Brune Coteaux du Languedoc 2010

 Lucien et Andre Brunel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Cailloux Cuvee Centenaire is made from  84% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, and 6% Syrah.

Review:

Lastly, and a wine that will be a candidate for perfection in 4-5 years, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Centenaire reveals a deep ruby/purple hue as well as extraordinary notes of black cherries, licorice, iron, nori, and peppery garrigue. As with the base 2019, the estate did an incredible job with the tannins, and this wine is flawlessly balanced, with ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and the sheer class to evolve for 25+ years. This is a perfect example of power with no sensation of weight or heaviness. The blend in 2019 is 84% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, and 6% Syrah, and it wasn’t destemmed and was brought up mostly in concrete tanks, with just 6% in very old barrels.

-Jeb Dunnuck 98 Points

Brize Ambre Coteaux du Layon is made from 100% Chenin Blanc.

Coteaux du Layon is a prestigious sweet wine appellation in the Loire Valley, producing luscious dessert wines from late-harvested Chenin Blanc grapes. The 'Ambre' (Amber) cuvée takes its name from the beautiful amber-gold color that develops as the wine ages.

This sweet wine offers rich aromas of honey, apricot, candied fruits, and quince. On the palate, it is generous and well-balanced, with concentrated sweetness offset by bright acidity that keeps the wine fresh and elegant.

Pair with foie gras, blue cheese, fruit tarts, or enjoy as a dessert on its own.

Marie Baron Coteaux du Giennois Blanc is made from 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc.

Coteaux du Giennois is an appellation in the upper Loire Valley, near Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. These hillside vineyards benefit from a continental climate with flint and limestone soils that give the wines their distinctive mineral character.

This wine presents a bright pale yellow color with aromas of citrus, white flowers, and flinty minerality. On the palate, it is crisp and vibrant with lively acidity, flavors of grapefruit and lemon, and a refreshing mineral finish.

Excellent with goat cheese, oysters, grilled fish, or fresh salads.

Gambellara Lessini Durello Spumante Brute is 100% Durella.

Color: Soft and bright straw yellow
Bouquet: A citrus fresh fruit bouquet
Taste: Slightly acid, fresh, with green apple hints
Perlage: A fine and persistent perlage

The grapes are collected and transported to the winery in small trailers to prevent the grapes from being squashed, then follows immediate separation of the skins from the stalks purifying of the must and long fermentation at 18 °C.

This is a Charmat method (The secondary fermentation didn't take place in the bottle, but in a vat, which makes it slightly different than the Champenoise method used in Champagne).

To serve with seafood starters, soups, egg dishes, shellfish, seafood and white meat. Very good as aperitif. The perfect match is with the "Baccalà alla Vicentina", the traditional dish of our land.

Duckhorn Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc .

True to their heritage of producing top-tier Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine showcases a seamless blend of elegance and strength. It begins with captivating aromas of dark red berries and cardamom, leading the way to a defined palate that showcases flavors of fig jam and boysenberry pie. Firm, dusty tannins provide a sturdy foundation, guiding you to a long, focused finish that denotes a harmonious blend of mountain and valley floor fruit.

Winemaker’s Notes

Our organically farmed high-density Estate parcel sits at the top of the ridge amongst the diverse coastal forest. Although the soil is sandy, there’s a vein of clay in the subsoil that holds winter rain and allows us to dry-farm the vines. The tight spacing keeps the clusters and soil shaded during the summer heat, which allows the fruit to retain all the nuance of the site. The wine produced here has a character - a signature - all to itself and cannot be replicated elsewhere; it's the antithesis of fruity, forward, easy-to-understand Californian Chardonnay. The grapes are small with thick skins, producing a high level of fruit extract, which translates to deep texture and structure in the wine itself. Concentration allied to freshness is the essence of this wine, and it ages beautifully in bottle for ten to twelve years. 

The wine’s aromas and flavors are incredibly complex and diverse, akin to citrus oil, preserved lemon, sage, fennel and caraway. The wine is deep, powerful, and layered with oyster shell freshness cutting through the natural density. Lemongrass, spearmint, and grapefruit power the finish, which pulsates with intensity. You could decant this for an hour before serving to hasten its development. Drink between 2025 and 2030. Serve no cooler than 55º F. 

Review:

From a site surrounded by dense forest on two sides, the 2022 Chardonnay DuMOL Estate Vineyard is a bright straw hue and has a more vibrant aromatic nose of fresh mint, bright lime, flint, crushed stones, and white peach. Medium to full-bodied, it boasts a remarkably firm structure with a bit of tannin, a chalky texture, and a savory slanting profile, and it’s long and persistent on the finish. It has an assertive but crystalline feel and a crunchy brightness. It demands a bit of time. Drink 2025-2035.

-Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points