Products meeting the search criteria

Tamarack Ciel de Cheval Vineyard Reserve holds dark and chocolate nauces, spiced with pretty notes of allspice and clove, this wine is round and rich, bursting with ripe berries, combined with an earthy complexity and a velvety finish.

Cabernet Sauvignon makes up half of this blend, with the balance Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot

The wine spent 22 months on 75% new French oak with the remaining 25% second vintage French oak. Select barrels from the best forests of Taransaud, Boutes, Quintessance, and Vicard cooperages.

DAOU Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is made from  77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Petit Verdot.

The 2021 DAOU Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is emblematic of Paso Robles as a world-class region for Bordeaux-style wines. Intense purple-red hues foreshadow deep aromas of black fruit, pomegranate, tobacco, mocha, and bay leaf. Trailing notes of clove, nutmeg, and vanilla emerge as the wine opens up in the glass. Opulent textures expand across the palate with flavors of red fruit, blueberry, and chocolate-covered raspberry. The overall experience is fresh and rich, concluding with velvety tannins and impressive length.

 Review:

 
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is blended with 23% Petit Verdot, made entirely with free-run juice, and it will be matured for 16 months in 50% new French oak. Opaque ruby, it offers pure aromas of cassis, violet, grilled meats, desert sage and bell pepper. The full-bodied palate is powdery, energetic and detailed with a long, layered finish.

-Wine Advocate 94-96 Points

Delas Freres Cote Rotie La Landonne Rouge is made from 100 percent Syrah.

Tasting Notes: The wine‘s deep color is underscored by plummy hues. A complex nose shows deep, fruity aromas with hints of licorice and roasted coffee. Endowed with a dense and silky tannic structure, this is a full, fleshy wine that provides an ample and generous palate. Its lasting finish speaks of considerable ageing potential.

Reviews:

Deep in color, the espresso, licorice, smoke and flint, paired with layers of juicy, ripe fresh, red fruits show up with ease. On the palate, the wine offers richness, density, purity of fruit, herbs, crushed stones and a wall of ripe, lushly textured, dark red berries. This will age quite nicely.T

-Wine Cellar Insider 97 Points

Sun-baked garrigue and smoky notes of iron and earth accent intensely ripe black cherry and cassis in this wine. Made from 100% Syrah, it's a hulking powerhouse of black-fruit flavors but finessed by firm acidity and fine, integrated tannins. Stunning already it should improve through 2036 and hold further 

-Wine Enthusiast 97 Points

Bright purple. Powerful cherry, cassis, potpourri, exotic spice and olive qualities on the highly perfumed, complex nose. Sweet and energetic on the palate, offering impressively concentrated black and blue fruit preserve, floral pastille and spicecake flavors that unfold steadily with aeration. In a powerful but energetic style and quite primary now. Aeration brings up smoky bacon and floral pastille qualities that carry through the strikingly long, youthfully tannic finish, which leaves behind sweet dark and floral notes.

-Vinous 95 Points

Alluring, with warm fruitcake and black tea aromatics leading off for a lush and warm core of crushed plum, cherry reduction and blackberry pâte de fruit flavors. Despite the showy fruit detail, there's a solid iron underpinning, with pretty floral notes and bright energy throughout. Best from 2023 through 2038. 300 cases made, 188 cases imported. 

 -Wine Spectator 96 Points

Benjamin Romeo La Cueva del Contador is made from 91% Tempranillo, 9% Garnacha.

Named after the centuries-old caves or “cuevas” carved out of the hillside below the castle of San Vicente in Sonsierra north of the Ebro, this wine is composed of 91 percent Tempranillo and 9 percent Garnacha. The fruit is sourced from eight different plots that yield about 1.2 kg per vine. Fermentation begins after a three-day cold maceration and the wine is aged for nineteen months in 100 percent new French oak and bottled without fining or filtration.

The palate offers flavors of blackberry coulis, Damson plums, Rosemary and well-integrated tannins; this wine is well balanced and youthful with a long powerful finish. Both red and black fruit are pronounced in the nose, but there are also mineral and herbal notes of gravel and lavender.

Review:

Appearance Intense garnet red dress of great luminosity and elegance. Aroma Slightly candied fruit tones, toasted from a good barrel, intense. Palate Powerful and marked on the palate, velvety, round, tasty and balanced.

Guia Repsol 95 Points

Youthful purple. A complex, oak-spiced bouquet displays ripe boysenberry and cherry, candied violet, cola and mocha scents lifted by a vibrant mineral flourish. Deeply concentrated yet lively as well, offering intense dark fruit preserve, cola and spicecake flavors that show excellent delineation and floral lift. Manages to be rich as well as lively and finishes very long and alluringly sweet, leaving allspice and vanilla notes behind.

-Vinous 93 Points

Bertani Valpantena Amarone  is made from 80% Corvina Veronese, 20% Rondinella.

The best grapes are selected so that only the healthiest and ripest bunches are sent to the drying rooms in the historic winery at Grezzana, where they are laid out in single-layer crates. In mid- January, the grapes are destemmed and crushed, then fermentation starts, at first at a temperature of 39°F- 41°F, which then reaches 72°F in the final stages.

WINEMAKING

The vines are vertical-trellised and Guyot-trained, with a planting density of 2024 plants per acre. Hand harvest is carried out in the middle of September.

This amarone is produced in the Valpantena hills, north of Verona. The soils are calcareous-marl in the east and calcareous-clay in the west, rich in iron.

TERROIR & VINTAGE NOTES

Bertani’s impact on Veneto wine making, particularly in Amarone production, is so considerable that ‘Bertani’ and ‘Amarone’ are nearly synonymous. Their 150+ year history is dotted with groundbreaking initiatives and royal accreditation. While respectful of their past, Bertani strives towards innovation, using progressive techniques and equipment allied with extensive experience and a deeply felt respect for tradition to provide wines of uncompromising quality.

On the nose, marked and intense aromas of very ripe cherries, sour cherries, spicy and nutty notes typical of the Valpantena. Good follow-through of red fruits on the palate, with supple tannins to give depth. This full bodied wine pairs well with rich dishes, mature cheeses and strong-flavored meats.

Booker Vineyard Oublie Red  is made from 33% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 28% Mourvèdre, 5% Tannat, 4% Petite Sirah

Oublié's blend is always Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre – the California version of a Châteauneuf du Pape. The namesake is a play on the French term for "forgotten." Rhône varietals grow beautifully on the estate and Booker believes that they are far-too-often forgotten when you think of a California wine. Deep ruby/purple in color, this hearty expression of a Paso GSM boasts confident notes of boysenberry, licorice and cedar on the nose. On the palate, the taster is rewarded with lively flavors of raspberry coulis mingled with blonde roast coffee and chocolate ganache. For lovers of Mourvèdre, this vintage of Oublié will show off. It drinks bolder than prior vintages, mostly because the Mourvèdre was so special in '19. 

Oublié is traditionally one of Booker's most food-friendly wines and should pair well with most dishes.

Review:

The 2019 Oublié is a blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre, Tannat and Petite Sirah with a medium ruby-purple color. The nose offers gregarious mixed berry preserves and accents of potpourri, mint and fragrant earth. The palate offers juicy appeal and powerful fruit with loads of spice and floral perfume, bursts of freshness and firm, pleasantly rustic tannins, finishing very long.

-Wine Advocate 97 Points

Tamarack Chardonnay is made from 100% Chardonnay.

Bright aromas of ruby red grapefruit, mango and stone fruit are found in the bouquet while on the palate, the bright acidity of this wine showcases flavors of guava, crisp Granny Smith apples and Asian pears. Combing the best of both cooperage techniques, the combination of aging in stainless steel highlights the fruit while the aging in neutral French oak provides an added complexity to the wine.

Aged 60% in neutral premier French oak and 3% in new premier French Oak 37% stainless steel.Dropped by gravity straight to the press, the juice is pumped directly to barrel or tank and chilled, inoculated with Chardonnay 3079 yeast, primary fermentation started and finished, secondary fermentation started but completed to preferred taste, typically around 50% completion. All fermentation is done in a 58 degree Fahrenheit barrel room.

Walla Walla Valley Appellation: Alderbanks Vineyard
Columbia Valley Appellation: Bacchus and Gamache Brothers Vineyards
Yakima Valley Appellation: Olsen Brothers and French Creek Vineyards

Clos Saint-Jean is a 41-hectare estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape run by brothers Vincent and Pascal Maurel. Considered by many critics and wine-writers as the preeminent estate espousing the modern style of winemaking in Châteauneuf, this cellar is one of the oldest in the region, having been founded in 1900 by the greatgreat-grandfather of Vincent and Pascal, Edmund Tacussel. A short time after its founding and well before the AOP of Chateauneuf-du-Pape was created in 1923, Edmund began bottling estate wines in 1910.

The farming at Clos Saint-Jean is fully sustainable due to the warm and dry climate, which prevents the need for chemical inputs. Instead, Vincent and Pascal employ organic methods for pest control, mainly pheromones, to prevent pests from taking up residence in their vines, a process called amusingly enough in French, confusion sexuelle. The vines tended manually, and harvest is conducted in several passes entirely by hand.

Deus ex Machina is a literary and dramatic term for a miraculous intervention that interrupts a logical course of events in a plot or play. A suitable name for a cuvée that had it’s start in the torrid vintage of 2003 when Philippe Cambie and Vincent Maurel made the decision to harvest at the end of September, weeks after their neighbors. Deus ex Machina is a blend of old vine Grenache from La Crau, aged in tank with equally ancient Mourvedre from the sandy soils of BoisDauphin aged in demi-muid. Deus ex Machina is only made in the best vintages.

Review:

Machina reminds me slightly of the 2011 with its spicy, perfumed, complex bouquet of red and black fruits, dried flowers, pepper, and Provençal herbs, with more gamey, meaty notes emerging with time in the glass. Full-bodied on the palate, it's balanced, has ultra-fine yet building tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish.

-Jeb Dunnuc 97 Points

Boasts bitter plum, raspberry and black cherry reduction notes that have a lively savory, garrigue streak, while grippy-edged tar, tobacco and ganache notes pepper the finish. Muscular and dense but the cut is there, and the fruit core takes a late encore for good measure. Grenache and Mourvèdre.

-Wine Spectator 97 Points

“1752” is the name of the Damilano Barolo Cannubi Riserva, in honor of the year in which the historic bottle was first marked “Cannubi”. It still exists today perfectly conserved by the Manzone family in Bra, close to Barolo. The bottle is clearly marked as being of “1752” vintage, indicating that Cannubi historically precedes Barolo. 

About the Vineyard:

The Cannubi Cru is in found within one of the 6 core zones which comprise a UNESCO heritage site in Italy. A mixture of Tortonian and Helvetian calcareous marl gives the grapes intense aromas of cherry, plum and tobacco, rose and violet in sequence. Its low potassium and high calcium/magnesium content offer the wine a fine and polished touch. The vineyard is located at about 270 m. a.s.l. and has a south-east sun exposure. Barolo Riserva Cannubi 1752  It is a small plot of about 2 hectares of Nebbiolo vines, currently between 30 and 50 years of age.

Tasting Notes:

Garnet ruby red in color, the bouquet is intense and balanced, with notes of violet, red fruit, cherry and plum, spices,  liquorice, cocoa, leather and tobacco. Dry, robust, full-bodied, very persistent, rich and velvety

 Food Pairing:

This wine is excellent with typical piedmontes pasta (tajarin, ravioli); perfect with red meat, braised and roast meat, game and absolutely ideal with all types of cheeses.

Review:

G.D. Vajra Freisa 'Kye' Langhe Rosso  is made from 100% Freisa.

DESCRIPTION: In 2004, Freisa was discovered to be the closest relative to Nebbiolo, thus explaining the deep bond this variety has with Piemonte and its people. With a noble profile and similar characteristics to the Nebbiolo, we have been bottling a dry Langhe DOC Freisa ever since 1989. Kyé means ‘who is?’ and represents the surprise for this indigenous and forgotten grape.

VINEYARD AND TERROIR: Estate vineyards, the oldest located in San Ponzio, on the lower west border of Bricco delle Viole. This is the closest vineyard to the winery, and a selezione massale planted by Aldo in 1980.

GROWING: In 1971, Aldo Vaira was one of the earliest adopters of organic farming in Piemonte. Vineyards have been nurtured and soil preserved by grassing and cover crop for almost 50 years now. With an incredible ratio of manual work per hectare, farming at Vajra is a labor of love and “recipe-free” attention. Intense research is also placed into monitoring and improving the biodiversity of both flora and fauna not just in the vineyards, but also in the winery fields and forests. The winery is sustainably certified (UNI EN 11233:2009) and will be again fully organic certified since 2019.

Langhe DOC Freisa Kyè displays a beautiful, translucent garnet color. The aromatics are a combination of redcurrant and wild mountain berries, layered with a touch of sweet spices, fresh leather, and candied japonica prune. The mouth is juicy, succulent, with lots -yet never hefty- tannins. There is a beautiful structure in this vintage and a lovely, lovely finish.

Review:

‘The 2018 Langhe Freisa Kyé is quite refined in this vintage and yet it also shows all of the aromatic nuance and complexity that are such signatures of this variety and wine. Dried herbs, rose petal, lavender, mint and spice lend exotic nuance to this deep, beautifully layered Freisa. The Kyé is one of the sleepers of Piedmont's 2018 vintage. It is, quite frankly, ‘as good or better than some Barolos in this tricky vintage. ~- Antonio Galloni

-Vinous 93 Points

Kershaw Chardonnay Deconstructed Groenland Shale CY548 is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.

The inspiration for this Chardonnay stems from my belief that the Elgin region has both a signature grape as well as particular terroirs within its demarcated boundary that reflect regional credentials. This Chardonnay was selected from a sub-region of Elgin from a specific vineyard and an individual clone (CY548).

Tasting Notes:

Sourced from the foothills of the Groenland Mountain in Northern Elgin this clone has been taken from Corton Charlemagne cuttings. It produces wines that have aromatics oscillating between lemon blossom, white flowers, petrichor and struck stone. Full in body they exude concentration with white stone fruit yet reinforced with an austere texture and robustness that makes for excellent aging potential. The Bokkeveld Shales adds structure and concentration to the flavor.

Vineyards: 

Sourced from the foothills of the Groenland Mountain in Northern Elgin this clone has been taken from Corton Charlemagne cuttings.

Winemaking: 

Grapes were hand-picked in the early autumnal mornings, placed into small lug baskets and tipped directly into a press before being gently whole-bunch pressed up to a maximum of 0.6 bar or until a low juice recovery of 580 liters per ton was obtained. The juice gravity-flowed directly to barrel (no pumps were used at all) without settling. The unclarified juice had no enzymes or yeast added to it and therefore underwent spontaneous fermentation until dry, with malolactic discouraged. The wine rested in barrel for 4 months prior to judicious sulfuring and a further 7 months’ maturation in barrel before racking and bottling.

Barrel: Selection: A small number of artisanal coopers are selected from mostly Burgundy, with only French oak was chosen. Up to 40% of the oak is new with the remainder split into 2nd and 3rd fill barrels of predominantly 228 litres.

Look at pairing this with textured fish, straightforward chicken dishes, pan-fried or grilled pork dishes, soft-rind cheeses, cream or creamy dishes be it with pasta or the aforementioned fish, chicken or pork, to allow the complexity of the wine to shine through. If using mustard, preferably use Dijon mustard as it uses verjus (soured grape juice) and not vinegar. Also look to delicate herbs (tarragon, dill, basil, parsley) rather than hard stalked herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano, etc). Avoid smoked meats or fish as well as highly spiced dishes as this can overwhelm the wine and clash with the oak. I would try oysters; Lobster grilled or boiled but not thermidor as it is too rich; turbot, dover sole, sea bass, yellowtail with a shellfish sauce; fish pie; roasted free-range chicken with tarragon; roast loin of pork with garlic and ginger; truffle risotto; pasta in a clam sauce; slice of brie de meaux.

Review:

"Perfume of flowers, minerals and citrus zest. The palate is dense and focused, almost chewy with an opulent mandarin mid palate and long, savory finish. Matured in 50% new oak that is seamlessly integrated with the wine."

- International Wine Review (Richard Kershaw Lifts Elgin To New Heights, February 2019), 94 pts

Mordoree Lirac Blanc Reine des Bois is made from Grapes : Grenache 35 % Clairette 25 % Viognier 10 % Roussanne 15 % Marsanne 10 % Picpoul 5%>

Color : green gold
Aromas : white fruits, peach, apricot, pear, violet.
Palate : rounded, long finish, highly flavoured.
Ageing Potential : 4-5 years.

Surface : 4 Ha. Yield : 35 Hl./Ha. Vineyard age : 30 years Terroir : Clay / chalk with pebble stones. Harvest : by hand Vinification : skin maceration and direct pressing with temperature control. Fermentation : oak barrel fermentation for 25% of the total volume

Pairs well with appetizers, fish, seafood.

 Nickel & Nickel DeCarle Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Polished and approachable, the 2018 vintage offers an alluring floral-berry perfume and pops of dark, wild berry and clove flavors. There’s serious volume on the palate, supported by firm tannins and dusty-earth accents that are hallmarks of the Rutherford Bench. Balanced acidity lifts the finish while subtle notes of clove and baking spice linger with each sip.

The 2018 growing season kicked off in late February and eased into a mild spring that gave us extended flowering and uniform clusters throughout the vineyard. Summer continued with an even trend, with consistent temperatures allowing fruit to have beautiful, extended hang time. With no heat spikes we were able to wait patiently for every cluster to achieve perfect phenolic maturity. A no rush approach to harvest allowed fruit to develop beautifully on the vine and the Cabernet came into the winery with mature tannins, great acidity and perfect ripeness. This vintage was “near picture-perfect,” and the resulting wines are generous yet structured and expand on the palate.

Tenacity, innovation and a single-minded commitment to “vineyard and varietal” have established Nickel & Nickel as the leader in single-vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Every Cabernet offers the purest expression of its vineyard. No two vineyards are alike. And, as the release of the new 2018 Nickel & Nickel Cabernets can attest, neither are any two vintages. Taste the pure, powerful expressions of unparalleled Napa Valley vineyards. The 2018 Nickel & Nickel Single-Vineyard Cabernets are crafted with excellence and made to be savored.

Review:

Sleek and focused, with cassis and cherry puree notes leading the way, backed by a melted red licorice detail and a floral accent on the finish. Toast is judicious too, letting a subtle mineral hint peek in at the very end. Drink now through 2030. 4,157 cases made. 

-Wine Spectator 92 Point

Rudi Pichler Kollmutz Smaragd Gruner Veltliner is made from 100 percent Gruner Veltliner. 

Rudi Pichler is among the elite growers of the Wachau producing wines of precision, power, and longevity. Grüner Veltliner and Riesling make up 95% of the production with the remaining 5% shared between Weißburgunder and Roter Veltliner. Rudi Pichler belongs to the prestigious Vinea Wachau and vinifies under the strict parameters of their codex.

Yields are kept low between 30 and 35 hectoliters per hectare with botrytis carefully removed by hand.  Grapes are crushed by foot and receive between three and 36 hours of maceration on the skins. Vinification is entirely in stainless-steel tanks and malolactic fermentation is avoided.

Kollmütz is a terraced vineyard in Wösendorf sitting between 200 and 400 meters of elevation. The soils of Kollmütz developed from an ancient landslide resulting in chaotic layers of rock and boulders. The vineyard is particularly rich in magnesium and iron. Wines from Kollmütz are typically linear, dense, and intensely mineral in character.

Grüner Veltliner is the signature grape of Austria and produces a dry white wine with savory aromas, spicy flavors, and good acidity. Grüner Veltliner Smaragd from the Wachau is a full-bodied wine and is rich in style with notes of stone fruit, lemon, radish, and arugula.

Review:

I have heard gruner veltliner dismissed for supposedly not being elegant, but this is an extremely elegant example! Very complex nose of snow peas, green beans, wild herbs and green pepper. On the medium-bodied palate, this remarkable gruner veltliner has a discreet succulence, but what makes it amazing is the way it glides so gracefully over the palate, then splash lands in a deep pool of wet stone minerality. Underplayed power and concentration!

-James Suckling 97 Points

Turley Pesenti Zinfandel is made from 100 percent Zinfandel. 

Deeply perfumed and enthralling nose of ripe red fruits, high-toned spices, orange zest, and an almost minty crushed chalk. Palate is smooth, lush, energetic, and pure, with a smack of well-toned acidity, satiating structure, and a long, precise finish.

Reviews:

A briar patch in a glass, this Zin is tightly focused and energetic, with flavors of wild berries, underbrush, espresso and pepper that build tension toward broad-shouldered tannins.

-Wine Spectator 93 Points

The 2022 Zinfandel Pesenti Vineyard is a very pretty wine, and also surprisingly delicate for Paso. Medium in body, with terrific nuance, the Pesenti is super-expressive in this vintage. Crushed flowers, blood orange and cedar overtones linger on the aromatic, finessed finish.
-Vinous 92-94 Points

Delas Freres Cote Rotie La Landonne Rouge is made from 100 percent Syrah.

Tasting Notes: The wine‘s deep color is underscored by plummy hues. A complex nose shows deep, fruity aromas with hints of licorice and roasted coffee. Endowed with a dense and silky tannic structure, this is a full, fleshy wine that provides an ample and generous palate. Its lasting finish speaks of considerable ageing potential.

Reviews:

This is dark and still a bit reticent, with a cast iron cloak around the core of dark currant, plum and blackberry paste flavors, showing lots of sweet bay leaf, anise and singed apple wood notes in the background. There's serious grip through the finish. For the cellar.

-Wine Spectator 96 Points

Very open, spicy and fresh on the nose, you could almost open this now. Struck flint notes assist in teasing out notes of leaf tea, tobacco, rosemary and rose. Very full-bodied, generous but powerful on the palate, tense and mineral. Mouthcoating ripe, sweet tannin and robust amounts of sweet baking spices, along with more tobacco and black fruit on the palate. Has depth, length, power and impressive balance despite the high alcohol. Drink from now into 2022, or from 2031 to 2040. Lieu-dit La Landonne, from the Brune side (mica schist bedrock). Matured in new and one-year-old barrels for 14 months.

-Decanter 96 Points

The 2019 Côte Rôtie La Landonne comes from one of the greatest sites for Syrah in the world, the La Landonne lieu-dit located close to the center of the appellation, on the Côte Brune side. It reveals a deeper purple hue (it's slightly more opaque than the Seigneur de Maugiron) and offers a brilliant nose of ripe cassis, black raspberries, scorched earth, smoked herbs, and seared meat. Full-bodied and powerful on the palate, this is a deep, spicy, concentrated Côte Rôtie with a plush, layered mouthfeel, sweet tannins, beautiful balance, and a great, great finish. This puppy brings the fruit, opulence, and texture of the vintage yet still has a classic Côte Rôtie character.
-Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points

Fresh aromatic layers of mint sit atop crushed red cherries and wild strawberries, with light clove and thyme on the nose. The palate is rich and enticing with black cherries, plums, rhubarb, pomegranate seeds, black olives and freshly picked rosemary leaves. Tremendous texture, structure, and refreshing acidity carry this wine to a robust finish of orange zest and black tea leaves. Maisons Marques & Domaines USA.

- Wine Enthusiast 96 Points

Tasting Notes

Food Pairing

Ink Grade Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is made from 100 percent Cabernet. 

Precariously clinging to the side of Howell Mountain, the Ink Grade Estate Vineyard claims a view unbeknownst to most in the Napa Valley. Amongst densely forested pines and sequoia stands, it lies in the north-east corner of the Howell Mountain AVA with a predominant view facing East. Terraced throughout due to the extreme slope, this mountainside vineyard grasps to volcanic “tufa” soils. Ink Grade Estate possesses a raw tension that renders fruit of immense intensity and depth.

Rugged terrain. Lush foliage. Abundant wildlife. This is no ordinary vineyard. This is the Ink Grade. Once owned by Napa Valley legend Theron Ink, our estate on Howell Mountain spans hundreds of wild acres—planted so as to nurture rather than disrupt the ecosystem that has thrived here for centuries. Ink Grade Estate Vineyard is the largest Demeter Certified Biodynamic Ranch in Napa County. If ever there was a site which imparted a feeling of reverence, Ink Grade is such a place.

The Ink Grade Estate Vineyard claims a view unbeknownst to most in the Napa Valley, lying in the northeast corner of the Howell Mountain AVA. Terraced throughout due to the extreme slopes, this mountainside vineyard clings to volcanic “tufa” soils. Ink Grade Estate possesses a raw tension that renders fruit of immense intensity and depth. If ever there was a site that imparted a feeling of reverence, Ink Grade is such a place

A GRAND CRU OF HOWELL MOUNTAIN This wine is crafted from Ink Grade’s highest elevation parcels. Vines are hand-selected, utilizing gentle processing techniques throughout fermentation, employing less new oak and larger aging vessels to maintain and express the purity and pedigree of this vineyard. The resulting wine is profound and possesses tension while remaining fresh and bright. A distinctive artifact of place, Ink Grade Cabernet Sauvignon is truly a grand cru of Howell Mountain

2019 VINTAGE HIGHLIGHTS “The 2019 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon carries the flinty graphite signature of this special terroir, highlighting the vibrant red fruit character, while showcasing notes of cedar and spices. The luscious texture of this vintage was achieved by utilizing large aging vessels during the elevage process, resulting in a beautifully balanced Cabernet Sauvignon with great aging potential.” ― Master Sommelier and Managing Partner Carlton McCoy Jr., May 2022

Review:

So much pine needle, flowers, currants and ripe plums on the nose. Medium-bodied with fine and polished tannins. Linear and very tight with a clarity and energy. Vivid is the word. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink or hold.

-James Suckling 94 Points

Expressive, with bramble and black licorice notes leading off, followed quickly by fresh black cherry and currant preserves. Features flashes of bay leaf and mesquite on the sleek finish, with a strong mineral underpinning as well. Drink now through 2035.

#96 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2023

Ossian Capitel Verdejo is made from 100% Verdejo.

Ossian Capital represents a particular expression of very old Verdejo vines, taking its potential far finesse, elegance and longevity. It is made in selected years with a selection of extraordinary grapes.

Color: Old golden yellow color with greenish reflections.
Aromas: Surprisingly nuanced and profound.
Flavors: Fresh, full and very light.

Review:

"The 2020 Capitel is pure Verdejo from the oldest vines from the Peña Aguda vineyard in the village of Nieva on slate soils. This is the last vineyard to be bottled and has higher alcohol (14%) than the rest of the vineyards despite now harvesting earlier. The wine has a different aromatic profile but getting closer to the style of Ossian, less opulent than in the past, with more energy, quite fruit-driven with some exotic notes reminiscent of banana skin. The whole clusters were pressed and the juice put to ferment in barrel where the wine matured with the lees and, starting this year, without bâtonnage, because they feel the wines have enough volume and stirring the lees can bring more oxidation to the wine. 2,500 bottles produced. - Luis GUTIERREZ"

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (January 31st 2023), 93+ pts

Tamarack Firehouse Red is 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Syrah, 22% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, 3% Sangiovese, 2% Grenache, 2% Cinsault 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Counoise, 1% Mourvèdre and 1% Carmenere.

Deceptively sweet aromas of strawberries, raspberries and rose petals. The flavors are dark, rich, lusciously mouthwatering, with cherries, boysenberries, tart plum skins, hints of leather, sweet pipe tobacco, and coffee beans. The tannins are firm, but not a bit edgy and the finish lingers with just a touch of anise. A truly lovely vintage.

Alain Jaume Domaine du Clos de Sixte Lirac  is made from 50% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre

An intense red garnet color. On the nose, aromas of red and black ripe fruit (kirsch and wild blackberry). The mouth is full, with aromas of blackcurrant liqueur and spice. Tannins are both harmonious and elegant thanks to the fleshiness of the wine. Hints of licorice and vanilla on the finish, which gives the wine length and complexity.

Soil type LIRAC vineyard is facing Chateauneuf du Pape, opposite side of the Rhône river. As showed by the picture and following geologist George Truc, soils are almost similar in both side. They are marked by the violence wrought by the Rhone river. It consists of a layer of marine molasses of the Miocene period covered by alpine alluvium. The presence of a great number of rounded stones known as "galets" in the earth is evidence of the time when the Rhone, then a torrent, tore fragments of rock from the Alps and deposited them on the plain. LIRAC is one of the up-coming best area from the southern Rhône valley, as it delivers outstanding wines. Winemaking & ageing Traditional wine-making in stainless still vats. Hand sorted bunches, crushed and destemmed grapes. Fermentation temperature : 30°C. 18 days of vatting with pigeages.

Review:

"The 2016 Lirac Domaine du Clos de Sixte is a terrific wine, easily the rival to many Châteauneufs from across the river, starting with its alluring aromas of flowering garrigue and ripe cherries. A blend of 50% Grenache, 35% Syrah and 15% Mourvèdre, this full-bodied wine is lush and concentrated on the palate, then turns velvety on the long finish. I'd treat it like a Châteauneuf du Pape in terms of cellaring: hold it for a few years, then drink it over the next 15. - Joe Czerwinski"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue 233, October 2017), 93+ pts

Varietal-100% Bonarda

Vineyard- El Mirador Vineyard in Rivadavia, 2,132 ft. Elevation. Soil composed of mostly sand.

Ageing & Vinification- Wild Yeasts with 25 days maceration , 12 Months ageing in 100-year-old foudre.

Tech Data- 13.5% ABV, Acidity 6.1, pH-3.7

Review:

Sour cherries, blueberries and spice box on the nose. Medium-to full-bodied with firm tannins. Savory and fleshy on the palate with some structure, leading to a flavorful and fruity finish. One of the best bonardas out there. Try after 2023.

-James Suckling 94 Points