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.
Chateau Mazane Vacqueyras Rouge is made from 60% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre.
Ages in 30% Aged in oak, 70% concrete vats.
Medium-bodied, pure and elegant. It offers plenty of plum, blueberry, spring flowers and peppery notes. Beautifully textured, enjoy it over the coming 6-7 years.
Pair with with duck (roasted or grilled) as well as any grilled vegetables (eggplant, zucchini).
Soil types
The vineyard stretches over the plateau of scrubland that is ideally located between the terraces of the Ouvèze (tributary of the Rhone) and Dentelles de Montmirail, and constitutes pebbles soil debris of Dentelles de Montmirail and clay.
Winemaking
Traditional winemaking, temperature controlled fermentation.
Review:
"The 2020 Vacqueyras Château Mazane is terrific and well worth seeking out. Based on 60% Grenache, 25% Syrah, and the rest Mourvèdre, this medium-bodied, supple, elegant Vacqueyras has lots of red and black fruits, complex notes of peppery garrigue, sandalwood, and spice, polished tannins, and a great finish. Drink this beauty over the coming 7-8 years or so."
- Jeb Dunnuck (March 2023), 92 pts
Chateau Talbot Saint-Julien Grand Cru Classe is made from 69 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 26 % Merlot, 5 % Petit Verdot.
The wine presents a delicate and captivating nose of black fruits, fresh tobacco, peppermint and floral nuances. Ripe and juicy fruit flavors of black currants on the palate with well integrated velvety tannins and a beautiful refreshing acidity to the long finish.
For the 2018 vintage, a special packaging with a unique silkscreen printing bottle was created to mark the 100th anniversary of the Cordier Family's acquisition of Chateau Talbot
Pair with red meat, roast pork, game meat, poultry, hard cheeses, poached pear.
"Well-built and rather refined for the vintage, with a deep well of red and black currant paste and plum reduction flavors supported by a deeply inlaid iron note, all of which run the length of the wine. Offers subtle savory, tobacco and singed cedar notes that add range, with a savory echo that leaves a mouthwatering feel in the end. Built to cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2040. - James Molesworth"
- Wine Spectator (March 2022), 95 pts
Named for the former Ranch owned by Butch Cassidy and the sundance Kid.
Cholila Ranch Malbec is made from 100% Malbec. The estate-grown grapes are manually harvested, carefully sorted, and destemmed. The wine undergoes traditional maceration for 21 days with selected yeasts. Cholila Ranch Malbec is aged both in American and French oak for 9 months, followed by a minimum of 6 months bottle aging prior to release.
Deep purple color. Aromas of ripe plum and mulberry with violet hints. Ripe black fruits and fig on the palate with touches of smoke and vanilla. A truly powerful yet balanced wine with a persistent finish.
Collemattoni Adone Rosso Toscano is made from 95% Sangiovese and 5% Merlot
ruby red in color, bouquet of violet, cherry and blackberry, pleasant, dry and well balanced mouthfeel.
Coming from a parcel with 5-8 year old vines planted in sandy clay and marl soils.
Harvest is 100% destemmed with a soft pressing, fermentation in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature of 28-30°C, maceration for 10 days.
Malolactic fermentation completed.
Wine is slightly filtered before bottling.
Collemattoni Brunello di Montalcino is made from 100 percent Sangiovese.
Color: brilliant red with burgundy reflects; Bouquet: penetrating with memories of wild black fruits, black cherry and noble wood; Taste: warm, dry and persistent
Coming from a parcel with 10-15 year old vines planted in sandy clay and marl soils.
Harvest is 100% destemmed with a soft pressing, fermentation in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature of 28-30°C, pumping over for the first week of maceration followed by skin-contact maceration for 20-25 days with rack and return technique (delestage).
Malolactic fermentation completed.
Wine is slightly filtered before bottling.
Review:
"Black cherry and plum with a touch of smoke , vanilla. And toast on the nose. Powdery tannins coat the mouth and has a long persistence. Powerful and fresh while a little warming on the finish."
- Decanter Wolrd Wine Awards (June 2023), 97 pts
Color: intense ruby red.
Bouquet:violet flowers, black cherry and wild black fruits.
Taste: warm, dry and with good balance.
Coming from a parcel with 8-13 year old vines planted in sandy clay and marl soils.
Harvest is 100% destemmed with a soft pressing, fermentation in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature of 28-30°C, pumping over for the first week of maceration followed by skin-contact maceration for 20-25 days with rack and return technique (delestage).
Malolactic fermentation completed.
Wine is slightly filtered before bottling.
Pairs with steak, pheasants and strong cheese.
CONCHA Y TORO Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Don Melchor is made from 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot.
Deep violet in color, intense, and with a great aromatic complexity of red fruits together with floral notes of violets and roses. On the palate, it is a tasty wine with a soft spell and a superb freshness, along with the elegance and power so characteristic of Puente Alto. It is a wine with a velvety texture, lush body, and a very long and persistent finish.
Review:
Deep and serious with black olives, blackberries, blueberries, tobacco leaf, sweet red capsicum, ash, dried meat and a hint of black chocolate. This is a more direct, full-bodied Don Melchor, filled with solid blackberries and wrapped by tight, fine-grained tannins. Long and deep. 92% cabernet sauvignon, 6% cabernet franc, 1% merlot and 1% petit verdot. Better after 2024.
-James Suckling 97 Points
Continuum Red Blend 2021 is made from 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot.
A vintage set apart for its perseverance and resilience, the 2021 Continuum is one of refined concentration – a resounding expression of both measured intensity and enduring vibrancy. This is a multi-layered magnificent vintage that reveals floral notes, with black cherry and wild foraged mixed berries throughout. One can perceive the chemise, sage, and bay giving a gorgeous savory expression, reflective of the natural environment that surrounds the Sage Mountain Vineyard. 2021 is a wine of incredible complexity and nuance – a wine for the ages.
WINEGROWING- Continuum is estate grown on our Sage Mountain Vineyard. It’s location, high on Pritchard Hill along the eastern ridge above Oakville, overlooks Napa Valley and the San Francisco Bay. The rocky, volcanic soils of the site focus the vine’s energy keeping yields low yielding fruit of depth and complexity. 38 acres of mature estate vineyard, planted in 1991 and 1996, with additional plantings in 2004, 2010, together comprise 38 distinct vineyard blocks. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Merlot are grown from 1300 to 1600 feet in elevation, on western and southern facing aspects with slight northern and eastern slopes in places. This diversity of plantings on our volcanic soils are the essence of the complexity of Continuum.
PRODUCTION- Continuum is 100% estate grown, produced and bottled. All fruit is selectively hand-harvested at night. The fruit is then sorted before and after de-stemming, and gravity fed into French oak or concrete tanks. A threeday cold soak is followed by fermentation, receiving three to four pumpovers daily, and délestage two to three times in total during the most active period. The wine remains on skins in tank for 20 to 40 days. All lots are then drained, basket pressed, and transferred with lees for malolactic fermentation and aging. Continuum spent 22 months in barrel. 63 percent of French oak barrels were new and 35 percent were once used. A single concrete amphora was also used for aging. The wine clarified slowly and settled naturally in our cold barrel room, was racked sparingly and bottled without fining or filtration. Each vineyard lot was tasted and carefully considered many times to assemble the blend. TASTING NOTES- Continuum shows energy and verve. The wine expresses purity and precision, with high tone aromatics of red and blue fruit, deep plum and rose oil. This vintage shows an approachable nerve of the land in the refined mineral quality on the palate. The surrounding native vegetation of bay and sage is evidenced in an earthy, savory profile. This is a shimmering, silky and harmoniously integrated wine with densely packed fine grain tannins.
DECANTING- For the fullest sensory experience we encourage decanting to allow the wine to breathe before serving. Decanting awakens the wine’s more purely fragrant expression and enhances the suppleness of the palate. Continuum is accessible and enjoyable upon release; however extended aging will be richly rewarded.
Review:
This is so aromatic with blackcurrant, blackberry, graphite, iron, pine bark and orange peel. Hints of wild sage and peppermint. Seductive perfumes. Full-bodied with extremely well-integrated tannins that have great length. Elegant firmness at the finish. The quality of the tannins is some of the best I have had in a young Continuum. Seamless silk. Great finish. 45% cabernet sauvignon, 35% cabernet franc, 11% merlot and 9% petit verdot. Best after 2027.
-James Suckling 99 Points
This note is written before the final blend of the 2021 Continuum. Deep purple-black in color, it hits the ground running with an intense nose of red and black currant preserves, lilacs, baker's chocolate, and graphite, leading to an undercurrant of black olives and red loam. On the medium to full-bodied palate it is very lively, grainy and super-concentrated, finishing long and shimmery.
-Wine Independent 98-100 Points
Corinne Perchaud Chablis Premier Cru Fourneaux is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
This is the south facing portion of the slope and very hot, heavy "Fourneaux" or "oven" effect.
The wine is expressive and vivacious with beautiful aromas.
Well-balanced, round and fruity wine with a fine minerality on the finish.
1er Cru Fourneaux is located on the Fleys village and faces the field. the plots are very steep and exposed full south on soil type Kimmeridgian consists of marl clay-limestone with shallow ground and a very stony ground. After a slight settling, the juice starts its fermentation in tank, then ¼ of juice is racked in barrels. Both wines perform their alcoholic fermentation and malolactic and their aging on the lees, separately. The two cuvées are blended six months after harvesting. The wine is then filtered and is bottled 15 months after harvesting. 2013 Conditions and Harvest The relatively high temperatures at the end of winter allowed an early bud vines in early March. With a hot, dry spring flower took place in good conditions. In July, a hailstorm located did some damage to our Fourchaume plot. July and early August, rainy and stormy brought the water needed by the vineyards. The dry and sunny weather of the second half of August brought the grapes to maturity. The harvest began on September 2 under cloudy skies.
Coquille St. Jacques (scallops) with leeks and cream.
Corne Loup Lirac Rouge is made from 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre
Dry - less than 4 grams/liter
Color: dark red ruby.
Aromas: red berries, truffles and spices.
Flavors: complex and rich. It shows red and black fruits, with an herbal spice type of aromas coming from the surrounding vegetation (Garrigue).
The average age of the vines is 40 years. (The oldest vines are 80 years old).
The soil is mainly sandy marl and small pebble stones.
Pairs with lamb, duck, turkey, red meat, game and cheese.
Corne Loup Tavel Rose is made from 60% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 10% Syrah, 15% mix of Mourvèdre, Clairette & Carignan
Elegant, refreshing, food-friendly and versatile, this Tavel offers mouth-watering aromas of strawberry and berry pie.
Corne Loup Tavel represents the pinnacle of the rose pyramid quality wise that can be achieved in the Southern Rhone. The town of Tavel has been famous for its rose wine since the time of the Popes in Avignon (1300's). Tavel is about 2,300 acres in size and produces about 500,000 cases yearly of 9 liter cases, plus can age for 2-3 years, unlike many other roses. Produced from a blend of Grenache, Cinsualt, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault and Carignan, the wine comes from a famous sub-parcel called the Plateau de Vallongue between Tavel and Lirac AOC's.
The 20 hectare-vineyards are located in the hamlets of Oliver, Campet, Vestides and Vallongue. The Tavel from this producer is a blend of all 3 soils types you can find in the AOC:
Dry and lively, it is an ideal wine for barbecues as it makes a wonderful sipper that's also capable of matching with a wide variety of summer foods, including grilled chicken, seafood and summer salads
Review:
"Almost garnet-hued in the glass, this plum-scented, Grenache-dominant blend offers all the blackberry and blueberry richness of a red wine with the freshness and thirst-quenching quaffability of a rosé. Accented by spikes of burnt caramel, granite and smoke, it's an elegant, satisfying and dry wine that drinks well anytime of the year. - ANNA LEE C. IIJIMA"
- Wine Enthusiast (September 2021), 91 pts
Cortenova Pinot Grigio is 100 percent Pinot Grigio.
Brilliant straw color with emerald reflections.
Fresh and floral bouquet with a hint of pears, apricots and bananas. Fresh and inviting with bright fruit and an easy drinking style with a pleasing hint of almonds in the aftertaste.
Pairs well with seafood dishes, risottos with scampi, spaghetti with clams, sole in white wine Perfect also as an aperitif.
Cortenova Primitivo is made from 100% Primitivo
The grapes are harvested and immediately pressed at controlled temperature. Fermentation is carried out with maceration on the skins for 10-12 days; daily remontages; malolactic fermentation.
Dark, ruby-red color with violet highlights. Intense and fragrant bouquet with a rich array of red and black fruit aromas and flavors. Harmonious and velvety on the palate. Great balance and structure.
Excellent with grilled or roasted meats, game and cheeses.
El Cortijillo Tempranillo La Mancha is made from 100% Tempranillo
Up front aromas of raspberry and cherry fruit, medium to light weight, Rhône wine in character, cherry fruit flavors, followed by bright acidity. Reminds of a mythical cross between a Pinot Noir and a Côtes-du-Rhône. Pleasant and fun, bistro red.
Made from 30 year old vine.
Delicious with Paella, hamburger or pasta. But also great with grilled vegetables. (bell pepper, eggplant, etc)
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.
Crabitey Graves Rouge is made from 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot.
Château Crabitey Graves Rouge presents a dark cherry color with nice ruby glints. The nose is fresh, revealing a wide range of red fruits flavors, along with a mellow and elegant oak presence. The mouth is powerful and round, supported by smooth and subtle tannins. The wine reveals a good length on the palate, with fruity and slightly oaky notes.
Pairs well is grilled lamb, beef stroganoff and hard cheeses.
Review:
"The 2019 Crabitey is impressive, just as it was en primeur. Bright redtoned fruit, white chocolate, flowers, gravel and mint give the 2019 quite a bit of freshness and energy that builds over time. This mid-weight, wonderfully expressive Graves is a winner.- Antonio Galloni"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (January 2022) 91 pts
This new-wave Rioja (see below for info) is a blend of Tempranillo, Graciano and Garnacha. It combines maturity and complexity with freshness and elegance. Theres a core of dark plummy fruit, with some cherry notes, spice and earthiness and lovely ripe tannins giving complexity and body.
This is perfect with grilled lamb chops and salsa verde
Rioja has traditionally been defined by its ageing. Wines would be blended from across the region and quality would be defined by a wines age - vineyards and regionality were not considered important. Now, theres a new movement in Rioja where new wave producers are pushing to label the wines from their villages and regions highlighting the difference in the terroir and individual parcels.
Creaciones Exeo is part of this movement , stepping away from traditional methods, to produce fresher styles of wine with a lesser reliance an oak influence. The important thing here is hard work in the vineyard to produce great fruit.
Located in the area of Labastida, Rioja Alavesa (this village is labelled on the bottle, until very recently producers were not allowed to do this), Carlos works with 24 hectares of the highest altitude vineyards of the area. In the shelter of the Sierra Toloo, the vines benefit from Atlantic influences and the soils here are mainly chalk and limestone which all help to give elegance the wine.
Crown Point Estate Selection is made from 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 10% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot.
The 2017 Crown Point Estate Selection is an engaging wine with notes of red fruit, strawberries, and vibrant floral tones of violets in harmony with toasted coffee notes. On the palate, the wine displays a gentle sweetness married with fine grain tannins, a velvety texture providing a long finish.
Review:
There's a purity to the nose of this bottling that reveals deep, lush waves of boysenberry paste alongside a savory tone of charred beef. Polished tannins frame the sip, where ample amounts of rich black plum and blackberry are enhanced by caramel, coffee bean and mocha flavors, with acidity holding tight into the finish.
Wine Enthusiast 96 Point
DAOU Vineyards Bodyguard Red is made from 100 percent Chardonnay 65% Petit Verdot, 35% Petite Sirah.
The 2020 Bodyguard is the newest edition to this exceptional collection from winemaker Daniel Daou. Bold and brooding, it displays a vivid, deep purple hue accompanied by an intense nose of chocolate-covered blueberry, black raspberry, Zante currant, pencil lead and damp forest floor. Secondary layers reveal notes of kirsch, fennel, black olive and a hint of cool wintergreen. A lush palate of black plum, dried cherry and blackberry is supported by a firm structure with polished fine-grained tannins. Highlights of dusty leather, dried sage and truffle add layers of complexity that complement the rich, dark fruit. The finish strikes an impressive balance of power and grace, with lingering notes of currant, dark chocolate and crushed stone minerality that enhance the fullness of the experience.
Review:
Corne Loup Lirac Rouge is made from 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre
Dry - less than 4 grams/liter
Color: dark red ruby.
Aromas: red berries, truffles and spices.
Flavors: complex and rich. It shows red and black fruits, with an herbal spice type of aromas coming from the surrounding vegetation (Garrigue).
The average age of the vines is 40 years. (The oldest vines are 80 years old).
The soil is mainly sandy marl and small pebble stones.
Pairs with lamb, duck, turkey, red meat, game and cheese.
Pearmund Cellars Ameritage Red is made from 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 17% Malbec, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot.
Cherry, currant, and herbaceous flavors. Balanced tannins with a lingering finish. Full-bodied and complex. Limited production.