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.
Bavencoff Montagny Blanc is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
This Montagny presents a typical robe of a Burgundy Chardonnay: A pale yellow color with discreet green reflections. The color will change to golden yellow with age. On the nose, it develops delicate honey and vanilla aromas. On the palate, this wine is full-bodied, it offers a slightly oily texture typical of the great whites of Burgundy, rich and fresh flavors (vanilla, honey, golden apple, toast). The finish is long and mineral.
This wine goes perfectly with veal in sauce, scallops in butter and herbs, and most fish. Also to drink with hard mountain cheeses: Comté, Beaufort.
Belle Glos Clark and Telephone Vineyard Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Deep ruby red in color with scarlet highlights, Clark & Telephone opens with bountiful aromas of red fruits of cranberry and raspberry jam, laced with clove, cedar, and holiday baking spices. Bold and complex flavors of crushed ripe cherry, cranberry and blueberry pie linger on the palate. The texture is rich and lively, and leads into a warm and structured finish.
Review:
Packed with ripe, juicy boysenberry so luscious it tastes freshly picked. Preternaturally generous, with mint, dark chocolate, and hints of sandalwood and clove incense.
-Tasting Panel 96 Points
Belle Glos Clark and Telephone Vineyard Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
The Clark & Telephone Vineyard was established in 1972 and planted with “own root” Martini clone vines. Located just 13 miles from the ocean and situated on a west-facing slope, this vineyard experiences weather patterns that pull from west to east to bring cool fog and coastal breezes inland until August when Santa Ana winds begin.
We harvested early in the morning so the fruit would arrive at the winery while the grapes were still cool to preserve their vineyard-fresh flavors. After destemming (but not crushing) the berries, we cold-soaked the must for 14 days to soften the skins and allow for ideal extraction. During fermentation in a combination of closed and open-top stainless steel fermenters, we used both punch-down and pump-over techniques to extract color and phenolics. We aged the wine in 100% French oak (60% new) for up to 12 months. After the wine underwent malolactic fermentation, we racked it twice before bottling.
Deep ruby red in color with lush aromas of ripe cherry, nutmeg, dark chocolate and holiday baking spices. Bold and complex flavors of black plum, crushed raspberry and blueberry pie linger on the palate. The texture is rich and lively, and leads into a warm and structured finish.
Review:
Burnished black raspberry and graphite form a bond on a foundation of dark chocolate and sweet tobacco. White pepper outlines rose petal on the well-structured palate before perky acidity and a creamy weightiness highlight the lengthy finish.
-Tasting Panel 95 Points
Dark plum in color with abundant aromas of dark chocolate, black cherry, and sun-ripened blackberry with a hint of cedar. Layered flavors of blackberry and raspberry pie filling, accompanied by notes of cinnamon, chocolate, and nutmeg play on the palate. Smooth and focused with refined tannins and a medium finish.
Review:
-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points
-Tasting Panel 94 Points
Belle Glos Las Alturas Vineyard Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Deep garnet in color with an aromatic medley of black cherry, marionberry, ripe plum and a hint of anise. Dark fruit on the palate with flavors of wild berries, caramelized oak and cacao nibs complemented by subtle notes of vanilla, cedar and a hint of lavender and forest floor. Rich and unrestrained, this wine’s abundant fruit is beautifully balanced by firm acidity and layers of red and black fruit.
Review:
Deep and dark aromas of black cherry, sandalwood and incense make for a heady nose on this bottling. The palate is big and bold, loaded with ripe black cherry and boysenberry flavors, as peppery, incense-like spices add complexity and the texture stays lusciously creamy.
-Wine Enthusiast 93 Points
Benjamin Romeo Predicador Tinto is made from 96 percent Tempranillo, 2 percent Garnacha, 1 percent Graciano and 1 percent Mazuelo.
Predicador, or “Preacher,” named after Clint Eastwood’s everyman character in the 1985 film Pale Rider, is composed of 96 percent Tempranillo, 2 percent Garnacha, 1 percent Graciano and 1 percent Mazuelo. The grapes are sourced from 15 different plots within San Vicente and Briones in Rioja Alta which on average yield less than 2 kg per vine. The wine is fermented in oak and stainless steel with a two-day cold maceration and aged for sixteen months in new French oak. The wine was filtered but not fined. This vintage some La Cueva del Contador, Contador and La Vina de Andres were added for concentration and balance.
The aromatics open up with crushed red cherries, balsamic notes and the sweet baking spices of cinnamon and clove. The fruity and spicy characteristics found in the nose follow through on the palate, along with dried cranberry, black cherry and elegant fine-grained tannin supporting the tart red fruit and adding to its length and depth.
Review:
The red 2021 Predicador has notes of ripe black fruit and dark spices and is a little earthy, powerful, concentrated and generously oaked but balanced and integrated. A modern, powerful red Rioja produced with Tempranillo and complemented with 3% each Graciano and Mazuelo and 2% Garnacha, it has a juicy palate with plenty of power and abundant, fine-grained tannins. It's ripe without excess at 14.7% alcohol. 90,000 bottles produced. It was bottled after spending 19 months in used French oak barrels.
-Robert Parker 93 Points
Colour ,cherry, purple rim. Aroma ,fruit expression, floral, spicy, red berry notes, black fruit, complex. Flavour ,flavourful, fruity, good acidity, long.
-Guia Penin 93 Points
Bernardins Muscat Beaumes Venise VDN 100% Muscat petits grains (75% Blanc, 25% Red)
Copper/rose hue and ripe soft aromas of orange, spice and flowers. The wine is full bodied with the texture of silk and flavors of orange custard, white peach, pear, apricot, toffee and orange peel.
The vineyards and their terroir are the essence of our wines. This is where everything starts and where we focus our efforts throughout the year. You can’t make great wine without great grapes.
The viticulture is essentially done by hand. Five people work full-time in the vineyards. They are supplemented by seasonal employees who work during bunch thinning and the harvest in order to bring out the very best in our vines. Working by hand and the attention each vine gets are fundamental. Pruning, de-budding, trellising, leaf removal and picking are thus carried out by hand with the utmost care.
We prepare the soil by using good old-fashioned ploughing. Organic compost is made from grape marc (the discarded stalks and skins).
As a way of protecting the plants, we only use phytosanitary products when necessary and within strict guidelines by staggering the treatments appropriately, to minimise the amount of chemicals used. We prefer to use as much as possible manual and organic techniques . Leaving natural grass cover, removing buds and leaves from the vines, preserving biodiversity around the vineyard: olive, almond and cypress trees, wild rosemary and capers.
In the spirit of respecting traditional techniques and the best elements of modern technology, cellar manager Andrew Hall and his winemaker son Romain Hall take family traditions very seriously.
When making our wines, the Muscat de Beaumes de Venise plays a central role and requires great care. After picking the grapes by hand, we press them straightaway to ferment the juice without skins. We don’t add any yeasts and keep the alcoholic fermentation in check by temperature control. Vin Doux Naturel winemaking involves stopping fermentation to preserve the grapes’ natural sweetness. During vinification, we watch the vats day and night and add the fortifying spirit just at the right moment. At this stage, the wine’s final balance is at stake. The wine is then aged in stainless steel tanks for 6 months before bottling.
Cantina di Verona Amarone Valpolicella Vallis Dei is made from 65% Corvina Veronese, 30% Rondinella, 5% Molinara
Color: deep ruby red
Nose: Dried prune and blackberry with hints of vanilla and spice
Mouth: It is generously structured and velvety.
Yield: 8000 kg of grapes per hectar – after which the grapes are dried “appassimento”
Grapes are raisin-dried for at least 4 months after harvesting, losing at least 40% of their weight. It is made from selected grapes which are left to dry on racks in specially ventilated rooms until the end of winter.
Fermentation temperature between 18° and 22°C
Maceration time: 20 days
Cazaux Gigondas Tour Sarrasine is made from 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre. 45 year old vines on average.
This strong, warm wine comes from a selection of grapes planted on exceptional soils. The vineyards in Gigondas are situated on the arid hills of the Dentelles de Montmirail. The Mistral blows regularly on these slopes which limits the amount of treatment needed to the vines. The vines grow on stony soils and produce wine that can be kept easily for 10 yrs.
Intense, persistent red and dark fruit aromas. Raspberry, pepper and spice flavors. Silky tannins.
Cazaux Vacqueyras Rouge Cuvee Saint Roch 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah and 5% Mourvedre.
Deep color. Intense and persistent red fruits, such as strawberry and black cherry. Expressive and delicate at the same time. The finish is long and the tannins are quite round and well balanced.
Grapes are hand picked, destemmed 100% but not crushed. About 20 days fermentation according to vintage. Aged in stainless steel tanks for 12 months and an additional 12 months in enamel coated concrete tank. No fining, light filtration.
Enjoy this wine with meat cooked in red wine sauce (such as Boeuf Bourguignon).
Gravas Sauternes is a blend of 100% Sémillon.
The wine shows a lovely pale golden color with deep golden highlights. Round and well-balanced offering complex aromas of candied fruits backed up by a hint of exotic fruit (mango, guava) and white flowers. On the palate, it is ample and fleshy, leading into a silky and long finish.
The wine pairs well with white meats, scallops, exotic and spicy dishes, foie Gras, Roquefort blue cheese, chocolate desserts.
Laurent-Perrier Cuvee Rose NV is made Pinot Noir from 10 crus in the Montagne de Reims
The Cuvée Rosé from Laurent-Perrier is the most recognized rosé champagne in the world. The house uses its proprietary maceration technique and the wine is crafted for a fragrance and not mixed for a color. Held in an elegant bottle inspired by King Henri IV, it has been widely acknowledged for its consistent high quality for more than 40 years, and it is the benchmark for rosé champagne around the world.
Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé is truly remarkable for its highly expressive bouquet, stemming from very careful preservation of fresh fruit aromas during the wine making. Made with 100% Pinot Noir from 10 different "crus " (or villages), from the North and South areas of the Montagne de Reims, as well as the famous village of Bouzy. Grapes from carefully selected plots are meticulously sorted and de-stemmed before going into the vats, and the controlled maceration helps with the color extraction and the development of the full aromatic richness of the Pinot Noir.
Intensely fruity flavors, clean and slightly sharp, the wine opens to the sensation of freshly picked red berries: strawberries, Morello cherries, black currants and raspberries. The finish is supple and rounded.
Its aromatic depth makes it ideal for pairing with marinated raw fish, grilled prawns, exotic dishes, Parma ham and red fruit desserts. Those who are more daring will try it with Asian or Indian cuisine.
Review:
Generosity no less than grace defines this 100% Pinot Noir from ten different crus primarily in the Montagne de Reims. Slightly coppery salmon-pink in the glass, it displays a radiant nose of ripe red berries that pop against glimmers of spiced biscotti and roasted cashew. On a broad palate of pure silk, raspberry and black cherry are underlined by blood-orange rind and crushed rock before a long, almost voluptuous finish that's slightly savory with dried mint.
-Tasting Panel 97 Points
Hahn Estate Lucienne Chardonnay Lone Oak Vineyard is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Reviews:
Lemon blossom, grapefruit rind, pastry flake and a hint of ash show on the nose of this single-vineyard expression from the Hahn family. It's suave and broad on the palate at first, then it chisels down to pinpoint acidity, delivering flavors of apricot, lime zest and chalk before the slightly nutty finish. Matt Kettmann
-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points