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"Fleshy grape flavours with peach, ripe pear and riper tropical notes of paw-paw, finishing with balanced, crisp, zest."

"The 2009 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso impresses for its richness and sheer power. Mocha, sweet spices, plums, blackberries and herbs wrap around the palate as this intense wine shows off its pedigree. Layers of flavor build to the deep, intensely satisfying finish. The 2009 is complete and harmonious from the very first taste."

"Hints of toffee and anise run through the fresh quince paste, coffee, pastry and candied orange peel flavors in this supple Champagne, which sports a rich flavor profile in a restrained package, with a smoky note echoing on the finish."

"The 2007 Madrona Ranch is a compelling, creamy-styled red offering an assortment of aromas, including white chocolate, graphite, forest floor, blackberries, cassis and blueberries. Pure, multilayered and super-rich, without any harshness or astringency, this is one of those wines that can be drunk young or laid away for 25+ years." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"Notes of herbs, cedar, black currants and licorice are all present in this classic Medoc, which is medium-bodied, has very good fruit and moderate tannin. Drink it over the next 4-5 years." -Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, 87 pts.

"This is gorgeously layered with cassis bush, anise, roasted fig and plum reduction notes all framed by racy espresso and graphite. Very deep and very long, with terrific intensity on the finish thanks to razor cut from the seemingly endless iron spine. With its purity and precision, this mineral-driven Cabernet should cruise for two decades."
The Wine Spectator, 98 pts

"The 2009 Leoville Las Cases may be the most open-knit and forward Las Cases I have tasted to date. Analytically, it is high in tannin and the alcohol is 13.8%, nearly a record at this estate. This blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc was showing brilliantly at the 2009 tasting I did in Hong Kong and at a later tasting. It boasts an inky/purple color, monumental concentration and lots of sweet, jammy black currant, black cherry and kirsch fruit intermixed with crushed rock and mineral notes. As always, proprietor Jean-Hubert Delon has built a massive wine with exceptional precision, unbelievable purity and aging potential of 40-50 years. I was surprised by the lusciousness of this cuvee on several occasions, and how much more forward it is given the fact that Las Cases can often be forebodingly backward and in need of 10-15 years of cellaring (at age 30, the 1982 is still a baby in terms of development!). The super-concentrated 2009 needs another 5-7 years before additional nuances emerge. This is a brilliant, full-throttle St.-Julien."-Robert Parker

"Cherry, red berries, menthol and a whiff of marzipan on the nose and palate. Firm, harmonious acidity gives this wine lovely vinosity and elegance, with an enticing minerality adding complexity. This is riper and sweeter than the 2005-more glyceral-but has excellent energy. In fact, it's still a bit youthfully compressed. Carlo Revello noted that the estate increased the quality of its crus by declassifying a good bit of fruit in '06, but that this move was done "due to the market." This is the only Barolo here that's made in larger barrels."