Levendi Reserve Chardonnay 2015
6 bottles with free shipping for: $192.00
12 bottles with free shipping for: $360.00
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| Country: | United States |
| Region: | California |
| Grape Type: | Chardonnay |
| Winery: | Levendi |
Brilliant and straw-like in apperance, this wine has notes of lush apple and ripe tropical fruit, such as fresh pineapple. Rich and creamy on the palate this wine finishes with elegance and finesse.
Known for its ideal climate and soil, Napa Valley is home to some of the most celebrated vineyards in the world. Grapes harvested from vineyards located in the Oak Knoll District, Yountville and Oakville make up this stunning Chardonnay. These sustainably-farmed vineyards have given us bountiful and immaculate fruit that captures the rich essence of Napa Valley.
Review:
"Salty brioche and pretzel bread come to mind first on the entry of this wine, both aromatically and on the palate. An intensity of ripe peach and pineapple show through with lush, full-bodied force, accented in vanilla oak."
- Wine Enthusiast (June 2017), 90 pts
"Spicy, creamy, toasty oak is evident from the start and is well-integrated into the pear and apple flavors. The fruit purity sticks out. Drink now through 2020. 1,694 cases made. –JL"
- Wine Spectator (July 2017), 91 pts
And so we say, "Levendi!" Celebrate life!
In ancient Greece, wine was vital to both culture and community. The wines produced were inventive and integrated into every facet of life—from worship to commerce. Today, Mediterranean communities still hold wine in the highest regard. And from one generation to the next, wine is propagated, refined and shared with family.
Levendi Estate Vineyards
The vine is vital to wine. But how that vine grows may be the most important factor to crafting outstanding wines. Levendi produces and works with the best grapes from the finest vineyards in the Valley. Our efforts have proven worthwhile every time we open a bottle!
Next time you pour a glass of our wine, look at it. Breathe it in. Taste it. There are countless hours spent walking the vineyards, checking the vines, hoping for the perfect combination of sun, temperature and rain. There you have it, in your hand the literal fruit of our labors. The grandest return of our careful investment.
We make outstanding wine because our attention to detail is so great. We live in the vineyards. We know our vines. We hand-harvest our grapes. And we're committed to producing intriguing wines from using primarily French oak barrels.
THE SWEETWATER RANCH VINEYARD
The Sweetwater Ranch vineyard produces grapes with intense flavors and individuality that sets it apart from other Napa Cabernet vineyards. Located in the foothills of the Oak Knoll region, the cooler climate bodes well for less tannic, fruit-forward and easy-drinking Cabs.
THE STAGECOACH VINEYARD
The prestigious Stagecoach rests on the southern face of Pritchard Hill adjoining Eastern Oakville from an elevation of 900' climbing to over 1700'. It boasts a collection of the best selections and clones of Cabernet Sauvignon in California. Cool fog rolls off the hills each morning during the summer and the sun shines on the vines for most of each day. This combination of cool nights and lengthy warm days allows for great complexity.
Siegel Unique Selection Red is made from 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Carmenere and 20% Syrah
Aged in French oak barrels for 14-16 months.
Viña Siegel Unique Selection is the utmost expression of our best Los Lingues vineyards located in the Alto Colchagua region.
A deep violet color. There are aromas of cassis and cherries with hints of spices, chocolate and violets. This wine is characterised by its complexity and harmony, with a robust tannic structure.
After carefully selecting the optimum harvest date, the grapes are hand selected, then they are de-stemmed and cold macerated for 5-6 days. Alcoholic fermentation occurs at 26-29°C, during this period pump overs are performed daily at the winemaker’s discretion. Post-fermentative maceration occurs for 2 to 3 weeks. The wine is smoothly clarified. Cold stabilisation only occurs when necessary.
Review:
Lots of flower petal, dark fruit and hits of bark. Full body, round tannins and a flavorful finish. A complete and delicious red. Better in 2017, but why wait?"
- James Suckling (June 6th 2015), 92 pts
"The blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Carmenere and 20% Syrah is an expressive array of deep, black fruit and spice. A vein of chocolate sweetens violets petals and the texture and density of the wine is impressive to the finish. Aged in French oak for 14-16 months. A true-blue match with red meat. - Meridith May"
- The Tasting Panel (Publisher's Picks, April 2016), 92 pts
"Rustic aromas of baked berry fruits, black olive, herbs and eucalyptus lead to a forward, fairly tannic palate. An herbal flavor profile includes olive, blackberry, plum and spice notes, while the finish on this Cabernet-led blend tastes peppery and herbal, which is nothing unusual for Chile. Drink through 2020."
- Wine Enthusiast (June 2016), 91 pts
Ayni Vino de Parcella Gravas is 100% Malbec
Ayni Gravas was created show the diversity of wine profiles that can be derived from Paraje Altamira’s terroir. The goal with this particular wine is to show a markedly calcareous profile that derives in a more intense black fruit flavor profile and a chalky tannin structure with great age potential, as opposed to the more feminine and elegant style which is typical from Paraje Altamira wines.
Chakana plans to further develop this wine, increasing its accents through vineyard selection and oak aging. Over time, production can potentially increase to 10,000 bottles (maximum).
Ayni Gravas is produced from smaller plots of a 20 hectare vineyard in Paraje Altamira, Valle de Uco, Mendoza. Paraje Altamira is a Geographical Indication (IG) located on the alluvial cone of the Tunuyan River. The Ayni vineyard has been planted on virgin soils on the upper (south western) side of the cone. The vineyard is crossed by numerous smaller river beds that once formed the river delta, and these create a pattern of different soil depths and gravel formations, imparting very different characteristics on the wine. Ayni Gravas is produced only with the sections of the vineyard where the calcium carbonated gravels come to the surface and the vines grow amongst them with no soil. Only a smaller percentage of the vineyard (approximately 20%) features these conditions.
Pairs well with grilled meats and stews.
Review:
"This limited release from Paraje Altamira is much more mineral than the other Ayni Malbec bottling. It’s a tad austere at the moment, as well as showing more oak, but there’s plenty of structure here, with savoury tannins, dense fruit and a chalky finish. Just needs more time in bottle. 2019-28"
- Tim Atkin (Argentina Special Report 2017), 94 pts
"The grapes for this wine come from Chakana’s Altamira vineyards, a selection of the property’s most stony/gravel soils (shallow). It’s aged in untoasted wooden vats (foudres) for a full year and today is the new brother of Ayni, Chakana’s traditional red. As seen in recent releases from this producer, especially in the last two vintages that we’ve tasted at “Descorchados”, it’s the red fruit, bracing, and with zip that predominates. Rather than make a more ambitious ripe & woody monster, they opted to lengthen it, to make in more linear, more vertical. This is a little stunner from one of the wineries to keep track of today in Mendoza."
- Descorchads 2018, 95 pts
Alain Jaume Tavel Rose Le Cretace is made from 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre
Rosé de saignée (bleed technique) with a vibrant ruby color, complex and elegant, notes of crushed strawberries and rose petals.
Review:
"I loved the 2016 Tavel Le Crétacé, and this Grenache dominated beauty offers a big, ripe, even a touch reductive nose of black cherries, mineral water and wild strawberries. Elegant, yet rich and textured, it’s a terrific Rosé well worth drinking over the coming year or so. - Jeb Dunnuck"
- Jeb Dunnuck (2017 Rosé Round Up, September 4th 2017), 91 pts
Long Shadows Pedestal Merlot Columbia Valley 2010 is made from 81% Merlot & 19% Cabernet Sauvignon
Michel Rolland, Pomerol vintner and consultant to many of the world's top wineries, teamed with Washington State wine visionary Allen Shoup to produce this limited release wine. The 2010 Columbia Valley growing season was cooler than preceding years earning it comparisons to 1999, a highly-regarded vintage that produced wines with excellent color, flavor and varietal character. A cool spring delayed flowering and reduced fruit set as temperatures remained moderate throughout the summer; but by working with growers to drop clusters and open up the leaf canopies early in the season, the vines were well positioned to complete ripening when the warm weather arrived and extended later than usual into the season.
A big, rich Merlot that’s made by famed Bordeaux consultant Michel Rolland, the 2010 Merlot Pedestal (81% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon) offers knockout aromas and flavors of creme de cassis, black raspberry, crushed flowers, licorice and big minerality to go with a medium to full-bodied, supple and sexy palate that firms up beautifully on the finish. There’s big fruit here, yet overall, it remains perfectly balanced and has sound underlying tannic structure. Give it 3-4 years in the cellar and enjoy over the following decade or more. Drink now-2020.
Producing their first vintage in 2003 and created by Alan Shoup, who was formerly the CEO of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Long Shadow was founded on the idea of bringing world class winemakers to Washington State to make their own top cuvee. Each winemaker gets full control over all aspect of the winemaking and is involved throughout the growing season as well. In addition to the wines reviewed here, I was also able to taste a full lineup of their initial 2003 releases, all of which were in fine form and still youthful. -Wine Advocate #207 Jun 2013 94 Points
Deep red with a slight purple hue on release. The wine has a rich mix of dark chocolate infused with coffee bean and black liquorice, then scents of tar, aniseed, raw (pure) soy and black olive on the nose. The palate is expansive, and yet balanced and finessed. An amalgam of dark berried flavors and textural sensations. The 100% new oak is completely absorbed, meshed with ripe tannins, completing a palate of impressive length and youthfulness.
Parcels of fruit for this wine were identified in the vineyard by the winemakers. Daily fruit inspection led to the fruit being harvested at optimum flavor ripeness. The fruit was harvested at night and quickly transported to the winery. The fruit was destemmed to 6T open fermenters for fermentation. A Shiraz specific yeast was selected to ferment the wine and fermentation was carried out at a maximum of 28°C. The fermenter was manually pumped over twice daily in the first half of fermentation to give the winemakers control of color, flavor and tannin extraction. Pump over regimes were adjusted toward the end of fermentation to suit the tannin and flavor extraction of the wine. The cap was completely broken up on each pump over. The wine remained in fermenters for 6-8 days (dependent on parcel) before being pressed, inoculated with malolactic bacteria and filled to American oak (100% new barrels). The wine was racked post malolactic fermentation and returned to the same barrels. The wine was topped every month and after six months racked and returned to the same barrels again. Prior to bottling the parcels were emptied from oak and blended. Minimal fining and filtration was carried out prior to bottling.
Review:
Thorn Clarke has taken its Shiraz to a new level with this single-vineyard wine, bottled only in exceptional vintages. The 100% new American oak gives this a classic Barossa profile, starting with vanilla, cedar and maple syrup-like notes and flowing seamlessly through ripe blackberry and plum flavors. It's full bodied, lush and creamy in texture, with a long, velvety finish. Drink now–2025, possibly beyond. - Wine Entusiast 96 Points
2012 Vintage:
Voted Best Shiraz in the World at London's International Wine & Spirit Competition
Voted Best Shiraz in the World at London's International Wine & Spirit Competition
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Bright and light golden-yellow in color. Exotic and sweet vanilla bean aromatics backed by pear and kiwi with a slight orange peel. The palate resonates with texture and depth as stone minerality and cream brioche to match. Flavors of roasted plantains, gravenstein apple, and lemon zest frame the wine for a long yet soft finish.
Planted in the early 90’s, this is the coolest vineyard site in the Russian River Valley, located at Lee Martinelli Sr.’s home ranch in Forestville, CA. After riding around with Lee in his pick-up truck when we visited his Woolsey Road, Zio Tony, and River Road Vineyards, he decided to take me to this gem. He kept this particular vineyard in his back pocket until we hit it off. We did, and I think you’ll enjoy the ride as well.
Review:
Elusively crisp and inviting on the nose, this is a thickly intriguing wine, floral in orange blossom and fresh apple. Structured and lengthy, it retains a tangy acidity and structured finish, the grapes sourced from a dry-farmed vineyard. - Wine Enthusiast 92 Points
Tropical notes of pineapple and apricot on the nose. Crisp lemon lime, pear, and white flower wash over the palate.
The 2016 growing hit a rain right at flowering, diminishing the fruit set of the vines. This may have decreased yield, but on the contrary helps with even and quick ripening. With a hot spell at the end it led to a very fruit forward wine with beautful tropical aromatics. 5 - 15 years old vines.
