Products meeting the search criteria

• 100% pure Sauvignon Blanc, crafted from grapes grown in the most notable and warmer regions of California’s coastal hills. Each block contributes a distinct element to the blend, resulting in a layered and complex style.

• The harvest dates were determined by physiological maturity, which varied widely in the 2023 vintage due to the wet winter leading to a cool summer. Nevertheless, the extended hang time reduced grapes with low sugar, firm acid, minimal pyrazines, and intense flavor expressions.

• Upon arrival at the winery, the whole clusters underwent a gentle pressing, and the juice underwent a cold settling process for two days. Subsequently, it was racked off the heavy lees into stainless steel tanks, where it underwent a chill fermentation with native yeast – which contributed to the balanced mouthfeel, set against a backdrop of minerality and acidity.

• Following fermentation, the wines remained in tank, with the lees being stirred weekly for nearly four months before the final blend was assembled. No malolactic fermentation was allowed, preserving the vibrant fruit and floral notes, alongside the natural tension characteristics of this blend.

Opaque color. Very rich, dark chocolate aromas with some black cherry and mature fruit coming through. There is also a pleasing freshness to the port originating from its floral and cistus (rockrose) bouquet. The Quinta de la Rosa Vintage 2017 is a powerful wine with much potential but at the same time elegant and generous on the palate. Full of flavors, very complex with fine tannins that gives the wine a nobility and persistence. A great vintage made to give pleasure now and in the next few decades.

Review:

The 2017 Vintage Port was bottled a few weeks before tasting after spending 18 months in used tonels. It is a field blend, mostly Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca, coming in with 98 grams per liter of residual sugar. Wonderfully aromatic and filled with flavor, this got plenty of aeration and didn't blink even a little. It was still vibrant and expressive. Aeration only made it more tannic. It is also delicious. This is potentially a great Port, and it seems like the best I've seen from La Rosa. This is sort of approachable in the near future, but it really needs (at least) a decade of cellaring. It has a lot of muscle and should age well.

-Wine Advocate 95 Points

Very floral in profile, with violet and lilac accents leading off, followed by a decidedly red-fruit spectrum of raspberry, cherry and red currant coulis flavors that race throughout. Has grip, but this is more reliant on acidity, showing a nearly piercing feel as the tightly focused finish zips along, leaving a mouthwatering impression. Delightfully idiosyncratic. Best from 2033 through 2050. 112 cases imported. — JM

-Wine Spectator 95 Points

This is a rounded Port, showing layers of black fruits, ripe tannins and spice. At the same time, it does have a solid structure that will allow it to age. The acidity comes through at the end. Drink from 2028. 

-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points 

Realm Cellars Bard Red Blend is made from a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Petite Sirah.

The 2021 is the largest and most complex blend we've ever made with dozens of components from vineyards across the realm of Napa Valley. This vintage includes new vineyard sources from Calistoga, Rutherford and Oak Knoll AVA, allowing us to broaden our painter’s palette. The Bard is generally more approachable in its youth than some of our single vineyard bottlings, but we expect it to age for many years to come. This is our first time using a technical cork for this wine, which should guarantee consistency and improve longevity.
Blend: 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Petite Sirah.

Review:

Lastly, the 2021 The Bard checks in as 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah. This beauty has a killer bouquet of cassis, spring flowers, graphite, chalky minerality, and violets. This carries to a full-bodied, seamless, silky, flawlessly balanced effort revealing fine tannins, a good sense of freshness, and a thrilling finish.

-Jeb Dunnuck 98 Points

Rinaldi Barbera d' Asti La Bricca is made from 100% Barbera d'Asti.
"Bricca" means the top part of the hill. (see picture of the vineyards)

La Bricca is a deep, ruby-red colored wine with violet hues. The bouquet is vinous and intense with ethereal aromas (typical of the Barbera grape) and scents of ripe fruit and spices. The wine is full-bodied with very pleasant silky tannins. Long and harmonious with a good aging potential.

Enjoy it with meat dishes, rich pasta, risotto and well-aged cheeses. To appreciate the wine at its best, the bottle should be left at least 24 hours at room temperature and opened 1 hour before serving.

Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec.

The 2021 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon shows notes of plum, blackberry, licorice, chocolate, violet, and warm spice. Dark plum and black fruit carry through to the palate. Fresh and lively with plush tannins and a polished structure.

Review:

Soft around the edges and firm in the middle, this red- and black-fruited wine has a creaminess on the palate, delivering a mix of red cherries, blackberries and blueberries wrapped in moderate tannins. Contains small amounts of petit verdot, cabernet franc, malbec and merlot.

-James Suckling 92 Points

This is a 6 liter imperial also called a Methuselah.

Roland Champion Champagne Blanc de Blanc Grand Cru 2014 is made from 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay from the chalky soils of Chouilly.

This Champagne is full of elegance and finesse. Very complex nose, with a bouquet of aromas dominated by honey, brioche and notes of dried fruits, hazelnuts and sweets. Perfectly matured.

Manual harvest; then pressing immediately to avoid oxidation & preserve quality. Free run juice only. Aged six years on the lees.

It matches magnificently with foie gras!

Review:

"Based in Chouilly on the Côte des Blancs, it is obvious this producer will have a Blanc de Blancs Champagne. And very good it is, with some age after six years on lees while still having freshness, crisp acidity and a tight, steely edge. The bottling will benefit from further aging, and it will be at its best from 2022. - ROGER VOSS"

- Wine Enthusiast (December 2020), 92 pt

This is a 9 liter imperial also called a Salmanazar .

Roland Champion Champagne Blanc de Blanc Grand Cru 2014 is made from 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay from the chalky soils of Chouilly.

This Champagne is full of elegance and finesse. Very complex nose, with a bouquet of aromas dominated by honey, brioche and notes of dried fruits, hazelnuts and sweets. Perfectly matured.

Manual harvest; then pressing immediately to avoid oxidation & preserve quality. Free run juice only. Aged six years on the lees.

It matches magnificently with foie gras!

Review:

"Based in Chouilly on the Côte des Blancs, it is obvious this producer will have a Blanc de Blancs Champagne. And very good it is, with some age after six years on lees while still having freshness, crisp acidity and a tight, steely edge. The bottling will benefit from further aging, and it will be at its best from 2022. - ROGER VOSS" 

- Wine Enthusiast (December 2020), 92 pt 

Flowering in the Duoro occurred in the last 10 days of May. The weather conditions provided for a perfect flowering season. The Romariz Vintage Port 2003 yielded wines of great color and supple tannins, with a vintage stamp being evident in most wines. Production: 8,000 cases. "Another bright and fruity young Vintage Port with plum, grape and blackberry aromas with just a hint of stems. Serious nose here. Full-bodied, with soft, round tannins and a long, caressing finish. A beauty."
- J.S., Wine Spectator, 89-91 pts

"Bright dark ruby. Deep, perfumed aromas of cassis, licorice, violet and minerals. Lush and high-toned in the mouth but with very good vinosity and spine. Lovely fruit-driven flavors of black cherry, blackberry and dark chocolate. Little sign of the roasted side of 2003. Not hugely concentrated but suave, supple, minerally and sweet. Finishes with ripe tannins and very good spicy persistence. A very good showing. Accessible already but balanced for medium-term aging."
- Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, 89 pts

Deep red with a slight purple hue on release. The wine has a rich mix of dark chocolate infused with coffee bean and black liquorice, then scents of tar, aniseed, raw (pure) soy and black olive on the nose. The palate is expansive, and yet balanced and finessed. An amalgam of dark berried flavors and textural sensations. The 100% new oak is completely absorbed, meshed with ripe tannins, completing a palate of impressive length and youthfulness.

Parcels of fruit for this wine were identified in the vineyard by the winemakers. Daily fruit inspection led to the fruit being harvested at optimum flavor ripeness. The fruit was harvested at night and quickly transported to the winery. The fruit was destemmed to 6T open fermenters for fermentation. A Shiraz specific yeast was selected to ferment the wine and fermentation was carried out at a maximum of 28°C. The fermenter was manually pumped over twice daily in the first half of fermentation to give the winemakers control of color, flavor and tannin extraction. Pump over regimes were adjusted toward the end of fermentation to suit the tannin and flavor extraction of the wine. The cap was completely broken up on each pump over. The wine remained in fermenters for 6-8 days (dependent on parcel) before being pressed, inoculated with malolactic bacteria and filled to American oak (100% new barrels). The wine was racked post malolactic fermentation and returned to the same barrels. The wine was topped every month and after six months racked and returned to the same barrels again. Prior to bottling the parcels were emptied from oak and blended. Minimal fining and filtration was carried out prior to bottling.

Review:

Only made in top vintages, the 2019 Shiraz Ron Thorn is 100% Shiraz from the St. Kitts Vineyard in Barossa. Killer notes of blackberries, black cherries, smoked tobacco, chocolate, and subtle menthol all define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a round, layered mouthfeel, huge mid-palate depth, and a salty, decadent style on the finish. This monster of a Shiraz stays balanced and light on its feet and is beautifully done.

-Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points

The aging is as Mounir ages his Burgundies: extremely long, never racked, no fining, no filtration. It would be easy to say that we expected the experience running one of Burgundy’s leading producers, Lucien Le Moine, would show in Mounir’s wines. But the actual results need to be tasted to be believed and understood: a wine with beguiling fruit and savory richness, yet extraordinary finesse and detail.

Mounir Saouma likes to describe Châteauneuf-du-Pape as a mosaic, with all the wild traditions and differences together making for very different interpretations. Omnia, Latin for “all,” is his attempt to encompass the entire region’s terroir and winemaking history (and perhaps future) in one glass. The fruit comes from 9 vineyard parcels across all 5 of the Châteauneuf communes, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Courthezon, Sorgues, Bedarrides and Orange (in early vintages, when the Saoumas did not have all the vineyards they have today, they would purchase fruit; today, Rotem & Mounir Saouma is 100% Estate). The wine is then vinified and aged in foudres, cement and 500 liter barrels – a little bit of everything.

2019 was another warm and dry vintage in the southern Rhône, marked by insistent drought and repeated heat waves during the season. With little disease pressure or frost, the crop was close to normal size, but bunch and berry-size was reduced during the growing season by the lack of water. The grapes were thus concentrated and rich in sugar and acidity, although potential alcohol levels were often quite high. Vineyards at higher elevations – Châteauneuf du Pape and Gigondas in particular — handled the heat better, and the wines from those AOPs are rich yet also remarkably fresh and energetic. Despite the initial concerns about the growing season, 2019 looks to be a watershed vintage in the Southern Rhône, producing rich wines with exceptional concentration and aging potential

Inviting aromas of sliced strawberries, red cherries and rose. Full-bodied with vibrant acidity and succulent fruit. Fine, structured tannins are vertically aligned with the fruit. More dark-fruited than the nose lets on and entirely delicious. I love the subtle spice here.

-James Suckling 94 Points

Very refined, with silky and fine-grained structure carrying alluring bergamot, rooibos tea, incense, dried cherry and lightly mulled raspberry notes along. A long sanguine thread weaves through the finish. Hard to resist now with so much charm, but this will benefit from cellaring. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. 

-Wine Spectator 94 Points

The Royal Shiraz Cabernet is made from 50% Shiraz, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon

The Royal Shiraz – Cabernet Sauvignon borrows its name from a grand old hotel in Riebeek Kasteel. It is the oldest hotel in the Western Cape; a beloved fixture of the area.

Juicy and fruity, rich and ripe in style with blackberry, blackcurrant and spice flavors, subtle vanilla and black pepper. Smooth and well-balanced with a lingering finish of berries, spice and beautifully integrated oak.

Pairs well with red meat, especially classic recipes like roasted leg of lamb, grilled lamb chops and beef kebabs, game, duck, pasta and cheese.

Rubus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is made from 100 percent Napa Valley Cabernet

Its long finish displays full mature flavors of blackberry, currant and chocolate with just a hint of toasty oak and black cherry. The tannins are refined and polished, allowing the fruit to be the focus.

SALE!

Lodi, American Viticulture Area (AVA) – The Lodi AVA is located in the northern end of the San Joaquin Valley, Central Valley California, east of the San Francisco Bay. Lodi has warm days and cool nights, similar to the Mediterranean climate. The lower temperatures that occur in Lodi result in fruit with good acidity. A wide range of soils are found in the Lodi AVA, but they generally are deep, loamy, sandy, rocky soils similar to that found in southern Rhone valley.

The Lodi appellation totals almost one half million acres, and the approximately eight hundred growers farm roughly 90,000 acres. Lodi produces more Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Zinfandel than any other wine region in California, but it is probably best known for its old vine Zinfandel. The vines are often head trained giving them a classic old world appearance.

Zinfandel – The Zinfandel grape is a hearty variety that produces grapes with high sugar levels, often resulting in wines with a high alcohol content. Thought to be a relative of Primitivo that is found in southeast of Italy (the boot heel), Zinfandel can be made into a wide range of wine styles, including White Zinfandel, light or full bodied red wines, and even late harvest desert style wine. However Zinfandel, especially Old Vine Zinfandel from Lodi, is usually made into a full bodied, spicy red wine with characteristics of red fruit, raspberry, and cherry.

Produced in the heart of Lodi AVA.

Rubus Zinfandel Lodi is made from 98% Zinfandel + 2% Cabernet Sauvignon
Bottled after aging in French and American oak for 9 months.

Rubus Zinfandel Lodi presents with ruby red in color, with red fruit, raspberry, and spice on the nose. This wine is medium in body, with notes of ripe cherry, cedar box, cinnamon, anise, black pepper, and hint of smoke on the palate. It has a long, silky finish.

Selected by Fran Kysela MS.

Wachau Riesling is dry and often defined by high levels of dry extract (due to a lengthy ripening period) and a pleasing freshness (due to dramatic temperature swings between day and night). Sedimentary soils of sand and stone give Kirchweg Riesling a dense mineral texture and fine fruity flavors.

Review:

Welcome to the dark side of Wachau dry riesling! Deep and delicately spicy nose that’s full of mystery. Incredible concentration and massive wet stone character on the very precise medium-bodied palate. Radical mineral energy and garden herb freshness at the enormously long and tightly-focused finish.

-James Suckling 98 Points

Ruffino Alauda Toscana IGT is made from 40% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot, 25% Colorino.

An elegant, full-bodied wine, Alauda is a harmonious sum of its parts. Rich with varietal flavors of plum and cherry from the Merlot and layered with ripe berry flavors from the Cabernet Franc, and unique balsamic and dark chocolate notes from the Colorino. The extended oak aging process integrates the blend while providing tertiary flavors of sweet spice and soft, elegant tannins for a lingering finish. This wine will age gracefully for decades.

Sake Eikun Junmai Ginjo Water Lords 12/720ml is made with Iwai rice.

Eikun sake uses water from a source called "Fusui", rated as one of the top 100 sources of water in Japan. This water source is located just south of the ancient Japanese, and still cultural capital of Japan, Kyoto.

Aromas of macadamia oatmeal cookie, spicy zucchini bread, and vanilla cream with a satiny fruity-yet-dry medium-to-full body and a layered, banana custard, jicama, salted whole nut, apple, and radish nuanced finish. A Wonderfully vibrant and flavorful sake.-Beverage Tasting Institute  94 points (Exceptional)

RATING: 94 points (Exceptional)
CATEGORY: Junmai Ginjo Sake, Sake
ALCOHOL BY VOLUME: 15.3%
TASTING LOCATION: In Our Chicago Tasting Room
TASTING DATE: Dec-05-2012
WINE ID: 200768

Made with Iwai rice.

Eikun sake uses water from a source called "Fusui", rated as one of the top 100 sources of water in Japan. This water source is located just south of the ancient Japanese, and still cultural capital of Japan, Kyoto.

Rice milling: 60%

Hiyaoroshi is a general term referring to sake that has been pasteurized once in the winter and then allowed to mature over the summer before distribution in autumn. The Japan Sake Brewers Association designates September 9th as the official start for Hiyaoroshi sales. (Essentially aged Namazume)

September 9th is known as Kiku-no-Sekku (“Chrysanthemum Festival”), where hundreds of chrysanthemums are displayed around various venues and chrysanthemum sake is served. The chrysanthemum (kiku) was brought to Japan from China during the Nara period. In 1183, it was adopted as the Imperial Seal of Japan, and during the Meiji period no one but the Emperor could use it. Nowadays it still represents the authority of the emperor and you can see it everywhere in Japan.

Aromas are forward, fresh, and fruity in the nose with notes of sweet melon, cherries, and hints of vanilla. Flavors on the palate evoke feelings of the season with pumpkin pie, roasted nuts, and stewed plums. This sake is medium-bodied and accented by medium acidity, showing classic Jozen minerality and a lingering dry finish. Additional 7 months of aging adds depth and roundness.

{Pairs with roasted poultry, baked ham, butternut squash ravioli, BBQ, and dishes with sweet spice.
Aged Gouda, triple cream, fresh chevre .

TASTING NOTES: This fresh, subtle Honjozo has a lovely nose of cantaloupe, leek, fresh clay and pear. With just a hint of sweetness, the palate is light bodied with alluring flavors of burnt caramel, chalk and marsh-mallow and a classic Honjozo clean, dry finish.
The fanciful name "Otoko no Yujyo", represents a feeling for which the sake was made, to honor brotherly love, between comrades.

PREFECTURE: TOCHIGI
POLISHING RATIO: 65%
ALCOHOL: 15.0 - 16.0%
SMV +/-: +8.0
ACIDITY: 1.4
RICE KOJI: HITOGOKOCHI
RICE KAKE: TOCHIGI 14
YEAST STRAIN: KYOKAI 901

FOOD PAIRINGS: Versatile with all foods, Grilled Fish, Paella, Smoked Fish, Fried Fish or Fried Chicken
CHEESE PAIRINGS: Foggy Morning, Prima Donna, Domaine de Village

This fresh, subtle Honjozo has a lovely nose of cantaloupe, leek, fresh clay and pear. With just a hint of sweetness, the palate is light bodied with alluring flavors of burnt caramel, chalk and marsh-mallow and a classic Honjozo clean, dry finish.

Versatile with all foods, Grilled Fish, Paella, Smoked Fish, Fried Fish or Fried Chicken. Cheese: Foggy Morning, Prima Donna, Domaine de Village.

Juicy & Refreshing. Full of fruity flavors with clean sweetness. Brewed with Hitogokochi, the special sake rice harvested in Nagano, and natural water slowly filtered down the Japan Alps. In 1866, toward the end of the Edo period, Matsujirou Kurogouchi and his family started a small sake brewery currently called Senjo named after Senjo Ga Take, a 3000-meter peak in the Japanese Alps. Today Senjo Brewery strives to combine art with science and old skill with new technology by adding modern twits to the rich historical traditions of Sake brewing.

Pair with Deep-fried fish with sweet & sour sauce, Young sweetfish tempura (chiayu tempura), Caesar salad.

Dry and lean in the nose with hints of celery, pear puree and anise. On the palate this junmai is soft and creamy on the palate with rich, savory flavors of mocha, hazelnut, spicy vanilla, ending with crisp acidity.

POLISHING RATIO: 80%
ALCOHOL: 16-17%
SMV +/-: +2.0%
ACIDITY: 2.10%
RICE KOJI: Yamadanishiki
RICE KAKE: Yamadanishiki
YEAST STRAIN: Koshi Ibuki

FOOD PAIRINGS: Ideal with rustic Italian food, cheese and tomato centric or creamy pasta dishes

CHEESE PAIRINGS: Italian Raschera, Pecoria Reggiano