Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2023 La Mission Haut-Brion unwinds in the glass to reveal aromas of ripe red fruits, dark wild berries, spring flowers, burning embers and lilac. Medium to full-bodied, rich and concentrated, it’s layered and textural with a dense core of fruit underpinned by youthfully firm structuring tannins. This blend of 52.7% Merlot, 29.6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17.7% Cabernet Franc its likely to become fleshier and more enveloping with barrel maturation.

One of the most profound wines of the vintage is the 2023 Cheval Blanc, a striking wine that stands out for its strong sense of identity and seamless integration at such an early stage in its life. Wafting from the glass with notes of mulberries, lilac, dark fruits, iris root and violets, it's medium to full-bodied, supple and seamless, with a gourmand core of cool, vibrant fruit that entirely conceals its sweet structuring tannins, concluding with a long, perfumed finish.

Revealing aromas of red berries, cherries and blackcurrants mingled with hints of pencil shavings and new oak, the 2023 Clerc Milon is medium to full-bodied, deep and fleshy, with a layered core of fruit, sweet velvety tannins and a seamless, succulent profile. (WK)

There's no mistaking this wine for anything but Brunello. The Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona 2019 Brunello di Montalcino shows beautiful continuity, crescendoing on the nose and palate in synchronicity. There are aromas of grilled watermelon, red cherry, garden herb and violet, and there is a charred note that recalls the toasted oak. The bouquet balances out beautifully, but you do get considerably more power on the palate thanks to the oomph of 15% alcohol and young tannins that get under your gums. Give this wine a few more years of bottle age. (ML)

The finest of the first growths this year appears to be the 2023 Lafite Rothschild, a terrific effort that unwinds in the glass with deep and incipiently complex aromas of cassis, pencil shavings, lilac and violets mingled with hints of cigar wrapper and mint. Medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it's vibrant and refined, with a deep core of fruit, plenty of sweet structuring tannin and a compelling marriage between energy and plenitude.

A vintage Jean Louis thinks is best for drinking today, the 1997 Hermitage Blanc is elegant and silky, with the classic minerality, honeyed citrus, orange blossom and licorice characteristics these wines always show at maturity. Medium to full-bodied, balanced, and seamless, it still has plenty of mid-palate depth and should continue drinking nicely for another 5-10 years, but don't hold off too long here. (JD)

The 2003 Chablis Grand Cru Clos is still full of life, wafting from the glass with aromas of yellow orchard fruit, crème brûlée, confit lemon and warm oatmeal. On the palate, it's full-bodied, deep and textural, with a lavishly glossy attack and a deep, concentrated core that's amply endowed with chewy extract, concluding with a strikingly long finish. Given its gourmand, sun-kissed profile, this is certainly an atypical Les Clos, yet the slow pace of its evolution and its incredible intensity belie any facile generalizations about warm vintages.

The 2011 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru has an exquisite bouquet that truly deserves the phrase “liquid mineral.” Imagine a limestone quarry being melted down and then distilled multiple times until there is just enough to fill your wine glass. The palate has perfect acidity and subtle spicy notes on the entry: hints of lime flower, citrus lemon and a subtle note of mandarin coming through with aeration. Is exhibits balletic poise on the finish – a sensational Corton-Charlemagne that just may turn out to be just as good as the 2010. (NM)

The 2007 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is a taut, racy vintage of this great wine, unfurling with extended aeration to reveal aromas of green apples, citrus oil, white flowers, struck match and a subtle top note of petrol. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, chiseled and intense, with a bright line of acidity, a tight-knit core and a searingly stony finish. With less flesh on its bones than the 2008, this vintage shares some of the 2004's qualities, but I suspect the 2007 will always be finer-boned.

One of the bigger productions (with 17,744 bottles) in the Produttori del Barbaresco's portfolio is the 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello. All of the Riservas in this vintage are characterized by especially exuberant and bold aromas, and this bottle is a prime example. Cassis, wild cherry, tobacco, rusty nail and licorice build intensity. The wine is tapered and silky in texture, but it also offers a good amount of power (and 15% alcohol) to carry it through the aging process. (ML)