Thorn Clarke Shotfire Quartage is made from 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 14% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot .
The Shotfire range honors a family pioneer who worked the Barossa goldfields in the late 1800's. He had the hazardous job of being a 'Shotfirer'; one who handled the explosives to be used in finding that rich vein of gold.
Shotfire Quartage is based on the five traditional red varieties found in the Bordeaux region of France (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec). The Thorn-Clarke winemakers use at least four of the varieties to create the blend each year (occasionally, they can get over excited and use all five). The blend is a reminder to not only look to the future but also to keep an eye on the past and tradition.
This traditional blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot & Malbec boast a deep inky red - purple color. Aromas of freshly crushed peppercorns, roasted capsicum & blackcurrant fill the glass. On the palate there is a generosity of fruit. The notes of dark cacoa and smokey bacon intertwined with velvety tannins lead to a complex finish.
Thorn Clarke Single Vineyard Malbec is made from 100 percent Malbec.
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.
The wine is sourced from the most Northern area of the Barossa and featuring a vibrant purple hue. The nose is lifted with perfumed blueberry and satsuma plum evident. The palate is full bodied and rich with layers of blue fruits, Christmas spices and subtle complex French oak.
Pairs with braised Lamb Shank or Blue Vein Cheese.
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.
Thorn Clarke Terra Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
The range is named is named in honor of the rich soils in the region which are a major factor in the Barossa’s reputation as one of the great wine regions of the world.
The wine shows a bright red with a purple hue on release. Lifted blackcurrant balances the fresh herb characters on the nose. A hint of eucalyptus is evident. The palate has bright currant characters throughout. Spice and chocolate add to the complexity of the wine. The tannins are ripe and grainy and give the wine good structure.
Thorn Clarke Varietal Collection Pinot Gris is made from 100 percent Pinot Gris.
We believe that exceptional wines are created in the vineyard and that we are custodians, rather than creators of quality. Six generations of rich viticultural and geological family history has gone into creating these wines, which truly showcase the best of the Barossa & Eden Valley.
Pale straw in color with quartz green hues at the edge. A classic Pinot Gris style with lifted nashi pear, apples and nougat aromas. The palate is a textural, medium weight style with juicy pome fruits and zesty lime and grapefruit. A refreshing style with a subtle texture and long, fruit driven finish.
Its sparkling gold color is vivid and bright. The aromas are floral and honeyed with a wisp of vanilla. The palate is elegantly full with ripe white peach flavors and toasty overtones but balanced with a lively freshness, and delicacy on the long finish.
A beautiful tribute to the top champagne produced at the Maison Trouillard and a decadent partner to foie gras!
Aalto P.S. Pagos Seleccionados Tinto is made from 100 percent Tempranillo.
Climatic conditions
The farming year began with a mild autumn and little precipitation. A very dry winter started with -9ºC reaching at the end higher temperatures than normal for that time of the year. Spring and summer characterized by little rain, only some rain showers in July and late August avoided the hydric stress of the vines. The vegetative cycle of the vine developed with big variations of temperatures, alternating warm and atypical low temperatures of 4ºC for mid-June. The ripening of the grapes happened under very good conditions and the harvest started on 24th September 2019.
100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) primarily from very old vines – 60 to 90 years old – from selected plots in La Horra and La Aguilera. The harvest was done by hand, in small boxes of 15 kilos that are thoroughly inspected, bunch by bunch, on the selection table.
Tasting notes
Review:
Lots of depth here, with ripe blackberries and some nicely baked black cherries, roasted herbs, incense, dark spices, mussels and a balsamic tinge. An admirably fine dollop of tannins on the palate, which are immaculate and juicy, as they thoroughly dunk into the black fruit, melting into a persistent finish that lasts for over a minute. Very impressive. Drink or hold.
-James Suckling 96 Points
Aiurri Salas Rioja is made from 80% Tempranillo and 20% Field Blend
Aroma: Very expressive on the nose, with good complexity, red fruit and fresh black fruit, spices and wild herbs. Flavor: Combination of freshness and complexity. Pleasant tannins, lots of fruit, long finish with great persistence. Color: Black Cherry with a Violet rim.
Review:
"A peppery Rioja that shows the graciano and monastrell touch to the field blend. Menthol, basil leaves, laurel, blackberries and a lot of spices. Tense and powdery tannins on the fine-boned, full-bodied palate. Drink or hold. - Zekun Shuai (Senior Editor)"
- James SUCKLING (September 11th 2024), 94 pts
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
Alexandre Monmousseau Gaudrelle Vouvray Reserve Personelle is made from 100 percent Chenin Blanc
Fine Chenin Blanc typicity, with aromas of ripe apples and honeyed notes. Rich, smooth, rounded palate with great structure and weight. Has the acidity to support ageing for 10 years.
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
Argot Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County is made out of 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc.
Massive aromatics, and a bold, intensely, full-flavored palate define the personality of this wine. Juicy stone fruits, laser-focused lemon Jolly Rancher and a full-blown tropical fruit character explode on the palate. This bright and inviting wine is perfectly suited to sunny afternoons or paired with classic summer fare.
This bright and inviting wine is perfectly suited to sunny afternoons, or paired with classic summer fare.
Argyle Reserve Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Pinot Noir thrives in Willamette Valley's long growing seasons with cool autumn breezes and sunny days. This culmination of extra time on the vine yields aromatics of crunchy dried leaves, pomegranate molasses, black tea leaves, and tart cherries. Earthy undertones and great textured tannins that continue to smooth out with time - adding to the body and longevity.
Review:
Rich and polished, this Pinot offers multilayered raspberry and blueberry flavors. Shows dusky spice and fresh forest floor accents while building structure toward refined tannins.
-Wine Spectator 93 Points
This wine is characterized by grace and elegance. The bouquet is full and ethereal of ripe fruit and cherries in alcohol accompanied by typical nuances of the Mediterranean scrub such as lavender, thyme and wild mint. On the palate it has a very large and sweet opening. The silky tannin spreads a dense texture accompanied by a warm and lively body where notes of fresh coconut and sweet spices such as cinnamon persist.
The yellow area highlighted on the label indicates where precisely the grapes came from for this vintage.
Review:
-James Suckling 94 Points
Bass Phillips Estate Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
For this reviewer's money, BP's Estate Pinot offers the best bang for buck. While still a special occasion wine, it's almost as gorgeous as its elder siblings, and crafted for drinking younger. Ironically, it's also the one that takes longest to open up. But when it does, it billows aromas of dried cranberry, cherry preserves, umami-like mushrooms, cocktail bitters and potpourri. The palate is silky with a lift of crystalline acidity, wound ultra fine, talc-like tannins. An iron fist in a velvet glove, this is long and elegant, able to age another 5-7 years but drinking beautifully right now.
-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points
Bastgen Berncastel-Cueser Weisenstein Riesling Spatlese Trocken is made from 100 percent Riesling.
Bright, clean, fresh and zesty. Grapefruit like flavors. Fruity aromas and a nice minerality, typical of the Riesling grape grown on blue slate soil. Round, rich and a very long finish. The grapes for this wine are vigorously selected. Botrytis is not tolerated. At harvest the grapes are fully ripened, have a golden color, and a soft tartness. After a long spontaneous fermentation in a traditional 1000L barrel, the wine just reaches the dry stage. This gives the wine a creamy structure that interplays with ripe yellow and exotic fruit aromas.
They meticulously tend 4.5 ha (11.11 acres) of which 80% is Riesling. The soil is made of slate. Their vineyards are located in Kesten and Brauneberg, on a steep terrace, and planted to 50-year old vines. Fortunately for Bastgen, they own part of the famous Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr. The vines produce very small, ripe berries that are very tasty.
Review:
"This dry Mosel riesling is GG in all but name! Complex nose of white peach and red-fleshed vineyard peach with herb garden notes. Very elegant and polished this glides over your palate, the precision of flavor on the medium-bodied palate is very impressive. Then comes the wet stone and red berry finish that doesn’t want to stop. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold."
- James Suckling (November 2023), 95 pts
Bastgen Berncastel-Cueser Weisenstein Riesling Spatlese Trocken is made from 100 percent Riesling.
Bright, clean, fresh and zesty. Grapefruit like flavors. Fruity aromas and a nice minerality, typical of the Riesling grape grown on blue slate soil. Round, rich and a very long finish. The grapes for this wine are vigorously selected. Botrytis is not tolerated. At harvest the grapes are fully ripened, have a golden color, and a soft tartness. After a long spontaneous fermentation in a traditional 1000L barrel, the wine just reaches the dry stage. This gives the wine a creamy structure that interplays with ripe yellow and exotic fruit aromas.
They meticulously tend 4.5 ha (11.11 acres) of which 80% is Riesling. The soil is made of slate. Their vineyards are located in Kesten and Brauneberg, on a steep terrace, and planted to 50-year old vines. Fortunately for Bastgen, they own part of the famous Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr. The vines produce very small, ripe berries that are very tasty.
Bastgen Blauschiefer Riesling is 100 percent Riesling.
Bright, clean, fresh and zesty. Grapefruit like flavors. Fruity aromas and a nice minerality, typical of the Riesling grape grown on blue slate soil. Round, rich and a very long finish.
They meticulously tend 4.5 ha (11.11 acres) of which 80% is Riesling. The soil is made of slate. Their vineyards are located in Kesten and Brauneberg, on a steep terrace, and planted to 50-year old vines. Fortunately for Bastgen, they own part of the famous Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr. The vines produce very small, ripe berries that are very tasty.
Review:
"Very enticing nose of ripe pear with some white peach and floral aromas! All the elegance and delicacy we expect from high-quality Mosel riesling, but this light-bodied and dry beauty is only an entry-level wine! Long, refreshing and delicate finish. This will be a bargain in all the markets it reaches. From organically grown grapes. Drink now. Screw cap. "
- James Sucking (November 2023), 92 pts
Bastgen Blauschiefer Riesling is 100 percent Riesling.
Bright, clean, fresh and zesty. Grapefruit like flavors. Fruity aromas and a nice minerality, typical of the Riesling grape grown on blue slate soil. Round, rich and a very long finish.
They meticulously tend 4.5 ha (11.11 acres) of which 80% is Riesling. The soil is made of slate. Their vineyards are located in Kesten and Brauneberg, on a steep terrace, and planted to 50-year old vines. Fortunately for Bastgen, they own part of the famous Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr. The vines produce very small, ripe berries that are very tasty. Excellent with oysters, seafood and deliciously refreshing on it's own.
Bavencoff Pernand Vergelesses Blanc is made from Chardonnay.
The wine offers a white gold or pale yellow color turning into darker gold with age. It boasts aromas of white flowers, (may, acacia) developing into notes of amber, honey and spices. On the palate it is mineral, harmonious and easy to like.
Aged in new oak barrels (Allier).
Sushi, fresh-water fish in white sauce, and for pasta or a seafood risotto.
Betz Family Cabernet Sauvignon Pere de Famille is 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and 2% Merlot
Review:
"This is a wine for the ages. Aromas of thyme, the blackest of cherries, licorice, bay leaf and spice are followed by outright delicious, plump fruit flavors. There's a whole lot of primary fruit, with ample structure to hang it all on, along with plenty of depth and intensity. The finish is near endless. It flat-out impresses, with remarkable intensity. Best from 2028 to 2038. - SEAN P. SULLIVAN."
- Wine Enthusiast (September 2021), 95 pts
"A firm, polished red with aromas of blackberry, iodine, tobacco leaf, cocoa and cedar. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins. Structured, layered and focused. Lots going on, with a long finish. Try from 2023."
- James Suckling (May 2021), 95 pts
"Incorporating 10% Petit Verdot and 2% Merlot from a mix of sites in the Columbia Valley, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Père De Famille reveals a healthy ruby/purple hue to go with beautiful cassis fruits interwoven with notions of dried rose petals, violets, cedary spice, and chalky minerality. Medium to full-bodied, reasonably well concentrated, yet elegant and beautifully balanced, it opens up nicely with time in the glass and will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and keep for 20 years."
- Jeb Dunnuck (May 2021), 95 pts
Trus Ribera del Duero Crianza is made from 100 percent Tempranillo.
Trus - an acronym for T-tierra (soil), R-roble (oak), U-uva (grape), S-sol (sun) - aims to reflect the uniqueness of each vintage, the aging potential of the wine in the bottle over the years.
Trus takes its roots in Palacios Vinos de Finca, the estate that was founded in 1999, then purchased by Javier Palacios who decided to focus on producing wines that express the purity and typicity of the Ribera terroirs.
The estate vineyards are located in Piñel de abajo, Pesquera de Duero, Quintanilla de Arriba. The winery also partners with winegrowers in Moradillo, Roa, Nava, Peñaranda or Baños de Valdearados. The clay-limestone soils of the high-altitude vineyards define the intense and complex personality of the wines. That is why Trus wines can be defined as classic, because an avant-garde look is the one that is directed towards the soil, preserving a typicity that is marked from its deepest roots.
Trus Crianza reveals a clean and bright cherry color with Burgundian tones at the rim. The nose is very intense and complex, offering ripe black fruits and liquorice aromas, toasty and vanilla nuances, spices and balsamic notes. The wine is tasty and unctuous on the palate, a perfect harmony between acidity and alcohol. Fresh and friendly mouthfeel, the ripe and soft tannins provide structure and great length. Long finish, ripe fruit aftertaste with a smoky and spicy finish.
Review:
"A plush and fabulous expression of variety and provenance with well-integrated alcohol, tannin and acidity. Will continue for several years and mellow. Be warned – one glass will be quickly followed by the next."
- Decanter World Wine Awards 2021, 96 points - GOLD MEDAL
Guillemot-Michel Une Bulle is made from 100% Chardonnay.
This cuvée was created originally to celebrate the wedding of daughter Sophie Guillemot and Gautier!
The Chardonnay grapes come from a historic parcel of the estate - La Lie-Monin - that had been leased for nearly 30 years and that the family decided to cultivate again in 2013 following up a change of viticulture practice (towards organic) from their main neighbor.
"Bulle" is produced with the "methode ancestrale" - meaning only natural sugars are used from grapes that are harvested at optimum maturity, being less acidic and more aromatic, giving a beautiful fresh and elegant sparkling wine of crisp and juicy flavors, firm acidity and a long finish.
White meat, dessert, fruits, mild cheese, delicious on its own