Corne Loup Lirac Rouge 2016

Corne Loup Cotes du Rhone Rouge is made from 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre.

Color: dark red ruby.
Aromas: red berries, truffles and spices.
Flavors: complex and rich. It shows red and black fruits, with an herbal spice type of aromas coming from the surrounding vegetation (Garrigue).

The average age of the vines is 40 years. (The oldest vines are 80 years old). Yield: 40 hl/ha The soil is mainly sandy marl and small pebble stones.

Lamb, duck, turkey, red meat, game and cheese.

Corne Loup Cotes du Rhone Blanc is made from 50% Grenache Blanc, 20% Clairette, 15% Roussanne and 15% Viognier.

The wine has a pale straw color with brilliant reflection. In the nose, it displays great aromatics, mainly citrus fruit. The palate is well balanced, with a lot of finesse and persistence.

Delicious when paired with seafood (seashell and fish). It is also great by itself as an aperitif.

Cornerstone Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. 

A bountiful collection of robust aromas reveals its classic Calistoga character of both red and black fruit with a just a hint of earthiness. Complex, yet integrated the black licorice, anise, brown sugar and spice flavors are wrapped around a silky layer of vanilla. Both elegant and powerful, this Cabernet checks all the boxes delivering ripe summer fruit and dark red berry characteristics. The fine-grained tannins show its age-worthiness, but it is ready to enjoy right now.

Review:

"A rounded, plump, delicious Cabernet, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Calistoga gives up lots of cassis and blackberry fruit as well as toasted spice, chocolate, and leafy herbs. It's medium to full-bodied, has sweet tannins, no hard edges, and loads of charm."
- Jeb Dunnuck (May 2020), 90 pts

Mordoree Lirac Rouge Reine des Bois equal parts Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre

Color : deep dark red, with blueish hints.
Aromas : highly fruity ( raspberry, billberry, blackberry ), floral (violet) and intense with a grilled touch ( coffee ).
Palate : melted and concentrated tannins, full bodied, very long fresh finish.
Ageing potential : 8 to 10 years

Grilled meats, sauce meats, game birds, game rabbits and semi-mature cheeses.

Review:

"The 2014 Lirac Cuvee de La Reine des Bois is an incredible effort that transcends the vintage and is easily the wine of the vintage from Lirac. Possessing fabulous purity and elegance, with medium to full-bodied richness, classic notes of crème de cassis, caramelized meats, violets and licorice, sweet tannin and a great finish, I doubt it will be the longest lived example of this cuvée, but man, hats off to the team for this killer wine in a difficult vintage! - Jeb Dunnuck"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue 227, October 28th 2016), 93 pts

Segries Secret Grange Lirac Rouge  is made from 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah.

This is a new wine for Chateau de Segries. 2013 is the first vintage.

The wine is dark and inky. 
The aromas are intense and complex. It has fruit flavors of course, Strawberry and Blackberry, but it also have some interesting spice components, garrigue, pepper and licorice.

The finish is long and very pleasant as the tannins are round and well integrated.

La Grange is the name of the parcel where the grapes are grown. The soil is Clay and Limestone.
The average age of the vines is 80 years old.

Classic vinification in temperature controlled tanks. The skin contact maceration lasted 30 days and was completed in cement tanks.

The wine went through MaloLactic fermentation and was bottled without filtration.La Grange is the name of the parcel where the grapes are grown. The soil is Clay and Limestone.

The average age of the vines is 80 years old.

Classic vinification in temperature controlled tanks. The skin contact maceration lasted 30 days and was completed in cement tanks.

The wine went through MaloLactic fermentation and was bottled without filtration.

Review:

"The estate’s top wine is the 2016 Lirac Secret de la Grange, a 90-10 blend of Grenache and Syrah that never sees oak. This full-bodied blend is fabulously concentrated and lush, with ripe fruit flavors of raspberries and stone fruits, an intriguing hint of almond paste and a rich, long finish tinged with licorice. It should drink well for up to a decade. - Joe Czerwinski"

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #233, October 2017), 93 pts

Crisp, spice-inflected blackberry and black cherry flavors are anchored by a cooling mineral undertone in this stand-out Grenache-Syrah blend. It's ripe and glossy on the palate but pertly balanced with bristling aciditywine enthusiast 93 pts and a lingering stony finish. At peak now but should improve through 2028 and hold further. - ANNA LEE C. IIJIMA" - --

-Wine Enthusiast (December 2020), 93 pts

Cornerstone Cellars Benchlands Cabernet Sauvignon  is made from 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.

Blackberry, dark Bing cherry, and a hint of licorice notes lead the charge, with a touch of vanilla and a touch of ripe plum close behind. The first sip is as smooth and luscious as you might expect. The sweet black fruit at the start is intertwined with complex layers of cassis, dark chocolate, blueberries, and baking spice. The finish lingers with spice and sweet fruit, on a bed of supple tannins, which simply begs for another sip. This has everything we have come to know and love about Cabernet grown in the best viticultural areas of Napa Valley.

Review:

"This wine has a sticky grip to it, tannins that weigh around a huge concentration of cedar, clove and varietal cassis. The structure is impressive and lengthy, giving it a boost of complexity and power. - Virginie Boone"

- Wine Enthusiast (September 2020), 91 pts