Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz is made from 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Shiraz.
Encompassing everything the Hill-Smith family stands for and the perfect representation of Yalumba’s history and ethos, The Signature is a sentimental favorite. A classic Australian blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, the first vintage release of The Signature was in 1962. Since then, this outstanding wine has acknowledged more than 57 Signatories; people who have enhanced the traditions and culture of Yalumba.
Seductive and alluring florals, cool mints, red pomegranate with fine blackberry fruits and dark cherry aromas. The palate is delightfully generous with dark red cherry fruit that merges into ironstone tannins. A medium to full bodied wine with a long, flowing tannin profile.
Review:
The 2018 The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz (the 48th vintage) is named for Nick Waterman (managing director and CEO of Yalumba 2015 - 2022). The 2018 vintage in South Australia (and specifically here, Barossa) was an excellent one: ripe/warm, even and long and produced wines with density, energy and gravitas. This is exactly that: plush and powerful. The fruit forms a perfect dovetail: the enveloping, mouth-filling abundance of the Shiraz, neatly wedged into the folds of the structuring and shapely Cabernet. Very impressive. This is one of the more impressive Signatures in recent times. It will cellar with grace and ease.
-Robert Parker 96 Points
Since its first release in 1962, The Signature has been Yalumba's deep dive into the classic Australian blend from the Barossa and one that honors the people who have enhanced the traditions and culture of Yalumba. There is a resonance and depth to this release that I really like. Wonderfully pure and concentrated blackberry and plum fruits, layered with spice, dark chocolate, earth, cedar and oak nuance. Succulent and sinewy in the mouth, it flexes considerable muscle, yet remains purely fruited and approachable even at this stage of its evolution. Rich and balanced with fine, ripe tannin and plenty of energy for such depth of fruit. Lovely.
- Australian Wine Companion 96 Points
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:
Color: dark cherry, Aroma: toasty, spicy, fine cocoa, black fruit, Mouth: tasty, toasty, fine bitterness, ripe tannins
Guia Penin 94 Points
Accornero Brigantino Malvasia di Casorzo is made from 100% Malvasia.
Malvasia is a pleasant, sweet wine, low in alcohol content, that can be enjoyed at any time of day. Made exclusively from grapes grown in the hilltop vineyards of Casorzo and neighboring , it’s the pride and prestige of the area. It has always been the star wine of all local festivals. A comfort wine for all seasons and reasons, it has an aroma evocative of roses. The rich, aromatic wine is ruby-red, vibrant and slightly frothy. lt can be paired with desserts, fruit salads and sweets, but it can also be enjoyed as an aperitif or as a drink for any party occasion.
Color: Vibrant Ruby red
Bouquet: Sweet and aromatic, floral
Taste: Aromatic with rose fragrances
Great companion to desserts, such as biscotti / cantucci (Italian almond biscuits from Piemonte)
This wine reveals a complex and elegant bouquet that combines ripe fruit, leather and a fine woodiness. Round and warm on the attack, the palate is supported by solid tannins and a pleasant freshness in this harmonious and well textured wine.
The Merlot bring fruity notes and minerality from the clay-limestone terroir, enhanced by the incredibly expressive and spicy Cabernet Franc.
Review:
"A terrific effort from this large and immaculately maintained property on the clay-limestone slopes of the Côtes de Castillon, the 2019 d'Aiguilhe exhibits aromas of cherries and cassis mingled with notions of burning embers, licorice and warm spices. Medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with lively acids, powdery tannins and a mineral finish, it's intelligently matured in tank and large-format oak as well as small barriques. - William Kelley"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (April 2022), 92 pts
"The 2019 d'Aiguilhe has a really lovely bouquet of ample black cherry, mulberry and light floral scents, very pure and delineated. The palate is medium-bodied with cedar-infused red fruit. While not as exuberant as the aromatics, this is nicely detailed and quite poised on the finish. No, I still cannot pronounce its name, but this Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux is well worth seeking out. - Neal Martin"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (February 2022), 92 pts
Aroma: Expressiv and elegant, the aroma is dominated by red fruits with subtle undertones of black fruits, floral notes, and a hint of wood.Color: Cherry red color, clean and bright. Taste: The palate is elegant, with a fruity freshness and silky tannins.
The grapes from San Vicente were aged for nine months in foudres and French oak barrels of different sizes, while the wine from Leza was refined for twelve months in French oak barrels. After blending, the wine was aged for five months in concrete tanks. For further protection the wine contains sulphites.
Review:
"Black olives, dark cherries and some roasted herbs and spices. Firm, fine-grained tannins on the palate, with a chalky form. Medium- to full-bodied with a long, tense finish. Drink or hold. - Zekun Shuai (Senior Editor)"
- James SUCKLING (September 11th 2024), 92 pts
This chardonnay has a characteristic pale yellow color with a shade of gold and subtle nose that will remind you the fresh butter nuts and roasted almonds. On the palate, it is full bodied and fruity with a pleasant roundness.
Average age of the vines is 25 years old.
We produce a part of this cuvee with 12 hours skin maceration and another part from directly pressed grapes.
Wine was slightly filtered before bottling to insure the wine remains stable.
Best friend as an aperitive or with freshwater fish, shellfish and goat cheeses.
Mascot is a small-production label founded by Will Harlan in Napa Valley. The wines under this label are made from the younger vines of Harlan Estate, BOND, and Promontory, but The Mascot bottles share an exclusive preview at the development of their estates. Founded as an initial experiment to see what the young vines were capable of producing, the wines were initially only shared with close friends and family. By 2008, Will officially released the first vintage to the public since production had increased significantly. They create just one wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon, and the bottle is aged for five years before release. Assembled into a single, youthful expression, this wine shares a glimpse into the evolution and pedigree of its parent estates.
Tasting Notes:
A mild winter with scant rainfall introduced the 2020 growing season. Conditions remained pleasantly even-keeled throughout the spring, except for some light precipitation in March. It is worth noting that decades of research and steady viticultural progress have enabled our vines to begin achieving tannin and textural ripeness earlier in the season, and this fact—along with the drought conditions experienced in preceding years—led to one of the earliest picking windows in our history. This development proved crucial to the 2020 vintage, when we were fortunate to have fully completed our harvest before the Glass Fire began in late September. A vibrant purity manifests within this vintage’s generosity, which advances without excess of weight or volume. Aromas of gentle red fruit give way, eventually, to a savory darkness and finely wrought core. An effortless, structural tension transforms into a silky softness on the palate that envelopes The Mascot’s inner depth and dimension. The 2020 vintage resonates rather than roars: its intricate threads of tannin, acidity, and nuance interweave to form a complete expression that shimmers with sensory detail.
Gosset Grande Reserve Brut is made from 45% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, 10% Pinot Meunier.
The color is bright and golden, the nose open and expressive, and the palate is dominated by a refreshing mineral tension.
Gosset Grande Reserve is a truly faithful expression of the Gosset style. To achieve a cuvee of this quality, the cellar-master has blended the best of the various champagne crus at the grape- harvest with wines specially chosen from our reserve stocks for their richness and maturity.
This champagne is the perfect accompaniment to mild and subtly spiced dishes with cooked fruit, sweet/savory dishes or tajines. A blend of three vintages, the Grande Réserve Brut is adaptable by nature — from apéritif to dessert.
Review:
The nose opens with the fresh ripeness of yellow apple and highlights of Granny Smith. It has beautifully subtle autolysis on the palate, deepening into notes of creamy apple crumble, Golden Delicious and Mirabelle plum, while remaining utterly strait-laced. Elegance, length and absolute freshness are inherent and quietly convincing.
-Decanter 94 Points