Resonata Nero d'Avola 2016

Resonata Nero d'Avola is made from 100% Nero d'Avola.
Harvest: October – by hand

Vinification: The grapes are soft pressed and the juice is placed in stainless steel along with the skins for a maceration of 8 to 10 days with daily pumping over of the juice to extract more color and sweet tannins. The must is then racked and lightly filtered. Fermentation then takes place with selected yeast under controlled temperatures. The finished wine is placed in stainless steel holding tanks and bottled on order.
Aging: 3-4 months in bottle

Dense ruby red with violet reflections.
Lush and ripe bouquet full of mulberries, blackberries and spice. Harmonious and well balanced with good berry fruit in a spicy background.
Food paring: Excellent with lamb, grilled and barbecued meats, dishes with olives or capers and seasoned cheeses.

Resonata Nero d'Avola is made from 100% Nero d'Avola.
Harvest: October – by hand

Vinification: The grapes are soft pressed and the juice is placed in stainless steel along with the skins for a maceration of 8 to 10 days with daily pumping over of the juice to extract more color and sweet tannins. The must is then racked and lightly filtered. Fermentation then takes place with selected yeast under controlled temperatures. The finished wine is placed in stainless steel holding tanks and bottled on order.
Aging: 3-4 months in bottle

Dense ruby red with violet reflections.
Lush and ripe bouquet full of mulberries, blackberries and spice. Harmonious and well balanced with good berry fruit in a spicy background.
Food paring: Excellent with lamb, grilled and barbecued meats, dishes with olives or capers and seasoned cheeses.

Inglenook Rubicon  is made from 93% Cabernet Sauvignon 7% Cabernet Franc.

Since its inaugural vintage in 1978, Rubicon has been the Estate's premier red wine, reflecting the soul of the property and expressing Francis Coppola's wish to create a Bordeaux-styled grand wine, that is, "a wine that can please contemporary taste, but with a historical aspect [that defines] our vineyards at their zenith."

Rubicon was named after the small river crossed by Julius Caesar in 49 B.C., declaring his intention to gain control of Rome, thereby launching a civil war among opposing factions. Over time the phrase "crossing the Rubicon" has come to signify any irreversible action with revolutionary intent or the outcome of which holds great risk. True to its uncommon depth, Inglenook's Rubicon continues to be a testament to the finely tuned rendering of a risk well-taken.

2016:

After four years of drought, a winter with average rainfall was welcome, as it provided ample soil moisture for a strong start to the 2016 growing season. Average late-spring temperatures and limited precipitation minimized the risk of frost during mid-May bloom, ensuring average yields. June closed with a heat spell, slowing vine canopy growth at the ideal time. Harvest of the blocks contributing to the 2016 Inglenook Rubicon blend occurred under optimum conditions from September 6th through September 27th.

Ideal harvest conditions endowed the 2016 Rubicon with the three elements associated with a truly great wine from the Rutherford appellation: complexity, balance, and elegance. The aromas are intense and focused with top notes of creamy, sweet vanilla, and black licorice wound around a core of exquisitely ripe black cherry and crème de cassis. This refinement extends directly to the palate, where the wine is both broad and deep with sensuous, silky tannins. Supremely balanced in terms of both opulence and complexity, ripe black fruits and an ultra-smooth texture provide an impressive crescendo to a very long finish.

Review:

The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Rubicon is a wine of total precision and class. Translucent and energetic, with distinctly mid-weight structure, the 2016 is a wine of reserve, tension and breeding. Shy at first, the 2016 has a lot to offer, but it needs a number of years in bottle to be at its most expressive. Cedar, tobacco, licorice and wild cherry add the closing nuances.

- Antonio Galloni 97 Points

Avennia Justine Red Blend 56% Grenache, 31% Mourvèdre, 13% Syrah 

Justine reflects our belief that Washington is capable of producing world class blends of grape varieties traditional to the Southern Rhone region of France. The name is inspired by one of the great heroines of recent literature, who also sprung from the imagination of the Mediterranean. Dark, seductive, complex, with a chasm of depth: The Justine is a great reflection of Avennia's mission of expression, and Washington's generous terroir.

 Tasting Note: Big black cherry, blackberry, hints of orange peel, fresh herbs and loam on the nose. Plush and round on the palate. Dark earthy fruits from the Mourvedre, along with citrus high notes, mountain flowers, jasmine, and savory herbs. Balanced and complex without forgetting its hedonistic roots in the Southern Rhone.

Review:

A blend of 56% Grenache, 31% Mourvèdre, 13% Syrah brought up all in older oak, the 2016 Justine offers a great core of black fruits as well as lots of peppery herbs, earth, and classic meatiness. It looks to be a great vintage for this cuvée."
- Jeb Dunnuck (April 2018), 92-94 pts

Niero Condrieu Chery is 100 percent Viognier.

Truly aromatic explosive expression, this wonderful vintage makes one appreciate both its richness and complexity. 
its full and savory taste in the mouth together with a beautiful mineraltaste drives us to a lasting and generous final taste.

The grapes are coming from a 0.8 hectare (2 acres) vineyard. 
The terroirs is made of decomposed granite soil on the slopes of the famous hillside of "Chéry". 
Vines are 30 years old on average.

Pair with sweetbreads cooked with morels, grilled white fish with green asparagus' risotto, veal chop, Japanese food.

Review:

"Lastly, and up with the crème de la crème of the appellation, the 2016 Condrieu Chéry is about as textbook as it gets. Apricots, buttered citrus, flowers, and an undeniable minerality all emerge from this medium to full-bodied, layered, multi-dimensional beauty that carries tons pure fruit, yet stays balanced and pure. Bravo!"

- Jeb Dunnuck (Northern Rhône: The Blockbuster 2015s and Elegant 2016s, January 2018), 96 pts

This Chardonnay features bright, concentrated citrus, pear, green apple and nectarine fruit, with just a touch of oak to add richness to the palate. The wine lingers on the palate, and has the structure and acidity to provide for good longevity.

fter whole-cluster pressing, the Chardonnay juice was barrel-fermented in French oak barrels and aged sur lie for 8 months. During this period, the barrels were routinely stirred to increase yeast contact and add richness; 30% of the wine underwent secondary malo-lactic fermentation. One- and two-year-old French oak barrels were used. Prior to bottling, the wine received minimal filtration and fining to preserve the fresh fruit flavors.