Luigi Baudana Barolo Cerretta is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo.
Austere and very mineral expression of Barolo. Aromas of dark cherries and raspberries jump out vividly from the glass. Hints of iron, menthol, new leather add to the depth and intrigue of this wine. Refined and polished, Cerretta has an extra layer of tannins, important structure and a lively acidity which are nearly buried by its exquisitely lush fruit.
The 2018 Barolo Cerretta offers good focus with a sharp and linear style that gives way to forest berry, wild rose, rusty nail and crushed stone. The wine is extremely direct, and that's what sets it apart. In that sense, this wine is faithful to the characteristics of Serralunga d'Alba. The soils of Cerretta see a layer of white marl on the surface and red clay further down; that's where those rusty sensations must come from. Best After 2024
-Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 94 Points
Lydian was established in 2019 as a new way to experience Washington wine. The team behind Avennia brings you another delicious wine that serves as an introduction to a lifetime of wine appreciation and a fresh take on Washington terroir.
In music, Lydian refers to a mode, or scale that is used as a building block for some of the world’s oldest and newest masterpieces. This happy sounding mode brings joy on its own, yet when molded and crafted by talented musicians can become a work of timeless art.
We believe Washington vineyards produce some of the finest building blocks in the world. With these grapes, and the collective talent behind those growing and working with them, Lydian wines can be as complex, nuanced, and profound as any jazz classic.
Lydian: a fun, fresh take on Washington wine.
Lydian GSM is fresh and lively on the palate, with strawberry, red cherry, and hints of savory earth, fresh mint, and lavender. A delicious wine!
"This is a superb value, with aromas that recall a warm custard popover slathered with blackberry jam. The wine's silky texture almost makes you forget about its cassis, mocha and saline flavors. It's a balanced gem of a red. - Michael Alberty"
- Wine Enthusiast (July 2023), 92 pts - Editors' Choice
M by Michael Mondavi Red Blend is made from 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec, Only 16 barrels produced.
M starts with Cabernet Sauvignon vines planted to Cabernet Clone 4 on 110R rootstock, which produces structured fruit with ample tannins and acid to balance the concentrated dark fruit flavors. In order to perfect his process, Rob Mondavi, Jr. consulted with viticulturist Danny Schuster to help unlock the secrets of his family’s Animo Vineyard. Rob and Danny harness an organic natural approach to the vineyard that exemplifies the beautifully, unique attributes of this site.
Linear and precise, the 2016 M by Michael Mondavi opens with expressive aromas of quince, plum, juniper, cassis, blackberry & dark roasted coffee beans. With time and swirls of air, notes of dried rose petals, coriander, cinnamon and clove develop. This wine enters the palate with subtle tannins at first, and soon broadens into a silky expanse of vanilla bean, cocoa, roasted dates, black cherry, and orange blossom tea. The evolution of flavors continues with candied figs, bramble-berry, and cocoa covered strawberries. Enticing and enjoyable now, additional cellaring will surely allow further detail and refinement to develop. Blend: 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec
Review:
Linear and precise, the 2016 M by Michael Mondavi opens with expressive aromas of strawberry, plum, juniper, cassis, blackberry & dark roasted coffee beans. With time and swirls of air, notes of dried rose petals, coriander, cinnamon and clove develop.
96 Points - James Suckling
Maggy Hawk Unforgettable Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
HARVEST NOTES
All plants require water to grow, and grapevines are no exception. The 2021 growing season was our driest yet. The Maggy Hawk vineyard relies on rainfall in the winter and spring to fill our vineyard ponds to irrigate our vines during the summer months. These ponds ran dry a few weeks before harvest began. Fortunately, the grapes made it across the finish line without being affected by the drought. We typically harvest over 2-3 weeks. In 2021, everything was ready at once, and we harvested in just one and a half weeks. The clusters had a shorter ripening period and were harvested on the earlier side, which produced wines with intense hues, great acidity, and concentrated aromas and flavors.
WINEMAKING
Our 2021 Unforgettable Pinot Noir is crafted from a unique selection of five blocks and three clones from all corners of the Maggy Hawk vineyard. Upon arriving at the winery, we separate the individual blocks and allow the grapes to cold soak for 5 days before raising the temperature and beginning fermentation. The fruit is then pressed very gently, and the free run is kept separate from the harder pressing and racked down to barrels. The wine is allowed to go through malolactic fermentation on its own before being left to age in 30% new French oak barrels for 17 months. Finished unfined and unfitered.
Freshness, power and persistence. Unforgettable delivers a pronounced mix of fresh black cherry and red plum balanced by hints of dried lavender, bay leaf, anise and potting soil notes. A perfect balance of structured and juicy with smooth, rounded edges on the palate due to integrated tannin.
Review:
This wine is opulent, with aromas of Black cherry, red currant compote, cinnamon spice, and fresh florals on the nose. The flavors on the palate are Bing cherry, blackcurrant confiture, vanilla lime cream interwoven with dried herbs, bittersweet chocolate, earth and a long silky finish. Hold or Drink until 2032 Pair with Lamb Shoulder — Tonya Pitts
-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points
The 2021 Pinot Noir Unforgettable boasts a deeper red/ruby color and was aged in 38% new French oak. There’s more 667 clone in this blend, which reveals a darker profile in the glass, with red and black-fruited notes of black raspberries, brambly herbs, forest floor, and cedar. Medium-bodied, it has a broader shouldered feel, with lovely structure throughout and a lovely, ripe finish. It’s going to drink well over the coming 10 years.
-Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
Maipe Chardonnay 2013 is made from 85% Chardonnay, 15% Viognier.
Manual harvest.
5 hour maceration on skins in temperature controlled steel vats; fermentation with selected yeasts at 14°-16°C; 30% malolactic fermentation.
30% was aged in French oak barrels.
Brilliant yellow golden color with green hints.
The wine is crisp and filled with white peach, pear, green apples flavors, toasty vanilla. Elegant and luscious wine, well balanced. Crisp and long finish.
Pairs well with creamy soups, pork, veal, vegetables.
Maison du Midi Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge is made from 84% Grenache, 11% Syrah and 5% Mourvèdre.
Maison du Midi Chateauneuf-du-Pape is designed to be a very fruity and fresh CDP with structure. Different flavors of red and black fruits with a hint of pepper and spice notes.
Review:
"The 2023 Châteauneuf du Pape comes from the Brotte family (where the fruit is sourced) and is 90% Grenache and 5% each Syrah and Mourvèdre. Already bottled, it has a juicy, upfront, undeniably delicious style that brings both red and black fruits, some peppery, herbes de Provence-like nuances, medium to full body, and an upfront, ready-to-go style."
- Jeb Dunnuck (Importer Highlight: Fran Kysela ; July 2024), 91 pts
Maltus Lalande de Pomerol is made from 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.
This is the newest project from Nicolas Lassagne (Chateau des Landes).
He acquired this 2.5 ha (6.17 acres) parcel in 2015.
Beautiful sustained deep purple color
The Bouquet is rich, generous, complex and reveals notes of black fruits.
The palate is round and powerful with some good integrated tannins. The finish is long and structured.
Origin of the name:
History tells us that the origin of the Château Maltus goes back to the Middle Ages, in the time of the crusades. The Order of Malt, well implanted on the land named Lalande de Pomerol, cultivated for the first time vines on the grounds of the Château Maltus.
Review:
"A ripe, spicy and black-fruited wine, this has some dense tannins as well as fine blackberry flavors. The wine's acidity is muted at this stage, masked by the wine's powerful Merlot fruit flavors. Drink the wine from 2025. - Roger VOSS."
- Wine Enthusiast (December 2022), 90 pts
Marchesi Di Gresy Barbaresco Martinenga Camp Gros Riserva is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo.
Review:
Gorgeous scents of cherry, raspberry, rose hip and white pepper are augmented by leather, tobacco and chalky, mineral flavors in this detailed, complex red, which starts out fresh and inviting, before the dense matrix of tannins puts a lock on the finish. Nonetheless, this has length, harmony and stellar potential. Best from 2025 through 2043. 663 cases made, 50 cases imported.
-Wine Spectator 96 Points
Mas Olivier Faugeres Rouge Expression is made from 70% Syrah, 20% Grenache and 10% Mourvedre.
Dark color with a deep purple hue. Intense nose with ripe red berries notes which reveals after breathing herbal notes of pepper, incense, cardamom and chili. It is a well-structured wine with powerful and fine tannins.
The wine is produced from a unique plot nested in hilltops, at 400 meters above sea level on rich schist soils. The grapes are selected with love and great care (optimum maturity checks and berry tasting before the hand harvest). Each variety is harvested separately on different dates to ensure the best quality and the perfect homogeneous blend “expression” of the AOP Faugères terroir.
Pair with roasted rib of beef with porcini mushrooms. Game dishes with candied turnips, cheese.
Mas Sinen Clos Priorat is made from 38% Garnacha, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Carinena, 16% Syrah.
Before the 2017 vintage, this wine was called Negre. It is the same vinification and level of excellence as the prior cuvee, but with a different name.
It's quite ripe, concentrated, powerful and oaky with black rather than red fruit and peat and graphite aromas. The palate is full-bodied with plenty of rough-hewn tannins and moderate acidity, and is in need of bottle age and/or powerful food. An XXL Priorat.
Mas Sinen Negre Priorat is made from 38% Garnacha, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Carinena, 16% Syrah
Aged in 90% French, 10% American oak barrels for 12 months.
Maceration for 21 days. ML in stainless steel tanks.
Clarification with white egg and soft filtration.
The wine shows great spice and leather components, some minerality and a lot of ripe red fruits aromas as well.
This wine is certified organic.
Review:
"Dark, bright-rimmed ruby. Highly perfumed, mineral- and smoke-accented red and dark fruit preserve, baking spice and floral pastille aromas, along with hints of licorice and black tea. Gently chewy and focused on the palate, offering juicy cherry, blackberry and spicecake flavors that deepen and turn spicier as the wine opens up. Finishes impressively long and sappy, with a lingering floral nuance, well-integrated tannins and a jolt of smoky minerality. Raised in new and used barrels, 90% French and 10% American.- Josh Raynolds"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (March 2021), 93 pts
Mas Sinen Negre Priorat is made from 38% Garnacha, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Carinena, 16% Syrah
Aged in 90% French, 10% American oak barrels for 12 months.
Maceration for 21 days. ML in stainless steel tanks.
Clarification with white egg and soft filtration.
The wine shows great spice and leather components, some minerality and a lot of ripe red fruits aromas as well.
This wine is certified organic.
Review:
"This is a super ripe and fleshy ball of rich dark berries and plums with a super rich, long and fluid texture. Such length and depth of blackberry fruit here. Drink now."
- James Suckling (July 2019), 91 pts
Review:
Fresh violets, lilac, wild plums, allspice and wild herbal aromas pour from the glass. The focused palate shows tart cherry preserves, warmed cloves, roasted coffee and dark chocolate that finishes with a crushed chalk minerality. Fine tannins are present but in balance, working with fresh acidity to keep this wine in harmony. Drink now–2045.
-Wine Enthusiast 97 Points
Masseto 2020 is a wine that has embraced all the key traits of the vintage. It displays excellent concentration both in terms of colour and bouquet. They remain persistent and vivid in the glass without subsiding over time. The potency of this wine returns on the palate with beautiful length and balsamic flavours. The integrity of the tannin reveals the ageing potential typical of Masseto.
Review:
Intense and full on the nose, fragrant with ripe black fruit, floral aspects and soft spicing. Round and full on the palate, it's rich and muscular yet tight and neatly coiled with a liquorice, graphite, pepper, cinnamon and clove tang that gives this immediate but enjoyable spice. Feels well worked, juicy with high acidity that lifts the palate and gives freshness and brightness alongside really quite mouthwatering strawberry and raspberry fruit with such captivating dried floral and bitter orange rind aspects. Tannins are super fine and so well integrated yet this maintains a grip and hold from the very beginning through to a long and sustained finish. Nuanced and complex, still packing a punch in terms of power, but this feels sophisticated, suave, purposeful and controlled. Not elegant, this is more of a caged animal with it's full potential yet to be unveiled, but it is classy. A truly delicious wine with so much purity and sense of place. Malolactic fermentation in 100% new barroques, with each batch kept separate for the first 12 months of ageing before being blended and returned to barriques for another year, totaling 24 months. The wine was then aged for a further 12 months in bottle before being released.
-Decanter 100 Points
Domaine Michel Magnien has evolved into a Burgundy producer of a singular style and philosophy from cellars located in the village of Morey-Saint-Denis. In 1993, Frédéric Magnien persuaded his father Michel to begin domaine bottling. The domaine is now certified biodynamic by Demeter and the wines are produced without the use of new oak.
The domaine’s 45 acres are spread across the villages of Morey-Saint-Denis, Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, and Vosne Romanée, with holdings in several premier cru and grand cru vineyards. These include the grand crus Clos de la Roche, Clos Saint-Denis, and Charmes-Chambertin. Frédéric Magnien maintains an average vine age of 50 years.
Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru "Climats d'Or" is a blend of five premier crus in the village of Morey-Saint-Denis: Cheseaux, Charrières, Clos Baulet, Chaffots, Monts Luisants. The wine was fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks followed by several months aging in half terracota amphora & half used pièce. Around 20% whole clusters were included in the cuvée.
Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru "Climats d'Or" combines the structure of Gevrey-Chambertin with the perfume of Chambolle-Musigny. This wine shows fresh red berries on the nose with notes of violets, spice, and earth. Old vines and heavier soils give this wine weight and richness on the palate.
Red Burgundy might be the world’s most flexible food wine. The wine’s high acidity, medium body, medium alcohol, and low tannins make it very food friendly. Red Burgundy, with its earthy and sometimes gamey character, is a classic partner to roasted game birds, grilled duck breast, and dishes that feature mushrooms, black truffles, or are rich in umami.
Milsetentayseis 1076 Ribera del Duero Tinto is made with 95% Tempranillo and 5% other native varieties.
TASTING NOTES: A product of its unique landscape, extreme altitude and mineral-rich soil, 1076 Tinto is a bold wine with a distinct character designed to evolve over time. Its freshness and intensely fruity expression are representative of a modern style, moving away from excess, in search of the elegance, smoothness and balance found in the great wines of the world.
TERROIR: A recently restored vineyard situated at over 3,280 feet of altitude where ancestral vines over 100 years old grow harmoniously together with new, indigenous plantings in varied soil comprised of red clay, sand and mineral deposits of quartz, mica, and feldspar.
WINEMAKING: Hand-harvested from a selection of the best plots in the vineyard then separated into concrete, oak or stainless steel fermentation vats depending on the characteristics of the grape and the soil where it was grown. Its production is defined by the team´s constant vigilance throughout the process and their in-depth knowledge of the region, the soil and the native varieties that thrive there.
Pair with spit-Fire Roasted Suckling Pig.
Reviews:
"Aromas of blackberry jam and clove waft from the glass. This wine's flavors of ripe summer cherry, blueberry pie, clove, white chocolate and caramel are set into a network of durable tannins. The remarkably bright, lingering finish is laced with notes of vanilla and orange zest. - Mike DESIMONE"
- Wine Enthusiast Magazine (July 1st 2023), 96 pts
Monzio Compagnoni Franciacorta Saten Brut Millesimato
Color: very deep golden yellow, often, with very abundant froth and persistent perlage of great finesse.
Scent: it has a rich spectrum of scents, it is enveloping and almost greasy without any cloyingness; there are sensations of vanilla, biscuit, licorice, anise.
Taste: in perfect correspondence with the nose, even the taste is full, rich, generous, juicy; all well balanced by an acid base that allows the sweet sensations (of ripe fruit) to express themselves without tiring the palate
The name "Saten" means Silk.
The name "Franciacorta" comes from a phrase in the 1100-1200’s for tax exempt. The phrase is "Franzacurta”….referring to tax exempt status of some local towns in Lombardy, Italy. Franziacorta became a DOC in 1967 and was granted the DOCG status in 1995. There are 2000+ hectares (5,400 acres) total for the appellation with over 100 producers. Total production for the DOCG is around 550,000 cases.
SALE!
Morambro Creek Cabernet is 100 percent Cabernet
Deep purple in color. A rich elegant nose of cassis with overtones of vanilla and coffee. Lush, ripe palate dominated by black fruits, cherry and chocolate. Full bodied with savory, integrated fruit tannins and persistent finish.
Winemaking at Morambro Creek is very traditional and labour intensive. Oak maturation takes place using 35% new French barrels. This blend was put together using select barrels from our family estate that best demonstrate the intensity of our fruit balanced by integrated oak.
Total Acidity: 6.6 g/L
pH: 3.49
Review:
"From the small Padthaway region three hours' drive east of Adelaide, this is a full-bodied Cab that, despite the region's warm climate, avoids being bombastic. The nose feels Christmasy: baking spices laced with purple beets, dried mint and red berries. In the mouth it's ripe and generous, and there's a fair bit of oak showing but all is held at bay by taut, fine-grained tannins. Drink through 2025."
- Wine Enthusiast (January 2020), 90 pts
"Layers of mint, tobacco and cassis unfold on the nose of the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon. Mature and ready to drink, this medium to full-bodied wine is a fine example of Padthaway's (and the larger Limestone Coast region's) potential for Bordeaux varieties. Silky, savory and dry, it displays fine lines despite its heft, with bright acids and a lingering finish. - Joe Czerwinski"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #253, February 2021), 90 pts
"Bright ruby. Spice-accented cherry and floral qualities on the nose, along with a hint of dark chocolate. In a juicy, forward style, offering bitter cherry and cassis flavors that show good depth and spicy lift. Easygoing tannins frame a long, smooth finish that echoes the floral note."
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (September 2022), 90 pts
SALE!
Morambro Creek Padthaway Shiraz is made from 100 percent Shiraz.
Deep inky black & purple in colour. The nose is perfumed with violet, blackberry, vanilla and spice with a touch of earth and liquorice over white pepper in the background. Expansive palate, smooth lush ripe back fruits nicely balanced oak, plenty of concentration with a long finish.
IMPORTER SALE!
Winemaking at Morambro Creek is very traditional and labor intensive.
Oak maturation takes place using 35% new barrels both French and American. This blend was put together using select barrels from our family estate that best demonstrate the intensity of our fruit balanced by integrated oak.
excellent with barbecued pork, beef, venisson as well as grilled vegetables.
Alchohol is 14.5%
Morande Black Series Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Malleco represents the exploration of one of the most extreme valleys in Chile for wine production. A new wine frontier, an ideal terroir to produce high-end Chardonnay in Chile, with a different style from other outstanding origins such as Limarí –which offers wines with marked minerality– or Aconcagua Costa –which delivers sharp acidity and great power. The Traiguen area in the Malleco valley produces wines of great tension and fruity austerity, as well as complexity, balance and finesse. A very typical style of Chardonnay marked by elegance, verticality on the palate and subtlety on the nose and mouth.
The wine offers a bright pale yellow color, intense and elegant aromas of citrus fruits and green apples as well as hints of nuts, such as hazelnuts and roasted chestnuts. A tense and fresh acidity on the palate, and a vertical structure in the mouth. Very fine and complex, its long persistence highlights the austere character of its fruit and a delicate minerality.
Shellfish and fish of intense flavor, such as smoked salmon, swordfish, giant perch, and white meats, poultry.
Review:
"Fresh and pure on the nose with green fruits and lots of star fruit, a hint of flint and a slight creamy edge. Subtle and bright with a tense mid-palate that creates a creamy but fresh mouthfeel. Medium- to full-bodied and long. Drink now."
- James Suckling (February 2023), 94 pts
Mordoree Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge Dame Voyageuse Grenache 90 % Mourvèdre 4% Syrah 4 % Counoise 1% Vaccarese 1% .
Mordoree Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge Dame Voyageuse is a more approachable version of the La Reine des Bois. It is meant to be enjoyable early compared to her sister Cuvée which is made for the long run.
Color : deep ruby red, opaque.
Aromas : red fruits, changing to touches of leather, black truffles and coffee.
Palate : fat, concentrated and full flavored with a very long liquoriced and fruity finish.
Ageing potential : 6 to 10 years.
Surface : 5 Ha.
Yield : 30 Hl./Ha.
Vineyard age: 60 Years
Terroir : Clay-siliceous on pebble stones
Harvest : by hand
Vinification : 100 % destemmed, long 30 days maceration with a maximum of 34° C temperature.
Estate bottled
Review:
"A fragrant and spicy Chateauneuf that marries richness and structure with finesse and fascination. The fine tannins build beautifully at the self-confidently dry finish, where spicy and chalky elements mingle beautifully, with just a hint of milk chocolate neatly accenting this. A complex blend based on grenache. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink or hold."
- James Suckling (August 2022), 94 pts
Inama Bradisismo is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere.
Our Classic Riserva. 1997 was the first vintage of the wine that we called Bradisismo, just like the geological phenomenon that created the territory of the Colli Berici. Since the beginning, this wine revealed itself as having a strong character due to the presence of the Carmenere, which makes it unique and inimitable.
Bradisismo expresses a synthesis between the intense aroma of ripen and concentrated cherry of the Cabernet Sauvignon, together with the vividness of the Carmenere: pepper, cocoa and wild berries.
For Cabernet Sauvignon lovers, this wine is a perfect alternative to a Super Tuscan or a top Bordeaux wine: Excellent quality/price ratio.
The current label was designed at the end of the 1990s when the vineyards were purchased. It offers a view that is rather more linked to the Colli Berici territory.
The drawing by the architect Nicholas Wood, shows the house that exists in the heart of the Lonigo property, surrounded by vineyards, where the Inama family lives.
The dwelling was built between 1600 and 1700, probably on a pre-existing medieval site, and renovated in the nineteenth century.
The house initially belonged to the Venier family from Venice who, in the 1700s, used to cultivate tobacco on the flat areas of the territory. Traces of this activity can be deduced from the “barchesse” that still stand next to the house and that were used for drying out the tobacco leaves.
In those days, all the province of Vicenza was part of the Venetian Serenissima Republic and many Venetian families had property in the Colli Berici area.
Tasting Notes:
The nose displays an intense bouquet of red and black fruit, spices, pepper, ripe cherries and chocolate.
Tannins are balanced and help the wine to age longer.
Review:
A poised and vivid blend of cabernet sauvignon and carmenere. Plums, blueberries, dark cherries, undergrowth, leaves, sweet tobacco and a touch of black olives. Medium- to full-bodied with fine, firm tannins. Structured and textured with dark berries and some chocolate character on the palate. Earthy with hints of spices towards the long finish. Best from 2025.
-James Suckling 94 Points
In our exploration of the North Coast wine region, we found the sandy loam soils of the Russian River AVA to offer the best Pinots with balanced, natural acidity and richness on the palate. Our Outerbound Pinot Noir opens with layered aromas of ripe red cherry, pomegranate and cola fruits on the nose, with flavors of juicy strawberry and rhubarb pie carried through the wine’s lingering dusty tannic finish.
Review:
-Wine Enthusiast 93 Points