$25 - $50 Wine

Winemaker Description

The house brand red is a blend of Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt and Pinot Noir, which is matured in large used wooden barrels. The Zweigelt brings fruit and charm, the Pinot Noir juiciness and the Blaufränkisch character and structure.

The Blaufränkisch also dominates the nose with dark aromas, ripe black cherries and plums, some eucalyptus and a slight smokiness of bacon. On the palate it starts fresh and animating, a fine and mellow tannin spreads directly on the tongue, again cherry and fine tannins.

The house brand stands for fresh drinking fun and goes well with stews and autumnal cuisine, for example with pumpkin.

Expert Reviews

James Suckling writes:  A spicy red with plenty of blue and red fruit, plus a touch of bell pepper. Generous and lively palate, with a very unusual interplay of youthful and slightly developed aromas and slightly sappy tannins, but they add freshness to this dada wine! This is a solera-type cuvee based on the 2020 vintage, with wines going back to 2012. A crazy blend of pinot noir, merlot and zweigelt. Drink now.  - James Suckling 92

Jancis Robinson writes:  Crimson. Pale rim. Good freshness and zest and absolutely ready to drink. Nice graininess. A wine with a story. Dry end but very distinctive.  50% Zweigelt, 20–25% Blaufränkisch, 20–25% Merlot and the remainder Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Made using a solera-type system containing multiple vintages going back to 2012. The wine spends three weeks on the skins before moving to barrel.   Drinking 2023 - 2027  - Jancis Robinson 16

Winemaker Notes

G.D. Vajra Barolo Vino Spumante Neve Rose 750ml. 60% Nebbiolo 40% Pinot Noir Nostra Signora Della Neve is the most important vineyard in the blend of this Metodo Classico of Nebbiolo and Pinot Noir. It is located in Roddino, where the Barolo hills rise into the Alta Langa. With magnificent vines growing on steep sides, this vineyard is every year a beautiful challenge for our harvest crew.

Critic Notes

Billy Norris writes:  Vajra's NV Extra Brut Rosé N.S. Della Neve is incredibly characterful, sizzling out of the glass with leather, mesquite smoke, blackberry and white pepper. A blend of 50% Nebbiolo and 50% Pinot Noir, the structure of the former comes through loud and clear through bright acids and firm, powdery tannins. Sour berry fruit and mentholated herbs meet with salty stoniness in the mouth, elevated by a lively, fine mousse. It's not the most finessed sparkling wine you'll taste, but it's certainly charming.  Drinking 2024 - 2027.  - Vinous 91

Winemaker Notes

Color: brilliant pale yellow with green nuances 

Smell: Green apple and white peach combine with fine nuances of lemon balm and mint to create the typical aroma of the classic Terlano.

Taste: Peach is very strong on the palate, too, lending the Terlano its lively character. The multifaceted, well structured flavor derives from an interplay of freshness and minerality and also has a wonderfully persistent finish.

60% Pinot Bianco,30% Chardonnay,10% Sauvignon Blanc

Full, yet subtle nose of crisp pear and candied lemon with delicate herbal notes and a whiff of flint. Impressive substance and textural complexity on the simultaneously generous and precise palate. Spot-on balance of ripeness and freshness at the long, wet-stone finish. A cuvée of pinot bianco, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc with a history going back to 1893. Drink or hold.

Critics Notes

Monica Lerner writes:  This is a terrific value wine made from a blend of 60% Pinot Bianco, 30% Chardonnay and 10% Sauvignon Blanc. The Cantina Terlano 2022 Alto Adige Terlaner Cuvée opens to underripe pear, pineapple, star fruit, pear blossom and Pink Lady apple. With 240,000 bottles released, you should have no problem finding this fresh, mid-weight wine for your next patio party.  Drinking 2023 - 2027.  - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 92

James Suckling writes:  Aromas of cooked apples, lemongrass, tarragon, and limes with hints of kiwi. Medium body. Creamy texture with dried lemons and pear pie. Flinty and slate character, too. Such tension and purity. Aged 20% in large casks and partial malolatic fermentation. A blend of 60% pinot bianco, 30% chardonnay and 10% sauvignon blanc. Drink now.  - James Suckling 94

Alison Napjus writes:  Fresh, juicy and appealing, with hints of pink grapefruit zest and grated ginger enlivening the ripe Gala apple, elderflower and slivered almond notes. Long and minerally on the creamy finish. Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now.  - Wine Spectator 90

Eric Guido writes:  The 2022 Terlaner Cuvée opens with a dusty floral bouquet, blending crushed stone with wildflowers and crisp green apples. This is luxuriously soft textured with ripe orchard fruits and sweet spices. The 2022 leaves a gentle tinge of minerality and the mouth watering. The 2022 finishes with medium length.  - Vinous

Winemaker Description

François began working with his father Louis Carillon in 1988. Fascinated, from the outset, by the vines and their environment, the vineyard became François’ main focus and remains paramount today, providing optimal ingredients in the cellar. A viticulturalist of the highest quality, he believes passionately that the quality of wine is determined in the vineyard – music to our ears. 

Pure red cherry aromas lead into a palate of pleasing density. Succulent raspberry fruit and plump sucrosity make for a very attractive wine, which finishes crunchy and precise.

The Bourgogne Pinot Noir comes from old vines over 60 years old located in Puligny-Montrachet and the hamlet of Corpeau, on clay-limestone soils. After total destemming and cold maceration, the musts are lightly punched out before settling and then piping in (10% new barrels). Fermentations and aging last an average of 12 months.

Vinous Media 93 Points | Dark, brilliant ruby. Pungent black raspberry and cherry aromas are complemented by floral, olive and baking spice nuances. Smooth and expansive on the palate, offering spice-tinged red and blue fruit preserve, licorice and allspice flavors that show fine delineation and mineral lift. Juicy and subtly chewy in texture, finishing with resonating blue fruit and spice character; tannins slowly emerge.

Expert Reviews 

Winemaker Description 

An elegant, almost Burgundian Beaujolais from one of the region's young superstars, Anne Sophie Dubois. She makes the wine without carbonic fermentation, leading to a more powerful, if less playful, showing of red fruit, granitic minerality, and considerable tannin. Enjoy it with roast chicken with root vegetables, mushroom pastas, or lean pork dishes.

Les Labourons is the name of the lieu dit in Fleurie. In 2017, after recieving her organic certification, she wanted to rename the wine and have a new label drawn to showcase the new chapter in her winemaking.

Despite the label and name change, Anne Sophie's approach to vinification is the same as vintages past. It is 100% destemmed and aged for around 13 months in 228L neutral oak barrels. 

Expert Reviews

91 Points James Suckling | Peppery and savory elements here with a black-fruit core and moody, graphite-like minerals. The palate has a very plush, supple and dense core of bright, raspberry and strawberry flavors.

91 Points Wine Spectator | Dark cherry and raspberry fruit melds nicely with anise and black tea notes, showing a tangy mineral edge through the silky, seductive finish. Drink now through 2023. 800 cases imported.

Winemaker Description

Juicy blue and black fruit is mixed with glorious floral and red-berry aromas, as well as a subtle hint of garrigue and black olives. The palate is soft and silky; generous yet with a lasting impression of precision and elegance.

Sourced from fruit grown just south of the Côte-Rôtie appellation, just like its white counterpart, it rivals the quality of the famous name at a fraction of the price.

Winemaker Description

Israel. Aromas of orange blossoms, apricots and vanilla, and completed with bright acidity, and a long mouth coating finish. 

Winemaker Description 

The Saint Georges Old Vines Zinfandel was first planted on gravelly loam soils by an Italian bootlegger in 1922 in the lee of the Santa Cruz Mountains, on the wrong side of the law and the road, and 50’ too low to qualify for what became the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation in 1981.

Yet the mountain and marine influence of Monterey Bay 12 miles west is undeniable- the acidity is mouthwatering, enhanced by a stone fruit spectrum of flavors and alpine herbs overlaid on the brambly sapidity of zinfandel.

Winemaker Description

Mevushal. Israel. A delicate dry red wine with aromas of ripe red fruit and Mediterranean spices, it is smooth with a long finish.

Winemaker Description

The aromas of sweet French oak and espresso get more complex with every swirl of the glass, unveiling black plum, ripe raspberry, and violet aromas. The wine is full-bodied, dense, deep and chewy with flavors of black raspberry, plums, roasted herbs, and mint.

Expert Review

Oscar Garcia 67Wine.com | A full-bodied and expressive Malbec with substance and chewy tannins. Perfect pairing for any beef dishes, poultry or Pork.

Producer Description 

The delicate La Marca Prosecco has a pale, golden straw color and sparkles with lively effervescence. Opening with aromas of fresh-picked citrus and honeysuckle blossoms, the crisp, clean palate brings fruity flavors of green apple, juicy peach and ripe lemon, framed by hints of minerality. 

The finish is light and refreshing with a tantalizing hint of sweetness.
Always serve La Marca Prosecco chilled between 46-50°F. 

A versatile Italian Sparkling wine, La Marca Prosecco can be served in sparkling flutes or white wine glasses. A full bottle serves approximately 5-7 glasses. After pouring the first round, seal the opened bottle with a bottle stopper to keep remaining wine fresh and effervescent and keep the wine chilled to 46-50°F. An opened bottle should last about 3-4 hours with the bottle closure.

La Marca Prosecco has the charm to stand alone as an aperitif, but it also has the body and the acidity to pair well with a range of foods, from seafood and mild cheeses to rich pasta dishes and decadent desserts. 

Winemaker Description

100% Teroldego. Referred to simply as "Foradori" by the Foradori when speaking of their various wines, this is the estate's core red: first bottled by Elisabetta's parents back in 1960 and their largest production today. It comes from 9 hectares of estate vines, planted from 1956 to 2005 on the flat, sunny, well-drained Camp Rotaliano plateau right around the winery.

The soils are a range of alluvial sand and gravel and feature Dolomitic limestone. Older vines are trained traditionally in pergola; younger vines are trained on wires in guyot. The farming is certified-biodynamic. There are 15 separate parcels, all hand-harvested and vinified separately. The bunches are partly destemmed and partly left intact, depending on the vintage; the uncrushed berries and the whole clusters are layered in cement tanks, where they ferment spontaneously with indigenous yeasts and no sulfur. The wine is aged for around a year in well-worn, 20-40-hectoliter botti and bottled without fining or filtration and with a small dose of sulfur.

"Savory, earthy and slightly wild in style, Elisabetta Foradori sculpts one of Italy’s finest natural wines. Luscious dark fruits and violets on the nose pick up some spice and wild herbs on the palate. Medium bodied with good depth of flavor and detailed complexity that winds through the finish with purity and a touch of exotic funk. Works great with vegetarian dishes and is a great match to wild game."

Bart Hopkins

Winemaker Description

The Chianti Classico Riserva La Selvanella has a clear, dark, ruby color and full, complex bouquet with strong notes of red fruits, irises, and hints of vanilla. The flavor is full, generous, warm and savory with an elegant aftertaste of woodland undergrowth and toasted almonds.

Critic Notes

Tim Fish writes:  Sleek yet luxurious, this impressive white offers rich Asian pear, nectarine and lemon zest flavors that gather richness and flesh on the long finish. Drink now through 2026.  - Wine Spectator 94

Eric Guido writes:  The 2022 Chardonnay Willamette Valley impresses with its fruit-forward yet beautifully balanced personality, blending yellow apples with chamomile, ginger and hints of white smoke. This is soothingly round with a balance of saline minerals and ripe pears, all guided by brisk acidity. It finishes with admirable length and gentle tension, leaving minty herbal tones to linger on.  Drinking 2024 to 2029.  - Vinous 91

Erin Brooks writes:  The 2022 Chardonnay Willamette Valley, which contains fruit from vineyards across the appellation, including Koosah, Découverte and Witness Tree, is tense and shimmery. It's scented of yellow apples, lemon peel, bread dough, cashews and beeswax. The light-bodied palate balances concentrated, nutty fruit with vibrant acidity, and it has a long, silky finish.  Drinking 2024 to 2034.  - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 91

Clive Pursehouse writes:  A core of lemon driven intensity the Résonance Willamette Valley bottlings are nearly as impressive as the single vineyard designates. This wine is a combination of the estate vineyards and some of the Willamette Valley's top sites. Aromas of sweet Meyer lemon blossom, fragrant gardenias, and smoky grilled lemon peel. The palate showcases a real vibrance of fruit, early season stone fruits, lemon curd and bright mineral elements. Crisp acidity yet richly balanced.  Drinking 2024 to 2034.  - Decanter 93

James Suckling writes:  A structured, golden apple-scented wine with hints of toasted almonds, light toast and subtle caramel. Well-balanced, rounded and composed. Drink now.  - James Suckling 92

Audrey Frick writes:  A pale straw/silver color, the 2022 Chardonnay Willamette Valley offers notes of lemon pith, lime oils, delicate smoke, and savory melon rind. Medium-bodied, it offers a kiss of sweet fruit, with delicate baking spice and a clean finish. It’s a charming wine to enjoy over the next few years.  Drinking 2024 to 2027.  - Jeb Dunnuck 

Producer Description 

Smooth and earthy, notes of toasted brown rice. Excellent with a range of food from sushi to yakitori and gyoza

Gohyaku Mangoku and Koshi Ibuki rice milled to 58%. Serve chilled or warmed
This is a true gutsy Niigata style sake, smooth and earthy, with notes of toasty brown rice. When chilled it makes a great companion for a sushi platter or gyoza dumplings, but when gently warmed it blossoms into the perfect accompaniment for yakitori, grilled salmon or roasted yellowtail.

A blend of local rice varietals Gohyaku Mangoku and Koshi Ibuki both milled down to 58% then treated with the S-3 yeast to produce a mildly fragrant and clean sake with light earthy qualities. 

Producer Description 

This delightful, crisp and refreshing wine represents Alfredo’s family winemaking tradition rooted in northern Italy. The pale straw color is derived from fermentation in 100% stainless steel tank. Lime, delicate white flower and just a hint of lychee aromas are rounded out by fresh apple, pear and mineral notes on the palate.

The finish is long and zippy, slightly chalky with lemon peel. Excellent pairing for seafood, chicken and pasta. 

Winemaker Description 

The rice used in Dassai 45 sake is milled down to 45% of its original size. Dassai 45 is elegant and fresh. Dassai 45 shows a slight sweetness with very floral aromas. The palate is medium bodied with perfect balance of nuttiness and candy with a hint of honeydew.

Winemaker Description 

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Sirah, Petit Verdot and Shiraz, from vineyards in the northern mountains of Israel, at a height of 900 meters.

The Psagot barrel cellar is located in an ancient cave that was discovered during the process of establishing the winery. The region has an abundance of vineyards and wineries since ancient times, whose remnants exist even today. The natural damp conditions and constant temperature facilitate the high-quality aging process of many fragrant and delicious wines.

Producer Description

The Perrin family selects Grenache, Syrah, Carignan and Cinsault, vinifying in a manner reflecting their Châteauneuf tradition. This is a richly fruity and supple wine, ruby-purple colored, with aromas of cassis and herbs, flavors of plum and blackberry on the palate.

Expert Review

Wine & Spirits 90 Points | The Perrin family of Chteau Beaucastel in Chteauneuf-du-Pape make this wine at their estate in Ventoux, blending equal parts cinsault and grenache with 20 percent syrah. The 2017, from the driest vintage theyve experienced in 30 years, is firm and crisp, with tangy berry flavors playing over a stony savor that holds the wine long and clean.-W&S

Expert Review

Tim Atkin 90 Points | This wine can be enjoyed young (2-3 years old) with fish or poultry terrines, or with grilled or poached fish. It also goes well with asparagus, which is normally difficult to match, as well as exotic cuisine: it can handle curries or tandoori dishes and it also balances out the mellow and subtle texture of sushi. Or you could simply drink it as a splendid pre-dinner drink. It harmonizes well with goat cheeses, as well as Beaufort, Comté, or Emmental. 

Winemaker Description

Provence, France. Organic. Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsualt, Syrah, Carignan. Gives up classic leather, garrigue, underbrush and sweet black raspberry notes on the nose. Medium-bodied, supple, sexy and with fine tannin, it’s a forward, ready to go beauty to drink over the coming 5-7 years. 

Winemaker Description

Impressive dark cherry red color with great depth. Seductive floral and dark fruits (cassis, blackberry jam) aromas with undertones of Mediterranean woodland (eucalyptus) and spices (white pepper). Delicate, yet flavorful on the palate with a backbone of very fine-grained tannins and an elegant persistence that culminates — true to its name — in a chorus of aromas and flavors.

Expert Reviews

James Suckling 92 Points | Sweet cherries and berries on the nose with rose petals and lavender. Medium to full body, firm and chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Another year or two will soften this. Try after 2021. (2018). 

Wine Spectator 90 Points | A toasty red, with smoke, mocha, grilled herb and iron notes accenting baked black cherry and plum fruit. Dense and medium- to full-bodied, with fine-grained tannins firming the tightly meshed finish. Carignan, Grenache and Syrah. Drink now through 2028. 5,100 cases made, 250 cases imported. (2018).

Winemaker Description

All our vines are located on the Morgon terroir. It is undoubtedly one of the most famous wines of Beaujolais! Typically, Morgon has four dominant aromas: cherry, violet, raspberry and a very slight touch of liquorice… Combining lightness and richness, our Morgon has an aging potential of around ten years on average. It should be noted that the Morgon appellation dates from 1936, only 12 years after the creation of the first AOCs, in Arbois and Châteauneuf. Winemaker Description.

Winemaker Description 

Rich and delectable, an unpasteurized version of their classic Junmaishu.
Pairs well with heavier and richer dishes, especially meats and sauces. 

Winemaker Description

Impeccable harmony between the notes of ripe fruit and the aromas of carbonic maceration. Sweet, full-bodied and a long, pleasant finish.

Owned and run by winemaker Ignacio Valdera, Bermejos is situated on the easternmost Canary Island of Lanzarote. This wine is made with 100% Listán Negro fermented via carbonic maceration. Listán Negro is hardly grown at all on the European mainland—it was wiped out by the phylloxera epidemic—but it is widely planted on the Canary Islands.

Expert Reviews

Oscar Garcia 67Wine.com | Bodegas Los Bermejos Listan Negro is made with 100% Listan Negro. The rich volcanic soils of the Island of Lanzarote serve as the catalyst for this tantalizing red. Aromas of black olives, green herbs and that unmistakable "volcanic" minerality are the primary notes on the nose. Medium-bodied with notes of preserve dark fruit, black pepper and earthy undertones. The finish is fairly savory with fruity nuances.

Winemaker Description

The beautiful dark ruby saturated color hints to the lushness of the wine to come, and the nose confirms this impression, popping with a berry bowl of both bright and darker fruit. Boysenberry, cherry, and blueberry dance over sandalwood and baking spice bottom notes, while a scent of purple flowers adds a pretty touch. Plush and supple berry compote juicy goodness takes you through to the lingering finish.

This crowd-pleaser Pinot will be happy accompanying fish to fowl, along with savory side dishes that include mushrooms or earthy roasted root vegetables. An aged Gouda makes the perfect cheese match.

Expert Review

94 Points Wine Enthusiast | This silky, fruity and refined wine shows great balance between generous red cherry, raspberry and dark plum flavors, and refreshing acidity and moderate tannins. It’s poised to drink soon but OK to allow it to mature further. 

Winemaker Description

Partida Pedrer macerates in the winery with part of the whole berry and part of crushed grapes for 8-10 days. There it begins a spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts that ends and ends up aging in cement jars. Finally the wine is bottled without any type of additive.
 
Partida del Pedrer is quite a challenge. A natural red wine that shows the purity of expression, without additives of any kind. Pure Priorat.

Expert Reviews 

Yohan Castaing of the Wine Advocate writes 90 Points | Disgorged on June 2023 and based on the 2018 vintage, the NV Brut Black Label has a delicate, herbal bouquet with aromas of orchard fruit, spring flowers, lemon oil and spices, followed by a medium-bodied palate with tensile and bright acids. It concludes with an energetic, elegant finish.  

James Suckling writes 92 Points | A fresh, balanced palate with green apples, pie crust and pears. Medium body, fine bubbles and a crisp, dry finish. Nice center palate. Four years on the lees. Drink now.  

Alison Napjus of the Wine Spectator writes 91 Points | Racy acidity is tightly meshed to flavors of ripe red and black currant, preserved lemon, chopped almond and honeycomb in this sleek Champagne, with a fine, chalky bead. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Disgorged September 2020. Drink now through 2024.  

Simon Field MW of Decanter writes | Ripe and bold, with a silky texture and a dark, pinot-driven fruitiness, underlined by savoury notes of lees. 

Reviews:

James Suckling writes:  Aromas of lemon pith, pear skin, white almond and yogurt. Medium- to full-bodied with vivid acidity and a polished texture. Some chalkiness to it. Pleasant and satisfying, with a flavorful finish. Drink now.  - James Suckling 90

Audrey Frick writes:  The deep yellow 2021 Chardonnay Willamette Valley is ripe with aromas of wet stone, fresh pineapple, and lemon rind. Lush, rounded, and full-bodied, with a creamy texture and hints of almond nuttiness and honeycomb on the palate, it’s in a good spot now and should hold up well over the next 4-5 years.  Drinking 2023 - 2028.  - Jeb Dunnuck 91

Tim Fish writes:  Vibrant and floral, showing pretty flavors of lemon and pear accented with honeysuckle and spice notes. Drink now.   - Wine Spectator 92

Notes of apple and ripe pear mingle with woody spice. Citrus zest and a touch of oak give this wine a balance of acid and sweetness creating weight and length in the finish. Winemaker Description.