Castelmaure Col des Vents Corbieres 2018

Castelmaure Grande Cuvee Corbieres Rouge is made from 50% Grenache (30 year old) and 50% Syrah (30 year old).. 

In the early 1990’s, Castelmaure began experimenting with a Prestige Cuvée of Corbières.  This wine has become known as “Grande Cuvée” and is made with the help of the winemaking team of Tardieu-Laurent.

Vinification: destemming, pneumatic press, end of fermentation at 25 degrees C; two racking; aging in tank then in 220 Liter Bordeaux barrels for 10-12 months. Egg fining, slight filtration..

Deep and intense color, powerful aromas of dark berry fruit, prune and coffee nuances, and a persistent finish.

Vineyards: planted on 50% Schist and 50% limestone soils.

Castelmaure Cuvee N°3 Corbieres is made from 70% Syrah, 28% grenache and 2% Carignan

Collemattoni Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is made from 100 percent Sangiovese.

Intense ruby red with brilliant burgundy reflects in color. Reminiscent of wild black fruits, vanilla and spices on the nose and dry, warm, slightly austere but velvety in the palate.

This wine comes from the oldest vineyard of Collemattoni: Fontelontano. Less than half hectare. It's one of the few Single Vineyard Brunello di Montalcino riserva.

Coming from a parcel with 15-18 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 following by skin-contact maceration for 20-25 days with rack and return technique (delestage).
Malolactic fermentation completed. The delestage and the pumping over are then spaced out along the process. 
Wine is slightly filtered before bottling.

 Review:

This is intense with aromas of dried cherries, sweet licorice, cloves, crushed walnuts and hints of chocolate and undergrowth. Full-bodied, deep and structured with taut, tightly packed tannins. Long and persistent. Drink or hold.

-James Suckling 94 Points

Long Shadows Pedestal Merlot is made from 82% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Malbec.

Michel Rolland, Pomerol vintner and consultant to many of the world's top wineries, teamed with Washington State wine visionary Allen Shoup to produce this limited release wine.

With its intense color and inviting aromas of dark berries, licorice, baking spice and a hint of smoke, the Pedestal is a bold wine that leaves a lasting impression. Dark fruit flavors integrated with sweetness from the barrel and richness from the tannins come together seamlessly, lingering across a structured mid-palate and lengthy finish.

Winemaking: Hand-harvested grapes were double-sorted to remove green material that might impart harsh tannins, then most of the lots were cold soaked to build richness and flavor before undergoing whole-berry fermentation in 55L upright French wood tanks. This, combined with gentle pump-overs throughout fermentation, enhanced the wine’s color, texture and mouthfeel. The finished wine was aged 22 months in 85% new French oak barrels.

Review:

Long Shadows has crafted a beautiful new Right Bank style 2018 Merlot Pedestal, which is nearly all Merlot (82%) with smaller portions of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Once on the nose this shows an intoxicating bouquet of black currant jelly, espresso bean and shades of black licorice candy. The mouthfeel captured here is exquisite as the Merlot seamlessly glides across the mid-palate delivering a decadent core of dark fruits, black licorice, black peppercorn and espresso ground tones. Finishing very long, this is already a beautifully evolved wine that will improve with an hour in the decanter

Vinous 96 Points

"The 2016 Pedestal Merlot has a precise nose of dusty plum, red flowers and soft oak tones with an elegant aroma of pencil lead fluttering about. The medium to full-bodied palate is clean and correct, with plush dark red fruit, dusty tannins, purple flowers and soft oak spices of vanilla, cardamom and nutmeg. The wine ends with a long, thoughtful, well-balanced finish that delivers complexity and pleasure simultaneously. Michel Rolland made this beauty of a bottle. - Anthony Mueller"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #246, December 2019), 94 pts 

Castelmaure La Buvette is made from 60% Grenache, 40% Carignan
Vinification: Grenache - destemming in low temperature, short maceration..
Carignan - carbonic maceration.
Fining, filtration, cold stabilization.
A purple color, intense aromas of strawberry and cassis. Fresh and fruity in the mouth with silky smooth tannins. Great as an aperitif, it also pairs well will grilled meats, salads.

Lovely salmon pink color. A very delicate nose of strawberry and redcurrant fruit with floral undertones. There is a silky richness on the palate full of red berries balanced with a subtle bready texture. Very accessible. Will also develop nicely over time.

Colmant Brut Rose NV  is made from 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay

This wine spends a minimum of 24 months on the lees at a consistent temperature of 14C before degorgement.15% of the base wine has been barrel fermented.

Pinot Noir 75%, Chardonnay 25% (Franschhoek, Robertson and Elgin).

15% of the blend is made of reserve wine from the previous vintages and 15% of the base wine is barrel fermented.
This wine spends a minimum of 24 months on the lees at a consistent temperature of 14°C before degorgement.

Perfect as a summer sundowner. A delicious complement to white meat, strawberry dessert and decadent dark chocolate.

Review:

"The Brut Rosé (disgorged March 2018) is a blend of 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay with 15% base wine and 15% reserve wine, with the Pinot Noir macerated on its skins for color, matured on the lees for 24 months. Deep salmon in color, it has a fine mousse and attractive strawberry and cherry scents on the nose - no shy and retiring rosé here. The palate is well balanced with Braeburn apples, hints of strawberry and a touch of tart cherries fanning out toward the creamy-textured, satisfying finish. A sparkling rosé that’s proud to be pink!- Neal Martin"

- Vinous (August 28th 2018), 91 pts