Bressia Monteagrelo Cabernet Franc 2018

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Thorn Clarke Shotfire Shiraz is made from 100% Shiraz. 

Striking deep red-purple in color. A rich, voluptuous wine with aromas of blackcurrant and mulberries accompanied by notes of smokey oak and hints of cloves. The palate is filled with dark fruits and chocolate backed up by taut tannins and lingering oak.

Review:

This is an attractively spicy wine on the nose with red, blue and black berries all in play, as well as an earthy edge and tarry elements. Some perfume, too. The palate has quite a deep-set, blue and black-fruit core with a long, sturdy palate that holds flavor and focus well. Drink or hold. Screw cap."

- James Suckling (November 2021), 92 pts

"Destemmed, pressed approximately 7 days later, 14 months in American oak (40% new). Rich, layered, mocha/chocolate overtones to the black berry fruits are obvious."
-  Halliday Wine Companion (August 2020), 92 pts

Story:

When the Clarke forebearers discovered gold in 1870 at the Lady Alice mine in the Barossa goldfields, so began a family dynasty intrigued by geology. A fine legacy that is reflected today in the terroir of our vineyards. The Shotfire range immortalizes the Shotfirer's hazardous job of setting and lighting the charges in the mines.

Fran shares his story on how he discovered Thorn-Clarke:
     "It was October 2001 and I was searching for and sourcing for Australian wines, as it was clear that Australia was going to become the "next big thing." After tasting about 100 assorted wines, I decided I liked the style of Barossa, Shiraz best - chocolate, cherries, mint and eucalyptus - so I started focusing on Barossa growers (years later, Barossa Shiraz would develop its reputation as the Icon Shiraz for Australia).
     Late on a Thursday afternoon, the carrier delivered a beat-up box of 12 bottles from Australia, 10 of which were leaking. The box was from a guy named Steve Machin, who had just left Hardy's and was beginning work with the Clarke family on setting up a possible new brand. The samples were sticky and messy, but I popped the corks anyway ..... and I was glad that I did. The wine inside tasted like Christmas - mint, eucalyptus, camphor, and evergreen aromas. Great acidity, color, flavor and length of finish - very tasty. These samples were so good and so exciting, especially compared to what I had tasted prior, that I immediately called the number on the card. I didn't realize that it was a Perth number (Western Australia) and it was actually 3:00 in the morning. It turned out I was calling the residence of David and Cheryl Clarke, where a sleepy Cheryl answered the phone. I told her, you don't know who I am, but we are going to be doing business together very soon, and lots of it! After a few months of talking, faxing (yes, faxing) and sorting out the details, I began importing their wines.
     That super-star wine from the busted box of samples is the wine we know today as Shotfire Shiraz. It was originally called Stone Jar, but fortunately we came up with a better name. Many years and vintages later, I'm still glad to be importing Shotfire Shiraz and other Thorn-Clarke selections .... and I'm still glad that Cheryl Clarke woke up for that phone call."

San Felice Vigorello Toscana IGT is made from Pugnitello 35%, Merlot 30%, Cabernet Sauvignon 30%, Petit Verdot 5%.

THE ORIGINS
It’s 1968, and an important time at San Felice: the first Super Tuscan ever produced in Chianti Classico, Vigorello, is born as a 100% Sangiovese.
Its birth represents both a breaking point with traditional production rules and the beginning of a period of appreciation and development of the entire region and its most prized variety.

THE EVOLUTION: 1968-2018
Since then, Vigorello has continued to evolve in a compelling and continuous way, along the path to date: in 1979, the wine becomes a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon; in 2001, the inclusion of Merlot into the blend, which in 2006 will entirely replace Sangiovese; in 2011 the turning point, with the introduction of Pugnitello, a native vine rediscovered through studies in the Vitiarium, which since then has marked its uniqueness and the return to its most authentic Tuscan roots, blended with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.

Review:

Still marked by vanilla and new oak, but this has loads of blackberry, black cherry and plum fruit. It's rich without overextraction, boasting dense tannins, superb balance and a long finish. Pugnitello, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. To be released in 2022 for Vigorello's 50th anniversary. —San Felice Vigorello Non-blind Retrospective (April 2021). Best from 2025 through 2050. 3,333 cases made, 500 cases imported. — BS

Wine Spectator 94 Points

K Vintners The Boy Grenache is made from 100 percent Syrah.

A bouquet of uncontainable layers. Black raspberry, Alpine strawberry, licorice stick, white pepper and dark cherry. An inviting, satiny palate: forest floor, fireplace ash, hung game, summer rain and finesse. That makes me a total believer. The best Boy ever.

Review:

A lovely grenache with ripe strawberry, white pepper and hints of hazelnut on both the nose and palate. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a spicy finish. 100% whole cluster. No new oak. So yummy. Drink now or hold.

- James Suckling 96 Points

Gorgeous framboise and ripe strawberry fruits as well as spice, herbes de Provence, and wildflower notes emerge from the 2018 Grenache The Boy Powerline Vineyard, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a seamless, elegant texture and outstanding length. This is another thrilling Grenache from this team that does everything right. It's hard to resist today yet should keep for 10-12 years in cold cellars.

-Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points

B Leighton Petit Verdot is made from 100 percent Petit Verdot.

Dark and brooding. Vibrant, beautiful and tantalizes the senses with violets, black cassis, pipe tobacco and forest floor. Elegant, fresh, deep and refined. It continues with black raspberry, ocean breeze, orange zest and a touch of fresh herbs. Need I say more? Drink up, buttercup.

Review:

Bright ruby-red. Inky blackberry, licorice and menthol on the slightly portiike nase. Dense, sweet and surprisingly supple on the plate but,with a touch of inkiness to its broad blackcurrant, blackberry, licorice and graphite flavors. An element of peppery vinosity contrioutes to the impression of firmness, as do the tight tannins. This very long, savory Wine is stil a bit folded in on itself and will quire patience. Inerestingly, Leighton keeps this wine on its skin for "only" 35 days, which is actually less than many of his other red wines under the B. Leighton, K Vintners and Wines of Substance labels. He also destems this, fruit.

-Stephen Tanzer 92+ Points

Bernardins Beaumes de Venise Rouge Cru Cotes du Rhone is made from 65% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache Blanc.

Bright ruby color with cherry tinges. Complex black fruit aromas on the nose enhanced by spicy notes. Rounded palate with good length.

The wine is drinking well right now and can be kept for another 10 years.

Situation
Spreads out over the south-east side of the Dentelles de Montmirail hills, in Beaumes de Venise in the southern part of the Rhone valley.

Terroir
 On a poor sandy, hungry and arid soil consisting of tender limestone and gritty zones of sandy mollasse.

In the vineyard
The vineyards and their terroir are the essence of our wines. This is where everything starts and where we focus our efforts throughout the year. You can’t make great wine without great grapes.

The viticulture is essentially done by hand. Five people work full-time in the vineyards. They are supplemented by seasonal employees who work during bunch thinning and the harvest in order to bring out the very best in our vines. Working by hand and the attention each vine gets are fundamental. Pruning, de-budding, trellising, leaf removal and picking are thus carried out by hand with the utmost care.

We prepare the soil by using good old-fashioned ploughing. Organic compost is made from grape marc (the discarded stalks and skins).

As a way of protecting the plants, we only use phytosanitary products when necessary and within strict guidelines by staggering the treatments appropriately, to minimise the amount of chemicals used. We prefer to use as much as possible manual and organic techniques . Leaving natural grass cover, removing buds and leaves from the vines, preserving biodiversity around the vineyard: olive, almond and cypress trees, wild rosemary and capers.

Winemaking
We make two red wines at the estate. Terroir wines shaped by the two classic Côtes du Rhône varieties: Grenache and Syrah. We don’t follow any winemaking recipe but are constantly searching for the perfect expression of terroir and each vintage’s particular characteristics. We don’t go for overripe grapes and over-extraction, as we think the wine has to stay refreshing and balanced.

Leaving the wine for 15 days in concrete vats, we try to gently extract the tannins and anthocyanins essential for the wine’s structure and colour. The wine doesn’t come into any contact with wood during ageing. This way the characteristics of our terroir can fully express

Serve with a meal especially red meat, game and cheese.

Review:

"A distinctly elegant style of Beaumes de Venise; gently aromatic, but with a good upswell of tannin and a persistent finish. Well-tailored, with peppery herbs on the finish. Also contains 6% Marsanne and 4% Grenache Blanc. Always a good value option."

- Decanter (October 2021), 91 pts

Imperial Stag Reserva Iconic Red Mendoza is made from 55% Malbec and 45% Syrah.

This is a single vineyard planted with Malbec and Syrah with low yields (2.5 ton per acre for the Malbec and 3.5 ton per acre for the Syrah).

Bright and intense, full bodied red wine with violet hues at the lips. Elegant and savory, with silky persistence. Captivating aromas of currants, raspberries and other red fruits. Distinct tobacco and chocolate aroma melded with honey and amalgamated notes of pepper and nuts from its passage through French oak barrels.

Pair with venison of course ! but also duck, lamb and strong cheeses. 

Review:

"A single vineyard wine, composed of 55% Malbec and 45% Syrah. Rich, jammy, and juicy, violets shining on nose and palate. Boysenberry bursts, enveloped by a mocha-cedar denseness. Peanut brittle character sweetens on the finish."

- The Tasting Panel (January/February 2022), 93 pts