$50 - $75 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. 

Winemaker Description 

This historic estate, situated in the hills just south of Aix-en-Provence, has been in the hands of the Rougier family for two centuries and holds a virtual monopoly on the appellation of Palette. Château Simone encompasses twenty hectares of vineyards that sit on limestone soils at elevations between 500 and 750 feet above sea level on the slopes of Montaiguet. The special mesoclimate of this appellation is influenced by the encircling pine forests, the mass of Mont Sainte-Victoire, and the Arc River. 

The vineyards were reconstituted after the invasion of phylloxera but many vines are over a century old. The Rougiers maintain the particular vinification methods developed and cherished over many decades. All of the grapes are hand harvested, destemmed, lightly pressed and fermented for 15 to 20 days in small wooden vats with only wild yeast, then put into small foudre to rest on the lees. 

The red from Simone is an elegant yet well-constituted wine of great depth. It is primarily composed of Grenache and Mourvèdre but its special character reflects the presence of a mélange other grape varieties, albeit in small proportion, including Cinsault, Syrah, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Castet, Manosquin, Théoulier, Tibouren, Picpoul Noir, and Muscat de Hambourg. 

Expert Reviews

Wine Enthusiast 91 Points | This wine is now mature, showing richness while also preserving elegance. Earthy, herbal tones are laced through the wine’s juicy fruit texture. Enjoy now for best enjoyment.

Wine Spectator 90-93 Points | Still very primal, but enticing, with sappy raspberry, sweet spice, melted licorice and linzer torte notes that have yet to stretch out fully. There's racy acidity as well, so this should knit nicely.

Expert Reviews

Vinous 93 Points | The 2017 Schioppettino di Cialla is wildly spicy and fresh, with an intense burst of peppery rose and smokey raspberry offset by a dusting of savory spice. This is silky-smooth and sapid with masses of mineral-tinged dark red fruits offset by zesty acidity. It finishes potent with a staining of primary concentration and a coating of sweet tannins. What a beauty, and with the potential for a very long life. In 2017, Ronchi di Cialla lost 30% of their production due to frost at the end of April. Drinking window: 2025-2040. (2017).

The Ronchi di Cialla winery is located within its own valley, like something out of a fairy tale, with roads that curve through rows of vines planted between outcroppings of forest. The family home and cellar sit at the top of a hill, overlooking vineyards in all directions. Ivan Rapuzzi runs the winery with his mother and brother, following the same traditional methods as their father before them. Thanks to Ronchi di Cialla, Schioppettino may be one of the top reds of Friuli in the not-too-distant future. The Rapuzzi family saved the variety from extinction, creating a library of wines that spans decades and proves just how well Schioppettino matures. Today, the variety has its own subzone within Friuli Colli Orientali, Schioppettino di Prepotto, while Ronchi di Cialla enjoys its own unique terroir.

This year, I tasted several back vintages at the estate: 1983, 1992, 2005, 2014 and the recently released 2017. Ronchi di Cialla releases these older vintages at regular intervals and at extremely reasonable prices. As for the 2017 Schioppettino, which hailed from a tough, warm and dry year (there is no irrigation permitted in the appellation), the Rapuzzi family decided to limit the amount of time in wood to one year, down from the usual three to four years, to preserve freshness. Moreover, they lost 30% of their production due to spring frosts. As a result, this is an atypical style of Ronchi di Cialla that will be amazing to follow over the years. Lastly, I would be remiss not to mention the white wines of Cialla, which include an off-dry Verduzzo that’s to die for, the age-worthy Ciallabianco, a blend of 65% Ribolla Gialla, 25% Picolit and 10% Verduzzo, and a varietal Ribolla Gialla. While the entire portfolio is worth seeking out, the Ronchi di Cialla Schioppettino is a must for lovers of deeply complex, age-worthy wines.

Winemaker Description

The Grapes of Roth is Winemaker Roman Roth's private label, and a true testament to his classic, yet adventerous, wine-making style. Wonderful dark cherry fruit with well integrated oak, classic graphite and great minerality is complimented by a very savory and elegant finish.

Dark red brick in color. Elegant aromas of cassis and fine toasted sandalwood fill the glass. The mouth-feel is rich and concentrated, yet balanced with wonderful fruit of plumbs, prunes and amazing minerality. The finish has layers of ripe tannins and nicely toasted oak with fine classic earthiness, leather and iodine notes. The fruit and alcohol provide great length and make this a very special Merlot that possesses great aging potential and is the perfect partner with food.

This is a wine to be aged. It has a huge maturation curve ahead and will gain many more nuances and facets. Serve just at room temperature. Pair this Merlot with dishes you might think of for big, bold wines: steak, cassoulet, duck and decadent dark chocolate desserts. 

Winemaker Description

Incredibly rich amber colour with golden mahogany reflections, this 10-year-old Tawny emanates from the opening of the bottle a superb aromatic bouquet: with initial notes of almond, walnut, fig, dried fruit, currants, candied orange, then evolving for roasting and wood notes. In the mouth the same complexity, a rich, concentrated, deep structure supported by a magnificent acidity. It evolves with energy and firmness and as an exceptionally long finish. Winemaker Description.

Expert Review

Wine Enthusiast 91 Points | From old, field blend vineyards, this Port has a fine nutty character. It shares that with red fruits, gentle spice and a fine balance between sweetness and a drier core. This wine, rich and with toffee flavors, is ready to drink.

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.

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 - Vintage 2017 

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.

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. 

Expert Reviews

James Suckling 93 Points | This is a balanced red, showing blackberry and bark with chili and some herbs. It’s medium-to full-bodied with nice drinkability and a succulent, flavorful finish. Iodine, pine needles, slate and graphite undertones. Subtle. 

Vinous 93 Points | The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Fission emerges from Alta Vista, on Moon Mountain. A dark, potent wine, the 2019 captures plenty of mountain energy in its savory, earthy flavor profile. Dark cherry, mocha, spice, new leather, licorice and chocolate all flesh out. My impression is that less new oak and longer élevage might bring out even more character. This is certainly an impressive debut from Mai Errazuriz and Rodrigo Soto. (AG)  

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022

Wine Spectator 94 Points | Distinctly fruity, this red features black cherry, blackberry, plum, licorice, cedar and oak spice aromas and flavors. A supple version, with terrific balance and a long aftertaste. Shows just enough grip to lend serious weight. Merlot. 

Vinous 91 Points | The 2022 Cont'Ugo, 100% Merlot, offers terrific freshness, especially for the year. There's a bit of edginess in the tannin from the challenges of the growing season. Even so, what comes through most is the move toward greater vibrancy in the wines.

Winemaker Description 

Cont’Ugo 2022 is an intense ruby red color. The nose offers smooth notes of small ripe red fruit especially currants, raspberries and ripe cherries accompanied by light hints of Mediterranean scrub and forest floor. The palate delivers good structure, excellent persistence of flavors and a pleasant fruity finish.

Winemaker Description 

To taste Emeric’s brandy is to confront one of the wildest and most potent homemade concoctions in any cellar in the Rosenthal family of growers. According to local tradition, he blends this heady elixir with twice the volume of unfermented grape must—mostly Chardonnay—to create his Macvin du Jura, which throws politeness out the window and offers the imbiber a juicy, flagrant, undeniably delicious version of the recipe.

Producer Description 

This distilled-spirit specialty is a rue-flavored grappa made from the infusion of Nardini Grappa with the brances of rue (in Italian: ruta), a strongly scented evergreen subshrub grown around Lake Garda in northern Italy, long used to aid digestion.

Winemaker Description 

Deep red in colour with violet hues. The nose presents notes of fresh red fruit like raspberries, intermingled with hints of white pepper and herbal notes, along with soft spice. In the mouth, this is a very elegant wine with firm structure and pronounced, chalky tannins, fresh acidity and it is well-balanced and long. 

This Carménère reflects Apalta’s higher-elevation vineyards and is atypical of Chilean Carménère because of its origin in a high-altitude mountain vineyard which has given this wine its backbone and strength with great tension in the mouth. This is definitely a Carménère worth cellaring.

Winemaker Description 

Amontillado of the most pristine kind. Traditional notes of almonds and walnut skin but with a citrus blast and floral lantana-like elegance that perfumes the salty toasted notes of dark cocoa and coffee beans. Incredibly dry, this elegant wine has endless layers and should be consumed over the course of weeks.

Expert Review 

95 Points Robert Parker | The 2022 bottling of the NV Amontillado La Casilla doesn't have a clear bottling date, but it has a lot number on the back label. It has a golden-brown color and a complex nose. It comes from the Manzanilla Pasada Blanquito and has a profile of an old wine, with notes of rusty nail and low tide, and also a Sanlúcar profile, sharp and saline with rustic finesse. It's pungent, long and salty. This is rare to keep the old age of the wine. Best After 2029

Expert Review - Vintage 2016

James Suckling 96 Points | I love the deep and complex nose, in which the cassis and mint of cabernet sauvignon are beautifully married to the more generous blackberry of ripe merlot and the vanilla and toasty notes from the oak are marvelously integrated. On the palate it creeps up on you slowly; the first impression is ripe yet delicate, then the fine-grained tannins charge through and light up the sky. Very long finish. Drink or hold.

Wine Enthusiast 96 Points | Beautifully wood aged, with subtle hints of spice, this is an elegant, textured wine, ripe with white fruit tones and layered with intense, fresh acidity. Its bright highlights are tempered by warm fruitiness and by the mineral texture that promises aging. 

Decanter 95 Points | The colour is rich and deep but with luminosity that gives nuance and fresh air. It's a lovely 2016, poised but not as powerful as some in the vintage, yet every inch the sophisticated reflection of the appellation. Restrained grilled berry fruits take their time to unfurl. It's still very closed but the liquorice and slate notes become clearer after 10 minutes in the glass, and the wine has already deepened in the few years since bottling. 3% Petit Verdot completes the blend.

Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points | As to the red, the grand vin is the 2016 Château Malartic-Lagravière (53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot). Aged in 80% new barrels and hitting 13.5% natural alcohol, it offers a deep purple color with beautiful cassis, tobacco, crushed rocks, and subtle incense aromas and flavors. Balanced, medium to full-bodied, and straight-up seamless on the palate, it’s another brilliant Graves that offers ample pleasure today yet will keep for 20+ years or more.

Wine Spectator 92 Points | Ripe and fresh, with bright cherry, plum and currant pâte de fruit flavors that have a racy edge while roasted apple wood, sweet tobacco and red licorice notes fill in through the lengthy finish. Thoroughly delicious, and approachable now or capable of some cellaring. Drink now through 2030.

Intense ruby red with violet shadings, nearly opaque with traces of garnet
Bouquet. Expansive and persistent with sweet fruits, notes of blackberry, black cherry and a subtle nuttiness. Sweet spices lead to a mineral finish

Soft, sweet, voluptuous body, persistent and velvety. The tannins are thick and sweet, the acidity is well balanced, cutting the density and heaviness, while giving structure. Long finish, persistently fruity with notes of underbrush, forest fruit, and complex, intense spices. Producer Description. 

Expert Reviews | Vintage 2020 

96 Points James Suckling | This Spatlese beams you up to Cloud 9, from where you have a wonderful view over the beautiful Mosel Valley. In spite of the considerable concentration, this is super-delicate and precise on the barely medium-bodied palate. Enormously long finish, where you barely feel the natural grape sweetness. Drink or hold. 

95 Points Wine Advocate | The 2020 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spätlese is pure, clear and flinty on the concentrated nose that is reminiscent of a fresh fruit salad served on a slate plate on an early summer morning. Light, lush and highly finessed but seriously structured on the palate, this is a savory, very clear and elegant Sonnenuhr Spätlese with great precision and finesse and highly stimulating salinity and mouth-watering grip on the finish. Rating: 95+ 

Expert Review - Vintage 2019

92 Points Vinous | Mango, pink grapefruit, pear, lychee, honeysuckle and lily combine for a headily exotic and almost overripe nose. Luscious, almost gaudy ripeness and perfume are the inner-mouth story as well, backed by gloss and considerable sweetness – though not the excessive sweetness that this bottling at one time tended to exhibit. The lingering finish displays real vibrancy, no doubt in large part owing to the wine’s harboring vintage-atypically high acidity of 10 grams. And that in turn is almost certainly a result of light desiccation of healthy fruit, which is also what gives this bottling its Auslese-like aura. (For the history of this bottling and its name, see especially my review of its vintage 2015 instantiation.).

Winemaker Description 

The Spreitzer Oestrich Lenchen Riesling Spätlese '303' was first produced in the year 2000 and honours the Spreitzer brothers Grandfather who harvested his legendary Trockenbeerenauslese from the same vineyard in 1920 - which garnered a record sugar level of 303 degrees Oechsle. 

Coming exclusively from the Eisenberg this is rich with red apples and sweet acacia honey on the nose. In reality this is more of a baby Auslese than a Spätlese, dripping with quince paste, peaches in sweet syrup and honeysuckle. A pure pleasure to drink, luscious without being over the top. Winemaker Description. 

Our Professional Review

Rand Sieger of 67Wine.com | The Scharzhofberg is considered by many to be the most prestigious vineyard in the Mosel region.  Sipping this beautiful Spatlese from Von Hovel reminded me why it has earned that vaunted reputation.

The nose is stately elegant while at the same time, quite powerful. Yellow fruit and bright white berries marry nicely with lemon zest, spice box, and just a touch of reductive sharpness.  A very definite honey sweetness stretches across the palate with just the right amount of lip-smacking tartness to tie it all together.  Finishes smooth and silky with a lingering trail of honey and brown sugar.

This is one to savor by itself as dessert in its own right, but would be a lovely accompaniment to simple shortbread biscuits, or raspberry tart.

Winemaker Description

Fruity aromas lead to a palate of wild strawberry, green apple, lemon zest, flowers and toasted baguette. This Rosé is delicate, crisp and refreshing. 

While delicious upon release, Yarden Brut Rose should age well for ten years or more from vintage. This versatile wine pairs well with subtle dishes such as yellowtail tartare, savory dishes such as gravlax, or sweet desserts such as chocolate-covered raspberries.

Winemaker Description

At first this wine is all about fruit; ripe dark cherry and blackberry are framed by toasty oak with hints of coffee, tea and vanilla. The dark fruit is vibrant on entry, which leads to a full rich mouth coating mid palate and nicely balanced fine tannin. 

The intensity and concentration flow seamlessly to notes of ripe fruit and barrel tones that linger pleasantly for an extended period, inviting one back to the glass! This wine will drink beautifully now and over the next 10+ years. 

Winemaker Description

This is a complex and delicious wine. It beckons with aromas of dark purple plum and anise. Bright fruit flavors follow that include Bing cherries, boysenberries, white pepper and savory. The well-defined, and elegant tannins add texture and length to the finish and will ensure a long life in the cellar. 

Winemaker Description

Don Miguel Vineyard. Named after the late patriarch of the Torres family, this organic vineyard is located in the Green Valley- the coolest, foggiest region of the Russian River, only ten miles from the Pacific. Displays vibrant, luscious fruit reminiscent of blackberries and dark cherries.

This is a wine of precision, finesse and balance, rich and opulent on the palate, with supple tannins. It will continue to develop and gain complexity with age, at least for another 10 years. 

Winemaker Description

The 2019 Napa Valley Cabernet is our interpretation of a quintessentially classic style. The color is deep garnet and the nose yields aromas of dark chocolate, pomegranate, cedar shavings, blackberry, and leather. The palate exhibits flavors of blueberry compote, black cherry, espresso, and cigar box with bright and juicy fruit forward sensations. The texture is rich and bold with well-structured tannins that make it approachable now and will yield great results in the cellar for decades. 

Expert Review

91 Points Jeb Dunnuck | A wine that’s been made since 1967, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is a beautifully textured, medium-bodied, sweetly fruited charmer that has lots of cassis and redcurrant fruit, some spicy oak, ripe tannins, and the balance to evolve and drink nicely for a decade. I think it’s outstanding. (2019).