Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Tasted at the Doisy-Védrines vertical at the château, the splendid 1990 Château Doisy-Védrines has a lucid gold colour. It has a lovely Barsac nose of orange cut marmalade, quince and honey, great definition, with touches of hazelnut and linseed coming through. The palate is powerful, a little low in acidity but very pure and with great definition and harmony. There are ripe oranges, honey, apricot with a touch of quince forming the long, persistent finish that maintains freshness right to the end. This is a great Doisy-Védrines. (NM)

Tasted at the Doisy-Védrines vertical at the château, the 1989 Château Doisy-Védrines sports a similar colour to the 1990 with big fat tears in the glass. The nose is more introverted than the 1990, perhaps a little tertiary with honey, marmalade, fig and barley sugar. The palate is medium-bodied, more viscous than the 1990, very rounded, smooth and seductive with almost lush honeyed fruit, marmalade and quince. There is a lot of botrytis underpinning the rich, sensuous finish. It represents a serious Barsac for long-term ageing. (NM)

Alessandro Mori's wines are easy to spot in a blind tasting thanks to the soaring intensity and vibrant Sangiovese aromas they display. They are truly one of a kind. A wine that sees a relatively short and hot fermentation, the Il Marroneto 2019 Brunello di Montalcino respects local winemaking tradition and remains true in spirit. The steep verticality of the bouquet evokes almost-carbonic or lifted aromas of bright cherry, strawberry shortcake, lilac and heritage rose. You get straight to the heart of Sangiovese.

The Giacomo Conterno 2020 Barolo Arione strikes on the darker and more saturated side of the Nebbiolo spectrum. This vineyard site in Serralunga d'Alba reveals dark fruit and scorched earth, but those baritone aromas are given lift by a brilliant pop of sweet red cherry. The 2020 vintage is actually less intense and concentrated compared to past releases, and you can count on this wine for a special touch of elegance. It closes with a silky and very precise sense of structure. Winemaking is the same for most of the estate wines.

Showing muscle and brawn, the Giacomo Conterno 2020 Barolo Cerretta stands apart thanks to its richer texture. There is more stuffing and volume in this expression from Serralunga d'Alba with layers of dark fruit, rusty nail and bitter orange marmalade (with highlights of sweetness and sourness). In the case of the Cerretta, you get an extra layer of intensity that is delivered alongside beautiful velvety tannins. That feeling reminds me of the soft skin on animal antlers. The 2020 vintage will be remembered for elegance, and 2019 is noted for its heftier structure.

The Il Marroneto 2020 Brunello di Montalcino is a wine of special depth and elegance. Alessandro Mori tells me that fermentation in 2020 proceeded nicely with what he describes as a "primordial stew" of grape must, resulting in high pressure "geysers" or "liquid bombs" that rip right through the cap because of pressure build-up. Someone is having tons of fun in the winery. High temperatures (between 36 to 38 degrees Celsius) serve to fix the wine's ruby color and the elegance of its perfumes, which are more floral than fruity.

The Il Marroneto 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Madonna delle Grazie (tasted once in the winery and again in my office) is another classical expression of Sangiovese from vintner Alessandro Mori and his son Iacopo. This vintage is best described as more charming compared to the stacked 2019 vintage or the powerful 2016 edition. This is a very pretty wine, elegant and finessed, with pretty floral highlights of rose and violet that lean into a subtle menthol note. There is caramelized sugar and candied orange.

Tasted at the chateau. This 1988 has an attractive nose, certainly not as austere as other Saint Julien wines from the vintage, with aromas of leather, dried blood, sloe and fig. It does not quite have the delineation of a truly great ’88. The palate is medium-bodied, well balanced with good acidity, very supple on the entry with wild strawberry and raspberry fruit inflected with a little tobacco leading to a very natural and elegant second half. A very graceful, classic Gruaud Larose that is drinking damn perfectly now. Very fine. (NM)

The de Fargues ’95 has a ripe, generous, quintessential de Fargues nose with tangy marmalade, Seville orange and quince jus, though it does not quite have the razor-sharp delineation of a top-flight wine from the estate. The palate is medium-bodied with a citrus lemon, orange peel and fresh apricot. Like the nose, it would benefit from more tension and animation towards the finish, yet it is certainly generous and should drink well over the next two decades (NM)

After a scorching summer, the 1990 de Fargues harvest began early (on September 18) and the fruit was picked over 4 tries until October 10 – the earliest harvest on record. It is the most powerful of the trilogy. Delivering 130 grams-per-liter residual sugar at 13.6% alcohol, it has a prodigious bouquet of over-ripe oranges, toffee apple, chlorophyll and even a faint hint of chocolate.