Vitanza Chianti Colli Senesi 2013

Montepescini Chianti Colli Senesi  is made from 90% Sangiovese and 10% Canaiolo.

Deep ruby red in the glass with an intense nose holding blackberry and violet notes. On the palate it is rounded and robust with hints of wild berries, dark cherry and spice. This Chianti has excellent acidity and a long and satisfying finish.

Alcohol: 14.0% 

Aging: 8 months in French oak barrels and an additional 3 months in bottle
Vinification: 13 to 15 days of skin contact maceration.
Vineyards: south sun exposure at 350 meters of altitude (1150 feet)
Grapes: 90% Sangiovese and 10% Canaiolo

Pairs well with roasted red and white meats, aged cheeses, dishes with rosemary and garlic or mushrooms.

Vitanza Quadrimendo is made from 50% Sangiovese Grosso, and 50% Merlot

This wine is flavorful and complex with a good backbone of acid and tannin.
Deep red ruby color. Intense aromas with characteristic peppery notes. Dry, tannic and powerful but with a smooth body.

Total aging time was 12 months in French oak, and 12 months bottle refinement.

"Plenty of spice, chili and berry character with hints of cedar and dried mushrooms. Full body, firm tannins and a fresh finish. A blend of sangiovese and merlot. Drink now or hold."

- Jamessuckling.com (August 2015), 92 pts

Colline Saint Jean Vacqueyras Rouge is made from 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre.

Dense ruby/purple color as well as an impressive bouquet of red and black fruits (cherry, raspberry, black currant), licorice, garrigue and pepper.
The wine is dense, full-bodied, opulent and impressively endowed with sweet, well-integrated tannins.

Harvested by hand. Traditional vinification. Skin-contact maceration for 20 days in cement vats. Ageing: 70% in cement vats and 30% in oak barrels.

Pairs well with red meat, white meat, game dishes in macerate sauce and cheese.

Review:

(raised for a year in 80% concrete tanks and usedbarriques): Full ruby. Lively aromas of ripe red and blue fruit, licorice and lavender are complemented by a suggestion of white pepper. Supple and broad on entry, then tighter in the midpalate, offering juicy black raspberry and bitter cherry flavors and a subtle touch of spicecake. Shows very good depth as well as vivacity, finishing with slow-building tannins and minerally persistence.

-- Josh Raynolds Vinous 90 Points

Colline Saint Jean Vacqueyras Rouge is made from 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre.

Dense ruby/purple color as well as an impressive bouquet of red and black fruits (cherry, raspberry, black currant), licorice, garrigue and pepper.
The wine is dense, full-bodied, opulent and impressively endowed with sweet, well-integrated tannins.

Harvested by hand. Traditional vinification. Skin-contact maceration for 20 days in cement vats. Ageing: 70% in cement vats and 30% in oak barrels.

Pairs well with red meat, white meat, game dishes in macerate sauce and cheese.

Review:

"What looks to be a smokin’ good wine, the 2015 Vacqueyras dishes up tons of smoked herbs, licorice, spice and ripe dark fruits in a rounded, impressively textured style. Made from 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah and a splash of Mourvèdre, mostly destemmed and aged in concrete (there’s a small part in foudre), it should provide tons of pleasure over the coming decade. - Jeb Dunnuck"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #228, December 2016), 90-92 pts

Aromas recall scorched earth, underbrush, stewed prune and coconut. Oak spices, vanilla and coffee dominate the warm palate. It lacks fruit richness and can’t stand up to the assertive tannins or the heat of evident alcohol.

Review:

"The 2009 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is the nicest wine presented by Tenuta Vitanza this year. This expression definitely shows its oaky side but that new oak style (French tonneaux primarily) is characteristic of this estate located in the Torrenieri subzone that makes some of the darkest and most extracted expressions of Brunello regardless. Dark fruit, prune, plum, cherry, spice, cedar, cardamon and grilled herb all compete for your attention. The ensemble is bold, opulent and rich in a way that most other Brunello wines are not. There is a note of sourness on the tannins. Every once in a while you need a supersized Brunello to pair with that T-bone steak you crave. — Monica Larner"
- Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (Issue 217, February 2015), 90 pts

Abeja Chardonnay Washington State 2013 is 100 percent Chardonnay

This Chardonnay has the essence of a freshly baked lemon meringue pie, green apple, and Bartlett pear. It is both dense and bright, with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon coming from its time in barrel. Aromas are so much related to experiences. It is a wine that is in the traditional Abeja style, with superb polish, complexity, and balance, yet with a light touch at 13.5 percent alcohol.

Review:

"Supple, ripe and complex, with layers of pear, floral, tangerine and a note reminiscent of freshly ironed clothing. Fine acidity carries this through to a refreshing finish. Drink now through 2020. 919 cases made. –HS"
- Wine Spectator (November 15th, 2015), 91 pts

"Abeja’s 2013 Chardonnay offers clean, crisp notes of apple blossom, white flowers, citrus and brioche. Fermented and aged in barrel (40% new), it has a solid mix of richness and freshness, is beautifully balanced, and will drink nicely for 2-3 years. - Jeb Dunnuck"

- The Wine Advocate (erobertparker.com, June 2015), 91 pts

"A blend of top sites Celilo and Conner Lee, this appealing wine displays aromas of candy corn, corn silk and chamomile. The stone-fruit flavors are elegantly styled, showing a sense of restraint and balance that carries through the lingering finish."

- Wine Enthusiast (September 1st 2015), 91 pts