Robert Parker

Sourced from the lieux-dits of Les Brusquières and Cabrières, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Prestige is a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre and 5% other varieties. Tasted blind, it's a big, full-bodied, lush wine. Powered by bold cherry and stone fruit, it shows hints of pepper and clove complexity, plus vibrant citrus zest notes on the long, electric finish. Wow.

The 2018 Haut-Brisson is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc and has 14.6% alcohol. It was aged for around 18 months in oak barrels, 35% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it prances out of the glass with flamboyant scents of Black Forest cake, blueberry preserves and Christmas pudding, plus touches of black truffles, licorice and fragrant earth. The full-bodied palate is chock-full of spicy black fruit preserves, framed by soft tannins and a racy backbone of freshness, finishing on a lingering earthy note.

Based on 2010 and 2009, this NV Brut Nature Pureté blends 50% Meunier with 40% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay. Disgorged in November 2015 with no dosage, this cuvée opens with a bright, clear and ripe white fruit aroma with a nice intensity. It's a Champagne of great freshness and finesse, indeed very pure and with a nice grip in the finish. Absolutely delicious and based on a good ripeness of fruit. Refreshing aperitif.

The 2016 Macán saw a new vinification by plot with the introduction of their new fermentation room. The Tempranillo came from selected vineyards from their 92 hectares; it fermented in oak vats and matured in 4,000-liter and barriques (50/50) for some 16 months and was kept in bottle for three years before being released. They think this 2016 is finally the style they were looking for, a wine with density and freshness. 2016 was the first year they vinified and aged from start to finish in the new winery, and they believe that gave them better control over the fermentations. 2016 is a year with more freshness than 2015, and they are trying to achieve wines with more tension and less power and oak than in the beginning. This could very well be the finest vintage of Macán so far.

Based on the 2014 vintage, complemented by fully 40% old reserve wines, the new release of Charles Heidsieck's NV Brut Réserve was disgorged earlier this year. It's showing very well, opening up in the glass with notes of green apple, dried white flowers, pear, candied peel and walnuts. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a textural attack and a racier, tighter-knit core than either the 2012- or 2010-base renditions, displaying good concentration and underlying richness. This is a bottling that continues to punch above its weight and which both merits and rewards a few years in the cellar before opening.

Struck match, touches of toasted hazelnut and grilled peach and fresh lime notes give the 2017 Chardonnay Bin 311 ample complexity on the nose and palate. It's medium-bodied, with a touch of creaminess on the mid-palate and a long, silky finish. New for this year, it's a blend of fruit from the Adelaide Hills (56%), Tasmania (27%) and Tumbarumba (17%), so in the United States, it carries the inauspicious GI of South Eastern Australia. Don't be misled by that, as it's a serious, classy wine for a very reasonable price.