O'Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot, 2% Malbec, 2% St. Macaire, 1% Petit Verdot.
This 2019 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has a dark blue/black color and an opaque center. This is a stellar wine with black cherry and blue fruits. The flavors are bright and focused with gorgeous layers of black cherry, plum butter, and mixed berry compote. This expansive Cabernet Sauvignon finishes with flavors of smoked cherry wood and smooth but age worthy tannins.
Review:
The base 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is terrific, and while I don’t know the price, I suspect it’s a great value. Deep purple-hued, with terrific mulled currant and blackberry fruits, it has lots of ripe herbal, chocolaty spice notes, full-bodied richness, sweet tannins, and a great finish. This is pure Napa Valley goodness to drink over the coming 10-15 years.
-Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
Ottella Lugana DOC Riserva Molceo is made from 100% Trebbiano di Lugana - 25-30 years old.
The wine is produced in the area of San Benedetto di Lugana in estate vineyards that are most suitable due to the high content of white clay.
COLOR • Golden, clear, intense.
NOSE • It immediately opens with fruity notes that are enchanting, penetrating and complex. Characterized by hints of citrus fruits, flowers and fine mineral and elegant notes.
PALATE • Complex and intense blend of mineral flavors; captivating, long, lively, both in the persistence and in the strength of the flavors, mingling with unmissable citrus sensation. A delicate evolution, fine flesh, perfect longevity.
Since 2009 it has won every year the TRE BICCHIERI GAMBERO ROSSO award.
The harvest and selection of the grapes are done strictly by hand, in small 17 kg crates.
PLANTING LAYOUT AND YIELD • Double bow Guyot, yield around 8,000 kg. of grapes per hectare, equivalent to 5,040 liters of wine or 63%.
HARVEST PERIOD • Harvest late in October.
FINING AND FERMENTATION • Delicate, soft pressing of the whole bunch for most of the production, the rest with gentle destemming by oscillation. Thereafter, a strict protocol of vinification: partial malolactic fermentation, fining for 16 months on the yeast and fine lees, which mostly takes place in stainless steel tanks (80%) and the rest in wooden tonneaux and barriques.
Stimulating with marine or freshwater fish, it also goes well with savory or fatty meat (goose or pork). Enjoyable with seasoned, herbal cheeses of various types and elaborate dishes.
Review:
This riserva Lugana opens with aromas of baked nectarine with an almond crumble, followed by wafting notes of pressed wildflowers and poached lemon peel. The palate is rich, showing a lime and tropical-fruit cream note topped with sea salt, but balanced by the electric acidity on the finish. Super tasty!
-Wine Enthusiast 93 Points
Elegant and delicate in its sensorial profile, it shows notes of rose petals, linden, geraniums, hawthorn and lime. Medium-full body, radiant and essential in taste, it shows grace and personality and a truly Mediterranean aftertasting. Nice and tasty, fresh and vibrant! One of the best Lugana tastings. Drink now or grow old.
-Raffaele Vecchione - WinesCritic.com 94 Points
Pago de los Capellanes O Luar do Sil Godello is made from 100 percent Godello.
O Luar do Sil Godello 2024 is a white wine that encapsulates the essence of its native soil. With its vibrant and fresh character, this wine is distinguished by its lightness and its moderate aromatic profile. Upon bringing it to the nose, subtle aromas of fruits such as green apple and pear are discernible. On the palate, it unfolds with an expansive sensation, invigorating the taste buds with each sip. Ideal for those seeking a fresh and authentic wine.
O Luar do Sil Godello is a white wine produced by the winery Pago de los Capellanes in Seadur, D.O. Valdeorras.
In 2014,Pago de los Capellanes founded its new winery, O Luar do Sil, in Seadur (Valdeorras). With this winery, the Rodero Villa family fulfilled its dream of producing white wine 100% with their philosophy. A special, complex and intense wine that can be kept for a very long time.
Currently, they already make 3 white wines in this region, in a location that has allowed them to make their wines with all the expression of the variety and the character of the terroir, thanks to a traditional viticulture.
O Luar do Sil Godello is a wine made with Godello, from vineyards planted on granitic hillside in the village of Seadur.
After the manual harvest and a careful selection of the grapes on a selection table, the grapes are completely destemmed. Once their temperature has been lowered to 9ºC, they rest for 4 hours in the macerators. From here, the grapes go on to the press, and with a gentle pressing they extract top-quality must. Must fermentation is carried out in stainless steel deposits at a controlled temperature. Once the fermentation has ended, the lees are separated from the wine, which is left to rest for a few months until it is bottled.
Paul Hobbs Chardonnay Russian River Valley is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Crafted with precision from six pedigreed sites comes a wine that beams with pale straw hue. The newest vintage brings wonderful aromatic intensity: candied lemon peel, white florals followed by crisp green apple. A creamy and viscous texture on the palate is buoyed by white nectarine and dried apricot that’s balanced with a vibrant acidity, bringing focus to the wine’s finish that lingers with hints of flinty mineral notes.
Review:
A ruby red garnet color, ripe fruit aromas, dried fruits, hints of licorice and scents of vanilla. Robust and harmonious in the mouth, a rich texture. The wine is only produced in the best vintages.
The grapes are coming from a vineyard planted at 400 meters above sea level. The soil is mainly marl and limestone.
The density of vines per hectare is 5,000 plants, which is equivalent to 2,000 vines per acre.
The pruning technique used is cordon
The grapes used are 100% Sangiovese grosso
Alcoholic fermentation was done in tank, while the Malo-Lactic fermentation was carried in oak barrels.
Wine was then aged for one year in big French oak barrels and 3 years in Slavonian oak barrels.
Review:
Rich and very slender in the sensory profile alternating notes of black prunes, blackberries, sandalwood, incense, camphor, withered white flowers and vetiver. Hints of woodland undergrowth animate the secondary scene giving it a dark character. Full bodied, soft tannins and a solidly performing finale. Better from 2024.
Raffaele Vecchione - WinesCritic.com 93 Points
Rudi Pichler Kollmutz Smaragd Gruner Veltliner is made from 100 percent Gruner Veltliner.
Rudi Pichler is among the elite growers of the Wachau producing wines of precision, power, and longevity. Grüner Veltliner and Riesling make up 95% of the production with the remaining 5% shared between Weißburgunder and Roter Veltliner. Rudi Pichler belongs to the prestigious Vinea Wachau and vinifies under the strict parameters of their codex.
Yields are kept low between 30 and 35 hectoliters per hectare with botrytis carefully removed by hand. Grapes are crushed by foot and receive between three and 36 hours of maceration on the skins. Vinification is entirely in stainless-steel tanks and malolactic fermentation is avoided.
Kollmütz is a terraced vineyard in Wösendorf sitting between 200 and 400 meters of elevation. The soils of Kollmütz developed from an ancient landslide resulting in chaotic layers of rock and boulders. The vineyard is particularly rich in magnesium and iron. Wines from Kollmütz are typically linear, dense, and intensely mineral in character.
Grüner Veltliner is the signature grape of Austria and produces a dry white wine with savory aromas, spicy flavors, and good acidity. Grüner Veltliner Smaragd from the Wachau is a full-bodied wine and is rich in style with notes of stone fruit, lemon, radish, and arugula.
Review:
I have heard gruner veltliner dismissed for supposedly not being elegant, but this is an extremely elegant example! Very complex nose of snow peas, green beans, wild herbs and green pepper. On the medium-bodied palate, this remarkable gruner veltliner has a discreet succulence, but what makes it amazing is the way it glides so gracefully over the palate, then splash lands in a deep pool of wet stone minerality. Underplayed power and concentration!
-James Suckling 97 Points
My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec, 6% Syrah, 4% Petite Sirah, 3% Petit Verdot.
A homage to Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure Winery became an obsession. Sourced from exceptional vineyard sites around Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo and south to Edna Valley, this wine is cultivated meticulously by the farmers who have become My Favorite Neighbors. With their dedication to the land, we are able to craft a world class wine without any shortcuts or compromises. Welcome to our Neighborhood.
The 2022 My Favorite Neighbor is everything you’ve come to expect from our flagship Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from our favorite Paso Robles growers who lend their neighborly spirit to the wine. Effusive aromas of raspberry and currant reveal notes of blue fruit and purple flower. On the palate, juicy red fruits are interwoven with hints of black cherry, cinnamon and toasted oak. Structured tannins carry into a long, chewy finish. Whether it’s a casual backyard barbecue or a fine celebratory meal, this versatile wine has you covered for summer and beyond.
Pago de Carraovejas El Anejon is made from 93%, Cabernet Sauvignon 5% and Merlot 2%.
El Anejon vineyard is a terraced plot on a steep slope, oriented toward the sun and with great views of the Castle of Peñafiel. The soil of the narrow terraces has a compact, loamy limestone texture. The presence of the white-colored limestone calcium salts contributes to a distinctive minerality in this wine. Only made in exceptional vintages.
Review:
"A single-plot wine from the top terraces of the site from an excellent vintage, the 2021 El Anejon is powerful and truly outstanding. Tempranillo is blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot to an exceptional end, aged 12 months in larger French oak barrels after a triple selection of the grapes. Sharp red fruit has an underbelly of herbal earthiness beneath the fruit, while tight, refreshing acidity accentuates the mineral-driven texture. Bottled in June 2023, this might be the producer’s best wine of the vintage, which is saying a lot, as they’re all of outstanding quality. This will hit a high point in 5-7 years and keep going another 20. - Virginie BOONE"
- Jeb DUNNUCK (August 2°25), 98 pts