration and a finish that lasts over a minute." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"I tasted the 2007 Flaccianello a number of times from barrel and tank before it was bottled. The 2007 is a bold, extroverted Flaccianello that sweeps across the palate with sensual layers of candied cherries, violets, spices and minerals. Dark, mentholated notes develop in the glass, adding further dimensions of inner sweetness, weight and complexity to this Tuscan thoroughbred. While so many 2007s are forward and open, Flaccianello remains muscular, taut and in need of significant cellaring. Still, the round, enveloping finish augurs extremely well for the future."

"Since I have been tasting the Catena wines, this has generally been my preference because it seems to have an extra dimension of complexity. So it is with the 2007 vintage. The Argentino offers a similar aromatic and flavor profile, but with just a bit of extra nuance. It will be most enjoyable to taste these 3 wines side-by-side in another 10 years (or, to be truthful, at any time)."

"Explodes onto the palate with masses of rich, opulent fruit that caress the palate with gorgeous length and a seamless beauty that is hard to fully capture. Dark wild cherries, plums, spices, minerals and herbs develop in the glass. This is an especially bold, perhaps slightly uncharacteristic Sassicaia in its extroverted personality, but it is beautiful all the same. The inner perfume and sweetness carries through the long finish, where the sheer weight and glycerol of the fruit leaves a lasting impression."

"Its dense plum/purple color is followed by sweet notes of cassis, licorice, smoke and graphite intermixed with hints of bay leaf and chocolate. Full-bodied and velvety-textured with beautifully integrated acidity, tannin, alcohol and wood, it is an opulent, full-bodied Cabernet that should drink beautifully for 20 or more years." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"The 2007 Terra di Lavoro emerges from the glass with an array of floral red fruit, spices, berries and minerals. It is an especially forward, opulent Terra di Lavoro bursting with exuberance. There is something viscerally thrilling about the 2007, perhaps because Terra di Lavoro is typically so reticent when it is young. Not here. This is an open, wonderfully expressive vintage. The only thing left to wonder is if the wine will ever shut down in bottle. For now, readers who want to understand what makes Terra di Lavoro such a pedigreed wine may want to start here. Readers who prefer a firmer style will likely gravitate towards the 2006 or 2008, but this is a flat-out great bottle of wine with an explosive personality that carries through to the long, intensely satisfying finish."