| BUY MORE! SAVE MORE! | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
Bouysses Cahors is made from 100 percent 100% Malbec.
A beautiful dark brilliant ruby purple color. The nose is complex of black cherry, blackberry with a hint of violet, followed by a buttery and vanilla note. The palate is rich, powerful, with smooth and melted tannins. This wine is fleshy and velvety.
Serve with game meat, red meat, duck confit, and goat cheese.
Château Les Bouysses is an ancient priory rich of 800 years of history. It was bought by the Marre Family in 1933. “Bouysses" is the old French word for “buis” – the boxwood that borders the alleys of the property. The 30 hectare-estate is located in the town of Mercues nearby Cahors in the Southwest of France. It is planted with 24 hectares of vines and 6 hectares of walnut trees.
T3: very ancient alluvial deposits - siliceous and gravelly soilT2: ancient alluvial deposits - siliceous, sandy and gravelly soil less altered than T3
The soils are located for 50% on middle terrace (*T2) and 50% on upper terrace (*T3).
A thirteenth century royal decree requesting lords to donate some land to allow the establishment of religious communities and monasteries was at the origin of ‘Les Bouysses’, in 1230. The lord of Rassiels (a place situated above Douelle), Raymond de Lard, therefore ceded land called “Les Bouysses” to Dame Guillemette, the second abbess of Leyme, for the establishment of a cistercian priory. A small number of nuns lived there, perhaps a dozen or thereabouts.
During the Hundred Year- War the nuns were forced to leave by the English. Subsequently the nuns returned until year 1600, from which date they remained at Leyme but kept their eyes on events at the Bouysses priory. In 1745 they authorized the demolition of their chapel which was remplaced by a winery on the same site. Henceforth the wine was located at ‘Les Bouysses’ and the prayers at Leyme.
In 1789 property belonging to the Church became property of the French state and in 1791 the estate was sold to François Agar, who was mayor of Mercuès and wine merchant in Mercuès and Paris-Bercy. A fire at the Bercy warehouse caused his bankruptcy and he was obliged to sell the estate to one of his cousins Count Michel Agar de Mosbourg. The latter built most of the existing buildings with the exception of the winery and one of the cellars. The elegant perron with double flight of stairs outside copy italian designs that he had loved during his trips to Italy. The Orangery was built in 1820. The stables were built nearby following a request by Napoleon Bonaparte who was to have visited with his guard and horses. He never made the journey.
Count Michel Agar de Mosbourg did have one son who had no sons or daughters. It was therefore the nephews of the latter, the Vicomtes de Rougé, who became owners at the end of the nineteenth century. The last viscount, inventor of aircraft tailplanes, sold some land to finance his research. As his invention was stolen before he was able to patent it, and consequently lost the fees he should have received, he was obliged to sell off the rest of the estate.
The Marre family became owners in 1933. Until relatively recently it was a purely agricultural enterprise but it was decided to rehabilitate the main building called the ‘Château’.
Aalto P.S. Pagos Seleccionados Tinto is made from 100 percent Tempranillo.
Climatic conditions
The farming year began with a mild autumn and little precipitation. A very dry winter started with -9ºC reaching at the end higher temperatures than normal for that time of the year. Spring and summer characterized by little rain, only some rain showers in July and late August avoided the hydric stress of the vines. The vegetative cycle of the vine developed with big variations of temperatures, alternating warm and atypical low temperatures of 4ºC for mid-June. The ripening of the grapes happened under very good conditions and the harvest started on 24th September 2019.
100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) primarily from very old vines – 60 to 90 years old – from selected plots in La Horra and La Aguilera. The harvest was done by hand, in small boxes of 15 kilos that are thoroughly inspected, bunch by bunch, on the selection table.
Tasting notes
Review:
Color: dark cherry, Aroma: toasty, spicy, fine cocoa, black fruit, Mouth: tasty, toasty, fine bitterness, ripe tannins
Guia Penin 94 Points
"A red made exclusively from Tempranillo, from vineyards 60 to 90 years old, grown in the pagos of La Horra and La Aguilera, with 21 months of aging in new French oak barrels. Captivating in aroma and flavor, it shows ripe red and black fruit alongside floral, herbal and sweet-spice notes, which carry onto the palate, where its good acidity and firm, very fine-grained tannins lend support to the oak and balance to the whole. It has a full, very long finish, with reductive, earthy touches of cassis, blackberry, violet and licorice. It follows the house's powerful style, yet shows itself more fluid, tense and vertical. A fine example that concentration, opulence, precision and finesse can go hand in hand. Be patient with it in the glass or in the bottle, as it is still young and has everything it needs to get even better over the next 20 years. Alcohol 15%."
-Revista Adega 95 Points
This wine reveals a complex and elegant bouquet that combines ripe fruit, leather and a fine woodiness. Round and warm on the attack, the palate is supported by solid tannins and a pleasant freshness in this harmonious and well textured wine.
The Merlot bring fruity notes and minerality from the clay-limestone terroir, enhanced by the incredibly expressive and spicy Cabernet Franc.
Review:
-Ella Lister 93 Points
-Neal Martin (Vinous) 93 Points
-Jeb Dunnuck 92 Points
-William Kelley (Robert Parker) 92 Points
Alejandro Bulgheroni Lithology Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 99% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc.
Here the Cabernet comes to us typically flawless, and the wines are as such. There is blue fruit, blueberries, black plums, blackberries, and cassis to the aromas, as well as stones, mineral, chocolate, fresh tobacco, and subtle herbs. It is incredibly full-bodied, but at the same time effortlessly drinkable, with ultra-smooth tannins and a positive, long, upturned finish. 70-75% new French oak is the norm for us with Dr. Crane, and those flavors are absorbed to become a vanillin complexity, sweetness, and length. An unbelievable wine.
Review:
-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
Alejandro Bulgheroni Lithology Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
Alejandro Bulgheroni Estate Lithology is a series of single vineyard and AVA-designated wines made from select sites within Napa Valley. Lithology Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is produced solely from fruit grown in the historic Beckstoffer to Kalon Vineyard planted in 1865 by W.H. Crabb and represents Oakville's famous bench land.
Review:
The 2019 Cabernet Franc Lithology Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard just shines for its bouquet, which is classic To Kalon with its floral, incense, spicy, red and black-fruited aromatics. These all flow to a medium to full-bodied, utterly seamless Cabernet Franc that’s balanced, has laser-like precision, and a great finish. This isn’t the biggest or richest wine in the lineup, but it’s Cabernet Franc in all its glory, with soaring aromatics and complexity, ample richness and texture, and a beautiful sense of finesse and elegance. It’s going to keep for 15-20 years with no issues.
-Jeb Dunnuck 98 Points
Composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Lithology Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is a barrel sample with a deep garnet-purple color. It needs a fair bit of coaxing to unlock scents of blackberry pie, warm blueberries and cassis plus suggestions of spice cake, underbrush, candied violets and chocolate box. The full-bodied palate brings forth loads of earthy layers to accent the rich, black fruits, framed by plush tannins and lovely freshness, finishing long and fragrant.
-Wine Advocate 97 to 99 points
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Lithology Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is one of the very finest wines I have tasted from Alejandro Bulgheroni's Napa Valley project. The 2019 To Kalon captures all the pedigree of this iconic Oakville vineyard, and yet also remains nuanced and wonderfully finessed for an intense wine. To Kalon Cabernets are rarely this elegant, but the Bulgheroni 2019 sure is.
-- Antonio Galloni 97 Points
"Proprietor Alejandro Pedro Bulgheroni established this label in 2014. Entirely estate fruit, comprising beautiful rich berry scents, oak, crushed rocks and a saline minerality tinged with dark chocolate. Enveloping, full and broad-shouldered. Saturated dark berry fruit, chocolate layer cake, vanilla and dried herbs de provence round out this Cabernet with its fierce tannins that are nicely integrated.
"
-Jonathan Cristaldi 100 Points
Alejandro Bulgheroni Lithology Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
We only produced a scant 50 cases of this wine this year, far too small an amount considering how great it turned out. There’s that typical saturated to the rim deep purple color, with intense cassis, herb, and milk chocolate, bricks and forest floor, black plum pudding aromas. In the mouth, there’s a great balance, with notable oak and vanilla notes intertwined with dense black fruits. It’s an opulent and plush style, yet finishes with sweet grippy tannins.
Review:
-Jeb Dunnuck 100 Points
J. Christopher Appassionata Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Appassionata Chardonnay is the expressive summit of this classic Burgundian variety in the Willamette Valley. Fermented and matured in large (500-liter) oak casks, it rests on the full lees for two years before bottling. It then rests in our cellar for another year before its release, three years after vintage. The wine’s elegant texture, fine structure and extended maturation time ensure a long life for this vibrant Chardonnay.
Whole-cluster pressing; native yeast fermentation in 500-liter French oak barrels; natural malolactic fermentation; 21 months maturation on the lees.
Review:
-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points
-Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points
Paul Hobbs Chardonnay Russian River Valley is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Crafted with precision from six pedigreed sites comes a wine that beams with pale straw hue. The newest vintage brings wonderful aromatic intensity: candied lemon peel, white florals followed by crisp green apple. A creamy and viscous texture on the palate is buoyed by white nectarine and dried apricot that’s balanced with a vibrant acidity, bringing focus to the wine’s finish that lingers with hints of flinty mineral notes.
Review:
-James Suckling 94 Points
Reynvaan Foothills Reserve Estate Syrah 2021 is made from 100% Syrah.
Reynvaan Family Vineyards was founded in 2004 by Mike and Gale Reynvaan in Washington’s Walla Walla Valley, with son Matt Reynvaan as winemaker, and has become one of the most sought-after names in the state for its Rhône-inspired, estate-grown reds. The Foothills Reserve is a barrel selection from the family’s high-elevation Foothills in the Sun Vineyard, planted in 2008 on loess soils over deep basalt in the foothills of the Blue Mountains.
Walla Walla Valley Syrah is prized for two very different terroirs: the basalt-cobblestone Rocks District, known for savory, meaty, olive-and-mineral character, and the wind-swept loess hillsides that lend structure, freshness and lift. The Foothills site sits among the latter, giving a Syrah of both power and energy.
Review:
A total masterclass, the 2021 ‘Foothills Reserve’ is a barrel selection wine that comes from the Reynvaan’s high elevation estate Foothills In The Sun Vineyard. The site is set on Loess soils with deep basalt deposits and I have been writing about the potential of this site for more than a decade. Today, wines from this high-elevation location are every bit as good as those from their Rocks District vineyard. Hoisin sauce, beef drippings, menthol, and shades of wild blackberry all combine on the nose. The palate is utterly seamless with serious tension, weight and mouth-watering acidity. It offers La Landonne levels of flavor complexity, yielding blood orange zest notes alongside red cherry candy, cigar ash, wet stone and pipe tobacco that all brilliantly meld together on the palate. Showing seriously good flavor and aromatic range, enjoy this simply stunning Syrah now and over the next ten plus years to come. Drink 2023-2037.
Owen Bargreen, 99 points
Review:
-Jeb Dunnuck 98 Points
-Wine Enthusiast 97 Points
-Eric Guido (Vinous) 96 Points
-James Suckling 95 Points