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Country: | France |
Region: | Bordeaux |
Winery: | Grand-Puy Ducasse |
Grape Type: | Cabernet Sauvignon |
Organic: | Yes |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Château Grand-Puy Ducasse will seduce lovers of great red wines from Pauillac with its exceptional quality marked by a very beautiful aromatic richness. A classic vintage, complete, complex, rich and unctuous, this cuvée promises superb aging potential.
Aging 18 months in French oak barrels (35% new for the 2020 vintage).After manual harvesting in crates and an initial sorting in the vineyard, the grapes are sorted again using the latest generation optical sorting system. Vinification is then carried out in stainless steel temperature controlled tanks however for some of the batches, malolactic fermentation is also carried out in new barrels.
Château Grand-Puy Ducasse’s story began when Arnaud Ducasse bought a “modest“ house on the banks of the river in Pauillac in 1675. Little did he know that it would become a large estate that would remain in his family for almost three centuries. Pierre Ducasse, a lawyer with a passion for wine, considerably extended the land over three parishes - Pauillac, Saint-Lambert and Saint-Sauveur - and three seigneuries: Lafite, Latour and Beychevelle. In 1820, his son built the Château’s winery facing the Gironde estuary. At the time, this was a daring decision: Grand-Puy Ducasse would be the only Château in the area to vinify its
grapes for 200 years. In 1855, the property was included in the prestigious classification of great growths; with 40 hectares of vines spread over 11 different types of soil, its vineyard can be considered as the most representative of the diversity of Pauillac’s terroirs. Since the 1990s, major investments have been made in restructuring the vineyard. In 2004, CA Grands Crus, a subsidiary of the Crédit Agricole Group, has embarked on an ambitious optimization plan. The subsequent construction of a new vat room and barrel storage facilities completed the “Renaissance” plan. The guiding principle of Château Grand-Puy Ducasse and its teams lead by Anne Le Naour and Benjamin Cassoulet is to push rigorous standards even further.
A detailed knowledge of the terroirs made it possible to enhance the adequacy of the plant material to the terroirs. The varietal breakdown of the vineyard consists of Cabernet Sauvignon (59%), Merlot (36%) and Petit Verdot (5%). Pruned in double guyot, the vines have an average age of 25 years.
At Château Grand-Puy Ducasse, they strongly believe that it is necessary to combine quality and sustainable development. In 1996, they decided to stop weeding the vineyards and returned to tillage on 100% of the surfaces. In 2012 an Environmental Management System was implemented. 2014 marked the first experiments in organic farming and 2016 was the first Iso 14001 & HVE3 normed certified vintage. Since then, the agroecological infrastructures have been traced every year and the action plan updated to keep up with their preservation and development.
Boussey Pommard is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Pommard has been cultivated in the area for several Centuries. The name Pommard comes from Pomone, goddess of the fruits and gardens.
The wine boasts a nice cherry red color. The nose is complex and powerful with predominant notes of fruit (Morello cherry, citrus, fresh fig), forest and spice. In the palate, it is powerful and robust with flavors of cherry and spice with well-integrated tannins. Great balance.
Perfect with beefsteak, furred or feathered game, stewed poultry and cheeses like Epoisses.
The Gigondas appellation is naturally delimited by the Dentelles de Montmirail to the east and the upper plateaux of the Ouvèze River to the west. The rugged topography of the Dentelles, amazing limestone pyramids, protects the vines from excessive summer heat and the full force of the mistral. Our vines grow on steep terraces up to 400 metres in altitude.
This Cru Gigondas displays a fine balance between freshness and an impression of sweetness due to old Grenache vines planted at high altitude. The wine is big on the palate, with a dense texture of rich, ripe tannin. Its polished personality reflects a top-rate terroir.
Review:
"Very full, rich and luxurious in style with ripe red berries and some rich, meaty fruit coming through on the palate; grainy and gritty tannins, with plenty to chew on. Feels youthful and tight but harmonious. The lovely acid line brings precision and pep. Tapered finish. Very appealing!"
- Decanter WWA 2022, 96 points and Gold Medal
Capanna Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2015
TYPE: DOCG
BLEND: 100% Sangiovese carefully selected in the oldest vineyards and only of the best harvests.
VINIFICATION:
Alcoholic fermentation with maceration of the skins (30-35 days) at a controlled temperature and spontaneous malolactic fermentation, both in truncated cone-shaped Slavonian oak vats.
AGEING:
In Slavonian oak casks of 10 to 25 hl for over 40 months; followed by ageing in bottles for at least 15 months.
NOTES:
Colour: deep ruby red, strong, lively.
Bouquet: very intense and complex, fruity and spicy, with red fruit, jam and liquorice shades; great prospects of future development.
Taste: great structure in the acid-tannin components, well supported by the soft ones; extremely persistent.
Food pairings: roast red meats, game and very aged cheeses.
Review:
Powerful, sparkling garnet red. Rich, very appealing nose with notes of ripe raspberries and fresh plums, some liquorice and fine spice notes in the background. Grippy, fine-meshed tannin on the palate, builds up in many layers, salty, good tension, very long finish in the finish.
- Falstaff 98 Points
Tasting notes: A brand new wine from this tremendous vineyard, The Sokol Blosser Kalita Vineyard 2021 Estate Pinot Noir bursts with classic Yamhill-Carlton dark-fruit notes, including black cherry, cranberry, and blackberry. Warm spices, espresso, and woodsy forest floor are backed up with grippy tannins to balance the fruit.
Michel Thomas Sancerre Blanc Silex is 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc.
Intensely aromatic and concentrated Sauvignon from the Silex soils, this is a wine of great concentration and excellent balance. Aromas of fresh herbs, with flavors of citrus, ripe gooseberry, apple and a hint of gunflint. A delicious apéritif and the classic match for goat cheese or asparagus.
The special bottling "Silex" is limited each year to between 400-500 cases. They grow grapes on three soil types: 40% Terre Blanche-Argilo-Calcaire, 40% Caillottes-calcaire, 20% Le Roc-Silex. This wine come from the hardest stone soil on the vineyard giving it pleasant notes of fruit and a very dry flavor: This wine is bottled using traditional methods without filtration, allowing for a authentic and natural taste to the wine.
A delicious apéritif and the classic match for goat cheese or asparagus.
Argot Bastard Tongue Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Sonoma Pinot Noir.
Inheriting an unbroken string of success, the “Bastard Tongue” arrives fully-formed and ready to impress. Always a blend from multiple Pinot Noir vineyards, this iteration of “BT” was selected from three distinct sites, each making their own unique contribution of Sonoma County terroir to the wine’s character.
Exploding forth on a tidal wave of high-toned, intense red and black fruits, this is a Pinot Noir that no stemware can contain. The palate’s profound depth is balanced by an inherent freshness, allowing the wine to crackle with brambly energy, while sustained by bass notes of underbrush, black tea, pie spice and baker’s chocolate. A formidable rendition of “Bastard Tongue”, and a deserving successor to its line.
Night harvested by hand throughout September, cluster and berry sorted by hand, de-stemmed, no crushing. 7-day cold soaks, followed by native fermentation in open-top bins. Average time on the skins, 14 days. Aging 20 months in French oak, 100% new. Never racked prior to bottling. Bottled unfined, unfiltered.
Very versatile for pairing. Goes well with grilled meat, vegetable, fish, poultry and cheese.
Review:
Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2020 Pinot Noir Bastard Tongue comes bounding out with energetic notes of black cherry compote, black raspberries, and pomegranate with a beautiful undercurrent of violets and dark chocolate. The full-bodied palate is vibrant and pure, with fine-grained tannins and a lively backbone, finishing very long and perfumed. This is perhaps the best 2020 Pinot I've tasted!
-Wine Independent 96 Points
Argot Le Rayon Vert Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
"Le Rayon Vert", the phenomenon which occurs as the sun dips below the horizon, and a brilliant green flash occurs when sunlight prisms through Earth's atmosphere. Jules Verne wrote "a green which no artist could ever obtain on his palette”, akin to the ethereal, green halo all truly pedigreed Chardonnays radiate from the glass.
Wafting from the glass like a freshly opened stick of Wrigley's gum. Both intense and vibrant, the full-bodied palate delivers Granny Smith apple and stone fruits; confections of custard and sticky vanilla bean; animated by bursts of spearmint and pine forest.
Review:
The 2020 Le Rayon-Vert comes bounding out of the glass with bold notions of lemon meringue pie, fresh apricots, and sea spray, giving way to nuances of struck flint, wet pebbles, and Marcona almonds, plus wafts of lime leaves and mandarin peel. The medium to full-bodied is simply electric, delivering super-intense citrus and mineral layers with a crisp backbone and a very long, chalky finish.
-The Wine Independent 96 Points
Avennia Sestina Red Blend is made from 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc.
The Sestina is a poetic form from Medieval France. Just as a contemporary poet can use an old form like the Sestina to express modern ideas, we use the traditional Bordeaux blend to make modern wines that express Washington fruit. Sestina is our vision for an old vine blend where the focus is on structure, balance, and complexity. This wine is designed for the cellar, but is enjoyable now.
Sestina: This wine is a blockbuster, with black currant, black raspberry, saddle leather, freshly tilled earth, vanilla, and violet on the nose. Exceedingly rich and balanced on the palate, with great poise and structure for long aging. The finish echoes with fresh black fruits, minerally touches, and floral notes.
Review:
The 2020 Sestina showed beautifully, with lots of ripe black fruits, tobacco, and spring flower notes in a medium to full-bodied, fresh, focused, elegant style. It has fine tannins and a great finish and should drink nicely right out of the gate. The tannins here are terrific.
Jeb Dunnuck 94-96 Points
Color: Deep ruby red with violet hints
Nose: Complex and intense, features black berries, cherries and plum, with delicate floral notes and spices.
Mouth: Balanced and fresh, full bodied with good length of spices.
Review:
"A cellar selection coming from a vineyard that sits 3,200 feet above sea level, the 2020 Malbec Ayni Paraje Altamira sports a deep purple hue as well as gorgeous aromatics of ripe black and blue fruits, savory herbs, graphite, and hints of tobacco. It's ripe, powerful, full-bodied, and opulent, with a silky, seamless mouthfeel and beautiful overall length. This fruit-loaded, sexy, powerful effort will drink well for at least 7-8 years."
- Jeb Dunnuck (Importer Highlight: Fran Kysela ; July 2024), 95 pts
Ayni Malbec Paraje Altamira is made from 100 percent Malbec.
Ayni is the Quechua term for the principle of reciprocity, practiced for centuries by the Andean people - "in order to receive, you first have to give." Chakana's renowned Paraje Altamira vineyard, which sits 3,300 feet above sea level, bears the name Ayni & is the source of the Ayni wines.
Deep ruby-red in color with violet hints. Complex and intense bouquet, featuring blackberries, cherries and plums, with delicate floral notes and spices. Balanced and fresh; full-bodied with good length of spices.
Pairs well with grilled meats and stews.
Review:
-Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points
Bressia Monteagrelo Malbec is made from 100 percent Malbec.
Aged in French oak barrels for 12 months. No filtration and no fining.
Bressia Monteagrelo combines the soul of each varietal, its intimate relationship with the origin and its deep roots with a unique terroir in the world...Monteagrelo is our family of wines and, as in any family, each one expresses their own identity and varietal personality that makes them unforgettable and unrepeatable." - Walter Bressia
Monteagrelo Malbec is sourced from vineyards in Tupungato, La Consulta & Agrelo. Planted 6,500 plants per hectare.
Attractive and intense red-colored wine with purple tones. It exhibits ripe red and black fruit aromas, mixed with vanilla, chocolate and coffee nuances. Good concentration, great structure, delicate tannins and a long, harmonious finish.
Review:
"The 2020 Malbec Monteagrelo was aged for 12 months in French oak. Purple in the glass. The intense aromas feature plum liqueur, cassis and hints of blackberry in an oaky, cigar box frame. The palate is broad and full-bodied with a channeled but voluminous, grippy flow. - Joaquín Hidalgo"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (January 2023), 92 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:
"This Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre blend grows on 40-year-old vines among the galets roulés – large stone pebbles, on sand and clay soils. While 10% is fermented in used casks, 90% of the wine goes in stainless steel. It’s a garden of heather and sage, with chocolate mint and salted, cured meats and anise. Its prowess shows in its red fruit aromas, its elegant mouthfeel, and freshness on the palate."
- The Tasting Panel (January/February 2022), 95 pts
"Stunningly fresh and pure forest-berry and herb aromas pour from the glass of this rich, yet beautifully proportioned Lirac. Beautiful integration of tannin, fruit and alcohol on the full yet silky and fresh palate. Long, velvety finish that pulls you back for more. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold."
- James Suckling (February 2022), 94 pts
Camus Graves Blanc is made from 50% Sauvignon Blanc and 50% Semillon.
A beautiful, brilliant color, this wine offers a great aromatic balance with complex and mineral notes, Offering white fruit (peach and pear), citrus (grapefruit and lemon), and a toasty finish with a delicate oak presence. The mouthfeel is rich and complex with a great minerality, freshness, structure, and a good length to the finish.
Pairs with poultry, fish, and shellfish.