$25 - $50 Wine

Winemaker Description

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2023 

Wine Enthusiast 94 Points | With the most upfront fruit in the Vasse Chard trio, Filius is immediately comforting in a favorite T-shirt kind of way, with bright, fleshy lime and peach blossom, a flicker of nougat and something stony, a bit salty. It flows seamlessly to a palate of mouth-watering acidity that balances the toasty oak and malolactic influences.

Wine Spectator 93 Points | Bright and expressive, with plenty of precision to the detailed notes of lemon sherbet, lemongrass, pear, lemon verbena, white pepper and green apple. Hints of tangerine, lemon oil and tarragon linger on a juicy frame.

James Suckling 92 Points | The nose is fruit-driven, with generous aromas of peaches, white nectarines and orange blossoms. The palate is medium-bodied with focused acidity, giving notes of lemon pith, pink grapefruit and flint. Very refined and polished, being a classic style of Margaret River chardonnay.

Producer Description 

Critic Notes

Luis Gutierrez writes:  The white 2020 Blanco is a little closed, young, clean and tender with subtle oak. They produced a little bit more in 2020, and the wine has less oak and less buttery sensations, a change that started with the 2017 vintage, which seems to have found its style harvesting earlier to retain freshness; it has 13.04% alcohol and a low pH 3.23 and matured in larger oak containers, 500-liter oak barrels and some concrete for 12 months. It's floral and expressive, a blend of Viura with 20% Garnacha Blanca that they still consider work in progress but moving in the direction they want to go. 16,200 bottles and 100 magnums were filled in March 2022.  Drinking 2022 to 2028.  - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 93

James Suckling writes:  A delicious, creamy white with aromas of apricots, baked peaches, hazelnuts, white chocolate and nougat. It’s medium-to full-bodied with a ripe and creamy palate. Lovely buttery pastry and nougat character, with a fresh finish. Drink now  - James Suckling 93

Pedro Ballesteros MW, Sarah Jane Evans MW, Pierre Monsour write:  Round and warm on the nose, with fine notes of smoke. A mouth-filling wine that's fresh and expressive.  Drinking 2024 to 2027.  - Decanter 90

Winemaker Notes

Contino Blanco 2020 shows a very intense nose, marked by its aging in barrel. It is fresh and fruity wine, a true reflection of the identity of our vineyard. San Gregorio offers a Garnacha Blanca with great complexity and volume. The soils are clayey-calcareous, with medium stoniness, key for good drainage.

Blend: 80% Viura, 20% Garnacha Blanca

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019 

James Suckling 93 Points | Blackcurrant, sandalwood and rose-petal aromas follow through to a medium body with very fine tannins and a fresh, pretty finish. Second wine. Better after 2024.

Winemaker Description 

Observing careful cultivation and vinification techniques, Domaine Matrot wines offer purity of fruit and terroir-driven character. This enticing Bourgogne Rouge is made from a selection of Pinot Noir vines located in Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault. Juicy red fruits dominate the aroma with earthy subtlety. Fresh and lively in the mouth with supple tannins caressing the fruit. This is a young wine that gives great drinking pleasure now.

Expert Review - Vintage 2021

Allen Meadows - Burghound | A super-fresh and very pinot nose introduces delicious and vibrant lighter weight flavors that are shaped by bright but not drying acidity on the clean and delineated finale. This is built on its fruit and should drink well basically upon release.

Winemaker Description 

The Santenay lieu dit ‘Les Hâtes’ lies between two premier cru vineyards, Passetemps and Beaurepaire. Plush and juicy, the 2022 Santenay Rouge Les Hâtes sports an opulent bouquet of red and black cherries and currants with a touch of savory spice. Rich and generous in the mouth with a velvety texture and supple tannins. Drinking perfectly now.

Our Professional Review

Debra of 67Wine.com | Fresh berry fruits, currants, really pleasant and enjoyable with many foods.

Winemaker Description 

Located one-hundred kilometers south of Porto in northern Portugal, Bairrada was once relegated to supplying grapes for Port wine when demand was high in England. The region is now in the midst of establishing its own wine making identity and young producers like Luis Patrao are using indigenous varieties in that pursuit.

Baga is the main red grape of the region and displays a firm and assertive character. In Vadio (slang for idler, dreamer), the vineyards are farmed organically and the fermentation derived from naturally occurring yeasts. This creates an atmosphere conducive for the variety to fully display its sinewy red fruits, cedary side notes and high-energy acid lift. A wholesaler's need to make room for the next vintage led to a fortuitous purchase and the following deal for you! 

Winemaker Description 

The Bandol Rouge is composed of 85% Mourvèdre, 10% Grenache and 5% Cinsault and grown on soils of limestone pebbles in brown clay, limestone and marl.

A complex nose of opulent Mourvèdre fruit and a whisper of animal/barnyard and turned earth.

On the palette fleshy raspberry melds with tea-leaf and currants around a core of chewy tannins.

Organic viticulture with absolutely no chemical herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers. Soil is worked regularly by plow and hand-hoes. Buds are trimmed and a green harvest is practice to purposefully limit yields; the average yield is between 35-38 hl/ha. All grapes are harvested by hand, and selection takes place in the vineyards instead of on a sorting table. Grapes are de-stemmed and then gently pressed by pneumatic press. Wines ferment for 15-21 days in underground, temperature-controlled, gravity-fed cuves. Wine ages in oak foudres for 18 months.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Before acquiring vineyards, Georges Delille trained as a sommelier in Paris. In 1963, he bought what would become Domaine de Terrebrune, a property in Ollioules, just east of Bandol, framed by the Mediterranean and the mountain called Gros-Cerveau (Big Brain), dotted with olive groves and scenic views—an idyllic spot. During the years following the declaration of A.O.C. Bandol (1941), mass overhauling and reconstruction of vineyards were commonplace, and vignerons were eager to revive the noble Mourvèdre grape. Georges spent ten years just renovating the property; he terraced hillsides, refashioned the masonry, replanted vineyards following the advice of Lucien Peyraud, designated soils to lie dormant and regenerate, and built a new cellar. In 1980, his son Reynald joined him after finishing winemaking school, and together they launched their first bottled vintage of Domaine de Terrebrune, which Reynald named in honor of the rich, brown soils they farm. Reynald’s credo of “Philosophy, Rigor, and Respect” is not a catch-phrase. He believes that the hard work and extra attention to the vines is worth it, and, as they say, the proof’s in the pudding—a glass of Terrebrune!

Winemaker Description - Vintage 2021 

Jeb Dunnuck 90 Points | The 2021 Côtes Du Rhône Blanc sports a light gold hue as well as bright peach, honeyed flowers, and chalky mineral-like nuances. With a tight, focused, almost reductive style, it's beautifully done and a gorgeous white.

Winemaker Description 

Cinsault- and Carignan-based, this is the lightest and juiciest of Didier’s three rouge cuvées, with a velvety-soft mouthfeel. The soil in Faugères is all schist, favoring silky tannins.

50% Carignan, 30% Grenache, 20% Cinsault

Winemaker Description 

Color: Yellowish green. Nose: Thick bouquet of yellow fruit, gooseberry, elderflower and ripe currant. Taste: Crisp acidity, soft fullness and elegant fullness.

Expert Review - 2023 Vintage 

Winemaker Description 

Lively and intense, this Sancerre is dry and classic in style with aromas and flavors of peaches, green apples, gooseberries and quince with a backbone of stony minerality. Perfectly balanced acidity makes this a perfect pairing to grilled fish, poultry and vegetable based dishes.

Winemaker Description 

Purple colour. The nose is spicy and slightly smoky, with notes of tobacco evolving with airing into aromas of red fruits. The attack is silky, and the mid-palate is fleshy. The wine has a good balance and a tasty and aromatic finish.

Winemaker Description 

Late Bottled Vintage is so named because the final LBV blend is bottled later between the fourth and sixth year than Vintage Ports, which are bottled two years after the harvest.

Furthermore, Late Bottled Vintage, unlike Vintage Port, is aged exclusively in wood and once bottled it is ready for immediate drinking and does not require decanting because it is filtered prior to bottling.

Expert Review - Vintage 2010

Roger Voss of the Wine Enthusiast writes 92 Points | Bottled unfiltered so that it can age, this is a very fine Port. The tannins are now soft, fully integrated into the black fruits and mature texture. This wine is perfectly ready to drink. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2020

Falstaff 92 Points | Dark ruby, purple reflections, opaque core, subtle rim brightening. Fine black forest berry confit, blackberries and liquorice, subtle notes of nougat and orange zest. Juicy, elegant, fresh red cherries, fine, integrated tannins, a chocolate touch on the finish, good ageing potential. 

Winemaker Description 

One of the oldest labels in Italy and the winery’s most important production, testament to the Bianchi family's philosophy regarding Sangiovese.

Expert Review - Vintage 2019

James Suckling 94 Points | Crushed stones with black cherries and fresh flowers. Medium to full body, firm tannins and a flavorful finish. Still so young and fruity with wonderful energy. Give it another two or three years, if you can bear to wait.

Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points | The 2019 Chianti Classico Riserva is 90% Sangiovese and the rest Canaiolo and Colorino, raised only in used barrique and large cask. It pours a pure ruby and has floral and herbal aromas of cherry candy, black raspberry, forest herbs, tomato leaf, and dried roses. It is medium to full bodied, with good concentration, fine tannins, and a long, clean finish, and it is savory with dried herbs, oregano, dried cherry, salty earth, and an angular structure.

The Wine Advocate 93 Points | The Riservas from across the appellation are showing very well in 2019. This wine is no exception. The 2019 Chianti Classico Riserva (which is a blend of 90% Sangiovese with Canaiolo and Colorino aged in different-sized oak barrels for up to 18 months) offers pretty richness and concentration. The wine's ample volume is fleshed out with dark fruit, spice and blue flower. It should be fun to try this wine in five years' time, when it loses its baby fat. Happily, production is very generous, with 200,000 bottles made.

Vinous 93 Points | The 2019 Chianti Classico Riserva is a dark, brooding wine. Black cherry, incense, tobacco, menthol, licorice, scorched earth and savory undertones all take shape in the glass. There's real intensity here, not to mention tons of character. There are many beautiful wines in this range, but for the money, it is pretty hard to beat this Riserva.

Wine Spectator 91 Points | A sleek, tightly wound red, with black cherry and blackberry fruit shaded by iron, herbs and tobacco. Linear in profile and vibrant, with a long, slightly chewy finish. Best from 2024 through 2037.

Winemaker Description 

This has a pretty nose with dark spices, nut shell and cedar notes with a dark fruit backbone, following through to a medium body with firm and finely polished tannins that go on and on. Refined and nicely balanced with velvety texture. Lingering and chalky finish. Try after 2026.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020

James Suckling 94 Points | This has a pretty nose with dark spices, nut shell and cedar notes with a dark fruit backbone, following through to a medium body with firm and finely polished tannins that go on and on. Refined and nicely balanced with velvety texture. Lingering and chalky finish. Try after 2026.

Vinous 93 Points | The 2020 Sociando Mallet has retained its impressive aromatics from its showing in barrel with beautifully defined blackberry and raspberry fruit, pressed violet and light cedar aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with firm backbone, a little powdery in texture, fine backbone with ample freshness and tension towards its graphite-infused finish. Bravo!

The Wine Advocate 92 Points | The 2020 Sociando-Mallet is very attractive, exhibiting aromas of cassis and plums mingled with notions of pencil shavings, loamy soil, tobacco leaf and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with lively acids and powdery tannins, it's a strong effort from a site that always does well in warm vintages. The 2020 is a blend of 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc.

Decanter 92 Points | Wonderfully fragrant on the nose, just stopping short of being potent. Glorious perfumed scents and rich, ripe black fruits. Clean and clear, this has a lively energy to it and a little bit of liquorice which gives a savoury, dark and sticky edge to the fruit. Clarity, classicism and precision on show. Sculpted, muscular, grippy and chewy. Excellent potential with a slate and coffee-toned finish.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020

James Suckling 93-94 Points | This is very balanced and round with lovely softness. Plenty of fruity. Medium body. Lots of salinity and savoriness. Long and delicious. Friendly already. 44% merlot, 33% cabernet sauvignon, 22% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.

The Wine Advocate 88-90 Points | With a medium to deep garnet-purple color, it offers up eager-to-please notes of fresh Bing cherries, redcurrants and black raspberries, plus hints of dried Provence herbs, dusty soil, wild mushrooms and tobacco leaf. The medium-bodied palate has a good concentration of red and black fruits with a chewy texture and just enough freshness, finishing earthy.

Wine Spectator 90 Points | Reserved in style, this moves steadily and methodically along, with a textbook core of cassis and bitter cherry notes laced with light anise, wet stone and iron. Shows good mouthwatering cut on the finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Producer Description 

Avinyó Cava is a premier, hand-made, artisanal sparkling wine house which stands in stark contrast to the status quo of the industrial Cava machine. Located in the Catalan countryside in the remote village of Avinyonet del Penedès, the Esteve family traces their history to 1597 in the same farmhouse, Can Fontanals.

Their spirit of innovation and respect for traditions, driven by an undercurrent of constant self-improvement and a relentless drive for quality, are the defining characteristics that set Avinyó Cava apart.

Avinyó Brut Nature is a refined expression of terruño-driven Cava from a vineyard selection of organically-grown, old-vine 70% xarel-lo,  25% macabeo, and 5% parellada from their Can Fontanals masía at 250m to 275m.

Vinification – After a night-time grape harvest to avoid oxidation and for optimal temperature, the grapes are pressed very gently in a pneumatic press. The base wine is fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel between 14°C and 16°C. After cold stabilization, the wine begins its secondary fermentation in bottle with the addition of yeasts and sugar in late January. It is then aged a minimum of 24 months on the lees before being disgorged on demand. No dosage.

Winemaker Description 

This gentle Yuzushu from Kochi Prefecture offers a splendid nose of lemon peel, honey, fresh lemonade, elderflower, and sugar aromas, capturing an elegant and refined essence.

Producer Descrption 

This Junmai Ginjo is made from Dewasansan rice, a descendant of the iconic Omachi heirloom strain. This rice is exclusively grown in Yamagata prefecture and helped to pave the way for Yamagata to receive the first geographical indication (GI), or appellation, in all of Japan.

Grassy, floral aromas with green apple and melon. The finish is soft and smooth.

An excellent pairing with teriyaki salmon, sauteed snow pea shoots or maple glazed ham.

Producer Description 

This sake is a reflection of the brewery's director Masahiko Touda, who dubs himself a fungi maniac. His goal was to brew a sake that would pair with mushrooms. Notes of dried apricot, orange rind, and sweet miso enhances the earthy, deep flavors in the Kinoko Parcel.

We enjoy this sake at room temperature in a wine glass to enjoy its fruitier aromas, and warm in a guinomi to take in the more savory flavors. Touda-san hunts for mushrooms all year, exclaiming, “In Japan, mushrooms can be found throughout the year and are part of our nature and life. May the Fungi be with you!" 

Producer Description 

Like other sake in the Hakurakusei line, this sake is brewed to be supremely food friendly. With an aroma that whispers of banana and a zippy, citrus-like acidity, this junmai ginjo can bolster savory cuisine or walk hand-in-hand with sweeter foods such as Japanese “nimono” dishes.

 It’s produced using a little known rice variety, Miyagi prefecture’s Kura no Hana sake rice, that’s been milled to 55%. Serve chilled.

Producer Description 

Very beautiful 13 hectare estate recently discovered which produces gourmet wines, certified AB and vinified without additives and with little sulfur (below 35 mg/l). All the grape varieties are represented on varied terroirs. Prices remain reasonable. You have to know how to take advantage of it in this region.

Producer Description 

From the warm (even by today’s standards) 2019 growing season comes this masterful Vouvray Extra-Brut, which spent four full years on its lees, and to which Philippe and Vincent applied a mere 1.33 grams-per-liter dosage—their lowest ever.

Philippe prefers a small dosage to none, as he states that it improves the wine’s capacity to age, and he and Vincent employ rigorous double-blind dosage trials to determine the final amount.

With its low-for-Vouvray acidity and its full malolactic fermentation (rare for Foreau), this wine benefits from its modest dosage, as it maintains taut acidity and clings mightily to the palate as its notes of truffle, candied lemon, and lanolin echo far into the distance.

Producer Description 

In the bouquet, ripe aromas, dense, powerful, elegant spice, great play of warm, ripe and cool mineral aromas, opens up more and more with air and has a great arc of tension. Complex aromas, green sugar snap peas, sweet and fully ripe citrus fruits, overripe bananas, dried apricots, candied ginger. We always hand-pick the Tabor vineyard at the end of our harvest. Extremely ripe grapes without botrytis. A monumental and complex Grüner Veltliner that inspires with its concentration, complex aroma, clarity and youthfulness.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020

Wine Enthusiast 92 Points | Whiff of sage honey on the nose gives you the wrong impression, as the palate introduces freshness with kumquat and lemon oil which mingle with ripe notes of apple and pear. It is silky in texture with a slight crunch towards the mouthwatering finish.

Decanter 91 Points | The Forstreiters claim that their Tabor vineyard, which overlooks the Danube, is planted on its own roots and is the oldest in Austria. In any event, it always produces an imposing wine. The nose has swagger with rich pear aromas. The wine is weighty, full-bodied and concentrated, with a long, tangy saline finish. Not much is produced but it's worth looking out for.

Producer Description 

Cuvée P’tit Co” comes from a 45-year-old parcel of Gamay situated at 265 meters altitude in soils of pebbly quartz. With its cool northeasterly exposition and lighter soils, this vineyard produces a charming, pretty wine of delicately articulated spice and gentle tannins.

Anita employs whole-cluster semi-carbonic fermentation in cement for this cuvée, followed by six months of elevage, also in cement vats. 

Producer Description 

A field blend with Dona Blanco as the dominant varietal, but also Verdejo, Godello, Palomino, and Albillo. The vineyard averages about 90 years old, including some that are pre-phylioxera, from Villanueva de Campeán and Cabañas de Sayago, within the scope of the D.O. Tierra del Vino

Previously owned by various owners who each planted field blends according to their own expressions, the vineyards are now owned by the winery and blended together

Driven by white flowers, citrus and mineral tones, it's rounded on the palate without a strong oak influence on the aromas. 

Ageing is exclusively carried out in French oak barrels from different cooperages.