Scents and flavors of peach and yellow plum, citrus and mineral notes. Extremely long, white peach finish.
This wine is a 100 case Cuvee produced from the steepest part of the Paulinschofberger vineyard, 65 % slope. Vine age is 105 years old. "Grosses Gewachs" Großes Gewächs: (great growth = Grand cru), a designation used by VDP members in all regions except Mosel and Rheingau to designate top-level dry wines from selected sites (the highest level of quality). Dry means dry on the palate. The maximum yield is 50 hl/ha, from a classified vineyard. The natural minimum density of must is around 90° Oechsle. The wines are produced using exclusively traditional production methods. The wines are tested and approved by a test body before and after bottling. Hand Harvest (no machine harvest). The wine must not be released before September the year after it was made.
Review:
"In spite of the abundant yellow fruit aromas (think Mirabelle plums more than peaches), this is a very cool and sleek style of Mosel GG with great herbal freshness. Although this has excellent concentration, it definitely needs time to give its best due to the bone-dry style. Quite a steely, tightly wound finish, but very long. Drinkable now, but best from 2026. - Stuart PIGOTT (Senior Editor)" - James Suckling (August 30th 2024), 95 pts
Bastgen Kestener Paulinshofberg Riesling Kabinett is 100 percent Riesling.
Kesten is a small village right by the Mosel surrounded by steep vineyards called Paulinsberg (=hills of Saint Paul). The vines grow on bridle clay slate near the river - a classic terroir that has been cultivated with vines ever since Roman times. Riesling is the most typical grape of the Mosel region that produced a fruity Kabinett with beautiful peach aromas on the nose, rich and ripe fruits on the mouth with honeyed notes and a refreshing acidity. This is a very pleasing wine.
They meticulously tend 4.5 ha (11.11 acres) of which 80% is Riesling. The soil is made of slate. Their vineyards are located in Kesten and Brauneberg, on a steep terrace, and planted to 50-year old vines. Fortunately for Bastgen, they own part of the famous Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr. The vines produce very small, ripe berries that are very tasty.
The grapes are strongly selected, only minimal amounts of botrytis are tolerated. At time of the harvest the grapes are fully ripened with a golden color and tart acidity. After a natural sedimentation process the fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks under cool conditions. The wine remains on the lees until April, then is gently filtered once, and bottled.
Review:
"This prototypical Mosel Kabinett has depth and vibrancy all packed into a light-bodied frame. Not super-sleek, but enormously refreshing with super-expressive white peach, yellow apple and honeysuckle aromas. Super-crisp finish. Delicious now, but excellent aging potential too! From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. Screw cap."
- James Suckling (November 2023), 94 pts
Scents and flavors of peach and yellow plum, citrus and mineral notes. Extremely long, white peach finish.
This wine is a 100 case Cuvee produced from the steepest part of the Paulinschofberger vineyard, 65 % slope. Vine age is 105 years old. "Grosses Gewachs" Großes Gewächs: (great growth = Grand cru), a designation used by VDP members in all regions except Mosel and Rheingau to designate top-level dry wines from selected sites (the highest level of quality). Dry means dry on the palate. The maximum yield is 50 hl/ha, from a classified vineyard. The natural minimum density of must is around 90° Oechsle. The wines are produced using exclusively traditional production methods. The wines are tested and approved by a test body before and after bottling. Hand Harvest (no machine harvest). The wine must not be released before September the year after it was made.
Review:
"Very smoky nose of sealing wax and candied citrus. This medium-bodied dry riesling is strikingly original and has good balance on the impressively structured palate, but it does lack a bit of charm. Long, firm finish. May well show better after further bottle age. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. - Stuart PIGOTT (Senior Editor)" - James Suckling (November 9th 2023), 91 pts
Bavencoff Bourgogne Blanc is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
This Bourgogne Chardonnay is fresh and bright. The aromas are expressive with Honeysuckle, Broom and Mushroom. A nice balance between the acidity and the fruitiness, complementing the minerality. It will drink well during its youth but will gain some extra aromatic complexity after a few month in the cellar.
Very pleasant as an aperitif. Our Bourgogne Chardonnay also goes very well with cold meats, fish, grilled and marinated vegetables as well as goat cheese.
Wine was slightly filtered before bottling.
100% Malolactic fermentation done.
Aged 14 months. 80%of the wine was aged in Stainless steel tanks with 20% was aged in French Oak barriques (228 liter barrels).
Review:
Wine Enthusiast (April 2025), 90 pts
Bavencoff Meursault Blanc is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Clear golden and green robe. Meursault shows a green golden color, leaning towards bronze as it ages. Limpid and brilliant, it exhibits silver highlights. The young wine is redolent of toasted almonds and hazelnuts in a floral and mineral (flint) setting. Butter, honey, and citrus fruits are also present. On the palate it is rich and ample with a nice balance between freshness and smooth nutty flavors. .
Aged in French oak barrels (50% new).
Noble and fine-textured fish or meat, blue cheeses and foie gras.
Bavencoff Pernand Vergelesses Blanc is made from Chardonnay.
The wine offers a white gold or pale yellow color turning into darker gold with age. It boasts aromas of white flowers, (may, acacia) developing into notes of amber, honey and spices. On the palate it is mineral, harmonious and easy to like.
Aged in new oak barrels (Allier).
Sushi, fresh-water fish in white sauce, and for pasta or a seafood risotto.
Every now and then, in life and in wine, we are presented with unique opportunities to express ourselves and create something truly remarkable.
When rare opportunities arise, we need to capture, nurture and develop them so that their potential is fulfilled. So when Torbreck was given the opportunity to work with one of the most famous vineyards in the Barossa Valley, it became almost inevitable that the resulting wine would be truly remarkable.
In 2003, Torbreck growers and fourth generation descendants of the Seppelt family, Malcolm and Joylene Seppelt, asked our winemakers to create for them a small batch of Shiraz from their old Gnadenfrei vineyard in the sub-region of Marananga.
Planted in 1958, the five acre vineyard is traditionally dry grown and comes from an original Barossa clonal source. South facing, on the eastern side of a ridge separating the Seppeltsfield and Marananga appellations, these aged vines have been meticulously hand tended, traditionally farmed and pruned by a grower with a lifetime’s experience on Western Barossa soils of very dark, heavy clay loam over red friable clay. The resulting low yields of small, concentrated Shiraz berries make the vineyard the envy of all winemakers in the Barossa.
We looked longingly at the wine when it was returned to the Seppelts, knowing that it was the best we had ever made. In 2005 we convinced the Seppelts to sell Torbreck the fruit and The Laird was born. In 2013 Torbreck purchased the Gnadenfrei vineyard, securing The Laird’s reputation as one of the world’s great single vineyard Shiraz wines.
Torbreck is the name of a forest near Inverness, Scotland and you’ll find more than a passing nod to the Celts in our wine naming conventions. The Laird of the Estate in Scotland is the Lord of the Manor and master of all he surveys.
Review:
I poured the 2017 The Laird, set it aside and got about doing other jobs for 45 minutes or so, to give it some room to breathe. And it does breathe. It has its own pulse and beat and life, and it flexes and moves in the mouth. This is incredibly enveloping, with aromas reminiscent of campfire coals, charred eucalyptus, lamb fat, roasted beetroot, black tea and a prowling sort of countenance. In the mouth, the wine is bonded and cohesive and seamless, there are no gaps between anything, no space between fruit, oak and tannin; it all comes as one. While this is a singular wine, it is so big and concentrated that it needs no accompaniment other than some fresh air and a good mate. It's denser than osmium and is impenetrable at this stage.
Luis Canas Rioja Crianza is made from 95% Tempranillo and 5% Garnacha
A classic style Rioja from one of the regions most enduring family run wineries.. The hillside terraced vineyards are sheltered by the Sierra Cantabria Mountains to the north from harsh weather extremes. Small plot production is utilized in this region of infertile chalky clay soil to produce clusters of excellent quality. Almost 900 plots are needed to complete the approximately 400 hectares of estate-owned or cellar-controlled vineyards, some with vines more than 100 years in age.
Tasting notes
Made from 95% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha of 30 years of age, the wine shows a ruby red color, a clean nose with nuances of balsamic, plum and cedar. The palate is smooth and velvety, complex and structured, with fruit, spice flavors with toasted oak. A pleasant finish with red fruits and hints of eucalyptus.
The harvest
This year in Rioja Alavesa the weather has been especially cold, the summer short and dry, and there has been plenty of rain in early September. This has produced wines with great aromatic notes, particularly those coming from high altitude areas, very fragrant and with great structure.
Winemaking and aging
Upon entering the bodega and passing the selection table, the grapes are de-stemmed and crushed before undergoing fermentation and then maceration in stainless steel tanks for a total of 8 days, obtaining better color extraction as well as much more complex wines, suitable for prolonged aging. The wine is clarified with vegetable gelatines and follows anicrobic filtration.
It is ideal to pair with meats; red meat, poultry, small game, oily fish, semi-cured cheeses, spicy dishes and hot dishes such as beans or potatoes Rioja style.
After its primary fermentation, the wine is placed in barrels where it undergoes malolactic fermentation and is aged for a minimum of 12 months. It is then bottled for at least another 12 months.
Review:
"Juicy Bing cherries, peppery herbs, leather, and cedarwood notes all emerge from the 2021 Rioja Crianza, a medium-bodied, concentrated, round, layered red that has supple tannins, beautiful fruit, and a great finish. This classic Rioja has tons to love."
- Jeb Dunnuck (Importer Highlight: Fran Kysela ; July 2024), 91 pts