From the producer: "The finest qualities of the estate are expressed in our Reserve Dry Riesling, an exclusive wine spotlighting unique characteristics from all three of our vineyard sites. Small selections of grapes are meticulously chosen from specifically identified lots, which are fermented separately and then blended to create the exquisite balance of juiciness, freshness, and minerality displayed in this specialty bottling. A brilliant, tangy nose heralds a burst of stone fruit and citrus zest on the palate. Fruit and minerality play into a lingering finish that continues to make the mouth water long after the wine is gone."
This is a wine which shows both density and sharp precision. The flavors range from lemon and lemon peel to flower blossoms, nectarine, white peach, quince and apricot. There is zingy tartness as well as round and chewy elements in this complex Riesling. Some lightly singed fruit peel, minerality and stone combines with lime as well. Quality farming and winemaking is evident.
Aromas of stone fruits, citrus and some chalk/talc on the nose. Just off-dry and beautifully balanced, this delicious crowd pleaser offers juicy peach and citrus flavors with lingering minerality.
This is a wonderful and complex semi-dry Riesling. At first, it begins with notes of petrol mixed with white tea and tropical fruit such as guava. The palate gives generous apricot, pineapple and guava fruitiness mixed with minerality and florality. The wine can seem weighty at first sip, but the acid stays perky and with the right food, it dances on the palate.
From the producer: Pale yellow colour. The nose shows the strong limestone influence: mineral, stone driven, citrus fruits and some white fruits (peach) after some aeration. The wine fermented in a large recent oak cask (foudre) and was on full lees until bottling. The palate is quite strict, bone dry, with a racy sapid acidity that gives a juicy texture on the finish. The wine has a nice concentration, but because it is bone dry with a ripe acidity, it feels elegant and delicate.
This wine smells unctuous before you even put it in your mouth. Scents of baked apple and peach, cardamon and honey greet you in the glass. It is dense and rich with honey apple, pineapple and peach flavors combining with cardamon, ginger, five-spice and a granitic mineral note. Although there is a touch of sweetness, this is equally refreshing. Full bodied, concentrated and a perfect example of the Brand vineyard.
This is a complex and layered wine aromatically and texturally. Glazed lemons and orange slices with some apricot aromatically. The texture has lovely acidity and medium plus body. The fruit flavors are rich but perfectly balanced and delivering apricot, candied pear, guava and lychee.
"The greatest Cantenac Brown I have ever tasted, the 2010 is one for the ages. Dense purple, with an extraordinary nose of sweet forest floor, blackberry jam, pen ink and graphite, this wine soars from the glass, giving it an aromatic dimension and intensity I have never seen from this estate. The tannins are present, as they are in most Cantenac Browns, but the wine’s sweetness, broad, skyscraper-like mouthfeel, dense, purple color and spectacular length (close to a minute) make this a giant classic and a fabulous sleeper of the vintage that still remains under-priced, considering how great its potential may be. This is a wine for those with cold cellars and youthful DNA. It is going to need at least a decade of cellaring and should last for 20-40 years. A classic!" - 94+ Points, Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, February, 2013
One of the leading domaines in Bandol, Domaine Tempier is, without a doubt, the most visible producer from the appellation in the U.S. marketplace today. I think this is well-deserved (and a good thing for Bandol), as the wines are at the top of the hierarchy in terms of quality. The estate has been in the Peyraud family for generations and has a long, storied history that’s beautifully documented in Kermit Lynch’s newsletters and book, Adventures on the Wine Route (an absolute must read for any wine lover). The family is still going strong today, yet the wines are now made by Daniel Ravier. -Wine Advocate
Certified biodynamic
100% Pinot Noir
45+ year old vines
Higher percentage of clay that comes from Clos de la Roche
Indigenous yeast
Aged in barrel (20% new)
Unfined and unfiltered
Earthy aromas include cured meat, black pepper, warm earth and spice. This fuller-bodied beauty will grow in complexity with age as tannins are still somewhat youthful. The palate is rich with dark currants and cassis, black olives, and meatiness. Dark chocolate and black cherry skins linger on the finish.
Certified biodynamic
100% Pinot Noir
45+ year old vines
Higher percentage of clay that comes from Clos de la Roche
Indigenous yeast
Aged in barrel (20% new)
Unfined and unfiltered
This co-fermented Chateauneuf is complex and appealing with scents reminiscent of potpourri, spiced plum, cassis and forest floor. There is something sleek and slick about the aromas, like fine chocolate and wild animal; think truffle. An opulent palate that is lovely, with black tea, bergamot, wild fruit of the forest, raisin, olives and forest floor. This is texturally attractive and nicely balanced with medium acidity, well managed tannins and a long finish.
Earthy aromas include bramble, mineral, garrigue, smoke, berry coolis and plum. The palate is medium-plus in body with nice ripeness but not too heavy or overoaked. Flavors of red cherry and black currant, a touch of underbrush and black fruit supported by sleek slightly grippy tannins and juicy acidity lingering on the finish. This smells like an old underground cellar with still some tartness and violets. This wine would be an excellent gift or an alternative to a quality Cotes du Rhone.
This has a gorgeous nose with sensual earth, red cherry and raspberry aromas. The wine is open and accessible now. This medium weight wine is elegant, delicate and graceful, with the red fruits repeating from the nose and ending in a long, mineral finish.
This is a nice value with great texture and ripe balance with flavors of blackberry and black currants with a long finish.
Vibrant, with a fresh core of cherry and cassis notes backed by anise, apple wood and garrigue hints through the finish. Nice underlying juiciness throughout. Best from 2022 through 2029. 1,500 cases made, 160 cases imported. Wine Spectator – 92 points
This wine begins with dark, steeped berries encircling fireplace and pine forest aromas. in the mouth, it is creamy and full-flavored, exhibiting wild black currant and dark chocolate flavors mixed with sweet tobacco and black cherry candy. The wine envelops your whole mouth and glides down the throat, leaving a hint of smoke and mocha. First rate and drinking beautifully now, but will age through 2028.
From the producer: Dark ruby-purple, this wine has deep, alluring aromas of blackcurrant and black plum that are layered with expressive notes of dark chocolate, espresso, and perfume of lavender. Supple, concentrated, and seamless, the palate displays vibrant fruit with undertones of tilled earth and sea salt. Firm, integrated tannins provide a structured backbone to the opulence of the wine, finishing with a lasting, powerful impression.
On the nose, this wine gives aromas of dark fruits and toasty oak. It is medium plus in body, ripe and concentrated, yet stays refined and fresh. Fruit of macerated black currants and spiced berries are joined by flavors of mocha, chocolate, toast, mulling spices, cinnamon and black pepper. It has round tannins and integrated acidity.
From the producer:
Lynch-Bages 2015 has a brilliant, deep colour with purple hues. Its nose clearly expresses aromas of cassis and dark fruit, mixed with the empyreumatic notes that come with ageing. It has a straightforward attack and a voluminous yet supple mid-palate. The wine has a marked but silky tannic structure, and a persistent finish illustrative of a particularly ripe vintage.
A classically made dark fruited Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa power couple Andy Erickson and Annie Favia. The nose is incredibly complex with cassis, plum, cola nut, black cherry, black pepper, and espresso. In the mouth the wine is well balanced and combines the fruit further with dark chocolate integrated fine tannins. While delicious now, it will continue to evolve in the cellar and shine fully in 2 - 5 years!
Aromas of stewed and fresh blackberries, red and purple flowers, vanilla, black pepper and minerality greet you on the nose. This is medium to fuller bodied with fresh blackberry, black cap raspberry, bittersweet chocolate, tobacco and graphite. Lifting acidity and integrated acidity make this a wonderful food wine.
Rich, dark aromas of cooked cherries and forest underbrush on the nose. This fuller-bodied wine offers black currants and black cherry on the palate. The fruit is ripe to support it's richness and fine tannins with touches of minerality and dark chocolate on the finish.
Lovely depth of aromas with blackberry and cherry notes supported by more savory layers of earth and iron. Medium-bodied with nice density; flavors include spiced red cherry, raspberry coulis, black pepper and spice supported by touches of smoke, herbs and minerality lingering on the finish.
Tobacco, anise, earth and garrigue all come through in this wine. Over indulge with the aromas of red currants, smoke, baking spice, raspberry and violets. This is medium plus in body with a full and long finish with some warming qualities and medium plus tannins. This wine is still young but clearly exhibits some age worthy qualities.
Rustic aromas of warm earth, barn, worn leather, and herbs complement ripe red fruits (cranberry, red currant and cooked strawberry) on the nose. More red fruit on the palate is supported by fresh acid and integrated tannins providing a pleasing mouthfeel. Touches of spice and earthy minerals round out the finish.
"92 POINTS - The 2014 El Nido is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon from 35-year-old vines and the rest Monastrell from ancient vines fermented in the same way as Clio, starting in open-top, 4,500-liter stainless steel tanks with neutral yeasts and finishing in brand-new French and American oak barrels, where it also goes through malolactic. Aging in those new barrels lasted for almost two years. This is always quite ripe, and the Cabernet never shows any pyrazines or herbal aromas; there are plums, blackberries and a balsamic touch. This is full-bodied, powerful, concentrated and generously oaked. This is in line with the same vintage of Clio and has the same differences with the 2015 vintage, which feels a lot more balanced." - The Wine Advocate, Luis Gutiérrez
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