Cote 125 Corbieres Rouge is made from 50% Carignan, 35% Grenache, 15% Syrah.
Brambly berry, cherry and raspberry, spices, black pepper … all are present in this authentic French country wine. There are also some aromas of Garrigue (Rosemary, thyme and lavender) giving a minty, herbal notes, that are quite refreshing as well.
The wine is a perfect match with a nice rosemary marinated roasted lamb.
“1752” is the name of the Damilano Barolo Cannubi Riserva, in honor of the year in which the historic bottle was first marked “Cannubi”. It still exists today perfectly conserved by the Manzone family in Bra, close to Barolo. The bottle is clearly marked as being of “1752” vintage, indicating that Cannubi historically precedes Barolo.
About the Vineyard:
The Cannubi Cru is in found within one of the 6 core zones which comprise a UNESCO heritage site in Italy. A mixture of Tortonian and Helvetian calcareous marl gives the grapes intense aromas of cherry, plum and tobacco, rose and violet in sequence. Its low potassium and high calcium/magnesium content offer the wine a fine and polished touch. The vineyard is located at about 270 m. a.s.l. and has a south-east sun exposure. Barolo Riserva Cannubi 1752 It is a small plot of about 2 hectares of Nebbiolo vines, currently between 30 and 50 years of age.
Tasting Notes:
Garnet ruby red in color, the bouquet is intense and balanced, with notes of violet, red fruit, cherry and plum, spices, liquorice, cocoa, leather and tobacco. Dry, robust, full-bodied, very persistent, rich and velvety
Food Pairing:
This wine is excellent with typical piedmontes pasta (tajarin, ravioli); perfect with red meat, braised and roast meat, game and absolutely ideal with all types of cheeses.
Review:
Delas Freres Cote Rotie La Landonne Rouge is made from 100 percent Syrah.
This very ancient region dates back to the Roman Era and is located on the right bank of the Rhône. It is said that during the Middle Ages, “The Seigneur de Maugiron” gave a hillside to each of his two daughters - one was brunette and the other fair - thus, were born the names of “Côte Brune” and “Côte Blonde.” Wines from the Côte Blonde tend to be more delicate and lighter in character than the fuller wines of the Côte Brune. Together, they make a wine of style and substance. This cuvée is a vineyard plot selection. The grapes come exclusively from a plot within the named slope of “La Landonne.”
This cuvée‘s first vintage was 1997. The wine is only made in the very best years. Its highly limited production never exceeds 2,500 bottles per year.
The steep, terraced hillsides along the river produce wines that are among the "biggest" reds of France. The Delas Côte-Rôtie is primarily Syrah with an addition of up to 10 to 20% of Viognier grapes in the crop. The soils of the northern part of the Côte Brune vineyard consists of extremely steep, terraced slopes of ferruginous mica schists which are covered with schist sand (arzel). The Côte Blonde has a varied geology with gneiss and granite predominating at the most southern side of the appellation. The area has dry, hot summers with regular rainfalls during other seasons. The grapes for the “La Landonne” cuvée are picked by hand at maximum maturity. Fermentation takes place in traditional open-topped concrete tanks, following three days of pre-fermentation cold maceration. Before fermentation, the maceration process continues under controlled temperatures of 82°F to 86°F. Daily cap pushing down and pumping over are carried out for about 10 days with total vatting time of up to 20 days. The wine is aged for 14 to 16 months in new or one year old oak casks. The barrels are topped up regularly.
Food Pairing: This wine pairs wonderfully with fine meats, roasted beef, water games, truffles and spicy stews. The bottle should be opened 1 to 3 hours before drinking. This wine needs at least 3 years cellaring before it can open up its complexity. In such case it is strongly recommended to decant before serving.
Tasting Notes: The wine‘s deep color is underscored by plummy hues. A complex nose shows deep, fruity aromas with hints of licorice and roasted coffee. Endowed with a dense and silky tannic structure, this is a full, fleshy wine that provides an ample and generous palate. Its lasting finish speaks of considerable ageing potential.
Reviews:
This is dark and still a bit reticent, with a cast iron cloak around the core of dark currant, plum and blackberry paste flavors, showing lots of sweet bay leaf, anise and singed apple wood notes in the background. There's serious grip through the finish. For the cellar.
-Wine Spectator 96 Points
Very open, spicy and fresh on the nose, you could almost open this now. Struck flint notes assist in teasing out notes of leaf tea, tobacco, rosemary and rose. Very full-bodied, generous but powerful on the palate, tense and mineral. Mouthcoating ripe, sweet tannin and robust amounts of sweet baking spices, along with more tobacco and black fruit on the palate. Has depth, length, power and impressive balance despite the high alcohol. Drink from now into 2022, or from 2031 to 2040. Lieu-dit La Landonne, from the Brune side (mica schist bedrock). Matured in new and one-year-old barrels for 14 months.
-Decanter 96 Points
The 2019 Côte Rôtie La Landonne comes from one of the greatest sites for Syrah in the world, the La Landonne lieu-dit located close to the center of the appellation, on the Côte Brune side. It reveals a deeper purple hue (it's slightly more opaque than the Seigneur de Maugiron) and offers a brilliant nose of ripe cassis, black raspberries, scorched earth, smoked herbs, and seared meat. Full-bodied and powerful on the palate, this is a deep, spicy, concentrated Côte Rôtie with a plush, layered mouthfeel, sweet tannins, beautiful balance, and a great, great finish. This puppy brings the fruit, opulence, and texture of the vintage yet still has a classic Côte Rôtie character.
-Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points
Fresh aromatic layers of mint sit atop crushed red cherries and wild strawberries, with light clove and thyme on the nose. The palate is rich and enticing with black cherries, plums, rhubarb, pomegranate seeds, black olives and freshly picked rosemary leaves. Tremendous texture, structure, and refreshing acidity carry this wine to a robust finish of orange zest and black tea leaves. Maisons Marques & Domaines USA.
- Wine Enthusiast 96 Points
This very ancient region dates back to the Roman Era and is located on the right bank of the Rhône. It is said that during the Middle Ages, “The Seigneur de Maugiron” gave a hillside to each of his two daughters - one was brunette and the other fair - thus, were born the names of “Côte Brune” and “Côte Blonde.” Wines from the Côte Blonde tend to be more delicate and lighter in character than the fuller wines of the Côte Brune. Together, they make a wine of style and substance. This cuvée is a vineyard plot selection. The grapes come exclusively from a plot within the named slope of “La Landonne.”
This cuvée‘s first vintage was 1997. The wine is only made in the very best years. Its highly limited production never exceeds 2,500 bottles per year.
The steep, terraced hillsides along the river produce wines that are among the "biggest" reds of France. The Delas Côte-Rôtie is primarily Syrah with an addition of up to 10 to 20% of Viognier grapes in the crop. The soils of the northern part of the Côte Brune vineyard consists of extremely steep, terraced slopes of ferruginous mica schists which are covered with schist sand (arzel). The Côte Blonde has a varied geology with gneiss and granite predominating at the most southern side of the appellation. The area has dry, hot summers with regular rainfalls during other seasons. The grapes for the “La Landonne” cuvée are picked by hand at maximum maturity. Fermentation takes place in traditional open-topped concrete tanks, following three days of pre-fermentation cold maceration. Before fermentation, the maceration process continues under controlled temperatures of 82°F to 86°F. Daily cap pushing down and pumping over are carried out for about 10 days with total vatting time of up to 20 days. The wine is aged for 14 to 16 months in new or one year old oak casks. The barrels are topped up regularly.
Tasting Notes
The wine‘s deep color is underscored by plummy hues. A complex nose shows deep, fruity aromas with hints of licorice and roasted coffee. Endowed with a dense and silky tannic structure, this is a full, fleshy wine that provides an ample and generous palate. Its lasting finish speaks of considerable ageing potential.
Food Pairing
This wine pairs wonderfully with fine meats, roasted beef, water games, truffles and spicy stews. The bottle should be opened 1 to 3 hours before drinking. This wine needs at least 3 years cellaring before it can open up its complexity. In such case it is strongly recommended to decant before serving.
The grapes come from the property owned vineyards in the municipality of Grávalos, south of Monte Yerga at the foothills of the “Cordillera Ibérica” at an altitude between 700–800 meters above sea level. A very high located area where you obtain fresh wines with little alcohol content and with very fine and elegant aromas.
The Pinot Noir variety originating in Burgundy is one of the three most important varieties in Champagne. Harvested around the second and third week of September. The collection of the grapes is done manually, selecting the grapes, preventing any deteriorated grapes from reaching the press or not complying with the quality required to elaborate our cavas.
Raspberry pink with steely glare. Fine bubble that forms a small rosary of slow evolution. Fruity aromas of strawberry, raspberry and flowers (rose petals). Pleasant and potent in the mouth with light acidity and a bubble very well integrated. Persistent and elegan
Review:
Wine Enthusiast Magazine (December 2023), 94 pts
Domaine de la Janasse Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Vieilles Vignes is made from 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, 5% divers.
In contrast to Chaupin, which is made from old-vine Grenache on sandy soils, the cuvée Vieilles Vignes is from old vines of Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah along with smaller percentages of other permitted varieties that are grown in these old vineyards. The wine is sourced from 4 terroirs: pebbly clay, sand, gravelly red clay and sandy limestone. Vieilles Vignes is always the most powerful and concentrated Châteauneuf-du-Pape cuvée made at Domaine de la Janasse.
Review:
The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes also saw some stems (the estate started keeping some stems with the 2016 vintage) and was 75% destemmed, with the blend being 70% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, and the rest Syrah, Cinsault, and Terret Noir. As usual, it’s a more powerful, black-fruited wine comparted to the Cuvée Chaupin and has lots of crème de cassis, liquid violet, crushed stone, woodsmoke, and peppery herbs. It displays the vintage’s purity and freshness yet brings the concentration as well as the structure. I’ll be shocked if it’s not in the handful of top wines in the vintage.
-Jeb Dunnuck 96-98 Points
The 2021 Domaine Joseph Voillot Volnay Les Champans Premier Cru is from the domain’s largest premier cru holding, 4.2 acres whose vines date from 1934, 1971, and 1985. Champans is down-slope in the premier cru band, and its wine typically has more fruit and power than other Voillot Volnays.
Review:
‘The 2021 Volnay Les Champans Ter Cru has much more brightness and delineation than the Fremiets this year, with red cherries, wild strawberries and ust a touch of iodine and sous-bois. This is nicely focused. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, fine structure, pliant tannins and a harmonious finish. Not the most complex Champans encountered from this address, yet it has class.
-Vinous 91-93 Points
The 2021 les Champans is also a simply stunning example of this fine premier cru vineyard. The beautifully elegant nose wafts from the glass in a blend of red and black plums, cherries, spit-roasted quail, a complex base of soil, woodsmoke, coffee bean and a deft touch of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and shows off superb depth at the core, great soil signature, ripe, fine-grained tannins and a long, nascently complex and very promising finish. This is a touch more reserved on the palate than the Fremiets and will take a bit longer to blossom, but it is going to be stellar. 2034-2085.
93+ pts- John Gilman, View from the Cellar #102
Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Heimbourg is made from 100 percent Riesling.
Bright yellow color. The nose expresses an immediate sense of strong mineral and limestone influence. After aeration or decanting, it will show eventually bright citrus, bergamot, spices and an expected slight austerity. It is very expressive today, but it is easy to see that this wine still has much more to show in the future. The mouth is tight, dry, showing a bright acidity and elegant finish.
Review:
What a fascinating peachy, flinty and smoky nose this great dry Riesling has. Power, energy and vitality on the generous palate, but also a profoundly chalky and flinty minerality. Long juicy finish that pulls you back for more. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
-James Suckling 95 Points
Dr. Leimbrock Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese is made from 100% Riesling
Aged 6 months in classic large oak barrel.
ABV 8%Grapes come from Juffer-Sonnenuhr - one of the most prestigious vineyards in the Mosel winegrowing region. The vineyard faces south and provides the best conditions for growing Riesling.
delicious with exotic and candied fruit, flavors of date, honey and caramel, full-bodied Auslese with very concentrated aromas of apricot and dried fruits.
Vines were planted in 1990.
Wine was slightly filtered before bottling
Pair with dessert, cheese or dried fruits.
Dr. Leimbrock Mulheimer Sonnenlay Riesling Spatlese is made from 100 percent Riesling.
A classic in the residual sweet range that impresses with filigree fruit and mineral spiciness.
The circulating mountain "Mülheimer Sonnenlay" represents a geographical feature of the Moselle. Due to the strong meandering of the Moselle, the mountain was surrounded by the course of the river in geological development in such a way that a so-called circulating mountain arose from it. Located in the northeast-southwest direction, vines are cultivated on both sides of the mountain. The site name "Sonne" and "Lay" (Mosel Franconian for slate) combines the most important prerequisites for the cultivation of Riesling vines. Soils are skeletal-rich, weathered clay-ish shale enriched with sand, stones, and clay. At the beginning of the 1930s, the Mülheim winegrowers proudly pointed out that the local wine was served in the elegant restaurant of the airship "Graf Zeppelin" on its world trips and was obviously very popular.
Pair with spicy dishes, soft cheese, cakes.
Dr. Loosen Riesling Eiswein is made from 100 percent Riesling.
This vibrant, racy dessert wine conjures flavors of densely packed pear, apple and guava, with an intense, nervy edge in the aroma. It is luscious, silky and juicy on the palate, with bright acidity giving it a crisp, dynamic finish.
Review:
Eiswein is a daunting test of patience for a producer working with what the vintage gives. The Loosens use grapes from Urzig and Erden to hedge their bets in a long, extended harvest. After the grapes freeze, it is time to pick. This is a special Eiswein with tangy notes of peach vinaigrette paired with the flavor of white chocolate-dipped raspberries, a combination that tantalizes the palate.
-Wine & Spirits Magazine 95 Points
Maurice Ecard Savigny Beaune 1er Cru Narbantons is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir
Reduced yields from severe springtime pruning, fully mature harvest and manual selection and sorting. Vinification involves partial destemming, classic fermentation, pigeage, racking of the gross lees.
The wine offers black cherry fruits on the nose. Rich and full bodied with a beautiful texture. Flavorful.
Falletto di Bruno Giacosa Asili Riserva is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo.
Intense red garnet color with orange highlights. Notes of raspberry and wild strawberry are layered with floral aromas of rose and violet. On the palate, good structure is matched with freshness of fruit and sweet, silky tannins.
Review:
Sweet and succulent aromas of tangerines, freshly cut ripe strawberries, cherries and flowers follow through to a full-bodied palate with sleek and dense tannins that run the length of the wine and then fan out into a dense, vivid finish of fruit. It’s chewy and seriously structured with finesse and energy. Silky texture. This needs at least four or five years to come together and open.
-James Suckling 98 Points
Fayolle Crozes-Hermitage Rouge Cuvee Nicolas is made from 100 percent Syrah.
Deep ruby red color. Nose of red and black currant fruits, pepper, spring flowers, new leather and mineral/earthy nuances. Medium bodied palate of red fruit and spice. Nice balance. Long finish and velvety.
Review:
"Boasting even more striking aromas of blueberries, violets and peppery spice than the La Rochette bottling, the 2018 Crozes-Hermitage La Cuvee Nicolas is almost Côte-Rôtie-like. Medium to full-bodied without seeming at all heavy, ripe without being overdone, silky and fine from start to finish, it's a real beauty and a testament to the potential of the commune of Gervans - a small granitic outpost within the Crozes-Hermitage appellation. - Joe Czerwinski"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (May 13th 2021), 93 pts
Fayolle Crozes-Hermitage Rouge Cuvee Nicolas is made from 100 percent Syrah.
Deep ruby red color. Nose of red and black currant fruits, pepper, spring flowers, new leather and mineral/earthy nuances. Medium bodied palate of red fruit and spice. Nice balance. Long finish and velvety.
Good match with red meat (beef, lams) or white meat (veal) in sauce, poultry and game meat. Perfect with most cheeses.
Fayolle Crozes-Hermitage Rouge La Rochette is made from 25-year-old vines planted on loess and red granitic soils. 100% Syrah.
Deep ruby red color.
The wine has plenty to offer with red and black fruit aromas, as well as a good minerality.
The finish is long, clean and juicy and offers some white pepper spiciness typical of the best Crozes-Hermitage.
Soil type is red brittle granite and white soil.
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.
They 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.
Fefinanes Albarino de 1583 Albarino is made from 100% Albarino.
Aged for 5 months in oak barrels (a combination of fine-grained American and French Allier barrels).
1583 is the birth date of the Viscount of Fefinanes, Gonzalo Sarmiento Valladares, builder of the Castle of Fefinanes, in Cambados.
They wanted to pay tribute to their ancestor with this wine that managed to reach a perfect harmony between the fruitiness of the Albarino grape and the complexity brought by the oak aging.
Lovely straw yellow color, clean and bright. The nose is reminiscent of ripe crystallized fruit and spices. The palate is elegant, round and well balanced, with a silky texture.
Excellent with shellfish, grilled or stewed fish, white meats, poultry.
Fefinanes Albarino de 1583 Albarino is made from 100% Albarino.
Aged for 5 months in oak barrels (a combination of fine-grained American and French Allier barrels).
1583 is the birth date of the Viscount of Fefinanes, Gonzalo Sarmiento Valladares, builder of the Castle of Fefinanes, in Cambados.
They wanted to pay tribute to their ancestor with this wine that managed to reach a perfect harmony between the fruitiness of the Albarino grape and the complexity brought by the oak aging.
Lovely straw yellow color, clean and bright. The nose is reminiscent of ripe crystallized fruit and spices. The palate is elegant, round and well balanced, with a silky texture.
Excellent with shellfish, grilled or stewed fish, white meats, poultry.
Fefinanes Albarino de 1583 Albarino is made from 100% Albarino.
Aged for 5 months in oak barrels (a combination of fine-grained American and French Allier barrels).
1583 is the birth date of the Viscount of Fefinanes, Gonzalo Sarmiento Valladares, builder of the Castle of Fefinanes, in Cambados.
They wanted to pay tribute to their ancestor with this wine that managed to reach a perfect harmony between the fruitiness of the Albarino grape and the complexity brought by the oak aging.
Lovely straw yellow color, clean and bright. The nose is reminiscent of ripe crystallized fruit and spices. The palate is elegant, round and well balanced, with a silky texture.
Excellent with shellfish, grilled or stewed fish, white meats, poultry.
Fenocchio DOC Barbera d'Alba Superiore Bussia is made from 100 percent Barbera.
The color is a deep ruby red with garnet reflections. It has a rather intense bouquet, with scents typical of the vine and a full bodied and dry flavor, with a distinct and pleasing acidity. It becomes mature with aging, acquiring a full and balanced flavor.
Parcel is 2.5 hectares (6.2 acres) planted at 300 meters above sea level.
It pairs well with red and white meats, tagliatelle pasta and cheeses.
Fenocchio DOC Nebbiolo Langhe Bussia is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo.
The color is a deep ruby red with garnet reflections and an intense and fruity bouquet of plum and cherry. The flavor is dry with good body, well balanced tannins and harmonious with hints of licorice and rose.
Parcel is 2 hectares (5 acres) planted at 300 meters above sea level.
Pairing well with all types of food, from appetizers to cheeses with red and white meat.
Fenocchio DOCG Bussia Barolo is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo
The color is deep garnet red and the bouquet is fine and pleasing, with intense scents of spiced rose and licorice. The flavor is dry, warm, full bodied and balanced with pronounced tannins and a persistent aftertaste. A wine particularly adapted for aging.
Traditional method of long maceration: natural fermentation without added yeasts for 30 days in stainless steel tanks.
The Barolo Bussia, with its structure and body characteristics, pairs well with dishes of meat, game and aged cheeses, typical dishes of the local cuisine, as well as with many rich international dishes.
Review:
" Pleasant dried-cherry aromas, colored with nutty spice and dried leaves. Full-to medium-bodied with fine, firm and velvety tannins and a long finish of candied-cherry and chocolate. Give it a few years to meld together better. Best from 2025."
- James Suckling (January 2022), 93 pts
Patricia Raquin Nuits St. Georges les Vaucrains is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
"Vaucrains" comes from old French word meaning place with very little fertility (which is very good terroir for grape production)
Nuits-Saint-Georges AOC: AOC wines since 1936, 757 acres of grapes, 97 % red wine, 3 % white wine. Nuits refers to “walnuts in the area, not night”….41 Premier Cru vineyards
Tasting Notes: Powerfull aromas with lots red wild fruits, full bodied wine with great aging potential.
VINEYARD: Gravel and Silt
HARVEST: Harvest by hand.
VINIFICATION: Harvest by hand. Traditional vinification in thermoregulated stainless steel. Pre-fermentation – temperature controlled cold maceration during 10 days. Long fermentation during which pigeages and pumping over are performed. Post-fermentation - maceration at 30°C for 5 days.
AGEING: Aged in new French oak barrels for 16 months.
Roast lamb - Rib steaks - duck
Les Gentilhommes Pouilly Fuisse Premier Cru Clos Reyssier is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
A gentilhomme is a gentleman characterized by his delicacy, thoughtfulness, and courtesy. "Les Gentilhommes" was created by brothers Richard and Stephane Martin as brand embodying the gentleman's character combined with Burgundian know-how.
From the work in the vineyard to the vinification in barrel, they are inspired to share these noble values. Quality, authenticity and long family tradition are the foundation of these wines.
Les Gentilhommes Pouilly Fuisse Premier Cru Clos Reyssier's description