Quails Gate Pinot Noir Okanagan Valley is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
As pioneers of Pinot Noir in the Okanagan Valley, the winemaking team continues to raise the bar with this annual release. Sourced from several premium vineyards and a variety of clones, the 2020 vintage saw warm summer temperatures contributing to exceptional ripe, opulent flavours and smooth tannins resulting in an exceptional Pinot Noir.
Tasting notes:
Aromas of cherry, cocoa, raspberry, wild strawberry, lavender, dried cranberry with savory notes of sage leaf and earthy, blackberry, leather tones. A medium bodied silk feel on the palate with balanced flavors of juicy red fruit. Best enjoyed in Burgundy stemware to enhance aromatics.
An ideal match for late-season mushroom or squash risotto, seared game meats or roasted pork with wild rice and root vegetables.
Renato Ratti Rocche dell'Annunziata Barolo is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo. Grapes handpicked in the month of October, de-stemmed and pressed. The alcoholic fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel containers. Contact with the skins lasts approximately three to four weeks and includes fermentation and subsequent post-fermentation maceration with the traditional submerged cap system. The malolactic fermentation takes place in steel containers.
The Rocche dell'Annunziata vineyard is historically known as one of the most important in the Barolo zone. In his Barolo Chart, Renato Ratti had already underscored this by entering it in the 1st Category class. Situated at about 300 meters above sea level and with a south-east exposure, it extends over approximately 1 hectare. Rich with typical blue marl interspersed between veins of sand, the earth confers an extraordinary elegance and depth, combined with fine and persistent scents of roses and licorice. A prestigious subzone engenders a Barolo that holds within it suggestions of a radiant future. Warm, persistent, rich: in a word, sumptuous.
The label bears the coat of arms of the local noble family, with a black hawk against a gilt backdrop. The Latin inscription “Probasti me et cogniusti me” means “You tried me, you knew me.”
The Bottle: The Albeisa – named after the city of Alba – is the iconic bottle created by Renato Ratti in 1973, desired as a way of identifying the uniqueness of a territory and its wines.
A garnet red. Delicate and persistent fragrance with trace scents of licorice, rose and violet. Full-flavored, warm, with extremely elegant tannins offering long persistence. A great wine for important dishes, red meats roasted on a spit or grilled, game, dishes of gourmet white and red meats and ripe cheeses.
Review:
Lots of dried flowers here give a perfumed nature to it with berries and citrus. Hibiscus water, too. Full-bodied and chewy with lots of tannins and vivid acidity. Subtle plum and strawberry character. Muscular and formed..
-James Suckling 97 Points
Ricudda Chianti Classico Riserva 100% Sangiovese.
Deep ruby red color.
The wine shows an intense and persistent bouquet, with notes of berries and spices such as licorice and black pepper. Well-harmonized hints of oak.
In the mouth, it is well structured and balanced, complex, persistent with notes of red fruits and spices such as black pepper and licorice.
Pair with grilled red meats, steak, game of hair and feather, stewed and roasted, aged cheeses hard like pecorino.
Review:
"A very fine riserva with black-cherry, walnut with some cedar aromas and flavors. It’s medium-bodied with lovely tension and a fresh finish. Racy and refined. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold."
- James Suckling (June 2022), 93 pts
Rileys Rows Rose of Syrah is made from 100 percent Syrah.
When I think about my rosé one word comes to mind: intentional. Made from 100% syrah and pressed off skins in the Provencal style this wine is not just an afterthought. Typically picked in mid-October from a cool climate site the fruit comes in with both chemical and flavor ripeness. The result is a low alcohol, fresh wine with a complete flavor profile
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Rinaldi Joyful NV is made from 85 % Barbera, 10 % Cortese and 5 % Moscato
Straw yellow color, fruity with hints of apple and mint.
Joyful is a modern sparkling wine made using the method charmat process with the secondary fermentation made in a stainless steel tank.
Zone of production: Ricaldone’s territory on the hills called "Bricco Rioglio" and "Valmorana" and Celle.
Average altitude: 280 m above sea level, calcareous soil with tufa layers.
Training system: guyot with a cultivation density of about 3500 vines per hectare.
Vinification: manual harvest into crates, usually in September. Soft pressing. Settling in steel vats to have a natural clearing of musts. Further temperature and pressure controlled fermentation.
Joyful is great as an aperitif but also pairs very well with seafood.
Review:
"Golden yellow color. Aromas and flavors of hazelnut, cocoa, and vanilla, dried cherry multi grain bread, valencia orange, and over ripe melon with a satiny, bright, effervescent, dry light-to-medium body and a stimulating, medium-length finish with notes of fruit and nut multigrain biscuit with dried red fruits, toasted hazelnut, watermelon rind, and lime zest. Citrus forward and bright with a subtle hint of salinity makes this sparkling completely crushable yet sophisticated enough to bring to dinner."
- Beverage Testing Institute 93 pts - Gold Medal
Rinaldi Moscato d'Asti Bug Juice is made from 100 percent Moscato.
Straw-yellow color. The bouquet is delicate and intense with aromas of fruit (apple, peach) and spices (sage). The palate is sweet and smooth with lingering aromatic persistence. A refreshing and pleasant wine, perfect for brunch, picnics or poolside.
The training system used is Guyot with a density of 2500-3000 vines per hectare Manual harvest into crates. Soft pressing. Settling in steel vats to allow natural clearing of musts. Racking, increase in temperature. Temperature and pressure controlled fermentation until bottling.
Dessert, ideal with hazelnut cake. Original with "strong" cheese such as Robiola of Roccaverano and Gorgonzola.
Rinaldi Moscato d'Asti Bug Juice is made from 100 percent Moscato.
Straw-yellow color. The bouquet is delicate and intense with aromas of fruit (apple, peach) and spices (sage). The palate is sweet and smooth with lingering aromatic persistence. A refreshing and pleasant wine, perfect for brunch, picnics or poolside.
The training system used is Guyot with a density of 2500-3000 vines per hectare Manual harvest into crates. Soft pressing. Settling in steel vats to allow natural clearing of musts. Racking, increase in temperature. Temperature and pressure controlled fermentation until bottling.
Dessert, ideal with hazelnut cake. Original with "strong" cheese such as Robiola of Roccaverano and Gorgonzola.
Robert Mondavi Winery Napa Red Blend is made from 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 9% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot.
Robert Mondavi’s vision was to elevate Napa to the world stage. In celebration of his achievement, our Napa Tier wines are sourced from distinctive vineyards throughout the Napa Valley and truly emulate a classic Napa Valley style.
Nearly half of this year’s blend is sourced from the deep, well-drained soils of Oakville, which provides gorgeously dark, supple wines with fine tannins. Stags Leap District, Oak Knoll, Yountville, and Rutherford also find their place in the bottle, with the varying mesoclimates and soils of these vineyards integrating seamlessly into a 100% Napa Valley blend.
Review:
"Dominated by 80% Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller percentages of the other Bordeaux red grapes, this wine speaks of heritage and prestige. Broad, silky, and powerful, the graceful liquid is enhanced by dark chocolate, white pepper, black plum, violets, and sweet earth."
-Meridith May, Tasting Panel, January/February 2023 Pts. Tasting Panel
Roche Redonne Bandol Rouge Les Bartavelles is made from 95% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache.
This cuvée is named "Bartavelles" which is French for the "Rock Partridge".
The wine is quite aromatic, with boysenberry, blackcurrant, peppery and graphite notes. Ample in the mouth with a creamy structure, soft, harmonious and elegant tannins. The finish is long and juicy.
Excellent with grilled red meat or game. Also excellent with cheese
Roland Champion Champagne Le Mont Aigu Chardonnay Brut Nature is made from 100% Chardonnay.
Grand Cru Chouilly from a single parcel called "Montaigu".
Aged in Oak barrels for 10 months on the fine lees and then, aged "sur lattes" for 3 years.
Brut Nature : no liqueur d'expedition (zero dosage)
This 100% oaked chardonnay will be perfect with salmon cooked in a parchment paper "en papillote", as well as roasted bone marrow.
Romariz Late Bottle Vintage Port has been aged aged in oak for 5 years. Fruity and suave aromas. A delicate softness and goes particularly well with nuts, almonds and cheese.
Powerful aromas of plum, licorice, ripe cherry, spices and chocolate. Full, juicy and velvety in the mouth, a good texture and intense finish.
Late bottled vintage (LBV) ports are made from grapes of a single vintage, aged 4-6 years in oak before bottling & release.
Rombauer Vineyards Proprietor Selection Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Proprietor Selection is a reserve Chardonnay produced only in exceptional vintages by blending the best barrels from the finest lots. The 2022 represents the 16th vintage in 44 years. Like all of our Chardonnays, this wine comes from Carneros where the cool climate and clay soils offer ideal growing conditions for the varietal.
This wine comes from elite vineyards in the Carneros region owned by the Rombauer family and select growers including the Sangiacomo family, long-term grower partners who have farmed this land for three generations
Expressive and concentrated aromas of grapefruit and lime sorbet with hints of clove are present in the glass. It is rich and intense on the palate with sweet peach, clove, and freshly baked pastry flavors. There is a bright refreshing acidity that gives way to more stone fruit flavors that continue to build on the very long and concentrated finish.
Rombauer Vineyards Proprietor Selection Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Proprietor Selection is a reserve Chardonnay produced only in exceptional vintages by blending the best barrels from the finest lots. The 2020 represents the 14th vintage in 41 years. Like all of our Chardonnays, this wine comes from Carneros where the cool climate and clay soils offer ideal growing conditions for the varietal.
This wine comes from elite vineyards in the Carneros region owned by the Rombauer family and select growers including the Sangiacomo family, long-term grower partners who have farmed this land for three generations
A beautiful pale yellow, there are multifaceted layers of aromas including caramelized pineapple, lemon rind, baked green apple, toast, and vanilla. The densely concentrated palate features notes of powerful stone fruit, floral honey, baking spice, and vanilla, all building, with a fresh, mouthwatering acidity, to a long and lingering finish.
The Royal Shiraz Cabernet is made from 50% Shiraz, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon
The Royal Shiraz – Cabernet Sauvignon borrows its name from a grand old hotel in Riebeek Kasteel. It is the oldest hotel in the Western Cape; a beloved fixture of the area.
Juicy and fruity, rich and ripe in style with blackberry, blackcurrant and spice flavors, subtle vanilla and black pepper. Smooth and well-balanced with a lingering finish of berries, spice and beautifully integrated oak.
Pairs well with red meat, especially classic recipes like roasted leg of lamb, grilled lamb chops and beef kebabs, game, duck, pasta and cheese.
Rubus Chardonnay Colchagua Valley is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Attractive yellow color with some green tones. Its intense varietal character reminds one ripe fruits like pineapple, with notes of melon and honey well harmonized with oak. In the mouth it is full, rich and buttery.
Grapes are harvested in the morning in order to avoid high temperatures.
At the winery, the grapes are gently pressed.
Alcoholic fermentation is held between 15º and 16º Celsius.
Then, 25% of the wine goes into American Oak barrels for 3 months.
After this, the blend is made, clarified, cold stabilized and filtered. Right before bottling, the wine goes through an on-line filtration system (plate and sterile membrane) to ensure microbiological stability
As far as the food pairing, it is delicious with pasta, fish, seafood and mild cheeses. It is also delicious on its own as an aperitif.
Ruffino Modus Primo Toscana IGT Italian Red Wine is the evolution of Modus, showcasing quality fruit from three Tuscan vineyards on Ruffino's Poggio Casciano Estate, each one representing the best that this centuries-old wine region terroir has to offer. This Ruffino wine opens with a bouquet of ripe cherries and orange zest, followed by layered balsamic notes and spicy hints of sweet tobacco and vanilla.
Review:
Ripe and lively in its sensory profile, it shows notes of black plums, blackberries, sage and laurel. Juniper berries describe the secondary scene. Full body, elegant and relaxed on the palate, it closes modern and captivating. Better from 2023.
-WineCritic.com 94 Points
Segries Clos Jean Alesi Cotes du Rhone Rouge is made from 1/3 each of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.
This wine was originally called Segries Lanzac Clos Hermitage Cotes du Rhone Rouge
This 3.5 hectare vineyard, located in the famous “Quartier de la Chartreuse de Villeneuve-les-Avignon”, has been owned by the Formula 1 race car driver Jean Alesi since 1995. It is managed by Château de Ségriès.
This wine is a blend of 33% Grenache, 33% Syrah, and 33% Mourvedre sourced from 40-year-old vines. It was fermented in concrete vats then aged for nine months in 5% new oak barrels. The wine is a very grapey color in the glass. There is a light nose of tightly packed black fruit, dried herbs, pepper, and licorice. In the mouth there are tight-grained blue fruit, fine, powerful tannins, and a little strawberry flavor breaking loose. With air the wine reveals pencil and pepper flavors along with the structure for aging.
Yield: 40 hl/ha
Age of the vines: 40 years.
Vinification: 21 days skin maceration in temperature controlled concrete vats
Ageing: 9 months oak aging -5% new French oak from Seguin Moreau cooper and 95% of 1 year old barrels.
Delicious with roast meat, grilled vegetables, strong cheese and chocolate desserts.
Sourcing immaculate fruit from the cool Adelaide Hills region, Shaw + Smith carry out whole berry fermentation in open-topped steel vats allowing for gentle yet thorough extraction and optimal aromatics. Maturation in French oak allows tannins to soften and aromas to harmonize before bottling under screw cap.
Shaw + Smith own two vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, at Balhannah and Lenswood, totalling 55 hectares. The vineyards are planted to varieties that perform particularly well in the region, namely Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Shiraz.
Hand picked, sorted and fermented as a combination of whole berries and whole bunches in open fermenters, with gentle plunging and minimal working. Aged in French oak for fourteen months, of which one third was new.
Shaw + Smith Shiraz is a medium bodied cool-climate Shiraz, in which balance is more important than power.
Decant and enjoy with slow cooked lamb shoulder.
Review:
Lovely crunchy fruit to this, with spice and dried-meat undertones through the wine, from the nose to the palate. Medium body, fine tannins and a fresh and vivid finish. Tangy and bright. Drink or hold. Screw cap.
-James Suckling 94 Points
Kinsella Estates Heirloom Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
20 months in French Oak (75% New)
Organic made.
Intense was the first word that came to mind. Purely focused tannin weaves its way through the core of this wine. Has a savory characteristic that we have found in past vintages (2014 to be specific) with a slight licorice note on the exceptionally long finish. While this vineyard has been described as “feminine” in the past, that is certainly not the case for this bigger, bolder vintage!
Luis XIV Brisat Orange Wine is made from 100% Merseguera.
Produced from old vines Marseguera (Gobelet / bush vines) with no irrigation and planted at 540 meters of altitude.
Intense yellow color, with orange reflections. On the nose it is very intense, with floral and fruity sensations reminiscent of a Mediterranean garden. In the mouth it has good tension, with medium tannins and very persistent aromas. Fine tannins.
It is a very intense white wine, which perfectly accompanies meat or fish-based rice dishes from Alicante, as well as different stews and seafood tapas.