Fefinanes Albarino de Albarino is 100 percent Albarino
Fresh fruit aromas of apricot and peach slices with notes of lemon and green apple. Pretty notes of honey and wet nutmeg, and the mouth is round, clean, and pleasant with baked apple, honey, and lemon.
This is a classic Albariño which is good young, but actually improves over two to three years and remains quite drinkable for up to five years. Owner Juan Gil comments that the wine really starts to come into its own in June/July, and he actually prefers it 18 or more months after it's made. A Fefiñanes "vertical" of three or four vintages can provide some most interesting surprises.
Force Majeure Parvata is made from 69% Mourvedre, 21% Syrah, 10% Grenache (2016) / 43% Mourvedre, 25% Grenache, 23% Syrah, 4% Cinsault, 5% Counoise
Parvata means “mountain” in sanskrit, and is the name for this southern Rhône-inspired blend, grown mostly in the sandy, loamy soils of the lower section of the Red Mountain vineyard, which bring to the wine a good degree of finesse and high-toned aromatic notes, white pepper, dried herbs and grapefruit peel.
Review:
"Based on 57% Mourvèdre, 25% Syrah, and the rest Grenache, the 2018 Parvata has a wonderfully earthy, complex, classic Mourvèdre nose of ripe red and blue fruits, gamey meat, cracked pepper, violets, and tree bark. This carries to a plush, up-front, incredibly sexy 2018 with notable purity, full-bodied richness, integrated tannins, and a great, great finish. It's slightly more up-front and supple than I expected from barrel, but this incredible wine just begs to be drunk. Nevertheless, I still think a year of bottle age is warranted and it should drink well for 10-15."
- Jeb Dunnuck (May 2021), 96 pts
Dense purple hues, with evocative aromas of black cherries, ripe plums, nectarines, boysenberry, wild bramble and exotic oak spice. The juicy and sweet-fruited palate entry, combined with crunchy tannins, lures one into a sense of overtness, yet the wine is sublimely elegant and poised. The complex layers of fruit is in perfect harmony with the oak, all bound together by a lively seam of acidity. The finish is pleasantly dry and savory, with lingering notes of Christmas cake and vanilla pod.
Pair with barbequed meats, especially venison and beef / bobotie / lamb curry / seared tuna / spicy Asian-styled cuisine / aromatic curries / duck with sweet plum sauce / beef or lamb burgers / pizza
Review:
"A full-bodied and brooding wine. Precisely balanced with red cherries, blueberries, coffee, and chocolate with silky tannins and refreshing sour cherry acidity. Serious pedigree here."
- Decanter WWA 2021, 96 points and Gold Medal
Gessinger Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Beerenauslese is made from 100 percent Riesling.
This deep yellow-colored wine offers a quite aromatic nose made of mirabelle, ripe apple, almond cream, date, ether oil, and earthy spices. It proves nicely complex and delicately oily on the otherwise focused and delicately racy palate, and leaves a subtly unctuous and still quite sweet feel of honeyed dried fruits, starfruit, kumquat, and almond cream in the precise and persistent finish. Some fresher elements of citrusy fruits and grapefruit already lighten up the aftertaste and hint at the greatness to come. This beautiful dessert wine is still really in its infancy but will develop into quite a beauty at maturity, once the candy floss driven sweetness will have receded into the background.
The Riesling Beerenauslese remains on the lees for several months to add a creamy texture to the mineral notes and to enhance the mouth-feel and drinkability.Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Beerenauslese Alte Reben was made from botrytized fruit hand-picked at a whopping 150° Oechsle from old ungrafted vines, spontaneously fermented and vegan. Fermentation with preferably wild yeasts gives this wine a unique and authentic taste, reflecting the extreme vineyard sites of the Mosel Valley. A cool temperature allows a slow fermentation which can continue for as long as the wine and the vintage requires.
Perfect match to sweet-and-sour dishes as well as spicy food.
Guillemot-Michel Vire-Clesse Charleston is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
This cuvée is produced from hundred-year old vines that the great-grandfather planted after he returned from World War I. The family wanted to honor his memory and vinify these vines the same way he did, in old demi-muids.
Charleston is a deep and complex wine that gently express itself in the glass, offering juicy white fruit flavors and a lengthy finish.
Charleston is vinified and aged for one year in demi-muids of over 10 years old. During the following harvest, the wine is racked and placed in vats for another 6 months of aging before bottling.
Fish in white sauce, poultry in creamy sauce, hard cheeses.
Review:
The 2020 Viré-Clessé Charleston is the most structured, concentrated wine in the range, mingling notions of crisp orchard and stone fruit with scents of clear honey, white flowers, beeswax and mint in an inviting bouquet. Medium to full-bodied ample and satiny, it's layered and multidimensional, with impressive depth at the core, racy acids and chalky grip. Derived from the Guillemot family's oldest parcel of vines (dating back to 1918), it's built to age.
-Wine Advocate 94 Points
Guillemot-Michel Vire-Clesse Charleston is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
This cuvée is produced from hundred-year old vines that the great-grandfather planted after he returned from World War I. The family wanted to honor his memory and vinify these vines the same way he did, in old demi-muids.
Charleston is a deep and complex wine that gently express itself in the glass, offering juicy white fruit flavors and a lengthy finish.
Charleston is vinified and aged for one year in demi-muids of over 10 years old. During the following harvest, the wine is racked and placed in vats for another 6 months of aging before bottling.
Fish in white sauce, poultry in creamy sauce, hard cheeses.
This mountain grown wine shows expresses ripe fruits of the warm days and the acid balance from the cool nights. Vibrant fruit aromas of blueberry, raspberry, and plum are the hallmarks of the aromatics along with a subtle cedar/cigar box note. These aromatics lead into voluptuous flavors of berries and spice in this structured, yet lively Pinot Noir.
In the Anderson Valley of Mendocino County the local residents speak an obscure dialect of English known as Boontling, developed in the late 1800s. The “Muldune Trail” was a term used in Anderson Valley lore o¬en describing the road traversing the ridge to Ukiah. There are other definitions of hitting the “Muldune Trail” that we will leave to the drinker to discover!
Review:
Pouring a deep ruby, the 2021 Pinot Noir Muldune Trail is more extracted with kirsch, polished leather, lavender, and pine. Full-bodied, this is the most powerful wine in this lineup, while having a luxurious feel, a velvety texture, and plushness throughout. Offering notes of turned soil and wooded earth, with meaty berry fruit and black tea, it’s a substantial wine but is well-made. Drink 2025-2040.
-Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
Hartford Court Three Jacks Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
The Three Jacks Vineyard Chardonnay exhibits aromas of lemon curd, orange marmalade, and brioche, with juicy flavors of pear, candied citrus peel, chamomile, and a rich, mineral-driven texture. The wine is full-bodied, weighty, and rich yet remarkably agile on its feet because of firm underlying acidity.
The 2019 Chardonnay Three Jacks Vineyard, from vines planted in 1995, was barrel fermented and matured in 31% new French oak for 14 months. It's one of the best iterations I've tasted, combining expansive flavor and texture with precise, laser-like acidity. It offers delicate, pure scents of apricot, dried tarragon, white pepper and citrus blossoms with a stony undercurrent. The medium-bodied palate has dynamic energy from its oily texture and shimmery acidity, and it finishes with tense, mineral-driven flavors. It has much more to give as it unfurls in bottle and will be long lived in the cellar.
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 95 Points
Hickinbotham Trueman Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
Trueman represents Cabernet in Clarendon at its best. Its purity, its elegant style, its supple, polished nature ... it’s a wine of its own.Distinct in character, this is not like Cabernet from the Vales below or the hills to the east. From its pretty, delicate florals and musk, through to its silky blackcurrant and kalamata juice and down to its dark carbon soul - Trueman is a modern Cabernet that encapsulates all the toil and antiquity of Clarendon. Echoing the unearthed prose of wine writer Ebenezer Ward from 1886 on theCabernet sown from this very land – Trueman is “an excelled wine, of very marked flavor and bouquet”.
Review:
Deep garnet/purple, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Hickinbotham Vineyard has a classic nose showing pronounced fresh blackcurrant and blackberry highlighted by cloves, menthol, pencil shavings and earth notes. Medium to full-bodied, taut and muscular, the palate has grainy tannins, nice freshness and a long finish.
-Wine Advocate 93 Points
Hickinbotham Trueman Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
The 2019 Trueman Cabernet Sauvignon possesses aromas of mulberry, Asian spices, tapenade, espresso beans and rose petals. The flavours evolve on the palate, with notes of bittersweet chocolate framed by vibrant acidity that gives way to a luxurious mid-palate and persistent finish.
Review:
Dark as night, packed with concentrated aromas of menthol, bay leaf, tobacco, cedar, vanilla and cassis, the 2019 Trueman Cabernet Sauvignon is a rich, powerful Cabernet with notable herbal overtones. Full-bodied, ripe and velvety in texture, it finishes with hints of dark chocolate and scorched coffee. Long and structured, with dusty tannins on the finish, it should age well for at least 10–15 years.
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 94 Points
-James Suckling 94 Points
Inglenook Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc.
Stunningly deep ruby in color, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon opens with heady aromas of brambly black cherry, vanilla, warm brioche, and crème de cassis. As the wine warms on the palate, notes of red cherry, graphite and fennel emerge, as very polished, refined tannins carry the wine into a long, fragrant finish. Layered flavors, good tension, and a perfect integration of wine and oak interact to create this classic expression of Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon.
Review:
This shows notes of ripe blackberries and blackcurrants with hints of licorice, cloves, walnuts and chocolate. It has full body and a velvety tannin structure. Juicy and vibrant fruit on the palate with a touch of earthiness. Smooth and delicious. Long, fruity finish. Very pure fruit. Try after 2024.
-James Suckling 95 points
La Spinona Barbaresco Secondine is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo.
This single-vineyard Barbaresco comes from his 3.5 hectares on the cru of Secondine. It is the commune of Barbaresco below the zone of Rabaja Basa and Paje and is where Gaja’s San Lorenzo is located. It is 230 meters above sea level with a southern exposure.
Excellent with game, red meats, truffle dishes and aged cheeses.
Color: Deep ruby red with a hint of garnet in the reflections.
Bouquet: Bright bouquet full of cherries, raspberries, licorice and floral notes.
Taste: Elegant and refined with delicate, soft tannins. It is fresh, velvety and extremely well balanced.
Review:
Aromas of wild red berry, blue flower, crushed mint and oak-driven spice come to the forefront. Reflecting the nose, the full-bodied, polished palate features juicy Morello cherry, crushed raspberry, star anise and spearmint alongside lithe tannins. It's balanced, with bright acidity and closes on a note of bitter almond.
-Wine Enthusiast 93 Points
Saumaize Michelin Pouilly Fusse Premier Cru La Marechaude is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
A beautiful Pouilly-Fuisse from "La Marechaude" parcel that Saumaize-Michelin acquired in 2013. Planted on clay and limestone slopes and hand harvested, this Chardonnay offers fresh and elegant notes of white flowers, crisp, citrus and exotic fruits. Powerful and mineral on the palate with a fantastic balance, finesse and freshness. The exceptional terroir brings minerality and juicy flavors of stone fruits, peach and melon supported by subtle toasty notes.
It is now a Premier Cru.
Jasper Morris - Inside Burgundy 94 Points
Pago de los Capellanes Doroteo is made from 100% Tempranillo.
It is a wine with an intense cherry red colour, very attractive. It shows clean and powerful aromas of very ripe black and red forest fruits (blackberry, cherry and blackcurrant), with balsamic nuances (black liquorice). Spicy notes (clove and cinnamon) provided by the French oak wood of extra-fine grain . A vibrant and very balanced mouth. It is fresh, silky, long, intense, tasty, with lively. With highly polished tannins and a sensation of depth. Like a pleasant end to a long journey that fills the senses.
It is a very versatile wine, that pairs with all types of meat, fish and even rice.