Products meeting the search criteria

Delas Hermitage Les Grandes Vignes Ligne de Crete is made from Syrah. 

The nose discloses aromas of spice and leather intertwined with deep berry aromas (blackberry, redcurrant) and heady floral notes, liquorice and incense. Its richness, complexity and elegance are by no means a contradiction. The finest granite soils of the Hermitage hillside are to thank for this wine's incredible minerality and finesse. The wine is rich and dense on entry to the palate, where it shows an elegant, broad and flavorsome character. The ripe, smooth and well-integrated tannins contribute to the wine's powerful yet harmonious structure. The palate reveals the same aromas as those found on the nose with nuances of blueberry, raspberry, violet and bitter chocolate. Ligne de Crête is characterized by its exceptional structure, harmony and balance.

This remarkably smooth and elegant wine makes the perfect partner for a pigeon pie, beef tartare ravioli or a roast fillet of deviled duckling with cranberries. It also makes an excellent choice for woodcock, hare "à la Royale" or even a roast rack of lamb in a herb crust.

Review:

Whiffs of espresso, ore and charred meat mingle into thunderous flavors of crème de cassis and roasted plums in this wine. A single-site expression of Les Grandes Vignes from a ripe yet fresh vintage, it's a showstopping Syrah marked with a creamy texture and ripe tannins. Hermitage is not known for youthful pleasures but this rare bottling embraces the hedonism of adolescence along with its potential to gain power and complexity far beyond 2050. Anna Lee C. Iijima

-Wine Enthusiast 97 Points

Inky ruby color. Expansive, smoke- and mineral-accented black and blue fruits, licorice, smoky bacon, mocha, violet and licorice on the highly perfumed nose. Appealingly sweet, mineral-accented cassis, boysenberry, fruitcake, floral pastille and vanilla flavors show superb depth and become spicier with aeration. Shows superb detail and mineral lift on the youthfully tannic, extremely persistent and incisive finish, which features resonating floral and exotic spice notes.

-Vinous 97 Points

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)

Elton Bay Sauvignon Blanc is made from 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc.

Strung between serene beaches, sculpted coves and wild, rugged mountains, the coastline of South Africa stretches for thousands of miles from east to the west. Drawn to its wild beauty, many a leisure adventurers discover the pristine serenity of unnamed, secluded bays to claim as their own. 

Elton Bay Sauvignon Blanc offers tropical fruit and delicate pear drop aromatics with subtle green notes and a hint of minerality on a refreshing, crisp finish. 

EnRoute Winery Les Pommiers Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir. 

Aromas of fresh raspberry compote are complemented by notes of baking spice, and fresh rain on a forest floor. Generous-yet-soft strawberry preserve flavors expand on the palate, with elegant, silky tannins. A mouthwatering acidity glides across the finish.

 Review:

Vibrant ruby in color, this wine erupts from the glass with aromas of sweet cinnamon, cola and cherry. There is a charming delicacy here, with flavors of dried rose petal, cherry and berry pie filling on a midweight palate. A captivating dance between the snappy tannin structure and the lively acidity of this wine lead to a very pleasurable finish.

-Wine Enthusiast 93 Points

Finca del Castillo Tempranillo La Mancha is made from 30 year old vine Tempranillo (100%).

This pretty little red has a flavor reminiscent of good Cotes du Rhone. Medium bodied, flavorful; hints of raspberry and strawberry. Shows best with picnic fare and grilled meats. Perfect summer red.

Gaja Ca'Marcanda 'Camarcanda' Bolgheri is made from 70% Cabernet Sauvignon & 30% Cabernet Franc .

Color : Deep garnet.Aroma : Initial aromas evoke violet, cassis, dark licorice and a spicy note of black pepper, leading to undertones of aromatic herbs, incense, dried rose petals, clove and cedar.Taste : Sleek and intense on entry with elegant herbal, light black pepper and cassis flavors on the mid palate.

Review:

After Bolgheri’s torrid and parched 2017 growing season, more moder-ate conditions in 2018 brought the vines and their wines shimmering to life. All of the wines at Ca’Marcanda fermented spontaneously in 2018, which Gaia Gaja attributes to the balance in the musts. This wine, a blend of cabernets sauvignon and franc, is taut and energetic, its flavors of crunchy plum and blackberry laced with notes of licorice, tobacco and graphite.

-Wine & Spirits 96 Points

The Ca' Marcanda estate does not make a Bolgheri Superiore, although this bottle would qualify as such. The 2018 Bolgheri Rosso Camarcanda is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, and you definitely feel those full-throttle varietal aromas with big intensity and clarity. Spicy greenness comes forward as grilled rosemary and lavender essence, but the wine boasts nice depth and dimension, and enough textual richness to smooth it all out. This was a slightly cooler vintage with some sporadic rain showers throughout the summer. These conditions might explain the sharper side of those Cabernet aromas. As the wine moves over the palate, it reveals more substantial aromas of black fruit, spice and baker's chocolate. This vintage is slightly thinner than the hot 2017 expression before it and the classic 2016. However, this wine should certainly play forward positively in terms of its aging potential.

-Wine Advocate 95 Points

Dense and fluid at once, this red delivers plum, black cherry, licorice, olive, bay leaf and spice flavors. Ripe and balanced, with a lingering, spicy, tobacco-tinged aftertaste. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2033. 1,500 cases made, 225 cases imported. — BS

-Wine Spectator 95 Points

Refined and very floral on the nose, with a shiny straw yellow color. The nose opens up citrus and honeyed, followed by white peach and cantaloupe notes. It is creamy and voluptuous on the palate. 2020 Gaia & Rey is a moving wine, with a vibrant freshness and lingering finish with a quality of sapidity. It shows remarkable elegance.

Review:

Always a fantastic chardonnay with apple pie, nougat, vanilla, and flint aromas and flavors. Hints of salted caramel. Medium to full body with racy acidity and bright fruit. Complex and lively. Tight and reserved at the end. Needs time to open. Try after 2024.

-James Suckling 96 Points

Gran Moraine Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir. 

Aromas of brambly black fruit, cranberry sauce, and blue raspberry Tootsie Rolls. On the palate, bright punchy red licorice, navel orange zest, and white coffee beans.

Reviews:

Precise and elegantly generous, this red shows detailed flavors of cherry and raspberry laced with rose petal, black tea and stony mineral notes as it builds richness and tension toward refined tannins.

-Wine Spectator 93 Points

This is a delicious wine with a lot of character. Dark and red fruit with hints of crushed stone and toffee on the nose. Fresh and crisp fruit with a tangy character. Smooth tannins with a crisp finish. Vines are on sandy soils at 400 to 500 feet altitude. 

-James Sucking 93 Points

THIS IS A MAGNUM OFFER

Guillemot-Michel Vire Clesse is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.

Beautifully expressive, with yellow fruits, orange blossom, smoke & flint. Thick and saline on entry, then seriously deep in the mid-palate, with suggestions of exotic fruits perfectly countered by strong minerality. This wine strikes a perfect balance between sweet and salty elements, and it shows vibrant acidity. It boasts a thickness that few other northern Mâconnais can match.

Enjoy with fish (such as sole meuniere), seafood, roasted chicken, goat cheese.

Review:

"The 2018 Viré-Clessé Quintaine is showing beautifully, wafting from the glass with a lovely bouquet of honeyed citrus fruit, fresh pastry and orange blossom. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and supple, it's elegantly textural and refined, with a fragrant core of fruit and a long, penetrating finish. Even though it will reward a bit of bottle age, it's slightly finer-boned than the more concentrated, muscular 2017, so I would opt to drink this immensely charming wine before its older sibling. – William Kelley"

- The Wine Advocate (Issue 249, June 30th 2020), 93 pts

 Hartford Court Sevens Bench Vineyard Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.

True to its Carneros roots, the 2018 Sevens Bench Chardonnay carries the hallmark of the region – fruit intensity balanced by and good acidity. The aromas are driven by classic lemon drop, Meyer lemon, and lemongrass. That fruit style follows in the flavors, with the citrus focus carrying through with candied lemon drop balanced by the mineral and flint characters inherent to the region and the clonal selections. Barrel fermentation notes in the background add even more complexity to this elegant wine.

Review:

I always seem to find a tropical slant in Chardonnay from Carneros, and the 2018 Chardonnay Sevens Bench Vineyard has it in spades, with ample pineapple, honeyed peach, pear, and toasted spice-like aromas and flavors. This is another balanced, rich, medium to full-bodied Chardonnay from this estate that's loaded with character. Drink it over the coming 5-7 years

-Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points

Dark crimson in color, with deep garnet hues. A concentrated array of aromas of mulberry, blackberry and dark plum indicate the richness to come, while savory and complex notes of charcuterie, cedar, sage and five spice tease the senses. Plush and velvety on the palate, the wine has intense fruit concentration with plum, red currant, blackberry and anise flavors, yet an enchantingly elegant and refined structure. Layers of silky tannins reveal the impressive depth of the wine before giving way to an incredibly long finish.

Review:

A rather refined Hill of Grace with roasted meat, smoked meat, and juicy plums. Some mushroom and forest-flower character, too. It’s medium- to full-bodied, juicy and savory. Light white pepper at the end. Underlying finesse and elegance to this. The flavor does not go away. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

-James Suckling 99 Points

Henschke Mount Edelstone is made from 100 percent Shiraz. 

Deep crimson with violet hues. Fragrant, spicy aromas of black pepper, sage, bay leaf and anise are interwoven with vibrant Satsuma plum, blackberry and blueberry, and gentle tarragon and cedar notes. The palate is complex and textured with rich and concentrated flavours of mulberry, blackberry and Satsuma plum, layered with sage, black pepper and star anise. The finish is beautifully balanced, with long, velvety tannins and excellent depth.

The beautiful and historic name Mount Edelstone is a translation from the German Edelstein meaning ‘gemstone’, a reference to small yellow opals once found in the area. The Mount Edelstone vineyard was planted in 1912 by Ronald Angas, a descendant of George Fife Angas who founded The South Australian Company and played a significant part in the formation and establishment of South Australia. Unusual for its time, the vineyard was planted solely to shiraz. The ancient 500-million-year-old geology in the vineyard has given rise to soils that are deep red-brown clay-loam to clay, resulting in low yields from the dry-grown, ungrafted centenarian vines. First bottled as a single-vineyard wine in 1952 by fourth-generation Cyril Henschke; by the time Cyril purchased the vineyard from Colin Angas in 1974, Mount Edelstone was already well entrenched as one of Australia’s greatest shiraz wines. Crafted by the Henschke family for over 60 years now, Mount Edelstone is arguably the longest consecutively-produced, single-vineyard wine in Australia.

Review:

Kaleidoscopic, this glorious vintage is terroir translucent, transporting you to the vineyard with its signature aromas of dried sage, Eucalyptus olida (aka Strawberry Gum), wild mint, wattleseed, nutmeg and tinder. Soaring and super-expressive, these scents bring compelling dimension and meld exquisitely on the sweet, juicy plum and bramble palate, with its cocoa nib and earthy hints. Graceful, willowy tannins and mineral acidity make for a long, fluid, markedly perfumed finish. Irresistible already!

-Decanter 98 Points

Paysan Sauvignon Blanc Zabala Vineyard is made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc.

Paysan Sauvignon Blanc comes from Zabala Vineyard - located on a large holding on the Arroyo Seco floodplains that was part of land granted to the Zabala family before California’s statehood. It was first planted in the 1970s and has grown to encompass over 1000 acres. Zabala Vineyard is one of the rockiest vineyard I Brand works with, full of what is locally known as ‘Greenfield Potatoes’, which are the rather inedible round river stones that dominate the soil and have been collected into piles and walls at every property in the basin. This vineyard is located directly in the path of the daily Salinas Valley winds, which control sugar development and retain natural acidity. Certified organic grapes.

Tasting Notes: Light-bodied. Aromatic explosion on the nose. Lime, gooseberry, green melon, grapefruit, white peach, passion fruit. Crisp, tart, clean with bright acidity on the palate. Neutral oak ageing provides subtle creaminess, while still exhibiting trademark green notes.

Johann Michel Cornas Cuvee Jana is 100% Syrah.

Black raspberry aromas, licorice, sizzled bacon and smoke. Elegant and pure with depth and well-integrated tannins.

Jana is the name of Johann and Emmanuelle's daughter.

Manual harvest, selection of the grapes from the "Chaillot" parcel, full clusters, fermentation in tanks for 3 weeks, daily remontage and pigeage. Malolactic fermentation in oak barrels and aging on the lees for 12-18 months in barrels (new old barrels) The average age of the vines is 11 years. Yield: 25 hl/ha

Review:

“The 2022 Cornas Cuvée Jana brings another level of density and depth, with serious blue fruits, roasted meats, liquid violets, and graphite-driven aromas and flavors. With full-bodied richness, it has a flawlessly balanced, elegant mouthfeel, incredible purity and precision, and a monster of a finish. This is legit awesomeness in wine. It's going to have an incredibly broad drink window, and I doubt (although you never know) that it will ever shut down. Enjoy bottles over the coming 20-30 years.”

– Jeb Dunnuck 99 Points

Johann Michel Cornas Cuvee Mere Michel is made from 100 percent Syrah.

Cuvee Mère Michel was first introduced in 2016 and is not produced every year. This wine is a tribute to Johann Michel' wife, Emmanuelle, and a nod to the French song, La Mere Michel. This wines comes from Selection Massale (replanting new vineyards with cuttings from exceptional old vines from the same property) cuttings of Serine off the 1947 Yves Cuilleron vineyard at Chavanay. The vineyards are located in the lieu-dit "Les Cotes" at an altitude of 230 meters and benefiting from a southern sun exposure.

Review:

"A new cuvée (at least for me), the 2017 Cornas Mere Michel comes from sandy, granite-laced soils and was brought up in new demi-muids. It's largely in the same mold as the traditional cuvée yet has another level of richness, depth, and texture. Blackcurrants, scorched earth, graphite, burning embers, and a kiss of bloody meat all flow to a rich, powerful Cornas that has ultra-fine tannins, beautiful mid-palate depth, and a great, great finish. It's unquestionably a candidate for the wine of the vintage in Cornas. Bravo!"
- Jeb Dunnuck (December 12th 2019), 98 pts

Johns Bay Sauvignon Blanc is made from 100 percent  Sauvignon Blanc.

Kasteelberg Chenin Blanc is made from 100 percent Chenin Blanc.

The Kasteelberg range of wines celebrates the discovery of the Riebeek Valley and the Kasteelberg mountains in 1661. Kasteelberg stands sentinel over the fertile valley below. From the slopes of the mountains, hand-selected grapes are expertly crafted with care to produce rare and expressive wines.

Limited release, single-vineyard Chenin Blanc from hand-selected grapes from the foothills of the majestic Kasteelberg Mountain, Kasteelberg Chenin Blanc embodies excellent craftsmanship that transforms the harsh Swartland terroir into the pinnacle of our winemakers’ art.

Once harvested, the grapes are hand-sorted, de-stemmed & crushed into temperature-controlled gravitational drainers. Only the free-run juice is chilled and settled overnight. The juice is then racked off into new, 300 L, oak barrels (50% French oak, 50% Hungarian oak) and wild yeast fermented in the barrels. Fermentation is temperature controlled and lasted around 22 days. The wine is then matured in the oak barrel on the gross lees for 12 months before being racked off, filtered and bottled. After bottling the wine is further bottle-matured for at least 6 months before release.

Kershaw Chardonnay Deconstructed Lake District Cartref CY96 is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.

Sourced from the western part of Elgin, known as the Lake District, this clone produces wines that are nervous, aromatic, elegant and sharp with slightly lower alcohol and finely balanced, the fruit profile being subtle with hints of citrus/orange peel and peach blossom and with time, some nutty elements. The Cartref soils, a mixture of decomposed granite, pebbles and quartz, adds delicacy and heightens the fruit intensity.

The inspiration for my Deconstructed Chardonnay stems from my belief that the Elgin region boasts credentials that make it world-class. To bolster these regional credentials, I have set out to prove that Elgin has both a signature grape, as well as specific ‘terroirs’ (meso-climates) that reflect intra-regional distinctions. To fully comprehend this, it is necessary to dig deeper into the DNA that make up our region. To elucidate this, I have decided to make these 3 Chardonnay wines, each selected from a specific vineyard and an individual clone. Importantly, this is an ongoing story that will unfold over the coming years.

Vintage notes:

Whilst 2017 experienced a cool winter to enable good vine dormancy, the rainfall was low and followed similar conditions felt in 2015 and 2016. Budbreak took place in ideal warm sunny conditions whilst flowering was a touch earlier than normal; strong blustery winds meant pollination took longer to complete. As a result, berry set was uneven leading to some smaller berries that despite a lower yield did have good concentration of flavours. Despite expecting an
early harvest an unusually cool December slowed down ripening whilst some January rain during veraison helped nourish the soils and more importantly, helped the vine focus on grape ripening rather than foliage & root growth. Harvest took place under blue skies in
mid-March. The net result of the drier year is that the grapes had decent natural acidity, achieved steady phenolic ripeness and plenty of intense fruit flavors.

Winemaking: 

Grapes were hand-picked in the early autumnal mornings, placed into small lug baskets and tipped directly into a press before being gently whole-bunch pressed up to a maximum of 0.6 bar or until a low juice recovery of 580 litres per ton was obtained. The juice gravity-flowed directly to barrel (no pumps were used at all) without settling. The unclarified juice had no enzymes or yeast added to it and therefore underwent spontaneous fermentation until dry, with malolactic discouraged. The wine rested in barrel for 4 months prior to judicious sulphuring and a further 7 months’ maturation in barrel before racking and bottling.

Review:

"A single clone (96) grown on a single parcel from a single vineyard of Cartref soils (decomposed granite and quartz). Roasted grain, wet stones, and lemon peel aromas. Precise and tightly coiled with an intense mineral character and yellow fruit and citrus zest flavors finishing with a smoky gunflint note. Matured in 50% new oak."

- International Wine Review (Richard Kershaw Lifts Elgin To New Heights, February 2019), 93 pts

Kershaw Chardonnay GPS Series Lower Dulvenhoks is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
During the year, I have the opportunity to visit a number of areas outside of Elgin. Occasionally, I come across something so fascinating that it deserves a closer look.

In 2016, I discovered a small parcel of Chardonnay grapes growing on limestone soils – a rarity in the Western Cape. With limestone often touted as beneficial for Chardonnay grapes, it made sense to grasp this opportunity with both hands. The GPS Series is testament to these special places and celebrates them.

Restraint, minerality, freshness of fruit and a chiselled edge reflect limestone’s soil properties. This 2017 vintage reveals clean, bright aromas of lemon blossom, wet chalk and powdered stones. Penetrating intensity, animated acidity with a rich mid palate weight, this wine has purity of fruit (orange peel, yellow cling peaches and grapefruit peel) lemon cream biscuits and crème fraiche textures with a long finish.

Winemaking: 
Grapes were hand-picked in the early morning, placed into small lug baskets and tipped directly into a press before being gently whole-bunch pressed up to a maximum of 0.6 bar or until a low juice recovery of 590 litres per ton was
obtained. The juice gravity-flowed directly to barrel (no pumps were used at all) without settling. The unclarified juice had no enzymes or yeast added to it and therefore underwent spontaneous fermentation until dry, with malolactic discouraged. The wine rested in barrel for 4 months prior to judicious sulphuring and a further 7 months’ maturation in barrel before racking, blending and bottling.

Review:

"The 2017 GPS Chardonnay has a killer bouquet, just like the 2016, the mineral-rich aromatics soaring from the glass with fantastic delineation that actually reminds me of Domaine Leflaive. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, and a little more saline than the previous vintage, although maybe not quite as persistent. Still, this is an outstanding Chardonnay from Kershaw and it will give 12 to 15 years of drinking pleasure. - Neal Martin"

- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (November 2019), 93 pts

Kershaw Smugglers Boot Pinot Noir is made from 100% Pinot Noir made from French clones PN667, PN115 and PN113.

The name derives from the time of trade embargoes in South Africa when growers & winemakers smuggled grapevine material into the country by hiding the cuttings in Wellington boots. The Smuggler’s Boot range celebrates that ingenuity.

Attractive strawberry, savory and star anise spice linger on the nose. Juicy and sumptuous on the mid palate with breadth of flavor offset by a nimbleness of fresh acidity, friable tannins and sinuous mouthfeel, this Pinot unwraps to earthy, fennel, chocolate and a hint of incense to a long supple finish.

Handpicked grapes were first bunch sorted on a conveyor before the stems were removed and the destemmed berries sorted to remove jacks and substandard berries. After a 3-day maceration in 500kg open-topped fermenters, the uncrushed grapes began a spontaneous fermentation. A gentle pigeage program was charted and the grapes remained on skins for 10-16 days.
The free-run wine was racked to a combination of 50% French oak barrels (10% new) and 50% breathable plastic eggs with the remaining pomace basket-pressed. Malolactic then proceeded followed by a light sulphuring after which the wine was racked off Malolactic lees and returned to cleaned barrels for an 11-month maturation. No finings, simply racked and light filtration prior to bottling.

Richard Kershaw’s personal suggestions for dishes include charcuterie, its salt and fat being complemented by the delicate spicy notes and fruit; Pork loin with honey, pepper, and lemon-zest glaze; Carpaccio; duck cassoulet; ovenroasted monkfish with garlic mashed potatoes; seared tuna; wild mushroom risotto; a simple beet salad with some hazelnuts and ricotta cheese; a slice of Brie or Gorgonzola dolce.

Kershaw Syrah Deconstructed Lake District Cartref SH22 is made from 100 percent Syrah.

The inspiration for this Syrah stems from my belief that the Elgin region has both a signature grape as well as particular terroirs within its demarcated boundary that reflect regional credentials. This Syrah was selected from a sub-region of Elgin from a specific vineyard and an individual clone.

Sourced from a single parcel in the Western part of Elgin, the 22 clone produces fuller, well-colored yet finely structured wines. They tend to be more concentrated as yields are low with more black fruit, black pepper and meaty notes. The Cartref soils, a mixture of decomposed sandstone, pebbles and quartz, add gracefulness and heighten the fruit intensity.

The grapes were handpicked under autumnal skies into small lug baskets and then manually sorted on a conveyor before the stems were removed. The destemmed berries fell onto a vibrating table in order to remove jacks and substandard berries before dropping uncrushed into a small 500kg conical hopper and forklifted into open-topped fermenters. The grapes underwent a 3-day maceration before spontaneous fermentation began. A gentle pigeage (punch-down of the cap) program was charted and the grapes remained on skins for 26 days. The wine was then racked to barrel under gravity and the remaining pomace basket-pressed. Malolactic then proceeded in barrel followed by a light sulfuring and 17-month maturation. No finings were necessary and the wine was simply racked and bottled unfiltered.

Review:

"The 2017 Kershaw Deconstructed Lake District Cartref SH22, matured 50% in new oak for 17 months, is a little more open on the nose compared to the SH9c and delivers a touch more red berry fruit, quite candied in style and suggesting strawberry pastilles. The palate is medium-bodied with a saline entry, fine definition and a mélange of red and black fruit laced with licorice toward the poised finish. Excellent.- Neal Martin"

- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (April 2021), 93 pts