Red

La Spinona Barbaresco Secondine is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo. 

This single-vineyard Barbaresco comes from his 3.5 hectares on the cru of Secondine. It is the commune of Barbaresco below the zone of Rabaja Basa and Paje and is where Gaja’s San Lorenzo is located. It is 230 meters above sea level with a southern exposure.

Excellent with game, red meats, truffle dishes and aged cheeses.

Color: Deep ruby red with a hint of garnet in the reflections.
Bouquet: Bright bouquet full of cherries, raspberries, licorice and floral notes.
Taste: Elegant and refined with delicate, soft tannins. It is fresh, velvety and extremely well balanced.

Review:

-James Suckling 94 Points

Tenute Mannino Etna Rosso Vasadonna Prefillossera is a red Etna obtained from old vineyards that give life to the typical grapes of the volcano, Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio. The wine, with a beautiful light, presents a ruby red color, hints of good finesse with hints of spices and red fruits, aromatic herbs and mineral notes to the nose. The mouthfeel is full, warm and well balanced with tannins that express all the minerality of the volcano, and its freshness that lead to a long and persistent finish.

Then the wine is aged in French Oak barrels for 2 more years.Manual harvest in the second half of October. Spontaneous alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks for 6 months.
The vineyards are located in the districts Bragaseggi in the Municipality of Castiglione di Sicilia, on the North side of the volcano at 620 meters above sea level.

The Walls Curiositas Cabernet Sauvignon is made from  100% Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Walls Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a variety of vineyards in the Red Mountain AVA providing structure and power on the nose and palate. Extremely aromatic and super silky tannins – loads of freshness, energy, full spectrum and super complex, with that great combination of weightlessness but great texture and length.

Review:

Coming from Red Mountain and 83% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Cabernet Franc brought up in 80% new French oak, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Curiositas offers more red and black fruits to go with classic Red Mountain minerality, notes of graphite and tobacco, full-bodied richness, and building, firm, yet ripe tannins. It's going to need 3-5 years of bottle age, but it’s a classic expression of this terroir.
- Jeb Dunnuck 94-96 Points

It is the purest example of tempranillo grapes from Rioja Alavesa. Coming from a vineyard over a hundred years old with an extremely low production. You can taste a high concentration of ripe fruit, well-bodied, with a final touch of toffee and lime soil plus a perfect acidity which makes this wine fresh and very tempting.

VINEYARD From the Cuba Negra Vineyard in southern Labastida, the El Belisario bottling comes from Tempranillo vines planted in 1910.

ALCOHOL 14.5%

PROCESS Fermented naturally in oak foudre. Malolactic fermentation and aging occur in 100% new French oak barriques over two years.

TASTING Along with its brilliant garnet color, aromas of cherries, dried plums, black pepper, and savory mushroom leap from the glass. The palate is fresh and concentrated with mixed red and black fruit, chocolate, menthol, and coffee. Displays a surprisingly elegant nature. Pair with game, red meat and dark chocolate.

Review:

One of those wines that makes you belief in the special magic of old vines, El Belisario hails from La Greña, parcel planted on limestone rich soils in 1910. Aged in older French barrels, it's a focused, nuanced, wonderfully expressive Tempranillo with raspberry, pomegranate and red cherry fruit, filigree tannins, energetic acidity and sweet, caressing oak spices.

96 Points - Top Rated Single Vineyard in Tim Atkin's 2023 Rioja report

Winemaking:  This wine is a classic Bordeaux blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec, 8% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot .

Block 21 Cabernet is a single vineyard selection from the Trione Cloverdale Ranch, located on the western flank of the Mayacamas Mountains, in the northern portion of Alexander Valley. The vines, planted in 2001 with Bordeaux clone 337, grow in clay and sandy loam soils underlain with a high percentage of gravel. Cabernet Sauvignon grown in this ideal terroir develops deep, concentrated flavors and fine, smooth tannins.

The Trione Block 21 Cabernet Sauvignon is deep, dark, and foreboding. The wine is rich with black currant and dark chocolate aromas and flavors. Inhale, close your eyes and envision an old saddle, favorite wallet or baseball glove, those rustic leather notes are prominent. The structure is tight but has length and verbosity. This wine is age worthy and will continue to develop for 10 years and beyond. Cheers!

 Review:

The winery’s 135-acres of vineyards at Cloverdale Ranch is home to Block 21, sporting some of the warmest temperatures in the area. Aged 24 months in French oak. Broad and sturdy, with backbone and finesse. A gentle giant, its firm, expressive tannins bearing weight on the palate. Dark chocolate, espresso, used saddle leather, and graphite form a consortium of elegance.

- The Tasting Panel, May/June 2025. 96 Points

Dense purple hues, with evocative aromas of black cherries, ripe plums, nectarines, boysenberry, wild bramble and exotic oak spice. The juicy and sweet-fruited palate entry, combined with crunchy tannins, lures one into a sense of overtness, yet the wine is sublimely elegant and poised. The complex layers of fruit is in perfect harmony with the oak, all bound together by a lively seam of acidity. The finish is pleasantly dry and savory, with lingering notes of Christmas cake and vanilla pod.

Pair with barbequed meats, especially venison and beef / bobotie / lamb curry / seared tuna / spicy Asian-styled cuisine / aromatic curries / duck with sweet plum sauce / beef or lamb burgers / pizza

Volker Eisele Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is made from 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot.

Volker Eisele Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of vineyard blocks from throughout the entire estate. Varying terrain, different clones, and different rootstocks produce a patchwork of flavor identities between the vineyard blocks and their resulting cuvees, brought together in a blend that is essentially a snapshot in time of a dynamic, ever-changing vineyard.

The 2015 Volker Eisele Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a brilliant garnet color in the glass. The nose is extroverted and effusive with bright red aromas of ripe cherries and plums, with a touch of peach and hint of anise and white pepper. In the mouth, the wine shows excellent oak integration, with prominent flavors of juicy huckleberries, milk chocolate, and sweet barrel spices. The lengthy finish carries nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla through to the end. ~Molly Lippitt, Winemaker.

Walt Clos Pepe Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir. 

Deep ruby in color, the wine carries luscious fruit aromas of blackberry preserves and dark cherry, infused with exotic notes of spice, black tea and pomegranate. The palate opens to a dense and velvety texture laced with flavors of barrel char and salinity, leading to a structured and focused finish.

Review:

Big and rich, with luscious spiciness to the plush dark fruit and berry flavors that are supported by medium-grained tannins. There's plenty of creamy and toasty accents on the open-textured finish.

-Wine Spectator 93 Points

Another Sta. Hills release, the 2019 Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard saw 10% stems and 10 months in 40% new French oak. It's a little more focused and firm, with classic ripe black raspberry, red plum, and cherry fruits as well as orange blossom, spice, and floral nuances. It too is medium-bodied, textured, and beautifully balanced.

-Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points

- The Clos Pepe Vineyard was founded in the late 1980s by Steven and Kathy Pepe. The vineyard is located just east of Lompoc in the Santa Rita Hills appellation. The 2019 ‘Clos Pepe’ revels in its aromatic range from peat moss and pipe tobacco to bright red fruits and wild blackberry. The palate is dense and fresh with beautiful red florals alongside orange rind with sandy soil undertones. Gorgeous now, this has a long way to go in the cellar.

-Owen Bargreen 95 Points

G.D. Vajra Barolo Coste di Rose is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo. 

The Coste di Rose is a very seductive wine right out of the gate. Cherries and roses burst on the nose, with hints of amarena, red hard candy, wild berries, wet stone, mint and thyme. The palate is radiant and expressive, with all of the signature elements of Coste di Rose in nice evi-dence: the ethereal character, the saline, up-front tannic structure, and further whiffles of roses and cherries in the finish.

Review:

This wine shows a darker and more savory profile than Vajra’s Costa di Rose, its black-cherry flavors tinged with notes of licorice and tobacco. Scents of lavender and violet lend a delicate touch to the wine, which continued to gain verve and freshness with time in the glass.

-Wine & Spirits 96 Points

Milsetentayseis 1076 Ribera del Duero Tinto is made with 95% Tempranillo and 5% other native varieties.

TASTING NOTES: A product of its unique landscape, extreme altitude and mineral-rich soil, 1076 Tinto is a bold wine with a distinct character designed to evolve over time. Its freshness and intensely fruity expression are representative of a modern style, moving away from excess, in search of the elegance, smoothness and balance found in the great wines of the world.

TERROIR: A recently restored vineyard situated at over 3,280 feet of altitude where ancestral vines over 100 years old grow harmoniously together with new, indigenous plantings in varied soil comprised of red clay, sand and mineral deposits of quartz, mica, and feldspar.

WINEMAKING: Hand-harvested from a selection of the best plots in the vineyard then separated into concrete, oak or stainless steel fermentation vats depending on the characteristics of the grape and the soil where it was grown. Its production is defined by the team´s constant vigilance throughout the process and their in-depth knowledge of the region, the soil and the native varieties that thrive there.

Pair with spit-Fire Roasted Suckling Pig.

Reviews:

"Aromas of blackberry jam and clove waft from the glass. This wine's flavors of ripe summer cherry, blueberry pie, clove, white chocolate and caramel are set into a network of durable tannins. The remarkably bright, lingering finish is laced with notes of vanilla and orange zest. - Mike DESIMONE"

- Wine Enthusiast Magazine (July 1st 2023), 96 pts

Milsetentayseis 1076 Ribera del Duero Tinto is made with 95% Tempranillo and 5% other native varieties.

TASTING NOTES: A product of its unique landscape, extreme altitude and mineral-rich soil, 1076 Tinto is a bold wine with a distinct character designed to evolve over time. Its freshness and intensely fruity expression are representative of a modern style, moving away from excess, in search of the elegance, smoothness and balance found in the great wines of the world.

TERROIR: A recently restored vineyard situated at over 3,280 feet of altitude where ancestral vines over 100 years old grow harmoniously together with new, indigenous plantings in varied soil comprised of red clay, sand and mineral deposits of quartz, mica, and feldspar.

WINEMAKING: Hand-harvested from a selection of the best plots in the vineyard then separated into concrete, oak or stainless steel fermentation vats depending on the characteristics of the grape and the soil where it was grown. Its production is defined by the team´s constant vigilance throughout the process and their in-depth knowledge of the region, the soil and the native varieties that thrive there.

Pair with spit-Fire Roasted Suckling Pig.

Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhaus Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir. 

Review:

Solid and radiant in the glass it shows notes of pink grapefruit, flowering geraniums, pressed blueberries, plums and rosemary. There is more in the background in the brightness of the lemon, lime and bergamot notes. Full body, well-polymerized tannins that are decidedly vibrant and tense at the moment and an impressive long finish that will relax over time. Better from 2024.

-Raffaele Vecchione - WinesCritic.com 96 Points

A blend of fruit from estate-owned small parcels in the high altitude village of Saint-Romain.

Aromas of cherry blossom and wild strawberry, red plum, crushed stones. Medium-bodied and lively, fresh

Pairs with Dry saucisson; pork sausages with herbs. Aged French cheeses.

Boekenhoutskloof Syrah Swartland is made from 100 percent Syrah. 

Grapes for our Boekenhoutskloof Syrah are picked from selected parcels of the finest Syrah, grown at our Swartland farms, namely Porseleinberg and Goldmine, close to the small town of Riebeek-Kasteel. These vineyards were planted on the rocky bedrock of decomposed Mica-Schist, a unique terroir, finding its expression in our concentrated and structured wines made from this Rhône grape.

The nose is perfumed, forthcoming and fresh, offering an array of rich dark fruits with a spicy, floral, even feral character, derived from complex aromas of dark berries, plums, violets, black olives, star anise and potting soil. The black fruits and earthy character of the nose follow through onto a dark, brooding palate with flavours of wild berries, brambles, liquorice, tobacco, cloves and black cardamom. The mid-palate is concentrated, deep, dense and slightly dusty, with dry, very fine cocoa-powdery tannins lending structure. The wine is very precise, with a medium to full body, a tight, grainy texture and vibrant acidity to balance. Blackberries, blueberries and notes of garrigue and dark chocolate linger on a savoury finish.

Review:

Using fruit from two exceptional Swartland sources – Goldmine and mostly Porseleinberg – this foudre-aged Syrah is fresh, subtle and intensely aromatic, as schist Syrahs often tend to be. Complex, floral and refined with remarkable freshness and palate length. Drink: 2020-2028.
 – Tim Atkin MW, 95/100

Bydand Pinot Noir Umino Vineyard is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.

This small, sustainably farmed vineyard perches on a south-facing ridge in the Sebastopol Hills area of the esteemed Russian River Valley AVA, and has produced exceptional Pinot Noir for Bydand since their first vintage. Third-generation farmer David Umino rejected early assessments that the site was too cool for viticulture, and planted Pinot Noir there in 1996. The cold maritime winds in fact help to modulate ripening, and protect the grape’s natural purity and balance - resulting in fruit-driven wines with expressive red fruit and dark berry flavors, balanced with crushed rock and mouth-watering freshness. Velvety tannins coat the palate, providing an alluring and persistent finish.

This site combines the best of the earthy west Sonoma Coast and well-fruited Russian River.

The 2017 Brunello has certainly enjoyed the benefits of a careful selection in the parcels (including the Millecento vineyard). The wine has a wide nose. It maintains crisp fruit and floral notes. In the mouth it is elegant, complete and supported by an excellent acidity.

Review:

Aromas of ripe berries and plums with some flowers and nutmeg follow through to a full body with round tannins and a juicy finish. Slightly chewy, but friendly and succulent. Excellent 2017, despite the dry growing season.

-James Suckling 94 Points

Ceretto Barbaresco DOCG is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo. 

If we could sum this wine up in a single word, we wouldn’t hesitate to define it as “classic”. As tradition suggests, this Barbaresco is the fruit of the assembly of several parcels of land, coming from some of our most beautiful vineyards. The idea is that of naturally obtaining balance by harmonizing different expressions, often contrasting ones. The result is a liquid expression of a terroir, tempting and typical, a synopsis of one Langa, that of Barbaresco, which moves in the glass, alternating between structure and elegance.

Review:

Very aromatic with orange blossom, roses and iron. Medium-bodied with very fine tannins. Refined and beautiful. Drink now or hold.

-James Suckling 93 Points