2010 - Present Wine

Winemaker Description 

This small-production Albarino comes from a mix of young and very old vines, made to be a pure, straight-to-the-point take on the bracing variety! The citrus blossom top notes, and core fruit character of apple & nectarine, come with a wash of powerful, saline-like acidity into the well-balanced finish, making for a mouthwateringly delicious experience.

Pedro’s Albariño collection is from the Salnés Valley hamlet, Meaño. If I were to draw a comparison to Pedro’s wines and our other growers in Rías Baixas, I’d say they’re more powerful than those of Manuel Moldes and, perhaps of equal power to Xesteiriña, but are more contained and classically styled than the latter. Pedro’s Albariños have broad shoulders, a compact core and megathrust. This may be partly due to the older average vine age of his many parcels, and, in some cases, deeper topsoil. Moldes’ cru Albariños are on schist, with his Afelio on the mostly granite. Xesteiriña harvests from a single plot of extremely hard metamorphic rock with almost no topsoil. The bedrock is somewhere between medium- to high-grade metamorphic rock: some looks like gneiss while others look like schist. Xesteiriña’s rock type is probably the rarest of all in Salnés with vineyards planted.

Producer Description 

This easy sipping white blend shows off each of its grapes. Full of green apple notes, a touch of stone fruit, a beautiful floral touch, and a hint of peppery finish, this wine is a delight. All stainless steel fermented for a bright, crisp Austrian gem. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2020

Antonio Galloni writes:  The 2020 Cepparello is a total stunner, just as it was last year. Deeply colored, layered and explosive in the glass, the 2020 possesses striking textural richness and overall intensity. Black cherry, graphite, plum, spice and lavender flesh out effortlessly. There's tremendous pedigree and sheer stature here. Cepparello is surely one of the wines of the year.  Drinking 2027 to 2045.  - Vinous 98

The Wine Advocate, Monica Larner, 96 Points | Supple and smooth, the 2020 Cepparello brings Sangiovese to soaring heights in a manner only Paolo De Marchi can manage. This is his second to last vintage before he would retire and sell this historic estate. The wine opens to medium to full-bodied concentration with dark plum and redcurrant. Those cede to sweet spice, earth, crushed stone, rusty nail and candied orange peel. Give the wine more time to flesh out with cellar age.

The Wine Spectator 96 Points | Expressive and sumptuous from the get-go, this red features cherry, strawberry, rose, orange peel, mineral and Tuscan herb aromas and flavors. Sangiovese. Best from 2025 through 2045.

James Suckling 94 Points | Attractive red and dark berries with dried flowers, nutmeg and cocoa powder. Dried orange peel and wet earth, too. Medium- to full-bodied, toned and steady with fine-grained tannins that are slightly chalky. Polished and even with a lingering finish. Try after 2026.

Winemaker Description 

One of the few 100% Brancellao wines from Ribeira Sacra, reminiscent of a wine from Burgundy, aged for six months in new French oak barrels, with the freshness and expressiveness of a little known variety with huge potential and great distinction.

Exceptional selection of the Brancellao grape from Pazo de La Cuesta’s historic vineyard. Manual harvesting followed by destemming and gravity-flow to the fermentation tanks. First, alcoholic fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature of 16-18oC, followed by malolactic fermentation, both in stainless steel tanks. First aged on its lees and later aged for six months in 300- and 500-litre French and Central European oak barrels.

TASTING NOTES

Clean and bright with a surprising colour. Very intense nose with complex red fruit, spices, and the characteristic coffee and cocoa notes of the terroir. This wine has a pleasant texture and is bold and complex in the mouth, well structured and intense on the palate and extremely fresh, which makes it appealing at any time of year.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020

Wine Spectator 92 Points | A beam of cherry and red currant courses through this racy red, revealing flashes of rose and wild herbs, with a mineral underpinning. This is persistent, with a long aftertaste that emphasizes the pure fruit. Best from 2026 through 2042.

Decanter 92 Points | Ripe black and red berry fruit, baked plum, and hints of tea leaf. Robust and rich, open, grainy tannins frame the fruit, and the finish has nice juice and length. Shows real charm!

Winemaker Description 

2021 | Garnacha Tintorera Prefiloxérica

Grapes from pre-phylloxera vineyards planted in 1860 on ungrafted vines. Two micro plots of 4,000 m2 and 2,000 m2, on the banks of the Sil River that thanks to the natural barriers and strength of this variety reached today’s times.

GRAPE VARIETY: 100% Garnacha Tintorera  from pre-phylloxera vineyards planted in 1860 on ungrafted vines.

CATEGORY: Matured red wine

Optimal weather conditions had a positive influence on the quality of the grapes. The cool, slightly humid spring favored vigorous bud break and uneventful fruit set. The summer was characterized by sunny days and cool nights, which allowed a gradual and balanced ripening of the grapes. The harvest, carried out in the last week of September, took place under dry and stable weather conditions, ensuring that the grapes were harvested at the peak of ripeness, with excellent concentration of flavors.

Harvest by hand with fruit selection in the vineyard. Destemming and pre-fermentation maceration for 4 days. Foot of vat with neutral yeast support. Alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel tanks below 20ºC and subsequent spontaneous malolactic fermentation. Aged for 8 months in French oak barrels: one 500-liter and two 300-liter medium toast barrels. Bottled in July 2023.

In visual phase high layer, with cherry red hues. On the nose, red fruits stand out with subtle floral notes and the complexity provided by the barrel aging. The palate is sweet, yet fresh, with good acidity. Long and persistent.

Winemaker Description 

Treixadura, Godello, Albariño, and Loureira are combined in this wine to give the best of each variety and surprise the palate with a blend of grapes from our vineyard that challenges the senses with the elegance and finesse that define the greatest white wines.

TASTING NOTES

Bright straw-coloured yellow with a medium-high intensity. Aromas of stone fruit and white flowers. Powerful, complex, and fresh on the palate, offering appealingly harmonious flavours.

FOOD PAIRING

• Hake cheeks with cardinal prawns.
• Tuna skin with tomato sauce.
• Creamy rice with mushrooms.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

Mike DeSimone of the Wine Enthusiast writes 91 Points | Pale yellow in color, this wine offers a bouquet of Gala apple and honeysuckle. Valencia orange, bergamot and dried-thyme flavors fade into a finish marked with touch of lemon grass. 

Winemaker Description 

Moderately deep soils except for Marges which brings its characteristic freshness and youth. The Rigolet y Baja, terroirs which add the concentration are terroirs of Miocene marl earth which allows the vine to absorb only the quantity of water necessary for adequate growth.

Sabate i Coca Castellroig Xarello 'So Blanc'

Fruity and creamy with apple aromas, pineapple, fennel, dried fruits and pine nuts. Intense in the mouth, dense and with a bitter edge that is highly distinctive and pleasant, preserving the freshness of the wine, and with a lightly sweet sensation at the end.

Our Professional Review 

Rand of 67Wine.com writes | A dry-styled Riesling that is at once rustic and approachable. Rockstar wine maker Christopher Loewen raises this wine in large fuder casks, using spontaneous fermentation.  This gives the wine a beautiful complexity and mouth filling texture.  A mix of yellow stone fruit, pear, and spiced citrus is underscored by a pleasingly savory salinity.

Expert Review - Vintage 2019 

Decanter 90 Points | Blue fruit, tobacco and cocoa nose. The palate is juicy and savoury with rounded tannins and well-integrated alcohol. Long, lively finish. Rather classic.

Thomas Matthews of The Wine Spectator writes 92 Points | This red is lively and expressive. Black cherry and currant flavors are fresh and juicy, backed by cocoa, spice and licorice notes. Well-integrated tannins and fresh acidity give this a balanced structure. Drink now through 2030. 

Winemaker Description

Valduero Una Cepa is a red wine aged for 18 months in barrels and another 12 months in the bottle. This single-varietal wine made with Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero wine ideal for pairing with the finest roasts and meat stews.

Expert Review - Vintage 2021 

James Suckling 95 Points | Some blue fruit with iron and lavender character. Very perfumed. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and a bright finish. Linear and tight. Hibiscus at the end. A blend of declassified barrels from the single-vineyard wines. Drink or hold.

Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points | The ripe ruby-colored 2021 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley saw the small addition of about 10% whole cluster. The nose opens to a just gorgeous perfume of red and blue fruit as well as fresh violets and cherry candies. Very tasty indeed, the palate is inviting and medium-bodied, and it has a supple, silky texture, with a long, fresh, pure finish. This inviting red is going to have a wide drinking window over the next 6-8 years.

The Wine Advocate 92 Points | The 2021 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley is a blend of fruit from Arista’s seven vineyard-designate wines. It has pretty aromas of blackberry, blueberry, plum, licorice and turned earth. The medium-bodied palate offers layered, spicy flavors structured by finely astringent tannins and bright acidity, and it has a long, fragrant finish. 

The Wine Spectator 92 Points | Bright and punchy, offering energetic pomegranate, cherry and loganberry fruit infused with sassafras and hibiscus notes, while fresh and slightly high-pitched acidity gives the finish a racy edge. Drink now through 2031.

Winemaker Description 

The core principle of the winemaking philosophy at Arista is to capture and express the true character and potential of each vineyard. They work with a very carefully chosen handful of grand-cru level Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards, and are uncompromising in their efforts to maximize the full potential of the wines crafted from these special sites.

The 2021 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir blends several vineyards from across the storied Russian River appellation, which makes it a prime snapshot of our home region as a whole in each vintage. In 2021, conditions for Pinot Noir in the Russian River Valley were exceptional, leading to deeply colored, intensely aromatic, wonderfully vibrant wines.

This ruby-hued wine shows classic Pinot Noir aromas of black plum, tart cherry, and cola. Across the palate, similar ripe fruit notes are abundant and buttressed by the tangy acidity. The firm tannins, which are a hallmark of the 2021 vintage, round out the long finish on this quintessential Sonoma Pinot Noir.

Winemaker Description 

The 2022 Slander delivers a medium ruby core with a lucid rim that's almost translucent. Aromatically, bing cherry, briar fruit and some raspberry give way to ripe strawberry and associated red fruits. Bright and enveloping on the entry, notes of fresh strawberry, watermelon, thyme and a hint of funk come through. Spicy on the finish, the wine closes with a flash of blue fruits and lift.

There’s a soul to this business and that soul isn’t just from the people who make wine, it’s from everyone who loves wines that make them feel something.” Dave Phinney

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2016

James Suckling 94 Points | Plenty of ripe and fresh fruit with citrus and rose aromas that follow through to a medium body with fine tannins and a bright, vivid finish. Hints of orange-peel and light pie-crust flavors in the aftertaste.

Kerin O'Keefe of the Wine Enthusiast 91 Points | Aromas of black-skinned berries, new leather and spice shape the nose. The chewy palate offers dried black cherry, tobacco and vanilla alongside polished tannins. Drink 2023–2031.

Winemaker Description 

A full bodied orange that sees a full month of underground fermentation in a Qvevri. Deep golden in the glass, it gives whiffs of honey blossom. On the palate it's full, dry and nutty with notes of apricots. The wine is unfiltered and unfined, allowing for a little sedimentation in the bottle. 

Pheasant's Tears is a joint venture between John Wurdeman and Gela Patalishvili. Since 2007, they take care of their grapes with very low intervention, using wild yeasts during vinification to best showcase the Kakheti terroir. The name 'Pheasant's Tears' comes from an old Georgian tale claiming that only the best wine could make a pheasant cry. 

Winemaker Description

This wine from the Rkatsiteli grape variety was vinified and aged in amphorae with a 6-month maceration of the skins (what is now called an "orange wine", and that the Georgians call an "amber wine"). There are dried fruits, honey, with an unusually powerful structure, but not aggressive. He asks for spicy dishes or mature cheeses (parmesan, old Comté)

Gela Patalishvili is the 8th generation of winemakers, in the Kakheti region, in the south of the Caucasus. John Wurdeman is an American painter living in Georgia since 1998.

Georgia is located between Armenia and Turkey to the south, Azerbaijan to the east, Russia to the north and the Black Sea to the west.

Gela and John want to preserve this heritage. Today, they cultivate around ten grape varieties without pesticides or herbicides, and vinify all in "qvevri", a traditional (buried) amphora for wine making and aging. Both reds and whites are produced by maceration for 3 weeks to 6 months. With these wines, we have no known taste references, they transport us elsewhere!

Winemaker Description 

On the nose the wine shows spice, violets, vanilla and dark cherry. The palate is rich and full with red and dark cherry alongside hints of smoke, and spice.

Made from a blend of four Marlborough vineyards Quarters, Andahlane, Kennedys Road and including the Huia home block, this wine boasts a beguiling richness with notes of alpine strawberries, dark cherry, violets, cranberries, cinnamon, clove, hay and roasted hazelnuts on the nose with juicy acidity beautifully balanced with the generous notes of toasted oak, cherry pie, strawberries, wild thyme, marjoram, cacao and Chinese 5 spice on the palate. 

Best decanted an hour prior to enjoying. 

The 2022 vintage of Chateau Montelena Chardonnay showcases the estate’s signature style: vibrant citrus and stone fruit layered with floral notes, crisp acidity, and perfectly integrated oak. Grown in the cool-climate Calistoga region, this organic-leaning Chardonnay balances richness with restraint, offering flavors of green apple, Meyer lemon, and a touch of baking spice. A benchmark Napa white, ideal for drinking now or cellaring—especially at this limited-time price.

Winemaker Description 

Precision in winemaking (and in life) requires intent and purpose. Removing notions of how things should be allows us to see things truly as they are. Moreover, the ability to be entirely honest with each vintage enables the creative freedom necessary for both development and true expression. Montelena Chardonnay does not have a style. What it has is the dual-purpose of vintage and vineyard expression and our meticulous intent to deliver on both.

-Winemaker Matt Crafton

Winemaker Description 

Moscato d’Asti D.O.C.G Grape variety: Moscato 100%

A bright straw-yellow color with slightly shimmering hints of gold. Intense aromas of ripe yellow fruit (peach, apricot), floral notes (rose petals, acacia flowers) and ginger. Sweet and delicate on the palate, with modest acidity, good balance and complexity.

Hints of fresh apricot on the finish.r

Sourced from small vineyards in Castiglione Tinella, with 4,500 plants per hectare. The vines, cultivated with the Guyot-system have an average age of 40 years.

Limestone- and clay-rich soil.

A percentage of around 5.5% alcohol by volume is reached, the temperature is quickly reduced to stop the fermentation.

The wine, which is only partially fermented, is then filtered. The wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation and is bottled using sterile filtration.

Winemaker Description 

"L'Affreux Jojo" means "the ugly Jojo". In the stronghold of Cabernet Franc in Touraine, Geoffrey de Nouel highlights old terroirs, those of Sainte Maure de Touraine. The result is a wine without artifice, short-aged, full of fruit and with few sulphites: the awful Jojo!

Vinification: 1/3 whole cluster (carbonic maceration), 2/3 destemmed grapes. Maceration of 2-3 weeks. Fermentation is in fiber glass with natural yeasts. The wine ages for 6 months in fiber glass tanks. No filtration, no fining. Grape varieties :100% Cabernet Franc Vineyard age :25-year-old vines Soil Clay, flint, gravel Alcohol :12.5%.

Geoffrey de Noüel is a young vigneron on the rise in Chinon, an AOC located in central Loire, where some of the greatest Cabernet Franc is being produced. He started his winemaking journey in 2011 with a series of internships in Burgundy, then transported the Burgundian idea of cultivating and vinifying a singular grape on different plots (to showcase the terroir of each) to his own project in the Loire. All of Geoffrey's vineyards are certified organic, and his goal is to work as hands off as possible to produce transparent wines that showcase the varied soils of the area. Geoffrey is intent on showcasing the terroir of the different sites that he works with and believes in minimal intervention in the cellar.  

Expert Review - Vintage 2023

Vinous 90 Points | The 2023 Pinot Noir The Bohan-Dillon is a very pretty, understated offering from Hirsch. Silky tannins wrap around a core of bright red-toned fruit, cedar, sweet pipe tobacco and dried herbs. This mid-weight Pinot is all charm. Those qualities are best enjoyed over the next handful of years.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

Luis Guitierez of The Wine Advocate writes 93+ Points | They haven't produced this wine since 2019, and there are substantial changes. There's no Treixadura in the 2022 Viño Branco Dos Canotos; they didn't do any skin contact; and it didn't go through malolactic, because it has a low pH (3.0) and high acidity. It matured in chestnut cask with full less until bottling in May 2023, quite early. The wine is dominated by the Albariño (around 40%, the rest, Lado, Caíño Branco and Loureira) in the aromatics, floral and herbal. It has around 11.7% alcohol, a very tasty and vibrant palate with pungent flavors, and very good persistence and length. There are only 910 bottles.

Winemaker Description 

Lovely lemon and peach aromas with hints of honeysuckle and white pepper, super fresh, light-bodied, airy, silky on the palate.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2021

Erin Brooks of The Wine Advocate 95 Points | I tasted the 2021 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley about a month after it was bottled, but it doesn't seem to matter—it bursts from the glass with generous pomegranate, cranberry and raspberry preserves aromas and accents of orange peel, aniseed and tea leaves. The palate is stunning: it strikes a balance between highly concentrated, nuanced fruit and an uplifted, silky structure, and it has a particularly elegant finish. 

James Suckling 94 Points | Wild and vibrant nose of rosemary, cherry stones, small strawberries, violets and seaweed. So fresh, with a medium body and powdery tannins. I like the persistent fine, chalky texture. Unfined and unfiltered. Drink or hold.

Wine Spectator 94 Points |  Sleek, graceful and elegantly proportioned, with expressive violet, raspberry, guava and black tea flavors that jump out of the glass and gather richness toward polished tannins. Drink now through 2032.

Decanter 93 Points | Sourced from 13 vineyards throughout the Valley, though predominantly Star Morring and Doration vineyards. Aromas of violets and crushed stone hint at edginess. The palate offers sappy blackberries and bright, fresh fruits backed by spearmint. There is an excellent lingering juiciness and a finish that goes on for minutes.

Jeb Dunnuck 92 Points | Deep ruby with a purple tinge, the 2021 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley is generous and attractive, with a pure and spicy perfume of pressed flowers, wild raspberry preserve, and brambly herbs. Approachable and drinking well out of the gate, this medium to full-bodied red is ripe with juicy fruit, good structure, ripe tannins, and pithy texture, as well as a touch of warming spice on a long finish. It’s a solid appellation wine that casts a very large net for appeal. Drink 2024-2030. - Audrey Frick

Vinous 91 Points |  The 2021 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley is lifted and pure with a cool-toned bouquet of dusty florals, lavender and spice-dusted blackberries. Soft and round, it casts violet inner florals and wild berries across the palate, taking on a saline tinge and hints of licorice toward the close. The 2021 finishes remarkably fresh and with a pleasantly chewy sensation, leaving slowly fading inner rose tones. -- Eric Guido

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points | From marine sedimentary soils in Yamhill-Carlton, the 2022 Pinot Noir Domaine Danielle Laurent is a rich jeweled red hue and has a deeper, aromatically layered nose with notes of dark wet stones, cherry liqueur, crushed pine needles, and candied flowers. Medium-bodied, it has wonderful grippy structure, with defined tannins, refreshing acidity, and a lovely note of tea leaf on the finish. It’s a fantastic offering that should have a good deal of longevity over the coming 15 years.

Wine Enthusiast 94 Points | This is the flagship wine in a strong 2022 vintage for Soléna Estate. First, the wine’s aromatic combination of boysenberries, black tea and bits of roast beef induces hunger pangs. The wine’s flavors then sate that hunger with ripe raspberry and tangy nectarine flavors, joined by a wisp of cedar. Bracing acidity makes the wine feel light and lively in the mouth.

Vinous 92 Points | A mix of woodland berries, shavings of cedar, cloves and dried roses introduces the 2022 Pinot Noir Domaine Danielle Laurent. Silky in texture yet lifted in feel, this flows across the palate with ease, taking on a peppery herbal tinge toward the close. A cascade of inner violet and lavender tones lingers as the 2022 finishes with medium length and gentle tannins.

James Suckling 92 Points | Lots of spice, nutshell, cocoa, dried cherry and hibiscus notes. Tense and dry on the palate with a medium body and chalky tannins. Earthy finish. Drink now or hold.

Winemaker Description 

Solena Estate Domaine Danielle Laurent Pinot Noir is a powerhouse Pinot Noir. From the winery's ‘wedding vineyard’ that started it all, this is a beautifully textured wine that matches with a range of foods and enlivens any evening. It has a very expressive nose of bright red fruits, clay dust, and mulling spice. In the glass, this wine has a light body but palate full of cranberry, green tea, and crushed slate. Drink now or cellar until 2038.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022

James Suckling 92 Points | A very fresh and lively malbec that shows subtle spices, herbs, fresh blueberries and cherries. Pristine, fresh and vibrant on the palate with fresh, soft tannins and a solid, fruit-expressive finish. 70% valle de uco and 30% agrelo. Already appealing, with lots of fruit.

The Wine Advocate 90 Points | The 2022 Don Nicanor Malbec is a tremendous value, opening with a balanced bouquet of dark fruit, crushed stones and a touch of woody complexity. The palate is similarly svelte and creamy, concluding with a solid, grippy finish driven by an even-keeled minerality.

Winemaker Description 

The wine is an intense violet color. The nose has aromas of red fruits and blackberries. There are floral notes such as violets, and spices. The oak is well-integrated and contributes soft notes of bitter chocolate. The palate is fresh and elegant, with velvety tannins and a long-lasting finish.

Expert Review - Vintage 2019

James Suckling 91 Points | This has aromas of raspberries, blackberries, currants, rosehips and hazelnuts. It’s medium-bodied with fine, silky tannins. Elegant and fresh. Pretty finish. Drink from 2024.

Winemaker Description 

Baron de Brane is the second wine of Château Brane-Cantenac, a second growth château owned by Henri Lurton and one of the oldest and largest properties in Margaux. The blend is made up of about 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, the grapes coming from developing vineyards, some on gravel beds 12 metres deep.

Winemaker Description 

100% Jacquère. The Abymes appellation sits lower and the slope than the Apremont and is on generally flatter land. Stainless steel fermentation and aging.

A firm, mineral spine and racy acidity support this wines core of lemon, verbena, peach and pear notes. This is the perfect match for fondue, raclette or a good old fashioned charcuterie plate.