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Intense ruby red color. Hints of spices, fruit and flowers, a bouquet that reflects the soil on which it is born, rich in Alberese. In the mouth it is soft, with a pleasant acidity that makes the wine fresh and lively. Sweet and ripe tannins give the wine a pleasant persistence. Riserva dei Colli is an excellent expression of the Estate's Sangiovese, so much so that it bears its name.

Review:

Bordering on opulent, this red features blackberry, black currant, plum, iron and spice aromas and flavors, matched to a velvety texture. Firms up as the resonant tannins emerge, yet remains harmonious and long. Drink now through 2032. 1,700 cases made, 570 cases imported.

-Wine Spectator 93 Points

Enemigo El Enemigo Gran Enemigo is made from 100% Cabernet Franc. 

In the spectrum of people who pay attention to detail, winemakers are often incredibly detail-oriented.  This can sometimes spill over to become an internal battled, and, as Alejandro Vigil and Adrianna Catena state, "We are our own worst enemy." El Enemigo pays homage to this internal struggle.

The nose presents sweet aromas of black ripen fruits with hints of vanilla and chocolate, which appear after the oak ageing. The mouthfeel is sweet with structured, persistent tannins due to the natural acidity of this wine, leading into an excellent long finish. 

Review:

The nose of the 2018 Gran Enemigo El Cepillo Single Vineyard, from a low-yielding and drier year, is full of curry, a note that was a constant across the three vintages I tasted together, but it tends to be stronger in low-yielding and dry years like this. It's also floral and comes through as aromatic and a little exotic, in a good way, with elegance, persistence and very pure flavors. It has fine-grained tannins, great acidity and balance. 7,200 bottles. All these single-vineyard bottlings mature in ancient 4,000-liter oak foudres for some 15 months.

 "Pretty and inviting on the nose with gorgeous aromas of floral violet, cassis and completed with a lifted, delicate liquorice note. The palate is graced with deep herb, pepper, crunchy red fruit and graceful, silky tannins."

-Decanter 97 Points

Intense ruby ​​​​color of high layer with garnet edge, clean and shiny. Intense nose that, from the beginning, transmits complexity, penetrating, with aromas of black fruits, blueberries and currants, undergrowth, roasted memories, toffee, coffee powder, liquorice, cloves, vanilla and lebanese cedar. Mouth with freshness and balance, with tannins ripe and creamy, which highlight its elegance, with a step harmonious and intense. Long and pleasant aftertaste, with a great variety of balsamic and spicy memories.

Review:

The old-vine component of the El Otero parcel, running to around seven hectares, supplies the fruit for this ageworthy Tinto Fino. After a frost-induced break in 2017, it's back with interest in 2018. Aged in new French oak, but not dominated by the wood, it's a finely judged red from Julio Sáenz with notes of blackberry and tangerine, filigree tannins and a long, textured finish. 2023-33

-Tim Atkin 96 Points

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Boizel Grand Vintage Brut is made from 50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir.

BACKGROUND

In 1834 the Boizel House was established in Épernay, the heart of Champagne, by a family passionate about the wines of its region. Intimate knowledge of the Champagne region, passed on through the generations, and access to grapes from the finest cru sites, are the essential elements behind the Boizels’ elegant portfolio. Working with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir sourced only from Champagne’s most coveted Grands and Premiers Crus blended with the best crus of Pinot Meunier, Boizel’s intimate knowledge of each village and hillside coupled with longstanding grower relationships allows them the ability to select the finest quality grapes for their Champagnes.

TERROIR & VINTAGE NOTES

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes for the production of the Grand Vintage wines are sourced from Grands and Premiers Cru vineyards within the villages of La Montagne de Reims (Pinot Noir) and the Côte des Blancs (Chardonnay). Pinot Meunier is sourced from the best sites within the Vallée de la Marne.

All wines are aged sur lie in Boizel’s historic chalk cellars beneath the Avenue de Champagne for a minimum of 3 years, climbing to 15 years and above for the best vintages.

WINEMAKING & AGEING

A unique expression of the vintage, the Grand Vintage is only produced in the best years. This cuvée is a blend of 50% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs (Mesnil sur Oger, Oger, Avize, Vertus) and 50% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims (Mailly, Bisseuil, Chigny les Roses).

The wine was aged 8 months in stainless steel vats. Post second fermentation, the wine was aged for 8 years on its lees.

TASTING NOTES

Due to the long lees aging, almond, frangipane, candied orange and brioche aromas are rich and balanced. The palate is complex and mature, with the silky perlage supplying acidity and lift. Elegant pastry notes rounds out the finish.

Review:

Disgorged in October 2014, this smooth, now mature, wine has flavors of yeasty toastiness and a tight, mineral structure. Sliced apple and lemon zest still give freshness. Behind the fruit, crisp texture and a steely edge await. It is beautifully balanced, rich while dry and ready to drink. ROGER VOSS

-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points

Booker Vineyard Oublie Red  is made from 33% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 28% Mourvèdre, 5% Tannat, 4% Petite Sirah

Oublié's blend is always Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre – the California version of a Châteauneuf du Pape. The namesake is a play on the French term for "forgotten." Rhône varietals grow beautifully on the estate and Booker believes that they are far-too-often forgotten when you think of a California wine. Deep ruby/purple in color, this hearty expression of a Paso GSM boasts confident notes of boysenberry, licorice and cedar on the nose. On the palate, the taster is rewarded with lively flavors of raspberry coulis mingled with blonde roast coffee and chocolate ganache. For lovers of Mourvèdre, this vintage of Oublié will show off. It drinks bolder than prior vintages, mostly because the Mourvèdre was so special in '19. 

Oublié is traditionally one of Booker's most food-friendly wines and should pair well with most dishes.

Review:

The 2019 Oublié is a blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre, Tannat and Petite Sirah with a medium ruby-purple color. The nose offers gregarious mixed berry preserves and accents of potpourri, mint and fragrant earth. The palate offers juicy appeal and powerful fruit with loads of spice and floral perfume, bursts of freshness and firm, pleasantly rustic tannins, finishing very long.

-Wine Advocate 97 Points

Brize Clos Medecin Anjou Villages is made from  60% Cabernet Fran and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon.

This is the flagship of the Estate. los Medecin has been produced at the estate for 90 years. All the grapes for this wine come from a very special parcel. The wine offers red fruit aromas. It is fresh, round and ample in the mouth.

Pairs with red meat, cheese, and barbecue. 

Review:

"Lightly mulled dark cherry fruit flavors mix with tobacco, olive and sanguine notes, ending with a flicker of bay on the chalk-lined finish. Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2022. 2,100 cases made, 50 cases imported. - JM"

- Wine Spectator (December 2021), 90 pts

Busi Chianti Rufina (Half Bottle) is made from 100% Sangiovese.

Fresh, fruity, with classic tart cherry.

Appearance: ruby-red in color.
Aroma: clean, floral notes.
Flavor: well structured and harmonic on the palate; easy drinking with a soft and lingering finish. Ageing potential: 10/15 years.

Production area: amidst the hills of Pelago in the Chianti Rufina D.O.C.G. area, with a soil composition of marly, calcareous clay as typically found in the Arno valley east of Florence.

Aspect: south-facing.
Altitude: 200/350 m above sea level.

Cultivation method: spurred cordon.
Harvest period: from the 20th of September until the middle of October.
Vinification: the grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature (26/28°C) for 10 days before racking and malolactic fermentation in stainless steel. After fermentation the wine is put into wooden barrels.

Fermentation in stainless steel at controlled temperatures for 7 to 8 days, with an additional 3 to 4 days on the skins. The wine is then racked and goes through malolactic. It is then racked again and stays another 7 months in stainless steel.

Adapts well to both light and more substantial dishes.

Busi Chianti Rufina Riserva is made from 100% Sangiovese
Vineyards: Travignoli, a name which literally means “Tra Vignoli” (between the vineyards) is located in the middle of Frescobaldi’s Nipozzano vineyard in the heart of the Rufina zone. There is documented evidence that wine was first produced there in the 5th C BC by the Etruscans who called it “Nectar of the Gods”. The Church acquired the land and constructed the cellars in 1100.
Count Busi and his family acquired the estate in the 1800’s. Overall, 91
hectares belong to the estate. The 60 hectares of vineyards are excellently
position on the slopes with a southerly exposure at an elevation between 270 to 370 meters. Clay, marl and calcareous soil with a large percentage of rocks and stones for good drainage. Vines are an average of 10–25 years old.
Harvest: October– by hand.
Yield per hectare: 40 Quintals per hectare
Vinification: Fermentation in stainless steel at controlled temperatures for 7 to 8 days with an additional 7 to 8 days on the skins. The wine is then racked and goes through malolactic. It is then racked again and stays another 3 months in stainless steel.
Aging: 25 to 30 hectoliter barrels of Slavonian oak for 18 months and 3 months in Allier barriques. There is a period of refinement of 4 to 5 months in the bottle.
Alcohol: 13% by vol.
Color: Ruby red with garnet reflections.
Bouquet: Intense, ethereal bouquet with hints of leather, tar and ripe cherry fruit.
Taste: The flavor is full of mature fruit with nuances of leather and liquorice. The taste is complex and round and rich with character. The finish is persistent and satisfying.
Foods: Grilled, braised or roasted meats, dishes flavored with mushrooms, or rosemary. Excellent with polenta dishes.
Total Production: 3,300 cases
Enologist: Mauro Orsoni

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

Castello di Bossi Gran Selezione is made from 100% Sangiovese.

Gran Selezione is the newest quality designation to have been added to the DOCG classification system in Chianti Classico. Gran Selezione takes quality controls a step further than Riserva-- which previously occupied the top tier-- by banning the use of any purchased, or non-estate-grown fruit, in the inclusion of a wine labeled Gran Selezione. This coupled with longer aging requirements (30 months minimum) and minimum levels of alcohol set to 13% designates a band of wines from Chianti Classico producers representative of the appellation's highest quality potential with often limited availability.

Review:

There’s purity to the cherry, strawberry, rose, mineral and herb aromas and flavors in this solidly built red, which shows excellent balance and length. The muscular finish begs for more time for the beautiful fruit to assimilate. Best from 2025 through 2042.

-Wine Spectator 96 Points

A small, inaugural release from Caymus Vineyards, this wine is a California-appellation Cabernet Sauvignon – supple, dark and rich, bearing the signature hallmarks of Caymus. It is sourced from sites throughout the state which feature climatic conditions, soils and topography that are ideally suited to Cabernet. This project stems from excitement over California’s diverse vineyard land, often in lesser-known areas, with the potential to produce exceptional Cabernet. You can watch a video and learn more by scanning the QR code on the back label of this wine.

Cazaux Gigondas Tour Sarrasine is made from 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre. 45 year old vines on average.

Intense, persistent red and dark fruit aromas. Raspberry,  pepper and spice flavors. Silky tannins.
Enjoy with game meat or strong cheeses.

Review:

"Bright violet color. The fragrant and incisive nose displays vibrant red fruit, floral and spice qualities. Shows very good energy and detail on the palate, offering nervy bitter cherry and redcurrant flavors and a hint of garrigue. Closes long and spicy, with resonating fruit and floral notes. - Josh Raynolds - Josh Raynolds"

- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (January 2023), 92-94 pts

Chateau de Saint Cosme Gigondas Le Claux is made from 95% Grenache, 5% Syrah.

Château de Saint Cosme is the leading estate of Gigondas and produces the benchmark wines of the appellation. The property has been in the hands of the Barruol family since 1490. Louis Barruol took over from his father in 1992 making a dramatic shift to quality and converting to biodynamics in 2010.

Château de Saint Cosme Gigondas Le Claux is the estate’s oldest vineyard and sits near the entrance to the winery. “It was first planted in 1870 following phylloxera. My uncles thought it wasn’t producing enough fruit and planned to uproot it in 1914,” says Louis Barruol, but “World War I interrupted that plan.”

The 1.8-hectare Le Claux—meaning “Clos” in old French—is a field blend of predominately Grenache. Louis Barruol believes 10% of the vineyard is from the original 1870 planting. Vines are replaced by massal selection and the average vine age is 60-years. The wine is made with whole cluster fermentation from indigenous yeasts, is aged in 20% new 228-liter barrels, and bottled without fining or filtration.

Tasting Notes

Brilliant violet color. Displays pungent, mineral- and spice-accented cherry, black raspberry, potpourri and licorice aromas, along with hints of savory herbs, vanillo and incense. Chewy and tightly focused on the palate, offering bitter cherry, dark berry and Moroccan spice flavors that unfurl slowly through the back half. It closes with firm tension, chewy tannins and excellent tenacity, leaving resonating cherry and floral notes behind. All barriques, a third of them new.

-Vinous 95-97 Points

Clos Saint-Jean is a 41-hectare estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape run by brothers Vincent and Pascal Maurel. Considered by many critics and wine-writers as the preeminent estate espousing the modern style of winemaking in Châteauneuf, this cellar is one of the oldest in the region, having been founded in 1900 by the greatgreat-grandfather of Vincent and Pascal, Edmund Tacussel. A short time after its founding and well before the AOP of Chateauneuf-du-Pape was created in 1923, Edmund began bottling estate wines in 1910.

The farming at Clos Saint-Jean is fully sustainable due to the warm and dry climate, which prevents the need for chemical inputs. Instead, Vincent and Pascal employ organic methods for pest control, mainly pheromones, to prevent pests from taking up residence in their vines, a process called amusingly enough in French, confusion sexuelle. The vines tended manually, and harvest is conducted in several passes entirely by hand.

Combe des Fous literally means, the hill of the fool. The hill, in this case, is located in the far southern reach of Le Crau which was left barren for many centuries because the layer of galets was so exceedingly deep that everyone assumed vines could never survive there. The fool in this situation is Edmund Tacussel, the great-great-grandfather of Vincent and Pascal Maruel who planted a Grenache vineyard on this site in 1905. That old-vine Grenache form the heart of this cuvée with a small amount of Syrah, Cinsault and Vaccarèse. La Combe des Fous is only made in the best vintages.

Review:

Pumps out heady raspberry, mulberry and blackberry compote notes that keep form and direction, thanks to a roasted apple wood spine and flanking ganache, garrigue and warm earth notes. Seriously grippy finish. Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Vaccarèse.

-Wine Spectator 96 Points

The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Combe Des Fous is a normal blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and the rest Vaccarèse and Cinsault. Beautiful, full-bodied aromas and flavors of ripe black raspberries, violets, ground pepper, lavender, and herbes de Provence all emerge from this gorgeous barrel sample, and it shows the pure, fresh, yet still concentrated style of the vintage brilliantly.

-Jeb Dunnuck 94-97 Points

Color: intense ruby red. 

Bouquet:violet flowers, black cherry and wild black fruits.
Taste: warm, dry and with good balance.

Coming from a parcel with 8-13 year old vines planted in sandy clay and marl soils.
Harvest is 100% destemmed with a soft pressing, fermentation in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature of 28-30°C, pumping over for the first week of maceration followed by skin-contact maceration for 20-25 days with rack and return technique (delestage).
Malolactic fermentation completed.
Wine is slightly filtered before bottling.

Pairs with steak, pheasants and strong cheese.

Review:

"Dusted cranberries, racy plums and roasted spices follow through to a medium-bodied palate with firm, nicely chewy tannins and a juicy finish. A savory and elegant Rosso. Well made. Drink in the next 3-4 years."

- James Suckling (July 2022), 91 pts

Convento Oreja Ribera del Duero Roble is made from 100% Tempranillo

Deep black plum color with violet tones. Ripe fruit on the nose, mostly blackberries and raspberries, intermingled with hints of spice and leather. On the palate, it is warm, fresh and pleasant with a long finish.

Age of the vines: betwxeen 6 and 16 years old.

Vineyards' location: Comarca de Peñafiel.

Vinification is made in large 20,000-liter stainless steel tanks (200 hectoliters) with automated temperature control.
Fermentation lasted 5 days at 22°C temperature.
Total time for maceration lasted 9 days. 
Malolactic Fermentación was completed during the month of November.
Wine was aged in French Oak barrels for a minimum of 4 months.

Review:

"Thoroughly Ribera del Duero in its power and austerity, this wine’s floral rose scents shade into blackness, lasting cleanly within a structure that’s both open and intense. There’s a hint of greenness from its time in American and French oak barrels, an edge that will tame grilled meats."

- Wine & Spirits (June 2022), 91 pts

Corne Loup Cotes du Rhone Rouge is made from 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre.

Color: dark red ruby.
Aromas: red berries, truffles and spices.
Flavors: complex and rich. It shows red and black fruits, with an herbal spice type of aromas coming from the surrounding vegetation (Garrigue).

The average age of the vines is 40 years. (The oldest vines are 80 years old). Yield: 40 hl/ha The soil is mainly sandy marl and small pebble stones.

Lamb, duck, turkey, red meat, game and cheese.

Corne Loup Lirac Rouge is made from 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre

Dry - less than 4 grams/liter

Color: dark red ruby.
Aromas: red berries, truffles and spices.
Flavors: complex and rich. It shows red and black fruits, with an herbal spice type of aromas coming from the surrounding vegetation (Garrigue).

The average age of the vines is 40 years. (The oldest vines are 80 years old).

The soil is mainly sandy marl and small pebble stones.

Pairs with lamb, duck, turkey, red meat, game and cheese.

MAGNUMS

Corne Loup Lirac Rouge is made from 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre

Dry - less than 4 grams/liter

Color: dark red ruby.
Aromas: red berries, truffles and spices.
Flavors: complex and rich. It shows red and black fruits, with an herbal spice type of aromas coming from the surrounding vegetation (Garrigue).

The average age of the vines is 40 years. (The oldest vines are 80 years old).

The soil is mainly sandy marl and small pebble stones.

Pairs with lamb, duck, turkey, red meat, game and cheese.

Corne Loup Lirac Rouge Cuvee du Gouverneur is made from 50% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre and 10% Syrah.

The name of the Cuvee comes from Geraldine's ancestor (7th generation), who was mayor of Tavel in the 1800's and was nicknamed the "governor" (Le Gouverneur in French). 

This is a very small cuvée, all aged in oak barrels that makes a sexy, international style of Lirac, with tons of spice and fruit. 

Early to bud and early to ripen, the 2014 vintage was our third drought year in a row. Dry, even temperatures marched the grapes along at a steady clip all year and created a wine with beautifully integrated fruit, acidity, and tannin.
Dense and dark magenta in color, this is a lithe and energetic vintage with lifted aromatics and a purity of fruit that lights up the medium-bodied tannin structure. The nose promises fresh black fruits, cherries and a touch of graphite, and the palate completely delivers. Juicy blackberry, plum, and bright cherry explode in the mouth, and develop into savory notes of baked black fruit and fresh pencil shavings on the mid-palate. 
Eagle Summit Vineyard’s signature eucalyptus appears on the back palate to brighten the fruit, showing fragrant peppermint and warm, toasty spices through the finish. Whether you open it young or wait a few decades, this vintage does Howell Mountain proud--sophisticated and smart, with a rustic wild side.

Cresta Velia Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Aged in 100% French oak (86% new)

• 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Eagle Summit Vineyard on Howell Mountain
• Equal amounts of clone 4 and clone 7
• unfined and unfiltered

Review:

"The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% Cabernet aged 20 months in 86% new French oak, with the typical suspects in terms of cooperage – Darnajou, Taransaud, and Remond. This opaque purple-colored wine has plenty of mulberry and blackcurrant fruit along with hints of blackberries, camphor and incense. The are some notes of unsmoked cigar and licorice as well. Ripe, medium to full-bodied and luscious, it is a classic to drink over the next 15 or more years. - RP"

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #228, December 2016), 90 pts