Vinsacro Rioja Blanco is made from 60% Chardonnay, 40% Viura.
Aged 7 months in oak barrels of 225 liters
The grapes come from vineyards located in Grávalos, on the southern slopes side of Mount Yerga at the foothills of the “Cordillera Ibérica” at an altitude of between 700 and 800 meters. A very high located area where you obtain fresh wines with little graduation, with very fine and elegant aromas.
Bright straw yellow color, intense aromas and elegance with outstanding floral and fruity notes. After some time in glass balsamic and spicy aromas with toasty notes rise, due to aging in oak and bottle maturation. Very cool and structured with an unusual power for a white with a variety of flavors ranging from citrus to balsamic. A white wine that is full of surprises and capable of taking on many years in the cellar.
Vinsacro white has a long aging potential and presumably will have a positive development for 20 years.
The Chardonnay grape is harvested during the second or third week of October. The Viura grape in the first two weeks of October.
The collection of the grapes is done manually.
The selected must will go through the fermentation in American oak barrels of 225 liters with medium toast, remaining in the barrel with its lees for seven months before being removed with a daily battonage, daily at first and then more sparingly.
Pairs great with roast lamb, grilled vegetables.
Walt Clos Pepe Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Deep ruby in color, the wine carries luscious fruit aromas of blackberry preserves and dark cherry, infused with exotic notes of spice, black tea and pomegranate. The palate opens to a dense and velvety texture laced with flavors of barrel char and salinity, leading to a structured and focused finish.
Review:
Big and rich, with luscious spiciness to the plush dark fruit and berry flavors that are supported by medium-grained tannins. There's plenty of creamy and toasty accents on the open-textured finish.
-Wine Spectator 93 Points
Another Sta. Hills release, the 2019 Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard saw 10% stems and 10 months in 40% new French oak. It's a little more focused and firm, with classic ripe black raspberry, red plum, and cherry fruits as well as orange blossom, spice, and floral nuances. It too is medium-bodied, textured, and beautifully balanced.
-Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points
- The Clos Pepe Vineyard was founded in the late 1980s by Steven and Kathy Pepe. The vineyard is located just east of Lompoc in the Santa Rita Hills appellation. The 2019 ‘Clos Pepe’ revels in its aromatic range from peat moss and pipe tobacco to bright red fruits and wild blackberry. The palate is dense and fresh with beautiful red florals alongside orange rind with sandy soil undertones. Gorgeous now, this has a long way to go in the cellar.
-Owen Bargreen 95 Points
Franz Prager, co-founder of the Vinea Wachau, had already earned a reputation for his wines when Toni Bodenstein married into the family. Bodenstein’s passion for biodiversity and old terraces, coupled with brilliant winemaking, places Prager in the highest echelon of Austrian producers.
Smaragd is a designation of ripeness for dry wines used exclusively by members of the Vinea Wachau. The wines must have minimum alcohol of 12.5%. The grapes are hand-harvested, typically in October and November, and are sent directly to press where they spontaneously ferment in stainless-steel tanks.
Klaus sits adjacent to Achleiten and is one of the Wachau’s most famous vineyards for Riesling. The vineyard is incredibly steep with a gradient of 77% at its steepest point. The southeast-facing terraced vineyard of dark migmatite-amphibolite and paragneiss produces a tightly wound and powerful wine. The parcel belonging to Toni Bodenstein was planted in 1952.
Tasting Notes:
Austrian Riesling is often defined by elevated levels of dry extract thanks to a lengthy ripening period and freshness due to dramatic temperature swings between day and night. “Klaus is not a charming Riesling,” says Toni Bodenstein with a wink. Klaus is Prager’s most assertive and robust Riesling.
Food Pairing
Riesling’s high acidity makes it one of the most versatile wines at the table. Riesling can be used to cut the fattiness of foods such as pork or sausages and can tame some saltiness. Conversely, it can highlight foods such as fish or vegetables in the same way a squeeze of lemon or a vinaigrette might.
Review:
Superbly cool, restrained and refined, this austere, beautiful dry riesling is a slow-burn masterpiece that's only just beginning to reveal its complex white-peach, white-tea, wild-herb and dark-berry character. Super-long and mineral finish. Drink or hold.
-James Suckling 97 Points
Wimmer Zweigelt Classic is made from 100 percent Zweigelt.
This variety was created in 1922, when Dr. Fritz Zweigelt crossed two grapes - St Laurent and Blaufrankisch.
The wine boasts a deep and concentrated red color. It offers fruity, fresh and spicy aromas, cherry flavors. In the mouth it is smooth, medium-bodied, round and lively.
Malolactic fermentation. Aged 50% stainless steel, 50% oak barrels just for maturation (size 3000 liters).
Full-bodied, smooth and round, the wine is an ideal food companion.
Wolfberger Auxerrois is made from 100% Auxerrois
Auxerrois blanc is thought to have originated in Lorraine, rather than near Auxerre in the Yonne. Recent DNA fingerprinting suggests that it is a cross between Gouais blanc and Pinot noir, the same ancestry as Chardonnay. The name Auxerrois blanc has actually been used as a synonym for Chardonnay in the Moselle region in France, which explains why there is also a longer name (Auxerrois Blanc de Laquenexy) for the grape variety.
This pale yellow Auxerrois Pinot Blanc shows an intense nose of fresh white fruits, rhubarb and spring flowers. Easy to drink and fresh on the palate, this wine ends on a fruity and crunchiness tast.
Alcoholic fermentation at 16°C followed by a short fermentation at 18°C allowing to keep some crispiness to the wine.
Then the wine was aged on the fine lees for 6-7 months. No Oak.
No Malo-Lactic fermentation.
Right before bottling, the wine was filtered using a tangentiel filtration system.
Quiche, grilled fish, rhubarb pie, mixed salad, and also fresh sheep milk cheese.
Xavier Vignon Gigondas Rouge is made from 85% Grenache and 15% Mourvèdre.
A purple color with violet tints. On the nose, the beautiful ripeness offers everything an array of black fruits (cherries, blackberries) and toasted spices.
On the palate, fine and concentrated tannins are balanced by a nice salinity. Delicious peppery notes complete the long finish.
Pairs with grilled lamb - Roasted Quails with raisins -Venison with cranberries - Risotto with mushrooms.
Review:
"Swirls of black raspberry ice cream and dark chocolate combine in Vignon's 2019 Gigondas, a blend of 95% Grenache and 5% Mourvèdre from numerous small parcels dotted around the appellation. Matured in a large wooden vat, there's no apparent oak aromas or flavors, just the purity of old-vine fruit, creamy tannins, ample concentration and a bright, vibrant—and long—finish. With its combination of intensity and tension, it should drink well for a decade or more. - Joe Czerwinski"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (September 2020), 93 pts
Morlet Family Vineyards Ma Douce Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
The cool maritime breeze and mild and sunny mountain climate create ideal conditions for this hillside vineyard located on the second ridge from the Pacific Ocean. Handcrafted using classical Burgundian winemaking techniques, this wine is dedicated to Jodie Morlet. It is ‘My Sweet’ or ‘Ma Douce.’
Full yellow color. Aromas of lemon drop, Crème Brulée and orange zest intermixed with strong notes of minerality (wet stones) and fresh hazelnut. Full-bodied, mineral driven, this wine displays a creamy texture and very long mineral finish. Built to age gracefully for a decade, this wine is already very approachable.
Propietary Name Ma Douce
Name Meaning My Sweet “Douce brize” from the Ocean
Varietal composition Chardonnay
Type of wine Vineyard designated
Appellation Fort Ross-Seaview
Vineyard singularity On the second ridge off Ocean High elevation Goldridge soil
Typical harvest date End of October
Picking Manual, small lugs, refer truck
Sorting Cluster by cluster
Fermentation In barrel through native yeast 100% Malolactic
Upbringing Sur lies with bâtonnage
French oak from selected coopers
Bottling Unfiltered
Cellaring time 5-10 years
Serving Slightly below room temperature Decanted when served young
Review:
"Lots of white peach, quince, white flower, and green almond notes emerge from the 2020 Chardonnay Ma Douce, a full-bodied barrel sample with beautiful depth as well as freshness."96 Points Jeb Dunnuck:
Corinne Perchaud Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume is made from 100 percent Chardonnay
Elegant citrus aromas. Concentrated and finessed, combining flavors of dried fruit with slight hints of woody notes. Perfect balance between body and acidity, long and persistent finish. This one is drinking great now, but as with all exceptional Chablis, it is possible to pay it down for years to come.
Made from 35 year old vines. The owners take great care to produce exceptional Chablis wine by keeping the lively Chardonnay fruit and the unique mineral quality imparted by the Kimmeridgian soil, the fruity acidity and bouquet in perfect balance. The grapes are harvested by hand and gently pressed in a horizontal pressoir to ensure the fullest extraction and range of flavors and aromas.
Pair with Scallops Jacques cream, roast veal with oyster mushrooms.