2010 - Present Wine

Expert Reviews

James Suckling 95 Points | The 2019 Pinot Noir Estate Scallop Shelf is a nervy, tense wine that is going to need a number of years to come into its own. This is an especially savory, mineral Pinot, with the fruit moved more into the background. Lavender, rose petal, mint, sage and crushed rocks linger in this vivid, exceptionally polished Pinot Noir from the Peay family.

Wine Advocate 94 Points | The 2019 Estate Pinot Noir Scallop Shelf has a perfume of red berries, dried flowers, blood orange and potpourri with earthy undertones. The palate is seriously styled, with a grainy tannic frame, seamless freshness, broody, earth-laced fruits and a long, spiced finish. I'd give this another year or two in bottle. 600 cases produced.
 
Vinous 94+ Points | The 2019 Pinot Noir Estate Scallop Shelf is a nervy, tense wine that is going to need a number of years to come into its own. This is an especially savory, mineral Pinot, with the fruit moved more into the background. Lavender, rose petal, mint, sage and crushed rocks linger in this vivid, exceptionally polished Pinot Noir from the Peay family.

Our Professional Review

Debra of 67Wine.com | This Moschomavro, which translates to Black Muscat, is a Greek indigenous varietal exclusively grown in this lesser known appellation Siatista, north west Macedonia.  This fragrant wine has wonderful fresh, bright berry fruit complimented with dark berry fruit, herbal, savory and  zesty flavors .  It is medium bodied, approachable, harmoniously balanced with supple tannins, acidity and a nice lingering finish. This wine is made with minimal intervention , a hands off approach, capturing a pure expression of this varietal character.  A great wine for the adventurous and those who  enjoy Nebbiolo and old world pinot noir.

Pair with grilled meats, poultry, roast chicken.

Winemaker Description

Magoutes winery, run by Dimitris Diamantis, is located in the old but forgotten region of Siatista in the mountains of northern Greece. Moshomavro means 'black muscat' but is no relation in parentage or flavour! 

Delicate, floral notes with woodland hints. This is like drinking bone dry Beaujolais with nice grippy tannin. Moshomavro is incredibly rare, all new plantings come from Diamantis's original plantings. This pretty example is so balanced. It sings out with its strawberry fruit, interleaved with rooibos tea! Unlike any gentle red we've ever come across!

Expert Review

Vinous 93 points The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Fellom Ranch is the most reticent of the Arnot-Roberts Cabernets. Intensely savory and earthy, the 2018 offers quite a bit of intrigue, but it will require considerable cellaring. Cedar, spice, tobacco and dried herbs lend notable complexity to the dark fruit flavors. The natural concentration of small berries with little juice and high solids gives the wine its dense, brooding feel. (AG) 93+  

Winemaker Description

Rose gold in color, with alpine strawberries, cherries and plums on the nose, and a lovely background of exotic spices. Spook Light has a delightful cleansing astringency on the palate with great intensity, opulence and length. 

Expert Review 

James Suckling 95 Points | For a gruner veltliner this has dangerous freshness and – less astonishingly – enormous depth of fresh-herb aromas. Very long and refined finish that feels almost weightless. Delightfully refined finish that makes you want you to stay here for a long time. Drink or hold. 

Winemaker Description

This wine is intense ruby red in colour with youthful highlights. On the nose, there are notes of almonds, violets and oranges which are intertwined with aromas of coffee and vanilla. It is a full-bodied wine with well-balanced acidity.

The rounded tannins from the Sangiovese are lifted by the cassis concentration of the Cabernet on the long, concentrated finish. 

Expert Reviews

James Suckling 93 Points |  Blueberries and blackcurrants with bark and licorice. Full body and round, chewy tannins. This is very fresh and bright with some sage and stone character. From organically grown grapes. Needs time to soften. Drink after 2023.

Vinous 92 Points | The 2017 Ghiaie della Furba opens to a bouquet of minty herbs, camphor and smoke before deepening further to display dusty red currant and spice box. This is velvety and fleshy in feel, with stimulating acidity that enlivens its spicy black fruit and building mineral tones. It tapers off with persistence, power and grippy tannin, the perfect mix for a long evolution. The Ghiaie della Furba is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah and 20% Merlot that refines in barrique, half new and half second pass. It's important to note that production was down by 40% in 2017 due to trost.

Winemaker Description

David Chapel has been immersed in the world of winemaker since his childhood. Overnoy, Lapierre and many others, friends with David's late father Alain Chapel, a renowned Michelin-starred chef, have shared their table and their knowledge with him. It is therefore natural that he decides, after a few years of sommelier training, to start his own business in Morgon, at the Lapierre family. 

There he met Michele, an American sommelier on a visit; after a stint in New York, they decided to return to Beaujolais and settled in Regnie-Durette in 2017.

After a 2016 vintage vinified in Morgon, 2017 marked their big debut, picking up grapes and vines from Julienas, then from Chiroubles, Fleurie and Lantignie in 2018. A non-interventionist approach and winemaking that respects local traditions results in wines that are crisp, fresh but with all the depth of the great Beaujolais wine. 

Wine Advocate 97 points The 2019 Pinot Noir Outcrop is a beautiful wine with arresting aromatics: a core of wild berries is accented by tea leaves, lavender, Campari and lemon peel. The light-bodied palate is grainy and fresh with surprising concentration for its approachable frame and a very long detailed finish. 

(2019) Decanter 90 Points | Initially a bit restrained on the nose, on the palate it opens to show no lack of substance and structure, with subtle, waxy aromas of ripe apple touched with honey. From just over 0.25ha in the lieu-dit Les Boutières, this is fermented on ambient yeasts in older oak barrels (large and small), before ageing two winters in cask on the lees.

Expert Review

Burghound  | Here the nose is somewhat reduced, probably due to the very recent bottling. Otherwise, there is both good verve and freshness to the slightly more concentrated medium weight flavors that deliver a bit more persistence on the delicious and inviting finale. This could use better depth though more should develop if given 2 to 4 years of keeping.

Winemaker Description

A dark, rich purple in color, this wine is from vines grown in ancient Cambrian earth, formed from Cambrian rocks that are over 500 million years old. A limited edition Shiraz dedicated to the first born children of the founders, this wine boasts aromas of cassis and blackberry. The palate is full-bodied yet refined with perfect integration of French oak and decadent notes of dark fruits, tobacco, and mocha. The finish is long with black pepper overtones, red chili and soft tannins, which give this wine a finish that lingers long after it's been enjoyed. 

Pair with a roast leg of lamb, barbecue, and aged hard cheese.

Winemaker Description

100% hand-harvested Pinot Noir from the cool Spanish Springs Vineyard of San Luis Obispo County. Aged eight months in French oak, this silky, aromatic wine is layered with red currant, pomegranate, rhubarb, spice cake, and cedar. Complex with great tension and energy. Sustainable farming.

Winemaker Description 

The nose shows abundant red fruits, lots of bright cherry along with blackberry, cranberry, mulberry, and framed with hints of mineral/herbal characters such as graphite, cedar, and pencil shavings. The palate is vibrant and fresh, with medium tannin and beautiful acidity. Decanting is highly recommended.

Expert Review

93 James Suckling Points |   Lovely aromas of roses, red cherries, melted chocolate and redcurrants. Medium-bodied with silky tannins. A lot of freshness and energy here. Pretty is a good word. Bright red fruit and rose petals. From organically grown grapes.

Expert Reviews

Robert Parker 91+ Points | Another comparatively structured wine is the 2019 Santenay 1er Cru Passetemps. Opening in the glass with notions of cherries, sweet red berries, petals and orange oil, it's medium to full-bodied, lively and fleshy, with a rich chassis of powdery tannin that will reward a bit of bottle age. 

Expert Reviews

Vinous 88 Points | The 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge offers lilting red cherry and wildstrawberry scents on the nose, hints of rose petal coming through with aeration. The palate is well balanced with fine definition, lightly spiced, quite energetic on the finish. This is very elegant for Chassagne Rouge. 

Winemaker Description

Red color with Purple reflections, intense black fruits on the nose and the palate, that quickly develops into under-growth and mushroomy flavors. Deep, complex and intense wine, with a great ageing potential. 

Winemaker Description

Barbaresco Riserva Rose delle Casasse is one of the most distinctive wines in all of Piedmont. It emerges from a tiny parcel in Neive first planted in 1913 with the Rose clone of Nebbiolo known for its aromatic intensity, that is rarely seen these days. Deeply bright and perfumed, offers up an exotic mélange of sweet red cherry, blood orange, mint, spice, rose petal and kirsch. 

The hills on which Cascina Baricchi stands are formed by a background of light earth, ideal for the production of high quality wines and for aging. The ideal terroir is completed by the conformation of the morphology of the hills which creates a truly unique microclimate; in particular the vineyards face south so as to be kissed by the sun for most of the day and undergo high temperature changes during the night which allow to obtain wines with elegant aromas and perfect maturity of the tannins. 

The company's approach is absolutely respectful of the environment, in fact it prefers to intervene as little as possible, and always in a natural way, to help the plant when it really needs it and make it grow strong; same basic ideology in the cellar, where fermentations are spontaneous. Winemaker Description. 

Expert Reviews 

Vinous 94 Points | The 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Rose delle Casasse is a fine follow up to the stellar 2015. A bit more austere than its older sibling, the 2016 presents a distinctly savory profile redolent of crushed flowers, herbs, mint, spice, leather and tobacco, while the fruit is pushed into the background. Naturally, it will be interesting to see if some of that inner sweetness emerges in time. A few months separating two tastings suggest that may very well happen. This is such a gorgeous wine. 

Expert Review

Jasper Morris MW91-93/100 Points | Rich fresh ripe purple. Grown on white soil, so was picked early, but as it happens the Perrières underwent a late malolactic and has not yet been sulphured. One third whole bunch, from the very old vines. Definitely a peppery note which is actually welcome given the opulence of the fruit. 13%. Definite structure at the back but better integrated. I really like the perfume that stays behind in the glass.

This plot was acquired in 2002 by Axelle’s family. Les Barreaux is located at the top of the slope, surrounded by 3 premier crus and 1 grand cru - Cros Parentoux, Les Petits Monts, Aux Brulées and Richebourg. Average Age of the Vines: 35-40 years old. -- Tasting Notes:

Deep purple to the rim, vibrant, with a fresh, lively nose of blackcurrant, juicy, crunchy and fresh. On the palate lovely velvety black fruits, supple, lightly spiced, rich and deliciously approachable with a long, fresh finish. 

Winemaker Description

This producer makes a number of other wines including this one from Pinot Noir in addition to those from the grape Aligote.

In the less expensive category for Vosne-Romanee wines. The price has been stable over the past year.

Expert Reviews

Wine Spectator 90 Points | A bright, fruity style, with elements of earth, wild herb and menthol adding interest. Fluid and moderately long, featuring beefy tannins. Sangioveto, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wine Advocate 91 Points | The 2015 Maremma Toscana Le Sughere di Frassinello is a great value blend of 50% Sangioveto, 25% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon (aged in French oak for one year). This wine boasts a proven track record for its consistent value and accessibility and can be counted on for both. It releases a steady flow of dark fruit and spice aromas that build in momentum. The mouthfeel is generous and softly velvety in texture, especially in this warm vintage.

James Suckling 92 Points | A juicy and ripe red with dried berry and chocolate. Medium body with chewy and soft tannins. Flavorful finish. 

Winemaker Description

Francesco Rinaldi’s estate was first founded back in 1870, when he inherited a plot of land and vineyard house in the heart of Barolo. Though Francesco’s family wasn’t new to the winemaking game-- his cousin, Giuseppe RInaldi, was also producing great Piemontese reds that were completely shaking up the scene. Today, F. Rinaldi wines are produced only from organic fruit and are some of the best deals coming out of the region’s top growing sites.

Expert Review

Wine Advocate 97 Points | The Francesco Rinaldi & Figli 2016 Barolo Riserva Cannubi is a classic beauty with thin, delicate lines that frame a core of profound and very elegant fruit. You can attribute many descriptors to the bouquet, from wild berry, pressed rose, earth, rust, crushed rock and light spice. But no one aroma out-powers the next, and together they work in careful harmony. It's also important to point out the quality of the tannins in this Riserva, which remain elegant and firm. This bottle is a great candidate for long cellar aging. 97+ (ML) (8/2022).

Winemaker Description

This one-time moonshine producing site, deep in the Sonoma Coast hills, was planted by Charlie Chenoweth to a large array of high quality Pinot Noir selections, which adds complexity and depth. Energetic, fruity top notes swirl around aromas of raspberry tea, clove, carnation blossom and sassafras. Extraordinarily concentrated and rich, this wine is at once chewy and thick while maintaining an energy and freshness that speaks to the coolness and long ripening of Bootlegger’s Hill.

Expert Reviews

Wine Advocate 93+ Points | Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2016 Pinot Noir Bootlegger's Hill opens with notes of black cherries, warm plums and wild blueberries with touches of Indian spices, fertile loam and fungi. Medium-bodied, it offers black berries and earth notions in the mouth, with a firm, fine-grained frame and long, earthy finish. 494 cases produced. Drinking 2018 -2030 — Lisa Perrotti-Brown.

Winemaker Description

Intense ruby red colour with violet hints, very clear. Very intense, with vegetable and spicy hints, light liquorice nuance. Dry and smooth to the palate, enjoyably fresh, well balanced and harmonious, good nose-palate persistence.

Matching and service – Lean starters, dry and liquid soups even with savoury sauces, grilled and pan cooked meat, goat and sheep medium seasoned cheeses.
There are no studies on the Monica vine capable of identifying its exact origin. What is certain is that it was brought to Sardinia and planted in 1400 by the Camaldolese monks around their monasteries. 

From here, grapes of the monks, grapes of monks and then Monica … many theories, many memories of other vines that the character of Sardinia has transformed and adapted. Today Monica is a perfectly integrated son of Sardinia, the south-eastern part is his land of choice… and therefore at home in the Pala family.

Oltreluna has the spirit and character of Sardinia where the vine lives and breathes, but retains a small and intriguing memory of its mysterious origin. Kind like its name, but extraordinarily complex like the land that hosts it. It is the moon that is reflected on a silver sea in the blue of the night, it is a journey that has begun and is always evolving… it is thinking about the character of wild Sardinia with an extraordinary and elegant versatility.

Grapes – Monica 100%. 

Our Professional Review

Bart Hopkins of 67Wine.com | Juicy, round and succulent, with enticing cherry and raspberry fruit, delicately wrapped with gentle tannins. Priced like a Bourgogne, drinks like a Gevrey!

Winemaker Description

Sliced plum, dark currant and pungent earth and sauvage nuances. There is more volume, power and muscle to the bigger-bodied flavors that possess excellent underlying tension, all wrapped in a youthfully austere and very saline-inflected finale. Winemaker Description.

Expert Review

Burghound 91 Points | This is also relatively cool and restrained with its nicely layered nose of ripe red currant, game and whiffs of spice and earth. The caressing and gorgeously textured larger-scaled flavors that are quite finely balanced and more mineral-driven on the sneaky long finish. In contrast to the typical example of Corton, the mouthfeel is almost delicate and overall, this is lovely. 

Expert Review

Burghound 93 Points | Ultra-spicy red and black berry aromas combine with those of jasmine tea, violet, star anise and discreet oak. The succulent, rich and delicious flavors possess excellent volume and mid-palate density while exhibiting a subtle minerality on the firm, serious and built-to-age finale that also flashes a touch of warmth. This is terrific and in 2019 it is a bit more elegant than usual. 

Winemaker Description

Generous aromas of boysenberry, black cherry and fig accented with earthy notes. Robust, concentrated flavors on the palate, the wine offers blackberry and boysenberry notes layered with hints of minerality. Structured and opulent tannins fill the palate with a deep, powerful black fruit finish. Dancing Bear, despite its intensity, displays a charming elegance. Delicious upon release but will more than reward another decade of aging. Enjoy with rosemary braised lamb shanks, filet mignon, or grilled portabello mushrooms.

Expert Reviews

97+ Points Robert Parker | The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Dancing Bear Ranch is composed of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it charges out of the gate with bold crème de cassis, blackberry pie and plum preserves scents, followed by touches of star anise, bouquet garni and tar with a waft of crushed rocks. Full-bodied and packed with juicy black fruits, the palate is beautifully framed by plush tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long with loads of fragrant earth and exotic spice accents. 

90 Points James Suckling | concentrated cabernet with aromas of baked blackberries, dark cherries, chocolate, coffee, toast and sweet spices. Full body with firm, creamy tannins. Rich and chewy. A blend of 98% cabernet sauvignon and 2% cabernet franc. Drink or hold.