The 2023 Far Niente Chardonnay enchants with a bouquet of citrus, white floral, and hints of honeydew melon and nectarine. Its silky texture and bright, refreshing palate dance with flavors of lemon/lime zest and lemon verbena, culminating in a long, juicy finish that leaves the palate yearning for more.
Review:
Pure aromas of lemon confit, poached Asian pears, pastry and lanolin. The palate is medium-bodied with focused acidity and a creamy texture, giving notes of lime curd, orange blossoms, yellow apples and flint. Very well constructed and polished.
-James Suckling 93 Points
Far Niente Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 92.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1.7% Petit Sirah, 1% Petite Verdot.
Beautiful aromas of dark plum, red cherry, licorice and warm baking spices open onto a plush and silky palate layered with plum, spiced cherry and cassis. A classic Napa Valley Cabernet, fine-grained tannins and lively acidity support the wine throughout, while the finish is refined and polished.
Review:
Refined and pure aromas of dark cherries, blackcurrants, violets and cedar. The palate is full-bodied with seamlessly integrated tannins and focused acidity, giving notes of Damson plums, graphite, mocha, dried herbs and potpourri. Very well balanced and polished.
-James Suckling 96 Points
Fayolle Crozes-Hermitage Rouge La Rochette is made from 25-year-old vines planted on loess and red granitic soils. 100% Syrah.
Deep ruby red color.
The wine has plenty to offer with red and black fruit aromas, as well as a good minerality.
The finish is long, clean and juicy and offers some white pepper spiciness typical of the best Crozes-Hermitage.
Soil type is red brittle granite and white soil.
Hand harvested in small crates. The grapes are then pumped into tanks (full cluster, not destemmed).
It will stay in this tank for 15 days for the skin contact maceration and the Alcoholic fermentation.
They will also use the "rack and return" technique (delestage).
Then the wine is transfered into neutral French Oak barrels where the wine will complete the Malo-Lactic fermentation.
Fayolle Crozes-Hermitage Rouge La Rochette is made from 25-year-old vines planted on loess and red granitic soils. 100% Syrah.
Deep ruby red color.
The wine has plenty to offer with red and black fruit aromas, as well as a good minerality.
The finish is long, clean and juicy and offers some white pepper spiciness typical of the best Crozes-Hermitage.
Soil type is red brittle granite and white soil.
Hand harvested in small crates. The grapes are then pumped into tanks (full cluster, not destemmed).
It will stay in this tank for 15 days for the skin contact maceration and the Alcoholic fermentation.
They will also use the "rack and return" technique (delestage).
Then the wine is transfered into neutral French Oak barrels where the wine will complete the Malo-Lactic fermentation.
Review:
"The 2022 Crozes-Hermitage La Rochette comes from a single lieu-dit and was aged 15 months entirely in French oak barrels averaging 20 years old. Ripe blackberries, black olive, iron, leather, and pepper all define the aromatics, and it's medium-bodied, with a supple, elegant mouthfeel and a great finish. It's going to have a solid decade of longevity."
- Jeb Dunnuck (Importer Highlight: Fran Kysela ; July 2024), 91 pts
Fenocchio DOC Barbera d'Alba Superiore Bussia is made from 100 percent Barbera.
The color is a deep ruby red with garnet reflections. It has a rather intense bouquet, with scents typical of the vine and a full bodied and dry flavor, with a distinct and pleasing acidity. It becomes mature with aging, acquiring a full and balanced flavor.
Parcel is 2.5 hectares (6.2 acres) planted at 300 meters above sea level.
It pairs well with red and white meats, tagliatelle pasta and cheeses.
Fenocchio DOC Nebbiolo Langhe Bussia is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo.
The color is a deep ruby red with garnet reflections and an intense and fruity bouquet of plum and cherry. The flavor is dry with good body, well balanced tannins and harmonious with hints of licorice and rose.
Parcel is 2 hectares (5 acres) planted at 300 meters above sea level.
Pairing well with all types of food, from appetizers to cheeses with red and white meat.
Torbreck Runrig Shiraz - Viognier is made from 98% Shiraz, 2% Viognier.
RunRig often draws comparison with the beautifully fragrant and tautly structured wines from the steep slopes of the Northern Rhône Valley’s Appellation of Côte Rôtie. Shiraz from old dry grown Barossa vineyards is blended with Viognier, complementing the strengths and complexities of these individual parcels of fruit, whilst giving the resulting wine a further dimension.
The Highland clans used a ‘RunRig’ system to distribute land amongst their clansmen in a series of widely dispersed holdings. The emphasis was not on any one farm but rather the communal element of the whole. Shiraz from old dry grown vineyards is blended with Viognier, complementing the strengths and complexities of these individual parcels of fruit, whilst giving the resulting wine a further dimension.
Review:
Tasting the RunRig beside the Descendant is always a wise move, in order to gain some contextual understanding of how they are similar and, perhaps more importantly, how they differ. This 2020 RunRig was sourced from six different vineyards across Barossa (in Lyndoch, Rowland Flat, Moppa, Ebenezer, Light Pass and Greenock) and includes a 2% “dosage” (as winemaker Ian Hongell described it) of Viognier. Matured for 30 months in a combination of new French oak (50%) and second and third fill barrels, the wine rests on its lees for that time. The lower percentage of Viognier here is a seductive and effective thing, adding just enough slick and polish to make this the sybaritic wine that it is, but little enough to allow the grunt, grit and muscle of the Shiraz from all those glorious locations to shine through. Despite the very long time in oak, the wine is balanced and excellent, big in almost every possible way but with an undeniable sense of class and length of flavor. Executed with detail and precision, this wine is clearly defined in its expression of house style
-Wine Advocate 97+ Points
Michel Thomas Sancerre Blanc is 100% Sauvignon Blanc (40% Caillottes, 40% Grosses Terres, 20% Silex)
The wine displays an exotic nose with a touch of smoke and licorice. On the palate, peach and watermelon dominate with citrus zest and chalk notes.