95+ Points

2012 Rare Millésimé Brut

Kristaps Karklins, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, October 2025

“One of the greatest hits from Rare Champagne, the 2012 Rare Millésime is produced from fruit harvested between September 10 and 26. Disgorged in November 2023 with a dosage of eight grams per liter, it is a rich and flamboyant wine that harnesses the season’s maturity to its advantage. It unfurls in the glass with a complex bouquet of crisp pear, freshly baked bread and white flowers, mingling with roasted pineapple, caramelized sugar and a deft touch of smoky reduction. On the palate, it is full-bodied, muscular, ample and textural, with a simultaneously generous but elegant expression of fruit underpinned by succulent yet vibrant acidity and concluding with a long, saline finish tinged with toast. Concentrated but harmonious, it is dangerously drinkable now yet promises a long window of pleasure. The blend is the classic 70% Chardonnay (predominantly from Villers-Marmery) and 30% Pinot Noir.”

94+ Points

2013 Rare Millésimé Brut

Kristaps Karklins, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, October 2025

“From a cool, late-ripening vintage that saw harvest extend into October—a year defined by relatively low temperatures yet enough sunshine—the 2013 Rare Millésime, released ahead of its 2012 counterpart, was disgorged at the end of 2023 with a dosage of nine grams per liter. It opens in the glass with a youthfully reserved bouquet of white flowers, passion fruit, buttered toast and lemon oil, with a deft touch of smoky reduction. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, bright and tightly wound, revealing a crisp core of fruit that beautifully integrates its racy spine of acidity, enlivened by a pillowy mousse, culminating in a long, saline finish. Whereas the 2012 is more flamboyant and expressive, the 2013 is leaner, lighter structured, and slower to reveal its charms, promising to blossom further with additional bottle age. The blend follows the house approach: 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir, with Montagne de Reims as the principal source.”

94+ Points

2021 Isole e Olena 'Cepparello' Toscana IGT

Antonio Galloni, Vinous, June 2024

“The 2021 Cepparello is a reticent, tightly wound wine, despite its mid-weight structure. Today, the 2021 comes across as quite nervy and lean, even for young Cepparello. It will be interesting to see if this comes together with a bit more time in bottle. I very much like the energy here, but the 2021 is decidedly austere.”

94+ Points

2019 M. Chapoutier Le Clos Rouge

Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, January 2022

“From east-facing vines that were planted at the end of the 1990s, Chapoutier's 2019 Saint-Joseph Le Clos offers up scents of crushed stone, blackberries, cassis and hints of scorched coffee. Full-bodied, concentrated and rich, it's dense, creamy textured and plush on the mid-palate, finishing long and velvety. I suspect I may be underestimating it. Drink Date: 2023-2035.”

94-97 Points

2021 M. Chapoutier L’Ermite Rouge

Jeb Dunnuck, Jeb Dunnuck, December 2022

“While all the Hermitage releases here are beautiful wines, if I had to pick one. it would be the 2021 Ermitage L'Ermite, which comes from a later, cooler terroir of decomposed granite (and even a touch of limestone). As with the other releases here, it was destemmed, and this cuvée will see 18 months in 25% new French oak. Violets, crushed stone, liquid smoke, leather, and assorted darker, almost blue fruits emerge on the nose, and it's medium to full-bodied and has a laser-like focus on the palate, with fine yet building tannins. There's a certain old school-like vibrancy and structure here, and it's going to warrant 3-5 years of bottle before showing some accessibility. The alcohol levels for all three of the single vineyard Hermitage are between 13.5% and 13.8%. I would expect all of these to have 20-25 years of prime drinking.”

94-96 Points

2021 M. Chapoutier Le Méal Rouge

Jeb Dunnuck, Jeb Dunnuck, December 2022

“Even more successful, the 2021 Ermitage Le Méal has a similar broad, rounded, expansive texture as well as beautiful notes of black cherries, darker berries, spice, dried flowers, and textbook Hermitage smoked meats and leather. As with the Les Greffieux, it's already complex, has medium to full body, ripe, velvety tannins, and a great finish. One terrific point in the vintage is that the terroirs show clearly in the wines, and that's becomes obvious when tasting through the single vineyard releases from Chapoutier.”

93-95 Points

2021 M. Chapoutier Les Greffieux

Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, May 2024

“Quite forward and precocious, the 2021 Ermitage les Greffieux offers up scents of pencil shavings and red-berried fruit. Is it a little too cedary perhaps? Often the plushest of the parcel selections, it's medium to full-bodied, ripe and supple, with a long, silky finish tinged with cranberries.”

93-95 Points

2020 M. Chapoutier Barbe Rac

Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, May 2024

“Tasted just prior to bottling, the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Barbe Rac—all tank-aged Grenache—boasts extroverted aromas of garrigue, black cherries and black raspberries. It's full-bodied and a bit youthfully edgy, without the richness or concentration of the 2019.”

93-95 Points

2021 M. Chapoutier Le Méal Rouge

Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, May 2024

“Chapoutier's 2021 Ermitage le Méal, like a couple of the other parcel selections this vintage, seems just a bit cedary compared to other recent vintages. Red raspberries and ripe cherries lead the way in this medium to full-bodied effort. It's silky and refined, with some drying wood tannins and crisp, cranberry-ish acids on the finish. It requires a palate realignment after the past few years.”

93-95 Points

2021 M. Chapoutier Les Greffieux

Jeb Dunnuck, Jeb Dunnuck, December 2022

“The 2021 Ermitage Les Greffieux offers more breadth and richness, with perfumed red and black fruits, pepper, and gamey notes. It doesn't have the density of the 2018, 2019, or 2020 but shines for its balance, purity, and elegance, as well as complexity. This charming, seamless, medium to full-bodied Hermitage is going to drink nicely right out of the gate.”

93-95 Points

2019 M. Chapoutier Monier de la Sizeranne

Josh Raynolds, Vinous, December 2022

“Saturated ruby. Vibrant, smoke-accented cherry, dark berry and floral aromas are complicated by suggestions of black pepper and licorice. Supple and broad on the palate, offering pliant black raspberry, bitter cherry, candied violet and spicecake flavors that become sweeter as the wine opens up. A floral pastille note builds on the persistent, floral-driven finish, which shows fine delineation and round, slowly building tannins. The 2016 rendition of this wine was showing beautifully this past June, with highly expressive floral and mineral notes, pliant texture and resounding blue fruit character. It has miles to go, but it's pretty gorgeous right now.”

92-94 Points

2021 M. Chapoutier Neve

Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, May 2024

“The 2021 Cote Rotie Neve features aromas of violets and crushed stone, a lovely array of flowers, blueberries and raspberries. It's just medium-bodied, a bit harder and more tart than the Mordorée bottling, finishing with boysenberry and cranberry notes and some tea-like tannins.”

92-94 Points

2021 M. Chapoutier Le Clos Rouge

Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, May 2024

“The 2021 Saint-Joseph Le Clos comes from an east-facing parcel Michel purchased in the early 1990s at the urging of his grandfather, who told him it produced the finest wine of the appellation before World War II. Planted in the late 1990s, it has yielded a 2021 redolent with scents of menthol, cedar and mixed red and black cherries. Only medium-bodied, it seems less expansive on the palate than the les Granites bottling, but perhaps it's a bit more structured and firmer yet still silky and harmonious.”

90+ Points

2018 Piper-Heidsieck Vintage Brut

Kristaps Karklins, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, October 2025

“Tasted from magnum, Piper-Heidsieck's 2018 Vintage opens with an aromatic medley of pear, freshly baked bread, orange zest and dried apricot mingling with white peach, wheat toast and a subtle trace of smoky reduction. Medium- to full-bodied, it is ample and textural, underpinned by ripe yet vibrant acidity and chalky structuring extract, culminating in a long, delicately toasty finish. Disgorged in January 2024, it carries a dosage of seven grams per liter. RP 90 - NV Piper-Heidsieck Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Essentiel Based on the 2017 vintage and complemented by 30% reserve wines, Piper-Heidsieck’s NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Essentiel was disgorged in May 2023 with a dosage of 4.8 grams per liter. Sourced from the Côte des Blancs, Montagne de Reims and Sézannais, it reveals an expressive bouquet of pear, white peach and yuzu, mingling with notes of candied citrus, freshly baked bread and a hint of smoky reduction. On the palate, it is medium-bodied, fleshy and charming, with racy acidity and a pillowy mousse that leads to a long, toasty finish.”

90+ Points

Piper-Heidsieck Essentiel Extra Brut

Yohan Castaing, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, April 2023

“The Piper-Heidsieck’s NV Extra-Brut Essentiel is a blend of 45% Pinot Noir, 36% Pinot Meunier and 19% Chardonnay (including 23% of reserve wines) and was disgorged in 2022 with a dosage of six grams per liter. It reveals aromas of orchard fruit, pear, peach, lemon oil and warm biscuits. The palate is medium to full-bodied, tense and pure, with a delicate mousse and a fresh, harmonious texture with a clean and precise finish. It's a well-crafted and classic Champagne. Drinking window: 2023-2028”

90-92 Points

2020 M. Chapoutier Sicamor

Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, May 2024

“The slightly floral 2021 Crozes-Hermitage Sicamor also offers up notes of crushed stone, cherries and raspberries. Medium-bodied and lithe on the palate, this pretty effort is elegantly framed by fine-grained, silky tannins and a long, lingering finish. Drink it young.”

89-91 Points

2020 M. Chapoutier Les Meysonniers Blanc

Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, January 2022

“Pear, melon, citrus and hints of white paste appear on the nose of the 2020 Crozes Hermitage Blanc Les Meysonniers. It's medium to full-bodied, clean, zesty and fresh, yet perhaps could use a bit more breadth and richness. My recollection is that the 2018 and 2019 were bigger, richer, more pleasure-giving wines at this stage of their evolution. Drink it over the next few years.”

100 Points

2022 M. Chapoutier L’Ermite Rouge

Stuart Pigott, James Suckling, April 2025

“This is Northern Rhone fundamentalism of the best kind. Drinking this is like staring down a shaft that extends to the center of the earth. So dark yet floral, with lovely violet character. In spite of the extraordinary intensity and power, there’s vibrancy that takes your breath away. Totally crystalline finish in spite of the high ripeness of the vintage. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”

100 Points

2021 M. Chapoutier Le Méal Rouge

Stuart Pigott, James Suckling, May 2024

“Hypnotic nose of the perfectly ripe wild berries and the most aromatic wild herbs plus the smoke from autumn bonfires. Already the first impression on the expansive and extremely dynamic palate is extraordinary, but then the mineral turbo ignites and this just blows you away in the incredibly long, bright finish. Limited production. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”

100 Points

2021 M. Chapoutier Le Méal Blanc

Stuart Pigott, James Suckling, May 2024

“What an extraordinary interplay of smoky fresh pineapple and stony mineral character this super-concentrated but medium-bodied white Rhone has. The south and the north of wine (in the widest sense) meet in this singularity of the marsanne grape. Gigantic minerality in the totally focused and extremely long, pure finish. From a steep, south-facing slope. Enormous aging potential. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold”