Pierre Olivier Brut Vin Mousseux NV is made from 100% Airen.
A value sparkling brut, made with Airen grapes from around the French/Spanish border (next to the Pyrenees). This is a new Kysela Project.
The bubbles are obtained using the Charmat method, named after Eugene Charmat, where the second fermentation takes places in a large, closed pressurized tank. It is different from the Methode Champanoise as the secondary fermentation doesn't take place in the bottle.
Pierre Olivier Sparkling Rose NV is a value sparkling rosé, made with Tempranillo grapes from around the French/Spanish border (next to the Pyrenees). This is a new Kysela Project.
This wine is aromatized with a very little amount of Raspberry flavor, giving a nice mouthfeel, with an extra aromatic boost.
The bubbles are obtained using the Charmat method, named after Eugene Charmat, where the second fermentation takes places in a large, closed pressurized tank. It is different from the Methode Champanoise as the secondary fermentation doesn't take place in the bottle.
"Pale pink salmon. Just a touch off-dry, this is a very pleasant sparkler that reveals aromas of spicy red apple with a hint of cinnamon that carry through to the palate. Well made and exceedingly pleasant to drink."
- International Wine Review (Annual Rosé Report / April 2013), 89 pts
Pike Road Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Tasting Notes
Rich and complex, black cherry, confectionary strawberry and dusty rose waft up from the glass. An expressive palate follows with juicy black cherry and pomegranate alongside notes of tropical mango and coconut in a slightly gamey, smoky finish.
About Shea Vineyard
Shea Vineyard sits in the heart of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA and is farmed by our friends Dick & Deirdre Shea. This is arguably the most famous vineyard for Oregon Pinot Noir because of the many well-known wineries that make a Single Vineyard Shea wine, including our sister brand Elk Cove Vineyards and neighbors Ken Wright, Bergstrom, Penner-Ash and others. It's worth checking out the Shea Vineyard website to learn more about this unique vineyard. Wines from Shea vineyard are earthy with a black cherry kick
Review:
This balanced wine has one of my favorite aromas of all time—the caramel and brioche-like cookie scents of a Stroopwafel cookie. These divine scents are joined by red cherries and chalkboard dust. Raspberry, dark chocolate and espresso flavors are supported by velvety tannins and slightly elevated acidity
- Wine Enthusiast 94 Points
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
Pomerols Beauvignac Syrah Rose is 100% Syrah
Pink colored, firm in the style of a Tavel rosé, the wine shows strawberry aromas, candy notes on the nose and cherry and pomegranate flavors on the palate. The wine is silky, elegant, crisp and refreshing.
The Syrah is bled off after 8 hours of maceration.
• 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.
Color:
Medium yellow straw hue.
Aroma:
Asian pear, honeysuckle, passionfruit,
green melon, and a citrus bouquet.
Palate:
Refreshing stone fruit, grapefruit, and tropical flower. This wine has a well-balanced mouthfeel with bright and lively acidity.
Food Pairing:
Oysters on the half shell with mignonette sauce,
niçoise salad, a blue cheese pear tart and crab cakes.
Quinta de Fafide Reserva Branco is made from 50% Codega do Larinho, 30% Rabigato, 20% Viosinho
In this wine we look for an aromatic concentration and high acidity of the grapes from the very old traditional vineyards of high altitude in Douro Superior, about 550 meters above sea level, showing the full character of the varieties of indigenous Douro old vines, giving very mineral and creamy wines. Mineral aroma, citrus and tropical fruit, fresh and full-bodied on the palate, buttery texture and complexity provided by fermentation and ageing in barrels.
Moonracer is Realm’s Estate wine from our SLD Estate Vineyard on Wappo Hill in the Stags Leap District. It is said this elevated site was important to the Wappo Native Americans as it provided the tribe with a central lookout from which to identify intruders and such. The Wappos, though small in number, were known for their bravery, strength and athleticism. Author Jack London, writing about the curious inter-tribal races that took place during full moons, noted that the Wappos often won these contests. Thus Moonracer, an oblique reference to the earliest inhabitants of the place Realm calls home.
The Cabernet Sauvignon-based Moonracer is composed of the finest lots from the Estate vineyard. Winemaker Benoit Touquette has much to choose from, as the site, with its multiple blocks, elevations, facings and diverse soils, has character in spades. Moonracer bears the unmistakable mark of this stimulating vineyard as well as the Stags Leap District. The wine is strong and powerful yet elegant, with refined tannins and plenty of depth. What Benoit calls “intellectual.” It’s a wine that will appeal to both international and American palates. It walks the line, combining characteristics typical of northern and southern Napa Valley. It’s got plenty of fruit but also layered flavors, depth and complexity.
Distinguishing Characteristics
Red, blue and black fruit; floral notes; complex, layered wine; intellectual
description: This is a Pét-Nat Prosecco.
Pét-Nat is short for Pétillant Naturel (French for Naturally Sparkling).
It is the same vinification method as "Methode Ancestrale" used in Bugey Cerdon.
The wine is bottled before the end of the first alcoholic fermentation. Unlike Champagne method (in which the base wine completes his first fermentation in tank and only the secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle adding sugar and yeast also known as liqueur de tirage, which will requires the wine to be disgorged), Pét-Nat method doesn't imply the wine will be filtered or disgorged upon fermentation.
This gives Pét-Nat its light and fizzy mouthfeel, generally with a little sweetness and low alcohol. Most of the times, bottles are slightly cloudy from the presence of lees.
The wine is vibrant with complex lemon citrus, pear and verbena. It finishes dry with delicate yeasty notes.
Alcohol 11,0% vol.
Acidity 5,1 g/l.
Residual sugar 0 g/l
PH 3.3
Pressure 2.4 atm
Area of origin: Vittorio Veneto
Soil: calcareous
Varietal: 95% Glera (known as Prosecco)
Harvest: Manual, with selection of the grapes.
Vinification: Soft pressing with bladder membrane press, settling of must, fermentation at controlled temperature
Fermentation: Processed according to the traditional method of fermentation in yeast bottles. Is normal his natural “bottom” deposit in the bottle, which is why it is brilliant or velvety straw yellow if shaken; the bubble development is brilliant.
Extremely digestible wine, suitable for casual moments or tasting the typical sausages of the local tradition such as the sopressa. Great with pizza daisy.
Review:
"Showing orchard fruit aromas, this wine offers exuberant fruit with light lemon and herbal notes. It offers bright acidity and finishes complete dry. One of the best Pet-Nats we’ve had this year. Made of 95% Glera, this is a sparkling wine made the ancestrale method where the wine is bottled before the end of fermentation, resulting in dissolved carbon dioxide that lends a light sparkling quality to the wine."
- International Wine Review (Champagnes & Sparkling Wines for the Holidays: The Best of 2018), 90 pts
Riebeek Cellars Merlot is made from 100% Merlot.
Grapes were cold soaked overnight. Inoculated with selective yeast. Fermentation took place at 24 - 26 degree Celsius. Wine were pressed at
above 2 degree Balling. Malolactic fermentation finished in stainless steel tanks. Oak maturation include French oak chips, French oak staves and 2nd and 3rd fill barrels. All blended together to perfection.
The style is elegant with distinctive red berries and well-integrated wood flavors on the nose. The pallet is velvety and smooth with an aftertaste that lingers with the juicy flavors of abundant berries.
At room temperature or slightly chilled. Enjoy with pasta or light meat dishes.
Riebeek Cellars Merlot is made from 100% Merlot.
Grapes were cold soaked overnight. Inoculated with selective yeast. Fermentation took place at 24 - 26 degree Celsius. Wine were pressed at
above 2 degree Balling. Malolactic fermentation finished in stainless steel tanks. Oak maturation include French oak chips, French oak staves and 2nd and 3rd fill barrels. All blended together to perfection.
The style is elegant with distinctive red berries and well-integrated wood flavors on the nose. The pallet is velvety and smooth with an aftertaste that lingers with the juicy flavors of abundant berries.
At room temperature or slightly chilled. Enjoy with pasta or light meat dishes.
Riebeek Cellars Shiraz is made from 100% Shiraz.
Cold soaked for one day and then inoculated with selected yeast. Fermentation temperature was between 24 - 26 degree Celsius. Malolactic fermentation was done with French oak chips and American oak staves. This
was then blended with wine matured in 2nd and 3rd fill barrels for 12 months.
Often referred to as Shiraz Country, the Riebeek Valley is renowned for exceptional Shiraz wines. The Riebeek Shiraz is a lively rich wine, full bodied with a subdued smokiness on the nose and a pallet of ripe fruit and
interesting spice. Well-balanced and smooth, the aftertaste lingers with the exciting flavors of Christmas pudding.
Serve at room temperature. The perfect companion to barbequed lamb, filet medallions and game. Lovely with Springbok stuffed with bacon, garlic and rosemary and a great match to a cheese and preserves platter.
Very clean and fresh. Notes of honeysuckle and peach blossom in the nose. White nectarine and charentais melon on the palate. Fresh, clean, and nice salinity on the finish.
Pairs with melon and proscutto, mild cheeses, fresh shellfish.
Roche Redonne Bandol Rouge Les Bartavelles is made from 95% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache.
This cuvée is named "Bartavelles" which is French for the "Rock Partridge".
The wine is quite aromatic, with boysenberry, blackcurrant, peppery and graphite notes. Ample in the mouth with a creamy structure, soft, harmonious and elegant tannins. The finish is long and juicy.
Excellent with grilled red meat or game. Also excellent with cheese
Review:
The 2016 Bandol Cuvee les Bartavelles is lush, open and inviting. Marked by hints of pencil shavings and boysenberries, this 95% Mourvèdre cuvée is medium to full-bodied, creamy textured and easy to drink. It should be consumed over the next decade. - Joe CZERWINSKI"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (May 16th 2019), 90 pts
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
Roland Champion Champagne Le Mont Aigu Chardonnay Brut Nature is made from 100% Chardonnay.
Grand Cru Chouilly from a single parcel called "Montaigu".
Aged in Oak barrels for 10 months on the fine lees and then, aged "sur lattes" for 3 years.
Brut Nature : no liqueur d'expedition (zero dosage)
This 100% oaked chardonnay will be perfect with salmon cooked in a parchment paper "en papillote", as well as roasted bone marrow.
Roland Champion Champagne Non Vintage Brut Rose Carat (magnum) is made from 33% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Meunier and 33% Pinot Noir
The Champagne rose shows an orange salmon color coming from the red wine base. The pinot meunier brings red fruit aromas of strawberry and raspberry with hints of spices. The palate is juicy and harmonious with good depth and minerality. A delicate balance between Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir.
It is a blend of 93% White juice (made from 33% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Meunier and 33% Pinot Noir) and 7% Pinot Noir red wine. The grapes used to produce the Coteaux Champenois red wine are coming from their vineyards near the Village of Verneuil.
Review:
"Eye of the partridge color. With a bouquet that evokes leesy hints of red cherry and berry with a touch of stone fruit, this is a finely sculpted wine, beautifully balanced with rich flavors of cherry, shortbread,and a hint of honeyed apricot. A rosé Champagne that’s complex and dry with good palate depth and length. A blend of 20% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, and 40% Pinot Meunier; 7-85% of the juice is red wine (Pinot Noir) from 2013 vintage of Coteaux Champenois Rouge from the village of Verneuil. 3+ years on the lees." - I-WineReview (Champagne: Diversity and Change, January 2020), 92 pts
"A delicate, subtle Champagne, delivering aromatic notes of mulling spices and yeast that accent the flavors of kirsch, bread dough, candied lemon zest and rose petal. This is finely tuned, with lively acidity and a minerally finish. 330 cases made. –AN"
- Wine Spectator , 91 pts
"Bright orange. Aromas of blood orange, dried rose, allspice and minerals, with a subtle note of anise. Juicy and precise, with very good depth to its spicy red berry and citrus pith flavors. Finishes smooth and long, with excellent clarity and lingering spiciness."
- Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar , 91 pts
"Champion is a small grower in Chouilly, in the Cotes des Blancs, an area known for fantastic chardonnay. This rosé — of which he makes only about 330 cases — includes 10 percent red wines (pinot noir, pinot meunier) to give it a pale, salmonlike color and a beguiling palate of cranberries, strawberries and currants. Wow. And yum."
- Washington Post, ***
The Special Club concept started in 1971. A dozen wine growers from some old families of Champagne had an idea to familiarize people with the originality of the “Champagne de Vigneron” (Champagne of wine grower), thanks to prestigious vintages.
In the beginning, they created an association called the “Club des Viticulteurs Champenois” and chose a bottle with a special shape, created exclusively for them & used only by then. In 1988, they changed the bottle and the label. In 1999, the Club changed its name to “Club Trésor of Champagne.”
The Club Trésors comprises 28 artisan wine makers, selected from the finest areas of the Champagne region, each one recognized for the quality of their work. The Club Trésors is the only organization in Champagne to select its members according to a set of unrelenting quality standards:
Roland Champion's Special Club selection has rich and structured aromas. Very pleasant and generous roundness, nice length in mouth. Golden color with buttery and fruity aromas. All the expression of a magnificent terroir for your most pleasurable moments.
Fragrant nose, velvety nutty flavors, rich dried fruit characteristics, powerful, and heady tawny.
Romariz Vintage Port is made from Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca
Deep inky purple color. Intricate nose with aromas of blackberries and logan berries, subtle hints of amber and spring blossom and delicate spice. A tight, well-formed palate with an abundance of dark berry fruit, rich chocolate and liquorice, culminating in a long finish. Firm, closely woven tannins that give the wine great structure and body. An elegant finely constituted Vintage Port which will drink beautifully now or age quietly in the cellar.
A vintage port is made from blended grapes, all from the same vintage year. Vintage ports are historically only declared every 3 out of 10 years. Romariz vintage ports age for up to two years in oak, then go unfiltered into the bottle for further aging.
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
Lodovico Barolo di Barolo is made from 100% Nebbiolo.
Barolo di Barolo is a blend of 2 different vineyards in Barolo: PREDA and SARMASSA, both in the village of Barolo. The somewhat different soils, exposures and microclimates of the Preda and Sarmassa vineyards combine to produce a well-balanced, harmonious wine packed with the fresh, elegant aromas supplied by La Preda, and the full body and structure catered for by Sarmassa.
Loads of blackberry and red berry with vanilla oak character. full and concentrated, displaying seamless tannins and gorgeous fruit. Complex and complete, full-bodied, with lots of fruit and round tannins. It's long and fruity. It will be at its best after 2-3 years stored lying down in cool, dark surroundings. Serving recommended in large glasses at a temperature of 17-18°C.