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Suenen Extra Brut C+C Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru N.V.
£69.95
“From Suenen’s holdings Cramant and Chouilly, where the soils are deeper than in Oiry, the NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru C + C is based on the 2016 vintage and was disgorged in June 2019 with three grams per liters dosage. Unwinding in the glass with scents of sweet pastry, yellow apples, spices, white flowers and almonds, it’s medium-bodied, precise and racy, with tangy acids and an attractively fleshy core of fruit, concluding with a saline finish. Drink: 2020-2035. 93 points
Abandoning a career as a semi-professional basketball player, Aurélien Suenen returned to his family estate in 2008. Beginning with a range of non-vintage bottles, he began producing lieu-dit bottlings from his most characterful, optimally sited parcels with the 2013 vintage. Certified organic from 2020 onwards, his vins clairs are vinified in tanks, concrete eggs and used barrels from Damy, complemented by some purchased wood from Stockinger. Tirage takes place after nine to 10 months on the lees, and nothing is released onto the market until it has seen just as long as that on cork after disgorgement. Suenen’s progress has been thrilling to watch—I’ve been following him since my student days—and the wines reviewed here are the finest I’ve seen to date from this immensely promising talent. Readers will find much to admire.”
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (03/21)
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Tenuta di Biserno 2018
£114.95
“The 2018 Biserno is a gorgeous, elegant wine that captures the essence of the house style today. Dark cherry, plum, mocha, espresso, licorice and incense are all laced together. The 2019 is deep and fleshy yet also retains mid-weight structure and terrific energy. lt’s one of the most elegant wines l have tasted here. Drinking window: 2023-2033. 96 points
Lodovico Antinori’s new releases are terrific. They show a move towards a slightly more understated style than in the past, as is common at many properties in Maremma. The wines are still quite opulent and generous, but without the heaviness that marked some previous releases. I find the wines compelling and delicious.”
Antonio Galloni, Vinous (07/22)
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Tenuta di Trinoro 2019
£274.95
“This is a stunning wine and one of the best in this report covering the icons of Tuscany. The 2019 Tenuta di Trinoro is a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Fruit is sourced from the very best parcels, and the blending formula changes according to vintage and the style desired by vintner Andrea Franchetti. These vineyard parcels vary in altitude, ranging from 400 to 600 meters above sea level, and the soils are quite varied with pockets of clay, sand and rock. The Trinoro is profoundly deep and pure with a solid core of black fruit that is framed by an elegant contour of spice, tobacco, smoke and crushed stone. To the palate, the wine is long and the finish can be counted in minutes, but the entire experience is beautifully streamlined and velvety. This vintage saw an important freeze event on the 7th of May, and 9,000 fire candles were lit in the lower vineyard blocks to fight off frost damage. Drink: 2023-2048. 100 points
“Tenuta di Trinoro is a vast mosaic of soil types,” says proprietor Andrea Franchetti, who lives in a rustic farmhouse overlooking the vines. The high-density vines are over 20 years old and their root systems are fully developed. The estate counts 23 hectares of vines between 400 and 620 meters in altitude. Cabernet Franc and Merlot are the heart of the estate, and there are smaller plots of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot as well. High-density planting, fruit selection in the vineyard, low yields, full phenolic ripeness and concentration give these wines a unique and unmistakable personality, Franchetti explains: “The wines are extreme in their perfumes, color and taste. They can be enjoyed in the near term but are also built for long aging.””
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (10/21)
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Tenuta di Trinoro Bianco Trinoro 2019
£58.75
“Only in its third year, this Semillon-based white is a relatively new experiment for a vintner who has made important strides in modern Italian red wine. The Tenuta di Trinoro 2019 Bianco di Trinoro is beautifully smooth and silky rich in texture. The intensity of the mouthfeel gives momentum and a lasting flavor profile. Orchard fruit, pear, apricot and fleshy apple segue to a mild point of mineral or crushed stone. The fruit is harvested from one of the estate’s highest plots (at 630 meters in altitude) with sandy soils. Production is only 2,446 bottles. Drinking window: 2021-2030. 93 points
“Tenuta di Trinoro is a vast mosaic of soil types,” says proprietor Andrea Franchetti, who lives in a rustic farmhouse overlooking the vines. The high-density vines are over 20 years old and their root systems are fully developed. The estate counts 23 hectares of vines between 400 and 620 meters in altitude. Cabernet Franc and Merlot are the heart of the estate, and there are smaller plots of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot as well. High-density planting, fruit selection in the vineyard, low yields, full phenolic ripeness and concentration give these wines a unique and unmistakable personality, Franchetti explains: “The wines are extreme in their perfumes, color and taste. They can be enjoyed in the near term but are also built for long aging.””
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (10/21)
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Tenuta di Trinoro Palazzi 2019
£237.95
“Because of frost and a cold spring, some of the vineyard parcels at this estate saw late harvest dates. But the Merlot was the first to come off the vines by the 14th of September. The Tenuta di Trinoro 2019 Palazzi is a pure expression of Merlot with incoming fruit from the Palazzi vineyard that is characterized by dense clay soils. The wine’s intensity is what stands out most, and that power is fueled by lovely nuances of black fruit, spice, sweet tobacco and baker’s chocolate. The alcohol content weighs in at 15.5%. Palazzi excels in terms of mouthfeel. The smooth richness and deep softness achieved here is only possible with this grape. Furthermore, it seems only possible in this spectacular, sun-drenched corner of undiscovered Tuscany known as Sarteano. Drink: 2022-2045. 96 points
“Tenuta di Trinoro is a vast mosaic of soil types,” says proprietor Andrea Franchetti, who lives in a rustic farmhouse overlooking the vines. The high-density vines are over 20 years old and their root systems are fully developed. The estate counts 23 hectares of vines between 400 and 620 meters in altitude. Cabernet Franc and Merlot are the heart of the estate, and there are smaller plots of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot as well. High-density planting, fruit selection in the vineyard, low yields, full phenolic ripeness and concentration give these wines a unique and unmistakable personality, Franchetti explains: “The wines are extreme in their perfumes, color and taste. They can be enjoyed in the near term but are also built for long aging.””
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (10/21)
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Tenuta San Leonardo 2016
£64.99
“Another year in bottle has added unexpected depths and dimension to the 2016 San Leonardo. lt wafts up with an alluring bouquet of smoky black currant and plum skins, complicated by savory herbs, hints of white pepper and fresh tobacco. Its hard chiseled edges have formed into smooth contours now, velvety yet youthfully dense, washing mineral encased dark red and black berries across a core of brisk acidity as a combination of saline-minerals and grippy tannins add tension toward the close. This finishes incredibly long yet also structured, begging for time in the cellar, as hints of licorice and earth tones grumble under an air of inner violet florals. The potential within the 2016 San Leonardo is off the charts, yet it will require a good amount of time to come fully into focus. Bury your bottles deep. Drinking window: 2026-2040. 96 points
It’s hard to understand just how unique the wines of San Leonardo are, until you see just how unique their location is. Traveling north through Trentino, up from Lake Garda, the valley narrows, with vines that seem to span out directly from the autostrada on both sides and run uphill until they meet the forests at the top. After exiting the main road, and after a few very sharp turns, you arrive at the gates of San Leonardo. Over 1000 years ago, the main building was a monastery, yet for the last three centuries it’s been the home of the Marchesi Guerrieri Gonzaga family. The detailed history of the estate was explained in my piece, “The Grand Vin of the North: San Leonardo.” However, to experience the sight of it is something totally different. The oldest vines of the estate, trained using the pergola system, grow in deep sandy soils on the hills surrounding the winery, soils that were deposited by the Adige River over millennia. As you move further uphill (or shall I say up the mountain), you find stony soils of carbonate rock and limestone, with current plantings using the Guyot training system. This is where Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga, the current managing generation, believes that the future of San Leonardo exists, especially due to the onset of global warming. The winery continues to plant at higher elevations, with four new hectares in place, and another three-hectare vineyard being constructed. At this time, the property consists of a total of 30 hectares, all of which are farmed using organic principles. On the topic of change, another progression here is the slow introduction of tonneaux, as opposed to barrique in the aging of San Leonardo’s top reds. However, even the barrique aging consists of a maximum of 20% new wood. It’s going to be very interesting to watch this property progress over the coming years. They’ve already established themselves as one of the top producers of northern Italian Bordeaux blends. San Leonardo also delivers a ridiculous amount of value through their second wine, the Terre di San Leonardo, and their old-vine, varietal Carménère, while very limited, just keeps getting better and better. Frankly speaking, it’s great to witness such a long-lived traditional estate having such an open-minded and progressive view.”
Eric Guido, Vinous (06/22)
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Tenuta San Leonardo Carmenere 2015
£58.99
“Savory, sweet, spicy and fresh, the 2015 Carmenère di San Leonardo is pulling me closer and closer to the glass with its seductive bouquet, mixing depths of cherry and young strawberry with cracked black pepper, rosemary and sage, as white smoke combines with the slightest hint of brown sugar to set off all of the pleasure sensors in the brain. This is elegant and refined, showing silky textures playing host to tart red and a hint of black fruit, with noble tannins, as inner florals and savory herbs resonate for up to a minute, leaving just a hint of blackberry in their wake. This is a selection from San Leonardo’s oldest vines of Carmenère, and it’s a stunner! Drinking window: 2022-2038. 94 points
While the primary focus at Tenuta San Leonardo remains on the flagship San Leonardo Rosso, the house also produces a number of varietal expressions and Bordeaux blends from the estate’s vineyards. From the varietal selections, the Sauvignon is a cool-toned, crisp mountain wine for easy sipping, while the house Riesling is a more serious, barrel-fermented and aged effort that spends an extended time on the lees. The extremely limited Carmenère di San Leonardo, a passion project of Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga, hails from the estate’s oldest parcels and pays tribute to the variety that set Tenuta San Leonardo on its path to international fame. Think of the Rosso Villa Gresti as the “Right Bank” expression of San Leonardo, as it puts Merlot front and center in the blend. Lastly, you can’t go wrong with the remarkable value found in the house’s second wine, the Terre di San Leonardo Rosso. Each of these is worth checking out if you’re a fan of the house style.”
Eric Guido, Vinous (11/20)
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Tenuta Tignanello Marchese Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva 2018
£35.25
“The 2018 Chianti Classico Riserva Marchese Antinori offers a beguiling mix of Sangiovese energy and Cabernet Sauvignon savoriness. Translucent and energetic, the 2018 has much to offer. I would prefer to see a bit more Sangiovese character, but the Marchese is designed to be a sort of mini-Tignanello and it leans towards the more savory end of the spectrum because of the presence of Cabernet Sauvignon. Drinking window: 2021-2028. 93 points
CEO Renzo Cotarella and his team continue to move the Antinori wines in the direction of elegance over power. Recent vintages have provided the ideal conditions to do that. Tignanello and Solaia, the family flagships, naturally get most of the attention, but I am increasingly impressed with the entry-level wines, all of which are now made from estate fruit, which is remarkable at these volumes.”
Antonio Galloni, Vinous (09/21)
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Terres de Velle Meursault Les Luchets Vieilles Vignes 2017
£62.95
Review to follow
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Thillardon Moulin a Vent 2020
£29.99
“The Thillardon brothers continue to go from strength to strength, and they are fast emerging as one of the most exciting producers in contemporary Beaujolais. The 2019 vintage has turned out beautifully at this address and is strangely reminiscent of the domaine’s 2016s—even though the two growing seasons have very little in common. Ethereal, elegantly tightly wound and low in alcohol, they will blossom with a year in the cellar. From the last couple of vintages, this has been one of the most consistently successful addresses for low/no sulfite Beaujolais, and the wines come recommended.”
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (08/21)
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Tyler Santa Barbara Chardonnay 2020
£26.95
“The 2020 Chardonnay has detailed scents of lemon peel, crème fraîche, hazelnuts and white flowers. The palate is dynamic, its satiny texture enlivened by youthfully citrusy flavors and tangy acidity, and it finishes long and energetic. Drink: 2022-2032. 94 points”
Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate (03/22)
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Tyler Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2020
£28.95
“The 2020 Pinot Noir (Sta. Rita Hills) offers unreal quality and personality. Generous red/purplish fruit, blood orange, spice, rose petal and licorice are all dialed up. The appellation Pinot benefits from an extra kick of generosity from the warm, dry season. It is a wonderful effort at this level, or any level, to be perfectly honest. I loved it. Drinking window: 2021-2030. 91 points
This is a fabulous set of new releases from Justin Willett at Tyler. The first wines from Willett’s new Mae Estate are among the clear highlights. Quite frankly, I was blown away, especially considering that the vines are just a few years old. As always, the Tyler wines show a light hand and plenty of site expression. Whole clusters are in the 33-50% range, except in younger vineyards, where Willett prefers to de-stem. In addition to the 2019s, I also tasted two 2020s that have just been bottled. The 2020 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot will give readers a very good idea of what to expect from the vintage. I can’t recommend these wines highly enough.”
Antonio Galloni, Vinous (10/21)
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