La Ronciere Selva Oscura Sparkling Extra Brut is made from 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay.
Selva Oscura was born to further complement La Ronciere’s cold-climate wine program. Only early, thin-skinned varieties such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir can ripen in the cold, rainy Araucanía Province. Grape maturity often comes with great difficulty, but the resulting wines reach the bottle with intense freshness and vibrant aromas. Planted in volcanic soils and surrounded by ancient forests, this is a place where vines have developed under adversity and grown to deliver unique wines, with inspiring character and personality.
Review:
Leindl Gruner Veltliner Eichelberg is made from 100% Gruner Veltliner.
Medium yellow green. Fine yellow apple fruit, delicate hint of quince and honey, candied orange zest, highly attractive bouquet. Juicy, good complexity, extract core sweet, silky texture, fine acidity bow, fine and salty minerality, great length, secure aging potential, a very finesse Veltliner-style.
Cold Fermentation.
Aged on the lees for 12 months in Stainless Steel tank. No Oak.
Leindl Gruner Veltliner Seeberg Kamptal is made form 100 percent Gruner Veltiner. Medium yellow green. Fine yellow apple fruit, delicate hint of quince and honey, candied orange zest, highly attractive bouquet. Juicy, good complexity, extract core sweet, silky texture, fine acidity bow, fine and salty minerality, great length, secure aging potential, a very finesse Veltliner-style.
Review:
“Inviting nose, with layers of quince and elegant, aromatic herb leading through to a richly textured palate of opulent fruit and a fine acidity.”
- Decanter World Wine Awards 2023, 96 pts
Demoiselles Sancerre Blanc is made from 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc.
The name "Les demoiselles" (translate as "The young ladies"), refers to the beautiful migratory birds (Cranes) that fly over the town of Sancerre twice a year (in the Fall going South to spend the winter in the African continent, and in the Spring going back North to spend the Summer in Northern Europe). These graceful birds offer a unique and impressive show when they sometimes land on the banks of the Loire River. The Fleuriet family wanted to highlight this exceptional grace and express an elegant and refined bouquet in this Sancerre Demoiselles cuvée.
The wine shows a bright yellow color with green highlights, a fruity nose with aromas of white flowers and acacia. Light-medium bodied in the mouth, supple and well structured, its concentration and crisp acidity make it a harmonious and food-friendly wine.
Pairs nicely with fresh goat cheeses, oysters with lemon, grilled lemon chicken breasts and Mexican dishes. Serve these whites at 46 °F (8 °C).
Lismore Chardonnay made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
This very special Chardonnay was made in the style of a traditional Burgundian Chablis. It shows intense citrus and soft fruit layered with brioche, honey and walnut carried by a distinct minerality and crisp acidity with a lingering citrus finish.
Wine Made in the Soil
The vineyards are planted in decomposed shale over clay at 300 meters in the foothills of the Sonderend Mountain Range. A low mean February temperature lends to an extended ripening period that can put harvest 3-4 weeks later than traditional wine growing regions in South Africa. The intense citrus notes and the lingering finish are consistent trademarks of Lismore's specific terroir. The restrained minerality of the Chardonnay is a clear indication of the cool climate in which it is grown.
Wine of Origin "Greyton" has been designated by SAWIS recognizing the special terrior of this region.
Delightful with warm curries which lift the aromatics or a traditional pairing of smoked salmon highlighting the fresh acidity.
Livia Fontana Barbera d'Alba Superiore is made from 100 percent Barbera.
Organoleptic characteristics: intense ruby red color. Fresh and intense aromas with currants and berries notes. Warm, full, rich and persistent taste, full body. Suitable for long aging.
Excellent accompaniment to warm appetizers, rich first courses, red meat and the medium-seasoned cheeses.
Lodovico Langhe Nebbiolo is made from 100% Nebbiolo.
Bright ruby-red which softens on ageing; delicate, fruity nose of raspberries and violets that becomes ethereal over time; dry, balanced flavor, with good body that softens after ageing and lingers on the finish.
Vine: Nebbiolo
Vineyards: North-est facing with Guyot pruning (7-9 buds / vine).
N° Vines / hectare: 4,000
Yield / hectare: 70-80 q / Ha
Plant year: 2007
Nebbiolo is a native black grape variety of Piedmont that gives birth also Barolo and Barbaresco. The name ‘Nebbiolo’ derives from the word ‘fog’ and there could be two reasons. The first hypothesis traces the name of Nebbiolo back to the obscured, almost clouded appearance of the grape, covered with abundant bloom. The second hypothesis, more suggestive, is linked to the very late ripening of the grapes: the Nebbiolo grape harvest often takes place in late October, when the vineyards are enveloped in morning mists.
It pairs with pasta, soup, meats, seasonal dishes and medium-aged cheeses.
Luis Canas Rioja Reserva is made from 100 percent 95% Tempranillo and 5% Graciano
A classic style Rioja Reserva from one of the regions most enduring family run wineries. The hillside terraced vineyards are sheltered by the Sierra Cantabria Mountains to the north from harsh weather extremes. Small plot production is utilized in this region of infertile chalky clay soil to produce clusters of excellent quality. Almost 900 plots are needed to complete the approximately 400 hectares of estate-owned or cellar-controlled vineyards, some with vines more than 100 years in age.
Tasting notes
Rich color. Very pleasant on the nose, subtle and elegant, complex, with aromas of fine wood, ripe fruit, coffee. Thick, unctuous and round on the palate with solid structure and juicy tannins. The second nose shows spiced nuances and black ripe fruit aromas.
Winemaking and aging
Upon entering the bodega, bunches undergo a manual selection and then individual grapes are sorted based on their weight. Following this double selection process, they are de-stemmed and crushed before undergoing fermentation and then aceration in stainless steel tanks for a total of 8 days, obtaining better color extraction as well as much more complex and tannic wines, suitable for prolonged aging.
After its primary fermentation, the wine is placed in barrels where it undergoes malolactic fermentation and is aged for 18 months in French (70%) and American (30%) oak barrels, then aged minimum 18 months in bottle before release.
Total acidity: 5 g./l. Volatile acidity: 0,6 g./l. PH: 3,59 Free SO2: 25 mg./l. Residual sugar: 1,9 g./l.
Excellent with red or white meats, all types of game, roasts, oily fish, rice with meat and cheese. Within Rioja cuisine it is perfection accompanying peppers stuffed with cod, artichokes with ham, migas pastoriles and trotters
Luis XIV Lo de Pepitin is made from 80% Monastrell,14% Giro, 3% Arcos and 3% Bobal.
"Wine from a historic plot, named after Mr. Pepitin, the farmer who looked after these vines throughout his life."
Old vines (1980) planted in a bush style and dry land. 610 metres above sea level in the town of Biar. Sandy clay loam soil, with a high presence of limestone. Historic plot, reproduced by massal selection and with a wide variety of old clones of traditional Alicante varieties.
Production: Indigenous yeasts in our 19th century winery.
Fermentation: 50% in stainless steel, and 50% fermentation in vats.
70% Grapes crushed by foot and destemmed manually.
30% whole bunches.
Low extraction.
Aging : 50% of the wine was aged for 8 months in 500-liter French oak barrels ; and the other 50% were aged for 8 months in century-old 500-litre Amphora from Villarrobledo, considered the finest in Spain and which allows the wine to be stored inside without any coating: just pure clay.
Maison du Midi Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge is made from 84% Grenache, 11% Syrah and 5% Mourvèdre.
Maison du Midi Chateauneuf-du-Pape is designed to be a very fruity and fresh CDP with structure. Different flavors of red and black fruits with a hint of pepper and spice notes.
Review:
"The 2023 Châteauneuf du Pape comes from the Brotte family (where the fruit is sourced) and is 90% Grenache and 5% each Syrah and Mourvèdre. Already bottled, it has a juicy, upfront, undeniably delicious style that brings both red and black fruits, some peppery, herbes de Provence-like nuances, medium to full body, and an upfront, ready-to-go style."
- Jeb Dunnuck (Importer Highlight: Fran Kysela ; July 2024), 91 pts
Matthews Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley is made from 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15%Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec.
The 2021 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is deep ruby in the glass with purple hues. The rich bouquet of spiced black plum and cocoa nib are balanced with aromas of fresh earth and crushed flint. Intense and opulent flavors of ripe blackberry, cedar, mocha, and black currant coat the broad and balanced palate and the ripe tannin creates a perfect frame for the lush fruit expression. Cherry cordial and cola linger on the long, quenching finish.
Review:
Precise and expressive, with handsome flavors of blackberry, bay leaf and espresso that build richness and structure toward refined tannins.
-Wine Spectator 93 Points
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley is spicy, showing off a gentle peppery tinge and dusty rose tones that give way to dried black cherries. This is wonderfully crisp and refined, with silky textures and depths of dark red fruit propelled by juicy acidity. It tapers off long and structured, yet the tannins are quite sweet. The 2021 finishes with a pleasant crunch and a lingering licorice tinge.
-Vinous 93 Points
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is based on 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, and 1% Malbec. A rocking wine offering ample red and black plum-like fruit, chocolate, tobacco, and subtle violet-like aromas and flavors, I t's full-bodied and has a terrific mid-palate, velvety tannins, and a great finish.
-Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points
This classy and poised Pinot Noir displays an array of dark berry notes, including raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, and ripe cherry, along with a hint of baking spices. Balanced tension and refined tannins on the palate make the wine both elegant and effortlessly delicious, with subtle flavors of cedar and cassis lingering on the finish.
Review:
Bright and perfumed aromas of raspberries, potpourri and orange peel. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and bright acidity, giving notes of blackberry bush, dried herbs and earth. Balanced and fresh.
- James Suckling 93 Points
Tasting notes: A brand new wine from this tremendous vineyard, The Sokol Blosser Kalita Vineyard 2021 Estate Pinot Noir bursts with classic Yamhill-Carlton dark-fruit notes, including black cherry, cranberry, and blackberry. Warm spices, espresso, and woodsy forest floor are backed up with grippy tannins to balance the fruit.
Avennia Arnaut Syrah is made of 100% Syrah
For our taste, no one grows finer Syrah in the state than Dick Boushey. We named this wine after the Provencal Troubadour Arnaut Daniel, who invented the Sestina poem form, thus creating a connection between our two flagship efforts.
"Deep, dark Syrah notes on the nose, with dark blackberry, blueberry reduction, grilled meat, crushed olive, black licorice, camphor, pen ink, and cracked black pepper. The palate is super concentrated and dense, tightly focused, and deeply complex. Savory blueberry, pan drippings, a hint of orange essence, and hand-rubbed sage come through on the extremely long and nuanced finish. A compelling wine that will age for a couple decades at least." - Chris Peterson, Winemaker
We make this wine with minimal manipulation, using native yeasts and bottling unfined and unfiltered, to allow the "place" to shine through.
AVA: Yakima Valley
Blend: 100% Boushey Vineyard Syrah
Winemaking: 15% whole cluster, native yeast, 15% new French oak, aged 16 months, bottled unfined & unfiltered.
Review:
Dick Boushey is the high priest of Syrah growers in Washington state for a reason, and it's all on display here at the deft hand of winemaker Chris Peterson. Dried lavender florals and notes of thyme, anise and wild oregano dance around alpine mountain berries and juniper. The palate shows notes of chicory root spice, smoky clove, and salted blood orange vibrance, lifts the mid-palate and finishes with mouthfuls of blueberries, thyme and black tea.
-Decanter 95 Points