Deep garnet in color. Baking spice aromas of cinnamon and clove are intertwined with dark stone fruits, blackberry pie, vanilla, white pepper and notes of oak and rose. A full bodied palate presents layers of dark black cherry, coffee, blackberry, dark currant and notes of milky chocolate. Beautifully rounded with an unctuous velvety mouth-feel. This refined wine is a sensational expression of what a Napa Valley Cabernet represents with a long, smooth finish and fine grained tannins.
For our 2018 Napa Valley Quilt Reserve, we tasted the developing wine throughout the fermentation and aging processes, then set aside the very best 2% for this reserve bottling. Our lot selection was based on intensity, complexity and boldness of expression that could withstand a longer aging cycle and heavier use of new French oak.
Tasting Notes
Deep Ruby Red in color with aromas of black currant, bright cherry, toffee, blackberry, marionberry pie and notes of dark chocolate. Rich and satisfying on the palate with flavors of boysenberry jam, black cherry pie filling, and cocoa layered with notes of vanilla and hazelnut. A full-bodied Cabernet with layers of concentrated black fruit, bright acidity and excellent balance. A long, velvety and satisfying finish, enjoy this stellar vintage now and for years to come!
Powerful and rich tasting, this wine from Joseph Wagner is velvety in texture and spicy in aroma. It drips with jammy Port like flavors that are backed by fine-grained tannins that tightened a bit on the finish for a good grip. Best from 2025.
-Tasting Panel 97 Points
Opaque color. Very rich, dark chocolate aromas with some black cherry and mature fruit coming through. There is also a pleasing freshness to the port originating from its floral and cistus (rockrose) bouquet. The Quinta de la Rosa Vintage 2017 is a powerful wine with much potential but at the same time elegant and generous on the palate. Full of flavors, very complex with fine tannins that gives the wine a nobility and persistence. A great vintage made to give pleasure now and in the next few decades.
Review:
The 2017 Vintage Port was bottled a few weeks before tasting after spending 18 months in used tonels. It is a field blend, mostly Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca, coming in with 98 grams per liter of residual sugar. Wonderfully aromatic and filled with flavor, this got plenty of aeration and didn't blink even a little. It was still vibrant and expressive. Aeration only made it more tannic. It is also delicious. This is potentially a great Port, and it seems like the best I've seen from La Rosa. This is sort of approachable in the near future, but it really needs (at least) a decade of cellaring. It has a lot of muscle and should age well.
-Wine Advocate 95 Points
Very floral in profile, with violet and lilac accents leading off, followed by a decidedly red-fruit spectrum of raspberry, cherry and red currant coulis flavors that race throughout. Has grip, but this is more reliant on acidity, showing a nearly piercing feel as the tightly focused finish zips along, leaving a mouthwatering impression. Delightfully idiosyncratic. Best from 2033 through 2050. 112 cases imported. — JM
-Wine Spectator 95 Points
This is a rounded Port, showing layers of black fruits, ripe tannins and spice. At the same time, it does have a solid structure that will allow it to age. The acidity comes through at the end. Drink from 2028.
-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points
Quinta do Vesuvio Single Quinta Vintage Port is made from 33% Touriga Nacional, 35% Touriga Franca, 15% Sousão, 12% Alicante Bouschet, 5% Other.
This is a powerful, attention-grabbing wine, with taut muscularity. It offers magnificent aromas of rockrose, mint and hints of ginger. The substantial palate is full with expressive black fruit notes lifted by peppery schist tannins (the seasoning provided by the Sousão). The long, lingering aftertaste indicates impressive ageing potential.
Review:
Deep dark ruby garnet, opaque core, violet reflections, delicate edge brightening. Delicate smoky spice, fine nougat, black berries, ripe figs, candied orange zest. Juicy, elegant, fine extract sweetness, ripe tannins, pleasant freshness, chocolaty in the finish, mineral and long-lasting, extremely elegant style, a large Vesuvio, has class.
-Falstaff 99 Points
The 2017 Vintage Port is a blend of 33% Touriga Nacional, 35% Touriga Franca, 15% Sousão and 12% Alicante Bouschet, plus miscellaneous others filling out the blend. This was bottled about a month before tasting after 18 months in seasoned vats, but the just-bottled sample was not really ready. This was instead a pre-bottling sample. It comes in with 115 grams of residual sugar.
- Wine Advocate 99 Points
Quintessa Red 2022 is made from 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Carménère, 1% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot.
The 2022 Quintessa is a charming wine, opening with intense aromas of black cherry and cassis that are complemented by notes of tobacco, bay laurel, cedar, and dark chocolate. Plush and inviting on entry, this wine’s flavors align with its aromas. The palate reveals dark fruits and an undertone of crushed rocks, tar, and graphite. On the finish, this vintage displays the signature fine-grained tannin of their Quintessa terroir, backed by voluminous texture and fruit.
Review:
Such an incredible wine here - one of the stars of the September releases. Smells amazing, cooling blueberries with fragrant blackcurrants, edges of florality - totally inviting scents. Full and filling in the mouth, this is ample with such a layered effect, super vertical and elongated. Tight and a little tense but it really works - such balance between black fruit, dried herbs, high acidity and a profound structure. Refined and beautifully presented. So much life, so much energy - this is pure class. A wine you don't want to put down. Feels hands off despite such concentration and power. Ends salty with sticky liquorice, mint and cooling wet stones. You could definitely drink this now but it will age too! 1% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot complete the blend. One of the final few vintages with Rodrigo Soto at the helm - he stepped down last year to concentrate on his family project Far Mountain in Sonoma Valley which is worth following. Winemaker Rebekah Wineburg.
-Decanter 99 Points
Raats MR Mvemve Raats de Compostella is made from 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 12% Malbec, 6% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot
The name de Compostella (meaning “field of stars” or “compilation of stars”) was chosen to reflect the fact that each component is crafted to stand alone as a world class varietal wine. The wine exhibits a deep, dark ruby color. Blackcurrant and black cherry fruit with hints of violets, cedar and cinnamon are revealed on the nose. The palate is rich and complex with mineral, blackberry fruit and dark chocolate on the finish. The five Bordeaux varietals harmoniously convene in this consistent, linear flavor profile that is polished with a well-defined finish.
Review:
he 2020 De Compostella is composed of 30% Cabernet Franc, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Malbec, 16% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Beginning with a focused, juicy and complex nose of dark red fruits, the wine has impeccable balance between oak, fruit and earthy floral tones. Full-bodied and with succulent acidity, the palette offers a firm frame of fine-grained tannins, while the fruit profile makes way for elegant earth and notes of crème de cassis sway with subtle flavors of sage and spiced plum. The red blend continues to somersault and reveal its complexities over the long-lingering and ever-evolving finish. Be patient with this exceptional wine
-Wine Advocate 95 Points
Louis Roederer Cristal Vinotheque Edition Brut Millesime 1997 is made from Pinot noir (62%) and Chardonnay (38%).
Color
A bright and shimmering golden color, animated by an ultra-fine and swirling effervescence.
Nose
The bouquet is pure, precise and complex, mixing aromas of white flowers, almond, honey and nougat. Upon aeration, notes of red fruits and smoke are revealed, followed by warm and caramelized nuances reminiscent of macaroon, baked apples and tarte tatin.
Palate
Indulgent and velvety, the palate is rich while maintaining a great freshness thanks to a delicate effervescence. The flavors of candied Corsican citron stretch out on a finish marked by a chalky, powdery and iodized freshness, offering a dense texture and a serene length.
The property
Founded in 1776 in Reims, the Louis Roederer Champagne House has remained family-owned and independent. After more than 200 years of existence, the Louis Roederer House is still in the hands of the same family. Today led by Frédéric Rouzaud, who represents the seventh generation of the lineage, the Louis Roederer House embodies the excellence of Champagne wines around the world thanks to cuvées crafted like a work of art.
The vineyard
With nearly 241 hectares of vines, the Louis Roederer House draws its strength from its extraordinary vineyard, composed only of Grands and Premiers Crus in the Marne Valley, the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs. A true mosaic of terroirs, the Louis Roederer House's vineyard is divided into 410 plots that reflect all the diversity of the Champagne soils.
The wine
Cristal Vinothèque 1997 is made from three great vineyards known as "La Rivière", "La Montagne" and "La Côte".
The vintage
The spring of 1997, mild at first, was marked by an early bud break followed by severe frosts in April that damaged the vineyards of Verzenay and Verzy. After an early flowering in June, the rainy and cold weather until August favored the development of mildew and rot. Fortunately, the return of warm and sunny weather in August and September saved the vintage, with harvests taking place under radiant sunshine from September 15 to October 1.
Vinification and aging
Vinification is carried out in wood to the extent of 6%. Malolactic fermentation (16%). The cuvée was aged for 15 years on lees, 5 years on points and benefited from a rest of 4 years after disgorging. The dosage of this 1997 vintage champagne is 8 g/liter.
Review:
Intense nose of preserved lemons, salted yellow plums, walnuts, toast, salted caramel, roasted chestnuts and dried pineapple. Beautiful and complex, from 15 years, 5 years en pointe, before disgorgement in 2018. Delicious, salty toffee character. Soft, silky bubbles. Long and powerful. Thought-provoking. Unique. Will be launched in September 2022. Drink on release or hold.
-James Suckling 99 Points
Oumsiyat Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
Classic Cabernet Sauvignon with Dark Berries Dominance mixed with tobacco and chocolate aromas. Concentrated tannins, balanced with good acidity and persistence finish.
RS: 2g/L
The fruit was carefully sorted to ensure only healthy, ripe grapes were vinified. Traditional fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures of 28°C, with remontage or pump overs took place periodically to oxygenate the wine and extract tannins. Pigeage or punching down of the cap also took place. A long post-fermentation maceration took place to extract color, flavor and impart structure to the wine. The wine was gently filtered prior to bottling.