Cantina di Verona Amarone Valpolicella Vallis Dei is made from 65% Corvina Veronese, 30% Rondinella, 5% Molinara
Color: deep ruby red
Nose: Dried prune and blackberry with hints of vanilla and spice
Mouth: It is generously structured and velvety.
Yield: 8000 kg of grapes per hectar – after which the grapes are dried “appassimento”
Grapes are raisin-dried for at least 4 months after harvesting, losing at least 40% of their weight. It is made from selected grapes which are left to dry on racks in specially ventilated rooms until the end of winter.
Fermentation temperature between 18° and 22°C
Maceration time: 20 days
TYPE: DOCG
GRAPE VARIETY: 100% Sangiovese harvested from the oldest vineyards.
VINIFICATION: Alcoholic fermentation with maceration of the skins (25-30 days) at a controlled temperature and spontaneous malolactic fermentation, both in truncated cone-shaped Slavonian oak vats.
REFINEMENT: In Slavonian oak barrels from 10 to 32 hl for approx. 34-38 months; followed by bottle refinement of at least 6 months.
ON SALE BY:January of the 5th year after the harvest.
NOTE:
Color: intense ruby with garnet reflections.
Perfume: ethereal, of red fruit and vanilla, persistent.
Taste: harmonious, with excellent tannins and structure, very persistent.
Food pairings: roasted red meats, game, mature cheeses.
Review:
A jeweled ruby color, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino is forward with licorice spice on the nose and opens to notes of fresh black cherries, pine, and toasted rosemary. Medium to full-bodied, it offers wonderful energy from the start, with balanced, angular structure, ripe tannins, crunchy fresh acidity, and a long finish. Avery well styled Brunello, it will be in its prime in the coming 10-15 years.
-Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points
Aromas of redcurrants and red flowers, followed by a touch of pie crust and sandalwood. Full-bodied with steely and sturdy tannins and vivid acidity. Dried-herb character at the end. Masculine and structured. Hold until 2027.
-James Suckling 95 Points
Capanna Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2015
TYPE: DOCG
BLEND: 100% Sangiovese carefully selected in the oldest vineyards and only of the best harvests.
VINIFICATION:
Alcoholic fermentation with maceration of the skins (30-35 days) at a controlled temperature and spontaneous malolactic fermentation, both in truncated cone-shaped Slavonian oak vats.
AGEING:
In Slavonian oak casks of 10 to 25 hl for over 40 months; followed by ageing in bottles for at least 15 months.
NOTES:
Colour: deep ruby red, strong, lively.
Bouquet: very intense and complex, fruity and spicy, with red fruit, jam and liquorice shades; great prospects of future development.
Taste: great structure in the acid-tannin components, well supported by the soft ones; extremely persistent.
Food pairings: roast red meats, game and very aged cheeses.
Review:
Powerful, sparkling garnet red. Rich, very appealing nose with notes of ripe raspberries and fresh plums, some liquorice and fine spice notes in the background. Grippy, fine-meshed tannin on the palate, builds up in many layers, salty, good tension, very long finish in the finish.
- Falstaff 98 Points
Capezzana Ghiaie Della Furbia Toscana IGT is made from Cabernet Sauvignon 40%, Syrah 35%, Merlot 25%.
In 1979 Ugo Conti Bonacossi created Ghiaie della Furba from vineyards planted among the pebble (Ghiaie) rich soils of the Furba stream. Originally planted with clippings from the famed Chateau Lafite estate in Bordeaux, the wine was made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot until the blend was changed in 1998 with the addition of Syrah. The inclusion of Cabernet Franc was slowly discontinued and today the blend includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah and is made only in the best vintages
Review:
This wine starts with pine needles and crunchy red fruit on the nose, with wet slate, cedar and tobacco leaf slowly emerging. The palate turns richer, with cherries, blackberries, dark chocolate, a little tar, coffee and sambuca. Tannins are very firm and the acid vibrant through a long finish.
-Wine Enthusiast 93 Points
Carra Beaujolais Rouge Les Ronzieres is made from 100% Gamay.
From granitic and sandy soils, this Beaujolais Rouge exhibits a nice color, with hints of cherry and garnet, and reveals aromas of red fruit dominated by cassis and strawberry. This cuvée was specially made to enjoy young with an easy drinking mouthfeel perfect for charcuterie and cheeses.
This wine is floral, exuberant, with lengthy smooth tannins, and metallic notes.
This cuvée takes its name from a small parcel of the Adrianna Vineyard that is completely covered with oval white stones and was the site of an ancient riverbed. The abundant stones provide optimal drainage and extreme temperatures. They absorb heat and moderate the nights, but also function like ice cubes after a very cold night. Stony soil Malbecs tend to be extremely aromatic, rich and luxurious, just like the River Malbec from Adrianna. This wine can be enjoyed young or aged for decades.
Pair with grilled meats.
Review:
There is an usual stony austerity in the 2021 Adrianna Vineyard River, cropped from a cold year when the full clusters fermented in concrete with a slightly shorter maceration and an élevage in a 2,000-liter oak foudre and the rest in stainless steel. It has a moderate 13.4% alcohol with very high acidity (8.2!) and a low pH (3.37), incredible parameters of freshness. The wine was closed and took time to take off in the glass, revealing a very elegant and subtle personality, with the silky texture of the very fine tannins, pristine aromas and flavors and a sense of harmony that was moving. It's powerful but extremely elegant in that rare combination of clout and energy, a wine of light, aerial, with some ethereal qualities, delicate and refined. This combines the cool place and high altitude, the cool year and the stony soils, to deliver a stunning Malbec that goes well beyond the variety. Bravo!
-Wine Advocate 100 Points
St. Supery Dollarhide Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot.
This Cabernet Sauvignon presents with deep, dark reds and purples. Aromas are opulent with ripe blackberry, black plum, cassis, chocolate, and toasted oak. A rich, dense profile follows with flavors of cassis and ripe black fruits, espresso, mocha, and molasses with subtle oak in influence. It is a deep, structured wine with excellent fine-grain tannin.
Review:
100% estate-grown single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon hails from the winery’s Dollarhide Ranch. The property is known for its steep rolling hills—reaching upwards of 1,100 feet—as well as some flatlands and seven lakes rife with wildlife. Aged for 20 months in 100% French oak (54% new), the wine offers a broad and generous mouthfeel with chewy tannins. The fruit is ripe and almost gobby, becoming more streamlined as it opens up. Dark berries are lush and sweet with hints of brown sugar. Acidity and chalky lift are well defined and have the mouth imploring for that next sip. Refined, elegant, polished, and poised
-Tasting Panels 96 Points
This 100% estate-grown single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon hails from the winery’s Dollarhide Ranch. The property is known for its steep rolling hills—reaching upwards of 1,100 feet—as well as some flatlands and seven lakes rife with wildlife. Aged for 20 months in 100% French oak (54% new), the wine offers a broad and generous mouthfeel with chewy tannins. The fruit is ripe and almost gobby, becoming more streamlined as it opens up. Dark berries are lush and sweet with hints of brown sugar. Acidity and chalky lift are well defined and have the mouth imploring for that next sip. Refined, elegant, polished, and poised.
-Somm Journal 96 Points
Avennia Justine Red Blend 61% Grenache, 21% Mourvèdre, and 18% Syrah.
Justine reflects our belief that Washington is capable of producing world class blends of grape varieties traditional to the Southern Rhone region of France. The name is inspired by one of the great heroines of recent literature, who also sprung from the imagination of the Mediterranean. Dark, seductive, complex, with a chasm of depth: The Justine is a great reflection of Avennia's mission of expression, and Washington's generous terroir.
Tasting Note: Big black cherry, blackberry, hints of orange peel, fresh herbs and loam on the nose. Plush and round on the palate. Dark earthy fruits from the Mourvedre, along with citrus high notes, mountain flowers, jasmine, and savory herbs. Balanced and complex without forgetting its hedonistic roots in the Southern Rhone.
Review:
-Owen Bargreen 95 Points