Bachelet Bertrand Santenay Blanc is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Tasting Notes:
The Santenay Blanc comes from a parcel that is 1.2 hectares in size (3 acres) in the village called “En Charron”, at around 300 meters above sea level, with excellent sunshine and thin limestone soil, guaranteeing great aromatic finesse.
The wine shows a beautiful golden color, a fresh and slightly roasted nose combining lemon and lime aromas with a hint of vanilla. On the palate, almond and toasted hazelnut flavors, along with notes of white flowers and vanilla nuances.
Bastgen Berncastel-Cueser Weisenstein Riesling Spatlese Trocken is made from 100 percent Riesling.
Bright, clean, fresh and zesty. Grapefruit like flavors. Fruity aromas and a nice minerality, typical of the Riesling grape grown on blue slate soil. Round, rich and a very long finish. The grapes for this wine are vigorously selected. Botrytis is not tolerated. At harvest the grapes are fully ripened, have a golden color, and a soft tartness. After a long spontaneous fermentation in a traditional 1000L barrel, the wine just reaches the dry stage. This gives the wine a creamy structure that interplays with ripe yellow and exotic fruit aromas.
They meticulously tend 4.5 ha (11.11 acres) of which 80% is Riesling. The soil is made of slate. Their vineyards are located in Kesten and Brauneberg, on a steep terrace, and planted to 50-year old vines. Fortunately for Bastgen, they own part of the famous Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr. The vines produce very small, ripe berries that are very tasty.
Review:
"This dry Mosel riesling is GG in all but name! Complex nose of white peach and red-fleshed vineyard peach with herb garden notes. Very elegant and polished this glides over your palate, the precision of flavor on the medium-bodied palate is very impressive. Then comes the wet stone and red berry finish that doesn’t want to stop. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold."
- James Suckling (November 2023), 95 pts
Bastgen Blauschiefer Riesling is 100 percent Riesling.
Bright, clean, fresh and zesty. Grapefruit like flavors. Fruity aromas and a nice minerality, typical of the Riesling grape grown on blue slate soil. Round, rich and a very long finish.
They meticulously tend 4.5 ha (11.11 acres) of which 80% is Riesling. The soil is made of slate. Their vineyards are located in Kesten and Brauneberg, on a steep terrace, and planted to 50-year old vines. Fortunately for Bastgen, they own part of the famous Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr. The vines produce very small, ripe berries that are very tasty.
Review:
"Very enticing nose of ripe pear with some white peach and floral aromas! All the elegance and delicacy we expect from high-quality Mosel riesling, but this light-bodied and dry beauty is only an entry-level wine! Long, refreshing and delicate finish. This will be a bargain in all the markets it reaches. From organically grown grapes. Drink now. Screw cap. "
- James Sucking (November 2023), 92 pts
Bastgen Kestener Paulinshofberg Riesling Kabinett is 100 percent Riesling.
Kesten is a small village right by the Mosel surrounded by steep vineyards called Paulinsberg (=hills of Saint Paul). The vines grow on bridle clay slate near the river - a classic terroir that has been cultivated with vines ever since Roman times. Riesling is the most typical grape of the Mosel region that produced a fruity Kabinett with beautiful peach aromas on the nose, rich and ripe fruits on the mouth with honeyed notes and a refreshing acidity. This is a very pleasing wine.
They meticulously tend 4.5 ha (11.11 acres) of which 80% is Riesling. The soil is made of slate. Their vineyards are located in Kesten and Brauneberg, on a steep terrace, and planted to 50-year old vines. Fortunately for Bastgen, they own part of the famous Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr. The vines produce very small, ripe berries that are very tasty.
The grapes are strongly selected, only minimal amounts of botrytis are tolerated. At time of the harvest the grapes are fully ripened with a golden color and tart acidity. After a natural sedimentation process the fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks under cool conditions. The wine remains on the lees until April, then is gently filtered once, and bottled.
Review:
"This prototypical Mosel Kabinett has depth and vibrancy all packed into a light-bodied frame. Not super-sleek, but enormously refreshing with super-expressive white peach, yellow apple and honeysuckle aromas. Super-crisp finish. Delicious now, but excellent aging potential too! From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. Screw cap."
- James Suckling (November 2023), 94 pts
Beckstone Cabernet Sauvignon Horse Heaven Hills is made from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 2% Muscat Canelli and 1% Malbec.
Deep ruby in color with a nose of sweet fruits, the wine opens with notes of ripe strawberries and a delicate dusting of cocoa powder. Earthy spices begin to layer mid-palate, as well as notes of blueberries and a balanced minerality. The finish is soothing with a lingering sensation of dark caramel and toffee.
Over 13,000 years ago sudden ice dam ruptures at Glacial Lake Missoula led to a series of cataclysmic floods that swept across eastern Washington and down through the Columbia River Gorge. These ‘Missoula Floods’ were instrumental in the creation of loamy soils – a gritty mix of sand, silt, and clay deposits that offer a diversity ideal for viticulture. At Beckstone, we source the highest quality fruit from these rich, layered soils at the Wallula Vineyards overlooking the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers. ‘Beck’ is an archaic noun that refers to a mountain river, especially a swiftly running stream with steep banks. Our Cabernet Sauvignon honors these historical floods and the ancient balance of sediments that is evident in the wine.
Benjamin Romeo Predicador Tinto is made from 96 percent Tempranillo, 2 percent Garnacha, 1 percent Graciano and 1 percent Mazuelo.
Predicador, or “Preacher,” named after Clint Eastwood’s everyman character in the 1985 film Pale Rider, is composed of 96 percent Tempranillo, 2 percent Garnacha, 1 percent Graciano and 1 percent Mazuelo. The grapes are sourced from 15 different plots within San Vicente and Briones in Rioja Alta which on average yield less than 2 kg per vine. The wine is fermented in oak and stainless steel with a two-day cold maceration and aged for sixteen months in new French oak. The wine was filtered but not fined. This vintage some La Cueva del Contador, Contador and La Vina de Andres were added for concentration and balance.
The aromatics open up with crushed red cherries, balsamic notes and the sweet baking spices of cinnamon and clove. The fruity and spicy characteristics found in the nose follow through on the palate, along with dried cranberry, black cherry and elegant fine-grained tannin supporting the tart red fruit and adding to its length and depth.
Review:
The red 2021 Predicador has notes of ripe black fruit and dark spices and is a little earthy, powerful, concentrated and generously oaked but balanced and integrated. A modern, powerful red Rioja produced with Tempranillo and complemented with 3% each Graciano and Mazuelo and 2% Garnacha, it has a juicy palate with plenty of power and abundant, fine-grained tannins. It's ripe without excess at 14.7% alcohol. 90,000 bottles produced. It was bottled after spending 19 months in used French oak barrels.
-Robert Parker 93 Points
Colour ,cherry, purple rim. Aroma ,fruit expression, floral, spicy, red berry notes, black fruit, complex. Flavour ,flavourful, fruity, good acidity, long.
-Guia Penin 93 Points
Bernardins Beaumes de Venise Rouge Cru Cotes du Rhone is made from 65% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache Blanc.
Bright ruby color with cherry tinges. Complex black fruit aromas on the nose enhanced by spicy notes. Rounded palate with good length.
The wine is drinking well right now and can be kept for another 10 years.
Situation
Spreads out over the south-east side of the Dentelles de Montmirail hills, in Beaumes de Venise in the southern part of the Rhone valley.
Terroir
On a poor sandy, hungry and arid soil consisting of tender limestone and gritty zones of sandy mollasse.
In the vineyard
The vineyards and their terroir are the essence of our wines. This is where everything starts and where we focus our efforts throughout the year. You can’t make great wine without great grapes.
The viticulture is essentially done by hand. Five people work full-time in the vineyards. They are supplemented by seasonal employees who work during bunch thinning and the harvest in order to bring out the very best in our vines. Working by hand and the attention each vine gets are fundamental. Pruning, de-budding, trellising, leaf removal and picking are thus carried out by hand with the utmost care.
We prepare the soil by using good old-fashioned ploughing. Organic compost is made from grape marc (the discarded stalks and skins).
As a way of protecting the plants, we only use phytosanitary products when necessary and within strict guidelines by staggering the treatments appropriately, to minimise the amount of chemicals used. We prefer to use as much as possible manual and organic techniques . Leaving natural grass cover, removing buds and leaves from the vines, preserving biodiversity around the vineyard: olive, almond and cypress trees, wild rosemary and capers.
Winemaking
We make two red wines at the estate. Terroir wines shaped by the two classic Côtes du Rhône varieties: Grenache and Syrah. We don’t follow any winemaking recipe but are constantly searching for the perfect expression of terroir and each vintage’s particular characteristics. We don’t go for overripe grapes and over-extraction, as we think the wine has to stay refreshing and balanced.
Leaving the wine for 15 days in concrete vats, we try to gently extract the tannins and anthocyanins essential for the wine’s structure and colour. The wine doesn’t come into any contact with wood during ageing. This way the characteristics of our terroir can fully express
Serve with a meal especially red meat, game and cheese.
Review:
"Interesting blend, and it comes through on the nose - it's a fruity, floral style of Beaumes that's really appealing. Full-bodied, rounded, generous and fluid, with very fine tannins. This is a real success in 2021. Also contains 5% Mourvèdre and 4% Grenache Blanc. No destemming, aged 12 months in stainless steel."
- Decanter (September 2022), 93 pts
Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Riserva is made from 100% Sangiovese Grosso.
A rare wine, renowned for its extraordinary ability to age, the Biondi-Santi Riserva is produced only in the best vintages. From 1888 until today, only 41 vintages have been released.
Vineyard Profile
Vintage Report
A majestic vintage where structure, elegance and freshness combine to form something special. 2015 was a hot and dry year with constant warm temperatures from May through August which permitted the production of perfectly ripe, concentrated grapes. At the beginning of September the “tramontana” a wind coming from the north, refreshed and restored the plants before the final phase of maturation, which was characterized by significant day-night temperature, typical of our high-altitude vineyards.
Vinification
Technical Information
Tasting Notes
The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a truly majestic wine. The bouquet is packed with intense fruity notes of black berries, pomegranate and plums, intertwined with scents of Mediterranean herbs such as thyme, rosemary and sage, rising from a carpet of forest floor. On the palate, the wine seduces with exuberant charm and caressing sweetness. The youthful tannins reveal its immense structure and contribute to creating a distinctive sensation of freshness which leads us towards a long-lingering, savory finish.
Review:
The Biondi-Santi 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is initially a reticent wine and one that does not immediately subscribe to the overstated abundance and exuberance of the vintage. Give it time. I wrote this review after several tastings over several days so I could ensure a more accurate account of the wine's elegant reveal. Contemplative and exceedingly nuanced in personality, with wild berry, underbrush, ferrous earth and candied orange peel, this has everything to look forward to in terms of its future evolution in the bottle. It displays a pretty ruby color that borders on garnet and polished copper. A silky, mid-weight palate is accented by beautifully managed and silky tannins (this aspect of the mouthfeel is extraordinary), bright freshness and long-lasting fruit momentum. The alcohol is a bit more powerful in this release (at 14.5%), but the effect is supple and smooth nonetheless. I tasted bottle number 256. Tenuta Biondi Santi does not usually release bottle production numbers, but I can confirm that 2,000 bottles of the 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva are earmarked for the United States market.
-Wine Advocate 98+ Points
The Black Oak Cabernet Sauvignon is garnet red in color, refreshing and inviting to the palate. The wine’s aromas are layered with rich plum notes and a warm cedar component. The ripe, dark cherry flavors, are reminiscent of decadent blackberries with a nice sprinkling of dried herbs. With a mellow tannin structure, this medium-bodied wine is delicious and well-integrated.
There are wonderful aromas of summer-ripe peaches with tropical fruits and flowers. The silky-smooth flavors are reminiscent of baked apples and toasty vanilla bean. The lively acidity makes this an extremely well-balanced Chardonnay. The finish is long and fruity, with an interesting hint of hazelnuts. This wine’s overall taste profiles is creamy with apricots and lemons.
Brulesecaille Blanc Grande Reserve is made from 75% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Sauvignon Gris.
Average age of the vines is 25 years.
Manual harvest from September 19th-20th 2016.
Direct press at low pressure (whole cluster) with low amount of SO2, settling at 10°C.
Addition of yeast and alcoholic fermentation in casks 400 liters.
Raised on the lees for 6 months with regular batonnage (stirring of the lees).
Bottling in april 2017.
Fish, seafood, white meats, fine goat cheeses.
Dark fruit with hints of blackberry cobbler, graphite, and sandalwood. Mostly grown on warmer sites of the Walla Walla Valley including our estate, Bob Healy Vineyard. Beautiful tannins that are lush and have a strong core that broadens out last minute to an ultra-long finish. A really pleasing and luxurious wine.
Review:
Ripe blue and blackberry notes with floral quality, minty cherries and elegant oak spices undertones. Chocolatey texture on the palate, dense and concentrated, rounded. Dense core of dark plummy fruit supported by a refreshing acidity.
-Decanter 97 Points
Enemigo El Enemigo Gran Enemigo is made from 100% Cabernet Franc.
In the spectrum of people who pay attention to detail, winemakers are often incredibly detail-oriented. This can sometimes spill over to become an internal battled, and, as Alejandro Vigil and Adrianna Catena state, "We are our own worst enemy." El Enemigo pays homage to this internal struggle.
The nose presents sweet aromas of black ripen fruits with hints of vanilla and chocolate, which appear after the oak ageing. The mouthfeel is sweet with structured, persistent tannins due to the natural acidity of this wine, leading into an excellent long finish.
Review:
The nose of the 2018 Gran Enemigo El Cepillo Single Vineyard, from a low-yielding and drier year, is full of curry, a note that was a constant across the three vintages I tasted together, but it tends to be stronger in low-yielding and dry years like this. It's also floral and comes through as aromatic and a little exotic, in a good way, with elegance, persistence and very pure flavors. It has fine-grained tannins, great acidity and balance. 7,200 bottles. All these single-vineyard bottlings mature in ancient 4,000-liter oak foudres for some 15 months.
-Wine Advocate 97 Points"Pretty and inviting on the nose with gorgeous aromas of floral violet, cassis and completed with a lifted, delicate liquorice note. The palate is graced with deep herb, pepper, crunchy red fruit and graceful, silky tannins."
-Decanter 97 Points
Boeira Douro Red is made from 35% Touriga Nacional, 35% Tinta Roriz and 30% Touriga Franca.
Deep ruby color with purple hints. Aromas of red and black fruits, toasty notes and dark chocolate. Smooth on the palate with good structure and excellent mouthfeel. Fresh, with well integrated tannins bringing elegance and a gastronomic profile to the wine. Very well balanced. Boeira Douro DOC Red from the Douro Valley is the result of a careful blend of different varieties from the Douro. After fermentation the wine was left in contact with its lees until bottling in order to develop complexity and richness.
Pair with pork roast stuffed with prunes and apricots, grilled meats, marinated leg of lamb, chicken curry, pasta with beef or pork ragout, vegetable timbale with roasted tomatoes and grilled almonds. A very “friendly” food wine.
Boeira Douro Reserve Red is made from 35% Touriga Nacional, 35% Tinta Roriz and 30% Touriga Franca.
Smooth attack with good structure and excellent mouth feel. Fresh, with well integrated tannins bringing elegance and a gastronomic profile to the wine. Very well balanced.
No Oak.Boeira Douro Doc Red Reserve from the Douro Valley is the result of a careful blend of different varieties from the Douro. After fermentation the wine was left in contact with its lees until bottling in order to develop complexity and richness.
Ideal for red meat dishes, such as beef or roast beef with strong spices, thus associating with some traditional Portuguese dishes such as roasted lamb or veal steak. The wine should be served between 16º and 18ºC.
Boeira Douro White 40% Malvasia Fina, 30% Rabigato, 20% Gouveio and 10% Fernão Pires.
Good volume in mouth revealing its fruity character, now enhanced with a citrus component. Slight mineral touch that gives it personality. It is a complex and deep wine with a persistent finish.
Good accompaniment to fish dishes, salads, and can also be drunk as appetizers. Should be consumed at a temperature between 8º and 10ºC.
Boeira Tawny 50 Year Port is produced from Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca and Tinto Cao.
Brownish color with strong coppery reflections. Toasted almonds and dried fruit stand out on the nose, with a delicate sweetness. Intense flavors on the plate, but a refinement and elegance that reflects its level of ageing. A very long evolving finish.
Boeira 50 Years Old Port is excellent as a digestive.
pH : 3.57TA : 9.48 g/L
RS : 152g/L
Then, it is aged for 50 years in 550 liter French oak barrels.
Traditional Porto winemaking with skin contact maceration and short alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel tanks followed by fortification.
Boizel Grand Vintage Brut is made from 50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir.
BACKGROUND
In 1834 the Boizel House was established in Épernay, the heart of Champagne, by a family passionate about the wines of its region. Intimate knowledge of the Champagne region, passed on through the generations, and access to grapes from the finest cru sites, are the essential elements behind the Boizels’ elegant portfolio. Working with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir sourced only from Champagne’s most coveted Grands and Premiers Crus blended with the best crus of Pinot Meunier, Boizel’s intimate knowledge of each village and hillside coupled with longstanding grower relationships allows them the ability to select the finest quality grapes for their Champagnes.
TERROIR & VINTAGE NOTES
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes for the production of the Grand Vintage wines are sourced from Grands and Premiers Cru vineyards within the villages of La Montagne de Reims (Pinot Noir) and the Côte des Blancs (Chardonnay). Pinot Meunier is sourced from the best sites within the Vallée de la Marne.
All wines are aged sur lie in Boizel’s historic chalk cellars beneath the Avenue de Champagne for a minimum of 3 years, climbing to 15 years and above for the best vintages.
WINEMAKING & AGEING
A unique expression of the vintage, the Grand Vintage is only produced in the best years. This cuvée is a blend of 50% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs (Mesnil sur Oger, Oger, Avize, Vertus) and 50% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims (Mailly, Bisseuil, Chigny les Roses).
The wine was aged 8 months in stainless steel vats. Post second fermentation, the wine was aged for 8 years on its lees.
TASTING NOTES
Due to the long lees aging, almond, frangipane, candied orange and brioche aromas are rich and balanced. The palate is complex and mature, with the silky perlage supplying acidity and lift. Elegant pastry notes rounds out the finish.
Review:
Disgorged in October 2014, this smooth, now mature, wine has flavors of yeasty toastiness and a tight, mineral structure. Sliced apple and lemon zest still give freshness. Behind the fruit, crisp texture and a steely edge await. It is beautifully balanced, rich while dry and ready to drink. ROGER VOSS
-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points
Boussey Meursault Vieilles Vignes is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
The grapes for Meursault Vieilles Vignes come from the parcels located in Meursault. They were planted in 1960 and 1970.
The wine has a beautiful golden-green color. The nose displays aromas of almond, hazelnut with an elegant oaky touch. In the palate, it is full-bodied with good length. Long and intense acidity. Great finesse, purity and elegance.
The Meursault Vieilles Vignes goes well with Foie gras, Fish in creamy sauce, Lobster or also by itself as an aperitif.
Boussey Savigny les Beaune is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
The grapes for this wine arecoming from 3 different parcels of Savigny les Beaune loctaed in these 3 different lieux-dits: Les Saucours, les Petits Liards and Les Fourches.
The wine shows aromas of Red fruits with floral notes. It is elegant with a very pleasant long finish.
Bressia Lagrima Canela is made from 70 % Chardonnay, 30 % Semillon
Barrel fermented for 14 months in new French and American oak
Lagrima Canela means 'cinnamon tears'. This white blend shows an intense greenish-yellow wine with luminous golden highlights. It has fresh, elegant floral aromas, lent to it by its grape varieties, as well as melon, pear and toasty oak. Medium bodied with a creamy texture and outstanding depth and concentration.
Light gold colored with a perfume of candle wax, pear, melon, and toasty oak, on the palate the wine is medium-bodied with well-integrated oak, dry flavors, a creamy texture, and outstanding depth and concentration.
Clif Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap is made from 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot.
The fruit was sourced from the hillside terraces of our Poetry Vineyard, our Twin Peaks Vineyard estate surrounding the winery, and a few neighboring vineyards in the Stags Leap District. The wine is composed of small lots from our best blocks, representing a diverse range of carefully selected clones and rootstocks. From Poetry’s exposed, rocky terraces boasting volcanic origins, to the ancient riverbed alluvial soils of Twin Peaks, the breadth of contributing sites translates into a wine of impressive complexity.
Grapes were picked in the darkness of the early morning hours. The freshly-harvested fruit immediately underwent rigorous selection by our three-tiered sorting process, which included our cutting-edge optical sorter. Whole berries were gently delivered by gravity to tank using our crane system, minimizing disruption of berry integrity. Cold soaks lasted approximately seven days, and fermentations were managed via a combination of délestage, pumpovers, and punchdowns. Extended maceration ranging from four to five weeks fine-tuned our tannin profiles, allowing us to perfect mouth feel and wine complexity. The wine was aged in French oak barrels, 38% of which were new, for twenty-one months.
Review:
This wine substantially overdelivers on its price point, presenting a dark fruit profile, generous tannin and oak, and an expansive full-bodied style. Blended with 8% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, it is approachable while never forgetting its structured, complex roots.
-Editors' Choice Wine Spectator 95 Points
Viejo Isaias Elegido Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 50% Malbec and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Viejo Isaias Elegido shows a vibrant red color. The highly viscous tear with reddish tints invites you to discover the warm sensuality that embraces this great wine. A wine of great complexity with deep aromas of pepper, cassis, fig, tabaco and chocolate. This is full-bodied, round red with silky tannins, good acidity and a long and persistent finish.