Domaine de la Janasse Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Vieilles Vignes 2018

Domaine de Beaurenard Chateauneuf-du-Pape Boisrenard Rouge is made from 66%) Grenache, with smaller amounts of Mourvèdre and Syrah 12% each.

2019 vintage is in line with the top vintages of the decade. After a nice winter, spring came slowly, when our famous wind “Mistral” helped to keep a healthy environment in the vineyard during the important growing season. The last week of June, Rhône Valley vineyards went through a heat wave with temperatures above 45°C (113 °F). Fortunately, our biodynamic sprays of horn dungs, silicas, chamomiles, nettles and essential oils, combined with good water reserves in soil from 2018, helped the vines to continue their growth in great condition. Thanks to gentle rains in August and September, we were able to pick beautiful, healthy and balanced grapes.

Made from old vines of different varieties growing together, with moderate yields, Boisrenard is characterized by the silky weave of its tannins and its generous fruit. A wine of immense depth.

Review:

Mostly (66%) Grenache, with smaller amounts of Mourvèdre and Syrah (12% each), and tiny amounts of the other permitted varieties, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Boisrenard is inky in color, with aromas that hint at toasted coconut, black cherries and chocolate. It's a rich, decadent, full-bodied sexpot of a CdP that possess admirable concentration, a wonderfully creamy-silky texture and a long, long finish.

-Wine Advocate 96 Points

Nicolas Potel Domaine de Bellene Beaune Premier Cru Vieilles Vignes Hommage a Francoise Potel is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir. 

A blend of five premier cru climats, this homage to Nicolas Potel’s late mother has a lovely and engaging aroma that combines delicate floral nuances with finely structured dark cherry and blueberry fruit. Even some cranberry emerges on the superbly focused mid-palate. A very elegant wine, with fine length.

Review:

- Wine Spectator 92 Points

Domaine de Beaurenard Chateauneuf-du-Pape is made from  65% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre.

Domaine de Beaurenard’s flagship wine is a quintessential blend, reflecting all the diversity of the terroir and the perfect synergy that exists between the soils and the grapes. It offers a supple and refined texture associated with a delicate aromatic palette that is the result of a constant quest for freshness.

Review:

Checking in as a blend of 65% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, and the rest a handful of varieties, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape was brought up in a mix of foudre and older barrels. This deep ruby/purple-hued effort has a pure, vibrant, incredibly seamless, medium to full-bodied style that carries classic notes of black raspberry and black cherry fruits as well as peppery herbs, violets, spring flowers, and sous bois. This straight-up gorgeous, seamless, ultra-fine 2019 should be snatched up by readers. It has a rare mix of elegance, purity, and power, and it’s going to have two decades of prime drinking.

-Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points

Betz Family Domaine de Pierres Syrah is made from 100% Syrah.

With our long history of making single site syrah's in Washington, it made sense for us to venture into the Rocks District of Milton Freewater in the Walla Walla Valley to bring you our newest syrah, "Domaine de Pierres."

The Rocks AVA produces syrah that shows a distinct character, separating it from any other site in Washington State. One thing in particular that has drawn people here is the gallet stones present throughout the valley. They are very similar to the pudding stones that are found in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and can be anywhere from golf ball size, to softball size or larger. Since we purchased the vineyard in 2014 we have been tilling the earth multiple times every season to expose these rocks. The gallet stones act like a heat sink, giving a little extra push to help ripen syrah in an area with marginal heat accumulation. 

In the glass, Domaine de Pierres stands out from our other syrah's because of its incredibly savory profile. Notes of roasted meat, fresh herbs, olive tapenade, tobacco and graphite are supported by dark fruit, espresso, and lavendar. The wine has a lower acidity and higher PH than our other wines, which contributes to a velvety, full bodied mouthfeel. Even in the cellar, we immediately noticed a difference in the color, aromatics and flavor that these syrah grapes were able to express. 

The other big reason that we are so excited about the wine from this particular AVA, is that the history of the Rocks is happening right now! Our vineyard, “Ancient Stones,” has only been planted there since 2007, and the beginning of the Rocks as a wine growing region only really started in the 1990's. There is a lot of energy and exploration going on, and it has been a fun experience for our team to be a part of it.  We still have so much to learn about this region and it is very exciting to feel like we are on the upward swing!

Review:

Coming from the Ancient Stones Vineyard in the Rocks region of Walla Walla, the 2018 Syrah Domaine De Pierres is 100% Syrah that was not destemmed and was brought up in a mix of small and larger barrels. Classic Rocks notes of red and blue fruits, peppered game, exotic flowers, sweet mulch, and other herbal and cedary notes define the bouquet, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a soft, rounded texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish. While it has plenty of funkiness, it also has ample fruit as well as purity. It's approachable today yet will keep for 10-15 years.

-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points

Bellevue Cotes de Castillon Cuvee Vieilles Vignes is made from 65% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc.  Aged in mostly new oak barrels (90% French oak and 10% American oak), and some Château Haut Brion 2nd Barrels.

The wine offers a rich and intense bouquet of blackcurrant, blackberry and strawberry. It is smooth and full in the mouth with a velvety texture. Acidity combined with firm but well-integrated tannins are a fine supporting cast to the black fruit flavors at the end.

Review:

"Céline Lydoire grows this wine at her family’s 34-acre estate in Belvès, the vines growing in clay-limestone soils. Her old-vine fruit is often a gentle and delicate take on Castillon, and this 2016, while solidly built, is shy, with a persistent flavor undertow of black raspberries and dark chocolate. The flavors keep giving in the end, showing the stamina to age. - J.G."

- Wine & Spirits (June 2021), 91 points

Landes Cuvee Prestige Lussac Saint Emilion is made from 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc

Color: deep dark ruby intense color
Aroma: racy and aromatic nose with aromas of ripe red fruit, floral notes, wood and spice with a touch of vanilla.
Taste: this wine has a good structure and some powerful aromas of raspberries, blackcurrant, vanilla and it is powerful with a complex finish. The oak is present but not dominant. The tannins are quite well integrated already.

Average age of the Vines: 60 years Yield : 50 hectoliters / hectare. Grape picking: harvest by machine. Vats: Stainless steel thermoregulated and computerized. Fermentation: 45 to 50 days with a final 35°C warm steeping. Winemaking: Malolactic fermentation in new oak barrel. Ageing: 16 months in new French Oak barrels from Allier and Limousin. Annual production: 10,000 bottles. (833 cases)

Review:

"Aromas of violets, cherries, currants, chocolate and praline. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, fine-grained tannins. Creamy with a flavorful, juicy finish. Drink from 2023."

- James Suckling (March 2021), 91 pts