Jean-Claude et Nicolas Fayolle Hermitage Rouge Donnieres is made from 100% Syrah.
Made from 40-year-old vines planted on granitic and rocky soils in the Lieu dit "Les Donnieres" at the bottom of the Hermitage's hill.
Intense inky ruby red color.
The wine has plenty to offer with red and black fruit aromas, as well as a good minerality.
The finish is very long, clean and juicy and offers a great spicy mouthfeel.
Soil is clay, silica and round pebbles.
Hand harvested in small crates. The grapes are then pumped into tanks (full cluster, not destemmed).
It will stay in this tank for 15 days for the skin contact maceration and the Alcoholic fermentation.
Tey will also use the "rack and return" technique (delestage).
Then the wine is transfered into neutral French Oak barrels where the wine will complete the Malo-Lactic fermentation.
Delicious with grilled red meat such as venison or lamb and most cheeses.
Alain de la Treille Merlot is made from 100 percent Merlot.
This Merlot has a deep red color. On the nose aromas of red fruits with a herbal note and spicy scents.
Alain de la Treille Merlot is made from 100 percent Merlot.
This Merlot has a deep red color. On the nose aromas of red fruits with a herbal note and spicy scents.
Alain Jaume Cairanne Les Travees is made from 65% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre.
Our selected vines for this cuvée are on slopes facing south.
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The wine delivers an intensive nose, with loads of black fruits.
Starting full and concentrated, with silky tannins, the mouth reveals blackcurrant and a cherry fruit typicity.
It finishes with typical notes of pepper and earth.
Enjoy with roasted lamb or braised or BBQed pork. gpoes also very well with mild cheese, such as brie or camenbert.
Alain Jaume Chateauneuf Du Pape Rouge Vieux Terron is made from 85% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre
An intense purple color is followed by ripe red fruit aromas, such as sweet black cherry.
The palate reveals clearly the aromatic complexity: spices and black fruit are boasted with soft tannins. The finish is long with aromatic hints of liquorice and pepper. Red raspberries, star anise and hints of cinnamon.
It will accompany game, red meat or meat in sauce and strong cheeses.
Soil types
Châteauneuf du Pape vineyards are mostly located on plateaux. Stony-clay soil covered with large rolled stones. Some plots are more sandy.
Winemaking and aging
Harvest is destemmed and crushed. Fermentation temperature is controlled at 30°C. Vatting period of 18 to 21 days. Matured in vats (80%) and oak casks (20%).
Alain Jaume Cotes Du Rhone Rouge Haut de Brun is made from 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Cinsault
The colour is purple-tinged garnet.The aromatic range of the nose goes from fresh berries (wild raspberry, blackcurrant, blackberry) to spices.The palate is big and full-flavoured, with silky-smooth tannins and aromas of the fruit already mentioned. The finish introduces touches of liquorice and pepper. A Côtes du Rhône with great complexity for an every day drinking.
A classic Rhône to drink between 1 and 4 years. Best poured at 17°C.
Traditional wine making and ageing is performed in vats only. Bottling after 10-12 months.
Ideal throughout the meal, but particularly with poultry and other white meats, as well as mild cheeses.
Alain Jaume Domaine du Clos de Sixte Lirac is made from 50% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre
An intense red garnet color. On the nose, aromas of red and black ripe fruit (kirsch and wild blackberry). The mouth is full, with aromas of blackcurrant liqueur and spice. Tannins are both harmonious and elegant thanks to the fleshiness of the wine. Hints of licorice and vanilla on the finish, which gives the wine length and complexity.
Soil type LIRAC vineyard is facing Chateauneuf du Pape, opposite side of the Rhône river. As showed by the picture and following geologist George Truc, soils are almost similar in both side. They are marked by the violence wrought by the Rhone river. It consists of a layer of marine molasses of the Miocene period covered by alpine alluvium. The presence of a great number of rounded stones known as "galets" in the earth is evidence of the time when the Rhone, then a torrent, tore fragments of rock from the Alps and deposited them on the plain. LIRAC is one of the up-coming best area from the southern Rhône valley, as it delivers outstanding wines. Winemaking & ageing Traditional wine-making in stainless still vats. Hand sorted bunches, crushed and destemmed grapes. Fermentation temperature : 30°C. 18 days of vatting with pigeages.
Review:
"The 2016 Lirac Domaine du Clos de Sixte is a terrific wine, easily the rival to many Châteauneufs from across the river, starting with its alluring aromas of flowering garrigue and ripe cherries. A blend of 50% Grenache, 35% Syrah and 15% Mourvèdre, this full-bodied wine is lush and concentrated on the palate, then turns velvety on the long finish. I'd treat it like a Châteauneuf du Pape in terms of cellaring: hold it for a few years, then drink it over the next 15. - Joe Czerwinski"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue 233, October 2017), 93+ pts
Alain Jaume Lirac Rouge Roquedon is made from 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, 10% Carignan.
A blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Carignan grown on clay and sandy soils, mostly on terraces covered by pebble stones. Lirac is located in front of Chateauneuf du Pape, on the opposite side of the Rhone River.
Lirac Roquedon reveals an intense red garnet color and a nose dominated by a bouquet of red and black ripe fruits (kirsch and wild Blackberry). The mouth is full, with flavors of blackcurrant, liquor and spice. Tannins are both harmonious and elegant. The palate finishes with hints of liquorice and vanilla, which brings length and complexity to the wine.
Traditional wine-making in stainless still vats. Crushed and destemmed grapes. Fermentation temperature : 30°C. 18 days of vatting with pigeages. Ageing mainly in vats and about 10% in oak barrels. Bottling 15 months after the harvest.
Chateau Mazane Vacqueyras Rouge is made from 60% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre.
30% aged in oak, 70% in concrete vats
This 50 year old single vineyard (22 Acres) consists of three main varieties with a predominance of Grenache. It stretches over the 'Garrigues' (scrubland) plateau that is ideally located between the Ouvèze (tributary of the Rhone river) terraces and the Dentelles de Montmirail.
Chateau Mazane Vacqueyras Rouge is medium-bodied, pure and elegant. It offers plenty of plum, blueberry, spring flowers and peppery notes. On the palate, the richness of the tannins harmonizes with the smoothiness of the wine. The finish is long, with spice aromas and licorice. Beautifully textured, enjoy it over the coming 6-7 years.
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Alain Jaume Saint Joseph La Butte d'Or is made from 100 percent Syrah.
The wine comes from vineyards that are sourced from the south of the appellation and located on hillsides that enjoy a east and southeast exposure. On the nose, this wine reveals aromas of pepper and jammy red fruits. In the mouth, it is balanced, ample and intense, offering beautiful tannins on the long lasting finish. A wine of character that can be cellared up to 8 years.
Manual harvest, selection of healthy and ripe grapes. Total destemming. Cold pre-fermentation maceration 5 to 6 days. Aged in oak barrels with 10% new oak.
Review:
"Opaque ruby. Aromas of ripe dark berries, licorice and candied flowers take on a smoky mineral aspect with aeration. Silky, fresh and round on the palate, offering sweet blueberry, cherry and spicecake flavors that open up slowly through the back half. Youthfully firm tannins add grip to a very long, smoke- and spice-tinged finish that strongly echoes the blue fruit and spice notes. (made with de-stemmed fruit and raised in oak barrels, 10% of them new) - Josh Raynolds"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (April 2020), 92 pts
Alain Jaume Vacqueyras Grande Garrigue is made from 65% Grenache Noir, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre and 5% Old vines Cinsault
Deep, intense hue. Aromas of fresh black fruit a little meaty, with dried herbs smells. On the palate, the richness of the tannins harmonizes with the smoothness of the wine. The finish is long, with spices aromas, licorice. A typical wine from this specific terroir called "Les Garrigues".
Soil type Vacqueyras is located right next to Gigondas AOC. It mostly streches on Sarrians territory, where is the famous plateaux named “Les Garrigues”. This area is made of clay and rocks. The beautiful landscape of the “garrigue” is typical of the mediterranean area. The wines itself smell the spices, the dried herbs…you will taste the “Garrigue” in your glass, welcome to Provence … Winemaking & ageing Traditional winemakeing methods, temperature controlled fermentation. Long soaking on the skins.
Review:
"A well-built, spicy and textured Vacqueyras red with dark berries, currants, dried herbs and baking spices on the nose, following through to a full body with fine, firm tannins. Spicy and intense mid-palate with a compact finish. From organically grown grapes. Try after 2026."
- James Suckling (May 3rd 2024), 91 pts
Alleme Getariako Txakolina is 100% Hondarribi Zuri
A very fruity, persistent and clean Txakoli. It reminds the white exotic fruits, such as lichy. It has a straw yellow color, without the slightest tone of rust and a faint natural gas pearl crown, due to the grape juice fermentation. In the mouth, it is greasy and unctuous, with a good balance of structure and acidity. In order to get such a Txakoli, we have combined the most traditional and the most innovative production methods to create it. Thanks to the batonnage (stirring of the lees), we have attained the characteristic unctuosity of this Txakoli.
After harvesting and pressing, the must is left to ferment in stainless steel tanks. Traditionally, and until recently, this was done in oak or chestnut barrels, called kupels, in Basque. Fermentation lasts 20–25 days and then the txacolí is left to lie on its lees. The CO2 prevents oxidation and dissolves the sediments and gives the wine its sparkling characteristic. The wines is not racked so it does not lose its sparkle and is clarified by natural sedimentation by gravity in the tank or barrel. Traditionally, the wine is tasted on the feast of San Antonio on 17 January, which is known as Txacolí Day (Txacoli Eguna, in Basque).
Amador Diez Cuvee Verdejo is made from
This cuvee is named after Amador Diez de Íscar, who was president of the winery for 21 years. It is produced in limited quantity with meticulous care from a selection of the 10 best hectares of the winery’s centennial pre-phylloxera vineyard – harvested by hand – and vinified with the aim of favoring its longevity, making it ideal for its consumption today while maintaining great aging potential. The wine is bottled manually with an exclusive presentation that includes a label stamped on wood.
Straw yellow color. Dominant aromas of white fruits, citrus fruits and anise. The barrel ageing brings delicate sweet aromas, such as coconut, vanilla, and liquorice. Fresh, rich and intense on the palate with typical flavors from the Verdejo grape variety.
Pair with appetizers, fish and especially seafood. Also grilled meats and food of intense flavors such as cheeses and ham.
Review:
"One of the most ambitious Rueda whites, this comes from a selection of pre-phylloxera vineyards and is built to age. The oak is better integrated than on the 2015, which is also available in the market right now, supporting a wine with amazing intensity and focus. Nutty and intense, it has flavours of pear, citrus and marzipan, with undertones of fennel and cinnamon, good structure and racy, palate-cleansing acidity."
- Tim Atkin (November 2020), 95 pts
Ancien Chardonnay Carneros is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Chardonnay Carneros owes its style, depth, and structure to intensely flavored, low yielding, heirloom clones growing in two Carneros vineyards: on the Napa side, the Toyon Farm and on the Sonoma side, the Sangiacomo Vella Ranch. Ancien Wines hand-selected the cuttings themselves, from older vineyards in the Carneros area. These cuttings are reputed to have origins tracing to Paul Masson who imported them from Burgundy in the early 1940’s, from Louis Latour's renowned Corton Charlemagne vineyard. These selections are often referred to as “Old Wente”or “Robert Young,”denoting the sourced mother blocks in the 1960s.
Notes of ripe apple and honeydew melon greet and are delicately perfumed by notes of freesia and citrus blossom. Brighter notes of lime and Meyer lemon match the refreshing acidity of this wine, balanced by a creamy palate and leading to a finish that will continue to lengthen in the coming months. A wonderfully textured and vibrant Chardonnay displaying the best of Carneros.
Chardonnay Carneros is guided toward a layered, complex, and expressive style that develops gracefully in the bottle and shows enticing minerality, vivacious fruit, length and structure. The watchword is balance. Grapes were pressed as whole clusters, settled and fermented entirely in French oak from four different coopers, chosen for their unique synergism and support of the fruit on the palate. One third of the barrels were new. A variety of yeasts were used, including native strains, and fermentation proceeded evenly and slowly, averaging a cool 55°F. The wine was aged on its yeast lees, which were stirred weekly through the spring.
Ancien Chardonnay Coombsville Haynes Old Block is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Inspired by the classic and most revered Chardonnay vineyard in the world, Le Montrachet, Ancien winery utilizes the same classic techniques. It is fermented in tight-grained French Oak cask after a gentle squeeze as whole clusters. The wine is not moved through the fermentation and aging period, only pushed by inert gas in gentle fashion into the bottling tank. In vintages where the wine achieves good clarity through natural settling, the wine is not filtered – otherwise it undergoes a light polish to help reveal is core of fruit.
The effusive nose welcomes with layers of lemon meringue, ripe apple, citrus zest, honey and grape blossom. The palate is vibrant and fresh, and the richly textured mouth-feel is expansive. Baked apple tart and stone fruit emerge as this opulent wine reaches the depths of your palate, with further notes brioche. The finish is a focused amalgamation of minerality and ripe fruit. Give this cellar worthy Chardonnay time to open up and it will reveal increasingly lush and creamy layers as it evolves over minutes in the glass and the years in the bottle.
Ancien Pinot Noir Carmel Valley River Ranch is made from 100% Pinot Noir.
River Ranch Vineyard from suitcase clone of famous vineyard, mother block to the Pisoni clone as well.
Spice, tea, and plum and blackberry aromas dance atop currants and boysenberry pie. The opulence continues with secondary notes of chocolate and black tea that lead to satisfying elegant finish revealing jasmine. The finish is mouthwatering and long with presenting umami, soy, and Asian spice. Planted to the same special cuttings as our block at the Toyon Farm in Carneros, they are a joy tasting side by side, illustrating the profound influence of terroir.
Pair with Asian, pork with hoisin sauce, savory foods.
Review:
"Sourced from a vineyard of imported Burgundian cuttings planted back in 1982, this is a complex Pinot Noir, offering concentrated aromas of blueberry, palo santo and warm vanilla on the nose. The palate is joyous in cherry and baking-spice flavors, then picks up an herbaceous eucalyptus leaf kick before dropping into a spicy, Sichuan peppercorn-laced finish. - M.K."
- Wine Enthusiast (February/March 2024), 95 points + Editor's Choice
Andrew Will Winery Sorella 2019 is made from 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petite Verdot.
Sorella means sister in Italian and was named after Chris Camarda late sister Jane Camarda. This first vintage was from 1994. This wine is made from 100% Champoux Vineyard fruit and represents the nature of the vineyard by highlighting the Cabernet Sauvignon, which is considered some of the best in Washington State. The picture on the label is a portrait of Annie Camarda (Chris’s late wife).
Review:
Flirting with triple digits, and perhaps the best Sorella yet, the 2019 Sorella explodes from the glass with a fantastic mineral essence that sways between dark red fruit tones, oak essence and freshly opened flowers. Medium to full-bodied, the wine is impeccably balanced with a silky-smooth mid-palate that bestows a stunningly beautiful wine with gobs of complexity and a ripe frame of glossy black raspberry and blackberry fruit tones. Unwinding across the finish, the wine unpacks gorgeous layers that seduce me for a second, third and fourth sip and finally begs me to finish the glass. Buy this ASAP!
-Wine Advocate 99 Points
Argot Cabernet Sauvignon 1555 Oakville is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Hailing from the historic Bonny’s Vineyard in the heart of Oakville. Cabernet Sauvignon vines thrive in the gravel rich soils here adjacent to the Napa River riverbed. Roots plumb deep into the valley floor, while vine canopies harvest Napa Valley’s plethora of summer sunshine. These conditions conspire to deliver unerringly perfect Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.
Pouring a deep opaque red-violet, 1555’s Cabernet personality leaps from the glass balancing opulent fruit, damp earth, chilling minerality and an alluring spice note that keeps pulling us back for more. Exquisitely ripe tannins provide a refined, velvety structure, delivering the deep and seductively rich palate. The pedigree displayed in the glass is undeniable.
Review:
"Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon 1555 Oakville wafts sensuously out of the glass with redcurrant jelly, black raspberries and rose oil scents, followed by a cassis and black plums core, with emerging suggestions of cinnamon toast, cedar and pencil shavings. The full-bodied palate is fantastically fragrant, delivering red and black fruit layers accented by floral and exotic spice nuances, supported by super ripe, velvety tannins, finishing long and perfumed. 250 cases were made. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (November 2021), 95+ pts
Argot Chardonnay Sonoma County is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Pouring a green-tinted gold, our Sonoma County Chardonnay is a beautiful wine from word go. Radiating from within, a blast of apple/pear fruit informs this wine both aromatically, and on the palate. As flavors unfurl, a progression of orange blossom, pineapple, white peach, and hazlenut are followed by a finish dominated by ginger, baked apple, with a trailing kiss of mint’s freshness. A stunning wine — wholly informed by the perfection of 2018’s growing season — defined by its dichotomy of massively intense flavors, and superb acidity and freshness.
Raised by minimalistic methods, often associated with the classic Chardonnay winemaking techniques of Meursault. With a focus on the coolest Chardonnay region in Sonoma County, 2018’s long, even growing season favored our vineyards’ moderate climate, old vines and deep volcanic soils. These grapes were allowed an extended ripening period on the vine, resulting in perfect balance and concentrated flavors.
Argot Le Rayon Vert Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
"Le Rayon Vert", the phenomenon which occurs as the sun dips below the horizon, and a brilliant green flash occurs when sunlight prisms through Earth's atmosphere. Jules Verne wrote "a green which no artist could ever obtain on his palette”, akin to the ethereal, green halo all truly pedigreed Chardonnays radiate from the glass.
Wafting from the glass like a freshly opened stick of Wrigley's gum. Both intense and vibrant, the full-bodied palate delivers Granny Smith apple and stone fruits; confections of custard and sticky vanilla bean; animated by bursts of spearmint and pine forest.
Review:
The 2019 Chardonnay Le Rayon Vert comes from fruit grown on Sonoma Mountain. It slides out of the glass with graceful notes of lemon tart, lime leaves, and fresh grapefruit, leading to suggestions of almond croissant, sea spray, honeysuckle, and aniseed. The medium-bodied palate is fantastically tight-knit with gorgeous tension and layer upon layer of citrus and mineral flavors, finishing very long and chalky. This is amazing.
-The Wine Independent 97 Points
Argot Mosaic Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Sourced from both high-elevation and valley floor vineyards, located in the cool-climate AVAs of Sonoma Mountain, Bennett Valley and Petaluma Gap. A drama-free growing season allowed for a leisurely harvest of perfectly ripe, healthy fruit. Low-stress, clean ferments, led to an exceptionally pure Pinot Noir, laden with fruit, earth and spice.
Weingut Prager Stockkultur Achleiten Gruner Veltliner Smaragd is made from 100 percent Gruner Veltliner.
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.
Stockkultur is a 0.3-hectare plot at the top of Achleiten and was purchased by Toni Bodenstein in 2005. The name refers to the old style of training each vine to a single stake; the traditional method of vine cultivation in the Wachau before the 1950s. The vines planted in 1938 are among the oldest in the Wachau.
Tasting Notes:
Prager’s stylistic signature is that of aromatic complexity coupled with power and tension. High-density planting and long hang times ensure ripe fruit flavors and concentration, yet allowing leaves to shade the fruit lend vibrant aromatics of grasses, herbs, and wildflowers. Minerality is a constant feature of any Prager wine.
Food Pairing:
With minimum alcohol of 12.5%, Grüner Veltliner Smaragd is a concentrated and full-bodied dry white wine. Its intensity of flavor and ripeness of fruit make it ideal with high-integrity ingredients such as seared white fish or sautéed spring vegetables. Grüner Veltliner is a classic accompaniment to Wiener Schnitzel.
Review:
From vines planted in 1937 and picked as the first of the Smaragd wines, the 2020 Ried Achleiten Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Stockkultur (planted with 15,000 vines per hectare) opens with a spectacular deep and complex but refined, fresh and flinty bouquet with intense, ripe pear and biscuit aromas. On the palate, this is a dense and lush yet pure, elegant and complex, wide and powerful but also mineral Achleiten with a long, finely tannic and still sweet finish (due to more than 30 grams per liter of dry extract). Tasted at the domaine in June 2021.
At Prager, I could not determine that 2020 would be inferior to the 2019 vintage; on the contrary, the 2020 Smaragd wines fascinated me enormously in their clear, cool, terroir-tinged way. A 38% loss had occurred mainly because of the hail on August 22, although predominantly in the Federspiel or Riesling vineyards. There was no damage in the top vineyards such as Ried Klaus, Achleiten or Zwerithaler. "Interestingly, the vines are in agony for about two weeks after the hail. There was no more growth, no development of ripeness and sugar," reports Toni Bondenstein. The Veltliner then recovered earlier, while even picking a Riesling Federspiel in October was still a struggle. "Why Riesling reacted more intensively to the hail, I don't know myself either," says Bodenstein. Whole clusters were pressed to preserve acidity and to compensate for the lower extract, and compared to 2019, the 2020s were left on their lees longer. In June, however, the 20s in particular showed outstanding early shape.
-Wine Advocate 96 Points
The "yaguarete" (jaguar) on the label was known by the ancient Andean people as the "lord of the starred night"; the wildest known animal.
Chakana is the name of the Southern Cross constellation. Its rotation in the sky throughout the year made it an effective agricultural calendar for the ancient Andean people.
Estate Torrontes is from Chakana's Gualtallary vineyard (5,300 ft elevation).
The wine shows the typical aromas of Torrontes (white flowers, lychee, peach) balanced by a refreshing acidity. Mineral texture due do the rocky soil of the vineyard. Elegant, dry and clean finish.
Fermentation with indigenous yeasts in French oak barrels. Aged 4 months. Pairs with crab cakes and seafood pasta.