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Pierinvaletta Moscato d'Asti Organic 2020

Pierinvaletta Moscato d'Asti Organic is made from 100 percent Moscato. 

Delicious Moscato flavors with a tropical fruit flavors and aromas, as well as a nice fresh acidity to balance the classic sweetness. 

Delicious on its own, but also with Sushi or cheese. It is also an excellent base for cocktails. 


The grapes are harvested at desired level of ripeness (brix).

This is the reason why Moscato d'Asti are low in alcohol and fairly sweet. Not all the sugar has been transformed into alcohol during fermentation.

The juice is left to ferment only partially. When the desired level of alcohol is reached, the wine is chilled and filtered, leaving some un-fermented sugar in the future wine.
Then the grapes are crushed and , the juice is being separated from the skins.






Pinea 2014

Pinea is made from 100 percent Tempranillo. 30 months, new French oak barrels

PINEA is born of the founders desire to make a wine on a par with the world’s finest. Its name is inspired by a beautiful and majestic Pinus Pinea tree, which is probably one of the oldest and tallest in the region. Surrounded by old vines, it has been witness to centuries of history.

PINEA is a hand-made, artisanal wine made with the heart. Crafted with care and respect for its origins, it also faithfully reflects the terroir and the passion of everyone involved in its creation. It is made from old vines, grown on clay-loam terrain at high altitude. Our winery is characterized by its minimal intervention approach to precision viticulture, key to ensuring that the grape is able to express itself fully.

PINEA is aged in and blended from new fine-grained French oak barrels of medium toast, which respect the fruit during the ageing process. Perfection is sought at each and every stage of winemaking, in order to successfully create a wine in which fruit plays a leading role, integrated with the complexity of oak. A unique wine. Elegant. Subtle. Perhaps one of the very best in the world.

TOTAL PRODUCTION: LESS THAN 1,000 CASES (13,000 BOTTLES)

Appearance: It is a clean and bright, deeply colored, almost opaque, ruby red wine with a garnet rim.

Nose: It is clean and balanced, and very intense in aromas. As is typical for the varietal, it is rich in black fruit aromas, predominantly blackberry. The use of new oak gives pungent aromas of bitter chocolate, coffee, cedar and smoky notes that give length and depth.

Palate: It has a powerful attack, which fills and envelops the palate from start to finish. Full-bodied, it has high tannins and considerable alcohol, although both are very well integrated. It is perfectly balanced on its passage through the mouth, leaving flavors of black forest fruits, blackberries and spices such as clove and black pepper. It leaves a long, harmonious aftertaste. It all comes together in a finish of smoky, slightly bitter notes, which give it great length and a persistence that lasts a long time after drinking. A complex, well-balanced wine that shows the full potential of oak-aged Tempranillo.

Reviews:


This is a fabulous young wine from the Ribera del Duero, one of Spain’s greatest wine regions. Dark, powerful and plush, the wine is not flamboyant or overdone. Indeed, it’s wonderfully balanced, carrying the alcohol and the “very special French oak” effortlessly and without a trace of heat or woodiness. Tightly wound, it gradually reveals its mineral-infused glory over time in the glass. It’s more savory than fruity, though there’s plenty of the latter. The tannins are barely noticeable because they are so fine and well-integrated. Paradoxically, it’s powerful, yet reticent, and finishes with a delightful hint of bitterness, which, to me, is a hallmark of a great wine. It’s one for the cellar, to be sure. But it you can’t wait and your budget allows you to buy multiple bottles, open and decant one hour before you drink it with garlic-infused roasted leg of lamb this winter.

97 Michael Apstein Dec 8, 2020


Very highly polished, international plush style. Bold, toasty oak, balanced by crunchy blue fruit. Ripe, intense, harmonious, has mile of age to last. - International Wine Challenge 95 Points(Gold Metal &  named one of three best tempranillos in all of Spain)

As dense and dark as a young vintage port, but much less alcoholic, this is a concentrated and elegant Ribera del Duero that has a long, polished finish. Drink or hold. - James Suckling 93 Points


 97 Points
Piron Chenas Quartz 2016

Piron Chenas Quartz is made from 100% Gamay - 60+ years old .

The Chenas Cru is the smallest Beaujolais Cru, not bigger than Côte Rôtie. This is a rare wine. The estate's unique parcel spreads over 22.2 acres of vines on a very steep slope facing East, situated between 310 and 380 meters above sea level. Granitic soils are covered with Quartz crystals and give the wine its own personality.

The vineyard is co-owned by Domnique Piron and Christian Lameloise, whose family owned Lameloise restaurant in Burgundy (3*** Michelin). Decanter classified the wine in the 3 best best bottles of Crus Beaujolais in 2015 (vintage 2013).

Hand harvest, sorting table, part destemming. A first stage of semi carbonic maceration during few days is followed by a more classic Burgundy maceration with « remontages » and « pigeages », for a total of 18-20 days, depending on the vintage.
30% of the wine are aged in recent French oak foundre and oak barrels (no new oak) during 12 months to bring roundness and complexity to the final assemblage.

Pairs well with complex dishes, meats, leaver, and why not a little pigeon with peas and diced bacon.

Review:

"Beautifully attractive violets and red flowers here, carrying a very fresh impression, as well as an exciting and vibrant yet elegant finish. Exceptionally pure and focused. Drink or hold."

- James Suckling (February 2019), 93 pts


 93 Points
Piron Morgon Cote du Py 2021

Dominique Piron Morgon Cote du Py is made from 100 percent Gamay.

The Morgon Cru is based in the heart of Northern Beaujolais. Côte du Py is the heart of Morgon, a little hill of very old blue stone rocks - the oldest soils of Beaujolais (around 430 millions years old), with a typical blue color.
Côte du Py has been known for centuries for being the best terroir of the village, producing long lived wines with strong structure and flavors.

Wines of the Côte du Py are very dark, profound and dense. Classic aromas of red berries, cherry, kirsh. Fruity, structured and mineral in the mouth with graphite flavors and spicy notes of black and white pepper. Wine can age up to 10 years.

Hand picked grapes are sorted manually and destemmed for 50 to 70%. Fermentation starts in concrete tanks and lasts for 18-25 days with remontages and pigeages. Then after pressurage starts the aging, for 2/3 in concrete tanks, and 1/3 in recent French oak barrels with batonages on fine lies only. After 10 month we do the blending, keeping only the best cuvees and best barrels, and do the bottling.

Pairs well with red meat like beef, duck and game (Hare, Dear, Wild Pork,…), cheses.

 



Poggio Nardone Brunello 2018

Poggio Nardone Brunello di Montalcino is made from 100 percent Sangiovese Grosso.

The rich nose displays scents of spices combined with aromas of small red ripe fruits, blackberry and blueberry.
Well structured, determined and elegant, with round and silky tannins. Very nice finish.

Alcoholic fermentation was done in tank, maloactic fermentation in oak barrels. Wine was then aged for 3 years in French oak barrels. 

Review:

Noble and decidedly balsamic in the primary profile alternating notes of peppermint, eucalyptus, green tea leaves and guaranà. A lot of very delicate dried cherries are housed in the background giving brilliance and crunchiness. Medium bodied, well extracted mature tannins and a finale which squeezes from the centre palate onwards. Better from 2025.

- WinesCritic.com 93 Points



 93 Points
Poggio San Polo Podernovi Brunello di Montalcino 2016

Poggio San Polo Podernovi Brunello di Montalcino is made from 100 percent Sangiovese.

Podernovi, San Polo’s new single vineyard Brunello, makes its debut with the extraordinary 2015 vintage. Crafted with Sangiovese grapes grown in the vineyard synonymous with the wine, it is among the most beautiful and archetypal of Montalcino. Podernovi is an elegant and poignant Brunello.

The winter was not particularly cold, and spring arrived slightly earlier than usual, with temperatures slightly above average, giving the vines’ shoots the opportunity to uniformly develop. The following weeks saw frequent rainfall, which allowed the land to build water reserves, alternating with periods of dry weather, enabling the vines to continue growing without any problems. The damp conditions during flowering led to the formation of bunches that were slightly more sparse than usual and with rather small berries, ideal preconditions for reaching harvest time with perfectly ripe and healthy grapes. However, the feature that will make vintage 2016 particularly memorable is the excellent temperature range that characterized the months of July, August and September, with sunny days and cool, breezy nights. We therefore reached the beginning of October with grapes that exhibited a superb combination of maturity, acidity and aromatic potential, perfect conditions for the production of wines with a distinct personality and a great balance of concentration, elegance and longevity; a perfect reflection of the production philosophy of San Polo.

Review:

A mix of wild herb, Tuscan scrub, rose, cherry and earth flavors mark this sleek red, which tiptoes between elegance and power, with a layer of chalky tannins underlying it all. With air, the ripe cherry and plum fruit comes forward. Best from 2025 through 2047. 100 cases imported.

 -Wine Spectator 95 Points


Aromas of forest floor, grilled herb, camphor and pipe tobacco mingle on the nose of this full-bodied red. The firm, elegantly structured palate offers juicy Marasca cherry, red currant, licorice and coffee bean. Tightly wound, fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity grip the close and lend an ageworthy structure. Drink 2026–2041.

-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points Cellar Selection 

Delicately perfumed and finessed, the San Polo 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Podernovi is very floral and lifted in personality. This vintage is very different than the inaugural 2015 vintage. I remember the previous release for its darker and blacker quality of fruit. This cooler vintage is more lithe and lighthearted, with building aromatic intensity that unfolds with caution and care. Once you've had the wine in your glass, it reveals a succession of sour cherry, wild rose and fresh lavender bud. There are light mineral dustings as well, and the wine is ultimately quite solid and structured. This bodes well for its aging evolution. Fruit comes from a two-hectare parcel in a cool and high position some 450 meters above sea level. The soils are clayey with schistous Galestro. Production is 13,000 bottles.

-Wine Advocate 95+ Points


A mix of wild herb, Tuscan scrub, rose, cherry and earth flavors mark this sleek red, which tiptoes between elegance and power, with a layer of chalky tannins underlying it all. With air, the ripe cherry and plum fruit comes forward. Best from 2025 through 2047. 100 cases imported. –BS

-James Suckling 95 Points


This is a phenomenal new red from San Polo with superb depth and intensity with plum, wet earth and black truffle. Full body. Chewy and ripe tannins and a long and flavorful finish. The depth and beautiful is gorgeous. Needs three or four years to come together. Better after 2022.

-Flastaff 95 Points



 Wine Advocate: 95 Wine Enthusiast: 95 Wine Spectator: 95 95 Points
Potensac Medoc 2020

Potensac Medoc is made from 44% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.

The estate's Grand Vin's vineyards are located west of the village of Ordonnac where the vines grow on gravelly-clay soiils. They produce a very fine wine with tight texture, richness and wonderful freshness. On the palate, the wine is pure and powerful, with great concentration, dense and spicy tannins, and mineral tension. Fresh and full-flavored with ripe black fruits, and a finish of great depth. Thanks to these qualities, Château Potensac is often considered to represent the "pure Medoc style". It should be noted that Potensac was the only "Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel" of its appellation, and certainly one of the most persistent ever produced at this stage.

Prager Smaragd Klaus Riesling 2022

Prager Smaragd Klaus Riesling is made from 100 percent Riesling. 

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:

  What a stunning example of cool climate riesling. It’s full-bodied and deep, but so cool and delicate, packing in sleek layers of honeysuckle, apricots, lemons and grapefruit married to thyme and crushed rock. So long and seamless, with tension and focus that just keeps going. Sustainable. Try from 2025.

-James Suckling 98 Points

 98 Points
Priest Ranch Snake Oil Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2018

TASTING NOTES
The 2018 Snake Oil has a beautiful deep and rich ruby color. On the nose, there are pleasant complex aromas of earth and spice with notes of warm chocolate mocha. Hints of blueberry, black cherries, and berry cobbler immediately scream from the glass. This wine has muscular tannins that grip at the beginning and linger to a beautiful silky long finish. Although graceful now, you can cellar for 10 to 15 years.


VINEYARD NOTES
The historic Priest Ranch is now part of the Somerston Estate, a significant property totaling 1,615 acres, with 222 acres planted to hillside vineyards. Dramatic elevations of the vineyards define and distinguish the estate, ranging from 800 ft to 2,400 ft above sea level. In 2018, the grapes for this wine were chosen from three hillside blocks - Block 56, Block 58 and Block 98.

REVIEW

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Snake Oil needs a little swirling to reveal emerging notes of freshly crushed blackcurrants, blackberry pie and mulberries plus suggestions of tilled soil, cedar chest and Indian spices with a touch of roses. The full-bodied palate completely coats the mouth with opulent black fruit preserves and exotic spice layers, supported by velvety tannins and lovely freshness, finishing long and perfumed.

-Wine Advocate 93+ Points

The 2018 Priest Ranch Snake Oil is all Cabernet Sauvignon, from a trio of hillside vineyards on the Somerston Estate. It has beautiful blueberry and plum fruits as well as notes of sappy herbs, violets, and bouquet garni. More medium-bodied, focused, and elegant, it shines for its purity, freshness, and length. It’s a classic 2018 that will have 15+ years of longevity.

-Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points


WINEMAKING 

Our 2018 Snake Oil was handpicked, sorted, and fermented naturally, then aged for 24 months in 75% new French oak barrels and 25% once-used French oak barrels.

HARVEST NOTES 

The early half of 2018 brought us moderate temperature allowing for a long growing season.   We had a majority of our rainfall in February followed by a mild Spring.  Then summer brought consistent temperatures with little heat spikes.  This weather allowed for longer hang time and for the fruit to ripen at a slower rate.  The 2018 harvest at our estate began in late August and resulted in exceptional quality.



SUGGESTED FOOD PAIRINGS

Miso Tahini Bacon

Vintage
 
2018


Varietal
 
Cabernet Sauvignon


Appellation
 
Napa Valley


Vineyard Designation
 
Somerston Estate


Harvest Date
 
10/9/18 through 10/30/18


Sugar
 
1.8


Acid
 
5.25 g/L


pH
 
3.89


Aging
 
24 months in 75% new French Oak, 25% in once used French oak barrels


Bottling Date
 
10/21/2020


Alcohol %
 
15.4


Wine Advocate
 
93


 Vinous Antonio Galloni: 93 Wine Advocate: 93 93 Points
Quails Gate Chardonnay Okanagan Valley 2019

Quails Gate Chardonnay Okanagan Valley is made from 100% Chardonnay.

Quails’Gate Winery takes great pride in our portfolio of Chardonnays. As one of the original wineries in the Okanagan, our first Chardonnay clone was planted more than 30 years ago, and we have cultivated some of the oldest and most sought-after Chardonnay blocks in the region. The Estate Chardonnay is crafted to be bright, fresh, vivid and celebrated by all who drink it.


Tasting notes:
Fragrances of lemon, yellow flower, peach are accompanied by subtle hints of beeswax and vanilla. A bright-entry on the palate with medium acidity leads t o vibrant tastings of pear, lemon meringue crust and lime zest ending with a long and creamy finish.

This is a wonderfully versatile food wine. Try pairing with lemon roasted chicken, rich seafood risotto or creamy butternut squash soup.

Reguengo de Melgaco Vinho Verde 2020

Fresh with an intense fruity character. Very mineral wine with notes of apple, plums, peach, combined with a still dominant citric profile. Magnificent volume with an elegant and delicious unctuousness. Fantastic finish, long and aromatic. Very good balance between acidity and dryness/sweetness although the wine almost doesn’t have residual sugar.

Alcohol content: 12.5 % Vol.
pH: 3,41
Total Acidity: 6 g/L tartaric acid
Volatile Acidity: 0,36 g/L acetic acid

Average age of the vines is 20 years old, all planted on alluvium (stream deposit) consisting in gravelly and sandy soils.

Grapes were transported to the winery immediately after the harvest in small size boxes. They were smoothly pressed before fermentation in stainless-steel tanks, with temperature control. Selected yeasts were added for the fermentation.

Fish and seafood are strongly associated to the white wine consumption. With Reguengo de Melgaço Alvarinho wines it’s not different. They usually make wonderful pairings with fish and seafood main courses.
However, other pairings are also recommended.
Salads, fruit, white meats, are also great companions for Reguengo de Melgaço Alvarinhos. The volume, attack and intense flavour of these wines allow even more unconventional pairings for white wine, such as heavier meat plates.


Review:

"The Cardadeiro family restored this estate in the 1990s, planting 22 acres of alvarinho along the Minho River on the border with Spain’s Galicia, on a property believed to have been built by Rainha Dona Leonor and owned by the Portuguese royal family in the 1500s. In 2020, the site lived up to its heritage with a beautiful wine, a river of fruit, flowers, nuts and stones—the crisp detail of a peach just coming into ripeness, the breeziness of apple blossoms, the savor of raw hazelnut and jasmine tea. The crunch of granitic acidity gives all that flavor a mineral drive, lasting on the breath, suited to five, maybe ten years of age. - J.G."

- Wine & Spirits Magazine (October 2022), 94 pts

 94 Points
Rinaldi Joyful NV

SALE!

Rinaldi Joyful NV is made from 85 % Barbera, 10 % Cortese and 5 % Moscato

Straw yellow color, fruity with hints of apple and mint.

Joyful is a modern sparkling wine made using the method charmat process with the secondary fermentation made in a stainless steel tank.

Zone of production: Ricaldone’s territory on the hills called "Bricco Rioglio" and "Valmorana" and Celle.
Average altitude: 280 m above sea level, calcareous soil with tufa layers.
Training system: guyot with a cultivation density of about 3500 vines per hectare.
Vinification: manual harvest into crates, usually in September. Soft pressing. Settling in steel vats to have a natural clearing of musts. Further temperature and pressure controlled fermentation.

Joyful is great as an aperitif but also pairs very well with seafood.


Review:


"Golden yellow color. Aromas and flavors of hazelnut, cocoa, and vanilla, dried cherry multi grain bread, valencia orange, and over ripe melon with a satiny, bright, effervescent, dry light-to-medium body and a stimulating, medium-length finish with notes of fruit and nut multigrain biscuit with dried red fruits, toasted hazelnut, watermelon rind, and lime zest. Citrus forward and bright with a subtle hint of salinity makes this sparkling completely crushable yet sophisticated enough to bring to dinner."

- Beverage Testing Institute (November 2022), 93 pts - Gold Medal


 93 Points
Roland Champion Champagne Brut Rose Carat NV

 Roland Champion Champagne Brut Rose Grand Cru NV is the blend of 33% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Meunier and 33% Pinot Noir.


The Champagne rose shows an orange salmon color coming from the red wine base. The pinot meunier brings red fruit aromas of strawberry and raspberry with hints of spices. The palate is juicy and harmonious with good depth and minerality. A delicate balance between Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir.
It is a blend of 93% White juice (made from 33% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Meunier and 33% Pinot Noir) and 7% Pinot Noir red wine. The grapes used to produce the Coteaux Champenois red wine are coming from their vineyards near the Village of Verneuil.

 

Roland Champion Champagne Cuvee Aramis Brut NV

24 Hour Sale!

Roland Champion Champagne Cuvee Aramis Brut is made from 70% Pinot Meunier, 20% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay.

Very nice effervescence, fine bubbles - A nose spawn with notes of mature fruits such as quince and yellow fruits jelly. Aromas of biscuits and honey at the end of the palate, which remains supple, well structured, and with a beautiful length.

Black grapes from Verneuil and Vandière in the Marne Valley, argilo-limestone soil. Chardonnay grapes from Chouilly, “Grand Cru” from the famous “Côtes des blancs”, limestone soil and subsoil.


Review:
"Brilliant pale yellow straw color. Lively, complex aromas of honeyed biscuit, buttery praline, and poached Asian pear with a supple, lively, effervescent, dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body and an elegant, long creme brulee, white balsamic reduced lemon, spiced nuts and tangerines, and grassy earth and minerals finish with well-integrated, fine tannins. A layered and vibrant champagne with cascading waves of fresh and mature flavors."

- Beverage Testing Institute (November 19th 2012), 95 pts

 95 Points
Roland Champion Champagne Le Mont Aigu Chardonnay Brut Nature 2017

Roland Champion Champagne Le Mont Aigu Chardonnay Brut Nature is made from 100% Chardonnay.

Grand Cru Chouilly from a single parcel called "Montaigu".

Aged in Oak barrels for 10 months on the fine lees and then, aged "sur lattes" for 3 years. 

Brut Nature : no liqueur d'expedition (zero dosage)


This 100% oaked chardonnay will be perfect with salmon cooked in a parchment paper "en papillote", as well as roasted bone marrow. 

Rubus Pinot Noir 2022

The Rubus Project was created by Fran Kysela as a way to source & sell incredible wines at value prices. All wines in this international project are hand-selected by Fran Kysela. Rubus wines are fruit driven, true-to-type values that over deliver - a true representation of quality for the consumer at an excellent price.

Grapes are sourced from the Lessini hills in the Colli Berici, where the cold nights allow the aromatic compounds in the grapes to develop. The vines, 20 years old on average, are planted on calcareous soils of volcanic origin.

Nice garnet and red color. Expressive and charming on the nose with cherry and blackberry aromas. On the palate, the wine has a nice spicy note. The length to the finish is round and long.


Rubus Pinot Noir  is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir from Veneto Italy

Tasting notes: Nice garnet and red color. Expressive and charming on the nose with cherry and blackberry aromas. On the palate, the wine has a nice spicy note. The length to the finish is round and long.

Vineyards: 
The grapes are grown primarily on the hills south of Vicenza, the Colli Berici, where the hillside sites ensure lower yields and better ripeness of the grapes.
The vineyards are located in the hills and are south-west facing. The hillside sites experience cooler nights, allowing the aromatic compounds in the grapes to develop. The vines are trained using the Guyot system, planted on calcareous soils of volcanic origin.
Average age of the vines is around 20 years old.

Vinification: 
The grapes were harvested, destemmed, crushed and then cool soaked for 24 hours. Maceration on the skins took place before fermentation at temperatures of up to 22°C. Following malolactic fermentation, 30% of the wine was aged in oak for four to five months prior to bottling.

Winemaker: Alberto Marchisio
Acidity: 5.3 g/Liter
RS: 5.6 g/Liter
pH: 3.42

Nice with roasted or grilled beef, game and a very good companion for matured cheese.

Rudi Pichler Grüner Veltliner Ried Hochrain Smaragd 2022

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.

Hochrain, a name meaning "high place," is a southeast-facing terraced vineyard in Wösendorf sitting between 200 and 300 meters of elevation. The vineyard consists of an unusually high content of loess, a mineral-laden soil that produces wines that are especially broad and rich.

Review:

“A stunning wine for this grape that is also rather easy to understand. The Reine Claude plum and peppery nose is complex, but already charming. As exciting as the simultaneously creamy and succulent mid-palate is, what makes this medium- to full-bodied gruner veltliner really stand out is the extremely long, crushed rock finish.”

James Suckling 96 Points

 96 Points
Rudi Pichler Kollmutz Smaragd Gruner Veltliner 2022

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

 97 Points
Saint Pierre Saint Julien 2019

Saint Pierre Saint Julien is made from 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot.

Chateau Saint-Pierre Saint-Julien 4th Grand Cru Classé boasts a rich and brilliant purple color, a complex aromatic expression marked by beautiful ripe fruits combined with soft spices, chocolate and licorice nuances. Well-balanced and a good texture, the palate is round and subtle, supported by velvety tannins that enhance the elegant and pure character of this Saint Julien.

Review:

"Very pretty and typical for the appellation with aromas of blackcurrants, violets and sandalwood that follow through to a full body with layers of polished tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Lasts a long time on the palate. Classic structure. Drink after 2027."

- James Suckling (January 2022), 96 pts


 96 Points
San Giorgio Ugolforte Brunello di Montalcino 2018

San Giorgio Ugolforte presents a dark core of red and black berry fruit layered with earth, leather, smoke, and herbs. Complex and elegant, the wine is full on the palate and firm in tannin structure. Refreshing acidity frames a graceful finish. Classic Brunello di Montalcino.


 Review:

This red is marked by cherry, plum, thyme, sage and loam aromas and flavors. Lively and firmly structured, featuring a saline undercurrent. An open-knit version, with nice equilibrium, fine energy and a long, resonant finish.

-Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points

Moving to the 2018 Brunello Di Montalcino Ugolforte, its rich ruby hue is followed by aromas of cherry candy, wild raspberry liqueur, rosemary, and violets. On the palate, it reveals medium to full body, ripe tannins, black cherry fruit, crunchy acidity, and a hint of sage. It offers a bit of warming spice without being heavy and displays the transparency that is typical of the vintage. Drink 2024-2040.

-Wine Spectator 94 Points

 Wine Spectator: 94 94 Points
Shaw and Smith Shiraz 2020

First vinified in 2002, Shaw + Smith Shiraz has quickly garnered attention a standout cool climate Austrlian shiraz.

Sourcing immaculate fruit from the cool Adelaide Hills region, Shaw + Smith carry out whole berry fermentation in open-topped steel vats allowing for gentle yet thorough extraction and optimal aromatics.  Maturation in French oak allows tannins to soften and aromas to harmonize before bottling under screw cap.

Shaw + Smith own two vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, at Balhannah and Lenswood, totalling 55 hectares. The vineyards are planted to varieties that perform particularly well in the region, namely Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Shiraz.

Hand picked, sorted and fermented as a combination of whole berries and whole bunches in open fermenters, with gentle plunging and minimal working. Aged in French oak for fourteen months, of which one third was new.

Shaw + Smith Shiraz is a medium bodied cool-climate Shiraz, in which balance is more important than power.

 Decant and enjoy with slow cooked lamb shoulder.


Review:

Lovely crunchy fruit to this, with spice and dried-meat undertones through the wine, from the nose to the palate. Medium body, fine tannins and a fresh and vivid finish. Tangy and bright. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

-James Suckling 94 Points


 94 Points
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