Alejandro Bulgheroni Lithology Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 99% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc.
Here the Cabernet comes to us typically flawless, and the wines are as such. There is blue fruit, blueberries, black plums, blackberries, and cassis to the aromas, as well as stones, mineral, chocolate, fresh tobacco, and subtle herbs. It is incredibly full-bodied, but at the same time effortlessly drinkable, with ultra-smooth tannins and a positive, long, upturned finish. 70-75% new French oak is the norm for us with Dr. Crane, and those flavors are absorbed to become a vanillin complexity, sweetness, and length. An unbelievable wine.
Review:
You don’t see many Cabernet Franc-dominated wines from this site, but the 2019 Cabernet Franc Lithology Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard is certainly impressive. Offering more herbal, chocolate, gravelly earth, and espresso aromas and flavors, it has full-bodied richness and, as expected, is a powerful, opulent expression of this noble variety. The blend is 83% Cabernet Franc and 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 20 months in 80% new French oak. It will benefit from short-term bottle age and drink nicely for 20 years.
-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
Alejandro Bulgheroni Lithology Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
We only produced a scant 50 cases of this wine this year, far too small an amount considering how great it turned out. There’s that typical saturated to the rim deep purple color, with intense cassis, herb, and milk chocolate, bricks and forest floor, black plum pudding aromas. In the mouth, there’s a great balance, with notable oak and vanilla notes intertwined with dense black fruits. It’s an opulent and plush style, yet finishes with sweet grippy tannins.
Alexandre M Vouvray La Serpette Tendre is made from 100% Chenin Blanc.
Nose of coconut and slightly vanilla. The very "Caribbean" mouth of nutmeg brown sugar, white rum and candied citrus fruits. Like a sweet wine, without the sugar.
La Serpette (pruning knife) is one of the most important vintner's tool. This is the symbol of the work made by hand, just to express the very important part of hand making in wine which reflect the terroir. Wine is not "made" in the cellar as everything stars in the vineyards, from the vineplant.
Asian cuisine as well as exotic food. Well pair with spices. Nice with the classic foie gras and with matured cheeses.
Alexandre M Vouvray La Serpette Tendre is made from 100% Chenin Blanc.
Nose of coconut and slightly vanilla. The very "Caribbean" mouth of nutmeg brown sugar, white rum and candied citrus fruits. Like a sweet wine, without the sugar.
La Serpette (pruning knife) is one of the most important vintner's tool. This is the symbol of the work made by hand, just to express the very important part of hand making in wine which reflect the terroir. Wine is not "made" in the cellar as everything stars in the vineyards, from the vineplant.
Asian cuisine as well as exotic food. Well pair with spices. Nice with the classic foie gras and with matured cheeses.
Alleme Getariako Txakolina is 100% Hondarribi Zuri
A very fruity, persistent and clean Txakoli. It reminds the white exotic fruits, such as lichy. It has a straw yellow color, without the slightest tone of rust and a faint natural gas pearl crown, due to the grape juice fermentation. In the mouth, it is greasy and unctuous, with a good balance of structure and acidity. In order to get such a Txakoli, we have combined the most traditional and the most innovative production methods to create it. Thanks to the batonnage (stirring of the lees), we have attained the characteristic unctuosity of this Txakoli.
After harvesting and pressing, the must is left to ferment in stainless steel tanks. Traditionally, and until recently, this was done in oak or chestnut barrels, called kupels, in Basque. Fermentation lasts 20–25 days and then the txacolí is left to lie on its lees. The CO2 prevents oxidation and dissolves the sediments and gives the wine its sparkling characteristic. The wines is not racked so it does not lose its sparkle and is clarified by natural sedimentation by gravity in the tank or barrel. Traditionally, the wine is tasted on the feast of San Antonio on 17 January, which is known as Txacolí Day (Txacoli Eguna, in Basque).
Amador Diez Cuvee Verdejo is made from
This cuvee is named after Amador Diez de Íscar, who was president of the winery for 21 years. It is produced in limited quantity with meticulous care from a selection of the 10 best hectares of the winery’s centennial pre-phylloxera vineyard – harvested by hand – and vinified with the aim of favoring its longevity, making it ideal for its consumption today while maintaining great aging potential. The wine is bottled manually with an exclusive presentation that includes a label stamped on wood.
Straw yellow color. Dominant aromas of white fruits, citrus fruits and anise. The barrel ageing brings delicate sweet aromas, such as coconut, vanilla, and liquorice. Fresh, rich and intense on the palate with typical flavors from the Verdejo grape variety.
Pair with appetizers, fish and especially seafood. Also grilled meats and food of intense flavors such as cheeses and ham.
Review:
"One of the most ambitious Rueda whites, this comes from a selection of pre-phylloxera vineyards and is built to age. The oak is better integrated than on the 2015, which is also available in the market right now, supporting a wine with amazing intensity and focus. Nutty and intense, it has flavours of pear, citrus and marzipan, with undertones of fennel and cinnamon, good structure and racy, palate-cleansing acidity."
- Tim Atkin (November 2020), 95 pts
Ancien Chardonnay Coombsville Haynes Old Block is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Inspired by the classic and most revered Chardonnay vineyard in the world, Le Montrachet, Ancien winery utilizes the same classic techniques. It is fermented in tight-grained French Oak cask after a gentle squeeze as whole clusters. The wine is not moved through the fermentation and aging period, only pushed by inert gas in gentle fashion into the bottling tank. In vintages where the wine achieves good clarity through natural settling, the wine is not filtered – otherwise it undergoes a light polish to help reveal is core of fruit.
The effusive nose welcomes with layers of lemon meringue, ripe apple, citrus zest, honey and grape blossom. The palate is vibrant and fresh, and the richly textured mouth-feel is expansive. Baked apple tart and stone fruit emerge as this opulent wine reaches the depths of your palate, with further notes brioche. The finish is a focused amalgamation of minerality and ripe fruit. Give this cellar worthy Chardonnay time to open up and it will reveal increasingly lush and creamy layers as it evolves over minutes in the glass and the years in the bottle.
Ancien Pinot Noir Carmel Valley River Ranch is made from 100% Pinot Noir.
River Ranch Vineyard from suitcase clone of famous vineyard, mother block to the Pisoni clone as well.
Spice, tea, and plum and blackberry aromas dance atop currants and boysenberry pie. The opulence continues with secondary notes of chocolate and black tea that lead to satisfying elegant finish revealing jasmine. The finish is mouthwatering and long with presenting umami, soy, and Asian spice. Planted to the same special cuttings as our block at the Toyon Farm in Carneros, they are a joy tasting side by side, illustrating the profound influence of terroir.
Pair with Asian, pork with hoisin sauce, savory foods.
Review:
"Sourced from a vineyard of imported Burgundian cuttings planted back in 1982, this is a complex Pinot Noir, offering concentrated aromas of blueberry, palo santo and warm vanilla on the nose. The palate is joyous in cherry and baking-spice flavors, then picks up an herbaceous eucalyptus leaf kick before dropping into a spicy, Sichuan peppercorn-laced finish. - M.K."
- Wine Enthusiast (February/March 2024), 95 points + Editor's Choice
Andrew Will Winery Sorella 2019 is made from 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petite Verdot.
Sorella means sister in Italian and was named after Chris Camarda late sister Jane Camarda. This first vintage was from 1994. This wine is made from 100% Champoux Vineyard fruit and represents the nature of the vineyard by highlighting the Cabernet Sauvignon, which is considered some of the best in Washington State. The picture on the label is a portrait of Annie Camarda (Chris’s late wife).
Review:
Flirting with triple digits, and perhaps the best Sorella yet, the 2019 Sorella explodes from the glass with a fantastic mineral essence that sways between dark red fruit tones, oak essence and freshly opened flowers. Medium to full-bodied, the wine is impeccably balanced with a silky-smooth mid-palate that bestows a stunningly beautiful wine with gobs of complexity and a ripe frame of glossy black raspberry and blackberry fruit tones. Unwinding across the finish, the wine unpacks gorgeous layers that seduce me for a second, third and fourth sip and finally begs me to finish the glass. Buy this ASAP!
-Wine Advocate 99 Points
Ancient Vineyard Rested Veneto Red
bright ruby color. The nose evolves bright cherry, wildberries, and a touch of spice. The palate is deep and rich, with a long-lasting finish.
Inspired by the historical winemaking techniques of Erni Loosen’s great-grandfather, the Appassionata Riesling GG is made in the same way as the Dr. Loosen Grosses Gewächs (“Great Growth”) Rieslings he produces in Germany. The GG designation indicates a dry-style wine from a vineyard of special distinction — in this case, the old-vine Medici vineyard, planted in 1976. We farm this exceptional site, which is just a few miles east on the Chehalem Mountain ridge.
The fruit for this wine was harvested from old Rieslng vines (planted in 1976) in the Medici Vineyard, which is also in the Chehalem Mountains AVA, just a few miles from the winery. We lease this vineyard and have been farming it organically since 2015. The wine was fermented in a 3,000-liter German oak cask, and rests on the full lees for 12 months before bottling. The extended lees contact allows the wine to clarify and find its own harmonious balance naturally.
Production notes:
Whole-cluster pressing; natural fermentation in a neutral 3,000-liter oak cask; matured on the full lees for 12 months; no bâtonnage.
Review:
If you prefer a thinking person's wine you'll run out of superlatives to describe this Riesling from Dr Loosen's Oregon project with J Christopher Wines. From a personal favourite, the old vines of the Medici Vineyard, the winemaking shows serious patience and determination. Fermented in a 3,000-liter, neutral oak German Fuder cask. It rests on the full lees for two years and is then held in bottle for three to five years before release. Aged, savoury and delicious. Aromas are savoury and saline. Lanolin, dandelion, seafoam, and beeswax with hints of fresh herbs and dried lemon peel. The palate is brilliant, savoury and bright and complex. Energetic flavours of wet slate, savoury bee pollen, white tea and lanolin notes. The finish offers crushed stone vibrancy.
-Decanter 93 Points
Inspired by the historical winemaking techniques of Erni Loosen’s great-grandfather, the Appassionata Riesling GG is made in the same way as the Dr. Loosen Grosses Gewächs (“Great Growth”) Rieslings he produces in Germany. The GG designation indicates a dry-style wine from a vineyard of special distinction — in this case, the old-vine Medici vineyard, planted in 1976. We farm this exceptional site, which is just a few miles east on the Chehalem Mountain ridge.
The fruit for this wine was harvested from old Rieslng vines (planted in 1976) in the Medici Vineyard, which is also in the Chehalem Mountains AVA, just a few miles from the winery. We lease this vineyard and have been farming it organically since 2015. The wine was fermented in a 3,000-liter German oak cask, and rests on the full lees for 12 months before bottling. The extended lees contact allows the wine to clarify and find its own harmonious balance naturally.
Production notes:
Whole-cluster pressing; natural fermentation in a neutral 3,000-liter oak cask; matured on the full lees for 12 months; no bâtonnage.
Archery Summit Estate Pinot Noir Dundee Hills is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
A medley of graphite, spice and crushed red strawberries waft from the glass. Further digging reveals even more to the nose of this Pinot Noir, in the flickering form of oak spice and caramelized fruits. On the palate, there’s opulent fruit and signature Dundee Hills spices like allspice, cardamom and sandalwood. The palate is loaded, with fresh strawberry jam and an underlying earthiness taking the lead. Structurally, there are soft oak tannins that give way to an exquisitely long and balanced finish.
Argot Bastard Tongue Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Sonoma Pinot Noir.
Inheriting an unbroken string of success, the “Bastard Tongue” arrives fully-formed and ready to impress. Always a blend from multiple Pinot Noir vineyards, this iteration of “BT” was selected from three distinct sites, each making their own unique contribution of Sonoma County terroir to the wine’s character.
Exploding forth on a tidal wave of high-toned, intense red and black fruits, this is a Pinot Noir that no stemware can contain. The palate’s profound depth is balanced by an inherent freshness, allowing the wine to crackle with brambly energy, while sustained by bass notes of underbrush, black tea, pie spice and baker’s chocolate. A formidable rendition of “Bastard Tongue”, and a deserving successor to its line.
Night harvested by hand throughout September, cluster and berry sorted by hand, de-stemmed, no crushing. 7-day cold soaks, followed by native fermentation in open-top bins. Average time on the skins, 14 days. Aging 20 months in French oak, 100% new. Never racked prior to bottling. Bottled unfined, unfiltered.
Very versatile for pairing. Goes well with grilled meat, vegetable, fish, poultry and cheese.
Review:
The 2021 Pinot Noir Bastard Tongue is pale to medium ruby-purple in color. It swans out of the glass with showy notes of kirsch, juicy raspberries, and fresh cranberries with hints of lavender, iris, iron ore, and mossy tree bark. The full-bodied palate is jam packed with bright, energetic black and red berry flavors, giving off a firework display of mineral and floral accents, supported by seamless freshness and a firm, fine-grained texture, finishing long, long, long. This is simply stunning.
-Wine Independent 97 Points
Argot Cabernet Sauvignon 1555 Oakville is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Hailing from the historic Bonny’s Vineyard in the heart of Oakville. Cabernet Sauvignon vines thrive in the gravel rich soils here adjacent to the Napa River riverbed. Roots plumb deep into the valley floor, while vine canopies harvest Napa Valley’s plethora of summer sunshine. These conditions conspire to deliver unerringly perfect Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.
Pouring a deep opaque red-violet, 1555’s Cabernet personality leaps from the glass balancing opulent fruit, damp earth, chilling minerality and an alluring spice note that keeps pulling us back for more. Exquisitely ripe tannins provide a refined, velvety structure, delivering the deep and seductively rich palate. The pedigree displayed in the glass is undeniable.
Review:
"Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon 1555 Oakville wafts sensuously out of the glass with redcurrant jelly, black raspberries and rose oil scents, followed by a cassis and black plums core, with emerging suggestions of cinnamon toast, cedar and pencil shavings. The full-bodied palate is fantastically fragrant, delivering red and black fruit layers accented by floral and exotic spice nuances, supported by super ripe, velvety tannins, finishing long and perfumed. 250 cases were made. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (November 2021), 95+ pts
Argot Chardonnay Sonoma County is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Pouring a green-tinted gold, our Sonoma County Chardonnay is a beautiful wine from word go. Radiating from within, a blast of apple/pear fruit informs this wine both aromatically, and on the palate. As flavors unfurl, a progression of orange blossom, pineapple, white peach, and hazlenut are followed by a finish dominated by ginger, baked apple, with a trailing kiss of mint’s freshness. A stunning wine — wholly informed by the perfection of 2018’s growing season — defined by its dichotomy of massively intense flavors, and superb acidity and freshness.
Raised by minimalistic methods, often associated with the classic Chardonnay winemaking techniques of Meursault. With a focus on the coolest Chardonnay region in Sonoma County, 2018’s long, even growing season favored our vineyards’ moderate climate, old vines and deep volcanic soils. These grapes were allowed an extended ripening period on the vine, resulting in perfect balance and concentrated flavors.
Argot Le Rayon Vert Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
"Le Rayon Vert", the phenomenon which occurs as the sun dips below the horizon, and a brilliant green flash occurs when sunlight prisms through Earth's atmosphere. Jules Verne wrote "a green which no artist could ever obtain on his palette”, akin to the ethereal, green halo all truly pedigreed Chardonnays radiate from the glass.
Wafting from the glass like a freshly opened stick of Wrigley's gum. Both intense and vibrant, the full-bodied palate delivers Granny Smith apple and stone fruits; confections of custard and sticky vanilla bean; animated by bursts of spearmint and pine forest.
Review:
The 2019 Chardonnay Le Rayon Vert comes from fruit grown on Sonoma Mountain. It slides out of the glass with graceful notes of lemon tart, lime leaves, and fresh grapefruit, leading to suggestions of almond croissant, sea spray, honeysuckle, and aniseed. The medium-bodied palate is fantastically tight-knit with gorgeous tension and layer upon layer of citrus and mineral flavors, finishing very long and chalky. This is amazing.
-The Wine Independent 97 Points
Argot Mosaic Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Sourced from both high-elevation and valley floor vineyards, located in the cool-climate AVAs of Sonoma Mountain, Bennett Valley and Petaluma Gap. A drama-free growing season allowed for a leisurely harvest of perfectly ripe, healthy fruit. Low-stress, clean ferments, led to an exceptionally pure Pinot Noir, laden with fruit, earth and spice.
A dramatic, ridgetop landscape — rising 1500 feet above Lake Hennessey, staring west over Pritchard Hill — persistently influenced by a push/pull draw between The Valley’s floor and Lake Berryessa. This wild, untamed, eastern frontier of Napa Valley, produces singular, terroir-driven wines of captivating beauty, power and lift. An unseasonably wet and cool springtime produced significant shatter at Sage Ridge in 2019, reducing our yields by 50%, leading to a particularly flamboyant edition of this wine.
An incomparable expression of Cabernet Sauvignon — massively pure red fruit character, delivered on a ribbon of ultra-suave tannins and gorgeously seductive high tones. The palate never relents its come-hither posture. Aromatically, puts forth an intriguing botanical complexity that is unmistakably site-specific. As our experience with this one-of-a-kind terroir deepens, we remain endlessly excited for the potential of these unique ridgetop vineyards. Get your hands on a bottle and pull the cork…a wine built for immense near-term gratification.
Review:
"Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Sage Ridge Vineyard opens with open-knit notes of plum preserves, baked blackberries and boysenberry jam, leading to a core of crème de cassis, mocha, camphor and Indian spices with a touch of unsmoked cigars. The palate is full-bodied, concentrated and dense with black fruit preserves, framed by soft tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and very spicy. Only 75 cases were made. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (November 2021), 95 pts
Argot Starstruck Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot (15-25 years old)
An explosive nose of Cabernet—singular only to the Napa Valley—introduces the 2019 Starstruck with classically elegant red and black Cabernet fruits, enhanced by notes of smoked sage and rosemary. Red-fruits carry the mid-palate, dancing on a pillow of wonderfully sweet tannin and pie spice complexity. As the wine transitions from the mid, acid emerges lifting Starstruck's massive palate into a warming finish that continues to reveal dark fruits and intriguing spice accents. A gorgeous Cabernet that remains approachable, while its structure and earthy complexities keep bombast at bay.
Review:
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Starstruck has a classic Napa Valley Cabernet nose of crème de cassis, violets, lead pencil, and flowery incense. This carries to a medium-bodied, supple, nicely textured Cabernet with moderate tannins, terrific overall balance, and a great finish. It's ready to go and should keep for 10-12 years or more.
-Jeb Dunnuck 92 Points
Arzuaga Ribera del Duero Crianza 95% Tempranillo and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Dark cherry color with purple highlights. Powerful nose and high aromatic diversity of ripe red and black fruits, spicy and balsamic notes, and a roasted finish. Soft and mellow in the mouth with a great fruitiness and length.
Review:
This is a big wine with alluring aromas of cedary oak and black fruit. Ripe palate of black berries, some dark chocolate and integrated, polished oak. Long spicy finish. Classy Ribera. -Decanter 95 Points
Chappellet Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 95% Cabernet Sauvignon & 5% Petit Verdot.
Chappellet's Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon has been, since the beginning of their winemaking career, the most sought after wine of their portfolio. The wine is truly a love letter to the winegrowing potential of Pritchard Hill. The wine was inspired by Bordeaux, and like most left bank Bordeaux, the wine is a blend of predominately Cabernet Sauvignon with remaining amounts other classic Bordeaux blend varieties. The vines grow upon rocky, mountainside vineyards. After harvest and fermentation, the wine was aged for 22 months in 100% new French oak barrels.
Review:
Bella Union by Far Niente Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 5% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot.
The 2021 Bella Union Napa Valley Cabernet possesses beautiful and intriguing aromas of dark plum, black cherry, hints of clove and barrel spice. The palate is well-structured with velvety tannins complemented by generous layers of fruit flavors of blackberry, fig, and raspberry preserves that give way to a melting finish.
Review:
With small percentages of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot, this exquisitely aromatic and textural Cabernet begins with a perfume of crushed violets and black cherry. Concentrated flavors of blackberry liqueur, vanilla, and sandalwood flow across chewy, velvet- lined tannins.
-Tasting Panel 95 Points