The 2020 Cabernet is a shining example of how delicious, elegant and beautiful our Cabernet can be. The aromas of ripe plum, black cherry and stone fruits entice the nose. The wine is beautifully structured with a soft, velvety feel on the palate. The soft, subtle tannins make it seem that you are drinking a more mature wine. The hint of spice integrated with dark stone fruits segue into a long, lingering and enticing mouthfeel. This vintage is not one to miss, it’s approachable now and destined to be off the charts in years to come
Review:
Lastly, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Shibumi Knoll Vineyard is all varietal and spent 22 months in 75% new barrels. It's another beautifully balanced and impeccably made wine from this team that has tons to love, and in this case, it certainly represents a relative value as well. Cassis, darker chocolate, scorched earth, and graphite are just some of its aromatics, and it's concentrated and has full-bodied richness, fine tannins, and the pure, layered, impressive style of the vintage front and center.
-Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
100% Chardonnay aged 14 months in 30% new French oak.
Review:
“Stone fruits, buttered citrus, white flowers, and a subtle hint of green almonds all emerge from the 2021 Chardonnay Buena Tierra Vineyard, a medium to full-bodied, ripe, yet elegant Chardonnay. I love its overall balance, and it brings an impressive mix of richness and elegance.”
Jeb Dunnuck, 96 points
Siegel San Elias Merlot is 100 percent Merlot
Soft, rich and concentrated with juicy plum and blackberry fruits, soft tannins and a velvety texture.
Try with hearty stews, pasta and roast red meats.
Intense ruby color with tiled notes, A kirch, floral, slightly smoky liquorice nose.
A supple palate with sweetness and refined oaky notes. Nice length in the mouth.
Excellent with beef briskets with a southern dry-rub.
Sonoma Bench Pinot Noir comes entirely from the heart of the Russian River Valley, and Green Valley AVA situated on Burnside Rd.
This Pinot Noir shows a deep ruby/garnet red color. The aromas are fresh with raspberry, red fruits with a soft earthy tone. There are vanilla notes from French oak barrel aging. The pallet is lush with roundness, texture, and fruit purity. Tannins are balanced and the finish is firm and refreshing. The length of the wine is elegant and shows harmony and textural balance. 2021 was an exceptionally short harvest in Russian River Valley.
Enjoy now or cellar for 3-5 years,
SonVida Malbec is made from 95% Malbec and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
SonVida Malbec is a single vineyard wine, the supreme expression of the award-winning zone of Altamira, in Argentina's Uco Valley. Altamira's smooth tannins shine through, and the combination of acidity and minerality lead the wine to a long, integrated finish.
"The wine is proud to be ripe and generous. Aromas dominated by smokey mulberry and blueberry. It's plush and coats the palate with bramble, blueberry and liquorice and the scent of vanilla. Immediately muscular and broad-shouldered in the glass, with a savory note, perhaps tapenade, running through the dense palate with mint and dried herbs on the finish. The oak will integrate over time, mixing its spice with the warm spice of fruit. - Joe Fattorini - The Wine Show"
Sunny Summer with moderate nighttime temperatures, followed by an early Fall.
Grapes come from the Mendoza region, in the Paraje Altamira area.
YIELD: 35 Hl/HA
MACERATION: Total 25 days, first cold-soaked 5 days, 14 days fermentation at 24° C, plus 7 additional days. No filtration.
SonVida Malbec can be enjoyed on its own, and matches perfectly with meats, chicken, turkey and hard cheeses. It is enjoyed best in good company. ‘Would you like another glass?’ The answer, almost always, is ‘yes’.
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:
-James Suckling 94 Points
Stella Aurea is a Chilean red made from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot.
Expressive and complex, berries and minty, balsamic tones.
Wide and dense palate with fine tannins and silky texture.
Balance between power and elegance.
Hand harvested- Wine is aged at least 6 months in bottle, with further aging potential of 15 years.
Tamarack Chardonnay is made from 100% Chardonnay.
Bright aromas of ruby red grapefruit, mango and stone fruit are found in the bouquet while on the palate, the bright acidity of this wine showcases flavors of guava, crisp Granny Smith apples and Asian pears. Combing the best of both cooperage techniques, the combination of aging in stainless steel highlights the fruit while the aging in neutral French oak provides an added complexity to the wine.
Aged 60% in neutral premier French oak and 3% in new premier French Oak 37% stainless steel.Dropped by gravity straight to the press, the juice is pumped directly to barrel or tank and chilled, inoculated with Chardonnay 3079 yeast, primary fermentation started and finished, secondary fermentation started but completed to preferred taste, typically around 50% completion. All fermentation is done in a 58 degree Fahrenheit barrel room.
Walla Walla Valley Appellation: Alderbanks Vineyard
Columbia Valley Appellation: Bacchus and Gamache Brothers Vineyards
Yakima Valley Appellation: Olsen Brothers and French Creek Vineyards
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.
Tenuta di Nozzole La Forra Chianti Classico Riserva is made from 100% Sangiovese.
Located north of the village of Greve in the heart of the Chianti Classico region, the Nozzole estate covers a striking, rugged, mountainous area of about 1,000 acres at 984 feet in elevation. In order to obtain concentration and complexity in the wine, yields are kept low. The grapes are hand harvested, destemmed and crushed. Fermentation is initiated on the skins in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, followed by a maceration period to draw out color and tannins. The wine is racked into stainless steel tanks for malolactic fermentation before aging in oak vats and in bottle before release. The wine is bottled on the estate.
The 2020 vintage was characterized by a basically cold period between April and May and by a generally warm and dry climate until July. The initial slight delay of the vegetative cycle has been recovered since the summer. The sudden increase in temperatures, especially for the later varieties where the fruit set had not yet ended, has favored a production characterized by sparse and light bunches. The stable and sunny climate of the months of August and September allowed the grapes to complete ripening in optimal conditions.
Review:
Attractive on the nose with cherries, red berries, dried herbs and baking spices. It’s medium-bodied with fine tannins. Harmonious and poised with a refined character. Weightless and agile. Polished and succulent finish.
-Wine Enthusiast 93 Points
Tenute Cisa Asinari Marchesi di Gresy Gaiun Martinenga Barbaresco 2016.
Bright garnet red with slight orange reflections. Intense and pleasant hints of plum and cherry blend sinuously with balsamic nuances of mint, tea leaves, dried flowers and blond pipe tobacco.
From the most recognized Napa Valley red blend comes a distinct, new wine. Made in the same iconic style as The Prisoner Red Blend, we proudly introduce The Prisoner Cabernet Sauvignon. Redefining taste once again.
On the nose, blackberry, currant, and plum are layered with dried, crushed herbs and licorice. On the palate, cedar, vanilla, nutmeg, and toasted coconut lead as plum and dried blackberries culminate in a lush, full mouthfeel and a lengthy, balanced finish.
Chef Brett recommends pairing The Prisoner Cabernet with Grilled Ribeye or Aged Gouda Cheese.
The Prisoner Wine Co. Blindfold Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Blindfold Chardonnay is gorgeously balanced and a true triumph. Fragrant with notes of lime zest, yuzu, jasmine, and a slight minerality, Bright on the palate with juicy green citrus, lychee, green apple and toasted hazelnut. You’ll find both freshness and soft texture from its time in oak. The finish is long and indulgent–let yourself sink into this luxurious pour.
All of the fruit was hand-picked and whole cluster pressed. Barrel fermentation took place in 100% French oak barrels, and 23% New barrels that were selected by forest or grain tightness to frame our fruit profile, bring texture, and soften acidity. Lots were tasted every other week while we stirred the lees to precisely soften the mouthfeel and achieve optimal balance. With fermentation, and subsequent elevage taking place over 11 months we have achieved this goal.
Chardonnay grapes were harvested as flavors of lime zest and green apple started to develop and before acid started to ripen away. Picking decisions were made based on acidity rather than sugar level (Brix). We want to showcase the vineyard sites and growing region in perfect balance.
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.
Thibeaud-Maillet Pomerol is made from 100 percent Merlot
Deep ruby with black rim. The nose is spicy, with blackberry, cherry, vanilla, chocolate and a delicate oak presence.
The wine is balanced, the tannins are present, but well integrated and round.
The finish is long and pleasant.
Harvest is done manually and the berries are selected with optical sorting before entering the cellar. Fermentations are carried out at controlled temperature with 3 to 4 weeks of skin contact. Once the malolactic fermentation is completed; the wines are put into barrels (50% new) and aged for 12 months. The estate uses three barrels from three different coopers: Vicard (Charentes)supplying most of the barrels with medium toast and a fine grain, Cadius from Burgundy supplies also fine grain/ medium toasts barrels and last but not least Sylvain, a local cooper is used for three barriques a year, those bring a bit more austerity but also a certain backbone to the blend.
Aged in French oak barrels for 15 months (50% new oak).
Delicious with grilled meat and grilled vegetables.
A parcel of 90 ares, one part is 20 years old and the other part is 55 years old. Its is called Les Pressonniers, in Gevrey-Chambertin.
Bourgogne Rouge Côte d’Or comes from a plot of Gevrey-Chambertin vines, giving delicate fruit and body, as well as the character and complexity of the Gevrey-Chambertin terro
Mortet Bourgogne Passetoutgrain is mae from 60% Gamay and 40% Pinot Noir
Aged 11 months in Neutral French oak barrels.
12% ABV
Malolactic fermentation in barrel.
Slight filtration before bottling.
Bourgogne Passetoutgrains is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) for wine from the region of Burgundy.
Most Bourgogne Passetoutgrains is red, although rosé wine may also be produced. Unlike other Burgundy wines, which are
primarily produced from a single grape variety, Bourgogne Passetoutgrains is essentially a cuvée of Gamay and Pinot noir.
This is a quintessential bistro wine. Fresh and fruity, displaying red and black fruit flavors. Well balanced, good structure and silky finish with excellent length. Serve slightly chilled.
Oeufs en Meurette (poached eggs served in a red wine sauce with onions and lardons).
Boeuf Bourguignon (beef cooked in red wine with carrots and patatoes).
Pizza and pasta.
Figgins Estate Red Wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot & Merlot
Dark to the rim, with signature aromatic notes of ripe red and blue fruits, tanned leather, black olive, and lilac. The nose simply brings a smile. On the palate, if I had to describe the wine in one word it would be precision. The way the sweet fruit and dramatic length are braced by lively acidity and tannins aligns so perfectly that the wine is, quite simply, delicious.
Review:
Inviting aromas of vivid red fruit, fresh herbs and paprika. Full-bodied with juicy, fruit-soaked, fine tannins. Delightful. So much happening here. The fruit is plentiful and full of charming spice and herbal complexity. Very well balanced and long. Fresh. A blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and petit verdot. Best after 2024 but attractive now.
-James Suckling 96 Points
Figaro Tinto Calatayud is 100% Garnacha, made from a selection of the best grapes grown in the oldest vineyards. While not truly an "oaked wine", a short stay in oak barrels provides a nice spicy flavor boost.
Tasting notes: Bright violet. Dark berry and cherry aromas show a jammy aspect. Supple and gently sweet, with good lift to its black raspberry and boysenberry flavors. Smooth and broad on the finish, leaving behind a hint of spiciness. Extremely easy to drink and an excellent value.