Chateau Bourdieu Absolu Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux is made from 79% merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec.
When Luc Schweitzer was joined by his two sons Richard and Ludovic at the estate, he wanted to embrace this new chapter in the family history and launched in 2016 a special cuvée from Château Bourdieu called "Absolu". This top-of-the-range cuvée is the best of what their terroir has to offer. The 35 year-old facing south vines benefit from a meticulous care: regular maintenance of the soil, yield control, manual leaf stripping, sorting of the berries - all practices that ensure the quality of this great Bordeaux wine.
A deep garnet color with magnificent purple highlights. The nose is intense and full, revealing notes of ripe black fruits and subtle hints of vanilla and roasted coffee. Great structure with finesse and tannic density that brings depth and length to the mouth. The aromatic purity of the perfectly ripened grape varieties is magnified by the complex and subtle oak flavors.
Pair: Rib of grilled beef and tournedos Rossini - butter pan-fried beef filet served on a crouton, and topped with a hot slice of fresh foie gras.
Review:
"A rich, opulent wine, this is full of dark tannins and powerful fruit. It's a big wine, with licorice and dense wood flavors that give a smoky character and reflect some serious extraction. The wine needs to smooth out to showcase its concentrated richness. Drink from 2024. - Roger VOSS"
- Wine Enthusiast (May 2021), 91 pts
Chateau Cabrieres Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Confidentiel is 50% Clairette and 50% Grenache Blanc.
Beautiful pale gold color with green reflections. The wine is clear and bright.
A nose of great finesse and richness, with hints of pear and citrus fruit. Racy and dense, with good persistence, this wine will develop nicely on the mineral side.
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
Hominis Fides is typically the most elegant of Château de Saint Cosme’s three single-vineyard Gigondas. “Grenache grown in the sandy soil produces marvelously textured wines as well as extremely refined tannins; a very special and stylish wine,” says Louis Barruol. The wine features aromas and flavors of pepper, truffle, graphite, and smoke.
Grenache is the pale-colored, red-fruited, and potpourri-scented red grape variety of the southern Rhône and can be paired with both rustic and sophisticated dishes. Full-bodied Grenache-based wines are ideal with stews, braises, and grilled meats, while lighter versions can work well with dark fish and tomato-based dishes such as ratatouille.
Review:
Deep, vivid ruby-red. Intensely perfumed, mineral-tinged scents of medicinal cherry, redcurrant and cassis are complemented by suggestions of star anise, white pepper and pungent flowers. It offers densely packed bitter cherry, red berry liqueur, lavender and licorice flavors that open up very slowly with air. Extremely primary but highly promising, with a long, spice- and mineral-tinged finish shaped by youthfully firming tannins. Made with 100% whole clusters; raised in barriques, one-third of them new.
-Vinous 95-97 Points
Le Poste’s cool microclimate and limestone soil make it one of Saint Cosme’s most structured, aromatic, and mineral intense wines of the estate. This wine always walks a knife's edge of power and finesse thanks to its deep fruit and precise structure. The wine features aromas and flavors of iodine, violet, pepper, and ash.
Grenache is the pale-colored, red-fruited, and potpourri-scented red grape variety of the southern Rhône and can be paired with both rustic and sophisticated dishes. Full-bodied Grenache-based wines are ideal with stews, braises, and grilled meats, while lighter versions can work well with dark fish and tomato-based dishes such as ratatouille.
Review:
Deep magenta. Expansive, spice- and mineral-tinged black raspberry, kirsch and boysenberry aromas are complicated by suggestions of incense, lavender and smoky minerals. Alluringly sweet and focused in the mouth, offering densely packed red and blue fruit preserve, floral pastille and exotic spice flavors that smoothly balance weight and finesse. This wine shows superb finishing clarity and mineral lift on the penetrating and impressively long finish, which features polished tannins and resonating fruit, floral and mineral notes.
-Vinous 95-97 Points
Segries Tavel Rose is made from 50% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, 15% Clairette, 5% Syrah. The age of the vines is 30 years. Traditional vinification at low temperature, "vin de saignée" with a maceration during one night in cement vat.
This is large for a Rose...structured and focused, with the color of dark ruby. The nose is loaded up with fresh fruit. Strawberry, blackcurrant, and raspberry beam from the glass. On the palate, the mouth-feel is ripe and succulent. It has strength, but maintains its fresh and crisp expression. The finish is filled with Asian spice and slight hints of smoke. Drink this juice now or over the next year or two.
Chavy-Chouet Meursault Clos des Corvees de Citeaux is 100 percent Chardonnay
Aged in new oak barrels (Allier).
The Clos des Corvees de Citeau is a .96 hectare vineyard located in Meursault. It was part of the appellation of l'Ormeau; an old property of the Cistercian monks who made a two meter wall around the vines. The tall walls create a micro-climate that encourages early growth and ripening.
Thanks to its clay rich soil, the vineyard produces a rich, opulent and luscious wine that can be enjoyed young. This is a powerful and elegant white Burgundy; expressive, fresh and fruity with intense and strong flavors.
Domaine Chavy Chouet Meursault Les Narvaux is made from 100% Chardonnay from extremely steep vineyards.
Les Narvaux in Meursault sits at the top of the slope on a steep, shallow, limestone plot.
TW Tasting notes: A lively and balanced wine with aromas of white-fleshed fruit. It offers hints of toasted almond on the nose and is very long on the palate. Mineral and energetic, it will only open up fully after a few years in the cellar. In the top 5 of my top Meursault picks.
60 Year old vine
Ageing: 12 months in French oak barrels (20% new)Planting density: 10000
Surface area: 0.5Ha
Chavy-Chouet Saint-Aubin Premier Cru Les Murgers des Dents de Chien is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
The wine is produced from 30 year-old vines overlooking the grand crus of Puligny-Montrachet. The vines grow on limestone soils covered with white pebble stones.
The altitude and the poor soil result in a fine, subtle wine with bright acidity. It is a feminine wine that evolves slowly with floral and spicy notes before taking on greater density and revealing its power.
Ageing in oak barrels for 12 months (20% new).100% Chardonnay of 30 years of age.
The vineyard measures 0.17 hectare with a plenting density of 10,000 vines per hectare.
Review:
Jasper Morris - Inside Burgundy 93 Points
Named for the former Ranch owned by Butch Cassidy and the sundance Kid.
Cholila Ranch Malbec is made from 100% Malbec. The estate-grown grapes are manually harvested, carefully sorted, and destemmed. The wine undergoes traditional maceration for 21 days with selected yeasts. Cholila Ranch Malbec is aged both in American and French oak for 9 months, followed by a minimum of 6 months bottle aging prior to release.
Deep purple color. Aromas of ripe plum and mulberry with violet hints. Ripe black fruits and fig on the palate with touches of smoke and vanilla. A truly powerful yet balanced wine with a persistent finish.
Under the stewardship of winemaker Lynzee Schatz, Chronos wines are crafted for lovers of the Okanagan Valley terroir. World class quality with depth, complexity, and command of detail. The production of Chronos is precise and unrushed with a connection to the finest winemaking traditions around the world. Raise a glass of Chronos to inspire your most delightful and soul-stirring moments.
This wine shows raspberry, plum and white pepper on the nose. On the palate, the wine offers red plum, cherry and a touch of herbs with a wonderfrul fresh and long finish.
Burgers, grilled portobello mushrooms, smoked chicken or a charcuterie plate.
Under the stewardship of winemaker Lynzee Schatz, Chronos wines are crafted for lovers of the Okanagan Valley terroir. World class quality with depth, complexity, and command of detail. The production of Chronos is precise and unrushed with a connection to the finest winemaking traditions around the world. Raise a glass of Chronos to inspire your most delightful and soul-stirring moments.
Produced from Dragon Mountain Vineyard, the wine is named after the Ogopogo -mythical lake monster. Grown overlooking Okanagan Lake.
The wine opens with notes of Granny Smith apple and stone minerality, followed by citrus and melon. On the Palate, it shows expressive flavors of pear, peach blossom, melon and lemon with a wonderfully long finish.
Review:
“The medium-bodied palate is so tightly wound at this youthful stage, slowly revealing layer upon layer of fragrant black and red fruits with loads of mineral sparks, supported by beautifully fine-grained yet firm tannins and seamless acidity, finishing with epic length and a whole firework display of mineral and floral notes. This is gorgeous. ” Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent 100 Points
Clos Saint-Jean Chateauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes is made from a Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Vaccarèse and Muscardin, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes is made from old vines located in and around Le Crau. The Grenache is aged in concrete for 12 months while the remainder is aged in demi-muid.
Review:
This has good concentration and energy to the dense core of dark fruit and bitter cherry, with great poise and elegance despite its ripeness (an impressive feat for the vintage). Guided by finely crushed mineral accents and tannins, this reveals pretty high-toned floral notes and leafy tobacco. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Vaccarese and Muscardin. Drink now through 2032. 900 cases made.
-Wine Spectator 95 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.
Deus ex Machina is a literary and dramatic term for a miraculous intervention that interrupts a logical course of events in a plot or play. A suitable name for a cuvée that had it’s start in the torrid vintage of 2003 when Philippe Cambie and Vincent Maurel made the decision to harvest at the end of September, weeks after their neighbors. Deus ex Machina is a blend of old vine Grenache from La Crau, aged in tank with equally ancient Mourvedre from the sandy soils of BoisDauphin aged in demi-muid. Deus ex Machina is only made in the best vintages.
Review:
Lastly, the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Deus-Ex Machina shows a similar profile to the Combes des Fous, yet it brings another level of tannins and concentration. Kirsch liqueur, white flowers, sandalwood, cured meats, and graphite notes all shine here, and it's full-bodied, has a deep, layered, powerful, yet weightless profile, lots of ripe tannins, and a blockbuster of a finish. This ripe, sexy, seamless, incredibly impressive beauty will compete with anything in the vintage. As usual, this cuvée is 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvedre, which is brought up in roughly 40% new demi-muids.
Review: Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
Collemattoni Adone Rosso Toscano is made from 95% Sangiovese and 5% Merlot
ruby red in color, bouquet of violet, cherry and blackberry, pleasant, dry and well balanced mouthfeel.
Coming from a parcel with 5-8 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, maceration for 10 days.
Malolactic fermentation completed.
Wine is slightly filtered before bottling.
Collemattoni Rosso di Montalcino is 100% Sangiovese.
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.
The Peumo Vineyard is located 170 m above sea level and extended along the Cachapoal River, on terraces of hills of the Coastal Mountains. The vines come from pre-phylloxera cuttings and are trellised to vertical shoot position and cordon pruned. The soils are deep with an upper layer of clay that retains moisture, which controls the vines’ vigor and growth and allows them to remain active through late May, when the Carmenere is picked.
Deep, dark red with hints of violet. Elegant and mineral on the nose, with notes of blackberry and a touch of blackcurrant. It fills the palate with underlying mature tannins. Deep, concentrated, with a long aftertaste and distinctive hints of the Peumo terroir. This 2018 vintage is characterized by its elegance and freshness; it is a wine with a lot of Carmenere character. Pairs best with elegant but simply prepared dishes such as juicy, rare roast beef, veal, pork tenderloin with roasted beets and cranberries, duck (cont or magret). Also delightful with squash-stuffed pasta with morel mushrooms or aged goat cheese with figs.
Review:
Carmín made its debut with the 2003 vintage, and since then it has come from a selection from Block 32, a sector of the vineyard in Peumo, on the banks of the Rapel River. Of its 28 hectares, seven are actually used and usually produce about 18,000 liters. The vineyards were planted in 1983 on stony clay soils on the hills that flank the Cachapoal River on its way to Lake Rapel. This was a cool year, and that's evident in the herbal notes and red fruits that fill the nose. The palate is generous in ripe red fruits, as well as in the herbal tones that refresh and add complexity at the same time. The texture is friendly, although it leaves room for a layer of very fine, sharp tannins that contribute tension, while the fruits and herbs continue their private party. We think this is the best version of Carmín that we have tried—far from the first Carmíns, which were tremendously ripe and extracted and far from this balance and elegance. Carmenere at the highest level.
-Patricio Tapia - Descorchados 98 Points
Continuum Red Blend 2021 is made from 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot.
A vintage set apart for its perseverance and resilience, the 2021 Continuum is one of refined concentration – a resounding expression of both measured intensity and enduring vibrancy. This is a multi-layered magnificent vintage that reveals floral notes, with black cherry and wild foraged mixed berries throughout. One can perceive the chemise, sage, and bay giving a gorgeous savory expression, reflective of the natural environment that surrounds the Sage Mountain Vineyard. 2021 is a wine of incredible complexity and nuance – a wine for the ages.
WINEGROWING- Continuum is estate grown on our Sage Mountain Vineyard. It’s location, high on Pritchard Hill along the eastern ridge above Oakville, overlooks Napa Valley and the San Francisco Bay. The rocky, volcanic soils of the site focus the vine’s energy keeping yields low yielding fruit of depth and complexity. 38 acres of mature estate vineyard, planted in 1991 and 1996, with additional plantings in 2004, 2010, together comprise 38 distinct vineyard blocks. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Merlot are grown from 1300 to 1600 feet in elevation, on western and southern facing aspects with slight northern and eastern slopes in places. This diversity of plantings on our volcanic soils are the essence of the complexity of Continuum.
PRODUCTION- Continuum is 100% estate grown, produced and bottled. All fruit is selectively hand-harvested at night. The fruit is then sorted before and after de-stemming, and gravity fed into French oak or concrete tanks. A threeday cold soak is followed by fermentation, receiving three to four pumpovers daily, and délestage two to three times in total during the most active period. The wine remains on skins in tank for 20 to 40 days. All lots are then drained, basket pressed, and transferred with lees for malolactic fermentation and aging. Continuum spent 22 months in barrel. 63 percent of French oak barrels were new and 35 percent were once used. A single concrete amphora was also used for aging. The wine clarified slowly and settled naturally in our cold barrel room, was racked sparingly and bottled without fining or filtration. Each vineyard lot was tasted and carefully considered many times to assemble the blend. TASTING NOTES- Continuum shows energy and verve. The wine expresses purity and precision, with high tone aromatics of red and blue fruit, deep plum and rose oil. This vintage shows an approachable nerve of the land in the refined mineral quality on the palate. The surrounding native vegetation of bay and sage is evidenced in an earthy, savory profile. This is a shimmering, silky and harmoniously integrated wine with densely packed fine grain tannins.
DECANTING- For the fullest sensory experience we encourage decanting to allow the wine to breathe before serving. Decanting awakens the wine’s more purely fragrant expression and enhances the suppleness of the palate. Continuum is accessible and enjoyable upon release; however extended aging will be richly rewarded.
Review:
This note is written before the final blend of the 2021 Continuum. Deep purple-black in color, it hits the ground running with an intense nose of red and black currant preserves, lilacs, baker's chocolate, and graphite, leading to an undercurrant of black olives and red loam. On the medium to full-bodied palate it is very lively, grainy and super-concentrated, finishing long and shimmery.
-Wine Independent 98-100 Points
The 2021 Continuum is a blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Cabernet Franc, 11 % Petit Verdot, and 9% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple colored, notes of black cherries, warm cassis, and plum preserves storm from the glass, giving way to nuances of dark chocolate, violets, and Sichuan pepper. The full-bodied palate is fabulously concentrated and yet so energetic, delivering firm, finely grained tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing long and perfumed. Wow.
-Wine Palate 100 Points
This is so aromatic with blackcurrant, blackberry, graphite, iron, pine bark and orange peel. Hints of wild sage and peppermint. Seductive perfumes. Full-bodied with extremely well-integrated tannins that have great length. Elegant firmness at the finish. The quality of the tannins is some of the best I have had in a young Continuum. Seamless silk. Great finish. 45% cabernet sauvignon, 35% cabernet franc, 11% merlot and 9% petit verdot. Best after 2027.
-James Suckling 99 Points
Corne Loup Cotes du Rhone Blanc is made from 50% Grenache Blanc, 20% Clairette, 15% Roussanne and 15% Viognier.
The wine has a pale straw color with brilliant reflection. In the nose, it displays great aromatics, mainly citrus fruit. The palate is well balanced, with a lot of finesse and persistence.
Delicious when paired with seafood (seashell and fish). It is also great by itself as an aperitif.
Cortenova Sangiovese Marche Organic is made from 100 percent 100% Sangiovese
Vineyards are located in the area of Ascoli Piceno, where the soil is calcareous and stony which is excellent for drainage. The moderating breezes from the sea which is 15 km from the estate allow for perfect ripening.
Color: Brilliant, dark ruby red with violet reflections
Bouquet: Vinous bouquet with a blend of black cherries, floral and spice
Taste: Full-bodied and velvety with great ripe fruit extraction and balance. Layers of flavor Lingering in the finish.
Argot Simpatico Ranch Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Powerful aromas of key-lime, white flowers, orange blossoms and a fierce, flinty, sauvage note define a wildly complex nose. Once in the mouth, gracefully pronounced textures coat the palate delivering an exotic interpretation of cool-climate Chardonnay character — lime peel, orange blossom, ginger and clove —lingerings deep into a vibrant finish.
Planted 1978. Shallow volcanic soils on the gently-sloped, south-facing foothills of Bennett Peak on Bennett Valley’s floor. One of California’s coolest Chardonnay vineyards. In the final year of 3-year draught cycle, Simpatico Ranch saw its earliest ever harvest and smallest crop, exposing a reserve of exoticism and minerality previously untapped. A watershed vintage for both the vineyard, and appellation. Night harvested by hand on 9/16, whole-cluster pressed direct to barrel; no settling to ensure maximum lees contact. Barrel fermented on heavy lees. Malolactic fermentation. 16 months in French oak, 50% new. Finished 2 months in steel tank, low Sulphur during barrel elevage.
Review:
The 2021 Chardonnay Simpatico Ranch needs a lot of swirling before it shoots from the glass with notes of lemon tart, orange blossoms, candied ginger, and fresh nectarines with hints of crushed rocks, struck flint, and nutmeg. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers amazing tension, with tight-knit citrus and spice layers and a fantastically well woven satiny texture, finishing long and layered. "We only get about 1.5 tons per acre here," said owner/winemaker Justin Harmon. "This comes from old vines on AXR rootstock."
-Wine Independent 97 Points
Alain Jaume Domaine du Clos de Sixte Lirac is made from 50% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre
An intense red garnet color. On the nose, aromas of red and black ripe fruit (kirsch and wild blackberry). The mouth is full, with aromas of blackcurrant liqueur and spice. Tannins are both harmonious and elegant thanks to the fleshiness of the wine. Hints of licorice and vanilla on the finish, which gives the wine length and complexity.
Soil type LIRAC vineyard is facing Chateauneuf du Pape, opposite side of the Rhône river. As showed by the picture and following geologist George Truc, soils are almost similar in both side. They are 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. LIRAC is one of the up-coming best area from the southern Rhône valley, as it delivers outstanding wines. Winemaking & ageing Traditional wine-making in stainless still vats. Hand sorted bunches, crushed and destemmed grapes. Fermentation temperature : 30°C. 18 days of vatting with pigeages.
Review:
"I love the dark and meaty aromas of this Lirac, which also has an herbal freshness and just a hint of bitter chocolate. Medium- to full-bodied with licorice and restrained forest berry fruit on the velvety palate. Extremely well-balanced finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold."
- James Suckling (April 2024), 92 pts