All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
Michelet Petit Chablis is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Golden color. White flowers, fresh, lime and citrus aromas. Pleasant mouthfeel, supple, crisp, fruity flavors.
Machine harvested at full maturity (around Sep. 25th - lasts 12-18 days); pneumatic press; fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks for 8-10 days; M.L (2 months after the harvest); aging on the lees until February; racking; fining if necessary; cold stabilization; filtration right before bottling in April.
Ideal as an aperitif, the wine is an excellent companion to seafood.
Morlet Family Vineyards Ma Douce Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
The cool maritime breeze and mild and sunny mountain climate create ideal conditions for this hillside vineyard located on the second ridge from the Pacific Ocean. Handcrafted using classical Burgundian winemaking techniques, this wine is dedicated to Jodie Morlet. It is ‘My Sweet’ or ‘Ma Douce.’
Full yellow color. Aromas of lemon drop, Crème Brulée and orange zest intermixed with strong notes of minerality (wet stones) and fresh hazelnut. Full-bodied, mineral driven, this wine displays a creamy texture and very long mineral finish. Built to age gracefully for a decade, this wine is already very approachable.
Propietary Name Ma Douce
Name Meaning My Sweet “Douce brize” from the Ocean
Varietal composition Chardonnay
Type of wine Vineyard designated
Appellation Fort Ross-Seaview
Vineyard singularity On the second ridge off Ocean High elevation Goldridge soil
Typical harvest date End of October
Picking Manual, small lugs, refer truck
Sorting Cluster by cluster
Fermentation In barrel through native yeast 100% Malolactic
Upbringing Sur lies with bâtonnage
French oak from selected coopers
Bottling Unfiltered
Cellaring time 5-10 years
Serving Slightly below room temperature Decanted when served young
Review:
"Lots of white peach, quince, white flower, and green almond notes emerge from the 2020 Chardonnay Ma Douce, a full-bodied barrel sample with beautiful depth as well as freshness."96 Points Jeb Dunnuck:
Murray Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain is made from 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10%, Merlot , 6% Malbec, 6%, Petit Verdot.
A beautiful ruby color, this wine is very fruity with lots of plum and just a hint of characteristic Red Mountain minerality. It is very smooth with a slight texture of tannin on the back. This wine is a real Cab crowd pleaser.
As much as possible, winemakers Tim and Kelly Hightower take a non-interventionist approach to winemaking. They place great emphasis on vineyard selection, picking, pressing, and blending so that Hightower wines are naturally beautiful and free from pretense. They let the powerful and concentrated fruit from Red Mountain speak for itself. The result is a collection of well-balanced, nuanced wines that reveal something new and interesting each time you open a bottle.
They age in the oak barrels until they are ready to bottle.Neutral Oak 52%, New Oak 48% (American 57%, Hungarian 15%, French 14%, European 14%).
After primary fermentation, all wines are pressed directly into 59 gallon oak barrels. Aging for 19 months.
Estate Vineyard 75%, Shaw Vineyard 21%, Red Willow 4%
Red Mountain AVA 100%
Nickel & Nickel Truchard Vineyard Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
The 2023 Nickel & Nickel Truchard Chardonnay opens with enticing aromatics of tropical fruit, tangerine, and a hint of honeysuckle. On the palate, it presents a bright and vibrant profile, with a natural lift from its fresh fruit flavors and lively acidity. The tropical and citrus notes are complemented by a subtle brioche character, while the oak imparts a pleasant roundness, bringing balance and weight to the wine.
Review:
The freshness and pure fruit flavors of this generous wine ring clear as a bell. Crisp green apples, Bosc pears and subtle oak spices like vanilla bean and toasted almonds fill the palate. While medium-bodied, it feels full and generous and has a lingering finish. Drink now or hold.
-James Suckling 94 Points
Winemaker Joe Harden ages his Truchard Vineyard Chardonnay for 10 months in 30% new French oak, with minimal stirring and no malolactic fermentation, allowing for a slightly more pronounced oak presence. Truchard, one of Carneros' most esteemed sites, is characterised by rolling hills with ideal sun exposure and cooling breezes. Harden sources fruit from eight distinct blocks across the vineyard’s expansive 109 hectares, with harvests spanning roughly a month. Among the selections is Clone 809, a Muscat clone that adds floral aromatics and a touch of baking spice. The Truchard Chardonnay exhibits a silky texture on the palate, layered with citrus peel and tropical hints of apricot and peach. A rich spine of acidity is further heightened by vivid mineral tension, creating a wine that is both racy and rich. Elegantly balanced, it’s a delightful sipper with impressive depth and vibrancy.
-Decanter 94 Points
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
Palacio del Burgo Crianza is made from 90% Tempranillo & 10% Graciano
Palacio de Burgo's Crianza blends the concept of the intense fruity young wines traditionally made in Rioja and the old world wine making style that has made the region famous. The result is a complex wine that impresses for its intensity right from the moment it is poured in the glass.-Mike Good, Timeless Wines
Alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel vats at controlled temperature; aged in American oak barrels for 12 months.
Red ruby colored wine with violet tones; well-balanced, black fruit, vanilla and coconut flavors. Powerful, complex and silky smooth…classic old style Rioja at a bargain price.
Pairs well with aged cheeses and grilled meats
Review:
"A fruity and easy red with cherries, lemon rind and berries. Medium body. Drink now."
- James Suckling (August 2021), 91 pts
Paul Hobbs Edward James Estate Chardonnay Russian River Valley is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
This small five-acre estate named after Paul's great-grandfather, Edward James, rewards us with a chardonnay that is pale straw in color with inviting aromas of lemon zest, red apple skin, gardenia, and honeysuckle. A creamy mouthfeel on the palate evolves into poached pear, ginger spice, and brioche that come together with a crunchy acidity and lively finish.
Review:
The 2022 Chardonnay Edward James Estate was named after Paul’s grandparents on his father’s side and originates in a vineyard planted entirely to Hyde Wente clone of Chardonnay. It was raised in French oak for 18 months on the lees. In the glass, it’s highly expressive and layered with aromas of toasted spice, incense, honeysuckle, quince, and preserved citrus. Medium to full-bodied, it has a fantastic, long, supple texture with a linear, crystalline feel, great, evenly fresh acidity, and a salty, mouthwatering finish. This is my favorite of the white wines at this tasting. Drink 2025-2037.
-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
Colored in pearlescent pale straw tones flecked with gold, our 2022 chardonnay from Russian River Valley’s cool Green Valley opens with a refreshing swirl of clover and fresh-cut alfalfa laced with spring blossoms around hints of white peach and citrus that open to crisp Fuji apple and warm baking spice. Apple notes carry through in the mouth over complex layers of crème caramel and butterscotch, all lifted with the bright energy of juicy acidity and savory oyster shell minerality. The rich, structured finish is touched with sea salt—the briny tension in elegant balance with a touch of new oak.
Green tint to the light yellow color. A very tight 2022 for this hot vintage, showing tension and focus. Medium- to full-bodied with super integrated tannins that show such length and intensity. It gives a beautiful nod to grand cru Burgundies of yesteryear. Love this. Drink or hold.
-James Suckling 97 Points
Technically from Green Valley of the Russian River Valley, the 2022 Chardonnay Ross Station Estate is a bright yellow green hue and comes from the Hudson Vineyard, which sits on pure Goldridge soils and includes some of the later ripening Calera clones. Aged 18 months in barrel, the wine has a Grand Cru-like richness and layered depth. In the glass, it shows off a wonderful bouquet of candied apple, honeysuckle, lemon oils, and almond. The palate is rounded, with a silky texture and great acidity that propels it through the palate to its long finish with notes of almond. This is an exceptional wine to drink over the next 10-12 years. 460 cases were produced. Drink: 2024-2036.
-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
Penedo Borges Icono Malbec is made from 85% Malbec, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot
Dark purple color.
Complex aromas of predominent ripe red fruit such as plum, cherry and raspberry with spicy notes.
Chocolate and vanilla flavors from barrel ageing which provide complexity and elegance.
Wine of great lenght.
Red meats, lamb, beef stew, strong cheese.
Review:
Icon is a selection from the winery, that is, of the best barrels of the year, basically with Malbec that occupies 85% of the final blend. The selection is made after a year of aging in barrels. The fruit of this selection is a wine of great depth of flavors, with spicy and herbal touches and with firm, sharp and penetrating tannins. In addition, there are earthy notes that project throughout the palate. An old school wine with an austere structure. One for the Cellar.
-Descorchados 94 Points
"Ripe berry and cassis aromas come with a blast of potent oak, but overall the nose on this Malbec is appealing in a bold manner. Airing is vital to smoothing out the tartaric bite this brings, while flavors of blackberry, dark plum, vanilla and mocha finish long and smoother than the palate. Drink this fully oaked and powerfully built Malbec through 2027. - MICHAEL SCHACHNER"
- Wine Enthusiast (July 2021), 93 pts
Pernot Belicard Batard Montrachet Grand Cru is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Aromas of white peach, white apple, with a beautiful minerality. Also lighty salty, chalky aromas and some bread and brioche flavors and a hint of vanilla.
Poultry with cream based sauces, French cheese, like camembert, but not too strong, also seafood and fish.
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
Patricia Raquin Nuits St. Georges les Vaucrains is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
"Vaucrains" comes from old French word meaning place with very little fertility (which is very good terroir for grape production)
Nuits-Saint-Georges AOC: AOC wines since 1936, 757 acres of grapes, 97 % red wine, 3 % white wine. Nuits refers to “walnuts in the area, not night”….41 Premier Cru vineyards
Tasting Notes: Powerfull aromas with lots red wild fruits, full bodied wine with great aging potential.
VINEYARD: Gravel and Silt
HARVEST: Harvest by hand.
VINIFICATION: Harvest by hand. Traditional vinification in thermoregulated stainless steel. Pre-fermentation – temperature controlled cold maceration during 10 days. Long fermentation during which pigeages and pumping over are performed. Post-fermentation - maceration at 30°C for 5 days.
AGEING: Aged in new French oak barrels for 16 months.
Roast lamb - Rib steaks - duck