Burgo Viejo Rioja Gran Reserva is made from 100 percent Tempranillo. 30 year old vines.
Burgo Viejo Gran Reserva shows a deep red ruby color and offers powerful aromas of blackberry jam, spice, leather, chocolate with toasty nuances. Smooth yet full-bodied with firm tannins and a long finish.
Review:
"Shimmering garnet. Aromas of cherry, blueberry, candied flowers, tobacco and coconut pick up a smoky overtone with air. Smooth and fleshy on the palate, offering ripe red and blue fruit, mocha, cola and spicecake qualities that tighten up on the back half. Finishes long and supple with repeating spiciness, even tannins and a lingering suggestion of red berry preserves. This old-school Rioja was aged for two years in 90% American and 10% French oak. - Josh Raynolds"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (April 2021), 92 pts
2010 Burgo Viejo Rioja Gran Reserva - Silver Medal - MUNDUS VINI
This wine is our tribute to the flagship grape variety of Rioja Baja. Garnacha has been grown in Alfaro for many
centuries in perfect balance with the local soils and climate which result in our intensely fruity wines,
full-bodied and with velvety soft tannins. Deep and brilliant cherry color; red wild berries, violet and subtle
spice on the nose; the taste sensation is rich, long, and very smooth.
Excellent when combined with red meat, pasta dishes and even chocolate desserts.
Bydand Pinot Noir Umino Vineyard is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
This small, sustainably farmed vineyard perches on a south-facing ridge in the Sebastopol Hills area of the esteemed Russian River Valley AVA, and has produced exceptional Pinot Noir for Bydand since their first vintage. Third-generation farmer David Umino rejected early assessments that the site was too cool for viticulture, and planted Pinot Noir there in 1996. The cold maritime winds in fact help to modulate ripening, and protect the grape’s natural purity and balance - resulting in fruit-driven wines with expressive red fruit and dark berry flavors, balanced with crushed rock and mouth-watering freshness. Velvety tannins coat the palate, providing an alluring and persistent finish.
This site combines the best of the earthy west Sonoma Coast and well-fruited Russian River.
Cantina di Verona Amarone Valpolicella Vallis Dei is made from 65% Corvina Veronese, 30% Rondinella, 5% Molinara
Color: deep ruby red
Nose: Dried prune and blackberry with hints of vanilla and spice
Mouth: It is generously structured and velvety.
Yield: 8000 kg of grapes per hectar – after which the grapes are dried “appassimento”
Grapes are raisin-dried for at least 4 months after harvesting, losing at least 40% of their weight. It is made from selected grapes which are left to dry on racks in specially ventilated rooms until the end of winter.
Fermentation temperature between 18° and 22°C
Maceration time: 20 days
TYPE: DOCG
GRAPE VARIETY: 100% Sangiovese harvested from the oldest vineyards.
VINIFICATION: Alcoholic fermentation with maceration of the skins (25-30 days) at a controlled temperature and spontaneous malolactic fermentation, both in truncated cone-shaped Slavonian oak vats.
REFINEMENT: In Slavonian oak barrels from 10 to 32 hl for approx. 34-38 months; followed by bottle refinement of at least 6 months.
ON SALE BY:January of the 5th year after the harvest.
NOTE:
Color: intense ruby with garnet reflections.
Perfume: ethereal, of red fruit and vanilla, persistent.
Taste: harmonious, with excellent tannins and structure, very persistent.
Food pairings: roasted red meats, game, mature cheeses.
Review:
A jeweled ruby color, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino is forward with licorice spice on the nose and opens to notes of fresh black cherries, pine, and toasted rosemary. Medium to full-bodied, it offers wonderful energy from the start, with balanced, angular structure, ripe tannins, crunchy fresh acidity, and a long finish. Avery well styled Brunello, it will be in its prime in the coming 10-15 years.
-Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points
Aromas of redcurrants and red flowers, followed by a touch of pie crust and sandalwood. Full-bodied with steely and sturdy tannins and vivid acidity. Dried-herb character at the end. Masculine and structured. Hold until 2027.
-James Suckling 95 Points
Capanna Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2015
TYPE: DOCG
BLEND: 100% Sangiovese carefully selected in the oldest vineyards and only of the best harvests.
VINIFICATION:
Alcoholic fermentation with maceration of the skins (30-35 days) at a controlled temperature and spontaneous malolactic fermentation, both in truncated cone-shaped Slavonian oak vats.
AGEING:
In Slavonian oak casks of 10 to 25 hl for over 40 months; followed by ageing in bottles for at least 15 months.
NOTES:
Colour: deep ruby red, strong, lively.
Bouquet: very intense and complex, fruity and spicy, with red fruit, jam and liquorice shades; great prospects of future development.
Taste: great structure in the acid-tannin components, well supported by the soft ones; extremely persistent.
Food pairings: roast red meats, game and very aged cheeses.
Review:
Powerful, sparkling garnet red. Rich, very appealing nose with notes of ripe raspberries and fresh plums, some liquorice and fine spice notes in the background. Grippy, fine-meshed tannin on the palate, builds up in many layers, salty, good tension, very long finish in the finish.
- Falstaff 98 Points
Caymus Suisan Grand Durif is made from 100 percent Caymus Suisan Grand Durif.
Only 30 minutes from Napa, Suisun Valley (which became an AVA in 1982) is still largely undiscovered. With its warm days and cool nights, this pastoral region reminds us of Napa Valley in the 1960s. Known for delicious stone fruits and walnuts, it is also gaining recognition for exceptional wine. Durif is synonymous with Petite Sirah, the widely grown grape in the region – we added “Grand” to the name for its grand style. With harmonious tannins, this wine is opulent, luxuriously soft and totally enjoyable.
Cazaux Gigondas Cuvee Prestige is made from 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 20% Mourvèdre.
A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre produced from the oldest vines of the estate and only in the years of highest grape quality. Aromas of prune, chocolate, spices, fruit brandy and plum. Rounded tannins and a long finish.
Red meats aged, venison
Review:
"I was also able to taste the late-release 2020 Gigondas Cuvée Prestige, which is 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 20% Mourvèdre that was brought up in barrel. It has a rocking nose of Provençal spices, saddle leather, dried flowers, and assorted strawberry and raspberry fruit. It's medium to full-bodied, has fine tannins, beautiful overall balance, and a great finish. Count me in as a fan. Enjoy bottles any time over the coming 7-8 years."
- Jeb Dunnuck (October 30th 2023), 94 pts
Cazaux Gigondas Tour Sarrasine is made from 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre. 45 year old vines on average.
Intense, persistent red and dark fruit aromas. Raspberry, pepper and spice flavors. Silky tannins.
Enjoy with game meat or strong cheeses.
Review:
"Bright violet color. The fragrant and incisive nose displays vibrant red fruit, floral and spice qualities. Shows very good energy and detail on the palate, offering nervy bitter cherry and redcurrant flavors and a hint of garrigue. Closes long and spicy, with resonating fruit and floral notes. - Josh Raynolds - Josh Raynolds"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (January 2023), 92-94 pts
Chakana Cabernet Franc is made from 100 percent Cabernet Franc.
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.
Expressive and ripe nose, juicy texture and intense fruit. Excellent balance, well integrated tannins and stunning minerality.
Review:
- Tim Atkin (Argentina Report 2023), 91 pts
Finca los Cedros Single Vineyard Malbec is made from 100 percent Malbec.
Single vineyard wine from the Finca los Cedros vineyard in Paraje Altamira (3,600 ft. elevation). Planted in high density (8,000 plants per hectare) on calcareous gravel soils, this Malbec has a fresh & easy-drinking style with a mineral character.
Intense purple color. Plum, brambly berries, spices and an iris/violet note are apparent on the nose. Intense, fruity flavors with velvety tannins.
Fermentation with indigenous yeasts. Aged 12 months in oak barrels and concrete vats.
Excellent with roasted meats, duck, salad, pasta, pizza.
Charles Thomas Cotes du Rhone Blanc 70% Grenache Blanc, 15% Roussanne, 10% Marsanne, 5% Viognier
Bright yellow in color. The nose has a nice aromatic expression with white peach, apricot, candied lemon and lime notes. The palate is tasty and has a great generosity, a nice sweep on the attack and a crispy and acidulous finish.
Traditional vinification. The grapes are pressed upon their arrival in the winery. Low temperature fermentation in thermo-regulated stainless steel. Each grape variety is vinified separately and then assembled before ageing.
Excellent wine for an aperitif. It pairs perfectly with grilled fish, platters of seafood and shellfish. It also goes well with simple dishes: pizzas, salads, tabbouleh or steamed vegetables. Cheeses: Goat cheese, Blue cheese and hard cheese such Comté.
Chateau Arnauds des Bordeaux Rouge is made from 100% Merlot.
The wine shows a deep red purple color and intense aromas of black fruits (blackcurrant, black cherry) with hints of liquorice. Very fruity and well-balanced. It is powerful and well structured in the mouth with round and silky tannins, ripe flavors of black fruits. Strong and a slightly spicy finish.
Grapes are coming from 30 year old vines planted on gravelly soils.
The land benefits from sun exposure, warmth and humidity that are strong assets for the vine culture.
The wine pairs well with game meat and beef on the grill.
Chateau Bourdieu Absolu Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux is made from 79% merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec.
When Luc Schweitzer was joined by his two sons Richard and Ludovic at the estate, he wanted to embrace this new chapter in the family history and launched in 2016 a special cuvée from Château Bourdieu called "Absolu". This top-of-the-range cuvée is the best of what their terroir has to offer. The 35 year-old facing south vines benefit from a meticulous care: regular maintenance of the soil, yield control, manual leaf stripping, sorting of the berries - all practices that ensure the quality of this great Bordeaux wine.
A deep garnet color with magnificent purple highlights. The nose is intense and full, revealing notes of ripe black fruits and subtle hints of vanilla and roasted coffee. Great structure with finesse and tannic density that brings depth and length to the mouth. The aromatic purity of the perfectly ripened grape varieties is magnified by the complex and subtle oak flavors.
Pair: Rib of grilled beef and tournedos Rossini - butter pan-fried beef filet served on a crouton, and topped with a hot slice of fresh foie gras.
Review:
"A rich, opulent wine, this is full of dark tannins and powerful fruit. It's a big wine, with licorice and dense wood flavors that give a smoky character and reflect some serious extraction. The wine needs to smooth out to showcase its concentrated richness. Drink from 2024. - Roger VOSS"
- Wine Enthusiast (May 2021), 91 pts
Chateau Cabrieres Cotes du Rhone Rouge Vieilles Vignes is made from 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah.
Château Cabrières’ Côtes du Rhône vineyard is located south of Orange, on the edge of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The area of the vineyard is 1.53 hectares. The soil is comprised of clay-limestone mixed with pebbles.
Bright cherry red color with an expressive red fruit nose (strawberry and raspberry). Soft tannins in mouth, with freshness and spices. This CDR tastes like a baby Châteauneuf-du-Pape!
Pairs with charcuterie, pizza, pasta and mild cheeses.
Chateau de Saint Cosme Gigondas is made from 70% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 14% Syrah, 1% Cinsaut.
The wine shows intense blackberry and fig fruit with licorice, violets, and charcoal on the finish. It is remarkably fresh and finessed given the sun and warmth of the southern Rhône. The unique micro-climate combined with 60-year-old vines and traditional winemaking make Château de Saint Cosme Gigondas the benchmark wine of the appellation.
Grenache is the pale-colored, red-fruited, and potpourri-scented red grape variety of the southern Rhône and can be paired with both rustic and sophisticated dishes. Full-bodied Grenache-based wines are ideal with stews, braises, and grilled meats, while lighter versions can work well with dark fish and tomato-based dishes such as ratatouille.
Review:
This rich and impeccably balanced Gigondas has everything we look for in the wines of this appellation. What a wide spectrum of aromas with everything from raspberry to candied orange, plus a slew of delicate spicy notes and fresh Mediterranean herbs. I love the interplay of richness, fine tannins and lively acidity on the generous, but not expansive palate. Very long, refined finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
-James Suckling 94 Points
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
Gravas Sauternes is a blend of 100% Sémillon.
The wine shows a lovely pale golden color with deep golden highlights. Round and well-balanced offering complex aromas of candied fruits backed up by a hint of exotic fruit (mango, guava) and white flowers. On the palate, it is ample and fleshy, leading into a silky and long finish.
The wine pairs well with white meats, scallops, exotic and spicy dishes, foie Gras, Roquefort blue cheese, chocolate desserts.
Hallet Sauternes is made from 100% Sémillon.
With delicate aromas of honey, citrus, crystallized fruit and acacia, it makes a good match not only for desserts, but also for foie gras, roasted meats and blue cheeses.
It makes a delicious aperitif when served chilled.
Segries Tavel Rose is made from 50% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, 15% Clairette, 5% Syrah. The age of the vines is 30 years. Traditional vinification at low temperature, "vin de saignée" with a maceration during one night in cement vat.
This is large for a Rose...structured and focused, with the color of dark ruby. The nose is loaded up with fresh fruit. Strawberry, blackcurrant, and raspberry beam from the glass. On the palate, the mouth-feel is ripe and succulent. It has strength, but maintains its fresh and crisp expression. The finish is filled with Asian spice and slight hints of smoke. Drink this juice now or over the next year or two.
Segries Tavel Rose is made from 50% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, 15% Clairette, 5% Syrah. The age of the vines is 30 years. Traditional vinification at low temperature, "vin de saignée" with a maceration during one night in cement vat.
This is large for a Rose...structured and focused, with the color of dark ruby. The nose is loaded up with fresh fruit. Strawberry, blackcurrant, and raspberry beam from the glass. On the palate, the mouth-feel is ripe and succulent. It has strength, but maintains its fresh and crisp expression. The finish is filled with Asian spice and slight hints of smoke. Drink this juice now or over the next year or two.
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
Finca Sobreno Seleccion Especial Toro is now called Finca Sobreno Tempranillo Reserva Toro.
Finca Sobreno Tempranillo Reserva Toro 100% Tinta de Toro from selected old-vines plots and aged during 14 months in American oak.
Production: 8,500 cases/year.
Deep dark cherry red color with dark purple tones. Powerful yet elegant nose, refined and stylish with ripe berry fruit, spicy complexity with scents of clove, sandalwood, vanilla, chocolate. Muscular, elegant yet silky smooth taste shows fruit preserves/jam blackberry and chocolate truffle. Concentrated and rich but not sweet with superb length. A good match for venison or wild boar with a fruit-based sauce.
Soil types
The wine is 100% Tinta de Toro from selected old-vines plots (over 40 years old)
The soil is formed by sediments of sand, clay and lime-stone, which produce a dark lime-bearing topsoil, with fine and coarse sands.
Harvest: In Toro summer temperatures were lower than usual and only rose over 40°C on a few days, which compensated for the dry conditions. Fresher nights from mid August also helped vines to reach optimum ripeness in the six weeks leading up to harvest –which was carried out between September 19 and October 10- and tamed alcohol levels. Tempranillo (Tinta de Toro) grapes ripened well – bunches were small and clusters were loose and healthy. Yields were low but the wines show intense color, good fruit profile and ripe tannins, which will be help to achieve roundness and good mouth feel in the finished wines. The fresher summer also resulted in slightly lower alcohol levels and a slightly higher acidity and this bodes well for quality in wines destined for ageing.
Winemaking and aging: Following a careful selection, the grapes were destemmed, crushed and the must underwent cold maceration at 7º C for five days prior to fermentation, which took place at a constant 28º C. The total maceration period lasted approximately 20 days. This wine was aged in new and one year old American and French oak barrels for 14 months, followed by another 24 months minimum in the bottle.
Winemaker: Oscar Martin
Technical specification:
TA: 4.88 grams / liter
pH: 3.62
SO2 free: 76 mg/l
RS: 2.23 grams / liter
A good match for venison or wild boar with a fruit-based sauce.