Patricia Raquin Santenay 1er Cru Beaurepaire is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
The animals shown on the label are dogs. The breed is called Borzoi, also called "Russian Wolfhound", which means "fast" in Russian. Patricia and Alain are proud owners of 2 Borzois and they designed this label so that the dogs will be guardian of the vaulted ageing cellar inside their house.
The Santenay Santenay is coming from the Premier Cru called Beaurepaire.
The wine is showing a great pale yellow color with gold highlights. The nose is very delicate displaying aromas of white blossoms with just a hint of oak. In the mouth, the wine is very soft with a great deal of minerality, superb length and a tangy finish.
Patrimony Caves des Lions is made from 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Cabernet Franc.
With an inky ruby color, the 2020 Caves des Lions offers elegant aromas of chocolate-covered espresso beans with nuanced layers of blueberries, savory notes of charcuterie, pipe tobacco, and woodsmoke. This festival of flavors continues on the palate with notes of fresh fruit, cayenne pepper, plum jam, and pomegranate. The bold tannins seamlessly balance the fresh and rounded acidity leading to an unwavering finish. This full-bodied and flawlessly intricate wine will surprise you now with its elegance, and later with its longevity.
Reviews:
"Inviting aromas of black and blue fruits with violets, cedar, crushed stones and graphite. A little minty, too. The impressive, compact tannin structure gives depth to the wine, so fine and polished with some chalky texture to it. Stony minerality. Power and delicacy, simultaneously. 65% cabernet sauvignon and 35% cabernet franc. Really long and precise."
-James Suckling 97 Points
Patton Valley Petillant Naturel Riesling is made from 100 percent Riesling.
Good friends and good wine make this funny world go ‘round, right? Without those friends letting us buy some of their precious Riesling, we couldn’t make this delicious wine. Even if we did have to beg. A little.
We are using some really great vineyard sites to make this wine, and they are as diverse as they are excellent. Preserving the inherent “riesling-ness” is as important here as making this sparkle, so we’ve been extra careful to be clean, true, and simple with this. Native yeast ferments and minimal handling with fastidious cleanliness make this an absolute natural wonder. A small dosage of organic sugar kicks off the bottle ferment to make it sparkle.
This smells like apples, pears, apricot, and the sea. Not kidding. The palate is fizzy, fun, and fresh with an appley bite and pear - almond lushness. All angles and elbows, the lees and sediment widen the palate with pleasing breadth.
VINEYARDS:
25% Norris McKinley, Ribbon Ridge AVA - LIVE
50% Windridge, Chehalem Mountains AVA - LIVE
25% Wascher, Dundee Hills AVA - USDA Organic
pH: 3.04
Paul Hobbs Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
Grown on the west side of St. Helena, this distinctive cabernet sauvignon clearly displays its origins with a rich garnet hue and sophisticated aromas of cacao bean, crème de cassis, and sweet tobacco on the nose. Layered, with a superb structure, the wine offers impressions of blueberry coulis, black raspberry, and savory herbs like Herbs de Provence. The weighty mid-palate unveils anise spice and a graphite mineral note that combines with a fresh acidity that extends the long finish.
Review:
Needing plenty of air to show at its best, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard is a sensational, gorgeous Napa Valley Cabernet that delivers the goods like only this region can. Pure Cabernet magic on the nose, with deep blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, lead pencil, and a kiss of spring flowers as well as a beautiful Pessac-Leognan-like scorched earth character, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, silky tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. It's one of those wines that builds incrementally on the palate and it's only after the second or third sip that you realize how special this wine is. It also offers that rare mix of power and elegance that's the hallmark of all great wines. It needs a couple of hours in the decanter if drinking any time soon. Hats off to Paul Hobbs for an incredible Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
-Jeb Dunnuck 100 Points
Paul Hobbs Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
Farmed with a unique precision to match the unparalleled terroir of this historic Oakville site, this vintage is ethereal, delicate, and nuanced. An attractive deep garnet in appearance, this wine expresses soft red cherry, strawberry, floral, and graphite. The palate is full and lively with flavors of blueberry, blackberry, sandalwood, and dried herbs, supported by a lovely grip of tannins and well-tensioned texture that leads to a long, refined finish.
Review:
More expressive and open-knit, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard sports a similar ruby/purple to go with an incredible array of black raspberry, cassis, flowery incense, orange blossom, smoked tobacco, and exotic spice. As are all To Kolans, it's incredibly perfumed and complex aromatically, and it's one of those wines that changes every time you come back to the glass. Full-bodied on the palate, it offers beautiful richness and depth, a light, graceful mouthfeel, silky tannins, and a heavenly finish. It's another magical wine from this talented winemaker that readers will absolutely love.
-Jeb Dunnuck 99 Points
Paul Hobbs Chardonnay Russian River Valley is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Crafted with precision from six pedigreed sites comes a wine that beams with pale straw hue. The newest vintage brings wonderful aromatic intensity: candied lemon peel, white florals followed by crisp green apple. A creamy and viscous texture on the palate is buoyed by white nectarine and dried apricot that’s balanced with a vibrant acidity, bringing focus to the wine’s finish that lingers with hints of flinty mineral notes.
Review:
Clos du Val Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Malbec and 1% each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
This fresh and vibrant Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is brimming with aromas of blackberry, mulberry, cassis, and violet. On the palate, bright flavors of cranberry, red plum, cherry, and lavender are intertwined with supple tannins, balanced acidity, and a long, smooth finish.
Review:
"Sleek tannins, guided by sweet earth, slate, purple plum and black olive. Savory notes of fig, toasted cedar, and black tea meld with blackberries. Well structured and impeccably balanced."
-Tasting Panel 96 Points
Bertani Valpantena Amarone is made from 80% Corvina Veronese, 20% Rondinella.
The best grapes are selected so that only the healthiest and ripest bunches are sent to the drying rooms in the historic winery at Grezzana, where they are laid out in single-layer crates. In mid- January, the grapes are destemmed and crushed, then fermentation starts, at first at a temperature of 39°F- 41°F, which then reaches 72°F in the final stages.
WINEMAKING
The vines are vertical-trellised and Guyot-trained, with a planting density of 2024 plants per acre. Hand harvest is carried out in the middle of September.
This amarone is produced in the Valpantena hills, north of Verona. The soils are calcareous-marl in the east and calcareous-clay in the west, rich in iron.
TERROIR & VINTAGE NOTES
Bertani’s impact on Veneto wine making, particularly in Amarone production, is so considerable that ‘Bertani’ and ‘Amarone’ are nearly synonymous. Their 150+ year history is dotted with groundbreaking initiatives and royal accreditation. While respectful of their past, Bertani strives towards innovation, using progressive techniques and equipment allied with extensive experience and a deeply felt respect for tradition to provide wines of uncompromising quality.
On the nose, marked and intense aromas of very ripe cherries, sour cherries, spicy and nutty notes typical of the Valpantena. Good follow-through of red fruits on the palate, with supple tannins to give depth. This full bodied wine pairs well with rich dishes, mature cheeses and strong-flavored meats.