Products meeting the search criteria

Begude Bandol Rouge La Brulade is made from  95% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache.

"La Brulade" is the name of a select slope located at an altitude of 400 meters overlooking the Mediterranean sea between La Baie d'Amour (the town of La Ciotat) in the South and La Sainte Baume in the North. This is one of the highest parcels in the Bandol appellation.
The wine is only produced in exceptional vintages. This carefully selected blend is made of 95% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache, aged in large French oak barrels for 24 months.
The wine shows a deep purple color. It is fresh and fruity on the nose with intense garrigue aromas. Structured, elegant and well-balanced on the palate with strong tannins. Licorice, ripe black fruits, garrigue flavors and some peppery freshness on the finish.

The 35-year old grapes are grown on clay and limestone soils and are farmed organically. Yield is very low - 15hl/ha. The grapes are harvested manually.
Winemaking: Double selection, destemming, crushing before skin contact fermentation. No filtration. Aging for 24 months in French oak casks (600L).

Grilled meat (lamb, beef, boar), Mediterranean cuisine, spicy dishes.

Review:

"Complex nose with deep black berry fruits, spice and hints of polish. Really lovely texture with layers of creamy red and black fruits, spices and powerful but super fine tannins. Great expression of the appellation; powerfully long."

- Decanter World Wine Award 2020 - 97 pts & Platinum Medal

Bella Union by Far Niente Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 5% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot.

The 2021 Bella Union Napa Valley Cabernet possesses beautiful and intriguing aromas of dark plum, black cherry, hints of clove and barrel spice. The palate is well-structured with velvety tannins complemented by generous layers of fruit flavors of blackberry, fig, and raspberry preserves that give way to a melting finish.

Review:

With small percentages of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot, this exquisitely aromatic and textural Cabernet begins with a perfume of crushed violets and black cherry. Concentrated flavors of blackberry liqueur, vanilla, and sandalwood flow across chewy, velvet- lined tannins.

-Tasting Panel 95 Points

Belle Glos Clark and Telephone Vineyard Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir. 

The Clark & Telephone Vineyard was established in 1972 and planted with “own root” Martini clone vines. Located just 13 miles from the ocean and situated on a west-facing slope, this vineyard experiences weather patterns that pull from west to east to bring cool fog and coastal breezes inland until August when Santa Ana winds begin.

We harvested early in the morning so the fruit would arrive at the winery while the grapes were still cool to preserve their vineyard-fresh flavors. After destemming (but not crushing) the berries, we cold-soaked the must for 14 days to soften the skins and allow for ideal extraction. During fermentation in a combination of closed and open-top stainless steel fermenters, we used both punch-down and pump-over techniques to extract color and phenolics. We aged the wine in 100% French oak (60% new) for up to 12 months. After the wine underwent malolactic fermentation, we racked it twice before bottling.

Deep ruby red in color with lush aromas of ripe cherry, nutmeg, dark chocolate and holiday baking spices. Bold and complex flavors of black plum, crushed raspberry and blueberry pie linger on the palate. The texture is rich and lively, and leads into a warm and structured finish.

Belle Glos' first wine under the newly minted West Sonoma Coast AVA and a cellared release, this majestic vineyard brings plum with a slight burnt edge in the glass and boasts aromas of freshly tilled land, a rich oak forest in Autumn, and Crème de Cassis. Once on the palate, the acidity sparks a fire of smoked caramel and cinnamon spiked cranberry sauce. The silky-smooth texture gives way to a long and balanced finish that leaves your senses wanting more. 

Review:

Located in the westernmost section of Sonoma County, this rugged, elevated, marine-influenced sub-AVA is the newest in the region. This almost nine-year-old wine immediately delivers a memorable experience through its perfume of jasmine, gardenia, and tangelo; on the palate, notes of brown-sugared cherry join a parade of orange peel and crushed stone. Grainy yet juicy strawberry weaves into vanilla and cedar as white pepper keeps the palate primed for more flavor.

-Tasting Panel 97 Points

Benjamin Romeo La Cueva del Contador is made from 91% Tempranillo, 9% Garnacha.

Named after the centuries-old caves or “cuevas” carved out of the hillside below the castle of San Vicente in Sonsierra north of the Ebro, this wine is composed of 91 percent Tempranillo and 9 percent Garnacha. The fruit is sourced from eight different plots that yield about 1.2 kg per vine. Fermentation begins after a three-day cold maceration and the wine is aged for nineteen months in 100 percent new French oak and bottled without fining or filtration.

The palate offers flavors of blackberry coulis, Damson plums, Rosemary and well-integrated tannins; this wine is well balanced and youthful with a long powerful finish. Both red and black fruit are pronounced in the nose, but there are also mineral and herbal notes of gravel and lavender.

Review:

 I found cleaner aromas and a fresher quality and finer tannins in the 2019 La Cueva del Contador, a quite complete wine with elegance and finesse combined with power and concentration. The oak is still noticeable after 18 months in new barriques, and I'd wait a little longer before pulling the cork. It has the perfume of La Cueva in the background. It should resurface with a little more time in bottle. 10,000 bottles produced.

-Wine Advocate 95 Points

#32 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2023

Delicate red in color. The incredibly expressive bouquet offers notes of sandalwood, herbs de Provence, and Red Delicious apples. On the palate, freshly picked red huckleberries provide tart and lasting succulence with a hint of baking spice. The sandy soils of the Chehalem Mountains offer salinity and minerality on the finish that is complemented with dark cherry and rhubarb.

Review:

Supple, richly textured and elegantly complex, this Pinot opens with a burst of fresh raspberry, then unfolds with notes of forest floor and brown baking spices, plus a touch of licorice as it builds tension toward refined tannins.

-Wine Spectator 95 Points

The first impression of this stunning red is of brilliant red raspberry fruit, as pure as a sunbeam. Yet an inky depth plays counterpoint, rumbling beneath, dark and a bit spicy, grounding the fruit with tannins from the silica-based soils of Bergström’s estate vineyard in the Chehalem Mountains. The tension between these two elements is gorgeous, the fruit saturating and full, and yet it has an energy and drive giving the texture a lifted, graceful feel.

-Wine & Spirits 95 Points

Bernard Cote Rotie Cote Brune is made from 100% Syrah.  Wine was aged in French oak barrels for 16 months (25% new)

Like its little sister (Côte Rôzier) the Côte Brune is a 100% Syrah with a beautiful dark and brilliant color. The nose shows grilled and toasted notes and is completed by small red and black fruits. It is a wine with a very good length, nice complexity, finesse, and firm tannins. Its ageing in barrels for 16 months, 25% of which are new, brings a real balance to this wine. A very pleasant, elegant and modern wine that can be cellared for many years.

Pair with roasts, white meat with wine sauce, game, red meat and dark chocolate. To be served between 16 and 18°C. (60-64°F)

Bernardins Beaumes de Venise Rouge Cru Cotes du Rhone is made from 65% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache Blanc.

Bright ruby color with cherry tinges. Complex black fruit aromas on the nose enhanced by spicy notes. Rounded palate with good length.

The wine is drinking well right now and can be kept for another 10 years.

Situation
Spreads out over the south-east side of the Dentelles de Montmirail hills, in Beaumes de Venise in the southern part of the Rhone valley.

Terroir
 On a poor sandy, hungry and arid soil consisting of tender limestone and gritty zones of sandy mollasse.

In the vineyard
The vineyards and their terroir are the essence of our wines. This is where everything starts and where we focus our efforts throughout the year. You can’t make great wine without great grapes.

The viticulture is essentially done by hand. Five people work full-time in the vineyards. They are supplemented by seasonal employees who work during bunch thinning and the harvest in order to bring out the very best in our vines. Working by hand and the attention each vine gets are fundamental. Pruning, de-budding, trellising, leaf removal and picking are thus carried out by hand with the utmost care.

We prepare the soil by using good old-fashioned ploughing. Organic compost is made from grape marc (the discarded stalks and skins).

As a way of protecting the plants, we only use phytosanitary products when necessary and within strict guidelines by staggering the treatments appropriately, to minimise the amount of chemicals used. We prefer to use as much as possible manual and organic techniques . Leaving natural grass cover, removing buds and leaves from the vines, preserving biodiversity around the vineyard: olive, almond and cypress trees, wild rosemary and capers.

Winemaking
We make two red wines at the estate. Terroir wines shaped by the two classic Côtes du Rhône varieties: Grenache and Syrah. We don’t follow any winemaking recipe but are constantly searching for the perfect expression of terroir and each vintage’s particular characteristics. We don’t go for overripe grapes and over-extraction, as we think the wine has to stay refreshing and balanced.

Leaving the wine for 15 days in concrete vats, we try to gently extract the tannins and anthocyanins essential for the wine’s structure and colour. The wine doesn’t come into any contact with wood during ageing. This way the characteristics of our terroir can fully express

Serve with a meal especially red meat, game and cheese.

 Review:

"Smoky bacon, bay leaf and olive brine. This is very fine for a whole-bunch style, with lovely tannic finesse and texture. Powerful, tannic and cleansing, yet compact, with driving acidity, a dry, savoury finish and perfect balance. A good vintage, for what is a reliably good-value southern Rhône pick. Vineyards in conversion to organic; fruit is whole-bunch fermented.- Matt WALLS"

- Decanter (October 1st 2024), 94 pts

Bernardins Muscat Beaumes Venise VDN 100% Muscat petits grains (75% Blanc, 25% Red)

Copper/rose hue and ripe soft aromas of orange, spice and flowers. The wine is full bodied with the texture of silk and flavors of orange custard, white peach, pear, apricot, toffee and orange peel.

The vineyards and their terroir are the essence of our wines. This is where everything starts and where we focus our efforts throughout the year. You can’t make great wine without great grapes.

The viticulture is essentially done by hand. Five people work full-time in the vineyards. They are supplemented by seasonal employees who work during bunch thinning and the harvest in order to bring out the very best in our vines. Working by hand and the attention each vine gets are fundamental. Pruning, de-budding, trellising, leaf removal and picking are thus carried out by hand with the utmost care.

We prepare the soil by using good old-fashioned ploughing. Organic compost is made from grape marc (the discarded stalks and skins).

As a way of protecting the plants, we only use phytosanitary products when necessary and within strict guidelines by staggering the treatments appropriately, to minimise the amount of chemicals used. We prefer to use as much as possible manual and organic techniques . Leaving natural grass cover, removing buds and leaves from the vines, preserving biodiversity around the vineyard: olive, almond and cypress trees, wild rosemary and capers.

In the spirit of respecting traditional techniques and the best elements of modern technology, cellar manager Andrew Hall and his winemaker son Romain Hall take family traditions very seriously.

When making our wines, the Muscat de Beaumes de Venise plays a central role and requires great care. After picking the grapes by hand, we press them straightaway to ferment the juice without skins. We don’t add any yeasts and keep the alcoholic fermentation in check by temperature control. Vin Doux Naturel winemaking involves stopping fermentation to preserve the grapes’ natural sweetness. During vinification, we watch the vats day and night and add the fortifying spirit just at the right moment. At this stage, the wine’s final balance is at stake. The wine is then aged in stainless steel tanks for 6 months before bottling.

Bernardins Muscat Beaumes Venise VDN 100% Muscat petits grains (75% Blanc, 25% Red)

Copper/rose hue and ripe soft aromas of orange, spice and flowers. The wine is full bodied with the texture of silk and flavors of orange custard, white peach, pear, apricot, toffee and orange peel.

The vineyards and their terroir are the essence of our wines. This is where everything starts and where we focus our efforts throughout the year. You can’t make great wine without great grapes.

The viticulture is essentially done by hand. Five people work full-time in the vineyards. They are supplemented by seasonal employees who work during bunch thinning and the harvest in order to bring out the very best in our vines. Working by hand and the attention each vine gets are fundamental. Pruning, de-budding, trellising, leaf removal and picking are thus carried out by hand with the utmost care.

We prepare the soil by using good old-fashioned ploughing. Organic compost is made from grape marc (the discarded stalks and skins).

As a way of protecting the plants, we only use phytosanitary products when necessary and within strict guidelines by staggering the treatments appropriately, to minimise the amount of chemicals used. We prefer to use as much as possible manual and organic techniques . Leaving natural grass cover, removing buds and leaves from the vines, preserving biodiversity around the vineyard: olive, almond and cypress trees, wild rosemary and capers.

In the spirit of respecting traditional techniques and the best elements of modern technology, cellar manager Andrew Hall and his winemaker son Romain Hall take family traditions very seriously.

When making our wines, the Muscat de Beaumes de Venise plays a central role and requires great care. After picking the grapes by hand, we press them straightaway to ferment the juice without skins. We don’t add any yeasts and keep the alcoholic fermentation in check by temperature control. Vin Doux Naturel winemaking involves stopping fermentation to preserve the grapes’ natural sweetness. During vinification, we watch the vats day and night and add the fortifying spirit just at the right moment. At this stage, the wine’s final balance is at stake. The wine is then aged in stainless steel tanks for 6 months before bottling.

Review:

"Butterscotch and apricot jam aromas. A lighter vintage of this cuvée, but very fresh and drinkable, and the best Muscat of the vintage by far. 110g/L residual sugar. In conversion to organic. - Matt WALLS"

- Decanter (November 2024), 91 pts

Bernardins Muscat Beaumes Venise VDN 100% Muscat petits grains (75% Blanc, 25% Red)

Copper/rose hue and ripe soft aromas of orange, spice and flowers. The wine is full bodied with the texture of silk and flavors of orange custard, white peach, pear, apricot, toffee and orange peel.

The vineyards and their terroir are the essence of our wines. This is where everything starts and where we focus our efforts throughout the year. You can’t make great wine without great grapes.

The viticulture is essentially done by hand. Five people work full-time in the vineyards. They are supplemented by seasonal employees who work during bunch thinning and the harvest in order to bring out the very best in our vines. Working by hand and the attention each vine gets are fundamental. Pruning, de-budding, trellising, leaf removal and picking are thus carried out by hand with the utmost care.

We prepare the soil by using good old-fashioned ploughing. Organic compost is made from grape marc (the discarded stalks and skins).

As a way of protecting the plants, we only use phytosanitary products when necessary and within strict guidelines by staggering the treatments appropriately, to minimise the amount of chemicals used. We prefer to use as much as possible manual and organic techniques . Leaving natural grass cover, removing buds and leaves from the vines, preserving biodiversity around the vineyard: olive, almond and cypress trees, wild rosemary and capers.

In the spirit of respecting traditional techniques and the best elements of modern technology, cellar manager Andrew Hall and his winemaker son Romain Hall take family traditions very seriously.

When making our wines, the Muscat de Beaumes de Venise plays a central role and requires great care. After picking the grapes by hand, we press them straightaway to ferment the juice without skins. We don’t add any yeasts and keep the alcoholic fermentation in check by temperature control. Vin Doux Naturel winemaking involves stopping fermentation to preserve the grapes’ natural sweetness. During vinification, we watch the vats day and night and add the fortifying spirit just at the right moment. At this stage, the wine’s final balance is at stake. The wine is then aged in stainless steel tanks for 6 months before bottling.

Bernardins Muscat de Beaumes de Venise Hommage is made from 75% Muscat petits grains blancs, 25% Muscat petits grains noirs.

The wine shows a golden hue with orangy highlights. Endearing nose of grape, orange peel and a honeyed accent. Mild at point of entry, spendid aromatic intensity, sultana, candied orange, rose petal and refined spice. Our Muscat de Beaumes de Venise has a great age ability.

For every vintage of our Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, the grapes are picked by hand. We press them straightaway to ferment the juice without skins. We don’t add any yeasts and keep the alcoholic fermentation in check by temperature control. Vin Doux Naturel winemaking involves stopping fermentation to preserve the grapes’ natural sweetness. During vinification, we watch the vats day and night and add 95% grape spirit just at the right moment. At this stage, the wine’s final balance is at stake. For the Hommage, we blend different vintages, aged in stain steel vats, to create the complexity of a long lasting wine.

The Hommage is a versatile companion to many deserts. Most expressive with dry biscuits and dry fruits, it retains all its character served with a fruit tart, puff paestry and chocolate or coffe desserts. To appreciate as well with duck breasts and figs. Served with a roquefort or a silton, it is marvellous. Simply as an aperitif with some dry fruit or grilled almonds. It's also a good compagnion for a classy cigars.

Bertani Valpantena Amarone  is made from 80% Corvina Veronese, 20% Rondinella.

The best grapes are selected so that only the healthiest and ripest bunches are sent to the drying rooms in the historic winery at Grezzana, where they are laid out in single-layer crates. In mid- January, the grapes are destemmed and crushed, then fermentation starts, at first at a temperature of 39°F- 41°F, which then reaches 72°F in the final stages.

WINEMAKING

The vines are vertical-trellised and Guyot-trained, with a planting density of 2024 plants per acre. Hand harvest is carried out in the middle of September.

This amarone is produced in the Valpantena hills, north of Verona. The soils are calcareous-marl in the east and calcareous-clay in the west, rich in iron.

TERROIR & VINTAGE NOTES

Bertani’s impact on Veneto wine making, particularly in Amarone production, is so considerable that ‘Bertani’ and ‘Amarone’ are nearly synonymous. Their 150+ year history is dotted with groundbreaking initiatives and royal accreditation. While respectful of their past, Bertani strives towards innovation, using progressive techniques and equipment allied with extensive experience and a deeply felt respect for tradition to provide wines of uncompromising quality.

On the nose, marked and intense aromas of very ripe cherries, sour cherries, spicy and nutty notes typical of the Valpantena. Good follow-through of red fruits on the palate, with supple tannins to give depth. This full bodied wine pairs well with rich dishes, mature cheeses and strong-flavored meats.

Bertani Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore Catullo is made from 70% Corvina Veronese, 20% Corvinone, 10% Rondinella.  Valpolicella Classica, Tenuta Novare Estate in Arbizzano di Negrar.

Wine of medium structure with elegant spicy notes of vanilla and chocolate accompanied by typical notes of cherry, sour cherry and white pepper. The palate offers the easy drinkability typical of Valpolicella and, at the same time, silky tannic structure and intense, prolonged aromatic persistence. The finish is fresh, soft and savory. A wine in the classic style, elegant, balanced, harmonious.

Review:

If I was forced to choose a number of wines that can steer the anachronistic Ripasso category into a brighter future, this would be among a very few. A mid-weighted, streamlined expression with just enough fruit on the bones. Think strawberries, lilacs, Asian plums, cloves and a hint of licorice. A noble, almost alpine bitterness lifts the finish. Brilliant. Drink or hold.

-James Suckling 95 Points

The Black Oak Cabernet Sauvignon is garnet red in color, refreshing and inviting to the palate. The wine’s aromas are layered with rich plum notes and a warm cedar component. The ripe, dark cherry flavors, are reminiscent of decadent blackberries with a nice sprinkling of dried herbs. With a mellow tannin structure, this medium-bodied wine is delicious and well-integrated.

The Black Oak White Zinfandel is a wonderful warm weather sipper. This is sometimes called our ‘hammock wine’ for lazy days by the river.

Lovely perfume aromas that remind one of ripe melons, honeysuckle in summer, and cherry blossoms in spring. The flavors are bright and delicately sweet, with a very good balance of fresh acidity that lightens up the complex texture. The succulent flavors are of juicy tangerine, white peaches and just picked strawberries. All this with an additional hint of lemon-lime and sass that make this a very approachable and fun wine selection.

Dark fruit with hints of blackberry cobbler, graphite, and sandalwood. Mostly grown on warmer sites of the Walla Walla Valley including our estate, Bob Healy Vineyard. Beautiful tannins that are lush and have a strong core that broadens out last minute to an ultra-long finish. A really pleasing and luxurious wine.

Review:

Ripe blue and blackberry notes with floral quality, minty cherries and elegant oak spices undertones. Chocolatey texture on the palate, dense and concentrated, rounded. Dense core of dark plummy fruit supported by a refreshing acidity.

-Decanter 97 Points

Enemigo El Enemigo Gran Enemigo is made from 100% Cabernet Franc. 

In the spectrum of people who pay attention to detail, winemakers are often incredibly detail-oriented.  This can sometimes spill over to become an internal battled, and, as Alejandro Vigil and Adrianna Catena state, "We are our own worst enemy." El Enemigo pays homage to this internal struggle.

The nose presents sweet aromas of black ripen fruits with hints of vanilla and chocolate, which appear after the oak ageing. The mouthfeel is sweet with structured, persistent tannins due to the natural acidity of this wine, leading into an excellent long finish. 

Review:

The nose of the 2018 Gran Enemigo El Cepillo Single Vineyard, from a low-yielding and drier year, is full of curry, a note that was a constant across the three vintages I tasted together, but it tends to be stronger in low-yielding and dry years like this. It's also floral and comes through as aromatic and a little exotic, in a good way, with elegance, persistence and very pure flavors. It has fine-grained tannins, great acidity and balance. 7,200 bottles. All these single-vineyard bottlings mature in ancient 4,000-liter oak foudres for some 15 months.

 "Pretty and inviting on the nose with gorgeous aromas of floral violet, cassis and completed with a lifted, delicate liquorice note. The palate is graced with deep herb, pepper, crunchy red fruit and graceful, silky tannins."

-Decanter 97 Points

Intense ruby ​​​​color of high layer with garnet edge, clean and shiny. Intense nose that, from the beginning, transmits complexity, penetrating, with aromas of black fruits, blueberries and currants, undergrowth, roasted memories, toffee, coffee powder, liquorice, cloves, vanilla and lebanese cedar. Mouth with freshness and balance, with tannins ripe and creamy, which highlight its elegance, with a step harmonious and intense. Long and pleasant aftertaste, with a great variety of balsamic and spicy memories.

 Review:

Complex but neat and vivid, with outstanding depth and vibrancy at the same time. White pepper, nettles, red berries, chalk, minerals and spices. Full-bodied and so cohesive and chalky on the palate, with a long, broad, dusty finish. The slight warmth in the finish does not affect the greatness of this Ribera del Duero. Drink or hold.

-James Suckling 95 Points

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Deep cherry red in color with a garnet rim. On the nose, it is intense and elegant, with a base of ripe fruits that blends with the subtle tertiary aromas of sweet spices and cocoa. On the palate, it is balanced, full-bodied but with sweet and pleasant tannins, with a long and very persistent aftertaste.

Review:

Named Decanter Magazine's Top Wine released in 2013

Excellent with roasted lamb, duck, pork, and beef. A great accompaniment to ham croquettes, hard cheeses, and sautéed vegetables.

Reviews:

(85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo) Deep ruby color; mushroom and rich, ripe and intense plum, black cherry and spice, tobacco, leather. Great acidity, crushed flowers, super long finish.

-Tasting Panel 98 Points

Deliciously decadent, with extraordinary vitality on the palate and a long, unique finish. A jewel at this price. I have this wine full marks - it was perfect. I cannot think of any other wine, in this price range, that provides so much complexity, elegance, style, classicism and length.

-Decanter 97 Points