Vertical of Lanzac Hermitage 07,08,09 18 bottles

M. Chapoutier Hermitage Monier de la Sizeranne is made from 100 percent Shiraz. 

In Hermitage, Syrah achieves its noblest expression and La Sizeranne has become a benchmark wine for the region. M. Chapoutier's roots in the Rhône date back to 1808, when the family first settled in Tain l'Hermitage. The family purchased a winery owned by Comte Monier de la Sizeranne and over time, acquired a number of excellent vineyards, including some of the oldest in France. M. Chapoutier was the first winery to put Braille on a wine label in 1996. Maurice Monier de la Sizeranne was the owner of the plot of the Hermitage, la Sizeranne until he was blinded in a hunting accident and unable to take care of the land, choosing instead to sell to the Chapoutier family. Following his accident, Maurice became the inventor of the first version of abbreviated Braille, and Chapoutier included Braille on the wine labels as a tribute to his work.

he grapes ferment in open wooden vats after total destemming. Two daily treadings ensure a good extraction of the tannins. Maturation takes place in oak casks, of which one third is new. Several rackings permit a slow and natural clarification process. The wine is unfiltered and unfined.

Review:

I was blown away by the 2019 Hermitage Monier De La Sizeranne, and if there’s a best buy out there in 2019 Hermitage, this might be it. Blackberries, black raspberries, spice box, new leather, and bouquet garni all dominate the bouquet, and it’s full-bodied, with a round, layered mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a rare mix of richness and elegance. It’s a stunning wine that’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face over the coming 2+ decades. Hats off to the team at Chapoutier!

-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points

Schwarz Thiele Road Grenache is made from 80 year old 100% Grenache vines. 

Thiele Road is a dusty track that crosses Bethany Creek at the foot of the Barossa Ranges. It is home to Jason Schwarz's family's 70 year old, deep rooted Grenache vines that produce wines with complex flavours and plenty of character.

Bouquet: The nose is floral and expressive with raspberry and pepper.
Palate: Red fruits, spice and earth with beautiful balance and structure. Medium weighted with fine acidity. A wine built on complexity and packed with interest.

Planted in 1941. The gnarled, old vines continue to produce fantastic fruit and the quality out of the 2014 vintage was evident. The vines are handpicked, 10% whole bunch and the remainder de-stemmed and into an open fermenter. Before too long the wild yeast population on the grapes kicks off fermentation and that continues with daily gentle pump overs and hand plunging until fermentation is complete and the flavour profile is just right. The wine is then basket pressed and matured in seasoned French oak for 18 months before bottling. Not filtered or fined.

Review:

"From a single vineyard (Bethany) planted in 1941. No question that 2018 delivered some mighty fine Grenache in the Barossa Valley. Bright and pretty, red fruits, baked ricotta with thyme and honey, spice. It’s finely wrought and fresh, light emery tannin, raspberry and sweet strawberry, spice, blood orange and aromatic herbs playing out on a long finish. Oh, and it’s light to medium-bodied at most. Lovely."

- The Winefront (March 2020), 94 pts

When the founding fathers of the Napa Valley carved out new sub-AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) in the 1980s, Soda Canyon Ranch was not yet on anyone’s map. The vineyard is neighbored to the northwest and west by the winegrowing districts of Stags Leap District and Oak Knoll District, respectively, which were among the early pioneers of California Cabernet Sauvignon to attain global fame. To the northeast and southeast—and further off the beaten path—were Atlas Peak and Coombsville, thought to be the next frontiers for the emerging wine-producing region.

With richness and depth of flavor, the 2018 Timeless Napa Valley is the embodiment of patience and attention to detail. Decades of experience at Soda Canyon Ranch allow winemaker Nate Weis and team to highlight the individual merits of each block. Combining the strongest lots from each resulted in a refined and harmonious bottling.

In 2018, the diurnal shift at Soda Canyon Ranch produced a darker, lusher fruit profile of Cabernet Sauvignon. Simultaneously, the overnight recovery periods resulted in expressive and refined Merlot, giving the wine a pleasant profile of bright, red fruit. With an extended harvest window, the signature, plush density and structure of Petit Verdot is also prevalent in the final blend. Cabernet Franc thrived in 2018 with its predilection for the cooler soils and the climate of blocks 5, 6, 16, 20 and 21—areas we call the Transition Zone and Hardpan Alley. The variety’s floral and tobacco-like aromatics are accentuated, and its more aggressive nature for back-end tannins tamed.

Once blended, the 2018 vintage rested in French oak barrels for 16 months, developing flavors of vanilla and baking spice. Velvety tannins dance across the palate of bright and lingering cassis. With a smooth finish, this is a comforting wine of elegance and depth—a sophisticated expression of the sedate summer.

Review:

This is a little old-school and shows lots of dark berry, chocolate and dried fruit. It’s full, dense and layered with fleshly sensibility. Velvety texture.

-James Suckling 93 Points

The Grade Cellar Kingly Project Cabernet Sauvignon is made from Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. 

"This is a noble expression of Cabernet Sauvignon"  in full regalia, with decadent aromas and a mouthfeel viscous and sleek. "This vintage of the Kingly Project Cabernet Sauvignon enters the scene"  -- Thomas Rivers Brown

Review:

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Kingly Vineyard is endowed with tremendous richness and concentration. It emerges from the best spots within Block 5, which is a bit more protected from the elements. The 2018 is a bit closed today, but it has a lot of promise. Time in the glass brings out layers of inky dark fruit and the savory, minerally notes that are such signatures. This potent Calistoga Cabernet needs time to shine, but it is impressive today just the same.

-Vinous 96 Points

The Grade Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Winfield Vineyard is made from Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

“This wine expresses a focused balancing act of dark, rich black fruit, and a fine tannin structure, illuminated through the core with a laser-like acidity. The wine displays a deep purple-red hue with a cranberry halo. Aromas of cassis, cinnamon, citrus oil, roasted meat, and lilac swell from the glass.

“The palate is marked by a wave of jet-black brambly fruit up front, followed by an exotic spice mid-palate and a long, complex finish that lasts and lasts expressing notes of flowering jasmine, and oolong tea. The silky tannins hold everything together and will certainly allow this wine to evolve in the cellar for at least 7-10 years.”  - Thomas River Brown

Review:

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Winfield Vineyard is an absolutely gorgeous wine that conveys a striking interplay of richness, power and nuance. Silky and restrained for this site, the Winfield offers up a compelling melange of red fruit, iron, cedar, tobacco, rose petal and dried herbs, all in a mid-weight style that is incredibly appealing. The Winfield is a selection taken from Blocks 1, 4 and 5.

-Vinous 94 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