Country: | United States |
Regions: | California California (Lodi) |
Winery: | Van Ruiten Vineyards |
Grape Type: | Merlot |
Vintage: | 2010 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Chateau Batailley Grand Cru is made from 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot & 1% Cabernet Franc.
Château Batailley is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced at the estate was classified as one of eighteen Cinquièmes Crus (Fifth Growths) in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.
Garnet-purple colour. Rich and expressive nose, fruity with notes of spices, smoke and vanilla. On the palate, this wine is supple, round, well balanced, with good acidity, a nice fruitiness and nice notes of leather and cedar. Long elegant finish.
Review:
The 2010 Batailley repeated its magnificent showing when poured at the chateau. It has a detailed bouquet of blackberry and cedar, quite backward and seemingly having advanced lite since | tasted in in April 2016. The palate remains full of tension and brimming with energy, delivering classic cedar and tobacco notes toward the persistent finish. Batailley can produce wines that live many decades, and this is clearly one of them. Tasted at the property. Drink 2020-2050
- Neal Martin Vinous 95 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
Dense purple hues, with evocative aromas of black cherries, ripe plums, nectarines, boysenberry, wild bramble and exotic oak spice. The juicy and sweet-fruited palate entry, combined with crunchy tannins, lures one into a sense of overtness, yet the wine is sublimely elegant and poised. The complex layers of fruit is in perfect harmony with the oak, all bound together by a lively seam of acidity. The finish is pleasantly dry and savory, with lingering notes of Christmas cake and vanilla pod.
Pair with barbequed meats, especially venison and beef / bobotie / lamb curry / seared tuna / spicy Asian-styled cuisine / aromatic curries / duck with sweet plum sauce / beef or lamb burgers / pizza
La Jota Vineyard Merlot Howell Mountain is made from 100 percent Merlot.
Sourced from vineyards with pedigrees dating back to the 1800s, this wine continues to carry the torch of Howell Mountain’s greatness. e aromatics are lifted with plum, huckleberry and minerality leading the way. Bittersweet chocolate and dried herbs add the punctuation to an incredibly long balanced finish.
-Wine Spectator 95 Points
In general, 2018 was a great vintage for this variety, and the deep purple-hued 2018 Merlot is stunning stuff. Lots of cassis, candied violets, scorched earth, and graphite notes give way to a medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured, elegant 2018 with polished tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. It’s going to evolve for 15 years or more.
- Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points
- James Suckling 95 Points
Landes Grand Heritage Lussac Saint Emilion is made from 100 percent Merlot.
First vintage of this wine was 2010 to pay tribute to the founding father of Chateau des Landes - Paul Lassagne. He gave the family a great legacy of terroir, passion and know-how to craft this great cuvee produced from a selection of the finest grapes that are vinified and aged in 600 liter French oak foudres, just like it was done in the old days. The resulting wine is complex and aromatic offering bold aromas and flavors of dark berries, floral tones, spice, oak and vanilla. The palate is onctuous and powerful, well structured with ripe tannins. Well balanced and a complex finish.
Average age of the Vines: 60 years Yield : 50 hectoliters / hectare. Grape picking: harvest by machine. Vats: Stainless steel thermoregulated and computerized. Fermentation: 45 to 50 days with a final 35°C warm steeping. Winemaking: Malolactic fermentation in new oak barrel. Ageing: 16 months in new French Oak barrels from Allier and Limousin. Annual production: 10,000 bottles. (833 cases)
Long Shadows Pedestal Merlot 2016 is made from 75% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Petit Verdot.
Michel Rolland, Pomerol vintner and consultant to many of the world's top wineries, teamed with Washington State wine visionary Allen Shoup to produce this limited release wine.
With its intense color and inviting aromas of dark berries, licorice, baking spice and a hint of smoke, the Pedestal is a bold wine that leaves a lasting impression. Dark fruit flavors integrated with sweetness from the barrel and richness from the tannins come together seamlessly, lingering across a structured mid-palate and lengthy finish.
Winemaking: Hand-harvested grapes were double-sorted to remove green material that might impart harsh tannins, then most of the lots were cold soaked to build richness and flavor before undergoing whole-berry fermentation in 55L upright French wood tanks. This, combined with gentle pump-overs throughout fermentation, enhanced the wine’s color, texture and mouthfeel. The finished wine was aged 22 months in 85% new French oak barrels.
Review:
"The 2016 Pedestal from Michel Rolland checks in as a blend of 75% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Petit Verdot that spent 22 months in 85% new French oak. It has a rocking bouquet of smoked black fruits, espresso, chocolate, and tobacco that gives way to a full-bodied, plump, incredibly sexy red that does everything right. It's one serious mouthful of Merlot and should keep for 10-12 years." - Jeb Dunnuck (April 2019), 95 pts
"The 2016 Pedestal Merlot has a precise nose of dusty plum, red flowers and soft oak tones with an elegant aroma of pencil lead fluttering about. The medium to full-bodied palate is clean and correct, with plush dark red fruit, dusty tannins, purple flowers and soft oak spices of vanilla, cardamom and nutmeg. The wine ends with a long, thoughtful, well-balanced finish that delivers complexity and pleasure simultaneously. Michel Rolland made this beauty of a bottle. - Anthony Mueller"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #246, December 2019), 94 pts
Van Ruiten Glory Days Merlot 2010 is made from 100 percent Merlot
Wonderful flavors of ripe, black cherries and rich fleshy plums. Round tannins are lush, but firm with a nice chalky texture that brings out this Merlot’s real power.
The Van Ruiten Winery Estate
Mid-way between the Sierra Foothills and San Francisco Bay Delta, vineyards such as those owned by the Van Ruiten Family profit from the ideal delta influenced climate (cool afternoon breeze) that produce ripe full-flavored Zinfandels. Before settlement, the San Joaquin Valley was often an inland sea after winter rains and spring snow melt. The resulting flood drainage and soil deposits surrounding Lodi left a rich soil that drains easily, producing one-of-a-kind harvests.
For 50 years, the grapes grown in the Van Ruiten vineyards were harvested and shipped to other wineries every summer. The family wanted to branch out into winemaking, and in 1999 the first varieties of the Van Ruiten wines went into production. Among the most memorable and lasting first wines was a Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz blend that remains one of the families most popular today, along with the famous Old Vine Zinfandel, and the exceptional Chardonnay.
In 2000, less than a year after kicking off its first season of winemaking, the Van Ruiten family opened a state-of-the-art winery among their vineyards along Highway 12. The following year saw an addition of a tasting room, which allowed thirsty travelers to sample the winery's growing list of award winning wines. Soon a growing number of local boutique wineries were knocking at the door, seeking custom crush and winemaking services.
World class wine collectors, as well as leading vintners, entrepreneurs, consumers and wine lovers have quickly discovered the distinctiveness and quality available through the old family vineyards in Lodi. They now look for the Lodi and specifically the Van Ruiten Family name when patronizing exclusive establishments presenting the best wines for the world to their customers.
Three generations of the Van Ruiten family now work together tending the vineyards, managing the winery and bringing the finest wines to market. The Van Ruitens believe that hard work and an uncompromising commitment to excellence are the cornerstones of success today, and for their sixteen grandchildren and the generations to come.
The Vineyard
The Van Ruiten Family has been growing grapes in the Lodi area for more than 50 years. What started out as a table grape community slowly transitioned into the growing of wine grapes in the early 1900’s. Among the flourishing vines was the legendary Lodi Zinfandel. John’s first acres of Zinfandel still remain as part of the estate today. These Zinfandel vines are among the oldest, most historic and shyest bearing vines. Our newest addition in 2007 was the planting of our 40 acre Primitivo vineyard. This red varietal, also known as Zingarello, is genetically related to California’s Zinfandel. It originated and is still mainly grown in Southern Italy, but it is starting to make its way around the world.
Throughout the last five decades the farming practices have changed with the introduction of new technology and eco-friendly farming techniques. In an effort to move in the direction of Sustainable Farming Practices we erected nesting boxes for owls throughout our vineyards. The owls that reside in these boxes help keep the rodent population down without the use of poisons in the soil. Over the course of the last few years, thanks to the owls, the rodent population is under control without the use of pesticides. Though farming practices have changed, the motto has stayed the same. The family has prided itself in the uncompromising commitment to producing top quality grapes and passing knowledge down from generation to generation, while sharing newly learned growing practices.
After five decades the family farms an estimated 1000 acres of wine grapes, with only their best fruit destined to carry the family name. All of the fruit that enters the winery for Van Ruiten Vineyards has been picked by hand at its perfect ripeness and gently pressed to preserve the delicacy and purity of the fruits rich flavors. Three generations of the Van Ruiten family now work together tending the vineyards, managing the winery and envisioning a future for their ever growing cellar and tasting room.
The 2018 Ulysses Cabernet Sauvignon has notes of truffle, blackberries, cassis bud and tobacco with tight polished tannins. A vertical structure and persistent intensity.
Review:
Just about pure perfection and the finest wine I've tasted from this address, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon yet includes smaller amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, all from a site just north of Dominus. This deep, inky hued beauty offers up a beautiful, full-bodied, richly textured, and incredibly concentrated style that carries ample black and blue fruit as well as notes of crushed stone, scorched earth, graphite, and lead pencil. It has the focused, structured style of the 2018 vintage and is going to benefit from 4-6 years (if not a decade) of bottle age and will be a 30+ year wine.
-Jeb Dunnuck 99 Points
Cellier du Chateau de la Chaume Petit Chablis is made from 100 percent Chablis.
Color: Pale yellow
Bouquet: White flowers, honeysuckle, linden tree and dried fruits.
Palate: Very pleasant, balanced with tension and nice minerality
Drink as an Aperitif or pair with fish, shellfish.