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.
Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 95.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2.5% Cabernet Franc, 1.9% Merlot, 0.4% Petit Verdot
The 2019 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has notes of red cherry, raspberry, blackberry, iris, vanilla and clove. Ruby in color, this elegant wine has great acidity and lift on the mid-palate. Black currant and warm baking spices linger with a deep and fruity finish. It will provide drinking pleasure through 2047 given proper cellaring.
Review:
Aged in 50% new and 50% second-use American Oak from the Duncan family's The Oak cooperage in Higbee, Missouri. Matt Duncan joined me for my tasting, and he says the Petit Verdot in the blend, of which there is 0.4%, is co-fermented with the Cabernet Sauvignon, intended to bring focus to the Cabernet fruit. A compelling, brooding, muscular rendition of Cabernet from Alexander Valley with gorgeous boysenberry notes, black currants, and rose petals laced with vanillin notes and toasty oak. Medium to full-bodied with black currants, ripe blackberry and black cherry notes framed by velvety tannins laced with that irresistible vanillin note. Toasty oak spices lend a hint of sweetness, balanced by grippy acidity. Long and complex, revealing umami, garrigue, and crushed slatestone on the finish. It's a terrific wine from the Alexander Valley.
-Decanter 95 Points
The Factor is predominantly from the Gomersal and Marananga sub-regions of the Barossa, providing dense texture and richness to the palate with subtle notes of olive tapenade, saddle leather and minerals. Ripe aromas of plum and wild blackberries, olive, pepper and spice are all supported by a dark core of espresso roast, ripe blackberries and saltbush. Brooding and densely packed, this lavish wine has ample generosity to cellar for many years, where it will slowly unravel.
Review:
Made with fruit off vines from 30-130 years of age, this 2020 Shiraz The Factor has a strong Cornas feel. It is richly endowed with black olive, dried olive leaf, chocolate, and cocoa aromas with fantastic focus. A muscular core of spicy, dark berry fruits follows, punchy with impact. There is also some serious density and structure that will keep this wine in pristine condition for many years to come.
-Vinous 96 Points
The 2020 The Factor is 100% Shiraz and made up of fruit from Gomersal, Krondorf, Marananga and Ebenezer in the Barossa Valley. The wine was matured for 24 months in a combination of new (40%) and seasoned French oak barriques. In the glass, the wine verges on black, and the nose echoes this abyss-like shade. Blackberry, blood plum, black cherry, licorice, campfire embers, cocoa dust, clove, iodine, vanilla pod and red dirt—this is the core of the wine, the beating heart. The tannins, like a skeleton that protects it, are velvety, plush and structural. Like a skeleton, the tannins are entrenched in the fruit, concealed by a skin of flavor. This is a sybaritic, superstar wine that reflects the warm, concentrated, dry, low-yielding vintage from whence it came. This is classic, polished, midnight Torbreck here.
-Wine Advocate 96 Points
Shiraz from the parishes of Gomersal, Krondorf, Marananga and Ebenezer matured in French oak (40% new) for 24 months. This year's Factor sports an inky, graphite-led intensity of fruit and a sense of purity. Compression, too, with deep satsuma plum, blackberry and black cherry fruits initially feeling compact and tight before exploding onto the palate with substantial tannin heft and layers of dark spice, cedar, licorice and dark chocolate. While you could happily tuck into this tonight, it will cellar like a champion.
- Australian Wine Companion 96 Points
Turley Pesenti Zinfandel is made from 100 percent Zinfandel.
Deeply perfumed and enthralling nose of ripe red fruits, high-toned spices, orange zest, and an almost minty crushed chalk. Palate is smooth, lush, energetic, and pure, with a smack of well-toned acidity, satiating structure, and a long, precise finish.
Reviews:
A briar patch in a glass, this Zin is tightly focused and energetic, with flavors of wild berries, underbrush, espresso and pepper that build tension toward broad-shouldered tannins.
-Wine Spectator 93 Points
The 2022 Zinfandel Pesenti Vineyard is a very pretty wine, and also surprisingly delicate for Paso. Medium in body, with terrific nuance, the Pesenti is super-expressive in this vintage. Crushed flowers, blood orange and cedar overtones linger on the aromatic, finessed finish.
-Vinous 92-94 Points
Vermont La Grande Cuvee Rouge is made from 90% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot.
Produced from the best parcels of the estate, with low yields and optimal maturity, the wine reveals the expression of the Entre-deux-Mers terroir.
The Grande Cuvee boasts a deep ruby color and displays a pleasant bouquet of red berries and plum highlighting the expression of the dominant Merlot. Rich, refined, fruity and deep in structure, the palate shows good concentration and a harmonious balance. Long flavors of ripe fruits and vanilla nuances give way to an elegant cuvee.
WALT Wines Blue Jay Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Vivid aromas of black cherry, plum, clove and dried meadow grasses rise from the glass. Walt's signature technique of including roasted stems in the fermentation adds a lift of structure and spice to the ripe, plush palate. Dark fruit flavors lead to a finish with beautiful length.
Review:
Powerful aromas of dark cherry, strawberry jam and crushed star anise make for a hedonistic nose on this bottling. The palate ranges from black cherry to baked berry, with cardamom and more star anise as well as a firm tannic frame standing in the background.
-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points
Ripe and seemingly languid, but has an underlying succulence to the mix of dark cherry, raspberry and plum fruit, while sleek anise, black tea and warm earth accents course through the finish. Reveals a late flicker of pine forest, too.
-Wine Spectator 93 Points
Wolfberger Alsace Grand Cru Hengst Gewurztraminer is made from 100 percent Grand Cru Gewurztraminer.
Hengst means stallion in alsatian.
Floral nose, yellow fruits, sweet spices. The mouth is ample with the same aromatic.
Tangential filtration before bottling.Vinification in stainless steel tanks at 16°C then aging on fine lees until spring of the following year.
Full-bodied cheese (munster, époisses), curry, dessert with fresh fruit
Review:
"Pear, mustard blossom and stemmy aromas are fun and lighthearted. This wine is vivacious with acidity and has a rich, creamy texture offering all of the lychee and spice you could want. Grassy dill complements those and adds a lovely savory note to this sweet wine. Kysela Père et Fils. Editors’ Choice. - Layla Schlack"
- Wine Enthusiast (November 2021), 94 pts, Editors' Choice
Begude Bandol Rouge La Brulade is made from 95% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache.
"La Brulade" is the name of a select slope located at an altitude of 400 meters overlooking the Mediterranean sea between La Baie d'Amour (the town of La Ciotat) in the South and La Sainte Baume in the North. This is one of the highest parcels in the Bandol appellation.
The wine is only produced in exceptional vintages. This carefully selected blend is made of 95% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache, aged in large French oak barrels for 24 months.
The wine shows a deep purple color. It is fresh and fruity on the nose with intense garrigue aromas. Structured, elegant and well-balanced on the palate with strong tannins. Licorice, ripe black fruits, garrigue flavors and some peppery freshness on the finish.
The 35-year old grapes are grown on clay and limestone soils and are farmed organically. Yield is very low - 15hl/ha. The grapes are harvested manually.
Winemaking: Double selection, destemming, crushing before skin contact fermentation. No filtration. Aging for 24 months in French oak casks (600L).
Grilled meat (lamb, beef, boar), Mediterranean cuisine, spicy dishes.
Review:
"Complex nose with deep black berry fruits, spice and hints of polish. Really lovely texture with layers of creamy red and black fruits, spices and powerful but super fine tannins. Great expression of the appellation; powerfully long."
- Decanter World Wine Award 2020 - 97 pts & Platinum Medal
Brulesecaille Blanc Grande Reserve is made from 75% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Sauvignon Gris.
Average age of the vines is 25 years.
Manual harvest from September 19th-20th 2016.
Direct press at low pressure (whole cluster) with low amount of SO2, settling at 10°C.
Addition of yeast and alcoholic fermentation in casks 400 liters.
Raised on the lees for 6 months with regular batonnage (stirring of the lees).
Bottling in april 2017.
Fish, seafood, white meats, fine goat cheeses.
Chateau Brule Secaille Grande Reserve Cotes de Bourg Rouge is made from 55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec.
The color is deep dark ruby. limpid and brilliant. The nose is intense and complex with hints of blackberries, sweet spicies, noble plain chocolate and Vanilla. The palate is full bodied, very long with well integrated tannins. The finish is very fresh and luscious with toasted notes in the background.
Average age of the vines is 30 years.
Manual harvest from September 21th to October 7th 2015.
Upon arrival at the winery, only the best grapes were selected using a sorting table.
Skin contact maceration during 2 weeks in temperature controlled vats.
Aged 12 months in Oak barrels. (1/3 new oak, 1/3 1 year old and 1/3 two year old barrels). They use 60% French Oak and 40% American Oak.
Served with red meat (beef filet, sirloin), pork tenderloin, roasted duck breast with honey&orange sauce, roasted lamb with thyme, poultry and fine cheese.
Review:
"A purple-colored, young wine dominated by Merlot, this is rich, structured and full of blackberries. With a good balance between the fruit and the tannins already in place, it shows excellent potential. Drink this already delicious but still firm wine from 2022. - ROGER VOSS"
- Wine Enthusiast (December 2018, Best of Year 2018 Issue), 90 pts
Convento Oreja Ribera del Duero Crianza is made from 100 percent Tempranillo.
Bright cherry color. On the nose you will find plenty of fruit aromas, well balanced as well as some reminiscences of spices that are appreciable. The oak presence gives elegant hints of black chocolate and vanilla. On the palate, the wine is very smooth and well balanced with the right amount of acidity. Fresh, long lasting and elegant.
The wine went through malolactic fermentation. The wine was aged 12 Months in French Oak barrels. Before bottling, the wine was slightly filtered.
Review:
A bouquet of Luxardo cherry, blackberry preserves and lavender wafts from the glass. Surprisingly juicy on entry, this wine has flavors of pomegranate, ripe cherry, orange zest, dried thyme, dark chocolate and violet. Opulent tannins build in volume and then recede into a finish that is filled with bright fruit notes. — Mike DeSimone
- Wine Enthusiast (June/July 2023), 94 pts
Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Le Miocene is made from 60% Clairette, 40% Roussanne
Pale yellow colour with hints of green, aromas of white flowers (may blossom, honeysuckle).
The palate is pleasantly balanced between liveliness and roundness, which brings out characteristics of dried apricot, honey and elderberry. A Châteauneuf du Pape white displaying a great finesse.
Best between 1 and 8 years.
Soil type Coming from the single vineyard named “La Fontaine”, the plot is facing north.It is made of clay-sand and limestone. Thanks to the northern orientation, it is always very well aired. This sector allow the Roussane and Clairette to mature in great conditions without losing freshness, which we believe is key point. Winemaking & ageing Whole-bunch pressing. Vinification in stainless-steel tanks. Fermentation temperature controlled at 15°C.
Review:
"The classic white from this estate is the 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Le Miocene Blanc, and it shines in the vintage. Based on 60% Clairette and 40% Roussanne, it has a lighter gold hue as well as textbook aromatics of citrus, pears, and minty herbs. I love its balance, it’s medium-bodied, has the vintage’s fresher style, and outstanding length. It should evolve gracefully, and while the safe bet is to enjoy bottles over the coming 2-4 years, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this evolve for well over a decade."
- Jeb Dunnuck (November 2022), 92 pts
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
La Despensa Boutique Pool Blend 75% Cinsault, 15% Pais, 5% Marsanne and 5% Roussanne.
A genuinely unique wine - La Despensa is the only producer of Cinsault in Colchagua and Pais from this valley is also extremely rare! The Cinsault and the 2 whites come from a new vineyard planted in 2017 and the Pais from a 150 year old, dry-farmed vineyard in Pumanque about 20 minutes from the winery that they run themselves organically. The Cinsault and Pais give notes of raspberry and strawberry and the white Roussanne and Marsanne a little mouthfeel and a hint of tropical fruit.
Organically grown grapes (not certified) from our own vineyard in Santa Ana, and Pumanque in the Colchagua Valley. Irrigated as sparingly as possible via drip irrigation (dry-farming for the 150 year old Pais). Hand harvested and sorted personally by me in the vineyard (I personally check every single bunch), then destemmed with the crusher removed from the destemmer. Grapes are fermented in open top bins and concrete tank and blended immediately after pressing. MLF occurs with the wine already blended. Wines are racked in November and again in January before being bottled after about 10 months ageing in 50% neutral oak barrels and 50% Flextank.
Versatile, goes well with beef, chicken, pasta, great for Summer BBQs
Review:
"The red blend 2021 Wines Pool Blend was produced with an unusual blend, especially for a wine from Colchagua, of 75% Cinsault, 15% País and 5% each Marsanne and Roussanne. It has kept a moderate 13.5% alcohol and retained good freshness (pH 3.44) after maturing exclusively in Flextank and being bottled unoaked. This is fruit-driven and straightforward, with a medium-bodied palate and fine tannins. 2,400 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2022. - Luis Gutiérrez"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (April 2023), 90 pts
Morande Black Series Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Malleco represents the exploration of one of the most extreme valleys in Chile for wine production. A new wine frontier, an ideal terroir to produce high-end Chardonnay in Chile, with a different style from other outstanding origins such as Limarí –which offers wines with marked minerality– or Aconcagua Costa –which delivers sharp acidity and great power. The Traiguen area in the Malleco valley produces wines of great tension and fruity austerity, as well as complexity, balance and finesse. A very typical style of Chardonnay marked by elegance, verticality on the palate and subtlety on the nose and mouth.
The wine offers a bright pale yellow color, intense and elegant aromas of citrus fruits and green apples as well as hints of nuts, such as hazelnuts and roasted chestnuts. A tense and fresh acidity on the palate, and a vertical structure in the mouth. Very fine and complex, its long persistence highlights the austere character of its fruit and a delicate minerality.
Shellfish and fish of intense flavor, such as smoked salmon, swordfish, giant perch, and white meats, poultry.
Review:
"Fresh and pure on the nose with green fruits and lots of star fruit, a hint of flint and a slight creamy edge. Subtle and bright with a tense mid-palate that creates a creamy but fresh mouthfeel. Medium- to full-bodied and long. Drink now."
- James Suckling (February 2023), 94 pts
This is a single vineyard, from the parcel "El Nogal" located in the town of Mambrilla de Castrejon grown at 850 meters above sea level. (2750 feet).
A hillside of tinto fino vines red in the village of Mambrilla, a short distance from the winery. Uninterrupted views of the Duero, the wind stirring the airy branches of the large walnut tree that guards the vineyard. A place with a special gift. Its sandy, stony soils, a feeling of harmony and a special microclimate: everything seems to enhance the talent of its surroundings.
We have been vinifying the evocative grapes of this plot for the past few years to produce an endlessly charming wine. Overwhelming, powerful and exquisite. With a vitalising force.
Review:
"This rich, powerful red carries a sense of poise and finesse. Lush flavors of black cherry reduction and fig cake are interlaced with fragrant aromas and accents of cedar, rosemary, violet, licorice, graphite and cocoa powder. Shows deft integration of dense tannins and a velvety texture, with a long, focused finish. Drink now through 2039. —A.N."
- Wine Spectator Insider (April 3rd 2024), 94 pts
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
Alain Jaume Domaine du Clos de Sixte Lirac is made from 50% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre
An intense red garnet color. On the nose, aromas of red and black ripe fruit (kirsch and wild blackberry). The mouth is full, with aromas of blackcurrant liqueur and spice. Tannins are both harmonious and elegant thanks to the fleshiness of the wine. Hints of licorice and vanilla on the finish, which gives the wine length and complexity.
Soil type LIRAC vineyard is facing Chateauneuf du Pape, opposite side of the Rhône river. As showed by the picture and following geologist George Truc, soils are almost similar in both side. They are marked by the violence wrought by the Rhone river. It consists of a layer of marine molasses of the Miocene period covered by alpine alluvium. The presence of a great number of rounded stones known as "galets" in the earth is evidence of the time when the Rhone, then a torrent, tore fragments of rock from the Alps and deposited them on the plain. LIRAC is one of the up-coming best area from the southern Rhône valley, as it delivers outstanding wines. Winemaking & ageing Traditional wine-making in stainless still vats. Hand sorted bunches, crushed and destemmed grapes. Fermentation temperature : 30°C. 18 days of vatting with pigeages.
Review:
"The 2016 Lirac Domaine du Clos de Sixte is a terrific wine, easily the rival to many Châteauneufs from across the river, starting with its alluring aromas of flowering garrigue and ripe cherries. A blend of 50% Grenache, 35% Syrah and 15% Mourvèdre, this full-bodied wine is lush and concentrated on the palate, then turns velvety on the long finish. I'd treat it like a Châteauneuf du Pape in terms of cellaring: hold it for a few years, then drink it over the next 15. - Joe Czerwinski"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue 233, October 2017), 93+ pts
Patrimony Caves des Lions is made from 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Cabernet Franc.
A marriage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, one cannot but be taken by the uber-dark color of this wine. Yet when the first sip is taken, an unexpected profile emerges from the glass with elegance and freshness accompanied by a wealth of minerality. The nose explodes with aromas of cassis, cured meats, coffee, licorice, dark chocolate, and spice. Full-bodied, this flawlessly balanced wine will keep you thinking for a long time while the finish does not stop.
Reviews:
This truly world-class blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon and 48% Cab Franc continues to impress. It possesses an in- comparable mouthfeel, setting a benchmark for the region. Its sultry, round, violet- and cocoa-kissed tannins engage with a plum-pudding effect. The body weight is perceptible, engaging with a gliding wash of kirsch and black pepper to make for a silky, textural dream.
-Tasting Panel 99 Points
The 2019 Caves des Lions is a blend of free-run Cabernet Sauvignon (52%) and Cabernet Franc (48%) matured for 22 months in 100% new French oak and bottled in December of 2021. Opaque ruby in color, it has layered aromas of blackcurrant, lilac, graphite, fried savory herbs and game meats. The full-bodied palate is powerful yet balanced, its restrained, mineral-laced fruit complemented by mouthwatering acidity, and it boasts a long, graceful finish. Harmonious and latent, it will demand plenty of patience as it unwinds in bottle—the Patrimony wines tend to age at a glacial pace.
-Robert Parker Wine Advocate 99 Points
The Marjorie vineyard sits in the center of the Cristom Estate with a gentle slope from 480 feet to 600 feet over some of the most consistent volcanic soils on the entire Estate. A little bit unique to itself, most of the Vineyard is planted over a moderately deep volcanic soil with some very rocky areas in the north and southeast corners. The vineyard wants to produce elegant wines of finesse with bright red fruit and succulent acidity.
Review:
Dark ruby, the 2021 Pinot Noir Marjorie Vineyard takes on a darker mineral profile with forward aromas of wet stone, black raspberry preserve, and layers of baking spices and crushed purple flowers. Moving to the palate, the wine is medium-framed, with ripe tannins, an angular texture, fresh acidity, and a spicy finish. This certainly needs more time and will gain complexity with time in cellar.
-Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points
Darkly alluring, the 2021 Pinot Noir Marjorie Vineyard is perfumed with dusty violets and lavender, giving way to dried black cherries. Luxuriously round, with juicy acidity, this cascades across the palate with crisp raspberry fruits as rosy inner florals amass toward the close. Hints of blood orange pucker the cheeks as the 2021 finishes staining and long with long lingering chalky mineral tones.
-Vinous 95 Points