In 1992 the Hill-Smith family counted themselves amongst those fortunate enough to own a vineyard upon the famous Coonawarra terra rossa soil over limestone. Experimentation, innovation, minimalist intervention and small batch winemaking has resulted in The Menzies’ reputation as a wine of longevity, elegance and structure.
Situated in the heart of Coonawarra’s terra rossa strip, The Menzies Estate vineyard lies on a flat plain, approximately 70km from the coast. Given the terrain and influence of the cooling Bonney upwelling, Coonawarra is an ideal location to grow premium Cabernet Sauvignon. Our soil is red sandy loam over limestone, which is classic Cabernet Sauvignon country. The grapes for The Menzies 2017 are from vines planted in 1994 and 1996. Bunches are usually small with small berries, giving concentration via an ideal skin to juice ratio favouring the making of fullbodied reds.
Experimentation, innovation, minimalist intervention, and small batch winemaking has resulted in The Menzies' reputation as a wine of longevity, elegance, and structure.
Aromas of fresh rosemary, mulberry, violets and exotic spices. Take a sip and you will feel the poise and tension for which great Cabernet is renowned. A wine of great complexity with flavors of blackcurrant, bitter chocolate, and mulberries, wrapped in divine tannins and a lovely sweet, dark fruit finish. With decanting in its youth, it is enjoyable as an elegant full-bodied red wine.
Review:
The 2017 The Menzies Cabernet Sauvignon is looking good next to the 2016 tasted beside it. It is fresh and vibrant, with layers of complexing dark earth characters, with cigar box, black olive brine, cassis, bramble, milk chocolate and cracked black pepper. This is very good, and it has what I am coming to recognize as a "Yalumba red character": dried herbs, particularly oregano. The juicy splay of fruit through the finish is a highlight.
-Wine Advocate 95 Points
In 1992 the Hill-Smith family counted themselves amongst those fortunate enough to own a vineyard upon the famous Coonawarra terra rossa soil over limestone. Experimentation, innovation, minimalist intervention and small batch winemaking has resulted in The Menzies’ reputation as a wine of longevity, elegance and structure.
Situated in the heart of Coonawarra’s terra rossa strip, The Menzies Estate vineyard lies on a flat plain, approximately 70km from the coast. Given the terrain and influence of the cooling Bonney upwelling, Coonawarra is an ideal location to grow premium Cabernet Sauvignon. Our soil is red sandy loam over limestone, which is classic Cabernet Sauvignon country. The grapes for The Menzies 2017 are from vines planted in 1994 and 1996. Bunches are usually small with small berries, giving concentration via an ideal skin to juice ratio favouring the making of fullbodied reds.
Experimentation, innovation, minimalist intervention, and small batch winemaking has resulted in The Menzies' reputation as a wine of longevity, elegance, and structure.
Aromas of fresh rosemary, mulberry, violets and exotic spices. Take a sip and you will feel the poise and tension for which great Cabernet is renowned. A wine of great complexity with flavors of blackcurrant, bitter chocolate, and mulberries, wrapped in divine tannins and a lovely sweet, dark fruit finish. With decanting in its youth, it is enjoyable as an elegant full-bodied red wine.
Review:
The 2018 The Menzies Cabernet Sauvignon is luscious and velvety in the mouth, with a lustrous core of shimmering purple Cabernet fruit. The tannins are typical of Coonawarra in that they are firm, yet they are seamlessly inlaid into the fruit, which feels as if it spills over the edge of the glass. Seductive but rigid, it will have a long life in front of it, make no mistake. You get cassis, resin, licorice, raspberry, gravel/iodine, bay leaf, dark chocolate, after dinner mints (the only brand to be had is the After Eight mints, of course), and notions of cedar spice. Brilliant. 14% alcohol, sealed under cork.
-Wine Spectator 95 Points
The 2020 Oakville Winery Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits aromas of cherry and raspberry with notes of fresh roses, vanilla, dust, and pencil shaving. The rhythmic structure between the granular tannings and the vibrant acidity allows the sensation of a long, refreshing finish. This Cabernet Sauvignon can be aged for a decade bringing all the earthy components of a classic Napa Cab.
A New York strip steak with butter, mushrooms, and herbs will melt when you pair it with this wine.
The 2022 Jayson Chardonnay achieves a beautiful equilibrium of richness, buoyancy, and intricacy. Aromas of sweet Meyer lemon, crushedalmond, and grilled pineapple lead to a concentrated palate of bright lemon curd and orange blossom honey underscored by fresh pear andtoasted nuttiness with a hint of baking spice. The texture is classic Pahlmeyer, plush and detailed, while the presence of bright Carneros fruitbrings energy and litheness. Flavors are lifted and extended on a spine of bright acidity, the lingering finish striking an ideal balance betweenopulence and mouthwatering freshness.
Review:
This generous, buttery and spicy wine is sourced from several parts of Napa Valley and brings gorgeous richness to the nose, palate and finish. Elements of brown butter, marzipan, toasted almonds and poached pears flood the flavors, with vanilla bean and a touch of sweet coconut. Barrel fermented in 36% new French oak, it’s full-bodied and nicely viscous in texture.
James Suckling 93 Points
Antica Vigna Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva is made from 65% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 10% Corvinone, 5% Merlot.
Amarone DOCG has maintained unchanged its typicality, so that “the essence of the territory” of Valle di Mezzane and Cazzano di Tramigna powerfully emerges. Rich in color, firmly structured but with fresh notes.
WINEMAKING AND AGING:
Manual harvest early October with selection of the best bunches.
Drying: natural drying in fruit cellar for 3/4 months with a sharp drop in weight of around 30%.
Vinification: soft crushing of destemmed grapes in the months of January and February.
Fermentation: at a controlled temperature of 18/21°C. Fermentation time: about 30 days
Aging:· 80% in oak barrels for 30 months of which 2/3 in American and French barriques, half of which are used for the second and third time, 1/3 in large
THE TERRITORY:
Geographical location: Tenuta di Mezzane, Tenuta di Cazzano di Tramigna
Height: 350/400 meters asl
Exposure: south
Soil type: limestone
Vineyard training system: guyot and pergola
Vine planting year: from 1972 to 2009
Vine density: 4,000 to 5,400 vines per hectare Vineyard management: sustainable agriculture and great attention to natural
cycles
Pairs well with grilled and roasted meats, as well as cheese.
Timeless Notes:
Dark cherry in color, firm on the palate with a vibrant acidity underbelly. Thought lush on the palate the flavors are complex and elegant from entry to mid-palate with hints of currant and wild berries. The finish brings in a touch of tobacco and leather notes ,classic examples of this region, with more ripe fruit flavors that linger on long strain tannin finish. Complex with depth and elegance on the palate. This one is drinking now, but can handle more time in the cellar with ease. An excellent value in the Riserva category.
Charles Smith K Vintners Powerline Estate Syrah is made from 100 percent Syrah.
Friendly, approachable and vivacious, yet also dark and mysterious. Black cherry, allspice, black ash, and orange blossom. Thyme and flint with ark fruit, cedar, kelp, black pepper, juniper, crushed rock, and tons of complex floral notes. Fear not, embrace it.
While just bottled a week before this tasting, the 2019 Syrah Powerline Vineyard certainly wasn't showing any worse for it, offering a stunning bouquet of ripe red and black fruits as well as white pepper, sandalwood, tobacco, and new leather. Pure, medium to full-bodied, and vibrant, with supple, polished tannins, this brilliant Syrah is going to keep for 10-12 years, if not longer.
-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
Justin Isosceles Proprietary Red Paso Robles is made from 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc.
In 1987, we made our first vintage of a wine styled after the famous First Growth producers of Bordeaux, created with the same uncompromising care as the Grands Vins of those venerable chateaux. For more than 30 vintages, ISOSCELES has been our flagship wine and quality benchmark for this style of wine here on the Central Coast of California. A blend based on Cabernet Sauvignon supported by Cabernet Franc and Merlot, the 2018 ISOSCELES shows why Paso Robles is such a great place to grow these varieties.
Full-bodied, with ripe black fruit, complex baking spice and amazingly ready to drink right out of the gate, you can try a bottle or two now, but make sure to save a few to enjoy this wine as it continues to evolve after some time in the cellar.
Appearance: Deep ruby/purple core with black secondary color, lighter toward the rim with moderate plus viscosity and slow forming, moderately stained tears.
Aroma: Very aromatic and complex with ripe black cherry and cassis fruit, vanilla, cinnamon and licorice spice with sweet tobacco, cedar, leather and camphor notes.
Palate: Full-bodied with ripe black cherry and blackcurrant fruit complemented with baking spice and oak notes on entry. Sustained fruit and spice are joined by savory autumn leaf, cedar and leather on the mid-palate with mouth filling, fine tannins that lead into a long, complex and balanced finish with attractive fruit, spice, cedar and subtle camphor notes.
Try it with a classic herb crusted roasted rack of lamb, a grilled prime ribeye steak, or the exquisite cheeseburgers with tomato, arugula, bacon jam and chive aioli from The Restaurant at JUSTIN.
Review:
A stunning Bordeaux blend with smooth, intense flavors of plum, toast, and chocolate. Dense, layered, and balanced, with a long, concen- trated finish.
-Tasting Panel 95 Points
Thibeaud-Maillet Pomerol is made from 100 percent Merlot
Deep ruby with black rim. The nose is spicy, with blackberry, cherry, vanilla, chocolate and a delicate oak presence.
The wine is balanced, the tannins are present, but well integrated and round.
The finish is long and pleasant.
Harvest is done manually and the berries are selected with optical sorting before entering the cellar. Fermentations are carried out at controlled temperature with 3 to 4 weeks of skin contact. Once the malolactic fermentation is completed; the wines are put into barrels (50% new) and aged for 12 months. The estate uses three barrels from three different coopers: Vicard (Charentes)supplying most of the barrels with medium toast and a fine grain, Cadius from Burgundy supplies also fine grain/ medium toasts barrels and last but not least Sylvain, a local cooper is used for three barriques a year, those bring a bit more austerity but also a certain backbone to the blend.
Aged in French oak barrels for 15 months (50% new oak).
Delicious with grilled meat and grilled vegetables.
Review:
Spice, ripe cherry, dark plum, paprika and tobacco aromas. Medium- to full-bodied with tight-grained tannins, compact fruit and a long, firm finish. Drink from 2027.
-James Suckling 92 Points