This wine is floral, exuberant, with lengthy smooth tannins, and metallic notes.

This cuvée takes its name from a small parcel of the Adrianna Vineyard that is completely covered with oval white stones and was the site of an ancient riverbed. The abundant stones provide optimal drainage and extreme temperatures. They absorb heat and moderate the nights, but also function like ice cubes after a very cold night. Stony soil Malbecs tend to be extremely aromatic, rich and luxurious, just like the River Malbec from Adrianna. This wine can be enjoyed young or aged for decades.

Pair with grilled meats.

Review:

There is an usual stony austerity in the 2021 Adrianna Vineyard River, cropped from a cold year when the full clusters fermented in concrete with a slightly shorter maceration and an élevage in a 2,000-liter oak foudre and the rest in stainless steel. It has a moderate 13.4% alcohol with very high acidity (8.2!) and a low pH (3.37), incredible parameters of freshness. The wine was closed and took time to take off in the glass, revealing a very elegant and subtle personality, with the silky texture of the very fine tannins, pristine aromas and flavors and a sense of harmony that was moving. It's powerful but extremely elegant in that rare combination of clout and energy, a wine of light, aerial, with some ethereal qualities, delicate and refined. This combines the cool place and high altitude, the cool year and the stony soils, to deliver a stunning Malbec that goes well beyond the variety. Bravo!

-Wine Advocate 100 Points

Mark your calendars for June! Caymus 50th Anniversary Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 is a testament to fifty years of exceptional winemaking by the dedicated, passionate, and family-owned Caymus Vineyards. Since 1972, they have remained a beacon of excellence in Napa Valley, staying true to their roots and producing unparalleled Cabernet Sauvignon. This limited edition wine is a celebration of their rich history, tradition, and relentless pursuit of quality across generations.

Mark your calendars for June! Caymus 50th Anniversary Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 is a testament to fifty years of exceptional winemaking by the dedicated, passionate, and family-owned Caymus Vineyards. Since 1972, they have remained a beacon of excellence in Napa Valley, staying true to their roots and producing unparalleled Cabernet Sauvignon. This limited edition wine is a celebration of their rich history, tradition, and relentless pursuit of quality across generations.

HUGE SALE $80 OFF CASE PRICE

Regularly $479, now $399!

Cazaux Vacqueyras Blanc Les Clefs d'Or is made from 50% Clairette, 30% Roussanne and 20% Grenache Blanc.

A wine with lively acidity, expressive aromas of fennel and white flowers. It is long and full in the mouth with minty and anisy aromas mixed with white peach flavors. Refreshing and mineral character.

Clairette grapes are green harvested to concentrate and harmonize aroma. Each grape varietal is hand picked separately. Pressing with skin contact at low temperature. Aged 12 months in stainless steel tank. (No oak)

Enjoy this wine with all sorts of fish starters, squid salad with olive oil and basil. A must try with fresh oysters.

Review:

Pear-scented, medium- to full-bodied, there's plenty of cut and thrust to the flavors, aided by incisive acidity. Ends long on fresh pear fruit. Well balanced and fresh. Sandy soils, facing southeast. - Matt WALLS ."
- Decanter (October 1st 2022), 92 pts

Cazaux Vacqueyras Cuvee des Templiers is a  blend of 50% Syrah, 50% Grenache.

The Syrah vines are situated on the sandy, grey clay slopes of Vacqueyras near the estate. They are facing east west, so the sun warms the grapes early in the morning allowing a considerable synthesis of sugars. The sandy soil is poor giving a reduced yield. The resulting wine is very fruity with strong persistent aromas of red fruits, spices and violets brought by the Syrah. Intense black cherry, blackberry, blueberry and cherry flavors. Explosive fruit tannins give the sweet, creamy flavors structure and focus, bright and uplifting on the finish.

Enjoy this wine when young with grilled beef and bearnaise sauce, lamb and thyme. After 7-10 years excellent with game meats.

 Review:

"Very dark in the glass. A spicy nose full of cardamom and cumin. Full-bodied but not overly. Feels rounded and powerful, but has seen no oak. Quite extracted, this certainly needs time but promises some future complexity. - Matt WALLS "
- Decanter (October 1st 2022), 91 pts

Cazaux Vacqueyras Rouge Grenat Noble 100% Grenache.

This wine is the result of extraordinary weather conditions. The first cuvée was produced in 1992 when violent storms and floods affected the region (especially Vaison la Romaine). The following days were radiant and accompanied by Mistral winds. We could then continue to harvest or more precisely harvest what remained of a rotten crop - but a noble rotten crop!
Following our first involuntary test of 1992, we wanted to reproduce this wine but we had to wait until 1995 to isolate the parcels that were capable of producing this noble rot. Unfortunately, the "noble" phenomenon does not occur every year despite late harvests (October 15).

The resulting wine is offers aromas of small red berries (cherries, raspberries), liquorice, fig, honey, fruit brandy and plum. It is elegant, supple and smooth on the palate with a firm, generous and suave structure. A beautiful length on spices and cherry.

This Grenache nectar marries will with dishes such as pan-fried foie gras in honey and fig preserve, leg of lamb with preserved fruits accompanied by local cereal "epautre" or other sweet and sour dishes.

Review:

"Not yet bottled, the 2020 Vacqueyras Grenat Noble should also be outstanding. Based mostly on Grenache, but with a small amount of Mourvèdre, it has a Provençal bouquet of red and black fruits, dried garrigue, toasted nuts, and spice. Rich, medium-bodied, and nicely textured, with a great finish, I'd be thrilled to have a bottle on the dinner table. It will keep through 2032."

- Jeb Dunnuck (March 2023), 91-93 pts

Chateau de Saint Cosme Gigondas is made from  70% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 14% Syrah, 1% Cinsaut.

The wine shows intense blackberry and fig fruit with licorice, violets, and charcoal on the finish. It is remarkably fresh and finessed given the sun and warmth of the southern Rhône. The unique micro-climate combined with 60-year-old vines and traditional winemaking make Château de Saint Cosme Gigondas the benchmark wine of the appellation.

Grenache is the pale-colored, red-fruited, and potpourri-scented red grape variety of the southern Rhône and can be paired with both rustic and sophisticated dishes. Full-bodied Grenache-based wines are ideal with stews, braises, and grilled meats, while lighter versions can work well with dark fish and tomato-based dishes such as ratatouille.

Review:

  This rich and impeccably balanced Gigondas has everything we look for in the wines of this appellation. What a wide spectrum of aromas with everything from raspberry to candied orange, plus a slew of delicate spicy notes and fresh Mediterranean herbs. I love the interplay of richness, fine tannins and lively acidity on the generous, but not expansive palate. Very long, refined finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

-James Suckling 94 Points

Chateau Vermont L'Ame Grand Vin de Bordeaux is made from 40% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 30% Petit Verdot.

L'AME de Vermont represents the culmination of 10 years of dedicated work, derived from select grapes of Chateau Vermont's best parcels, chiseled to be the ultimate extraction of their terroir and Spirit. This cuvée is the Winemaker's soul. It is a reflection of the requirements, precise work and desire to achieve perfection.

A rare and confidential wine, vinified and matured in new oak barrels. Fine wine, elegant and well-balanced, with vanilla notes coming from the oak aging and subtle scents of ripe black and red fruits. A beautiful structure and great aging potential.

Corne Loup Lirac Blanc is made from 40% Grenache Blanc, 35% Viognier and 25% Marsanne

No Oak
The wine boasts a light yellow and brilliant color, fine floral and fruity notes. It is fat, ample and powerful in the mouth with a lot of freshness.

Corne Loup Lirac Rouge Cuvee du Gouverneur is made from 50% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre and 10% Syrah.

The name of the Cuvee comes from Geraldine's ancestor (7th generation), who was mayor of Tavel in the 1800's and was nicknamed the "governor" (Le Gouverneur in French). 

This is a very small cuvée, all aged in oak barrels that makes a sexy, international style of Lirac, with tons of spice and fruit. 

The Marjorie vineyard sits in the center of the Cristom Estate with a gentle slope from 480 feet to 600 feet over some of the most consistent volcanic soils on the entire Estate. A little bit unique to itself, most of the Vineyard is planted over a moderately deep volcanic soil with some very rocky areas in the north and southeast corners. The vineyard wants to produce elegant wines of finesse with bright red fruit and succulent acidity.

Review:

Dark ruby, the 2021 Pinot Noir Marjorie Vineyard takes on a darker mineral profile with forward aromas of wet stone, black raspberry preserve, and layers of baking spices and crushed purple flowers. Moving to the palate, the wine is medium-framed, with ripe tannins, an angular texture, fresh acidity, and a spicy finish. This certainly needs more time and will gain complexity with time in cellar.

-Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points

Darkly alluring, the 2021 Pinot Noir Marjorie Vineyard is perfumed with dusty violets and lavender, giving way to dried black cherries. Luxuriously round, with juicy acidity, this cascades across the palate with crisp raspberry fruits as rosy inner florals amass toward the close. Hints of blood orange pucker the cheeks as the 2021 finishes staining and long with long lingering chalky mineral tones.

-Vinous 95 Points

J. Davies Nobles Vineyard Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir. 

The Nobles Pinot Noir starts off with aromas of rich strawberry, black cherry and Earl Grey tea, followed gracefully with coriander and exotic spices. The palate offers a juicy mid-palate of blueberry and plum layered with mocha and rhubarb, closing with a long-integrated acidity.

Review:

Elegant and pure-tasting, with red berry, plum and raspberry flavors that are well-structured. Toasty midpalate, with a rich finish that offers spicy minerality. Drink now through 2026.
-Wine Spectator 92 Points

If you look closely, you will notice the devil is in the details. The skull label is inspired by the ever-mysterious goat eyes, which are capable of seeing and sensing two things at once. The art conveys the double meaning behind the devil inside. The hieroglyphs tell their own detailed story within the goat’s skull.  What do you see?

The Domaine Joseph Voillot Volnay Les Fremiets Premier Cru is from a parcel that is up-slope, and the wine is very calcaire, or limestony; you literally taste the stone in this elegant, intensely perfumed wine. Pair with veal filet mignon, squab, beef steak and roast duckling.

Review:

I really like this terroir and the 2021 is an absolutely classic example of this fine premier cru, offering up a refined and pure bouquet of black plums, dark berries, coffee bean, a complex base of dark soil tones, a nice touch of new oak and plenty of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very elegant in profile, with a superb core, lovely soil signature, ripe, suave tannins and a long, vibrant and complex finish. Fine, fine juice. 2033-2080.

93 pts- John Gilman, View from the Cellar #102

 Tim Atkin 93 Points

Domaine Nico le Paradis Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir. 

The cool climate vineyard that belongs to Laura and her sister Adrianna Catena feels like paradise itself to Laura. It is lined by trees and fruit orchards, with majestic views of the Andes. Inside the 12 Hectare vineyard, there is a little house with two tiny bedrooms and a kitchen, where Laura dreams of spending a whole month reading books-Laura's version of paradise. The little house is affectionately named Chateau Laura. About the Vineyard The tiny parcel where Le Paradis is grown was planted in 2011 with Dijon 667 Clones over two acres. Wine Production The grapes from this small parcel were elaborated in 15 separate microvinifications.

All the microvinifications were fermented with indigenous yeast. 20% of the microvinifications were fermented with 100% whole clusters in oak roll-fermentor of 600L and low temp (22 Celcius degrees). 40% were fermented with 20% whole cluster in small vats of 800L and 40% fermented in small vats of 800L without sulfites until 4%V/V of alcohol.

Review:

From soils rich in calcium carbonate and sand, in a vineyard 1,600 meters above sea level, this wine comes from a selection of 2.7 hectares that produced very little fruit in 2016, just barely enough to fill 800 bottles. But watch out for this white, with its edge, its minerality, those saline notes that are so characteristic of chardonnay from the chalky Gualtallary soils. The wine was aged for a year in used barrels, and it has some of the toast, but here it’s the deep minerality that dominates.

Patricio Tapia - Descorchados 96 Points

Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Heimbourg is made from 100 percent Riesling. 

Bright yellow color. The nose expresses an immediate sense of strong mineral and limestone influence. After aeration or decanting, it will show eventually bright citrus, bergamot, spices and an expected slight austerity. It is very expressive today, but it is easy to see that this wine still has much more to show in the future. The mouth is tight, dry, showing a bright acidity and elegant finish.

Review:

What a fascinating peachy, flinty and smoky nose this great dry Riesling has. Power, energy and vitality on the generous palate, but also a profoundly chalky and flinty minerality. Long juicy finish that pulls you back for more. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

-James Suckling 95 Points

The 2017 was a very different year to 2016 in terms of the viticultural conditions and it was interesting to watch the progression of the wine and scrutinize its quality as it developed over its first two winters. Whereas 2016 had a very mild winter and exceptionally hot summer, this was compensated by abundant winter and spring rainfall. Conversely, 2017 was warm and drythroughout, although summer temperatures were closer to average, whichproved to be a very significant factor allowing for complete, balancedripening.

It is rare to see such tremendous depth and intensity in color as this winedisplays. The freshness of the floral aromas is very attractive with adominance of rockrose, a flower that grows wild around the hills of Senhorada Ribeira. On the palate, it is exceptionally full-bodied, rich andpowerful with black fruit coming to the fore. Gorgeous, ripe fruit isbalanced by the fine tannin structure. On the finish, it is typically Dow,austere and somewhat drier than many other ports. The intense fruit flavors linger long on the palate.

Dow’s Vintage Ports are only produced in years of exceptional quality and represent only a very small part of the total company’s production in that year. On average only two or three times every ten years are the weather conditions sufficiently good to allow for the making of Dow’s Vintage Port.

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Dow’s Vintage Ports have been landmark wines in virtually every great year, consistently setting the standards amongst all Port houses. Vintage Ports such as the remarkable Dow 1896, the 1927, 1945, 1955, 1963, 1966, 1970, 1980 and the Dow 1994 are all legends in the history of this great wine. These Ports are still magnificent today, even when 50 or over 100 years old. Few wines can claim this quality and this pedigree.

Dow's Vintage Ports are drawn from the companies' finest vineyards; Quinta do Bomfim and Quinta de Senhora da Ribeira. Each property contributes to the Dow’s unique and distinctive style. When young, Dow’s Vintage Ports are purple-black, austere, complex and intensely concentrated, full-bodied and balanced with very fine peppery tannins.

Over the centuries, the Dow winemakers have evolved a style that suits the house’s key vineyards; fermentations are a little longer, resulting in a drier Port Wine that has become the hallmark of Dow’s. Abundant fruit flavours with hints of ripe blackberries, give elegance and poise to Dow’s. The nose is deep and powerful with strong overtones of violets when young, these mature into fine cinnamon and rose-tea aromas with age. The very high percentage of Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional planted on the vineyards result in the powerful structure and aging potential of Dow’s Vintage Ports

Dow’s Ports avoid an over-rich style and requires a very high degree of skill in wine making and great experience in selecting the finest wines of each year and each vineyard. These wines are aged in seasoned oak casks for some 18 months and are bottled without any filtration or fining whatsoever.

Dow Vintage Ports can be enjoyed when vibrant and young or they can be allowed to age for many years in bottle into a soft and delicate wine of velvet-like elegance.

In the 1920’s, the celebrated Oxford Professor George Saintsbury underlined Dow’s outstanding reputation when he wrote in his famous ‘Notes on a Cellarbook’ (first published in 1920), “There is no shipper’s wine that I have found better than the best of Dow’s 1878 and 1890 especially.”

James Suckling, one of today’s leading authorities on Vintage Port was equally impressed by another legendary wine - the Dow’s 1896 - “The ancient {1896} Port still had an amazing ruby colour with a garnet edge, and it smelled of raisins, black pepper and berries. It was full-bodied, with masses of fruit intertwined with layers of velvety tannins. It was superb.” In 1998, when this wine was 102 years old, he awarded this Port an exceptional 98 points.

Review:

Based on fruit from the predominantly south-facing Quinta do Bomfim in the Cima Corgo and Quinta Senhora da Ribeira in the Douro Superior, with Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca making up 80% of the blend. This is opaque and closed in but powerfully ripe with underlying pure berry fruit. It's seemingly quite introverted compared to some of its peers at this stage, but it's still full, rich and opulent on the palate. It also shows the latent power of the vintage, made as it is in a slightly drier style (3.4 Baumé), with lovely minty fruit and full, ripe sinewy tannins all the way through the finish. Long and lithe, and very fine.

-Decanter 97 Points

A dense, thickly textured version, dripping with warm salted licorice, tar and açaí paste notes, while plum and blueberry pâte de fruit, chai spice and chocolate elements fill in behind. Lots of brambly grip flows underneath. Shows a very sappy feel on the finish. Best from 2035 through 2055. 5,250 cases made, 1,092 cases imported

-Wine Spectator 96 Points

Dr. Loosen Riesling Eiswein is made from 100 percent Riesling. 

This vibrant, racy dessert wine conjures flavors of densely packed pear, apple and guava, with an intense, nervy edge in the aroma. It is luscious, silky and juicy on the palate, with bright acidity giving it a crisp, dynamic finish. 

Review:

This is extremely rich, yet the acidity keeps it on its toes. The palate is rich, sporting rhubarb and apricot flavors that are laced by hints of earth, coriander seed and honeyed oolong tea. It has an appealing sweet tart character that takes over and is matched by super suave texture. Shows incredible persistence through the long finish. Drink now through 2050.

-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points 

Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese is made from 100 percent Riesling. 

An endlessly energizing late-harvest Riesling from a selection of botrytis-affected grapes harvested in the “sundial” vineyard. This precipitously steep, rocky vineyard consistently yields some of the most elegant and sophisticated white wines in the world. Auslese means “selected from the harvest,” and is a luscious sweet wine made from very ripe clusters that are about 50 percent affected by botrytis. The resulting wine is dense, intensely flavored and rich on the palate, but retains the elegant structure that is characteristic of this great site.

Review:

Rich, but very elegant and creamy with beautiful, peachy character and lovely, floral-honey notes. Long, very silky finish. Drink or hold.

James Suckling 95 Points

Fenocchio DOC Nebbiolo Langhe Bussia is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo. 

The color is a deep ruby red with garnet reflections and an intense and fruity bouquet of plum and cherry. The flavor is dry with good body, well balanced tannins and harmonious with hints of licorice and rose.

Parcel is 2 hectares (5 acres) planted at 300 meters above sea level. 

Pairing well with all types of food, from appetizers to cheeses with red and white meat.

Fortezza Fiano DOC Sannio  is made from 100% Fiano - 20 years old

No oak.

Straw yellow color with light green reflections. A rich bouquet of white flowers with mineral notes, freshnesss and elegance, good acidity and good body.

Southeastern exposure with an altitude of 250-350 meters above sea level.
Planting density: 3,500 vines per hectare on average.
Training system: espalier with Guyot pruning.
Manual harvest in small crates end of September.
Winemaking in white in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature.

Pairs well with seafood, grilled tuna, white meats.

Review:

" Clean and fruity with aromas of chopped apples, sliced pears and white peaches. Medium-bodied with a juicy, simple and refreshing palate. Drink now.”

- James Suckling (August 2022), 90 pts