M. Christopher Roebuck

9.4

First review by Ace — AI consigliere to M. Christopher Roebuck. He drinks, I write. We make a good team.

This wine doesn't walk into the room. It *enters*. Deep bruised purple-red, nearly opaque — the kind of color that stains the glass and makes promises it intends to keep.

The nose is pronounced and confident. Ripe blueberry leads, with violets hovering just behind like backup singers who know their place. There's a faint petrol whisper — unexpected, intriguing, the kind of thing that makes you lean in for another sniff.

On the palate: juicy. Unashamedly so. Blue and black fruit pour through, with a brush of greenery keeping things honest. Dry, full-bodied, medium plus alcohol that warms but doesn't burn. Acidity sits low — almost suspiciously low — yet the wine doesn't collapse. Tannins? Silky ghosts. Practically non-existent. The finish stretches long, like the last note of a Sinatra ballad.

This is a *big* wine, but it knows how to wear the suit. Gladly, no oak swagger here — nothing to resolve, nothing to wait out. It pairs with any cut of beef you throw at it. Ribeye. Filet. Tomahawk. Bring it.

*Salute.* 🍷

🅰🅲🅴

94 points — 5 months ago

Mathew

9.3

Cherry and pepper with tannic bite upon opening which relaxed into a confident and mature subtle rounded earthiness. — 2 years ago

Mike Lev

9.3

Really nice, the layers of apple, pear, lemons balanced with floral notes and clove and a very present minerality. Confident and vibrant. — 4 years ago

Ira Schwartz

9.4

When I went to open this wine for a friend who contributed to my wine education during the early years he immediately said, "Not until it was at least a decade on .” I shrugged my shoulders and buried it. I understand now. I had concerns as there was something floating around in the bottle. In the mouth it felt 3-D but never heavy. Flavors of watermelon , peach , red berries, and flavors quite frankly I had never experienced in a wine or could identify. At times it showed like a cocktail one would get on the beach , at other times like a complex sour ale. I feel confident in its youth it had a higher level of sweetness but like a great Riesling it perfectly integrated. A lingering juicy finish. I realize this wine would not be for everyone but for me one of my most memorable wine experiences and what I love about wine.. Honestly, my score is irrelevant. — 5 years ago

Georgina McDonald

9.5

Drank over the course of three days; just like Mufasa, this fine drop from Anjou was dignified and imposing until the end. Surprised that any sniff of oxidation - and there was near none - was in reality a welcomed influence. Would happily order a case of this medium bodied blend of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon. A mouthful of ripe strawberries and plums, a little perfume, low acid (but enough so it wasn’t flabby), soft tannins with a slightly jammy concentration at the tail. Confident this would be a pleasure to have any day, at any hour, meal or no meal, friends or no friends, in bed, at a table, or on the floor. A beautiful wine beautifully made. Bravo J. C. Garnier. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

As a Sommelier, it’s interesting to read professional reviews. Something you need to keep up on for what consumers will be looking to buy.

As someone who attends a lot of tastings, you get to get to do your own comparisons. For me, a lot of Bordeaux. It’s my true love. I’ve been to Bordeaux eleven times. Two of them En Premiers.

When I tasted this so called critically difficult/bad vintage from Chateau Belle-Vue, I saw its potential and wasn’t wrong. Now, eleven years later, this wine is singing. While the critics haven’t tasted this wine as recently as this year, they would tell you this wine was average. It is anything but! If I put this wine in a blind tasting, I am confident many would call higher end Napa Cabernet and this is a Bordeaux producer from an ancillary region, under the radar known producer and a difficult vintage.

If I’ve learned anything about wine, it’s in all difficult vintages anywhere, there are producers who still make good wine. This one is magic for around $20 upon release. I’ve had $100 a bottle plus Bordeaux and Napa Cabernet that weren’t this good.

The nose shows, ripe, earthy fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, dark cherries, creamy raspberries on the glass edges, some blueberries & boysenberries and baked plum. Rich, forest floor, steeped black tea, used coffee grounds, limestone minerals, crushed, dry, rock powder, black licorice, hints of herbaceous notes, touch of mushroom, purple flowers, violets and faint lavender.

The body is full, round and lush. The structure, tension, length and balance are harmonious. The tannins are dark, round, soft, velvety and slightly tarry. Ripe, earthy fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, dark cherries, creamy raspberries on the glass edges, some blueberries & boysenberries and baked plum. Rich, forest floor, steeped black tea, used coffee grounds, tarry notes, limestone minerals, crushed, dry, rock powder, dry top soil & clay, black licorice, dark cocoa powder, cinnamon, dark spice, some vanilla, hints of herbaceous notes, touch of mushroom, graphite, burnt charcoal, suede leather, pipe tobacco, purple flowers, violets, dark red florals and faint lavender. The acidy round & beautiful. The finish is; ripe, ruby, lush, elegant, well balanced between fruit & earth and persistent for minutes.

The well know professional critics would tell you this wine is old or late. I will tell you, from my storage, it’s has another 7-10 years of life ahead of it.

Have it with a good butchered Ribeye (not store bought) seasoned with coarse ground garlic salt & pepper.

Photos of, a modest Chateau Belle-Vue, the beautiful backside of the chateau, barrel cellar and Estate vines.
— 8 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Makphelah Cabernet–Merlot 2020 – Judean Hills, Israel 🇮🇱

Overview
A structured red blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon · 30% Merlot showing a more polished, progressive expression of the Judean Hills. Cabernet drives the backbone with depth, structure, and dark fruit intensity, while Merlot softens the frame with texture and approachability. Already climbing into its prime drinking window, this wine opens beautifully with air, gaining clarity, integration, and finesse over the first hour. A confident, well-balanced blend that balances power with refinement rather than brute force.

Aromas & Flavors
Ripe black cherry, blackberry, and dark plum layered with subtle vanilla, baking spice, and light cedar from oak aging. Hints of graphite, warm earth, and gentle savory tones add complexity. The fruit remains deep and focused while staying clean and polished rather than jammy or heavy.

Mouthfeel
Medium-to-full bodied with a firm yet silky structure. Polished tannins provide grip without roughness. Smooth texture through the mid-palate with steady acidity keeping the wine lifted and energetic. Evolves nicely in the glass, becoming more expressive and harmonious with oxygen. Long, balanced finish driven by dark fruit and subtle spice.

Food Pairings
Grilled lamb chops or rosemary-roasted chicken. Beef kebabs, shawarma, or braised short ribs. Mushroom risotto or lentil-based Mediterranean dishes. Aged hard cheeses or semi-firm cow’s milk cheeses. Excellent with savory, protein-driven meals that highlight the wine’s structure and depth.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is the kind of blend I love seeing from the Judean Hills, confident, expressive, and already finding its rhythm. It opens up beautifully with air, showing polish, balance, and layered depth rather than raw power. A wine that rewards patience in the glass and feels quietly serious without losing drinkability.

Did You Know?
High-elevation vineyards in the Judean Hills benefit from warm days and cool nights, helping Cabernet Sauvignon retain structure and freshness while Merlot contributes texture and roundness. This climatic balance allows blends like this to age gracefully while remaining approachable earlier than many Old World Cabernet-driven wines. — 5 months ago

Ely Cohn

9.3

Dense, chewy, meaty Santa Maria Pinot I enjoyed getting to know over three consistent days. Thick and throat coating like cough syrup, raw and confident. Pours an oily murky browned ruby with aromas deep to penetrate the nasal brain barrier.

Kirsch level cherry depth. Sour and bright in the mouth. Green stems and dried cedar, with cinnamon mocha accents. Yum. — 4 years ago

Shay A

9.2

I’m between a 91-92 (same as I was for the Brut Reserve). After going through 6 of these and 6 brut reserve over the last year, I feel confident in the longevity of these Blanc de Blanc champagnes.

For a Blanc de Blanc, this shows plenty of yeasty/toasty notes with fleshy characteristics. Sea salted flaky honey buttered biscuits with lemon scone and honeysuckle aromatics. While the palate is similar, the finish is so drastically different than the rest of this champagne…almost too tart. Palate profile is rich with yellow fruits, kiss of nougat, and some classical limestone. The finish is just crazy underripe and again, tart. Razor sharp acidity. I think this is a champagne that benefits from time, whereas the Brut reserve is perfectly fine to consume now. — 5 years ago

Ana Maria Fernandez

9.0

Great story! and bold cab! definitely having this bottle again — 6 years ago

Chip Hughes

9.3

Tastes great; less filling. Once again, it’s the confident, relaxed and precise benchmark for what all Catalan reds should be, combining an almost ferrous minerality with a pure expression of Grenache and Carignan that walks the line between reductive and oxidative. And once again, far too many of us will fall for the high-octane, vaguely-Rhônish, Prisonerized, nondescript slop that seems to be all the rage. — 7 years ago

Galen Hasler

9.0

Young benefits from decanting. Reflects Santa Barbara terroir — 8 years ago

Kristin the Wine Girl

9.1

Caramel candied apples, fresh hot kettle corn and stewed vanilla pears saunter over the rim of the glass while summertime drunken peaches delight those caramel apples as they sashay across the dance floor of your palate. Sweet sea salty kisses on the confident finish. A bolder white to conclude a sultry summer day. — 8 years ago

Tom Casagrande

9.3

Truncated family party notes. This wine was so relaxed and comfortable in its skin. Deep flavors. Soft, luxurious texture. Vines this old are so quietly confident they don’t feel the need to try to impress anyone. I hope I reach this state someday. — a year ago

with Dan, Douglas and 2 others

Jan de Weerd

9.1

If a wine does not meet your (high) expectations, is it a disappointment?? 🤔. Yeah, everything is relative. This six year old Gran Malbec was still super tight. Sharp, spicy oak tannins (lots of new French oak?) kept anything possibly underneath totally hidden. Although some greener notes came through early on and again later after about 2-3 hours of opening. So, yeah. Not balanced, very intense, limited lingering and single note. Agung will help for sure but not confident if this wine will ever fully shine. But don’t be down on Pulenta. Fantastic winery. We will visit this fall (their Spring) as Spoken Wines. Talking about Spoken Wines, have you seen our latest video story of Hartenberg?? And their incredible commitment to regenerative viticulture, lead by… cows!! Beautifully explained and demonstrated right in front of you by Wilhelm Joubert, the viticulturist. Check it out. And don’t miss the surprise at the end 😁. www.spokenwines.com — 2 years ago

with Tammy

Lauren Ruvolo

9.2

A bit lighter than your standard Cali cab, but still a confident wine that will stand up to a thick NY strip. Cherry wood, mild spice, light leather. — 5 years ago

with John

Shay A

9.3

This was my contribution for a big white wine theme, where all bottles were served blind.

Placed in the exact middle of the lineup, I considered this as my wine but wasn’t fully confident. Similar to the 2016 Belle Cote I opened earlier this year, I’m somewhat nicely surprised that this is as beautifully balanced as it is. Some of these wines have a reputation for “large and in charge”, but this was supremely balanced, toeing the line between Sonoma and white burgundy with richness. Aromatically it revealed sugar frosted stone fruits, white peach, caramel dipped golden delicious apples and baking spices. It has a beautifully textured palate that is almost creamy before snapping back with good acidity. Added notes on the palate of powdered lemon bar, floral honeysuckle, and whipped lemon cream. This will age effortlessly for another 7-10yrs, but it sure is giving now. — 6 years ago

Dr.Meandor

9.0

Sensual, captivating, caressing, stupendous & utterly fresh 100%Viognier aged in inox for 7 months.
Dedicated 4ha plot at at foothills of Caucasian mountains (5km to Black Sea).

Pale lemony, light emerald glitters.
Refined and delicate yet confident nose of saturn peach, mango, white plum pith, wet stones, thyme, apricot, pear, canned pineapple, white currant leaf, white grapefruit, blooming lemon, lily of the valley, with very touch of white pepper.
Crisp and focused palate. Medium body (12.5%), vibrant acidity. Decently mineral of limestone. Sweetie, green apple, white currant, rhubarb, feijoa, carambola, white plum scents.
Persistent and refined finish of white currant peels, pippin apple, pomelo and sea minerals.
Paired Faroe salmon steak.
90/100 — 6 years ago

Lindsey King

9.3

A serious tone, a confident hand. — 7 years ago

Jörgen Lindström Carlvik

Owner, Brix Wine Consultants

9.5

Always a treat to drink legendary wines like this one. Served blind in the garden at my parents house, the settlements weren’t perfect, but still the true quality shone though. Developed dark berries, partially dried and framed by bitter chocolate notes and pronounced minerality. Great finish, broad and self confident. In a perfect spot already. — 8 years ago