Paul Hobbs George Menini Estate Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Brilliant ruby red in the glass, the 2022 vintage follows the color with matching aromas of wild mountain strawberry, raspberry, and cherry infused with hints of black tea. On the palate, this wine has the texture of thick satin, evolving seamlessly with subtle energy and pleasant tension. Elegant, fine-grained tannins run through a lingering, juicy finish.
Review:
Wow, a super well-structured, vital wine with oodles of generous black fruit flavors on a firm frame that will help it age well and improve with time. Black cherries, blackberries, blueberries, forest floor nuances and a slight smoky, stemmy character from using mostly Calera-clone grapes, with 15% whole clusters and 30% new French oak. Great interplay between layered fruit and a fresh, crunchy texture. Drinkable now, but best from 2030.
-James Suckling 98 Points & #54 in Top 100
Paul Hobbs Russian River Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Sourced predominately from the estates that are defined by their proximity to the coast and Russian River climate, the wine displays vivid crimson and aromas of violet, Morello cherry, and black tea. Velvet tannins on the palate ride along a juicy backbone of flavors such as cranberry, Blood orange, and Damson plum. The finish is long, powered behind a crisp acidity and appealing red clay-like minerality.
Vintage Notes: A cool summer and early fall allowed a longer ripening season, helping benefit this years Cabernet Franc, as its natural spice was allowed to mature and become better defined.
Pearmund Cellars Cabernet Franc is made from100% Cabernet Franc. Known primarily as a blending grape in Bordeaux’s left bank. Its ability to grow and mature in Virginia makes it one of the States finest varietals.
Tasting Notes: A nose of cherries, raspberries and fennel. Peppery spice continues on the palate with notes of cocoa and sweet cedar wood, allowing for easy drinking. A hint of pepper will linger on the finish.
Pearmund Cellars Old Vine Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Warm buttery flavor, hint of pear and apple. Full-bodied and lush to the palate. Aged nine months in French oak
Pearmund Cellars Viognier Vinecroft Vineyard is made from 100 percent Viognier.
Explosive tropical fruit flavors: Pineapple and peach with hints of grapefruit. Powerful, yet feminine.
Sweet and ripe on the palate with peach, apricot, pineapple, and mango notes. Long and flavorful finish.
Pernot Belicard Batard Montrachet Grand Cru is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Aromas of white peach, white apple, with a beautiful minerality. Also lighty salty, chalky aromas and some bread and brioche flavors and a hint of vanilla.
Poultry with cream based sauces, French cheese, like camembert, but not too strong, also seafood and fish.
Pernot Belicard Bienvenue Batard Montrachet Grand Cru is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Aromas of white peach, white apple, with a beautiful minerality. Also lighty salty, chalky aromas and some bread and brioche flavors and a hint of vanilla.
Paultry with cream based sauces, French cheese, like camembert, but not to strong, also sea food and fish.
Pernot Belicard Bienvenue Batard Montrachet Grand Cru is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Aromas of white peach, white apple, with a beautiful minerality. Also lighty salty, chalky aromas and some bread and brioche flavors and a hint of vanilla.
Paultry with cream based sauces, French cheese, like camembert, but not too strong, also seafood and fish.
Pernot Belicard Puligny Montrachet Premier Cru Champ Canet is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Thee grapes come from the Premier Cru Champ Canet in Puligny Montrachet, from a small parcel of .55 acre.
The wine exhibits a rich and complex nose of floral notes and ripe fruit aromas. The mouth is ample, elegant and mineral, balanced and complex with a great length.
Fresh truffle pasta, Seafood Risotto, Raspberry Panacotta
Pernot Belicard Puligny Montrachet Premier Cru Perrieres is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
The grapes come from Puligny Montrachet, from a small parcel of 1.28 acre.
The wine offers an intense and expressive nose of white flowers and stone fruits. A precise and elegant palate, beautiful concentration and a stony mineral character that echoes the typical Puligny Montrachet terroir. Citrus and orchard fruit flavors, a fresh and long finish.
Pair with lobster Soufflé. Grilled mullet fish with hazelnut biscuits and asparagus, Turbot Filet with vegetables …
Pernot Belicard Puligny Montrachet Premier Cru Perrieres is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
The grapes come from Puligny Montrachet, from a small parcel of 1.28 acre.
The wine offers an intense and expressive nose of white flowers and stone fruits. A precise and elegant palate, beautiful concentration and a stony mineral character that echoes the typical Puligny Montrachet terroir. Citrus and orchard fruit flavors, a fresh and long finish.
Pair with lobster Soufflé. Grilled mullet fish with hazelnut biscuits and asparagus, Turbot Filet with vegetables …
Pernot Belicard Puligny-Montrachet is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
The grapes come from the village of Puligny Montrachet, from a small parcel of 3.7 acres.
An expressive nose showing floral aromas, butter and woody notes. The mouth is round and suave with fruity notes and great minerality.
Pair with Sole Meunière, Bresse Poultry with morels, Livarot cheese.
Pernot Belicard Puligny-Montrachet is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
The grapes come from the village of Puligny Montrachet, from a small parcel of 3.7 acres.
An expressive nose showing floral aromas, butter and woody notes. The mouth is round and suave with fruity notes and great minerality.
Pair with Sole Meunière, Bresse Poultry with morels, Livarot cheese.
'Ma Belle-Fille' was named by Sir Peter as a warm tribute to Emily Michael, his "Daughter-in-Law", and mother of the third generation of the family. Planted at the highest elevation on the estate, the marine influence on Ma Belle-Fille vineyard is greater, resulting in cooler daily temperatures in the summer and autumn months. Situated above the summer fog ceiling and exposed to the southeast, the vineyard receives the very first rays of sunshine each morning and remains sunny all day long. This full exposure, combined with cooler temperatures, causes the fruit to mature earlier than the rest of our estate.
Vintage Notes
The combination of a wet winter with significant rains in December through March and cool weather delayed budbreak nearly a month. Flowering and fruit set were also pushed back and the weather during the later flowering was favorable resulting in decent fruit set and slightly above average yields for the Chardonnay vineyards—a marked improvement over the record-low yielding 2022 vintage. The growing season was temperate without major heat spikes allowing the berries to hold onto their acidity which carried through into the wines. Harvest was almost a month later than normal with the last Belle Cote block coming in on November 2nd.
At the highest elevation on the estate, the marine influence on Ma Belle-Fille is greater, resulting in cooler daily temperatures in the summer and autumn months. Situated far above the summer fog ceiling and exposed to the southeast, the vineyard receives the very first rays of sunshine each morning and remains sunny all day long. This full exposure, combined with cooler temperatures, causes the fruit to mature earlier than the rest of our estate.
Beautifully perfumed with layers of honeysuckle, jasmine and dried orange peel accented by apricot, vanilla cream and spring flower notes, the 2023 ‘Ma Belle-Fille’ delivers with a rich, creamy entry and generous, structured mid-palate showing great drive and intensity with a long, mouth-watering finish. A truly special wine from an extraordinary vintage.
Review:
So delicious and drinkable from the first whiff to the lingering finish. An uber-chardonnay that packs in all the richness of fruit and smooth spiciness of oak fermentation, with vibrant acidity and a silky texture. Well balanced in a cool, ideal vintage and a great candidate for aging longer term. Drinkable now and best from 2030.
James Suckling 99 Points
Its rosy appearance is delicate in color and an expressive nose lends charm to this blend. A palate dominated by wild berries: gooseberry and raspberry that reveal themselves in a crisp, silky mouthfeel enhanced with a touch of minerality.
Pierre Olivier Brut Vin Mousseux NV is made from 100% Airen.
A value sparkling brut, made with Airen grapes from around the French/Spanish border (next to the Pyrenees). This is a new Kysela Project.
The bubbles are obtained using the Charmat method, named after Eugene Charmat, where the second fermentation takes places in a large, closed pressurized tank. It is different from the Methode Champanoise as the secondary fermentation doesn't take place in the bottle.
Pomerols Picpoul Pinet HB Languedoc is made from 100 percent Picpoul.
Pale yellow color with green tints. Fresh and fine aromas of grapefruit and exotic fruit. Lime flavors, with typical focusing acidity, are hallmarks of Picpoul. Our best value, this wine impresses novices and hardened geeks equally.
Pomerols Picpoul Pinet HB Languedoc is made from 100 percent Picpoul.
Pale yellow color with green tints. Fresh and fine aromas of grapefruit and exotic fruit. Lime flavors, with typical focusing acidity, are hallmarks of Picpoul. Our best value, this wine impresses novices and hardened geeks equally.
Quails Gate Chardonnay Okanagan Valley is made from 100% Chardonnay.
Quails’Gate Winery takes great pride in our portfolio of Chardonnays. As one of the original wineries in the Okanagan, our first Chardonnay clone was planted more than 30 years ago, and we have cultivated some of the oldest and most sought-after Chardonnay blocks in the region. The Estate Chardonnay is crafted to be bright, fresh, vivid and celebrated by all who drink it.
Tasting notes:
Fragrances of lemon, yellow flower, peach are accompanied by subtle hints of beeswax and vanilla. A bright-entry on the palate with medium acidity leads t o vibrant tastings of pear, lemon meringue crust and lime zest ending with a long and creamy finish.
This is a wonderfully versatile food wine. Try pairing with lemon roasted chicken, rich seafood risotto or creamy butternut squash soup.
Quinta de Fafide Reserva Branco is made from 50% Codega do Larinho, 30% Rabigato, 20% Viosinho
In this wine we look for an aromatic concentration and high acidity of the grapes from the very old traditional vineyards of high altitude in Douro Superior, about 550 meters above sea level, showing the full character of the varieties of indigenous Douro old vines, giving very mineral and creamy wines. Mineral aroma, citrus and tropical fruit, fresh and full-bodied on the palate, buttery texture and complexity provided by fermentation and ageing in barrels.
Quinta de Fafide Reserva Branco is made from 50% Codega do Larinho, 30% Rabigato, 20% Viosinho
In this wine we look for an aromatic concentration and high acidity of the grapes from the very old traditional vineyards of high altitude in Douro Superior, about 550 meters above sea level, showing the full character of the varieties of indigenous Douro old vines, giving very mineral and creamy wines. Mineral aroma, citrus and tropical fruit, fresh and full-bodied on the palate, buttery texture and complexity provided by fermentation and ageing in barrels.
It is the purest example of tempranillo grapes from Rioja Alavesa. Coming from a vineyard over a hundred years old with an extremely low production. You can taste a high concentration of ripe fruit, well-bodied, with a final touch of toffee and lime soil plus a perfect acidity which makes this wine fresh and very tempting.
VINEYARD From the Cuba Negra Vineyard in southern Labastida, the El Belisario bottling comes from Tempranillo vines planted in 1910.
ALCOHOL 14.5%
PROCESS Fermented naturally in oak foudre. Malolactic fermentation and aging occur in 100% new French oak barriques over two years.
TASTING Along with its brilliant garnet color, aromas of cherries, dried plums, black pepper, and savory mushroom leap from the glass. The palate is fresh and concentrated with mixed red and black fruit, chocolate, menthol, and coffee. Displays a surprisingly elegant nature. Pair with game, red meat and dark chocolate.
Review:
One of those wines that makes you belief in the special magic of old vines, El Belisario hails from La Greña, parcel planted on limestone rich soils in 1910. Aged in older French barrels, it's a focused, nuanced, wonderfully expressive Tempranillo with raspberry, pomegranate and red cherry fruit, filigree tannins, energetic acidity and sweet, caressing oak spices.
96 Points - Top Rated Single Vineyard in Tim Atkin's 2023 Rioja report
Peter Michael 'L'Esprit des Pavots' Estate Red is made from 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot.
The saturated garnet 2022 ‘L’Esprit des Pavots’ features an intense nose of cassis, black cherry, ripe plum and blackberries with hints of black olive, black tea and baking spices. The soft, supple entry and round generous tannins combine for a plush mouthfeel and elegant finish. This is a fleshy vintage of ‘L’Esprit des Pavots’ which can be approached in its early years but will continue to expand with age.
Review:
“The deep ruby/magenta-colored 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon L’Esprit Des Pavots is a blend of Knights Valley and Oakville… fruity upfront… rich and concentrated… polished tannins and a great finish. A great value in the vintage.”
- Jeb Dunnuck 95 points