2010 - Present Wine

Eric Asimov writes:  (Reviewed December 27, 2022) Most cooperatives in Champagne make large amounts of routine wines, primarily for supermarkets. Chavost is an anomaly. It’s a small cooperative that produces natural wines, made without commercial yeasts or any additions, even sulfur dioxide, the widely used stabilizer and antioxidant. It’s a risky approach, but the results are excellent. This cuvée is primarily chardonnay, with 20 percent pinot meunier and 3 percent pinot noir. It’s bone-dry and chalky, well-balanced and deliciously refreshing.   - New York Times

Lindeman’s Bin 85 Pinot Grigio features aromas of fruit salad, peach, fig and rock melon with a medium bodied, fresh, crisp finish. Enjoy with seafood dishes, fresh salads, lighter meals, semi soft to firm cheeses. Winemaker Description. 

Tropical fruit aromas of guava and pineapple with hints of toasted marshmallow and lavender. Flavors of pear, white peach and key lime. A weighty entry that is balanced by lively acidity brings complexity and elegance to this lovely wine. Enjoyable upon release and over the next six to seven years. Winemaker Description. 

Expert Review

James Suckling 92 Points | Very pretty blackberry and orange-peel aromas with floral hints. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful finish. Chewy and linear. Needs two or three years to soften the extraction.

Winemaker Description

Plush, big, plummy fruit and dark cherry. Very elegant and well-integrated oak. Surprisingly fresh and cool on the palate with medium grippy tannins. Very classy and delicious. Winemaker Description. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

James Suckling 91 Points | Candied cherries, sweet cranberries and a touch of stewed herbs. Lightly chewy in terms of tannins, with a fluid center palate and a medium-length finish. A bit overripe, but approachable. A good, simple Chateauneuf that shows early appeal.

Winemaker Description

It is a delicious and supple wine, synonymous with sharing and conviviality, adapting perfectly to meat dishes in sauces or more simply grilled. Its aromas make it a Châteauneuf-du-Pape accessible to many tasters, from beginners to the most experienced.

Winemaker Description

Before you wonder what Lebanon has to do with wine, just consider that it has been producing wine for perhaps millennia more than any other part of the world.

A deep ruby colored wine, Chateau Kefraya Comte de M 2018 is clear and brilliant with garnet-colored reflections.The first nose is remarkably powerful and emphasized by its volume and elegance.

The wine is an harmonious blend of fresh red fruits, spicy and floral notes, as well as woody, roasted and toasted notes. The second nose reveals notes of cigar box, menthol, licorice, spices and garrigue through a palette of ripe and slightly candied red fruits.

Winemaker Notes

Occhipinti SP68 Bianco is a dry, organic and biodynamic white wine made with the Albanello and Moscato de Alejandría varieties and produced by Arianna Occhipinti, in Sicily, Italy.

"The name of a road, for a wine that is a journey", is the perfect and forceful description that Arianna Occhipinti gives to her Occhipinti SP68 Bianco, a wine that refers to the Strada Provinciale 68 as a tribute to all those peasants who have travelled along this road from the countryside for three thousand years, first with amphoras and then with barrels containing the fruit of their labour, fatigue and joy, and the aroma of their land.

In the middle of Strada Provinciale 68, in Vittoria, Sicily, we also find the Arianna Occhipinti winery where this Occhipinti SP68 Bianco was created. The wine is made with grapes that come from vineyards with an average age of 15 years, located 280 metres above sea level and composed of soils of red sand and limestone, which are cultivated according to the principles of organic agriculture and biodynamics.

The plots are cultivated without employing chemicals, and the grapes are harvested by hand and fermented with their native yeasts. The must remains in contact with the skins for 15 days. The wine is aged for 6 months in cement tanks and finally bottled unfiltered.

Occhipinti SP68 Bianco is a terroir wine born out of respect for the land and the vineyard, and reflects the philosophy of Arianna Occhipinti who states the following: "If the work in the vineyard is performed with care, the passage to the winery becomes simpler and requires fewer interventions. Winemaker Description. 

Critic Notes

Eric Guido writes:  The 2023 Bianco SP68 is distinctly savory, as wild herbs and wet concrete give way to crushed nectarines. This is soothingly round and supple with a spicy tinge of ginger up front, leading to tart orchard fruits and a cascade of salty minerals. The 2023 finishes vividly fresh yet still potent, leaving hints of green melon and lime zest that linger on and on. Allow the Bianco SP68 some time to open in the bottle to express its aromatics properly.  Drinking 2024 to 2027.  - Vinous 90

Winemaker Description

Bright with a deep ruby core that lightens at the rim of the glass, with moderately thick, slow forming tears. Aromatic with ripe black cherry, red berries and blackcurrant fruit with spice notes of vanilla and cinnamon with fresh sage, subtle dried rose petal, and toasted oak. Nearly full-bodied with red plum, ripe bing cherry, and blackberry on entry with savory dried herbs, baking spice and toasted oak on the midpalate supported with balanced, fine tannins. The complex finish shows sustained ripe fruit and spice mixed with dried flower and camphor elements.

The 2020 Justin Cabernet Sauvignon is remarkably balanced and complex, with a fresh palate that not only invites another sip on its own, but also pairs well with a wide variety of dishes. Try this wine with grilled chicken or burgers at your next cookout or with a classic filet mignon at your favorite steakhouse.

Winemaker Description

The 2016 Renieri Brunello di Montalcino opens with earthy aromas of bark, sand, truffles, graphite, rust, terracotta and sandalwood. Fruitier orange zest and lemon. Ripe, incense and with dense forest of aromas. Rich to the center palate, the fruit is vivacious and elegant. Robust and generous tannins. The finish is long, the after effects of the acidity unworldly.

Expert Ratings - Vintage 2016 

Wine Enthusiast 93 Points | Floral aromas of violet and rose mingle with new leather and menthol on this fragrant red. Racy and linear, the palate features dried cherry, licorice and blood orange set against firm, fine-grained tannins. (2016). 

Monica Larner of the Wine Advocate 94 Points | The Renieri 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is a plush, fruit-forward and accessible wine that captures the purity and elegance of the vintage. The best take-away, however, is the fresh, ready and bright state of this wine that makes it almost ready to enjoy straight out of the gate. This Brunello from a nine-hectare plot with limestone clay soils offers bold cherry and blackberry with delicate spice, smoke and blue flower. The wine is marked by balanced acidity, and there is some tannic tightness that should further relax by the time this wine hits the market at the start of 2021. 

James Suckling 96 Points | This is a very tight, refined Brunello that shows so much beautiful fruit and polish with dark-berry, cedar, walnut and cherry character. It’s full-bodied with layers of fine tannins and a fresh, pretty finish. Needs much more time to open. (2016). 

Eric Guido of Vinous 90 Points | The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is a sweetly spiced and fruit-forward expression of the vintage, yet it manages to color within the lines of refinement. Mulled apples and strawberries with a balsamic tinge give way to mentholated herbal tones. It’s soft with a wonderful mix of inner sweetness, pure red berry fruits and minerals, yet it lacks momentum toward the close. Rounded tannins linger along with hints of plum, tobacco and dark inner florals. With the exception of a lull on the mid-palate, the 2016 Renieri is really quite pleasurable, yet it’s better to enjoy this sooner rather than later. 

Winemaker Notes: The Atom California Chardonnay is a super-collision of hand-selected fruit, sourced from key growers throughout the coastal shoals & rocky foothills. The ‘Half-Life’ moniker adorning our dulcet, golden elixir is representative of our passion for concise & scientific winemaking met with nucleic intensity; explosive aromas & flavors that yield over time in the glass & on the palate.

Aromatics ignite the senses with mineral notes of soapstone & flint. A balanced coalescence of ripe stone-fruit, apple blossoms, lemon zest & toasted coconut greet the palate & dissolve to rich caramelized sugar, baking spices & a touch of smoke. Winemaker Description. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2018

Wine Spectator 96 Points | Ripe and very juicy, with a youthfully compact set of plum, boysenberry and blackberry compote flavors wrapped in licorice and violet notes. This is both racy and grippy, showing serious power but with the freshness and drive to match. Delivers a long, iron accent that scores the fruit through the finish. Best from 2024 through 2040.Wine Advocate 95 points The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is a typically long-term proposition, coated in dusty tannins and cedary oak. It will take time for the cassis, blueberry and slightly pine-scented backbone of this wine to emerge, as for the moment it's almost difficult to taste. Yes, the concentration is present, the tannins are almost silky-ripe, but the structure of this medium to full-bodied wine is unassailable. Hands off for at least five years, and probably more, to judge by how past vintages have evolved.

Vinous 97 Points | The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is elegant, deep and classy. Inky dark purplish fruit, savory herbs, menthol, licorice and spice. The purity of the fruit is remarkable today. There is plenty of youthful Howell Mountain tannin, so readers will have to be patient. Bright floral accents lift the red/purplish berry fruit nicely. This is such an expressive, alluring Cabernet. 

Critic Notes

James Suckling writes:  What a joyful dry white for Burgenland! A wide spectrum of ripe yellow fruit with mango and papaya, but nothing loud. Generous and juicy, but with extremely invigorating acidity. A cuvee based on gruner veltliner with furmint, welchriesling, chardonnay and pinot blanc, plus some mixed planted. From vines ranging ranging from 20 to 40 years of age. Drink or hold.  James Suckling 93

Winemaker Notes

The typical grape varieties of the region, Welschriesling, Grüner Veltliner and Furmint, work together to create a tightly knit, very precise, complex wine with mouth-filling, ripe pear fruit as well as beautiful almond, spice and herbal notes.

Powerful, creamy, dry and sensual, it is wonderfully complex and opens up countless exciting combination possibilities as a sophisticated food accompaniment. 

Winemaker Description

Caymus has a signature style that is dark in color, with rich fruit and ripe tannins – as approachable in youth as in maturity. Since its founding in 1972, Caymus has become renowned as a consistent leader in the production of Napa Valley Cabernet. 

Grapes for this wine are farmed in 8 of Napa’s 16 sub-appellations, with diversification enabling us to make the best possible wine in a given year. Their Cabernet offers layered, lush aromas and flavors, including cocoa, cassis and ripe berries. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2021 

James Suckling 92 Points | A blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Malbec, 8% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, Girard's 2021 Artistry Red Wine constitutes a solid value in the realm of Napa Valley. There's an attractive mix of cherries and black cherries on the nose, it's medium to full-bodied on the palate and the tannins are supple, making the wine easy to drink already. There's plenty of fruit character, some loam-like earthy scents and decent length, framed by soft, dusty tannins.

Wine Spectator, 93 Points | Attractive nose with wild berries, currants, mulberries, dried herbs and hints of tar. It’s medium- to full-bodied with chewy tannins. Textural with a rich core of creamy blackberries and some chocolate flakes, too. Focused finish with excellent length.

Winemaker Description 

The 2021 Artistry is a complex and sophisticated wine. The nose reveals aromas of cassis, black cherry swirling with aromas of vanilla, espresso and tobacco. The palate is rich and full-bodied with flavors of ripe, lush black fruits, hints of chocolate and savory spice. Firm and refined tannins framed by well-integrated oak provide structure and balance leading to a lingering finish.

Blend: 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Malbec, 8% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc

Burghound 92 Points | There is a whiff of the exotic on the white and yellow peach, citrus and floral-inflected aromas. The texture of the medium-bodied flavors is at once rich but sleek with excellent minerality on the impressively persistent finale. I quite like this, and it should amply repay extended keeping. 

Expert Ratings _ Vintage 2019 

Our Notes

Ramon Canals Reserva Numerada Cava 2018 is crafted using a blend of the three traditional grape varieties of the Penedès region: Xarel·lo, Macabeu, and Parellada. Following the initial alcoholic fermentation, the wine undergoes 24 months of aging on its lees before disgorgement. This extended aging process, combined with the secondary fermentation in the bottle, allows the wine to develop a complex array of aromas and flavors unique to sparkling wines that have aged for several years in the bottle.

Winemaker Description

The Canals Canals family elaborated this cava with the traditional grape varieties from Penedès region Xarel.lo, Macabeu and Parellada, following the Traditional Method, secondary fermentation of wines in the bottle and aged on lees for over 24 months in our cellars. Ramon Canals is an “Organic transition wine”.

Medium dry, acidic, yellow plum notes, ripe pear notes, green apple notes, hint of almond.  Nice fizzy bubbles, citrus, lime, pineapple, and brioche.

GOLD MEDAL – INTERNATIONAL WINE AWARDS 2022

GOLD MEDAL – CATAVINUM WORLD WINES & SPIRITS COMPETITION 2022

GOLD MEDAL – INTERNATIONAL WINE AWARDS 2021

GOLD MEDAL – CATAVINUM WORLD WINES & SPIRITS COMPETITION 2021 

90 POINTS – JAMES SUCKLING 

93 POINTS – MI VINO GUIDE – BEST CAVA IN THE GUIDE

GOLD MEDAL – GILBERT & GAILLARD INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE 2018 

GOLD MEDAL – INTERNATIONAL WINE AWARDS 2018 

GOLD MEDAL – 96 POINTS – 50 GREAT CAVAS 2018 

GOLD MEDAL – INTERNATIONAL WINE AWARDS 2017

BRONZE MEDAL – PREMIS VINARI 2017 

SILVER MEDAL – CATAVINUM WORLD AWARDS 2017

Winemaker Description

Aromas of ripe black fruit, leather and vanilla are complemented with cassis flavors and hints of spices, with a long velvety finish.

Winemaker Description

The robe is deep red with hints of violet. The nose reveals aromas of plum and red fruit. The palate is fresh and elegant, with remarkable balance between tannins, acidity and alcohol. Long, delicate finish. Overall, a very convivial, attractive wine. 

Expert Review 

92 Points James Suckling | Pretty classy nose with cassis, black cherries and blackberries with plenty of violet extract. Some sweet fruit on the palate with firm, fine-grained tannins. Flavorful and fruity finish. Oak free.

90 Wine Spectator | Elegant and approachable, offering aromas of violet and balsam that pave the way for a juicy, well-spiced core of huckleberry and black raspberry that lingers nicely.

Winemaker Description

Mevushal. Borgo Reale Montepulciano D'Abruzzo is made from the Montepulciano grape from Abruzzo, a mountainous region east of Rome. This wine may have up to 15% Sangiovese added and is the first Kosher version available.

This lovely wine has a good aromatic nose with hints of rich, concentrated ripe fruit and spice, and a generous palate with nicely blended tannins yielding powerful, sweet sensations, particularly fresh fruit. Generous, yet pure, on the palate with ripe, round tannins, excellent structure and delicate acidity.

Kosher for Passover & Mevushal.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2018 

Antonio Galloni of Vinous writes 93 Points | The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is bright, focused and nuanced, with lovely energy and tons of glass. Perfumed floral and spice accents lift the red-toned fruit nicely. This exquisitely beautiful, vivid Cabernet is all class. Like the Chardonnay, the Cabernet Sauvignon is on the lighter side, even for this style. It will be interesting to see if Heitz also pursues a bit more richness for this wine in future vintages.  Drinking 2025 - 2035.

Joe Czerwinski of the Wine Advocate writes 91 Points |  Heitz's regular 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon features a slightly minty-eucalyptus edge, cherries and a hint of leather. Medium-bodied and concentrated, this is silky and fine, finishing a bit tart. Personally, I'd prefer to see more mid-palate richness, but that's not the style being pursued here.  Drinking 2024 - 2035  - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 91

James Suckling writes 94 Points | A pure, balanced and fresh Napa cabernet that is not just showing heady concentration and dark fruit. Here you get some violets, nimble flowers, redcurrants, graphite and fine spices. Some oranges, too. Fragrant and nuanced. Medium to full body with tight yet refined tannins. Rather linear, tense and elegant, but lacking neither power nor definition. Better to give it a few years to deliver more complexity. 

Jeb Dunnuck writes 91 Points | Lots of ripe blue fruits, sappy herbs, and some background minerality as well as a touch of oak emerge from the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, a medium-bodied, beautifully balanced, elegant Cabernet from this estate that's drinkable today yet will evolve for 15-20 years in cold cellars. It's one for the old school Cabernet lovers out there.  Drinking 2023 - 2043.

Winemaker Notes

Winemaker Description 

Dark ruby-red with crimson shades. The aroma is fresh and intense with clean scents of wild berries and spices. Clear but perfectly blended the wooden note. The flavor is warm and robust, pleasant, good body and harmonic.

This Barbera's sensory attributes make it an outstanding accompaniment for imposing first courses and main-course, meats boiled or roasted.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020

Wine Advocate 94 Points: You can't beat this value. The G.D. Vajra 2020 Barolo Albe is buttoned up with fresh primary fruit, and the wine does not have that hint of over-ripeness that is found across this vintage. The fruit is dark and savory, and there is a big mineral component to match, but the bouquet is nicely redolent of dark currant, plum, granite and a raspy dry note that brings crushed shale to mind. The tannins are quite impactful, and they give this wine extra runway for moderate bottle aging.

Wine Spectator 94 Points This effusive red displays cherry, raspberry, rose, iron, juniper and hay flavors, underscored by vibrant acidity. Harmonious and supple in texture, with a long aftertaste of red fruit, mineral and floral elements.

James Suckling 93 Points This is a bright and lively Barolo showing sliced oranges, raspberries, crushed stones and rose petals on the nose. Medium-bodied, with sharp acidity and tight tannins. Lots of energy. Try from 2027.

Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points A ripe ruby hue, the 2020 Barolo Albe offers a beautiful bouquet of raspberries, fresh flowers, and delicate spice. Medium-bodied, it has a lot of elegance, with ripe and supple tannins and a bit of iron-rich earth. Drink 2024-2037.

Our Professional Review

Oscar Garcia Moncada 67Wine.com  | 67 Wine Somm Series Cava Gran Reserva 2018 Guarda superior is a blend of the three white grape varietals traditionally used in El Penedes for the production of Cava: Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel.lo. 

The three grape varieties are fermented separately and the wine undergoes Traditional method production and then aged 48 months sur lattes.

Winemaker Description

Varieties: 70% of Xarel.lo, 20% of Macabeu and 10% of Parellada

The three grape varieties are fermented separately and then the wine do the second fermentation in the bottle like the method Champenoise in the CAVA aging more than 48 months.

Recommended Serving Temperature: 6oC

Aspect: Pale straw yellow in color. Brilliant appearance with constant release of fine bubbles forming a crown on the surface of the glass.

Aroma: Has the special aroma from the second fermentation in the bottle and evolution in the cellar. Extremely fine and fresh. An aroma from the ageing process that gives it a personality of its own like croissants, almonds, white fruit, salinity and minerality.

Taste: Still conserves the varietal flavors mingled with those of the ageing process to achieve a perfect balance. It is fine on the palate with a certain rejuvenating acidity producing a pleasant and extremely harmonious combination.
A fairly long finish in the mouth. The bubbles are very small and delicate and It’s very elegant.

Food and wine pairing:
It’s perfect with tapas, with sea food, fish, cheeses, chicken, white meat and dry desserts.

Winemaker Description

Violet in hue, the 2021 vintage entices with pomegranate, dark cherry, and black tea. The voluptuous texture fuses with layered notes of boysenberry, bergamot, and hints of sage. As it moves across the palate both acid and fine-grained tannins are flawlessly integrated, accentuated by a red clay minerality. This is a refined and graceful wine with lively acidity, leading to a long finish.

Expert Reviews

Vinous 95 Points | The 2021 Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley) is dense, heady and explosive. All the classic Russian River exuberance comes through, but amplified in all of the good ways and none of the bad. Even with all of the richness and intensity, the 2021 retains good freshness as well as energy. A touch of whole clusters brightens the finish nicely. (2021).

James Suckling 93 Points Plenty of dried strawberry with black cherry and hints of chocolate. Full and very fresh with orange-peel and floral undertones. Vivid fruit. Tangy. About 15% whole cluster. Drink or hold. (2021).

Wine Spectator 93 Points | Bright and punchy, with a host of delicious mulberry and pomegranate notes, carried by crunchy acidity and backed by light anise and potpourri accents on the finish. Shows nice racy energy underneath. (2021). 

Robert Parker 92 Points | The 2021 Pinot Noir is composed of 94% estate fruit. It was crafted with about 15% whole clusters and matured in 33% new oak. It has broody scents of blueberry, cranberry, rhubarb, cured meats, lavender and allspice. The medium-bodied palate has generous, juicy fruit, a soft, grainy frame and a long finish. This is very easy to drink! (2021). 

Winemaker Description

100% Lambrusco Salamino (a particular sub-variety of Lambrusco known for thick skins, dark color, high acidity and tight bunches). Certified-organically farmed, hand-harvested fruit from 50-year-old vines, crushed and spontaneously fermented in small steel tanks. Fermentation is spontaneous and is taken to complete dryness. Secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle, initiated by the addition of fresh grape must. The bottles are hand-riddled and -disgorged. No sulfur is added at any stage of the process. 

Expert Review

Bart Hopkins 67Wine.com | Made from organic grapes and fermented in the bottle with no added sulfites, the 2022 Rosso Viola is dark ruby with a terrific bouquet of aromatic cherries, strawberries and violets. In the mouth, the tiny bubbles have an elegant, persistent creaminess that brings forth a highly sophisticated mouthfeel with energetic flavors that linger deliciously through the finish. Some supple tannins make this a great wine for pizza, cured meats and strong cheeses.

Winemaker Description

Peay Vineyards is a first-generation family winery. Husband and wife, Nick Peay & Vanessa Wong, grow and make the wine and brother, Andy Peay, and his wife Ami, sell the wine and run the business.

All wines are made from grapes grown on our 53-acre estate vineyard located above a river gorge in the far northwestern corner of the Sonoma Coast, 4 miles from the Pacific Ocean at Sea Ranch. We sit in the chilly inversion layer with fog and wind from the Ocean maintaining cool temperatures with plenty of sunlight.

Winemaker Vanessa Wong left her position as winemaker at Peter Michael Winery in 2001 to launch Peay Vineyards. Formerly she worked at Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Domaine Jean Gros and Hirsch Winery.

We farm organically and maintain our licenses for fish friendly farming and integrated pest management. The health of our vineyard dictates these approaches to farming and making wine. We also run on bio-diesel at the vineyard and solar power at both the vineyard and winery.

Expert Ratings - Vintage 2021 

Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points | The 2021 Pinot Noir Ama is dark ruby, with notes of red cherry and apple skin. The palate is full-bodied and has great structure, with a broad texture, ripe tannins and notes of dark cherry, tea leaf, and forest earth. It’s long on the palate and has a good finish. (2021). 

Robert Parker 94 Points | The 2021 Estate Pinot Noir Ama is powerful and perfumed this vintage. It offers aromas broody aromas of red and black cherries and aniseed with top notes of saline and citrus peel. The medium-bodied palate is chalky and refreshing with generous berry fruit and floral accents, and it has a long, spicy finish. (2021). 

Winemaker Description

Ruby red with light purple reflections. Perfectly ripe fruit, with flavors of plums and cherries. Lovely earthy complexity with a lush mouthfeel Well-balanced and pleasant on the palate with a long and persistent finish.

92 Points Wine Enthusiast | Brilliant in apples, vanilla, butter and pineapples, this full-bodied and silkytextured wine grabs attention with its sunny aromas. It follows up with a generous palate of fruits, mild spices and a melted texture that’s so easy to sip. (2021).

Aromatic and inviting, this Estate Chardonnay opens with the alluring aroma of freshly baked cardamom buns. The palate is fresh and complex, layering flavors of lemon zest, beeswax, and lemon verbena that delightfully linger on the palate. Winemaker Description. 

Winemaker Description 

Filipa Pato and William Wouters farm their 30 acres of vines in Bairrada using biodynamic principles, harvesting the fruit for this wine on the early side, then fermenting and aging it in amphorae.

Its complex and layered, with zesty flavors of raspberry and strawberry, rhubarb and Rosa rugosa.