2010 - Present Wine

Expert Review - Vintage 2020

Michael Alberty of The Wine Enhusiast writes 94 Points | Caffè latte, cranberry and lilac aromas make for a heck of an introduction. Then comes the wave of blackberry, rosemary, tarragon and English breakfast tea flavors—delicious. This wine features the sturdiest tannins this side of a tannery, so be prepared to offer it a little air. Enjoy now until 2034. 

Winemaker Description 

Historically owned by the Marcelis family, passionate about viticulture, Château Moutinot is now run by the Helfrich family.

The property concerned with respect for the environment is committed to a High Environmental Value approach and promotes a living land, where human intervention on the vine is limited to what is strictly necessary, in the respect for flora and fauna but also for the health of farmers and consumers. The wine of Château Moutinot is an elegant wine, which combines fruity and gluttony.

Expert Review - Vintage 2020

Roger Voss of the Wine Enthusiast writes 88 Points | Petit Verdot forms a formidable 30% of the blend of this wine, giving density, structure and spicy black fruits. The wine is worth aging. Drink from 2025.  

Winemaker Description

A Medoc estate with only 3 hectares of vines planted to 30 year old Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines. Fermented in a combination of steel and cement vats making for a Bordeaux that's fruited and delicious and from a very fine vintage.

Winemaker Description 

Bright, deep purple-ruby core, lighter at the rim with moderate slightly stained tears on the glass. Robust aromas of boysenberry, black cherry, plums with dried herbs, black pepper, baking spice, leather, camphor and oak.

Full-bodied, with ripe blackberry, pluot, and mixed cherries with cinnamon, black pepper, and tanned leather on the entry. Robustly textured tannins lead to a mid-palate featuring smoked tea leaves and savory meats. The long and balanced finish is dominated by the lasting flavors of dried cranberry, camphor and baking spices. 

Winemaker Descxription 

MUSE DE MIRAVAL is a rigorous selection of the château's oldest and best plots and the finest expression of this unique terroir!

Organically farmed.

This rosé cuvée, mostly vinified in egg-shaped concrete vats, is also aged to a lesser extent in special oak barrels (so-called demi-muids). Each of its aromas evokes a chapter in Miraval's history, reflecting the place and its fragrance, which is typical of this Provençal winery. The unique shape of its handcrafted bottle (available only in magnum) and its very own rosé wine celebrate Miraval's timeless style with rare elegance.

Winemaker Description 

Cherry red color of medium intensity, medium layer. The nose is intense, with notes of jelly beans and red fruits combined with mineral notes of flint and a light background of toast. At the entrance to the mouth we will find soft tannins, with high volume and fat, well compensated by good acidity and a general feeling of verticality. Red fruits and mineral notes stand out, resulting in a long and intense aftertaste.
Evolution

In good conditions of this bottle will evolve positively for at least the next 7 years.

Winery Notes

Quality sparkling wine with very fine bubbles due to its long aging. Complex aroma, fresh notes of pineapple and eucalyptus, toasted cocoa and dried fruits, perfectly blended together. Voluminous, fleshy and fresh in the mouth. Structured and surprisingly fresh, long-lasting and well balanced.

Its high acidity and dry finish make it incredibly versatile:

• Tapas: Excellent with Jamón Ibérico, olives, and aged Spanish cheeses.

• Seafood: Perfect with oysters, sushi, or grilled shrimp.

• Anything Fried: The sharp acidity cuts beautifully through rich, fried foods like calamari or fried chicken.

FARMING

Certified Organic 

Winemaker Description 

Juan Jurado belongs to a new generation of young winemakers who see potential in the Marco de Jerez region beyond traditional fortified wines. After living away from his native Andalusia for many years (from Sitges to Australia via London), during which time he trained in the world of wine and sommellerie, he decided to return to his roots to start a project focused on authentic wines that reflect the diversity of the Jerez Region beyond Finos and Olorosos.

In 2022, Jurado invested all his savings to purchase a small vineyard in the Miraflores de Sanlúcar estate, along with winemaking equipment including a press, destemmer, casks, and jars to produce his first vintage. This marked the birth of Agrícola Calcárea, a project dedicated to crafting honest wines using minimal yet sufficient intervention to showcase the unique characteristics of each vineyard through classic and ancestral varieties of the Marco region.

The resulting wines are highly aromatic, featuring stone fruit, citrus, and white flower notes, with chalky and salty undertones. On the palate, they are savory and mineral, with a touch of bitterness.

Winemaker Description 

Andalucía has a long tradition of producing non-fortified wines—reds and whites made from the same grapes used for fortified wines (Sherry). In Andalucia these still wines are known as Vinos del Marco de Jerez or Vinos de Pasto. It is important to highlight that these wines do not belong to the Jerez-Xeres-Sherry DO. In recent years, producers like Willy Pérez, Ramiro Ibanez and others have led a movement to bring these wines back into the spotlight, aiming to place them on tables around the world.

During a recent in-store tasting with Nacho Monclús, Spanish & South American Portfolio Manager at T. Edwards Wine & Spirits, he introduced me to a producer from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Andalucía: Juan Jurado of Agricola Calcarea.

Mr. Jurado represents a new generation of winemakers who have spent years working abroad, gaining experience in vineyards as well as in both front- and back-of-house roles in the restaurant industry. These experiences have enriched their perspective, and upon returning home, many have sought to revive the long-standing traditions of their ancestors. Mr. Jurado is one such story.

After more than a decade away, he returned to Andalucía and founded Agrícola Calcárea, producing wines in a small-scale, garage-style setting. His wines quickly gained national recognition, attracting the attention of the press. Now, his work has reached New York City, where wine lovers can experience his unique expressions firsthand.

When Nacho presented the wines to me, I was immediately drawn to their beautifully designed labels. The three wines I tasted featured indigenous Andalusian grape varieties, including Palomino (also known as Listán Blanco) and Tintilla Rota. All three expressions stood out, but my palate that day had a particular affinity to Agrícola Calcárea Porfía Tinto 2023 — an electric, vibrant red made from Tintilla Rota.

Porfia Tinto 2023 is unlike any other Spanish red currently available in the NYC market, this wine is a testament to the energy and innovation defining the new wave of Andalusian winemaking.

Porfia Tinto 2023 opens open with an alluring nose of sun-kissed black fruit: black cherries, black berries with undertones of dried Mediterranean herbs. On the palate this red is harmonious walking a tight rope of tannins, acidity and flavor: Suave tannins, crisp acidity and just perfect fruit quality.

Pair this red with Pan-Roasted Quail lightly dressed in thyme butter sauce.

Oscar Garcia Moncada

Winemaker Description

Garnet color. It offers a beautiful aromatic complexity, dominated by blackcurrant and blackberry jam, supported by hints of pepper and cocoa. On the palate aromas of apricot jam, black cherries, plums in the finish, all supported by a tannic texture that tempers the sweetness. Excellent with Fourme d'Ambert cheese.

Winemaker Description 

La Igriega Malbec Paraje Altamira is a single-vineyard Argentine red showing off the beauty and complexity of the Malbec grape. "The name LA IGRIEGA means "Y" in Spanish--equivalent to "and" in English--and symbolizes the genetic structure of this project. 

Winemaker Description 

Viña Sastre is an iconic, family-run winery in the heart of Ribera del Duero, famous for making long-lived, elegantly structured wines from organic, old vines grown near the Duero river. Flavus is an incredible, singular white wine made from indigenous cayetana blanca grapes from 100-year-old vines, selected from Sastre’s historic Pago de Santa Cruz vineyards at 800m to 840m for their complexity and ability to age gracefully. Sastre handcrafts classic wines through extremely low-yielding biodynamic farming methods, fermenting exclusively with native yeasts.

In Pago de Santa Cruz, a small amount of white cayetana blanca grapes have always existed alongside the red tempranillo, co-planted and traditionally mixed into the field blend destined to be one of Spain’s most iconic wines. Through Jesús Sastre’s good friend and Rías Baixas pioneer Gerardo Méndez, they first researched and separated the white grapes from the blend, making the first Flavus in 2007 to make a simple, charming white wine for near-term consumption. Ribera del Duero does not have much of a tradition for white wines, so the initial concept was to make something simple and humble. Instead, they discovered through the cellaring and consistent tasting of verticals of Flavus over the years that the wine is capable of improving in bottle for a decade or more, leaving tasters stunned by the unique, complex flavors which develop. There is no designation for Ribera del Duero blanco, so while this mighty blanco may be a “Reserva” qualitatively and spiritually, bureaucratically, it carries the humble Vino de Mesa designation. Perhaps in the future, the appellation will see the same possibilities for value and quality in their white wines as their more famous reds.

Vinification – Following a manual harvest, the wine spontaneously fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel. No malolactic fermentation. The wine was racked and aged in stainless steel for ten months, followed by two years of bottle age prior to release.

Winemaker Description 

Red wine Aged in wood. 20 months in French and American oak barrels and 24 meses en botella.

Pinord Chateldon Reserva 2019 captivates with its aromatic intensity, featuring prominent raisin and red fruit jam nuances, beautifully enhanced by a subtle hint of oak. Upon aeration, it unveils layers of clove and pepper, adding to its complexity.

On the palate, this red wine is smooth and well-balanced, with flavors mirroring its meticulous maturation. Its journey across the palate is harmonious, culminating in a prolonged and fulfilling finish that lingers, imparting a sense of opulence and richness.

Winemaker Description 

Jesús Sastre performs a high-wire, tight-rope act with his wines, where the drinker can have everything in one wine, and at the end of it all, one is left wondering how he is able to pack such an adventure into each bottle.

He manages to achieve a level of sophistication and complexity unequaled by almost no other producer in Ribera del Duero.” WOW!!!

The Viña Sastre is dark and brooding with notes of baked black fruit, herbs, earth, and cocoa powder. Grill it up with steak with a little melted cabrales blue cheese and see God.

Winemaker Description 

A natural, young, and fresh wine. Made with minimum intervention. No added Sulfites. A blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha. 

Experience the purity of Alona Rioja Sin Sulfitos Añadidos, a unique wine with no sulfites added and organically farmed. 

Winemaker Description 

Has a peachy nose and a mellow palate, round and gentle with hints of orange peel, nuts and varnish. It could be around 20 years of age, so it's not a super old wine. It's approachable, super clean and defined and a textbook example of the category. This has 19% alcohol.

Winemaker Description 

The 2021 Cuvée brings together a variety of Pinot Noir blocks from the 42-acre Domaine Lumineux vineyard, showcasing the full spectrum of the estate. Heavy rains in the early summer of 2021 impacted pollination in the vineyard and resulted in a very light fruit crop. This was followed by record setting heat and extreme dry conditions throughout the summer, which proved to be beneficial for optimal grape ripening. The combination of low yield and ample warmth produced wines of exceptional balance, intensity, and grace in the Willamette Valley. This ideal harvest yielded outstanding Pinot Noir fruit that came together harmoniously in this blend.

A select blend of our distinct pinot noir clones, the 2021 Cuvée is a multidimensional, harmonious, expression of the Domaine Lumineux Dundee Hills vineyard. This wine exhibits opulent aromas of spice, featuring hints of anise, nutmeg, and earthy forest floor. The savory palate is accompanied by concentrated red fruit notes, intermingled with dried fig. The 2021 Cuvée boasts a complex structure, with intriguing notes of black pepper lending an alluring mouthfeel and a prolonged finish.

Expert Review - Vintage Year 2022 

Wine Enthusiast 92 Points | Followers of the fruit, this wine's for you. Aromas of lemon verbena, thyme and apple blossoms start things off. Then come the creamy fruit flavors of mango sorbet and lemon curd, with a touch of pineapple and vanilla crème brûlée. Fortunately, just enough acidity keeps the fruit from running amok.

Expert Review - Vintage 2020

Wine Spectator 97 Points | This is distinctly floral, with peach, lime blossom, citronella and mineral aromas and flavors. Sleek and elegant, offering intensity through the lingering aftertaste of lemon and orchard fruits. Shows terrific length and harmony. Best from 2026 through 2036. 30 cases imported.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022

The Wine Advocate 93 Points | The balsamic white 2022 Le Domaine is herbal and spicy, keeping the freshness but reflecting the weather conditions, dry and warm. It has 13.8% alcohol and comes through as a powerful white that should age nicely in bottle. It's an unusual blend of 86% Sauvignon Blanc and 14% Verdejo, a little à la Bordeaux. It was bottled in June 2023. It finished fermenting in barrel, where it matured with the lees for seven months.

Winemaker Description 

A clean and bright wine. Fragrant at first, with aromas of white flowers, elder and acacia. It also has refreshing notes of ginger, and citric hints of mandarin, grapefruit and lime. When poured, hints of stone fruit come through, such as apricot and nectarine, along with mature fruits like melon. Persistent, long, creamy and unctuous. It has a fresh and well-integrated acidity, almost crystalline, ensuring that this is a highly age-worthy wine.

Winemaker Description 

Ferrando’s white-label Carema is among the most elegant expressions of Nebbiolo in existence, combining ample density with a very Alpine sense of nimbleness. Never an overwhelmingly powerful wine, “Etichetta Bianca” derives its sense of structure more from its acid-fruit tension than its tannins, offering satisfyingly savory fruit buttressed by vigorous mountain acidity.

Fermented in stainless steel without temperature control and using only indigenous yeasts, it spends three full years in a combination of 20-hectoliter Slavonian oak botti and used 500-liter French barrels.

Winemaker Description 

Notes of plums, cherries, strawberries and fresh oranges, subtle hints of cassis, raspberries and blackberries. There is a mineral touch on the nose and a saline and toasted touch stands out on the palate, with a very fresh and balsamic finish. An original and explosive wine.

Rocky limestone clay soil of very low fertility. Altitude of the vineyards: 800m above sea level. Spontaneous fermentation, aged 6 months, 1/3 of the grapes fermented and aged respectively in clay amphorae, French oak barrels and stainless steel tanks.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019

Vinous 92 Points Eric Guido | More savory than sweet and wonderfully complex, the 2019 Brut Rosé North Coast bursts from the glass with toasty notes of fresh baguette and almonds, giving way to crushed apples and gingery spice. This rushes the palate with an elegant bead of silken bubbles. It is creamy yet energetic, and mineral-tinged orchard fruits add further tension. The 2019 leaves the senses wonderfully refreshed through the long, crunchy finale, as white strawberry and spice cookie notes fade. The Brut Rosé is a pleasure bomb, yet it’s wonderfully balanced throughout.  Drinking 2023 to 2027.    

Wine Spectator 92 Points | A delicate, graceful rosé, with refined strawberry, fresh ginger and yeast roll tones that glide on the supple finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now.  

Expert Review - Vintage 2017

James Suckling 100 Points | What a stunning nose of crushed berries, fresh flowers, sandalwood and light vineyard dust. Black olives, too. Very complex. Full-bodied with a beautiful, dense palate of blackberries, chocolate, walnuts and cigar box. Fantastic length and composure. The tannin just rolls over the palate. Very structured. The most classically structured wine ever from here. Goes on for minutes. Outrageous and so polished. A blend of 48% carmenere, 26% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot and 1% petit verdot. Try after 2025.

The Wine Spectator 95 Points | This features an intensely rich and fruity aroma, with concentrated flavors to match, dominated by cherry tart, raspberry and dark plum. Creamy midpalate, with a plush and spicy finish that offers hints of chocolate mint and plenty of minerality. Carmenère, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2022 through 2027.

The Wine Advocate 95 Points | The 2017 Clos Apalta is the 20th vintage of this wine that was produced with a blend of 48% Carmenere, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot from organic and biodynamic certified vineyards on granite soils. It fermented with indigenous yeasts for four to five weeks, with manual punch-down of the cap, mostly in 7,500-liter French oak vats and 18% in new French barrique. Malolactic was in new French oak barrels, and the élevage lasted for 27 months in 85% new barrels and 15% second use. This is always a powerful, big and ripe wine that is regularly 15% alcohol, reflecting a warm and ripe place. The 2017 is no exception, perhaps a riper and more powerful wine than the 2016. It's still very young and marked by the élevage, with abundant balsamic aromas and notes from the wood—spice and smoke with an ashy touch. It seems quite marked by the character of the Carmenere. The tannins are quite round and polished, and the flavors are pungent and powerful. It's a full-bodied wine to age in in bottle and enjoy in its 10th birthday with powerful food. 

Decanter 94 Points | Powerful in its concentration and focus, a deep plum colour with the same distinctive sumac and cardamon spice notes as Le Petit Clos, but here with a more serious grip, excellent balance in terms of its liquorice-laced blueberry fruits and a mouthwatering lift through the finish. 85% new oak that fits extremely well in the frame of the wine. 20th anniversary vintage. Now its own specific appellation within the Colchagua Valley. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Certified biodynamic, with a number of ungrafted vines. Drinking Window 2023 - 2038.

Winemaker Description 

Deep garnet in appearance, the wine reflects the intensecolor of Carmenère grapes and typical aromas of ripe fruits. An abundance of aromas, including redcurrant, raspberry andwild strawberries, reflects the stunning complexity of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère. The initial wave of berry fruits, underpinned by soft, silky tannins, is pursued by contrasting touches of black olive, blackcurrant and licorice. Incredibly long and taut on the finish, revealing exquisite, delicate tannins, and expressing the great elegance of the Apalta terroirs.

Blend: 48% Carmenere, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot

About the Estate One of the oldest vineyards of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère in Chile, if not in the world, is the origin of this story. Enclaved in the Colchagua Valley, near the town of Santa Cruz, the Apalta Valley was the place selected by a visionnary near the 1915's who, using a unique french massal selection, planted this amazing vineyard. In 1994, Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her husband Cyril de Bournet acquired this property. True to the demands of the family, their ambition was to produce an exceptional wine and to pave the way for the qualitative development of the country's fine wines.

Clos Apalta is born in 1997 as the iconic wine of the Domaines Bournet-Lapostolle in Chile under the idea to magnify the exceptional terroir of Apalta with French expertise. Shaping the vineyard foot by foot, building a state-of-the-art gravity fed winery, the family succeeded in making Clos Apalta one of the most iconic wines in South America.