Country: | Italy |
Region: | Veneto |
Winery: | Marco Capra Azienda Agricola |
Grape Type: | Nascetta |
Organic: | Yes |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Marco Capra Langhe Nascetta is made from 100% Nascetta - 15 years old - 1.73 acres
Aged 6 months in stainless steel vats
The name "CONNA" is a sweet nickname after his wife Monica.
Bright straw yellow with greenish hues, with an intense and interesting perfume of grapefruit, apple and aromatic herbs. Floral, fresh, focused, good acidity. Refreshing and bright, full bodied with an aromatic persistence, it is savory and tasty on the palate with a smoothness that enhances the rich character of the wine
Altitude: 400 m above sea level.
Soil composition: lime and sand.
Plant density: 5000 vines / hectare.
Cultivation system: traditional Guyot.
Yield per hectare: 6 tons.
After a short period of maceration on skins, the grapes are soft pressed. The clear must obtained ferments slowly in stainless steel vats at a controlled temperature of 16-17°C. The wine spends a long period of time on the fine lees, with frequent “batonnage”
Ideal with apetizers, shellfish and other fish dishes.
G.D. Vajra Freisa 'Kye' Langhe Rosso is made from 100% Freisa.
DESCRIPTION: In 2004, Freisa was discovered to be the closest relative to Nebbiolo, thus explaining the deep bond this variety has with Piemonte and its people. With a noble profile and similar characteristics to the Nebbiolo, we have been bottling a dry Langhe DOC Freisa ever since 1989. Kyé means ‘who is?’ and represents the surprise for this indigenous and forgotten grape.
VINEYARD AND TERROIR: Estate vineyards, the oldest located in San Ponzio, on the lower west border of Bricco delle Viole. This is the closest vineyard to the winery, and a selezione massale planted by Aldo in 1980.
GROWING: In 1971, Aldo Vaira was one of the earliest adopters of organic farming in Piemonte. Vineyards have been nurtured and soil preserved by grassing and cover crop for almost 50 years now. With an incredible ratio of manual work per hectare, farming at Vajra is a labor of love and “recipe-free” attention. Intense research is also placed into monitoring and improving the biodiversity of both flora and fauna not just in the vineyards, but also in the winery fields and forests. The winery is sustainably certified (UNI EN 11233:2009) and will be again fully organic certified since 2019.
Langhe DOC Freisa Kyè displays a beautiful, translucent garnet color. The aromatics are a combination of redcurrant and wild mountain berries, layered with a touch of sweet spices, fresh leather, and candied japonica prune. The mouth is juicy, succulent, with lots -yet never hefty- tannins. There is a beautiful structure in this vintage and a lovely, lovely finish.
Review:
‘The 2018 Langhe Freisa Kyé is quite refined in this vintage and yet it also shows all of the aromatic nuance and complexity that are such signatures of this variety and wine. Dried herbs, rose petal, lavender, mint and spice lend exotic nuance to this deep, beautifully layered Freisa. The Kyé is one of the sleepers of Piedmont's 2018 vintage. It is, quite frankly, ‘as good or better than some Barolos in this tricky vintage. ~- Antonio Galloni
-Vinous 93 Points
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
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
It is hard to imagine with the Lithology range receiving 298 points out of 300 for the three single-vineyard wines, that there could possibly be a wine above them. But there is, and it is our Estate wine. Blended several times very intently by masters of their craft Philippe Melka and Michel Rolland, this is the ultimate expression of our house’s work. Positive, full-bodied, and quite powerful, there’s the expected crème de cassis and blackberry from St. Helena Cabernets, with mineral, herb, subtle tobacco and vanilla, plum skins, and pie crust, purple flowers, forest-conifer notes, and very fine tannic structure. It is a magnificent, and magnificently elegant expression of this house, and when asked recently, Monsieur Rolland stated plainly to me, “oh yes indeed – this is the best one, the best yet…”
Review:
The flagship 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Alejandro Bulgheroni comes from a selection made by winemakers Philippe Melka and Michel Rolland, mostly from Rutherford and Oakville fruit. Aged 20 months in 78% new French oak, it has incredible aromatics of black and blue fruits, spring flowers, and graphite to go with a massive, full-bodied, concentrated style on the palate that somehow stays graceful, weightless, and elegant. This tour de force in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is guaranteed to put a smile on your face over the coming 20-25+ years.
-Jeb Dunnuck 99 Points
Alejandro Bulgheroni Lithology Beckstoffer Las Piedras Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
From a St. Helena vineyard planted by early Napa settler Edward Bale more than 150 years ago, and later serving as the estate vineyard for the area’s first winery built by Henry Pellet in 1860, the Las Piedras site always gives us our prettiest wine. When placed next to Dr. Crane and To-Kalon wines, the Las Piedras show a certain elegance, with a very graceful entry and finely detailed complexity. We produce it with at least 75% new French oak, so there is a floral, spicy, and vanilla accent to the intense red and black fruits, cassis, and black cherry liqueur. What distinguishes this bottling is the beautifully fine tannins, delicate texture, and stunning purity. (Less than 100 cases made.)
Fermentation 70% Oak, 24% Concrete, 6% Puncheon
Review:
"The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Lithology Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard comes from a world-class site outside of St. Helena and is all Cabernet that spent 20 months in 80% new oak. It offers a touch more red fruit as well ample cassis, spring flowers, loamy earth, and spice-like aromas and flavors. It has a wonderful sense of minerality, ultra-fine tannins, a dense, layered texture, and incredibly purity of fruit. It’s another just about off the charts release from this estate."
- Jeb Dunnuck 98 Points
Marco Capra Langhe Nascetta is made from 100% Nascetta - 15 years old - 1.73 acres
Aged 6 months in stainless steel vats
The name "CONNA" is a sweet nickname after his wife Monica.
Bright straw yellow with greenish hues, with an intense and interesting perfume of grapefruit, apple and aromatic herbs. Floral, fresh, focused, good acidity. Refreshing and bright, full bodied with an aromatic persistence, it is savory and tasty on the palate with a smoothness that enhances the rich character of the wine
Altitude: 400 m above sea level.
Soil composition: lime and sand.
Plant density: 5000 vines / hectare.
Cultivation system: traditional Guyot.
Yield per hectare: 6 tons.
After a short period of maceration on skins, the grapes are soft pressed. The clear must obtained ferments slowly in stainless steel vats at a controlled temperature of 16-17°C. The wine spends a long period of time on the fine lees, with frequent “batonnage”
Ideal with apetizers, shellfish and other fish dishes.
Prager Smaragd Klaus Riesling is made from 100 percent Riesling.
Franz Prager, co-founder of the Vinea Wachau, had already earned a reputation for his wines when Toni Bodenstein married into the family. Bodenstein’s passion for biodiversity and old terraces, coupled with brilliant winemaking, places Prager in the highest echelon of Austrian producers.
Smaragd is a designation of ripeness for dry wines used exclusively by members of the Vinea Wachau. The wines must have minimum alcohol of 12.5%. The grapes are hand-harvested, typically in October and November, and are sent directly to press where they spontaneously ferment in stainless-steel tanks.
Klaus sits adjacent to Achleiten and is one of the Wachau’s most famous vineyards for Riesling. The vineyard is incredibly steep with a gradient of 77% at its steepest point. The southeast-facing terraced vineyard of dark migmatite-amphibolite and paragneiss produces a tightly wound and powerful wine. The parcel belonging to Toni Bodenstein was planted in 1952.
Tasting Notes:
Austrian Riesling is often defined by elevated levels of dry extract thanks to a lengthy ripening period and freshness due to dramatic temperature swings between day and night. “Klaus is not a charming Riesling,” says Toni Bodenstein with a wink. Klaus is Prager’s most assertive and robust Riesling.
Food Pairing
Riesling’s high acidity makes it one of the most versatile wines at the table. Riesling can be used to cut the fattiness of foods such as pork or sausages and can tame some saltiness. Conversely, it can highlight foods such as fish or vegetables in the same way a squeeze of lemon or a vinaigrette might.
Review:
What a stunning example of cool climate riesling. It’s full-bodied and deep, but so cool and delicate, packing in sleek layers of honeysuckle, apricots, lemons and grapefruit married to thyme and crushed rock. So long and seamless, with tension and focus that just keeps going. Sustainable. Try from 2025.
-James Suckling 98 Points
Trione Pinot Noir River Road Ranch is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
River Road Ranch encompasses 115 acres in the heart of the Russian River Valley appellation. Located on the western bench of the Santa Rosa Plain, the vineyard thrives in well-drained soils. The region's fog-cooled nights are ideal for this varietal.
This Pinot Noir presents aromas of dark cherry, exotic spice, green tea and a slight earthiness we call forest floor. The wine is silky on the palate, beautifully balanced, with a long finish. The Pinot Noir's firm structure suggests excellent aging potential, 10-15 years.
We made this Pinot Noir in small lots, using traditional techniques —fermenting in open-top tanks and hand-plunging the caps during primary fermentation. To accentuate the outstanding fruit flavors, we added 20% whole clusters to the each fermenter. The Pinot Noir aged twelve months in French oak barrels (40% new) from coopers Meyrieux Traditional House and Remond.
Review:
"A savory and mossy pinot noir with racy berries, licorice and ash. Some coca cola, too. This is deep and decadent with some dried roses and wet earth on the palate and some darker fruit and herbs in the lengthy finish. Drink or hold."
- James Suckling (June 2022), 92 pts