Bellevue Cotes de Bordeaux-Castillon Ce Ma Cuvee 2015

Collemattoni Brunello di Montalcino is made from 100 percent Sangiovese.

Color: brilliant red with burgundy reflects; Bouquet: penetrating with memories of wild black fruits, black cherry and noble wood; Taste: warm, dry and persistent

Coming from a parcel with 10-15 year old vines planted in sandy clay and marl soils.
Harvest is 100% destemmed with a soft pressing, fermentation in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature of 28-30°C, pumping over for the first week of maceration followed by skin-contact maceration for 20-25 days with rack and return technique (delestage).
Malolactic fermentation completed.
Wine is slightly filtered before bottling.

Review:

"Bright, deep red. Red cherry, sweet spices and smoky oak on the enticing nose. Strong soil tones complement musky spice, sweet pipe tobacco, and red fruit flavors. Finishes creamy, tactile and long, with polished tannins. Made from Sangiovese grown in vineyards located in all four of the major quadrants of the Montalcino production zone, which allowed owner Adon Bucci to make a highly balanced wine.- Ian D'Agata"

- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (March 2019), 92 pts

Luis Canas Rioja Crianza is made from 95% Tempranillo and 5% Garnacha

A classic style Rioja from one of the regions most enduring family run wineries.. The hillside terraced vineyards are sheltered by the Sierra Cantabria Mountains to the north from harsh weather extremes. Small plot production is utilized in this region of infertile chalky clay soil to produce clusters of excellent quality. Almost 900 plots are needed to complete the approximately 400 hectares of estate-owned or cellar-controlled vineyards, some with vines more than 100 years in age.

Tasting notes
Made from 95% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha of 30 years of age, the wine shows a ruby red color, a clean nose with nuances of balsamic, plum and cedar. The palate is smooth and velvety, complex and structured, with fruit, spice flavors with toasted oak. A pleasant finish with red fruits and hints of eucalyptus.

The harvest
This year in Rioja Alavesa the weather has been especially cold, the summer short and dry, and there has been plenty of rain in early September. This has produced wines with great aromatic notes, particularly those coming from high altitude areas, very fragrant and with great structure.

Winemaking and aging
Upon entering the bodega and passing the selection table, the grapes are de-stemmed and crushed before undergoing fermentation and then maceration in stainless steel tanks for a total of 8 days, obtaining better color extraction as well as much more complex wines, suitable for prolonged aging. The wine is clarified with vegetable gelatines and follows anicrobic filtration.

It is ideal to pair with meats; red meat, poultry, small game, oily fish, semi-cured cheeses, spicy dishes and hot dishes such as beans or potatoes Rioja style.
After its primary fermentation, the wine is placed in barrels where it undergoes malolactic fermentation and is aged for a minimum of 12 months. It is then bottled for at least another 12 months.

Review:

"The young and creamy 2015 Crianza is mostly Tempranillo with 5% Garnacha, matured in French and American oak barrels for 12 to 14 months. It's ripe with moderate acidity and lactic aromas intermixed with cherries and vanilla. The palate is soft with juicy fruit and lush tannins. A crowd-pleaser and a great vintage. Great value too. They produce one million bottles of this. - Luis Gutiérrez"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #235, February 2018), 91+ pts

"Juan Luis Cañas sources the Tempranillo and 5% Garnacha grapes that go into this eminently reliable Crianza from a range of villages on the north bank of the River Ebro. Balanced, modern and appealing, with a well-judged combination of French and American oak and bright red berry fruit. 2020-25"
- TIM ATKIN RIOJA 2019 SPECIAL REPORT, February 2019, 91 pts

"(raised for 20 months in a 50/50 mix of new French and American oak barrels) Deep, lurid ruby. Displays expansive, oak-spiced red/blue fruits, spicecake, vanilla and a sexy floral quality on the deeply perfumed nose. In a fruit-forward, seductive style, showing no rough edges and very good clarity to its sweet boysenberry and cherry flavors. The floral note comes back strong on a long, supple finish that betrays just a hint of fine-grained tannins. - Josh Raynolds"

- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (February 2019), 91 pts

"This estate turned out a brilliant 2015 Rioja Crianza, which is 95% Tempranillo and 5% Grenache that spent a year in a mix of French and American oak followed by a year in bottle. Medium to full-bodied, pure, and incredibly elegant, it has a terrific perfume of ripe cherries, cedarwood, and spice. It’s a complete, balanced, seamless 2015 that does everything right. It’s great today yet should cruise for a decade in good cellars."

- Jeb Dunnuck (March 2019), 92 pts

Dark ruby color. Aromas of cherry, currant, vanilla bean and hint of tar. Full-bodied, with flavors of cherries, cocoa powder and oak. A touch of sweetness on entry with a little bit of air with soft tannins that are starting to integrate well.

The latest step in the project is Vinsacro (formerly Valsacro) Dioro. The earlier Valsacros were made from a field selection of the older vineyards. Now, thanks to the new facility Amador has been able to build an upmarket version of Vinsacro (formerly Valsacro) with a four-stage selection process that includes an initial field selection of the fruit followed by a second table selection as the grapes come into the winery. After fermentation wine from selected tanks is transferred to new French oak barrels for 12-14 months of barrel age. Finally, the best barrels are set aside for Dioro and the remainder used to "upgrade" the normal Vinsacro.

Vinsacro Dioro is a blend of grapes from 100+ year old "vidau" vineyards where many varieties were planted together in the same plot.

Today the grapes are harvested and vinified separately. The final blend depends on the vintage but typically it's Tempranillo (50%), Garnacha (20%) and remaining 30% is a mix of mainly Graciano (10%) & Mazuelo (10%) with a little of Monastrell (5%) & Bobal (5%).

Review:

"The top of the range is the 2015 Vinsacro Dioro, a wine that is only produced in excellent vintages. It's a blend of 40% Vidau (the old field blend) plus 45% Tempranillo and 15% Mazuelo, from a slope in the south of the Monte Yerga called Cuesta la Reina, from a big, 120-hectare plot that has been with the Escudero family for generations. It fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel with a long maceration. It matured in new French (70%) and American oak barrels for 18 months. It's still very young and a little shy, with a reticent nose where the lactic and spicy aromas are intermixed with earthy and dark fruit aromas. The palate is full-bodied but perfectly balanced, compact, powerful and serious, with abundant tannins, extract and clout. This should develop nicely in bottle, given its stuffing and balance. An excellent, modern version of a classical Rioja. 20,000 bottles were filled in June 2017. - Luis Gutierrez"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #235, February 2018), 92 pts

"(sourced from a 100+ year old plot of mixed varieties; aged in new and used French oak barrels for 14 months) Deep, bright-rimmed ruby. Ripe black and blue fruits on the expansive, spice- and smoke-accented nose, along with suggestions of vanilla, candied flowers and cola. The oak qualities recede quickly on the palate, which displays sappy, deeply concentrated boysenberry, black raspberry and spicecake flavors that show a suave blend of richness and energy. Supple tannins build steadily on the penetrating finish, which leaves cherry-cola and baking spice notes behind. - Josh Raynolds"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (February 2019), 93 pts

"I loved the 2015 Vinsacro Dioro Rioja, and this beauty is 50% Tempranillo, 20% Grenache, 10% each of Mazuelo and Graciano, and the balance Mourvèdre and Bobal, all of which spent 12-14 months in French oak. It boasts a deep ruby/purple color as well as smoking good notes of black currants, dried herbs, licorice, and background oak. Medium to full-bodied, seamless, and layered on the palate, with terrific fruit and impeccable balance, I suspect it will shine for over a decade."

- Jeb Dunnuck (March 2019), 93 pts

Busi Chianti Rufina Riserva is made from 100% Sangiovese
Vineyards: Travignoli, a name which literally means “Tra Vignoli” (between the vineyards) is located in the middle of Frescobaldi’s Nipozzano vineyard in the heart of the Rufina zone. There is documented evidence that wine was first produced there in the 5th C BC by the Etruscans who called it “Nectar of the Gods”. The Church acquired the land and constructed the cellars in 1100.
Count Busi and his family acquired the estate in the 1800’s. Overall, 91
hectares belong to the estate. The 60 hectares of vineyards are excellently
position on the slopes with a southerly exposure at an elevation between 270 to 370 meters. Clay, marl and calcareous soil with a large percentage of rocks and stones for good drainage. Vines are an average of 10–25 years old.
Harvest: October– by hand.
Yield per hectare: 40 Quintals per hectare
Vinification: Fermentation in stainless steel at controlled temperatures for 7 to 8 days with an additional 7 to 8 days on the skins. The wine is then racked and goes through malolactic. It is then racked again and stays another 3 months in stainless steel.
Aging: 25 to 30 hectoliter barrels of Slavonian oak for 18 months and 3 months in Allier barriques. There is a period of refinement of 4 to 5 months in the bottle.
Alcohol: 13% by vol.
Color: Ruby red with garnet reflections.
Bouquet: Intense, ethereal bouquet with hints of leather, tar and ripe cherry fruit.
Taste: The flavor is full of mature fruit with nuances of leather and liquorice. The taste is complex and round and rich with character. The finish is persistent and satisfying.
Foods: Grilled, braised or roasted meats, dishes flavored with mushrooms, or rosemary. Excellent with polenta dishes.
Total Production: 3,300 cases
Enologist: Mauro Orsoni

Landes Cuvee Prestige Lussac Saint Emilion is made from 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc

Color: deep dark ruby intense color
Aroma: racy and aromatic nose with aromas of ripe red fruit, floral notes, wood and spice with a touch of vanilla.
Taste: this wine has a good structure and some powerful aromas of raspberries, blackcurrant, vanilla and it is powerful with a complex finish. The oak is present but not dominant. The tannins are quite well integrated already.

Average age of the Vines: 60 years Yield : 50 hectoliters / hectare. Grape picking: harvest by machine. Vats: Stainless steel thermoregulated and computerized. Fermentation: 45 to 50 days with a final 35°C warm steeping. Winemaking: Malolactic fermentation in new oak barrel. Ageing: 16 months in new French Oak barrels from Allier and Limousin. Annual production: 10,000 bottles. (833 cases)

Review:

"A selection of 100% Merlot aged 16 months in new French oak, the smaller production 2016 Chateau des Landes Cuvée Prestige is a solid step up from the Cuvée Tradition and offers medium to full-bodied richness as well as fabulous notes of crème de cassis, spice, tobacco, and subtle earthy characteristics. It has notable purity and freshness, fine tannins, and shows the style of the vintage beautifully. Drink it any time over the coming decade."
- Jeb Dunnuck (March 27th 2019), 91+ pts

A deep powerful Gran Reserva from one of Rioja Alavesa’s most enduring family run wineries. The hillside terraced vineyards are sheltered by the Sierra Cantabria Mountains to the north from harsh weather extremes. Small plot production is utilized in this region of infertile chalky clay soil to produce clusters of excellent quality. Almost 900 plots are needed to complete the approximately 400 hectares of estate-owned or cellar-controlled vineyards, some with vines more than 100 years in age.

Tasting notes
Rich ruby red color. Intense and concentrated on the nose with warm, fresh notes of chocolate and cocoa. The barrel is present with notes of toasted wood, peat and smoke with spicy and black fruit touches. It is potent on the palate and shows nerve and good structure, an expression of wines from great vintages.

One of the standouts in this report is the 2011 Rioja Gran Reserva, which is primarily Tempranillo blended with 5% Graciano. Aged two years in French and American oak followed by three years in bottle, it has a thrilling bouquet of spiced cherries, cedarwood, licorice, and graphite. Medium to full-bodied, incredibly elegant and seamless, it still has ample fruit and a big mid-palate, all pointing to it evolving gracefully for 15-20 years. Count me in as a fan. -Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points