| 1561 | 1560 | US | A stunning Pirouette—63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 9% Cab Franc and 6% Petit Verdot. Full and magnificently rich, it is loaded with dense and thrilling fruit flavors of black cherry and cassis. A streak of iron and a hint of citrus keep the wine evolving through a long, beautifully balanced finish. Retasted after being open for 24 hours, the wine was as fresh and thrilling as on the first day. | Red Wine | 98 | 50 | Washington | Columbia Valley (WA) | Columbia Valley | Paul Gregutt | @paulgwine | Pirouette 2008 Red Wine Red (Columbia Valley (WA)) | Bordeaux-style Red Blend | Pirouette |
| 1562 | 1561 | Italy | Here's a “wow” wine on every level, with incredible intensity and supple softness that builds momentum over many long minutes. A sweet cherry note at the core is surrounded by lush layers of tobacco, dark chocolate and spice, which promise to evolve gracefully over years to come. | Guado al Tasso | 98 | 102 | Tuscany | Bolgheri Superiore | | | | Marchesi Antinori 2008 Guado al Tasso (Bolgheri Superiore) | Red Blend | Marchesi Antinori |
| 1563 | 1562 | France | A very concentrated wine with such a stylish feel. It balances ripe berry fruits with chocolate and wood flavors in the richest, ripest combination. The wine has power, without losing its poised character. It's ready for long aging. | | 97 | 170 | Bordeaux | Saint-Émilion | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château Troplong Mondot 2009 Saint-Émilion | Bordeaux-style Red Blend | Château Troplong Mondot |
| 1564 | 1563 | Italy | Recently implemented winemaker and cellar changes make this one of the best Sassicaias ever. This Cabernet Sauvignon-Cabernet Franc blend delivers thick concentration and sun-kissed aromas of black fruit, prune, dried bay leaf, black olive and tobacco. The thick, fertile soils that characterize the magical strip of coastal Tuscany at Bol-gheri help shape amazing richness and intensity. | Sassicaia | 97 | 220 | Tuscany | Bolgheri Sassicaia | | | | Tenuta San Guido 2008 Sassicaia (Bolgheri Sassicaia) | Red Blend | Tenuta San Guido |
| 1565 | 1564 | Italy | The 2008 Ornellaia delivers concentrated aromas of forest fruit, raspberry and black cherry. There are beautiful elements of soft spice and chocolate at the back and the wine ends with soft, plush tannins and smooth, berry-rich flavors. | Ornellaia | 97 | 215 | Tuscany | Bolgheri Superiore | | | | Tenuta dell'Ornellaia 2008 Ornellaia (Bolgheri Superiore) | Red Blend | Tenuta dell'Ornellaia |
| 1566 | 1565 | US | An outstanding wine, the best California Cabernet Jean-Charles Boisset has ever produced from any of his properties. It stands out in any tasting of its peers. Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, and aged in 60% new oak, it shows satisfying, complex flavors of blackberries, blueberries, cassis, hazelnut-infused chocolate and spices. Hard to exaggerate its power and grace. Wonderful now and for a good six years, but it's difficult to predict its evolution beyond 2018. | No. 1 | 97 | 150 | California | Napa Valley | Napa | | | JCB 2009 No. 1 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) | Cabernet Sauvignon | JCB |
| 1567 | 1566 | France | Such a generous and ripe wine, with a dark core of tannins surrounded by opulent fruit. Black fruits, coffee, very concentrated flavors, a powerhouse of structure and richness. The warmth of the wine is palpable, as is the aging potential. | | 97 | 1100 | Bordeaux | Pessac-Léognan | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2009 Pessac-Léognan | Bordeaux-style Red Blend | Château La Mission Haut-Brion |
| 1568 | 1567 | US | A drop-dead gorgeous Pinot Noir that will satisfy everyone from Burgundy fans to diehard Cabernet cultists. Show an elegant complexity and silky texture that define great California Pinot Noir, yet with a powerful impact that emphasizes raspberries, cherries and blueberries. Brilliant acidity and tannins provide the perfect framework on this wine that's drinkable now, and will develop over the next 15–20 years. | Allen Vineyard | 97 | 82 | California | Russian River Valley | Sonoma | | | Williams Selyem 2009 Allen Vineyard Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley) | Pinot Noir | Williams Selyem |
| 1569 | 1568 | France | A ripe year like 2009 is kind to the Cabernet Sauvignon of Château Figeac. The wine is perfumed with new wood and sweet fruits, delicious black currant flavors giving both ripeness and freshness. The wine has weight and impressive density. A star of the vintage. | | 96 | 280 | Bordeaux | Saint-Émilion | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château Figeac 2009 Saint-Émilion | Bordeaux-style Red Blend | Château Figeac |
| 1570 | 1569 | France | An immensely structured wine, packed with dark tannins promising aging potential. It is complex, powerful, layered with new wood and concentration, finishing with dark plum fruits and acidity. | | 96 | 200 | Bordeaux | Saint-Julien | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château Léoville Poyferré 2009 Saint-Julien | Bordeaux-style Red Blend | Château Léoville Poyferré |
| 1571 | 1570 | Italy | Here's a beautifully chocolaty and rich blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with plush layers of sweet cherry, Indian spice, tobacco and espresso. The wine is amazingly rich and long lasting, with silky, supple tannins at the very end. Keep it in your cellar 10 years or more, or drink it now. | Argentiera | 96 | 75 | Tuscany | Bolgheri Superiore | | | | Tenuta Argentiera 2008 Argentiera (Bolgheri Superiore) | Red Blend | Tenuta Argentiera |
| 1572 | 1571 | France | Solid, very structured, packed with dense and dry tannins. There is a core of acidity and darkness that gives the wine a brooding, powerful character. At this stage, it seems austere although it does have the weight of fruit typical of the year. | | 96 | 1200 | Bordeaux | Pessac-Léognan | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château Haut-Brion 2009 Pessac-Léognan | Bordeaux-style Red Blend | Château Haut-Brion |
| 1573 | 1572 | France | Just across the road from Pétrus, la Fleur-Pétrus shares some of the same intensity. There is great fruit here, rounded and powerful with the ripest character. It is open, generous, ready to drink. The tannins lead into the purest acidity, letting the fruit sing. | | 96 | | Bordeaux | Pomerol | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château la Fleur-Pétrus 2009 Pomerol | Bordeaux-style Red Blend | Château la Fleur-Pétrus |
| 1574 | 1573 | France | A dense, immense, solidly powerful wine. The ripest fruit overflows, paralleling the dark, solid tannins. As so often, Lynch-Bages is a blockbuster, dark and concentrated, with immense aging potential. | | 96 | 195 | Bordeaux | Pauillac | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château Lynch-Bages 2009 Pauillac | Bordeaux-style Red Blend | Château Lynch-Bages |
| 1575 | 1574 | US | A huge Cabernet, in the best sense of the word. It wasn't the easiest vintage, as 2007 was, but meticulous winemaking did the job, resulting in this amazingly rich, impressively ripe wine that's drinkable now and will develop for many years. The fruits veer toward blackberries, cherries and cola, and the tannins are soft and refined. One hundred percent new French oak isn't at all heavy, lending nuances of buttered toast and sweet wood tannins. Will easily age for 15 years. | Reserve | 96 | 125 | California | Oakville | Napa | | | Groth 2008 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville) | Cabernet Sauvignon | Groth |
| 1576 | 1575 | France | The purest Cabernet Sauvignon fruit, with dark chocolate and intense dark berry flavors. The tannins are so enveloped by the fruit and yet they promise great aging. At this stage, wood shows through the fruit, but the texture is so rich and opulent that it should easily become integrated. | | 96 | 1300 | Bordeaux | Pauillac | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château Mouton Rothschild 2009 Pauillac | Bordeaux-style Red Blend | Château Mouton Rothschild |
| 1577 | 1576 | France | Beneath the surface tannins is great Merlot fruit, very ripe and full-bodied, a powerhouse of flavors. The depth and complexity of the wine is all there, along with a dark core of dryness. A wine for long-term aging. | | 96 | 400 | Bordeaux | Pomerol | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château Trotanoy 2009 Pomerol | Bordeaux-style Red Blend | Château Trotanoy |
| 1578 | 1577 | US | A triumph, one of the greatest Riverblock bottings in years. This always is a captivating wine, but the '09 is particularly scrumptious. Although it's quite tannic and acidic, it's forward enough in raspberries, cherries and cola to enjoy now. But it's bone dry and as elegant as California Pinot Noir gets. The balance suggests an ability to age for a good 10 years, if not longer. | Rochioli Riverblock Vineyard | 96 | 78 | California | Russian River Valley | Sonoma | | | Williams Selyem 2009 Rochioli Riverblock Vineyard Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley) | Pinot Noir | Williams Selyem |
| 1579 | 1578 | France | Minty new wood aromas on a wine that shows both great tannins and sweet wood. The fruit is still to show, but promises fresh plum flavors that will be delicious and juicy. This is a ripe, concentrated wine. | | 96 | 75 | Bordeaux | Saint-Émilion | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château Beau-Séjour Bécot 2009 Saint-Émilion | Bordeaux-style Red Blend | Château Beau-Séjour Bécot |
| 1580 | 1579 | US | A sip is all it takes to fall in love with this potent Pinot Noir. Big tannins and crisp acidity make it hard to appreciate now, but there's a gigantic core of cherries and raspberries, with a firm minerality from the soil. Will develop bottle complexity over the years. Don't even think of popping the cork before 2015. | Flax Vineyard | 95 | 56 | California | Russian River Valley | Sonoma | | | Williams Selyem 2009 Flax Vineyard Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley) | Pinot Noir | Williams Selyem |
| 1581 | 1580 | France | Very supple wine, with great richness and density. It is all so complete, a pleasure, powerful yet also with sweet opulent fruits layered with dark tannins. For long-term aging. | | 95 | 89 | Bordeaux | Saint-Julien | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château Branaire-Ducru 2009 Saint-Julien | Bordeaux-style Red Blend | Château Branaire-Ducru |
| 1582 | 1581 | France | Hugely dense, foursquare wine with great fruit and the purest tannins. Chocolate and coffee predominate at the same time as sweet tannins and acidity. A wine that combines charm with great power. | | 95 | 163 | Bordeaux | Saint-Émilion | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château Canon 2009 Saint-Émilion | Bordeaux-style Red Blend | Château Canon |
| 1583 | 1582 | France | One of the peculiarities of St.-Émilion's classification is that Canon la Gaffelière is not classed in the top rung. Because, as this wine shows, it produces superb wines. This is ripe while so elegant, with great intensity and sweet perfumes. | | 95 | 110 | Bordeaux | Saint-Émilion | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château Canon la Gaffelière 2009 Saint-Émilion | Bordeaux-style Red Blend | Château Canon la Gaffelière |
| 1584 | 1583 | US | Certainly the finest Grand Ciel Syrah to date, this is a full-flavored, complete wine, loaded with pure fruit flavors of berry and cassis. The details pile on—a whiff of stone, a hint of chocolate, suggestions of spice, all in perfect proportion. | Grand Ciel Vineyard | 95 | 60 | Washington | Red Mountain | Columbia Valley | Paul Gregutt | @paulgwine | Doyenne 2008 Grand Ciel Vineyard Syrah (Red Mountain) | Syrah | Doyenne |
| 1585 | 1584 | US | A tremendous Chardonnay. As always, the winery's '09 is bone dry, crisply acidic and minerally. You might call it austere at this point, with its tart finish of grapefruit. But a great Hanzell Chardonnay will improve for at least a decade, possible two, and this is a great Hanzell Chardonnay. The score reflects what the wine likely will be approximately eight years down the road. | | 95 | 75 | California | Sonoma Valley | Sonoma | | | Hanzell 2009 Chardonnay (Sonoma Valley) | Chardonnay | Hanzell |
| 1586 | 1585 | US | A blend of three vineyards, all estate, this is a sublime, viscous and somewhat briny wine that exhibits some oak on the nose. With a balance of weight and creaminess, it starts in ginger and nutmeg spiciness on the nose, building on the palate into fresh-cut apple and pear. | | 88 | 28 | California | Russian River Valley | Sonoma | Virginie Boone | @vboone | Balletto 2013 Chardonnay (Russian River Valley) | Chardonnay | Balletto |
| 1587 | 1586 | US | Ripe, luscious black cherries and berries are framed by whispers of bramble and tannin in this enticingly fruity, forward Syrah. A showcase of fresh, primary fruit, it's juicy and delightfully gulp-worthy. Drink now through 2017. | Sawmill Creek Vineyards | 88 | 34 | New York | Finger Lakes | Finger Lakes | Anna Lee C. Iijima | | Billsboro 2013 Sawmill Creek Vineyards Syrah (Finger Lakes) | Syrah | Billsboro |
| 1588 | 1587 | US | Waxy apple and lemon pith open this wine, followed by crisp, candied grapefruit. Robust, it finishes dry and balanced. The whole sums up into a full-bodied, rich and lush experience. | Reserve Selection | 88 | 35 | California | Oakville | Napa | Virginie Boone | @vboone | C'est Bon 2013 Reserve Selection Chardonnay (Oakville) | Chardonnay | C'est Bon |
| 1589 | 1588 | Italy | Aromas of mature black-skinned fruit, dark spice and game come together in the glass. On the palate, notes of ground pepper and anise accent a core of dried black cherry while dusty tannins give it a firm finish. Drink soon. | Scurati | 88 | 16 | Sicily & Sardinia | Terre Siciliane | | Kerin O’Keefe | @kerinokeefe | Ceuso 2014 Scurati Nero d'Avola (Terre Siciliane) | Nero d'Avola | Ceuso |
| 1590 | 1589 | France | This wine enjoys the fruitiness of the vintage with its black-currant flavors and light tannic structure. The blend is 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc. The Cabernets, with ripe berry flavors that dominate here, give a firm core to the wine while not losing the potential of the fruit. Drink from 2017. | Cru Bourgeois | 88 | 45 | Bordeaux | Haut-Médoc | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château Balac 2012 Cru Bourgeois (Haut-Médoc) | Bordeaux-style Red Blend | Château Balac |