Amador Diez Cuvee Verdejo 2017

Buccella Cuvee Katrina Eileen Napa Valley is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Named after our first-born daughter, Cuvée Katrina Eileen is primarily composed of fruit from a vineyard in the Western Hills of Yountville, where yields are miniscule. The extremely rocky soil of the vineyard produces concentrated clusters of perfectly ripened Cabernet Sauvignon. In German, the name “Katrina” represents purity and fittingly, this wine is made entirely from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, providing a pure expression of this decadent varietal. It also reflects our daughter’s personality with flavors that are complex, unreserved and expressive.

Always a 100% Cabernet blend, our 2017 Cuvée Katrina Eileen is an opulent and mouth-enriching wine. Captivated by the inky-black color, luscious scents of dark espresso and cinnamon stick leap out, along with powerful elements of graphite and cassis. Remarkably rich and seamless, while boasting flavors of blueberry compote, dark chocolate and black raspberries, this is a compelling and luxurious wine focused upon velvety texture, silky tannins and incredible length. An intentional breadth on the palate and length in the finish are hallmarks of this wine.

Named after the French word for Crow, or Raven, this Syrah is certainly as dark as the name implies. Hailing from Discovery Vineyard, perched high above the Columbia River in the heart of the Horse Heaven Hills, these grapes were grown in a very unique terroir. Avennia's approach of old-world style, minimalist winemaking allows for full expression of the fruit, showcasing the elegant and savory side of Syrah.

"Leads with a nice balance of dark fruits—blackberry and blueberry—with more savory elements, including blackberry leaf, olive, charcuterie, and a hint of shiitake. The palate features snappy fresh black fruits, a hint of smoked meat, and a lively finish with plenty of savory elements that make this wine quite interesting. Give it a year in the cellar and enjoy over the next eight years or so." - Chris Peterson, Winemaker

Reviews:

"Aromas of blackberry and violet accented by a note of stems. Sweet, supple wine with dark fruit flavors lifted by a black-peppery topnote and accented by cinnamony Red Hots. For all its high notes, this is essentially a creamy wine with no edges. I suspect it will tighten up in bottle and eventually display a more savory aspect. Incidentally, this will be the last vintage for this bottling because, beginning with vintage 2018, Chris Peterson will introduce some new single-vineyard Syrahs from the exciting new WeatherEye vineyard on top of Red Mountain. This steep site, owned by Cameron Myhrvold and farmed by Ryan Johnson, extends over the ridgeline and onto the northern flank of Red Mountain. The project is called Red Mountain Elevated, and Peterson is making the wines. (14.5% alcohol; done mostly in puncheons; vinified with 10% stems) - Stephen Tanzer”
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (December 2019), 92 pts

"The last vintage for this cuvée, the 2017 Syrah Le Corbeau Discovery Vineyard is similar in style to the Arnaut yet offers slightly more floral notes in its blue fruits, wild strawberry, violets, rose petal, and sappy, forest floor aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied, with bright acidity and good balance, it’s a beautiful Syrah that leans heavily toward the fresh, elegant end of the spectrum while still offering tons of character and pleasure.”

- Jeb Dunnuck (April 2019), 92-94 pts

Lush, dare I say creamy in texture? Black currant, rich, earth, cured meat, cold ash. Dark, delicious, earth bound wine. One of the best “the Rocks” has to offer.

Review:

A great expression of this variety, the 2017 Barbera Jack's Vineyard has a ripe yet savory nose of mulled red and black fruits, dried herbs, flowers, and new leather. Medium-bodied on the palate, with light, polished tannins and beautiful balance, it's another ethereal, elegant version of this cuvée to enjoy over the coming 7-8 years.

-Jeb Dunnuck 92 Points

Copain Edmeades Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir. 

VINTAGE NOTES: 

Review:

The first vintage for this cuvée from Ryan, the 2017 Pinot Noir Edmeades Vineyard comes from mid-valley and was brought up in 27% new French oak. It's a beautiful wine with blueberry and wild strawberry fruits as well as complex spice, dried flowers, and some loamy soil notes. Medium-bodied, seamless, and silky on the palate, it's a lovely, layered wine that shines for its texture and balanced.

The origin of Lot C-91 began in the fall of 1969 when Joe Heitz created this one-off cuvée, which was very normal in those days, as a more premium version of his already iconic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon bottling. Joe envisioned Lot C-91 as a greater step up in quality from the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, with a higher quality of fruit sourcing, coming exclusively from the sought-after single vineyards of Heitz Cellar.

Lot C-91 is the culmination of 50 years of tireless effort, trial and error, and the continual desire to make a unique expression of the heralded vineyards of Heitz Cellar.

Review:

Wow. Such a racy and exciting nose! This is quite agile and nimble, full of red and blue berries in the forefront, then complemented by spiced orange, earl grey, red plums, potpourri, savory plums and chocolate. Tense and elegant on the palate, which is all about succulent red berries, nuance and texture. Nothing redundant here. A great Napa cabernet sauvignon that has real definition. A beauty by all accounts!

-James Suckling 96 Points

In 1969, Heitz produced a one-off cuvée called Lot C-91. It was thought of as an elevated version of the Napa Valley Cabernet – a 'best of the best' blend from sites throughout Napa. After a bottle of the '69 turned up and turned heads at a Heitz wine dinner, the winemaking team decided to produce a modern iteration. It's comprised of vineyards in four AVAs: Rutherford (34%), Oakville (34%), Howell Mountain (17%) and St Helena (15%). The dazzling nose instantly shows off the component from Martha's Vineyard and on the palate it walks the line between succulent, powerful, herbal and floral, showing none of the heat of the 2017 vintage. As of June 2020, this was still a barrel sample, while many Napa 2017s are already on the market.
-Decanter 96 Points

Laurent-Perrier Cuvee Rose Petal Jacket NV is made Pinot Noir from 10 crus in the Montagne de Reims

After the “Signature”, “Constellation”, “Safari”, “Butterfly” and “Bamboo” robes, Laurent‑Perrier unveils “Petals”. A robe of light where Dalhia or Strelitzia petals are subtly woven in iridescent Pop colours. A harmony of colours in shades of red and pink with highlights of orange or blue, recalling all of the fresh, crisp nuances of the red and black fruit palette of this great rosé champagne.

Laurent‑Perrier has been designing a reusable metal case with its clasp since 2017, to enhance the quality of the wine, matching the generously shaped Cuvée Rosé bottle.

The Cuvée Rosé from Laurent-Perrier is the most recognized rosé champagne in the world. The house uses its proprietary maceration technique and the wine is crafted for a fragrance and not mixed for a color. Held in an elegant bottle inspired by King Henri IV, it has been widely acknowledged for its consistent high quality for more than 40 years, and it is the benchmark for rosé champagne around the world. 

Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé is truly remarkable for its highly expressive bouquet, stemming from very careful preservation of fresh fruit aromas during the wine making. Made with 100% Pinot Noir from 10 different "crus " (or villages), from the North and South areas of the Montagne de Reims, as well as the famous village of Bouzy. Grapes from carefully selected plots are meticulously sorted and de-stemmed before going into the vats, and the controlled maceration helps with the color extraction and the development of the full aromatic richness of the Pinot Noir. 

Intensely fruity flavors, clean and slightly sharp, the wine opens to the sensation of freshly picked red berries: strawberries, Morello cherries, black currants and raspberries. The finish is supple and rounded. 

Its aromatic depth makes it ideal for pairing with marinated raw fish, grilled prawns, exotic dishes, Parma ham and red fruit desserts. Those who are more daring will try it with Asian or Indian cuisine.

Review:

Generosity no less than grace defines this 100% Pinot Noir from ten different crus primarily in the Montagne de Reims. Slightly coppery salmon-pink in the glass, it displays a radiant nose of ripe red berries that pop against glimmers of spiced biscotti and roasted cashew. On a broad palate of pure silk, raspberry and black cherry are underlined by blood-orange rind and crushed rock before a long, almost voluptuous finish that's slightly savory with dried mint.

-Tasting Panel 97 Points