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Luis XIV Fondillon Oro 50 years NV is made from 100 percent 100% Monastrell (Mourvedre). Only 24 9 liter cases produced.

The wine is produced in the village of Cañada, in the subarea of Alto Vinalopó in the province of Alicante. Made from 100% Monastrell planted on traditional dry land as bush vines, at 550-580 meters above sea leval and enjoying a Mediterranean climate with great marine influence due to the easterly winds.

Fondillon 50 years is mahogany in color with orange tile rim, medium layer and great density. On the nose, it has a very deep aroma of old wood, black tea and carob. In the mouth, it has a sweet entry balanced by a rich high acidity. Its aromas are long, almost eternal and very intense. It tastes like old mahogany, a very old barrel and bygone times.

Bottled in December 2019.

AGEING:
CASK NAME: Saboners.
AGEING: Aged more than 50 years (single barrel).
TYPE OF WOOD: 19th-century American oak barrels
CASK SIZE: 70 “cántaros valencianos” (805 litros).

ANALYSIS:
GLUCOSE AND FRUCTOSE: 34 gr/litre.
VOLATILE ACIDITY: 1.35 gr/l.
ALCOHOL: 16.2º (NO ADDED ALCOHOL).
FREE SULFITES: less than 10 mg/litre.
TOTAL SULFITES: 76 mg/litre.

Review:

Dark mahogany color, candied fruit aromas, fruit liqueur notes, spicy, varnish, acetaldehyde, bakery, complex. Fine solera notes, bitter flavors."

- Penin 2022, 99 pts

"The NV Fondillón Luis XIV has the subtitle Edad Superior a 50 años (over 50 years old), and it's a dark mahogany, bottled from a single barrel that has the specific profile of a very old wine greatly concentrated by age, which tends to make it similar to other very old and concentrated wines, be it a Mediterranean rancio or a very old Moscatel. It has notes of bitter chocolate, coconut and iodine, carob beans (algarroba) and some bittersweet sensations. It's dense and concentrated, and the palate is pungent, with very intense flavors and a bitter twist in the finish. This has 16.3% alcohol, 6.45 grams of acidity and 34 grams of sugar, but it comes through as very dry. The wine is long and extraordinary, but it just doesn't have any Fondillón character after decades of concentration by evaporation. The price is ludicrous. Only 435 half-liter bottles were filled in December 2019. - Luis GUTIERREZ

- Wine Advocate (September 2020), 95 pts

"Fondillón is an extraordinary treasure of Alicante, a rare product, made from late harvest, non-botrytised grapes, unfortified, but with a final alcohol of no less than 16%. Intense, aged, but not sweet (deliciously not more than 45g/l). Fab with cheese or dark chocolate. The wines have to be a minimum of 10 years; this release is more than 25 years. The project is a revival by David Carbonell of Vins del Comtat and two local families. Very limited quantities. - Sarah Jane Evans MW"

- Decanter (December 2021, My top 10 Spanish fine wines of 2021), 95 pts

LASER ETCHED McKenzie ! 5000ml!

My First comment tasting this wine is "wow!" It's delicious; our flagship wine at Paradigm and it delivers. Dense, deep, ripe aromas of black berry and black cherry-like fruit layered with caramel and toastiness from a nice mix of French Oak barrels. Flavors coat the palate with matching notes in a classic Cabernet Sauvignon presentation. One of our best Cabs to date! 

Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot , 1% Petit Verdot

Review:

"Owned and managed by the Harris family, Paradigm winery produced its first vintage in 1991 in Oakville with winemaker Heidi Barrett. A self-contained winery estate with 50 acres of vineyards, Paradigm maintains a hands-on approach to all winemaking and vineyard operations. The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon consists of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, and is aged in both new and used French oak for 20 months, then aged a further 20 months in bottle before release. The total production for this vintage was 5,544 bottles." Blind tasted by Dave Allen, Stephen Brook, Terry Kandylis (at Decanter Magazine's December 2019 Californian Cabernet 2015 Panel Tasting, London, 17 Sep 2019) 

- Decanter 95 Points 

Rinaldi Barbera d' Asti La Bricca is made from 100% Barbera d'Asti.
"Bricca" means the top part of the hill. (see picture of the vineyards)

La Bricca is a deep, ruby-red colored wine with violet hues. The bouquet is vinous and intense with ethereal aromas (typical of the Barbera grape) and scents of ripe fruit and spices. The wine is full-bodied with very pleasant silky tannins. Long and harmonious with a good aging potential.

Enjoy it with meat dishes, rich pasta, risotto and well-aged cheeses. To appreciate the wine at its best, the bottle should be left at least 24 hours at room temperature and opened 1 hour before serving.

Rinaldi Brachetto d' Acqui is made from 100% Brachetto d'Acqui

The skin gives the wine its particular scent and flavor. 

Light ruby red color. The bouquet is musky and delicate with scents of ripe red fruit (strawberry, blackberry) and roses. Sweet and smooth flavors with lingering aromatic persistence. There is a good balance between the sweetness and the freshness, which makes this wine very pleasant.

The training system used is Guyot with a density of 2500-3000 vines per hectare. Manual harvest. Temperature controlled maceration for approximately seven days with mechanic plunging of the cap and pumping over to increase extraction of substances from the skins. This is the most important part of the vinification. Soft pressing.

Rinaldi Eramare Piemonte Cortese is made from 90% Cortese and 10% Sauvignon Blanc.

The Cortese grapes are coming from the Estate's vineyard located at the best exposures between Ricaldone and Maranzana at about 220 meters above sea level.

A salty and tasty white wine (90% cortese 10% sauvignon) fresh simple and juicy.

After the alcoholic fermentation the wine refines on his yeast for 4 months just to have a better color and taste.
A lot of minerality and note of grapefruit.

Ideal for an aperitif, or with seafood appetizers, fish first courses, grilled fish, vegetable pies, mixed Piedmontese appetizers, omelettes.

Rinaldi Follie Pink is made from 50 % Dolcetto, 45 % Merlot, and 5 % Brachetto.

Review:

"Here’s a delightful aperitif wine to brighten your spirits as you prepare dinner or relax on the patio. Flavors of strawberries and raspberries throw a party in your glass and will bring a smile to your face. The blend is dolcetto and merlot, with a little brachetto. - Dave McIntyre"
- Washington Post (May 2020), Exceptional *** - Great Value

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

Rinaldi Malvasia di Castelnuovo Don Bosco Tasting notes: Frizzante style, with hints of black pepper, cherries and red fruit notes. A frothy, & slightly sweet aperitif…

Vines are planted on limestone soils. Only 63 hectares exist of this very small DOC of Malvasia di Castelnuovo Don Bosco. Grape varietal is Malvasia di Schierano.

Pairs well with dessert and Asian food.

Rinaldi Red Dream is made from 100% Malvasia

this wine is obtained with  a cold maceration (13° C) for 48 hours. We work in this way just to extract the color and the wine scent from the peels.
Then we soft press the grapes and we separate the solid part from the liquid part and we have the juice.
Then we keep the wine at 0 degree Celcius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) temperature and we have a natural cleaning of the must.
When we decide to bottle it the temperature increased at about 17 degrees Celcius, and when we reach 5.5% Alcohol by Volume and the desired atmospheric pressure is obtained, about  2 atmospheres, we block the fermentation with the cold and we filter it again and
finally, we put it in bottle.
The wine is ruby red but not too deep, fruity and pleasant. It's a dessert wine, it is possible to appreciate it at his best if you serve it chilled.

This frothy and fruity red wine delivers flavors of honeysuckle and black pepper. Light, fun and exciting; it’s great for parties and light fare. 100 % Malvasia Nera.

"The non-vintage Rinaldi Red Dream, which comes from 100% Malvasia Nera, has about 7% alcohol, so it is slightly more potent than its two siblings. Gorgeously fresh and frothy, with loads of cherry, honeysuckle, spice box and spring flowers, this is an exciting party wine that is brilliantly packaged, and I doubt a person can be found who would dislike it. However, these wines are meant to be drunk in their exuberant youth, so this one as well as the following two efforts should be consumed over the next 6-12 months."
- Wine Advocate (Issue 201, June 2012), 90 pts

"This Wine is a bit heavier than a bracchetto, but it shares the sweetness, effervescence and low alcohol that make it a delicious dessert wine. The added weight suggests pairing it with desserts that include ice cream."
- Washington Post (February 8th 2012), **

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.

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

Wachau Riesling is dry and often defined by high levels of dry extract (due to a lengthy ripening period) and a pleasing freshness (due to dramatic temperature swings between day and night). Sedimentary soils of sand and stone give Kirchweg Riesling a dense mineral texture and fine fruity flavors.

Review:

Welcome to the dark side of Wachau dry riesling! Deep and delicately spicy nose that’s full of mystery. Incredible concentration and massive wet stone character on the very precise medium-bodied palate. Radical mineral energy and garden herb freshness at the enormously long and tightly-focused finish.

-James Suckling 98 Points

Rudi Pichler Kollmutz Smaragd Gruner Veltliner is made from 100 percent Gruner Veltliner. 

Rudi Pichler is among the elite growers of the Wachau producing wines of precision, power, and longevity. Grüner Veltliner and Riesling make up 95% of the production with the remaining 5% shared between Weißburgunder and Roter Veltliner. Rudi Pichler belongs to the prestigious Vinea Wachau and vinifies under the strict parameters of their codex.

Yields are kept low between 30 and 35 hectoliters per hectare with botrytis carefully removed by hand.  Grapes are crushed by foot and receive between three and 36 hours of maceration on the skins. Vinification is entirely in stainless-steel tanks and malolactic fermentation is avoided.

Kollmütz is a terraced vineyard in Wösendorf sitting between 200 and 400 meters of elevation. The soils of Kollmütz developed from an ancient landslide resulting in chaotic layers of rock and boulders. The vineyard is particularly rich in magnesium and iron. Wines from Kollmütz are typically linear, dense, and intensely mineral in character.

Grüner Veltliner is the signature grape of Austria and produces a dry white wine with savory aromas, spicy flavors, and good acidity. Grüner Veltliner Smaragd from the Wachau is a full-bodied wine and is rich in style with notes of stone fruit, lemon, radish, and arugula.

Review:

I have heard gruner veltliner dismissed for supposedly not being elegant, but this is an extremely elegant example! Very complex nose of snow peas, green beans, wild herbs and green pepper. On the medium-bodied palate, this remarkable gruner veltliner has a discreet succulence, but what makes it amazing is the way it glides so gracefully over the palate, then splash lands in a deep pool of wet stone minerality. Underplayed power and concentration!

-James Suckling 97 Points

Wachau Riesling is dry and often defined by high levels of dry extract (due to a lengthy ripening period) and a pleasing freshness (due to dramatic temperature swings between day and night). Sedimentary soils of sand and stone give Kirchweg Riesling a dense mineral texture and fine fruity flavors.

Review:

I love the deep and delicate, peachy nose of this extremely attractive Wachau dry riesling. Wonderful fresh fruit with a touch of mint and lemon balm on the ripe but rather sleek and very precise palate. The power and concentration show themselves first at the stunningly long and pristine finish.

-James Suckling 96 Points

Double Diamond Oakville Proprietary Red is made from 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 25% Cabernet Franc.

"The inaugural release of the 2021 Proprietary Red Wine upholds the level of excellence expected from winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown. It expresses a fragrant perfume of ripe red cherry, blueberry, and pomegranate, mingled with bell pepper, iron, and vanilla bean. On the palate, generous red and blue fruits are complemented by blackberry compote, dark chocolate, and espresso. The wine has silky tannins, food-friendly acidity, and a lingering finish. It is ready to drink upon release but will cellar well for years to come."

Toza Crianza Jumilla is made from 100% Monastrell (Mourvedre). Toza Crianza is a classic example of the Monastrell variety from the Mediterranean region, made from hand harvested old vines and aged 12 months in oak barrels. This Spanish red is rich, toasty, round and velvety.

Pair with red meat and game casseroles and well-cured cheeses.

Alain Jaume Saint Joseph La Butte d'Or is made from 100 percent Syrah.

The wine comes from vineyards that are sourced from the south of the appellation and located on hillsides that enjoy a east and southeast exposure. On the nose, this wine reveals aromas of pepper and jammy red fruits. In the mouth, it is balanced, ample and intense, offering beautiful tannins on the long lasting finish. A wine of character that can be cellared up to 8 years.

Manual harvest, selection of healthy and ripe grapes. Total destemming. Cold pre-fermentation maceration 5 to 6 days. Aged in oak barrels with 10% new oak.

Review:

"Opaque ruby. Aromas of ripe dark berries, licorice and candied flowers take on a smoky mineral aspect with aeration. Silky, fresh and round on the palate, offering sweet blueberry, cherry and spicecake flavors that open up slowly through the back half. Youthfully firm tannins add grip to a very long, smoke- and spice-tinged finish that strongly echoes the blue fruit and spice notes. (made with de-stemmed fruit and raised in oak barrels, 10% of them new) - Josh Raynolds"

- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (April 2020), 92 pts

Amador Diez Cuvee Verdejo is made from 

This cuvee is named after Amador Diez de Íscar, who was president of the winery for 21 years. It is produced in limited quantity with meticulous care from a selection of the 10 best hectares of the winery’s centennial pre-phylloxera vineyard – harvested by hand – and vinified with the aim of favoring its longevity, making it ideal for its consumption today while maintaining great aging potential. The wine is bottled manually with an exclusive presentation that includes a label stamped on wood.

Straw yellow color. Dominant aromas of white fruits, citrus fruits and anise. The barrel ageing brings delicate sweet aromas, such as coconut, vanilla, and liquorice. Fresh, rich and intense on the palate with typical flavors from the Verdejo grape variety.

Pair with appetizers, fish and especially seafood. Also grilled meats and food of intense flavors such as cheeses and ham.

Review:

"One of the most ambitious Rueda whites, this comes from a selection of pre-phylloxera vineyards and is built to age. The oak is better integrated than on the 2015, which is also available in the market right now, supporting a wine with amazing intensity and focus. Nutty and intense, it has flavours of pear, citrus and marzipan, with undertones of fennel and cinnamon, good structure and racy, palate-cleansing acidity."

- Tim Atkin (November 2020), 95 pts

Production notes:

Arzuaga Gran Arzuaga Ribera del Duero is made from 92% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Gran Arzuaga is a special cuvee coming from the selection of vineyards on the two banks of the Duero River. Tempranillo is planted in the Olivares de Duero area and Cabernet Sauvignon in La Planta estate that rich in limestone soils. Both areas bring richness and typical characters to the wine.

Tasting notes:
The wine has a bright cherry red color with violet rims. On the nose, it shows great aromatic complexity. In the first place, the primary aromas of red fruits such as blackberry predominate, herbaceous and floral touches that give way to tertiary aromas where balsamic and spicy aromas stand out. On the palate the wine is creamy and silky, with a fresh entry that quickly becomes meaty and unctuous as it goes through the mouth.

Perfect with Roast Lamb, Meat Stews, and even dark Chocolate.

Review:

Inky dark core with a purple hue. Smoked meat, dry spices, liquorice, dark plum, cassis and spicy new oak aromas. Very dense and concentrated palate, with balanced proportions between sweet fruit flavours, smoked and spicy notes, a fresh acidity, grainy tannin and a very long meaty finish. A big wine that still needs a few more years of ageing.

-Tasted 94 Points

Avignonesi Desiderio Merlot Toscana IGT is made from Merlot.

Avignonesi Desiderio Merlot has an explosive olfactory impact. The wide aromatic bouquet ranges from cherry and plum jam to notes of black tea, rhubarb and graphite, with small final notes of fermented tobacco. The entrance is bursting. The palate is invested by the imposing and typical structure of Tuscan Merlot, enveloping and warm. Tastefully in symbiosis with the olfactory notes, the dense and linear tannin accompanies hints of coconut and black pepper in retrolfaction.

Review:

James Suckling 94 Points

This wine is characterized by grace and elegance. The bouquet is full and ethereal of ripe fruit and cherries in alcohol accompanied by typical nuances of the Mediterranean scrub such as lavender, thyme and wild mint. On the palate it has a very large and sweet opening. The silky tannin spreads a dense texture accompanied by a warm and lively body where notes of fresh coconut and sweet spices such as cinnamon persist.

-James Suckling 94 Points