2010 - Present Wine

Winemaker Description

The Gratavinum winery is located in the Priorat D.O.Q. of Spain was founded by the Cusiné family as a project to craft the most traditional wines from Penedés. This family also owns the Parés Baltà winery in Penedés and the Dominio Romano winery in the Ribera del Duero.

Following the Cusiné family philosophy of winemaking, all of the wines by the Gratavinum winery have been certified organic since 2004 and this winery pays the utmost respect to the environment and biodiversity of the region.

The Gratavinum winery crafts wines from the classic grapes of this region, Grenache and Cariñena, along with two very well adapted foreign grape varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

The enologists at Gratavinum have adapted their winemaking to include new techniques and systems to craft organic wines that present the maximum expression of their grapes.

Winemaker Description

Vivid deep ruby red wine, with aromatic intensity, pepper, licorice and cocoa notes on black fruit background and balsamic notes.  On the palate it is round, well structured, balanced with every nuances of the grape and the oak.

Ideal match to vegetables and juicy meat: lamb, roasts, game, and aged cheese.

Winemaker Notes

Winemaker Description 

A Tempranillo with a small addition of 5% Viura, i.e. white grapes. This is not only unusual on the Côte-Rotie of the Northern Rhône, but also in the Rioja and the Ribera del Duero. The base wine already shows why the future of this prestigious region lies in the high altitudes of Rioja Alavesa. The cool nights up here create a unique freshness, a purity of fruit and wonderful floral-playful aromas.

Clearly violet to the black cherry, also blueberry, just very delicate hints of plum underneath, overall a lot of bright, fresh fruit, stimulating and clear as a bell. And the mouth is just as brilliantly polished and juicy, dark wild berries and a fine-grained, but by no means softened tannin structure make Artuke's quality and ripeness standards clear even in the basic segment. A beautiful, even slightly salty, precise high-altitude Tempranillo full of fruit and without any influence of wood. Winemaker Description.

Expert Review

93 Points Robert Parker | The 2020 Angelita del Challao comes from a blend of different vineyards in the three valleys from Labastida, looking for a village wine; it was produced with 85% Tempranillo and the rest Garnacha, Mazuelo, Viura, Garnacha Blanca and other rare varieties from their own vineyards and purchased grapes. It fermented in concrete with indigenous yeasts, 40% full clusters that are foot trodden and the rest uncrushed grapes and matured in 225- and 500-liter barrels and 2,000-liter foudres—10 months with each plot separate—and then it was blended and let to settle in concrete for another 10 months. They look for a more approachable wine than Challao, with more floral aromas in a very elegant and harmonious way. The palate is medium-bodied with medium ripeness, 13.5% alcohol and very good freshness and acidity, balanced and harmonious, very tasty and with elegant, refined tannins. Really very good. 17,282 bottles and some larger magnums were filled in May 2022. (2020). 

Winemaker Description

Rioja is without question the most famous wine region in Spain, but the region is anything but homogeneous. The three sub-regions – Rioja Alavesa, Rioja Oriental and Rioja Alta – differ enormously. This wine comes from the small hamlet of Labastida in the northwest of Rioja Alavesa, the smallest and northernmost sub-region located in the Spanish Basque Country and characterized by calcareous clay and sandy soils. 

The mastermind behind the Dominio del Challao winery is Manu Michelini, whose family makes incredibly fine, terroir-driven wines under the name Michelini i Mufatto at both their winery in Bierzo, in northeastern Spain, and the Argentine winery in Mendoza. The Challao is the winery's top wine. Medium ruby ​​red with violet. There is significantly more intensity in the glass than with the Garnacha, but this wine still reminds me more of Burgundy than Bordeaux on the nose. The winery is clearly on the trail of elegance. Juicy, fresh wild berries, black cherries, rose petals and black Assam tea, that's delicately smoky. 

Then come violets and freshly fired clay. In the mouth, cassis, fresh blackberries and lots of black cherry again. The intense, chalky minerality is phenomenal, building up gradually on the tongue. Delicately bitter, fresh herbs and a touch of After Eight. The tannins are fine and chalky, and as soon as you feel the structure, the next wave of black cherry washes over your tongue. 

This is not at all what you imagine Rioja to be in the classic sense. But this wine is a lot of fun because of its freshness and mineral intensity without being boring. On the contrary, I am convinced that it will develop gracefully in the cellar for years because it is made for a long life. Super chic fabric and without question a Rioja in a class of its own! 

Winemaker Description

Slightly acid on the palate, giving it a young character. Pleasant and light.

Fresh and fruity, reminiscent of the varieties from which it is made, along with citric aromas.

Serving with Rice fish, Mixed rice, Crustaceans, Molluscan shell, Pasta with pesto sauce, Pasta with tomato sauce, Pasta with creamy sauces, Pasta with marinara sauce, Whitefish, Fish with sauce, Pizza.

Winemaker Description

Israel. Coming directly from the Tel-Tzapit Vineyard in the Judean Plains, the wine is produced from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes. It is characterized by an invigorating acidity, with pleasant flavors and fragrances of apple and grapefruit.

Concentrated yellow berry fruit and apple skin backed by complex earthy aromas of spontaneous fermentation.  The palate has an excellent balance of delicate sweetness and juiciness, featuring clover honey and citrus. 

This makes you want to go back for another sip, and another, and another. Winemaker Description. 

99 Points Robert Parker | Aged on the full lees until June this year and to be bottled the day after I tasted it, the 2021 Hermannshöhle GG offers a clear, deep, intense and complex bouquet of iodine slate aromas intertwined with lemon oil notes and those of crushed stones. Darker toned and more remote or aristocratic yet also intense and concentrated, it has a sur lie character and concentrated fruit. Full-bodied, dense, yet crystalline and saline on the palate, this is a powerful, rich and persistent Hermannshöhle with a long, complex and aromatic finish with fine tannins and stimulating lemon bitters. Still with rougher grip, this is an intense and lush, still dismissive Hermannshöhle.

98 Points James Suckling | Power, complexity and brilliance make this a truly remarkable dry riesling, the touch of creaminess from long sur-lie maturation giving this exactly the soft touch it needs to balance the steely minerality that powers it at the imposing yet totally vibrant finish.

A perfect, steep southern slope with soils consisting of blackish-grey slate and volcanic elements, extremely rich in minerals. The stuff of legends, for over 100 years this has been the most lauded site in the entire Nahe wine-growing region. Winemaker Description. 

Power, complexity and brilliance make this a truly remarkable dry riesling, the touch of creaminess from long sur-lie maturation giving this exactly the soft touch it needs to balance the steely minerality that powers it at the imposing yet totally vibrant finish. From organically grown grapes with Fair'n Green certification. Drink or hold.

98 points, James Suckling (Nov 2022)

Winemaker Description

Mevushal. The grapes were carefully selected from vineyards in Clarksburg, California. This full bodied and complex Chardonnay exhibits all of the elegant characteristics of the varietal grown in this renowned appellation with top notes of citrus and tropical fruit. 

Critics Notes

Burghound 91-93 Points | Here the wood treatment is no long subtle though neither does it dominate the pretty spice, floral and red berry aromas that display a mentholated top note. The sleek, delicious and appealingly vibrant medium-bodied flavors possess good delineation that carries over to the sappy, powerful finish that offers both very fine depth and persistence. This is a bit woody today but the oak should integrate with a few years of keeping. (Drink starting 2033)". (2021). 

Vinous 91-93 Points | The 2021 Pommard Les Chaponnières 1er Cru, matured in 40% new oak, has a complex nose, quite tertiary to the extent that it deceives you into thinking there might be some stems. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chalky tannins, moderate depth, fresh and saline with a pliant, cassis and blueberry-tinged finish. Very fine. (Drink between 2025-2037)" 01/23. (2021). 

Winemaker Description

A classic Pommard with a good structure. A complex nose with hints of red fruits, spices and flowers. The mouth is well balanced and structured, with ripe and sweet tannins. 

Winemaker Description

A perfect combination of softness and concentration, matched by a masterful maturity, The 2015 Cristal Brut delivers intense and delicious aromas with a superb energy and a magical vibration.

This is a timeless champagne with a chalky temperament, sustained by its soils, freed from the sunny character of the vintage.The nose begins with hints of yellow fruit, toasted almonds and wheat from the Chardonnay, combined with the juicy red fruit of the Pinot Noir. 

Then comes the great surge of energy from the wine's structure, a vibratory intensity that transforms into a gentle caress, a silky texture interwoven with fine flavors of candied citrus and iodized spices.The vintage's chalky character thus bursts forth in a bracing, vertical effervescence, with an insistent, precise and finely honed freshness.

The finish is underpinned by subtle oaky, sappy and saline notes, which creates the ultimate sensation of delicacy and concentration.Cristal 2015 remains a wine of supreme balance and measure, resonating from the chalky nature of its soils rather than the sunny character of its vintage.

A perfect Cristal, intensely of the 2015 vintage, with enormous ageing potential.

Expert Reviews 

James Suckling 97 Points | The warm and dry vintage this has tremendous freshness and elegance. The complex nose of citrus blossom, mint, lemon and lime zest opens up slowly as this aerates in the glass. The wine’s ample structure is still quite firm, which is a vintage characteristic, the mousse very fine but also very lively for an eight-year-old champagne. Cristal fans will love this as it is, but a year or two more in the bottle will do a lot for the very long mineral finish of this youthful masterpiece. A cuvee of 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay, picked from all 45 Cristal vineyard plots. Tasted at the Cristal vertical tasting at the champagne house on July 6th, 2023.

96 Points Wine Spectator | This mouthwatering Champagne has an ethereal quality, with a frame of chiseled acidity and focused precision to the pointillisme-like, vibrant mousse. Yet this shows depth and generous expression, with the finely spun notes of patisserie apple and blackberry fruit opening beautifully on the palate and through the minerally finish, with notes of grated ginger, blood orange granita, salted Marcona almond and anise.

96 Points Jeb Dunnuck | I had the opportunity to taste the 2015 Champagne Cristal twice, both at the house in Reims as well as at my home office. On both occasions, the wine offered a terrific balance of decadence and notable freshness for this vintage, which was highly expressive on opening. The release reveals layered custardy notes of lemon balm, incense, apricot, and hazelnut. Medium to full-bodied, the mousse is fluffy and rounded out beautifully through the palate. Round and approachable, it has a well-managed richness along with underlying savory sapidity and saline to keep this going over the coming three or more decades, with a chalky tannin structure to support it.

95 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate | If the 2014 vintage was especially open and demonstrative, the 2015 Cristal is going to require more patience. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of citrus oil, crisp stone fruits, white flowers, crushed mint and subtle hints of buttery pastry, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a deep, concentrated and rather introverted core of fruit framed by chalky extract and animated by a pretty pinpoint mousse. This is a serious, vinous Champagne that has considerable substance to age and may well evolve along the lines of the lovely 1985.

95 Points Decanter | An open and inviting nose references cream, oatmeal and Amalfi lemon with the slightest edge of smoke. The palate immediately strikes with a mouthwatering lemon ripeness and a juicy, mouthfilling generosity reminiscent of yellow plum. It stays true to the trademark sleekness of Cristal and speaks of the concentration of 2015. Fine mousse accentuates the fullness and roundness of the wine while the long finish hints at chalky depth which, for now, is dominated by ripe stone fruit and more of that textured, rich notion of oatmeal. Definitely a Cristal to enjoy soon.

Winemaker Description

Lightly touched by wood aging, this ripe wine is both crisp and rich. Its briskness brings in a mineral edge while the ripeness produces the rich apple and apricot fruits. This full wine is ready to drink. Matured on fine lees with regular stirring, this wine amazing body and smooth richness that is so important to its balance. 

This Chardonnay Vieilles Vignes (old vines) possesses the cardinal qualities of Burgundy’s best white wines. The grapes selected for this wine come from vines on the Cote d’Or that are more than 20 years old. The predominant white flower and citrus nose leads to notes of honey and dried fruit. The palate is very well balanced, skillfully blending vivacity and roundness.

Winemaker Notes

Winemaker Description

The wine is rich in mineral and citrus flavors and reminds us of what great white Burgundy tastes like!

The high-altitude, north-facing Scopus Vineyard harnesses a blend of lush California flavor tempered with cool-climate structure hanging on firm acidity and moderate body. Stone fruit, citrus and spice come to mind on the palate, all marked by the vineyard’s classic mineral core. There’s a modest hint of toasty oak framing the ensemble, which ends long and fresh. 

Kosher for Passover

Expert Review - Prior Vintage 2022

93 points Wine & Spirits | 2022 marks the fourteenth vintage for Covenant® Chardonnay Lavan®. The wine is made from grapes grown in a small vineyard on Sonoma Mountain. Jeff began working with this vineyard -- called Scopus -- back in 2010, when he made some Chardonnay for the vineyard's owners. He liked the wine so much, that he decided to make Scopus Vineyard the core of our Lavan® program the next year.

Winemaker Notes

Jeb Dunnuck 92 Points | The second wine of the estate is the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Lyndenhurst, and it unquestionably offers a touch of Spottswoode class and elegance, revealing a great nose of darker fruits, spice, tobacco, and new leather. This medium-bodied, pretty, elegant wine is ideal for drinking while you give the Grand Vin a few years in the cellar. This cuvée is 77.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.4% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot and the balance Petit Verdot, raised in 95% French oak and 5% Hungarian oak, 65% being new.  

James Suckling 94 Points | This shows lots of chocolate and vanilla on the nose, together with ripe dark fruit and some wet earth. Floral undertones, too. Full-bodied and balanced with a meaty structure and ripe tannin. Yet, it’s easy to drink with a medium, fruity finish. Tight, dry and firm at the end. Modern and poised. Try from 2023.  

Antonio Galloni of Vinous writes 92 Points | The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Lyndenhurst is an aromatic, silky Cabernet that will drink well with minimal cellaring. All the Spottswoode signatures are present, but in a smaller scale, which works perfectly for more near and medium-term drinking. Crushed flowers, sweet red berry fruit, mint, blood orange and spice all grace this supple, mid-weight Cabernet from Spottswoode. The 2019 is beautifully done. Bright floral and spice notes linger effortlessly.  Drinking 2024 - 2034.

James Molesworth | There's a well-endowed core of warmed cassis and steeped plum fruit here, splashed with a sassafras note and backed by roasted applewood and melted black licorice on the finish. Rich in feel throughout. Best from 2022 through 2034. 

Winemaker Description

The wine hits the palate with a silky, smooth texture and juicy bright red fruits suggesting pomegranate and berries. Well integrated oak, earth, and spice notes complement the fruit and lead to a long cocoa finish.

Expert Reviews

93 Points James Suckling:  Aromas of pine, plum and redcurrant. Medium-bodied with fresh, mineral character and silky tannins. Bright and cool on the palate. Balanced and juicy. So approachable and delicious that its hard to put down.

Wine & Spirits 93 Points:   Here’s a temperate merlot that’s not mimicking cabernet. It’s a tight wine from the cool reaches of Coombsville, with just enough greenness to push back on the lush, blue-fruited ripeness. A sapid, clean red for beef Wellington.

Winemaker Description

The blend is dominated by the Estate Vineyard, yet the significant percentage of Walker—Kanzler's Green Valley vineyard—bends the wine in an exciting red-note direction: hibiscus, rhubarb and red licorice. The aromatics deliver fresh berries, cola, white pepper and pine sap. Fig notes emerge on the palate with a spicy, black tea finish. Modest whole cluster and slightly more new oak make the wine soft and approachable, while bright acid keeps it fresh, juicy, and well-knit.

Winemaker Description

Full of spice and red and black fruit notes of cherry and blackberry. Round and complex on your palate, you will find in this wine a richness that belies the wine’s healthy attributes.

A great choice for salmon or swordfish, poultry or pork. It also pairs well with many vegetables and legumes, including: mushrooms, lentils, broccoli or turnips. Excellent with a soy-based vegetable stir fry.

Sustainable, zero-sugar, low carb, vegan-friendly, gluten free.

Winemaker Description

Tropical, nutty and robust in initial oak, this wine settles into a nice balanced place, slightly reductive and youthful. Apple and pear compote give it a fruity flavor nuanced in lushness."

Winemaker Description

An open-knit nose of wild plum, almond and orange with underlying notes of salted bread. On the palate, the wine shows considerable body and a complex array of flavors including lemongrass, peppermint and quince. As the wine breathes scents of orange blossom and honeysuckle come to the fore and mingle with the soft, spicy accents of cumin and nutmeg.