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Chateau Talbot Saint-Julien Grand Cru Classe 2018

Chateau Talbot Saint-Julien Grand Cru Classe is made from 69 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 26 % Merlot, 5 % Petit Verdot.

The wine presents a delicate and captivating nose of black fruits, fresh tobacco, peppermint and floral nuances. Ripe and juicy fruit flavors of black currants on the palate with well integrated velvety tannins and a beautiful refreshing acidity to the long finish.

For the 2018 vintage, a special packaging with a unique silkscreen printing bottle was created to mark the 100th anniversary of the Cordier Family's acquisition of Chateau Talbot

Pair with red meat, roast pork, game meat, poultry, hard cheeses, poached pear.


Review:

"Rich aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry, chocolate, tobacco and licorice. Oyster shell, too. It’s full-bodied with firm, well integrated tannins. Polished, silky layers with a long finish. Gorgeous ripe and bright fruit in the center palate. Best in a long time. Try from 2025."

- James Suckling (January 2021), 96 pts


 96 Points
Chavy-Chouet Bourgogne Rouge La Taupe 2022

Chavy-Chouet Bourgogne Rouge La Taupe is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.


Chavy-Chouet's Pinot Noir is classified as humble Bourgogne Rouge, but the fruit for it comes from an excellent single-vineyard site near Pommard. La Taupe's parcel was once part of the Pommard AOC.

The wine is juicy with a great mouthfeel. It has classic Bourgogne Rouge aromas, with a candied cherry character as well as strawberry, raspberry and spice, yet the structure and length of finish reminds one of a Pommard - ripe & rich with a bigger body.

Average age of the vines: 70 years old.

Density of planting: 10,000 vines per hectare.
Soil: clay

100% distemmed. 
Very little intervention. Less pigeage (punch down of the cap) but some remontage (pump-over)

Corne Loup Lirac Rouge 2020

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 2021

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 2022 (magnum)

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 2019

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. 


Crabitey Graves Rouge 2019

Crabitey Graves Rouge is made from 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot.

Château Crabitey Graves Rouge presents a dark cherry color with nice ruby glints. The nose is fresh, revealing a wide range of red fruits flavors, along with a mellow and elegant oak presence. The mouth is powerful and round, supported by smooth and subtle tannins. The wine reveals a good length on the palate, with fruity and slightly oaky notes.

Pairs well is grilled lamb, beef stroganoff and hard cheeses.

Review:

"The 2019 Crabitey is impressive, just as it was en primeur. Bright redtoned fruit, white chocolate, flowers, gravel and mint give the 2019 quite a bit of freshness and energy that builds over time. This mid-weight, wonderfully expressive Graves is a winner.- Antonio Galloni"

- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (January 2022) 91 pts



 Vinous Antonio Galloni: 91
Delas Freres Cote Rotie La Landonne Rouge 2016

Delas Freres Cote Rotie La Landonne Rouge is made from 100 percent Syrah.

This very ancient region dates back to the Roman Era and is located on the right bank of the Rhône. It is said that during the Middle Ages, “The Seigneur de Maugiron” gave a hillside to each of his two daughters - one was brunette and the other fair - thus, were born the names of “Côte Brune” and “Côte Blonde.” Wines from the Côte Blonde tend to be more delicate and lighter in character than the fuller wines of the Côte Brune. Together, they make a wine of style and substance. This cuvée is a vineyard plot selection. The grapes come exclusively from a plot within the named slope of “La Landonne.”

This cuvée‘s first vintage was 1997. The wine is only made in the very best years. Its highly limited production never exceeds 2,500 bottles per year.


The steep, terraced hillsides along the river produce wines that are among the "biggest" reds of France. The Delas Côte-Rôtie is primarily Syrah with an addition of up to 10 to 20% of Viognier grapes in the crop. The soils of the northern part of the Côte Brune vineyard consists of extremely steep, terraced slopes of ferruginous mica schists which are covered with schist sand (arzel). The Côte Blonde has a varied geology with gneiss and granite predominating at the most southern side of the appellation. The area has dry, hot summers with regular rainfalls during other seasons. The grapes for the “La Landonne” cuvée are picked by hand at maximum maturity. Fermentation takes place in traditional open-topped concrete tanks, following three days of pre-fermentation cold maceration. Before fermentation, the maceration process continues under controlled temperatures of 82°F to 86°F. Daily cap pushing down and pumping over are carried out for about 10 days with total vatting time of up to 20 days. The wine is aged for 14 to 16 months in new or one year old oak casks. The barrels are topped up regularly.
Food Pairing: This wine pairs wonderfully with fine meats, roasted beef, water games, truffles and spicy stews. The bottle should be opened 1 to 3 hours before drinking. This wine needs at least 3 years cellaring before it can open up its complexity. In such case it is strongly recommended to decant before serving.

Tasting Notes: The wine‘s deep color is underscored by plummy hues. A complex nose shows deep, fruity aromas with hints of licorice and roasted coffee. Endowed with a dense and silky tannic structure, this is a full, fleshy wine that provides an ample and generous palate. Its lasting finish speaks of considerable ageing potential.


Reviews:

Deep in color, the espresso, licorice, smoke and flint, paired with layers of juicy, ripe fresh, red fruits show up with ease. On the palate, the wine offers richness, density, purity of fruit, herbs, crushed stones and a wall of ripe, lushly textured, dark red berries. This will age quite nicely.T

-Wine Cellar Insider 97 Points

Sun-baked garrigue and smoky notes of iron and earth accent intensely ripe black cherry and cassis in this wine. Made from 100% Syrah, it's a hulking powerhouse of black-fruit flavors but finessed by firm acidity and fine, integrated tannins. Stunning already it should improve through 2036 and hold further 

-Wine Enthusiast 97 Points


Bright purple. Powerful cherry, cassis, potpourri, exotic spice and olive qualities on the highly perfumed, complex nose. Sweet and energetic on the palate, offering impressively concentrated black and blue fruit preserve, floral pastille and spicecake flavors that unfold steadily with aeration. In a powerful but energetic style and quite primary now. Aeration brings up smoky bacon and floral pastille qualities that carry through the strikingly long, youthfully tannic finish, which leaves behind sweet dark and floral notes.

-Vinous 95 Points

Alluring, with warm fruitcake and black tea aromatics leading off for a lush and warm core of crushed plum, cherry reduction and blackberry pâte de fruit flavors. Despite the showy fruit detail, there's a solid iron underpinning, with pretty floral notes and bright energy throughout. Best from 2023 through 2038. 300 cases made, 188 cases imported. 

 -Wine Spectator 96 Points

Overview

This very ancient region dates back to the Roman Era and is located on the right bank of the Rhône. It is said that during the Middle Ages, “The Seigneur de Maugiron” gave a hillside to each of his two daughters - one was brunette and the other fair - thus, were born the names of “Côte Brune” and “Côte Blonde.” Wines from the Côte Blonde tend to be more delicate and lighter in character than the fuller wines of the Côte Brune. Together, they make a wine of style and substance. This cuvée is a vineyard plot selection. The grapes come exclusively from a plot within the named slope of “La Landonne.”

This cuvée‘s first vintage was 1997. The wine is only made in the very best years. Its highly limited production never exceeds 2,500 bottles per year.


Winemaking

The steep, terraced hillsides along the river produce wines that are among the "biggest" reds of France. The Delas Côte-Rôtie is primarily Syrah with an addition of up to 10 to 20% of Viognier grapes in the crop. The soils of the northern part of the Côte Brune vineyard consists of extremely steep, terraced slopes of ferruginous mica schists which are covered with schist sand (arzel). The Côte Blonde has a varied geology with gneiss and granite predominating at the most southern side of the appellation. The area has dry, hot summers with regular rainfalls during other seasons. The grapes for the “La Landonne” cuvée are picked by hand at maximum maturity. Fermentation takes place in traditional open-topped concrete tanks, following three days of pre-fermentation cold maceration. Before fermentation, the maceration process continues under controlled temperatures of 82°F to 86°F. Daily cap pushing down and pumping over are carried out for about 10 days with total vatting time of up to 20 days. The wine is aged for 14 to 16 months in new or one year old oak casks. The barrels are topped up regularly.


Tasting Notes

The wine‘s deep color is underscored by plummy hues. A complex nose shows deep, fruity aromas with hints of licorice and roasted coffee. Endowed with a dense and silky tannic structure, this is a full, fleshy wine that provides an ample and generous palate. Its lasting finish speaks of considerable ageing potential.


Food Pairing

This wine pairs wonderfully with fine meats, roasted beef, water games, truffles and spicy stews. The bottle should be opened 1 to 3 hours before drinking. This wine needs at least 3 years cellaring before it can open up its complexity. In such case it is strongly recommended to decant before serving.

 Vinous Antonio Galloni: 95 Wine Enthusiast: 97 Wine Spectator: 96 97 Points
Delas Freres Cote Rotie La Landonne Rouge 2019

Delas Freres Cote Rotie La Landonne Rouge is made from 100 percent Syrah.

This very ancient region dates back to the Roman Era and is located on the right bank of the Rhône. It is said that during the Middle Ages, “The Seigneur de Maugiron” gave a hillside to each of his two daughters - one was brunette and the other fair - thus, were born the names of “Côte Brune” and “Côte Blonde.” Wines from the Côte Blonde tend to be more delicate and lighter in character than the fuller wines of the Côte Brune. Together, they make a wine of style and substance. This cuvée is a vineyard plot selection. The grapes come exclusively from a plot within the named slope of “La Landonne.”

This cuvée‘s first vintage was 1997. The wine is only made in the very best years. Its highly limited production never exceeds 2,500 bottles per year.


The steep, terraced hillsides along the river produce wines that are among the "biggest" reds of France. The Delas Côte-Rôtie is primarily Syrah with an addition of up to 10 to 20% of Viognier grapes in the crop. The soils of the northern part of the Côte Brune vineyard consists of extremely steep, terraced slopes of ferruginous mica schists which are covered with schist sand (arzel). The Côte Blonde has a varied geology with gneiss and granite predominating at the most southern side of the appellation. The area has dry, hot summers with regular rainfalls during other seasons. The grapes for the “La Landonne” cuvée are picked by hand at maximum maturity. Fermentation takes place in traditional open-topped concrete tanks, following three days of pre-fermentation cold maceration. Before fermentation, the maceration process continues under controlled temperatures of 82°F to 86°F. Daily cap pushing down and pumping over are carried out for about 10 days with total vatting time of up to 20 days. The wine is aged for 14 to 16 months in new or one year old oak casks. The barrels are topped up regularly.
Food Pairing: This wine pairs wonderfully with fine meats, roasted beef, water games, truffles and spicy stews. The bottle should be opened 1 to 3 hours before drinking. This wine needs at least 3 years cellaring before it can open up its complexity. In such case it is strongly recommended to decant before serving.

Tasting Notes: The wine‘s deep color is underscored by plummy hues. A complex nose shows deep, fruity aromas with hints of licorice and roasted coffee. Endowed with a dense and silky tannic structure, this is a full, fleshy wine that provides an ample and generous palate. Its lasting finish speaks of considerable ageing potential.


Reviews:

This is dark and still a bit reticent, with a cast iron cloak around the core of dark currant, plum and blackberry paste flavors, showing lots of sweet bay leaf, anise and singed apple wood notes in the background. There's serious grip through the finish. For the cellar.

-Wine Spectator 96 Points

Very open, spicy and fresh on the nose, you could almost open this now. Struck flint notes assist in teasing out notes of leaf tea, tobacco, rosemary and rose. Very full-bodied, generous but powerful on the palate, tense and mineral. Mouthcoating ripe, sweet tannin and robust amounts of sweet baking spices, along with more tobacco and black fruit on the palate. Has depth, length, power and impressive balance despite the high alcohol. Drink from now into 2022, or from 2031 to 2040. Lieu-dit La Landonne, from the Brune side (mica schist bedrock). Matured in new and one-year-old barrels for 14 months.

-Decanter 96 Points

The 2019 Côte Rôtie La Landonne comes from one of the greatest sites for Syrah in the world, the La Landonne lieu-dit located close to the center of the appellation, on the Côte Brune side. It reveals a deeper purple hue (it's slightly more opaque than the Seigneur de Maugiron) and offers a brilliant nose of ripe cassis, black raspberries, scorched earth, smoked herbs, and seared meat. Full-bodied and powerful on the palate, this is a deep, spicy, concentrated Côte Rôtie with a plush, layered mouthfeel, sweet tannins, beautiful balance, and a great, great finish. This puppy brings the fruit, opulence, and texture of the vintage yet still has a classic Côte Rôtie character.
-Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points

Fresh aromatic layers of mint sit atop crushed red cherries and wild strawberries, with light clove and thyme on the nose. The palate is rich and enticing with black cherries, plums, rhubarb, pomegranate seeds, black olives and freshly picked rosemary leaves. Tremendous texture, structure, and refreshing acidity carry this wine to a robust finish of orange zest and black tea leaves. Maisons Marques & Domaines USA.

- Wine Enthusiast 96 Points

Overview

This very ancient region dates back to the Roman Era and is located on the right bank of the Rhône. It is said that during the Middle Ages, “The Seigneur de Maugiron” gave a hillside to each of his two daughters - one was brunette and the other fair - thus, were born the names of “Côte Brune” and “Côte Blonde.” Wines from the Côte Blonde tend to be more delicate and lighter in character than the fuller wines of the Côte Brune. Together, they make a wine of style and substance. This cuvée is a vineyard plot selection. The grapes come exclusively from a plot within the named slope of “La Landonne.”

This cuvée‘s first vintage was 1997. The wine is only made in the very best years. Its highly limited production never exceeds 2,500 bottles per year.


Winemaking

The steep, terraced hillsides along the river produce wines that are among the "biggest" reds of France. The Delas Côte-Rôtie is primarily Syrah with an addition of up to 10 to 20% of Viognier grapes in the crop. The soils of the northern part of the Côte Brune vineyard consists of extremely steep, terraced slopes of ferruginous mica schists which are covered with schist sand (arzel). The Côte Blonde has a varied geology with gneiss and granite predominating at the most southern side of the appellation. The area has dry, hot summers with regular rainfalls during other seasons. The grapes for the “La Landonne” cuvée are picked by hand at maximum maturity. Fermentation takes place in traditional open-topped concrete tanks, following three days of pre-fermentation cold maceration. Before fermentation, the maceration process continues under controlled temperatures of 82°F to 86°F. Daily cap pushing down and pumping over are carried out for about 10 days with total vatting time of up to 20 days. The wine is aged for 14 to 16 months in new or one year old oak casks. The barrels are topped up regularly.

Tasting Notes

The wine‘s deep color is underscored by plummy hues. A complex nose shows deep, fruity aromas with hints of licorice and roasted coffee. Endowed with a dense and silky tannic structure, this is a full, fleshy wine that provides an ample and generous palate. Its lasting finish speaks of considerable ageing potential.

Food Pairing

This wine pairs wonderfully with fine meats, roasted beef, water games, truffles and spicy stews. The bottle should be opened 1 to 3 hours before drinking. This wine needs at least 3 years cellaring before it can open up its complexity. In such case it is strongly recommended to decant before serving.

 Wine Enthusiast: 96 Wine Spectator: 96 96 Points
Domaine du Colombier Hermitage Rouge 2017

Domaine du Colombier Hermitage Rouge is made from 100 percent Syrah. 

Perfect with beef ribs, grilled meats and cheese.

Manually harvested with destemmed grapes and fermented for about 2 to 3 weeks in temperature controlled vats, with an ageing period of 12 months, 65% in oak barrels and 35% in concrete tanks.


Review:

Brought up in 30% new demi-muids, with the balance in used barrels, the 2017 Hermitage is beautifully pure and layered, with smoking good notes of crème de cassis, white flowers, crushed rocks, and violets. Deep, full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, it has plenty of tannins and is going to need 5-7 years of bottle age. This is a sensational Hermitage from Colombier that will drink well for 25+ years.

These wines are made by the talented Florent Viale and shine for their purity as well as character. While the winemaking here is traditional, with the wines destemmed and brought up mostly in used demi-muids, the purity of fruit can give the impression that wines are more modern styled than they are. They will all benefit from short-term cellaring.

-Jeb Dunnuck 96+ Points

 96 Points
Florence Cholet Auxey-Duresses Rouge 2020

Florence Cholet Auxey-Duresses Rouge is made from 100 Pinot Noir 60 year old vines.

Auxey-Duresses exhibits intense and juicy aromas of cherries, raspberries, and spices. This is a charming wine that has harmonious and delicate tannins, and a fine texture in the mouth. Medium-bodied, elegant and complex with great concentration and structure.

Florence Cholet Auxey-Duresses Rouge Premier Cru Les Ecussaux 2021

Florence Cholet Auxey-Duresses Rouge Premier Cru Les Ecussaux is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir. 

The nose expresses a nice bouquet of black fruits, cherry and violet. The mouth provides a rich and supple wine with a good tannin structure.

Force Majeure Epinette 2018

Force Majeure Epinette  is made from  79% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot .

Epinette is Force Majeure's Right-bank Bordeaux-inspired blend, and was named after an avenue in Libourne (France) that leads to Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, the home of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Epinette is also the name of a musical instrument akin to a piano, as well as a word for pine tree, which is a fitting nod to their home in Washington state.


The wine itself is a blend of primarily Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, proportions of which change depending on the vintage. The Merlot and Cabernet Franc are grown in lower areas of the vineyard with deep, well-drained soils, much less rocky than the soils of our Rhone varietals.


Review:

The 2018 Epinette is the Merlot-dominated release from this team, and it's 79% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot, all from the estate vineyard on Red Mountain. Lots of smoky black cherry and darker currant fruits as well as notes of chocolate, graphite, lead pencil, and chalky minerality emerge from the glass, and this full-bodied beauty is beautifully textured, with a stacked mid-palate, velvety tannins, and a blockbuster finish. It's up with the finest Merlots in the New World and will drink brilliantly for at least a decade, if not longer.

Previously known as Grand Reve, Force Majeure has skyrocketed to the top of the pyramid in Washington State, in no small part due to their talented winemaker, Todd Alexander, who moved from Bryant Family in Napa to Washington State to focus on this estate. While the focus is on their Red Mountain Vineyard, they make a bevy of world-class wines from throughout the Columbia Valley. Anyone doubting the quality coming from Washington State these days owes it to themselves to try these wines.

-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points



 97 Points
Fullerton Three Otters Rose 2018

Fullerton Three Otters Rose is made from 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Gris (7-50 years old)

This Willamee Valley blend hails mainly from three different vineyards in the north, east, and south of the Willamee Valley, with a smaering from five of our other sites. The soils of the vineyards represent the breadth and diversity of the Willamee Valley with both sedimentary- and volcanic-based soils.
A nose of fresh strawberries, watermelon rind, and lemon blossom with the palate echoing these flavors along with green apple and lemon. Cool climate vibrancy melds with lovely texture. Great tension and energy.

Acid: TA 5.6 g/L
pH: 3.45
Aging: 100% stainless steel
Bottled Unfined


Clones: Pommard, Wadensville, Dijon 113, 114, 115, 667, and 777


The story of Fullerton’s rosé originates from the 2012 harvest. Winemaker Alex Fullerton and his father and proprietor Eric Fullerton couldn’t decide on a house style for rosé, so they held a friendly competition. They each made a rosé to see whose would win over a crowd. Though the wines were destined to be boled separately, Alex got curious and tried blending the two. Voila! The sum was better than the parts, and a tradition was born. Alex now makes one rosé that is whole cluster pressed and tank fermented, yielding a very crisp and light colored wine, while Eric crafts his rosé from a more robust extraction, which yields a darker and fuller-bodied wine. The two lots are then blended to taste, delivering a crisp, fresh rosé with wonderful structure. The juice spent three weeks on the gross lees prior to fermentation to extract aroma precursers, and then six months on lees post-fermentation.

Pairs with soft cheeses, chicken/turkey.


G.D. Vajra Barolo Ravera 2018

G.D. Vajra Barolo Ravera is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo. 

The Barolo Ravera shows a striking balance of all tones. Red and dark fruits on the nose are interlaced with mineral hints and the iron tones which are such a signature of Ravera. The wine has brilliant drinkability, with a layered, ample mid palate and a racy finish. 

Review:

Seamlessly stitched together, the G.D. Vajra 2018 Barolo Ravera reveals tight layering and smooth texture. Fruit comes from an amphitheater of vines with Tortoniana epoch sandstone clay that is typical of parts of Barolo and Novello. What stands out here is the mineral character of the wine. It frames a dark core of plum, dark cherry and soft spice.

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 94 Points




 Wine Advocate: 94
G.D. Vajra Bricco Delle Viole Barolo 2018

G.D. Vajra Bricco Delle Viole Barolo is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo. 

The Barolo Bricco delle Viole shows the signature verticality of its vineyard. The wine is beautifully layered and - while restrained as it’s always the case in the youth of Bricco delle Viole - it also shows a complexity of layers with purple flowers, sweet spices and mineral tones. The palate is noble, with a refined acid spine and profound tannins that promise a long aging potential.

Among the historical vineyards of Barolo, Bricco delle Viole is the highest and the closest to the Alps. It rises from 400 to 480 meters above sea level, on the Western ridge of the village. Its name, “Hill of Violets”, originates from the flowers that blossom early here due to the perfect south exposure. Up above the fogs, Bricco delle Viole enjoys the earliest sunrise and the last sunset every day. Thanks to its vines dating back to 1949 and -now- 1931, a dramatic diuturnal temperature range and this pure light, Bricco delle Viole generates a sophisticated and profound Barolo DOCG of bright aromatics, chiseled tannins and subtle minerality. 2018 is a vintage that shows many nuances of Bricco delle Viole: beyond the signature verticality of this site, the wine offers high tones laced with mineral nuances and plenty of energy and youth.

 Review:

The 2018 Barolo Bricco delle Viole is not super intense, but it is balanced in its own way. The wine is subdued but complete with softly yielding tannins to support an elegantly streamlined mouthfeel. Bricco delle Viole is a high and cool growing site in Barolo at 400 to 480 meters in elevation with characteristic Sant'Agata marl soils with fossils. The wine represents a selection of fruit from over seven hectares. With fermentation in steel tank and aging in large Slavonian oak, you are invited to a silky, lifted and beautifully delicate experience with an accessible personality.

-Wine Advocate 95 Points


Heady aromas of violet, camphor, leather and tobacco lead the way on this fragrant red. On the palate, tightly knit, fine-grained tannins accompany ripe Marasca cherry, crushed raspberry and licorice. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced. Drink 2025–2035.
Cellar Selection
-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points
 

An elegant version, this red features rose, black currant, cherry, mineral and a hint of eucalyptus aromas and flavors. Linear in profile, this is solidly built on a graceful frame, with finely woven tannins and vibrant acidity.

- Wine Spectator 95 Points

 Wine Advocate: 95 Wine Enthusiast: 95 Wine Spectator: 95
G.D. Vajra Freisa 'Kye' Langhe Rosso 2018

G.D. Vajra Freisa 'Kye' Langhe Rosso  is made from 100% Freisa.


DESCRIPTION: In 2004, Freisa was discovered to be the closest relative to Nebbiolo, thus explaining the deep bond this variety has with Piemonte and its people. With a noble profile and similar characteristics to the Nebbiolo, we have been bottling a dry Langhe DOC Freisa ever since 1989. Kyé means ‘who is?’ and represents the surprise for this indigenous and forgotten grape.

VINEYARD AND TERROIR: Estate vineyards, the oldest located in San Ponzio, on the lower west border of Bricco delle Viole. This is the closest vineyard to the winery, and a selezione massale planted by Aldo in 1980.

GROWING: In 1971, Aldo Vaira was one of the earliest adopters of organic farming in Piemonte. Vineyards have been nurtured and soil preserved by grassing and cover crop for almost 50 years now. With an incredible ratio of manual work per hectare, farming at Vajra is a labor of love and “recipe-free” attention. Intense research is also placed into monitoring and improving the biodiversity of both flora and fauna not just in the vineyards, but also in the winery fields and forests. The winery is sustainably certified (UNI EN 11233:2009) and will be again fully organic certified since 2019.

Langhe DOC Freisa Kyè displays a beautiful, translucent garnet color. The aromatics are a combination of redcurrant and wild mountain berries, layered with a touch of sweet spices, fresh leather, and candied japonica prune. The mouth is juicy, succulent, with lots -yet never hefty- tannins. There is a beautiful structure in this vintage and a lovely, lovely finish.


Review:

‘The 2018 Langhe Freisa Kyé is quite refined in this vintage and yet it also shows all of the aromatic nuance and complexity that are such signatures of this variety and wine. Dried herbs, rose petal, lavender, mint and spice lend exotic nuance to this deep, beautifully layered Freisa. The Kyé is one of the sleepers of Piedmont's 2018 vintage. It is, quite frankly, ‘as good or better than some Barolos in this tricky vintage. ~- Antonio Galloni

-Vinous 93 Points

 Vinous Antonio Galloni: 93
Gaja Barolo Sperss 2018

Gaja Sperss is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo.

Vibrant and intense notes of herbs and spices such as thyme, cloves and black pepper. On the palate the wine is tense, loaded with energy that will need serious ageing to fully develop although extremely approachable in its youth. Impressive fruit concentration, with dark and ripe fruits – prunes and black cherries. Acidity and tannins lift this wine to its freshest expression.

Nebbiolo based wines have not only complexity and structure but also great elegance and finesse. The distinctive silky tannins of the Nebbiolo make it the right wine to drink with meat. Usually a young vintage goes very well with richer dishes because of the stronger tannins; mature Barolos are more suitable with delicate white meat courses or braised meat courses with sauces or concentrated red wines reductions.

Review:

The 2018 Barolo Sperss is a gorgeous, gorgeous wine. The aromatics alone are beguiling. Then again, that's one of the things that makes Barolo such a totally seductive wine. Sweet black cherry, lavender, spice and leather give this unusually translucent Barolo striking layers of dimension. Potent Serralunga tannins are present, but they are beautifully woven into the wine's fabric. Sadly, production is around 11,000 bottles, down sharply from the 18,000 or so that is more typical.
- -- Antonio Galloni 97 Points

 Vinous Antonio Galloni: 97
Gaja Ca'Marcanda Camarcanda Bolgheri Rosso 2018

Gaja Ca'Marcanda 'Camarcanda' Bolgheri is made from 70% Cabernet Sauvignon & 30% Cabernet Franc .

Color : Deep garnet.Aroma : Initial aromas evoke violet, cassis, dark licorice and a spicy note of black pepper, leading to undertones of aromatic herbs, incense, dried rose petals, clove and cedar.Taste : Sleek and intense on entry with elegant herbal, light black pepper and cassis flavors on the mid palate.

Review:


After Bolgheri’s torrid and parched 2017 growing season, more moder-ate conditions in 2018 brought the vines and their wines shimmering to life. All of the wines at Ca’Marcanda fermented spontaneously in 2018, which Gaia Gaja attributes to the balance in the musts. This wine, a blend of cabernets sauvignon and franc, is taut and energetic, its flavors of crunchy plum and blackberry laced with notes of licorice, tobacco and graphite.

-Wine & Spirits 96 Points

The Ca' Marcanda estate does not make a Bolgheri Superiore, although this bottle would qualify as such. The 2018 Bolgheri Rosso Camarcanda is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, and you definitely feel those full-throttle varietal aromas with big intensity and clarity. Spicy greenness comes forward as grilled rosemary and lavender essence, but the wine boasts nice depth and dimension, and enough textual richness to smooth it all out. This was a slightly cooler vintage with some sporadic rain showers throughout the summer. These conditions might explain the sharper side of those Cabernet aromas. As the wine moves over the palate, it reveals more substantial aromas of black fruit, spice and baker's chocolate. This vintage is slightly thinner than the hot 2017 expression before it and the classic 2016. However, this wine should certainly play forward positively in terms of its aging potential.

-Wine Advocate 95 Points

Dense and fluid at once, this red delivers plum, black cherry, licorice, olive, bay leaf and spice flavors. Ripe and balanced, with a lingering, spicy, tobacco-tinged aftertaste. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2033. 1,500 cases made, 225 cases imported. — BS

-Wine Spectator 95 Points

 Wine Advocate: 95 Wine Spectator: 95 96 Points
Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge Le Miocene 2021

Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge Le Miocene is made from 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre

An intense dark-ruby color. The nose develop aromas of ripe black fruit (such as blackberry), cherry and spice box. The palate reveals the presence of tannins, in high quantity and elegant. The finish is long and luxurious. This is the Châteauneuf du Pape expression, displaying all the characteristics of the terroir.

Soil type: Plots are located northern part of Châteauneuf du Pape and the vines are grown under organic process.The soil is marked by the violence wrought by the Rhone river. It consists of a layer of marine molasses of the Miocene period covered by alpine alluvium. The presence of a great number of rounded stones known as "galets" in the earth is evidence of the time when the Rhone, then a torrent, tore fragments of rock from the Alps and deposited them on the plain. The GRAND VENEUR cuvee will express year after year a great power and aromatic complexity.

 

Winemaking & ageing: Harvest is sorted by hand, destemmed and crushed. Fermentation temperature is controlled at 30°C. Vatting period of 18 to 20 days. Matured in vats and oak casks.

 Review:

"A rather elegant Chateauneuf with plenty of red fruits and some floral notes, plus a touch of tomato ketchup. Very good fruit, but also a solid base of tannins on the medium- to full-bodied palate. The crisp acidity is well-integrated at the long, moderately dry finish. A cuvee of 70% grenache, 20% syrah and 10% mourvedre. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold."

- James Suckling (April 2023), 91 pts


 91 Points
Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge Les Origines 2020 (magnums)

Grand Veneur Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge Les Origines is made from 50% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre and 20% Syrah

Matured in vats (grenache) and in oak casks (syrah and mourvèdre).

Deep and brilliant, purple-red colour. An exciting nose with aromas of black fruit (blackcurrant, cherry) spices and vanilla. This great aromatic complexity is found on the palate : the spices and ripe fruit appear with an elegant woodiness and harmonious tannins. The finish has good aromatic length and introduces a touch of liquorice and pepper.

A terrific Châteauneuf du Pape with great concentration and finesse.

Best between 2 and 20 years. Best to decant if young (less than 5 years old).

Soil type Extreme north of Châteauneuf du Pape. This plateau is made with a high quantity of red clay mixed with rocks. This area is considerated to be one of the best to produce rich and powerful red wines. By definition, LES ORIGINES will always deliver a great complexity and ageing potential. Winemaking & ageing Harvest is sorted by hand, destemmed and crushed. Fermentation temperature is controlled at 30°C. Vatting period of 18 to 20 days. Matured in vats (grenache) and in oak casks (syrah and mourvèdre).

Review:

"The huge nose of violet pastilles, mulberries, smoked bacon and a touch of hot asphalt pulls you into this expansive but beautifully balanced Chateauneuf that’s packed with fine, powdery tannin. So much bitter-chocolate character, but this exactly matches the deep fruit and, at the long crescendo finish, there are fascinating balsamic and hot dry-earth touches. Drinkable now, but best from 2025."

- James Suckling (March 2022), 94 pts






 94 Points
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