Florence Cholet Auxey-Duresses Rouge is made from 100% Pinot Noir.
Auxey-Duresses exhibits intense and juicy aromas of cherries, raspberries, and spices. This is a charming wine that has harmonious and delicate tannins, and a fine texture in the mouth. Medium-bodied, elegant and complex with great concentration and structure.
G.D. Vajra Bricco Delle Viole Barolo is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo.
The Barolo Bricco delle Viole shows the signature verticality of its vineyard. The wine is beautifully layered and - while restrained as it’s always the case in the youth of Bricco delle Viole - it also shows a complexity of layers with purple flowers, sweet spices and mineral tones. The palate is noble, with a refined acid spine and profound tannins that promise a long aging potential.
Among the historical vineyards of Barolo, Bricco delle Viole is the highest and the closest to the Alps. It rises from 400 to 480 meters above sea level, on the Western ridge of the village. Its name, “Hill of Violets”, originates from the flowers that blossom early here due to the perfect south exposure. Up above the fogs, Bricco delle Viole enjoys the earliest sunrise and the last sunset every day. Thanks to its vines dating back to 1949 and -now- 1931, a dramatic diuturnal temperature range and this pure light, Bricco delle Viole generates a sophisticated and profound Barolo DOCG of bright aromatics, chiseled tannins and subtle minerality. 2018 is a vintage that shows many nuances of Bricco delle Viole: beyond the signature verticality of this site, the wine offers high tones laced with mineral nuances and plenty of energy and youth.
Review:
A juicy Barolo, with vibrant acidity and a fluid profile that exudes cherry, raspberry, mown hay, mineral and eucalyptus aromas and flavors. Tight yet long, with excellent potential.
#26 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2023
The last wine poured at my tasting at the winery is the G.D. Vajra 2019 Barolo Bricco delle Viole. With its high vantage point in the hills west of Barolo, Bricco delle Viole is a world apart in terms of soils (with Sant'Agata marl and fossils) and even harvest times. Slow and careful ripening like the kind that characterizes fruit in 2019 renders a very delicate and ethereal expression with floral tones, wild mint and licorice. This organic wine is solid in build and structure. Indeed, Isidoro Vaira remarks that Nebbiolo tannins have changed since the 1970s and 1980s.
-Wine Advocate 97+ Points
Jeweled in appearance, the 2019 Barolo Bricco Delle Viole may be the best wine I have tried yet from Vajra. Its gorgeous and alluring perfume of fresh roses is followed by a Burgundian, elegant red with incredible length and no harsh edges, fine and present tannins, and beautiful, graceful concentration. It is drinking well now, and I will be trying to get my hands on as much of this as possible. Drink 2025-2045.
-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
La Grande Cuvee du Chateau Vermont Blanc is made from 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon and 10% Sauvignon Gris.
Traditional blend of "Grand Vin Blanc de Bordeaux", a beautiful wine vinified and matured in barrels. Fine wine, elegant and well-balanced; dominated by Sauvignon (fruitiness), with vanilla notes coming from the oak aging. This wine has beautiful structure and very long-lasting aromas and flavors, providing great aging potential.
Perfect with dish of fish in sauce, scallops, langoustine, and cheeses.
Review:
Some passion fruit, green apple and green mango on the nose, following through to a pure but creamy palate with chalky acidity and elegant citrus and stone-fruit flavors. Drink now."
Maison Chapoutier Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Bernardine 2021 is made from 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre.
Intense crimson-red in color with a complex but subtle nose of blackcurrant and plum followed by roasted coffee, cinnamon, and cherry. On the palate, it opens into spice, licorice and fruity notes.
Review:
A textural, refined and velvety Chateauneuf-du-Pape with aromas of forest berries, wet stones, roasted meat, wild herbs and some bark. It’s medium- to full-bodied with fine, firm tannins. There is a refined texture here, silky at the center, with a delicate core of dark cherries challenged by an intense array of spices that provide verve and energy.
-James Suckling 93 Points
Milsetentayseis 1076 Ribera del Duero Tinto is made with 95% Tempranillo and 5% other native varieties.
TASTING NOTES: A product of its unique landscape, extreme altitude and mineral-rich soil, 1076 Tinto is a bold wine with a distinct character designed to evolve over time. Its freshness and intensely fruity expression are representative of a modern style, moving away from excess, in search of the elegance, smoothness and balance found in the great wines of the world.
TERROIR: A recently restored vineyard situated at over 3,280 feet of altitude where ancestral vines over 100 years old grow harmoniously together with new, indigenous plantings in varied soil comprised of red clay, sand and mineral deposits of quartz, mica, and feldspar.
WINEMAKING: Hand-harvested from a selection of the best plots in the vineyard then separated into concrete, oak or stainless steel fermentation vats depending on the characteristics of the grape and the soil where it was grown. Its production is defined by the team´s constant vigilance throughout the process and their in-depth knowledge of the region, the soil and the native varieties that thrive there.
Pair with spit-Fire Roasted Suckling Pig.
Reviews:
"Aromas of blackberry jam and clove waft from the glass. This wine's flavors of ripe summer cherry, blueberry pie, clove, white chocolate and caramel are set into a network of durable tannins. The remarkably bright, lingering finish is laced with notes of vanilla and orange zest. - Mike DESIMONE"
- Wine Enthusiast Magazine (July 1st 2023), 96 pts
Mordoree Cotes du Rhone Rouge La Dame Rousse is made from 40% Grenache, 35 % Syrah, 15% Cinsault, 5% Carignan, 5% Counoise.
100 % destemming, 15 day maceration with a maximum of 30° C temperature
Deep red color. Blackcurrant and violet aromas. Melted and fine tannins, good finish.
Food pairing: cold meats and delicatessen, grilled meats, semi-mature cheeses.
W & J Graham's Vintage Port is made from 35% Touriga Nacional, 47% Touriga Franca and various others.
It is with great pleasure that Graham's announces the declaration of the 2000 Vintage, a wine that has been deemed to meet our very exacting standards, and one that shows every promise of living up to the reputation of the very best Vintage ports that the Twentieth Century provided.
This is a landmark wine for Graham's, not only being the first Vintage of a new millennium, but being the first Vintage wine to enjoy the extraordinary results achieved by the new robotic 'lagares' at Malvedos in the inaugural year of our remodelled winery. Significant also has been the decision to include a rather larger proportion of mature Touriga Francesa and Touriga Nacional from Vila Velha, a classic riverside Quinta a short distance downstream from Malvedos, and some spectacular old vine lots from Vale de Malhadas in the Upper Douro. These wines each from family-owned Quintas have been used to reinforce the predominant component from Malvedos and the traditional excellence of the Rio Torto lots from Lages, to produce a rounded and even blend in the hallmark rich Graham style.
Picking began at Malvedos on September 22nd and the last lagar was run off on October 10th, an unusually short and compact Vintage. Fruit arrived in good condition although yields were less than three quarters of a kilogram per vine, and the juice to skin ratio well below normal. 2000 was a year noted for a very low average yield across the Douro, and with the grapes unusually lacking in liquid, the extra amount of treading work required made it an ideal time to employ our new, tireless, mechanical treaders alongside the two original 1890 stone lagares still worked by human feet. It was evident early on in the Vintage from the colour and aroma of the fermenting musts that we were looking at a spectacular year, and after the usual waiting period of sixteen months or so to see how the lots would develop, we have now made our final selection and assembled the final blend.
The blend displays many of the typical Graham aromas of ripe plum and 'esteva' (gum cistus) and is pleasantly smooth on the palate despite its youth. It is full and rich in the mouth with fresh blackberry and red plum notes. Despite the hallmark Graham sweetness in the mouth the finish is long and clean.
As with all Graham Vintages, this is a wine made to last for years and the patience of laying down the wine for fifteen to twenty years will certainly be rewarded.
Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz-Cabernet is made from 55% Shiraz, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon
The Jip Jip vineyard is planted in some of the world’s oldest mineral rich soils and in the most temperate of maritime climates. It consistently produces excellent fruit quality from low yielding vines. Great attention to detail with the integration of fruit flavors and fine oak barrels helps produce classic handcrafted wine styles.
Deep purple. Boysenberry and mulberry aromas with a hint of cedar and pepper. Similar berry fruits show through on the opulent, textured palate, with a lingering finish.