Products meeting the search criteria

Sokol Blosser 'Orchard Block' Pinot Noir 2021 is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir. 

VINTAGE HIGHLIGHTS
2021 was the 2nd warmest growing season we have ever seen since 2015. We also got to add a new term to the dictionary: "Heat Dome". Three straight days of triple digit temperatures in late June breaking heat records for the Willamette Valley. Bud break started like usual in the middle of April. We had the driest March through May that the Willamette Valley has seen through 128 years of record keeping! Bloom also appeared on time in early/mid June. While late June brought the “Heat Dome”, our grapes made it through thanks to bloom being finished at all our sites and there still being soil moisture, so they grew like crazy over those three days of hellish temperatures. While July and August turned out to be exceedingly hot and dry, September arrived with little rain which that allowed us to fully ripen the grapes. The hot and dry summer made for fruit that was extremely clean, resulting in excellent fermentations. All in all, mother nature gave us something to be grateful for on our 50th anniversary.

WINEMAKING
The grapes were carefully hand harvested from the Orchard Block (on our Estate vineyard) on September 25th. The fruit was hand sorted to remove any flawed bunches and de-stemmed, half went directly into 3-ton stainless steel fermenters and the other half went in to oak upright fermenters. Fermentation took place over 10-14 days using ambient yeast with punchdowns for cap management. After the long, cool fermentation, the wine was pressed off at dryness and then barrel aged for 16 months in 100% French oak barrels with 17% new oak.

WINE PROFILE
Our 2021 Orchard Block Estate Pinot Noir has bright notes of red cherry, red currant, and a touch of nutmeg on the nose. On the palate, the fruit continues with red cherry, raspberry, and red currants followed by a subtle hint of clove. This is a delicate Pinot Noir with bright acidity with a medium finish.

PAIRINGS
Orchard Block Pinot Noir pairs with a classic roasted turkey, creamy cacio e pepe, and the Oregon favorite, wild mushroom risotto.

Review:

Powerful floral aromatics as violets introduce deep blue fruits, forest floor, and a note of iodine. This old 2.5ha plum and cherry orchard produces wines of depth, elegance and restrained power. The palate is lushly fruited with ripe red raspberries, clove and turned earth. The finish is elegant and long-lived.

Decanter 93 Points

Tamarack Ciel de Cheval Vineyard Reserve holds dark and chocolate nauces, spiced with pretty notes of allspice and clove, this wine is round and rich, bursting with ripe berries, combined with an earthy complexity and a velvety finish.

Cabernet Sauvignon makes up half of this blend, with the balance Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot

The wine spent 22 months on 75% new French oak with the remaining 25% second vintage French oak. Select barrels from the best forests of Taransaud, Boutes, Quintessance, and Vicard cooperages.

This is a 6 pack with 2 bottles each from vintages from 2013, 2015, and 2016. 

***Tenimenti Angelini Val di Suga Vigna Spuntali Brunello di Montalcino 2016:

The 2016 Vigna Spuntali Brunello di Montalcino is the most brooding of the lineup from Val di Suga and is sourced from the southwest of the region on sandy soils. There are aromatics of black raspberry, licorice, menthol, sage, cinnamon, and iron-rich earth. Its Mediterranean influence is felt on the palate with ripe black cherry, dried herbs, and sun-baked earth. This is the fullest bodied and most savory of the Val di Suga lineup, with more roundness and grip. Its structure will benefit from cellaring for several years and will be great drinking over the next 20 years or more. 2026-2040.

-Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points

***Tenimenti Angelini Val di Suga Vigna Spuntali Brunello di Montalcino 2015:

The 2015 Vigna Spuntali Brunello di Montalcino is more introverted on first opening, with notes of black plum, licorice, dried Mediterranean herb, and sun-baked earth. On the palate, it offers a tart dried fruit character, with a building tannin structure that finishes with tomato leaf, and bitter herbs. The most rustic and burly of the wines in the lineup of the 2015 Val di Suga vintage, it will benefit from allowing some time in cellar to see how this matures and its tarriness develops. Drink 2026-2036

-Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points

***Tenimenti Angelini Val di Suga Vigna Spuntali Brunello di Montalcino 2013:

Plenty of spices and fresh herbs on the nose, such as dried rosemary and nutmeg, to match the underlying dried redcurrants and cranberries. Full-bodied with plenty of concentration, but still shows a very sturdy, tannin backbone and punchy acidity, to drive this through to a long finish. Drink in 2021.

-James Suckling 94 Points

Thibaut-Janisson Blanc de Chardonnay is made from 100% Chardonnay

Appellation 100% Virginia

Winemaking Notes The grapes are handpicked in small baskets late August and are gently pressed as whole clusters. After a settling of 24 hours, the juice is inoculated with selected Champagne yeast and ferments in stainless steel tanks at low temperature. Once the fermentation is over, the wine ages on the fine lees until the spring of the following year. The blend is then put together and cold-stabilized prior to bottling. The bottling occurs in the spring when the cellar temperature is conducive to a second fermentation in the bottle. The now sparkling wine will age on the yeast for over 24 months. At disgorging, a small amount of dosage liquor is added in order to balance the natural acidity.

Clean, crisp and refreshing! With scents of white flowers, apples and pears. This sparkling wine is elegant and complex with vibrant aromas, and fine active streamers. The depth of complexity is elegant and the intricate nuances of the terroir fill the nose and stimulate the palate. It’s full of youthful, bright and alert acidity. 

Michel Thomas Sancerre Blanc is 100% Sauvignon Blanc (40% Caillottes, 40% Grosses Terres, 20% Silex)

The wine displays an exotic nose with a touch of smoke and licorice. On the palate, peach and watermelon dominate with citrus zest and chalk notes.

Thorn Clarke Single Vineyard Mataro is made from 100 percent Mataro.

The Single Vineyard Selection range focuses on single site, small batch wines, highlighting the true characteristics of each individual variety. Each block is hand selected by our winemaker and viticulturist each year, choosing the wines that best reflect the strengths of each individual vintage.

Striking with its inky red color and purple hues, a hallmark of a classic vintage. On the nose, briary black fruits are in abundance. Notes of Chinese five spice and currants also shine through. On the palate, blackberries and winter spice are evident. The generous and silky tannins in this wine support a long and complex finish.

The grapes were destemmed and fermented in 4 tonne open fermenters for a period of 10 days. The wine was pressed off into 10 year old oak where it was matured for a duration of 18 months before being racked in preparation for bottling. This wine has no filtration.

Every now and then, in life and in wine, we are presented with unique opportunities to express ourselves and create something truly remarkable.

When rare opportunities arise, we need to capture, nurture and develop them so that their potential is fulfilled. So when Torbreck was given the opportunity to work with one of the most famous vineyards in the Barossa Valley, it became almost inevitable that the resulting wine would be truly remarkable.

In 2003, Torbreck growers and fourth generation descendants of the Seppelt family, Malcolm and Joylene Seppelt, asked our winemakers to create for them a small batch of Shiraz from their old Gnadenfrei vineyard in the sub-region of Marananga.

Planted in 1958, the five acre vineyard is traditionally dry grown and comes from an original Barossa clonal source. South facing, on the eastern side of a ridge separating the Seppeltsfield and Marananga appellations, these aged vines have been meticulously hand tended, traditionally farmed and pruned by a grower with a lifetime’s experience on Western Barossa soils of very dark, heavy clay loam over red friable clay. The resulting low yields of small, concentrated Shiraz berries make the vineyard the envy of all winemakers in the Barossa.

We looked longingly at the wine when it was returned to the Seppelts, knowing that it was the best we had ever made. In 2005 we convinced the Seppelts to sell Torbreck the fruit and The Laird was born. In 2013 Torbreck purchased the Gnadenfrei vineyard, securing The Laird’s reputation as one of the world’s great single vineyard Shiraz wines.

Torbreck is the name of a forest near Inverness, Scotland and you’ll find more than a passing nod to the Celts in our wine naming conventions. The Laird of the Estate in Scotland is the Lord of the Manor and master of all he surveys.

Review:

I poured the 2017 The Laird, set it aside and got about doing other jobs for 45 minutes or so, to give it some room to breathe. And it does breathe. It has its own pulse and beat and life, and it flexes and moves in the mouth. This is incredibly enveloping, with aromas reminiscent of campfire coals, charred eucalyptus, lamb fat, roasted beetroot, black tea and a prowling sort of countenance. In the mouth, the wine is bonded and cohesive and seamless, there are no gaps between anything, no space between fruit, oak and tannin; it all comes as one. While this is a singular wine, it is so big and concentrated that it needs no accompaniment other than some fresh air and a good mate. It's denser than osmium and is impenetrable at this stage.

Trouillet Lebeau Pouilly Fuisse Premier Cru Pouilly 2021 is made from 100% Chardonnay.

This wine, now sold under the Premier Cru Pouilly AOC, is not new to our portfolio. This wine used to be called “Coeur de Pouilly” and it was the estate's latest Pouilly-Fuissé cuvée. Starting with the 2021 vintage, this climat is now officially classified as Premier Cru !

It comes from the best plots located in the heart of the appellation and aged in oak barrels. The wine shows a pale yellow color with deep golden highlights, an aromatic and complex nose with fruity (fresh almond, apricot) and floral (violet) notes. Powerful and fleshy in the mouth, it reveals notes of lime trees, cinnamon, honey and has a good aromatic persistence.

Enjoy it with poultry, such as Poulet de Bresse (blue-footed chicken) or with strong fish, such as pike or bass.

Tua Rita Giusto di Notri is made from 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.

The word "Giusto" refers to the name of the Patron Saint of Suvereto (the hilltop Tuscan town where Tua Rita is located) and "Notri" is the name of the winery's exact location.

Giusto di Notri is a Bordeaux-inspired blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, selectively harvested in September. After a gentle pressing, the juice and skins macerate for a lengthy period of 25-30 days to add concentration and depth to the final wine. The wine is then aged for 18-20 months in French oak barrels and refined six months in bottle before release.

Deep purple in color, Giusto di Notri offers abundant aromas of blackberry, plum and currants with underpinnings of coriander, violet and a touch of vanilla. Full-bodied, with ripe, fine tannins, and a silky texture, this is a stunning wine with great aging potential.

Ideal for barbecued ribs, steaks, grilled meats and medium-aged cheeses.

Review:

 Here’s a wine that takes us to a vintage that excels in terms of general fruit clarity and precision. The 2021 Giusto di Notri is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Merlot that ages in new oak (50% of the wine) with the other half going into second- and third-passage barrel. Intensity and depth are highlighted nicely here in a vintage that ended on October 16th (much later than 2020). This benefits complexity and aromas. The vintage also delivers more freshness and balanced tannins (without the sharper edges you get in 2020). This is a beautiful wine, one that's set up for long cellar aging.

-Robert Parker 96 Points

Ripe and captivating, decidedly spicy and engaging, it displays notes of black plums, tobacco leaves, incense, juniper berries, sandalwood, nutmeg, and lemon peel. In the background, the freshness of lemon peel alternates with nuances of oregano and marjoram. Medium-full body, perfectly ripe tannins with an incredibly fine and dense texture, and a finish of honest and splendid progression. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Better from 2027.

-Raffaele Vecchione - WinesCritic.com 97 Points

Venancio da Costa Lima Palmela Reserva is made from 100% Castelao (also known as Periquita) 

Intense garnet color, complex nose with touches of ripe fruit, jam and spices, full-bodied flavor and a very balanced finish.

100% Castelao (also known as "Periquita" and "Joao de Santarem". As the most widely-grown red grape variety in Portugal it is still often referred to in Portuguese as Periquita, although that name is legally owned by José Maria da Fonseca in the Setúbal Peninsula outside of Lisbon. It is highly adaptable to different climatic conditions and its remarkable versatility enables winemakers to make a range of wines – from the easy drinking and quaffable reds and rosados to the powerful and intense reds perfectly suited to lengthy cellaring. Castelão comes into its own and is most expressive in the Sétubal Peninsula, where it makes meaty and intense wines with aromas of red berries and blue flowers that marry well with the deft use of oak.

Made from 45 year old vines.

Classic vinification at controlled temperature (25 °C) with prolonged maceration for phenolic extraction. Wine went through malolactic fermentation.

Wine was slightly fitered before bottling to avoid sedimentation in the bottle and to ensure stability.

Pasta, Cheese, red meat and game.

Viejo Isaias Malbec Reserva is made from 100 percent Malbec.

Story Of The Rose:

Viejo Isaias, meaning "old Isaac" is the grandfather of the winemaker, Rodrigo. When Rodrigo was a boy, Isaac would take him on long walks throughout their vineyard in Mendoza. On these walks Isaac would keep a watch over the health of the vines, but more importantly he would keep a watch for the first rose of the year. Every year for 40 years, he would find the first flowered rose and bring it back to his wife, Juana. The rose on the label is a symbol of their love for each other and for the culture of Argentine wine. 

Don Isaías Hernández - a man with calloused hands and tanned by the work effort. With his example he taught me that nothing is achieved without sacrifice, that is why I want to keep his spirit alive in this reserva wine. This Malbec is the fruit of a dedicated winemaking, carefully crafted from the harvest to the palate of every single wine lover.

Intense touch of blueberries and plums, highlighted with vanilla and white chocolate from the oak aging. A nice wine with a good body, full of sweet tannins with good concentration and long persistence.

100% Malolactic fermentation Viejo Isaias is 100% oak aged, with 10 months American oak, 6 months in the bottle.

Vineyard site : Perdriel, Luján de Cuyo, upper area of Mendoza River.

Altitude: 950 meters above sea level
Soil: sandy loam
Vineyard planted in 2000.
Density per hectare: 3,500.
Production per vine plant: 2 x750 ml bottles on average.

Review:

Very clear aromas of black cherries and fresh flowers follow through to a medium body with fine tannins and a fresh finish. Very polished texture. Drink or hold."

- James Suckling (March 2022), 91 pts

Viejo Isaias Malbec Reserva is made from 100 percent Malbec.

Story Of The Rose:

Viejo Isaias, meaning "old Isaac" is the grandfather of the winemaker, Rodrigo. When Rodrigo was a boy, Isaac would take him on long walks throughout their vineyard in Mendoza. On these walks Isaac would keep a watch over the health of the vines, but more importantly he would keep a watch for the first rose of the year. Every year for 40 years, he would find the first flowered rose and bring it back to his wife, Juana. The rose on the label is a symbol of their love for each other and for the culture of Argentine wine. 

Don Isaías Hernández - a man with calloused hands and tanned by the work effort. With his example he taught me that nothing is achieved without sacrifice, that is why I want to keep his spirit alive in this reserva wine. This Malbec is the fruit of a dedicated winemaking, carefully crafted from the harvest to the palate of every single wine lover.

Intense touch of blueberries and plums, highlighted with vanilla and white chocolate from the oak aging. A nice wine with a good body, full of sweet tannins with good concentration and long persistence.

100% Malolactic fermentation Viejo Isaias is 100% oak aged, with 10 months American oak, 6 months in the bottle.

Vineyard site : Perdriel, Luján de Cuyo, upper area of Mendoza River.

Altitude: 950 meters above sea level
Soil: sandy loam
Vineyard planted in 2000.
Density per hectare: 3,500.
Production per vine plant: 2 x750 ml bottles on average.

Vina La Ronciere 'Piedras Magicas' Idahue Estate Carignan is made from 100 percent Carignan.

Piedras Mágicas is hand-selected from small blocks in the Idahue vineyard based on specific soil compositions and microclimate characteristics. The final blend is comprised mainly of Carignan and complemented by other varieties in small proportions determined by vintage.

Located 15 miles from the Pacific Ocean, La Ronciere’s ambitious 500 acre Idahue Estate is their vision for the future. Prevailing coastal breezes, abundant sunshine, and rolling hills of ancient soils culminate in a privileged climatic and geological landscape. Years of research and a forward-looking approach drove the successful effort that saw Licanten granted D.O. status in 2018.

This wine displays a deep red color and offers aromas of black- berry, plum and floral notes. A complex palate of black fruits combine with pleasing notes of vanilla. Its volume and silkiness stand out. Juicy tannins and persistent acidity retains balance and elegance.

Review:

This wine displays a deep red color and offers aromas of black-berry, plum and floral notes. A complex palate of black fruits combine with pleasing notes of vanilla. Its volume and silkiness stand out. Juicy tannins and persistent acidity retains balance and elegance

-Tim Atkin MW 94 Points

Weingut Prager Achleiten Riesling Smaragd is made from 100 percent Riesling. 

Franz Prager, co-founder of the Vinea Wachau, had already earned a reputation for his wines when Toni Bodenstein married into the family. Bodenstein’s passion for biodiversity and old terraces, coupled with brilliant winemaking, places Prager in the highest echelon of Austrian producers.

Smaragd is a designation of ripeness for dry wines used exclusively by members of the Vinea Wachau. The wines must have a minimum alcohol of 12.5%. The grapes are hand-harvested, typically in October and November, and are sent directly to press where they spontaneously ferment in stainless-steel tanks.

Achleiten sits east of Weißenkirchen and is one of the most famous vineyards in the Wachau. The steeply-terraced vineyard existed in Roman times. Some sections have just 40 cm of topsoil over the bedrock of Gföler Gneiss, amphibolitic stone, and slate. “Destroyed soil,” as Toni Bodenstein likes to say.

Tasting Notes:

Austrian Riesling is often defined by elevated levels of dry extract thanks to a lengthy ripening period and freshness due to dramatic temperature swings between day and night. Wines from Achleiten’s highly complex soils are famously marked by a mineral note of flint or gun smoke, are intensely flavored, and reliably long-lived.

Food Pairing:

Riesling’s high acidity makes it one of the most versatile wines at the table. Riesling can be used to cut the fattiness of foods such as pork or sausages and can tame some saltiness. Conversely, it can highlight foods such as fish or vegetables in the same way a squeeze of lemon or a vinaigrette might.

Review:

The 2020 Ried Achleiten Riesling Smaragd offers a well-concentrated, fleshy and spicy stone fruit aroma with crunchy and flinty notes. It needs some time to get rid of the stewed fruit flavors, though. Full-bodied, fresh and crystalline, this is an elegant, complex and finely tannic Riesling that needs some years rather than a carafe to polymerize the tannins and gain some finesse. Tasted at the domain in June 2021.

At Prager, I could not determine that 2020 would be inferior to the 2019 vintage; on the contrary, the 2020 Smaragd wines fascinated me enormously in their clear, cool, terroir-tinged way. A 38% loss had occurred mainly because of the hail on August 22, although predominantly in the Federspiel or Riesling vineyards. There was no damage in the top vineyards such as Ried Klaus, Achleiten or Zwerithaler. "Interestingly, the vines are in agony for about two weeks after the hail. There was no more growth, no development of ripeness and sugar," reports Toni Bondenstein. The Veltliner then recovered earlier, while even picking a Riesling Federspiel in October was still a struggle. "Why Riesling reacted more intensively to the hail, I don't know myself either," says Bodenstein. Whole clusters were pressed to preserve acidity and to compensate for the lower extract, and compared to 2019, the 2020s were left on their lees longer. In June, however, the 20s in particular showed outstanding early shape.

-Wine Advocate 94 Points

Light yellow-green, silver reflections. Yellow stone fruit nuances with a mineral underlay, notes of peach and mango, a hint of tangerine zest, mineral touch. Juicy, elegant, white fruit, acidity structure rich in finesse, lemony-salty finish, sure aging potential.

-Falstaff 95 Points

Winzer von Erbach Riesling Eiswein is made from 100 percent Riesling. 

The Eiswein has aromas of concentrated yellow fruit and a fruity sweetness. It's a high end product with a very long aging potential.
The grapes were picked frozen which resulted in a concentration of sugar, acidity and aromas and a low yield.

Pairs with blue cheese, fois gras, French apple cake.

Zombie Zin Zinfandel is made from 95% Zinfandel and 5% Syrah

Be careful if you go out at night. The Zombie Zin is designed to be consumed in hiding with the only friends you have left... post apocalypse.

The Zombie Zin is sporting a new label design with a torn look, that suggests a window into another world. The colors are more vibrant earth-tones and the capsule is a deep red.

The Zombie Zinfandel is very dark in color, almost a black-purple. The aromas are of ripe, dense black fruits and a hint of dried herbs. The flavors are complex and rich, sporting succulent blackberries, powdered cinnamon, cola and cherry jam. Just a hint of black pepper in the long finish.

The grapes for the Zombie are sourced throughout California, mostly from the dry, hot sandy soils of the Delta region and the Central Valley. The final blend benefitted from some inky Syrah grapes that came from the Central Coast. The wine was fermented in Stainless Steel and aged for about a half a year in American oak.

Pairs well with bloody BBQ meats, sinister soups with eye of newt, bubbly caldron of fleshy stew.