Gaja Costa Russi Barbaresco Langhe 2016

Gaja Barbaresco Sori Tildin is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo.

Review:

The 2016 Barbaresco Sorì Tildìn is a fabulous, incredibly complete wine that soars out of the glass with explosive structure and vertical lift. The tannins are very much present, but also matched beautifully by the wine's aromatic intensity and overall drive. Dark macerated cherry, spice, leather, licorice, plum and mocha add darker shades of nuance. In 2016, Sorì Tildìn is a bit more brooding and bigger than it often is, and yet all the elements are impeccably balanced. It is quite simply a majestic wine of real grandeur and total class, but it is not obvious. Sorì Tildìn will appeal most to readers who understand what the truest essence of Nebbiolo is all about. In a word: magnificent! - 

-- Antonio Galloni  Vinous 100 Points

Gaja Barbaresco is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo.

The flagship of the Gaja family, this wine is produced from Nebbiolo grapes and named for its village of origin. Deep garnet in color, the aroma is complex and sensual with notes of forest fruit, plum, licorice, mineral and coffee. The texture is supple with fine, silky tannins and bright acidity leading to a long finish.

STYLE: Complex, Dense, Structured

FLAVOR: Forest Fruit, Plum, Licorice, Mineral, Coffee

After fermentation is complete, the separate lots are then aged for one year in barriques (20% new, with a balance in one and two year old casks). The 14 lots are then blended and racked to large Slavonian oak casks ranging in age from five to fifteen years.

Review:

The Gaja 2017 Barbaresco is nuanced and delicate with ever-expanding aromatic intensity that amply fills the balloon of your glass. The wine takes a little while to open fully, and it slowly releases forest berry, powdered licorice, toasted aniseed, spearmint, dried lavender and rosemary essence to build a lasting bouquet. The mouthfeel is streamlined and almost steely, with an extremely linear approach that adds to its length and persistency. The tannins are tucked into the wine's delicate fiber, but you do feel the extra textural firmness of the hot vintage nonetheless. As we have seen in past vintages, more definition is added by a pretty mineral note that is a common thread in these wines from Gaja. Production is 38,000 bottles. - Wine Advocate 95 Points

Fragrant and refined, this opens with heady scents of wild berry, rose petal, camphor and underbrush. Elegantly structured, the polished palate offers ripe Marasca cherry, blood orange and star anise framed in taut, fine-grained tannins. Drink 2022–2029.  -Wine Enthusiast 95 Points 

This gorgeous red evokes rose, strawberry, raspberry and cherry fruit, shaded by tobacco, tar and wild thyme notes. Pure, sleek and intense, with a firm base of tannins and vibrant acidity for support. This should evolve beautifully. Be patient. Best from 2022 through 2043. 1,800 cases imported.  -Wine Spectator 96 Points

Russian River Pinot Noir Horseridge is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.

This Pinot Noir’s full, yet delicate quality makes it a highly sought-after wine. A multiple award winner. Horseridge Vineyards lies just 8 miles from the Pacific Ocean on an east facing slope facing the Mayacamas Mountains. The cool night breeze preserves the acidity in the grapes while the warm summer day allows the vines to produce just the perfect amount of sugar in each cluster.
Four consecutive vintages of ultra-premium quality fruit has marked Horseridge Vineyards as a consistently excellent source of Pinot Noir grapes. Feminine in style, balanced, elegant, fruit forward, lush, soft, sleek, lasting finish, velvet, bright fruit, great acidity, blueberry, cranberry, tart berry not over ripe fruit. This Pinot will age beautifully over the next 8-10 years!

Review:

"I like the purity of fruit to this with sweet and dried berries on the center palate. It’s full-bodied and layered with fine tannins and a delicious, savory and fruity finish. Just a hint of toasted oak at the end. Drink or hold."
- James Suckling (November 2020), 92 pts

"Earthy, spicy, layered and full bodied, this is a fleshy, robust and richly expressive wine, generous on the palate in black cherry and cola. A spicy finish of cinnamon and black pepper gives it a lasting impression. - VIRGINIE BOONE"

- Wine Enthusiast (January 2020), 93 pts

Russian River Pinot Noir Stony Point is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir. 

he wine is produced from a vineyard in the Sebastopol Hills neighborhood of the Russian River Valley, less than twenty miles from the coast where the climate is affected daily by the ocean, wind and its fog. This cool climate, combined with the sun exposure provided by a southern-facing hillside vineyard, creates a low yielding, slow ripening environment which is perfect for Pinot Noir. The balance of fruit and minerality shows beautifully in this easy-drinking crowd pleaser! The result is a wine with especially bright acidity which is perfectly balanced with tart, bing cherry accents, earthy notes, forest floor, mushroom, hints of smoke. Rich and creamy on the palate, this is an excellent example of a classic Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.

Venancio da Costa Lima Palmela Reserva is made from 100% Castelao (also known as Periquita) 

Intense garnet color, complex nose with touches of ripe fruit, jam and spices, full-bodied flavor and a very balanced finish.

100% Castelao (also known as "Periquita" and "Joao de Santarem". As the most widely-grown red grape variety in Portugal it is still often referred to in Portuguese as Periquita, although that name is legally owned by José Maria da Fonseca in the Setúbal Peninsula outside of Lisbon. It is highly adaptable to different climatic conditions and its remarkable versatility enables winemakers to make a range of wines – from the easy drinking and quaffable reds and rosados to the powerful and intense reds perfectly suited to lengthy cellaring. Castelão comes into its own and is most expressive in the Sétubal Peninsula, where it makes meaty and intense wines with aromas of red berries and blue flowers that marry well with the deft use of oak.

Made from 45 year old vines.

Classic vinification at controlled temperature (25 °C) with prolonged maceration for phenolic extraction. Wine went through malolactic fermentation.

Wine was slightly fitered before bottling to avoid sedimentation in the bottle and to ensure stability.

Pasta, Cheese, red meat and game.

Textured, classic Russian River Chardonnay with pleasing counterbalance between ripeness and acidity,distinguishable by underlying minerality, quality oak.

The nose is a blend of pear fruit and caramel. On the palate, these notes continue and are balanced with a hint of Rangbur lime in the finish. The crisp acidity is a perfect balance to the richness of the wine. This is to my mind exactly what RRV CH can be when top sites are well farmed and winemaking is focused.

Eric Flanagan and his family live on the vineyard property the Chardonnay comes from.