John's Bay is a custom wine made for Kysela Pere et Fils.
Joseph Phelps Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot, 1% Malbec.
A classic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with inviting violet, dark fruit, tobacco, subtle baking spice and earthy dried herb aromatics. The palate is filled with expressive black cherry, blackberry and dark plum, hints of spice box and sweet vanilla bean. A focused, concentrated wine with youthful energy and freshness nimbly balanced by supple tannin structure and finesse.
Review:
This wine is lovely in juicy red fruit, dried herb and hints of allspice, the tannin structure firm and giving. Offering refinement and structure, it shows nuances of black currant, cherry and toasted oak. This will do well in the cellar.
Wine Enthusiast Cellar Selection 94 Points
Justin Isosceles Proprietary Red Paso Robles is made from 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot.
Bright with a dark purple/black core and a lighter ruby purple rim showing slowforming, moderately stained tears on the glass. Attractively aromatic and complex with ripe black and red cherry, black currant, new book leather, cedar, tobacco, vanilla bean, licorice, and oak. Full-bodied on the palate with ripe complex cherry, cassis, and a subtle red berry fruit on entry, with vanilla and licorice baking spice leading into the midpalate, which shows complex savory notes of cedar, tobacco leaf, and leather. The very long, complex, and continually changing finish is a progression of sustained ripe cherry fruit accented by baking spice and oak notes, with smooth chewy tannins and balanced acidity, adding depth and freshness.
The Kasteelberg range of wines, celebrates the discovery of Riebeek and the Kasteelberg mountainsin 1661. Kasteelberg stands sentinal over the fertile valley below. From the slopes of the mountians, hand-selected grapes are expertly crafted with care to produce rare and expressive wines. The Kasteelberg range truly is the pinnacle of our Winemakers'art.
Rich and golden with strong tropical aromas, beautifully enhanced by subtle tones of well-integrated oak. Although upfront and bold, the secret of this wine is in its exceptional balance, an outstanding version of the classic Chardonnay.
Kinsella Estates Spencer Zinfandel is made from 100 percent Zinfandel.
A complex amalgamation of tart blueberries, baked plums, warm earth, fresh black cherries, anise, pie crust, brown sugar and a slight note of sweet confectionary candy. On the palate, the wine is plush with great depth and an expansive roundness that seems to push outward with power. The complex flavor mirrors the nose, with a savory/spicy finish and a slightly sticky/resinous grip of the tannins.
La Despensa Boutique Cinsault is made from 100% Cinsault.
A genuinely unique wine - they are the only producers of Cinsault in Colchagua! From a new vineyard planted in 2017, the team at La Despensa thinks they’ve hit the jackpot with this variety in this valley. Much more structure, color and intensity than the typical Chilean Cinsaults from further south, this is an easy drinking but serious version of this wonderfully fruity variety!
La Despensa Boutique Pais is made from 90% Pais and 10% Cinsault.
La Despensa Boutique Sangiovese is made from 100 percent Sangiovese.
There's really very little Sangiovese in Chile. It was an educated gamble to plant this variety in La Despensa little corner of Colchagua and the team is thrilled with the results.
This Sangiovese is a fresh and fruity take on a classic Italian variety, but with the typical savoury notes of tomato and cherry. Perfect for early drinking, but will improve for many years to come.
La Jota W.S. Keyes Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Review:
Laurent Veyrat Crozes Hermitage l'ivresse des Voleyses is made from 100% Syrah.
Review:
"Slightly more expensive, the 2020 Crozes-Hermitage L’Ivresse Des Voleyses is similarly purple-hued and has a great nose of ripe red and blue fruits interwoven with plenty of pepper, flowery incense, and spicy nuances. It’s pure, meduim-bodied, and beautifully balanced, with integrated acidity and outstanding length. It’s very much in the style of this classic, balanced vintage and is going to have over a decade of longevity."
-Jeb Dunnuck (2022), 91-93 points
Super-concentrated and mineral. Release always trails the regular Sancerre Blanc by a year so it has extra time in both tank and bottle.
An understated charm on the nose, revealing elegant aromas of yellow fruits like apricot and mirabelle plum, along with hints of anise and marzipan. A touch of green pepper adds a light and airy quality. On the palate, it offers a crisp and delightful experience, with flavors of plum and orange wedge, culminating in a chalky, saline finish.
VINEYARDS: The vineyards are planted in Terroir of Kimmeridgian marls (calcareous clay with encrustation of oyster and mussel fossils) from the Jurassic time. Trellised vines are averaged around 30 years old and have a planting density of 8000 vines/ha. Tillage takes place in the rows until the bud burst, the rest of the year to natural grass covers. The Côte des Monts Damnés is located in Chavignol. Steep hillsides (declivity up to 70%), facing south, with an altitude that ranges from 650 to 980 feet.
VINTAGE: The grapes matured in cooler temperatures than in recent years, so the 2021 vintage is in line with other vintages that conform to the temperate climate of the Centre-Loire wine region.
VINIFICATION AND MATURATION: The grapes were handpicked and had a light cold static settling to eliminate the coarsest lees. Fermentation and aging took place in stainless steel tanks (88%) and 10 years old wooden vats (12%). After, the wine was aged on fine fermentation lees for 9 months.
Leindl Gruner Veltliner Langenlois is made from 100 percent Gruner Veltliner.
This classic Gruner Veltliner comes from the famous wine-growing region of Langenlois. A very typical fruity and fresh Gruner Veltliner offering green apples, juicy, minerality, a pleasant body and a good length. It is ideal with a wide range of dishes.
Cold Fermentation.
Aged on the lees for 6 months in Stainless Steel tank. No Oak. No ML.
Produced from vines of 5-20 years old on slate soils.
Leindl Riesling Zobinger Heiligenstein Kamptal is made from 100 percent Riesling.
Medium yellow green. Fine nuances of ripe apricot, a hint of yellow apple, delicate herbs and spices, mineral Touch, hints of candied orange zest. Juicy, elegant, fine stone fruit, touch of finesse acidity, salty minerality in the finish, remains long, already well to drink.
Cold Fermentation.
Aged on the lees for 12 months in Stainless Steel tank. No Oak.
No ML
Review:
"Aged on the lees for 12 months in stainless steel, this wine saw no oak. Its original name – Hellenstein -- referred to hell stone, as the vineyards are on a mountain where the “sun burns like hell.” It was later renamed Heiligenstein, which translates as holy rock, and is a geological island of desert sandstone, with volcanic matter. Its earthy slate character lends out scents and flavors of honeyed apricot, salty pears, and stone fruit pith."
-The Tasting Panel (May/June 2022), 94 pts
Lexicon Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
Lexicon varietal wines are carefully selected by Fran Kysela to show the essence of each variety, along with its terroir of origin, both of which are essential elements of a good wine.
Lexicon Cabernet Sauvignon offers rich and concentrated fruit aromas of red and black currant, cassis and black cherry along with black pepper and dried herb accents. It is soft and generous in the mouth, intense and complex, with supple tannins and elegant structure.
Pair with: Grilled meat, ribeye steak, filet mignon, roasted lamb with fresh herbs, cheesburger, semi-hard cheeses, truffled brie, portobello mushrooms.
Salmon hue with bright red tints. Fine and energetic bubbles. A ripe, complex and youthful bouquet of slightly tangy red fruit (redcurrants, blackcurrants), ripe citrus (blood orange) and roasted cocoa beans. After some time in the glass, the wine reveals sappier, floral and sweet notes with a saline, almost briny, core. The first impression of the wine is of a generosity, softness and concentration. One has the sensation of biting into juicy, ripe fruit and blood orange, it is a fabulous aromatic explosion with luscious and slightly tangy overtones. The concentrated and dense body takes over and reinforces the impression of substance, of concentrated liqueur on the mid-palate. The finish stretches out, perfectly-honed, gradually revealing umami notes thanks to the precise and crisp mineral freshness.
Reviews:
The 2015 Brut Vintage Rosé is generous and demonstrative, bursting with aromas of peach, orange and pear mingled with hints of red berries, fresh bread and ginger. Full-bodied, layered and vinous, it's rich and enveloping, its textural attack segueing into an ample, fleshy core that's girdled by bright acids and enlivened by a pillowy mousse. Long and expansive, it's more generous and gourmand than its racier 2014 predecessor, but just as good.
-Wine Advocate 94 Points
This shows lots of cotton candy and peach, together with strawberries and cream. But not overpowering. Some cranberry, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with fine bubbles and a lively finish. Dosage 8g/L. Drink now or hold.
-James Suckling 94 Points
Maipe Chardonnay 2013 is made from 85% Chardonnay, 15% Viognier.
Manual harvest.
5 hour maceration on skins in temperature controlled steel vats; fermentation with selected yeasts at 14°-16°C; 30% malolactic fermentation.
30% was aged in French oak barrels.
Brilliant yellow golden color with green hints.
The wine is crisp and filled with white peach, pear, green apples flavors, toasty vanilla. Elegant and luscious wine, well balanced. Crisp and long finish.
Pairs well with creamy soups, pork, veal, vegetables.
Manoir du Carra Beaujolais Cru Fleurie Clos des Deduits is made from 100% Gamay grapes coming from the lieu dit "Montee de la Tonne".
The vineyard measures 1.5 hectare and the average age of the vines is 50 years. Yield: 48 hl/ha
Manual harvest; Semi-carbonic maceration for 10-12 days; Aging in Foudre for 3-4 months; Slight filtration.
Intense red color, subtle fruity and floral aromas of violet, berry and cinnamon. Ample in the mouth, fruit flavors. Even better after a few years of cellaring.
Excellent with red and game meats, and cheeses.
Manoir du Carra Beaujolais-Villages is 100% Gamay. Wine is produced from a selection of old vines (70 to 100 years old). Yield: 40-45 hl/ha
Manual harvest; selection of the best grapes using a sorting table; semi-carbonic maceration for 10-12 days.
Ruby red color, it has a caressing nose of pure strawberries and cream that is very defined and seductive. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannins, lively red cherry fruit and pleasing weight on the tense finish.
Aged in large oak barrels (foudres) for 3-4 months. No filtration. Egg white fining.
Manoir du Carra Beaujolais-Villages presents with ruby red color, black berry and cherry aromas. Ample in the mouth, very elegant and long lingering finish.
Great with coq au vin (Chicken cooked in a red wine sauce) or charcuterie (garlic sausage, dry sausage).
Mas Redonne Bandol Rose is made from 55% Mourvèdre, 35% Cinsault, 10% Grenache.
Nice light salmon color, typical of Bandol.
The wine expresses some citrus, Pomelos (a delicious type of grapefruit) and lots of white fruit aromas and minerality.
The flavors are fresh, fruity and very aromatic with tons of apricot and mango.
Grilled salmon, chicken dishes as well as salads, sushi and sashimi.
Michel Thomas Sancerre Blanc Silex is 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc.
Intensely aromatic and concentrated Sauvignon from the Silex soils, this is a wine of great concentration and excellent balance. Aromas of fresh herbs, with flavors of citrus, ripe gooseberry, apple and a hint of gunflint. A delicious apéritif and the classic match for goat cheese or asparagus.
The special bottling "Silex" is limited each year to between 400-500 cases. They grow grapes on three soil types: 40% Terre Blanche-Argilo-Calcaire, 40% Caillottes-calcaire, 20% Le Roc-Silex. This wine come from the hardest stone soil on the vineyard giving it pleasant notes of fruit and a very dry flavor: This wine is bottled using traditional methods without filtration, allowing for a authentic and natural taste to the wine.
A delicious apéritif and the classic match for goat cheese or asparagus.
Michel Thomas Sancerre Blanc Silex is 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc.
Intensely aromatic and concentrated Sauvignon from the Silex soils, this is a wine of great concentration and excellent balance. Aromas of fresh herbs, with flavors of citrus, ripe gooseberry, apple and a hint of gunflint. A delicious apéritif and the classic match for goat cheese or asparagus.
The special bottling "Silex" is limited each year to between 400-500 cases. They grow grapes on three soil types: 40% Terre Blanche-Argilo-Calcaire, 40% Caillottes-calcaire, 20% Le Roc-Silex. This wine come from the hardest stone soil on the vineyard giving it pleasant notes of fruit and a very dry flavor: This wine is bottled using traditional methods without filtration, allowing for a authentic and natural taste to the wine.
A delicious apéritif and the classic match for goat cheese or asparagus.
Paul Hobbs George Menini Estate Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
A more reflective style of Pinot Noir from the Sebastopol Hills, our inaugural release presents deep ruby in hue with fresh raspberry, mountain strawberry, and baking spices. On the palate, notes of blue fruits, sandstone, and vanilla caress the palate, framed by supple tannins and juicy acidity creating tension. This is a bright and focused wine with a long, elegant finish.
Review:
This is so spicy, with crushed cloves, nettles and blue fruit. Sichuan spices, too. Full-bodied with juicy fruit and orange zest. Creamy and polished tannins. Wonderful depth and length. Drink or hold.
-James Suckling 97 Points
Coleraine derives its name from the Coleraine vineyard, home of John and Wendy Buck of Te Mata Estate. John’s late grandfather was born in Coleraine in Northern Ireland and the name has been maintained through the family home to the wine. Originally a single vineyard wine, from 1989 Coleraine has been an assemblage of the finest wines produced from distinct plots within Te Mata Estate’s oldest vineyards on the Havelock Hills.
Review:
We tasted this a couple of years ago. Aromas of ink, tar, blackberries, blueberries and lead pencil follow through to a medium- to full-bodied palate with firm and medium velvety tannins. Solid with great length and beauty. Needs time to soften but a great wine. Try after 2026.
-James Suckling 97 Points
The 2020 Coleraine is seriously structured, dark and spicy, with great concentration and gravitas. The tannins are so integrated and woven that they feel almost imperceptible. This is spicy and resinous and charry, but its fine and graphite and mineral too. Chalky tannins plume through the supple fruit. Very cool. It's exciting, plush, open weave and sensational.
-Wine Advocate 97 Points