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.

The 2015 Côtes du Rhône is another beauty by this team. Licorice, roasted herbs, pepper and plenty of sweet fruit come together in this medium to full-bodied, layered, and textured effort. Made from 60% Grenache, and Mourvedre and Syrah that saw mostly concrete tank, it’s a smoking Côtes du Rhône (and a fabulous value) to drink over the coming 3-4 years.

Review:

The 2016 Côtes du Rhône is a winner. Blackberries, flowers, violets, hints of pepper all give way to a fresh, yet rich, beautifully textured red that has fine tannin and the purity of fruit that's common in the vintage. .

-Jeb Dunnuck 90 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

Long Shadows Feather Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Washington State Cabernet. 

Acclaimed Napa Valley vintner Randy Dunn has a reputation for producing world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. He brings more than four decades of winemaking experience to the Columbia Valley to produce Feather, his only wine made outside of California.

Tasting Notes: Deep crimson colored with pure and expressive Cabernet Sauvignon character. Generous aromas and flavors of dark fruits, violets, coffee and toasted herbs combine with a textured mid-palate to deliver a big, yet focused, wine with polished tannins and persistent finish.

Winemaking: Grapes were hand-harvested at the peak of ripeness, then lightly crushed and fermented in small stainless steel tanks. Once fermentation was underway, the cap was pumped over aggressively to extract color and structure. As fermentation neared completion, pump overs were handled more gently to further extract color and flavors without imparting harsh tannins. The finished wine was aged 22 months in 90% new Vicard French oak barrels (Randy's cooper of choice at Dunn Vineyards as well).

Alcohol: 14.4%
pH: 3.86
TA: 0.58 grams / 100ml

 Review:

Made by California’s Randy Dunn, the 2016 Feather is, as always, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and spent 22 months in 90% new. It has a classic, firm, focused style in its crème de cassis, spicy oak, and graphite bouquet. This carries to a concentrated, powerful Cabernet that has beautiful mid-palate depth, ample tannins, but more than enough fruit. It will keep for 20 years or more. -Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points

Maltus Lalande de Pomerol is made from 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.

This is the newest project from Nicolas Lassagne (Chateau des Landes). 
He acquired this 2.5 ha (6.17 acres) parcel in 2015.

Beautiful sustained deep purple color
The Bouquet is rich, generous, complex and reveals notes of black fruits.
The palate is round and powerful with some good integrated tannins. The finish is long and structured.

Origin of the name: 
History tells us that the origin of the Château Maltus goes back to the Middle Ages, in the time of the crusades. The Order of Malt, well implanted on the land named Lalande de Pomerol, cultivated for the first time vines on the grounds of the Château Maltus.

Review:

"This structured wine is dense and packed with ripe, jammy Merlot. The richness of the wine is balanced by acidity and emphasized by the dark chocolate and full aftertaste. Drink the wine from 2022. - Roger Voss"- Wine Enthusiast Magazine (May 209), 90 pts

"A blend of 80/20 Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Chateau Maltus spent 18 months in French oak before bottling. This deep ruby/purple-colored Lalande-de-Pomerol boasts outstanding notes of chocolate covered cherries, blackcurrants, dried earth, and licorice. With medium body, a rounded, mouthfilling texture, and supple tannins, it’s an incredibly charming, delicious 2016 to drink over the coming 8-10 years."

- Jeb Dunnuck (March 27th 2019), 90 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