Black Stallion Napa Valley Limited Release Red. 

The winery takes its name from a major equestrian area that once occupied the grounds. Its calling card is Cabernet Sauvignon, made in a classic Napa Valley style that offers richness and finesse. While single-vineyard wines are occasionally bottled, most Black Stallion wines are made from small lots cherry-picked from the valley’s disparate winegrowing zones. These are then painstakingly blended to create luxurious, unforgettable wines that capture the depth and brilliance of Napa Valley’s diverse growing regions.

Review:

-Wine Enthusiast 90 Points

Cellar for up to 8 years. No need to decant before serving.

El Enemigo was founded by historian Adrianna Catena, who is also Nicolas Catena’s youngest daughter, and Catena Zapata’s chief winemaker Alejandro Vigil in 2009. These two legendary figures on the Argentine wine scene came together over a mutual love for literature and philosophy, and decided to create their own wine label that would offer a unique taste of Argentina’s exceptional terroir and its Old World winemaking heritage.

Today the brand is responsible for many of the most exciting wines coming out of Argentina, including this sensational single vineyard Bonarda. Bonarda is little-known in Europe these days, but it has a special place in Argentina where it’s considered the nation’s second red wine after Malbec. La Esperanza is a very special 150 year old vineyard that was about to be uprooted when it was discovered by Alejandro Vigil. Luckily he was able to save 5 hectares from which he makes a few hundred bottles of this wine each vintage.

Once in the winery this precious fruit is vinified with wild yeasts and the young wine ages in large foudres that are over 100 years old. The result is a remarkably elegant and vibrant red that’s bursting with luscious red cherries, plums and blackberries as well as hints of dark chocolate. A charming wine to serve with tomato-based dishes thanks to the refreshing acidity, smooth tannins, and bright fruit flavours.

Review:

Blackberry, red-plum and graphite on the nose, as well as herbal and smoky notes. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm tannins. Fleshy texture on the palate with structure and a ink-like feel. Savory finish. Hints of chocolate at the end. Try after 2023.

-James Suckling 94 Points

Buccella Mixed Blacks Amador County is made from 60% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 12% Petite Sirah, 2% Mourvedre and 1% Viognier.

For some time now, we have shared a love of Rhone Valley blends and their domestic counterparts. We wanted to experiment with some completely different varietals by putting our California twist on the beautiful interplay between the bright fruit and mineral characteristics of these blends while still maintaining the rich, fruit focused, layered lusciousness we enjoy. We are fortunate to be working with fruit from the exceptional Shake Ridge Vineyard in Amador County. It is a fantastically well-managed site with a diverse soil composition, producing a wine with an incredible flavor profile and depth.

Our Mixed Blacks is an exotic and constantly evolving wine crafted from unique varietals. The palate explodes with luscious flavors of bright boysenberry and blueberry cream followed by Chinese five spice, cinnamon and white pepper. Tantalizing notes of tangy pomegranate and zesty orange peel dance effortlessly on the nose with a beautiful floral essence of sweet lavender and a hint of rose petal. An uplifting presence of natural acidity and alluring minerality adds to the intrigue of this wine. The well-integrated sweet tannins give way to a long intoxicating finish.

Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc is made from 80% Roussanne, 10% Grenache Blanc and Clairette, 10% Piquepoul Blanc, Picardan and Bourboulenc

The story :
The production of white wine at Beaucastel is limited as we only have 7 hectares of white vines planted. The main variety is Roussanne, representing 80% of the blend.

The vintage :
The 2020 vintage in Southern Rhône was favoured by very good weather conditions, it is a generous vintage, both in terms of quality and quantity. Not as hot as in 2019, this year was very windy, throughout the growing cycle, with light rainfalls. After a fairly mild winter (one single episode of frost was noted during the night of March 24, but only the early ripening plots were very slightly affected). The spring was radiant, quite warm and very windy, which allowed the soils to preserve their freshness. Flowering began on May 18, under very healthy conditions. The good weather continued in June, July and August, with plenty heat but lower temperatures than in 2019, cool and humid nights and wind which continued to blow, preserving the freshness of the vines and maintaining perfect sanitary conditions for the grapes. The harvest, which was fairly early, therefore began under these very good conditions on August 26 with the white Côtes-du-Rhône and continued until the end of September with the Mourvèdre. September was warm at the beginning of the month and then more temperate, offering idyllic harvest conditions and allowed each plot to be harvested at perfect maturity. The harvest was very healthy with beautiful juicy and very ripe grapes, reasonable alcohol levels, good acidity and already a great balance. Yields are slightly higher than 2019 and the first tastings predict a very nice vintage.

Location :
Château de Beaucastel has 7 hectares of white varieties.

Terroir :
Molasse seabed of the Miocene period covered by diluvial alpine deposits (rolled pebbles).

Ageing :
Handpicked in small cases, sorting of the grapes, pneumatic pressing, settling of the juice, fermentation (30% in oak barrels, 70% in tanks) for 8 months. Bottling after 8 months.

Review:

Honeycomb oak on the nose, then quite a broad and generous palate. Sappy acidity, although not as high as some white Châteauneufs this year, and a long finish. This has a good sense of lightness, drinkability and balance. The oak is quite forthright for now, so give this some time to come together. 80% Roussanne, 10% Grenache and Clairette, plus 10% of Piquepoul Blanc, Picardan and Bourboulenc. Part of the blend was matured in two- and three-year-old barriques for a year.

-Decanter 96 Points

Coppo Pomorosso Barbera d'Asti Superiore Nizza 2017 is made from  100% Barbera.

Pomorosso can be considered Coppo’s landmark. It’s a cornerstone of Barbera’s history, a wine that played an important role for the international recognition of Coppo. 100% barbera, Pomorosso always respected the most strict rules of production, even way before they were written down for “Nizza docg”. The soil is marine sediment and rich in minerals, which gives the wine finesse, minerality, and longevity.

Review:

This is one of those fortunate wines that enjoys special recognition as its own brand, Pomorosso. It's also one of the pioneers of the recently minted Nizza denomination. Coppo has been making Pomorosso since 1984 and has learned a thing or two along the way. The 2017 Nizza Pomorosso is an excellent edition from a vintage that mistreated many of Piedmont's other varieties because of scorching summer heat. However, Barbera loves the heat, and this wine has absorbed every last sunbeam, adding to the wine's inner richness and concentration. Dark fruit, black currant, spice, tobacco and barbecue smoke rise from the bouquet. The aromas are big, but so is the wine's hold and grip on the palate. I taste the heat (this bottle declares a 16% alcohol content), but fresh acidity keeps the wine from feeling too heavy or ripe.

-Wine Advocate 93 Points

The 2021 Domaine Joseph Voillot Volnay Les Champans Premier Cru is from the domain’s largest premier cru holding, 4.2 acres whose vines date from 1934, 1971, and 1985. Champans is down-slope in the premier cru band, and its wine typically has more fruit and power than other Voillot Volnays.

Review:

‘The 2021 Volnay Les Champans Ter Cru has much more brightness and delineation than the Fremiets this year, with red cherries, wild strawberries and ust a touch of iodine and sous-bois. This is nicely focused. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, fine structure, pliant tannins and a harmonious finish. Not the most complex Champans encountered from this address, yet it has class.

-Vinous 91-93 Points

The 2021 les Champans is also a simply stunning example of this fine premier cru vineyard. The beautifully elegant nose wafts from the glass in a blend of red and black plums, cherries, spit-roasted quail, a complex base of soil, woodsmoke, coffee bean and a deft touch of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and shows off superb depth at the core, great soil signature, ripe, fine-grained tannins and a long, nascently complex and very promising finish. This is a touch more reserved on the palate than the Fremiets and will take a bit longer to blossom, but it is going to be stellar. 2034-2085.

93+ pts- John Gilman, View from the Cellar #102

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

Gaja Costa Russi Nebbiolo is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo.

Costa (Italian for the side of the hill facing the sun) Russi (the nickname of the former owner) is ruby red in color, with a captivating aroma of blackberries, violets and roasted coffee beans. The purity of the palate is layered with dark fruit flavors and complex tannins.

STYLE: Complex, Elegant

FLAVOR: Blackberry, Violet, Roasted Coffee Beans

Review:

The 2016 Barbaresco Costa Russi is a more floral, sappy Barbaresco, offering textbook notes of black cherries, rose petals, sappy herbs, and violets. It's one of the more vibrant, juicy, and perfumed wines in the lineup and has medium to full body, bright yet integrated acidity, and the same incredibly polished yet certainly present tannins found in all these 2016s. This is another elegant 2016 that never puts a foot wrong. 

-Jeb Dunnuck 98+ Points

The 2016 Barbaresco Costa Russi is ripe, creamy and enveloping, as it so often is, and yet also preserves the super classic sense of structure that runs through all these wines. In 2016, Costa Russi has an extra touch of mid-palate sweetness that gives the wine its sense of immediacy. Succulent red cherry, rosewater, kirsch, mint and dried flowers meld together in the glass. Soft and sensual, with tons of allure, Costa Russi is another winner from Gaja. Time in the glass brings out the wine's density and tannins, both of which it has in spades.

- Antonio Galloni 98 

This delicate red features floral, strawberry, cherry, currant and loamy earth aromas and flavors, showing terrific balance. A line of firm tannins adds support, and the finish is long and expansive. Best from 2023 through 2045. 175 cases imported. 

 -Wine Spectator 97 Points

Halter Ranch Vineyard Ancestor Estate Reserve is made from 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Malbec, 17% Petit Verdot,

Their flagship wine, Ancestor is their Bordeaux-style reserve blend, and an homage to the Ancestor Tree, the largest Coast Live Oak on record. The 2019 Ancestor showcases aromas of red currant and dark chocolate along with subtle hints of cinnamon and clove. The entry is soft and rich with layered flavors of blueberry, blackberry, and dark cherry. The mid- palate is thick and mouth coating with balanced acid. The finish is framed by integrated tannins and delicate flavors of caramel and truffle.

Pair with roasted meats, reduction sauces, and hearty stews. 

Review:

Baked blackberry, leather, cocoa and espresso-bean aromas show on the nose of this blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Malbec and 17% Petit Verdot. The palate is generous in fruit, tense in tannins and very approachable, showing creamy blueberry, pepper and wild-herb flavors.

-Wine Enthusiast 93 Points

Hickinbotham Revivalist Merlot is made from 100 percent Merlot. 

The Merlot for this red wine was sourced from vines planted in 1989 and 1976 at 220-245m altitude on a western facing aspect on the estate. During harvest, we hand-picked, de-stemmed, whole berry sorted, then 100% gently crushed. We then cold soaked, with native fermentation, and pumped over daily with a minimum of 21 days on skins. Basket pressed with light pressing included in free run, heavier pressings kept separate and not included, drained directly to barrel. The wine was racked and returned three times during maturation for 15 months, aged in fine-grain Bordeaux coopered barrels of which are approximately 25% new.

Review:

Deep ruby. Lush cherry-cola, blackberry and mocha qualities on the deeply perfumed nose, which is complemented by suggestions of candied rose and vanilla. In a round, generous style, offering sweet dark berry and fruitcake flavors that are supported by an undercurrent of juicy acidity. Pliant tannins frame an impressively long, sappy finish that strongly repeats the cherry and floral notes. 50% new French oak.

- Vinous 94 Points

Jip Jip Rocks Chardonnay 2014  is made from 100 percent unoaked Chardonnay.

Light yellow with a pale straw hue. A classic nose of lemon, fresh stonefruit and melon. The palate is clean and fresh with mineral characters underpinning ripe pineapple and lime flavours. This wine will age beautifully over the next 4-5 years.

 Winemaking report: Gentle pressing and free run juices create the base of this wine. Traditionally Jip Jip Rocks Chardonnay is a 2/3 blend fermented and matured in stainless steel and 1/3 fermented in stainless steel, which receives extended lees contact to add texture and complexity to the palate.

K Vintners Rockgarden Syrah is made from 100 percent Syrah.

Black plum, Asian five spice, warm turned river stone and taut with tension. Seamless Syrah that persists with black olive, high-polished black shoe leather and beef jerky that keeps going and never gives in.

Review:

Iodine and licorice with crushed-stone and dark-berry character. Full-bodied with chewy tannins that are structured and intense. Flavorful and polished at the end with just a hint of coffee. Drink or hold.

-James Suckling 96 Points

Kershaw Chardonnay Deconstructed Lake District Cartref CY96 is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.

Sourced from the western part of Elgin, known as the Lake District, this clone produces wines that are nervous, aromatic, elegant and sharp with slightly lower alcohol and finely balanced, the fruit profile being subtle with hints of citrus/orange peel and peach blossom and with time, some nutty elements. The Cartref soils, a mixture of decomposed granite, pebbles and quartz, adds delicacy and heightens the fruit intensity.

The inspiration for my Deconstructed Chardonnay stems from my belief that the Elgin region boasts credentials that make it world-class. To bolster these regional credentials, I have set out to prove that Elgin has both a signature grape, as well as specific ‘terroirs’ (meso-climates) that reflect intra-regional distinctions. To fully comprehend this, it is necessary to dig deeper into the DNA that make up our region. To elucidate this, I have decided to make these 3 Chardonnay wines, each selected from a specific vineyard and an individual clone. Importantly, this is an ongoing story that will unfold over the coming years.

Vintage notes:

Whilst 2017 experienced a cool winter to enable good vine dormancy, the rainfall was low and followed similar conditions felt in 2015 and 2016. Budbreak took place in ideal warm sunny conditions whilst flowering was a touch earlier than normal; strong blustery winds meant pollination took longer to complete. As a result, berry set was uneven leading to some smaller berries that despite a lower yield did have good concentration of flavours. Despite expecting an
early harvest an unusually cool December slowed down ripening whilst some January rain during veraison helped nourish the soils and more importantly, helped the vine focus on grape ripening rather than foliage & root growth. Harvest took place under blue skies in
mid-March. The net result of the drier year is that the grapes had decent natural acidity, achieved steady phenolic ripeness and plenty of intense fruit flavors.

Winemaking: 

Grapes were hand-picked in the early autumnal mornings, placed into small lug baskets and tipped directly into a press before being gently whole-bunch pressed up to a maximum of 0.6 bar or until a low juice recovery of 580 litres per ton was obtained. The juice gravity-flowed directly to barrel (no pumps were used at all) without settling. The unclarified juice had no enzymes or yeast added to it and therefore underwent spontaneous fermentation until dry, with malolactic discouraged. The wine rested in barrel for 4 months prior to judicious sulphuring and a further 7 months’ maturation in barrel before racking and bottling.

Review:

"A single clone (96) grown on a single parcel from a single vineyard of Cartref soils (decomposed granite and quartz). Roasted grain, wet stones, and lemon peel aromas. Precise and tightly coiled with an intense mineral character and yellow fruit and citrus zest flavors finishing with a smoky gunflint note. Matured in 50% new oak."

- International Wine Review (Richard Kershaw Lifts Elgin To New Heights, February 2019), 93 pts

Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle No. 26 is a blend of 58% Chardonnay, 42% Pinot Noir

 white gold in color with delicate and persistent bubbles, Grand Siecle No. 26 offers a very complex nose which mixes honeysuckle, lemon, clementine and fresh butter aromas, followed by notes of hazelnut and a touch of honey. The feel in the mouth is very delicate and fresh with candied lemon and fresh hazelnut aromas. The palate is silky and mineral with notes of honeysuckle, flaked almonds and clementine.

It pairs with high quality produce and refined dishes, including shellfish, noble fish and white meats such as Thai style langoustine tartare and fine roasted poultry.

• 3 exceptional years chosen for their complementarity among the rare Laurent‑Perrier vintages.


• A majority of Chardonnay complemented by Pinot Noir from a maximum of 11 Grands Crus out of the 319 Crus in the Champagne region.
  


• Aged for 10 years on the lees for the bottle format and a few more years for the magnum format.

Vintage in Champagne is usually synonymous with excellence for Prestige Cuvées. Contrarily, Laurent‑Perrier believes that only the art of assemblage can offer what nature can never provide, that is, the perfect year.

The expression of the perfect year is that of a great champagne wine that has long ageing potential and over time develops depth, intensity and aromatic complexity yet retains its freshness and vibrancy.

Since 1959, Grand Siècle has been revealed only 26 times in bottle format and 23 times in magnum.

The « Grand Siècle » (Great Century) is the name given to one of the most prosperous periods (17th century) in the history of France known for the capacity of man, through his works, to create what nature cannot. Louis XIVth, known as the « Sun King », by creating the « Château de Versailles » and its gardens, was the architect of this model of harmony, balance and perfection.

The symmetry and perspective of the « Jardins à la française », the capacity to grow Mediterranean fruits (especially Oranges inside the « Orangerie ») in such a Northern climate, creating the Grand Canal, the fountains and ponds with no nearby rivers are many illustrations of this ability of man to sublimate natural elements. The name of Grand Siècle was chosen for Laurent‑Perrier’s Prestige Cuvée based on this common vision to reach a perfection that Nature, on its own, cannot provide.

Review:

This is really something. Electric on the palate. The aromas are so complex with sliced fresh and dried ginger, subtle pie crust, tarte tatin and hints of nutmeg with some salted caramel. Toasted bread, too. Always subtle. The palate is full- to medium-bodied yet hemmed-in with a freshness and balance that draws you back. Savory and vibrant. It's full of energy. Spectacular. Fascinating. Symphonic blend of 2012, 2008 and 2007. 65% of the 2012, 25% of the 2008 and 10% of the 2007. Eight grand cru. Chardonnay 58% and 42% pinot noir. Disgorged February 2023. 10 years on the lees. 7g/L dosage.

-James Suckling 100 Points 

Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc

20 months in French oak (only about a third of that is new oak) and for 20 more months in bottle before release

Our winemaking "style" is solely determined by this place or terrior we call "Paradigm." Winemaking is agriculture when you own your vineyards and are able to farm them to promote the very best Earth will give you. All of our selections of wines are made from five varietals on the estate. Every wine is 100% farmed and grown by us.

Complexity in our wines supported by luscious fruit and acidity is our hallmark. Our efforts during harvest and barrel cellaring concentrate on maintaining the freshness from the first day we handpicked each vineyard block. Simple winemaking protocols are employed while crucial “timing” oriented winemaking decisions rule each day.

This wine is deeply pigmented with ruby/garnet color. First sniff is Oakville Cabernet all the way. Nice layers of ripe berry and cherrylike fruit with a matching complement of toasty French Oak from an assortment of Coopers and different barrel ages. Gorgeous across the palate with a silky yet dense mouthcoating impression. Ripeness is key and the result is a wine with perfect balance and flow - just plain delicious. It’s a big, beautiful wine now but has tremendous aging potential. — Heidi Barrett

Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon 4% Merlot 4% Petit Verdot 2% Cabernet Franc.

20 months in French oak (only about a third of that is new oak) and for 20 more months in bottle before release

Our winemaking "style" is solely determined by this place or terrior we call "Paradigm." Winemaking is agriculture when you own your vineyards and are able to farm them to promote the very best Earth will give you. All of our selections of wines are made from five varietals on the estate. Every wine is 100% farmed and grown by us.

Complexity in our wines supported by luscious fruit and acidity is our hallmark. Our efforts during harvest and barrel cellaring concentrate on maintaining the freshness from the first day we handpicked each vineyard block. Simple winemaking protocols are employed while crucial “timing” oriented winemaking decisions rule each day.

Dark Cabernet color with beautiful aromas of black cherry, cassis, plus 5-spice, vanilla. Big, ripe and mouthcoating across the palate. The flavors are similar to the aromas with ripe fruit, berry/cherry pie, moderate tannins, and nice length. This wine shows enough structure to be age-worth, yet soft and balanced enough to enjoy upon release. Flavors linger in this tasty, dense wine. Tastes like Oakville. -Heidi Barrett

Resonance Decouverte Vineyard Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir. 

James Suckling 93 Points

Sale

Sale price good on website only and wine must be shipped to your home.

Siegel Reserve Red Blend 1234 is made from 50% Syrah, 30% Carmenère, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot.

Deep ruby color. Intense aromas of black fruits, white pepper, spices and a hint of clove. The blend of four varieties gives a complex, deep wine with juicy tannins, good volume and very balanced.

Pre-fermenting cold maceration for five days, alcoholic fermentation at 26-28 C to obtain color and structure. Post fermentation maceration of two to three weeks according wine tasting and then the wine is separated from the skins. The wine ends its malolactic fermentation in tank. Harvest: by hand (30 day harvest window)

Paella, Confit de Canard (duck confit) and pastas.

Siegel Special Reserve Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.

This Chardonnay has a pale yellow color. On the nose is is complex with citrus and tropical fruit aromas balanced with notes from the oak aging. On the palate it has good acidity with a long finish.

VINIFICATION: Alcoholic fermentation occurs at 16-17 degrees C. When the alcoholic finishes part of the wine is kept on a pump-over program.

FINNING AND FILTRATION: Once the wine has been blended it is clarified and then undergoes cold stablisation and is later filtered through clay.

AGING: Aged in French oak barrels for 6 months.

Pairs well with fish like Tilapia, salmon and white meats.