$75 - $100 Wine

Expert Reviews

Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points | (Tasting Date November 17, 2023) |  A rich though youthful golden hue, the NV Champagne Special Cuvée Brut is classic and ripe with lush, rounded, and complex aromas of golden apricot, hazelnut, wet stone, and black cherry. Made with 45% of the wine coming from the 2019 vintage, with 55% reserve wine, it’s full-bodied yet elegant and light on its feet, with a ripe and luxurious feel and just a hint of warmth on the finish. The mousse is refined and rounded. Long on the palate, it's inviting now but will have plenty of life ahead of it if stored property. This exceptional cuvée with its distinctive personality continues to be one of the best entry wines to the range from this house and is a benchmark wine for them.

James Suckling 93 Points |  (Reviewed August 7, 2023) Lovely density and a fine-bubble texture. Dried apple and apricot with hints of dried flowers. Medium to full body. with medium-rich fruit. Spice, zest and ginger character. Usually 10% in barrel. 60% pinot noir, 25% chardonnay and 15% pinot meunier. About 40% reserve wine kept in magnums. Always really well done. Drink now.

Decanter 95 Points | If it’s good enough for James Bond, it’s good enough for you. Bollinger Champagne has made a number of cameos in James Bond films over the year. This non-vintage Special Cuvée is an example of a classic Champagne done well. Notes of marzipan on the nose and the palate give toastiness and leesy notes, specifically sourdough. It’s classic for a reason and would only elevate any table it finds itself on. 

Jancis Robinson 17/20 Points (Tasted October 14, 2022) |  Look out for that lot code, as this is a particularly stunning rendition of Bollinger, almost certainly improved with the bottling in magnum. Very fine texture, quite deeply coloured, remarkably fine mousse. Savoury, biscuity notes on the palate. Great length – a lovely example.  - Jancis Robinson 17

Robert Parker 92 Points |  Like its rosé counterpart, the latest release of Bollinger's NV Brut Special Cuvée is showing especially well, bursting from the glass with aromas of honeyed apples, crisp stone fruit, buttery pastry, ripe lemons and fresh walnuts. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and vinous, with a deep core of beautifully ripe fruit, racy acids and a pillowy mousse, it's a charming, characterful wine that proves that Special Cuvée is firmly back where it belongs.  Drinking 2021 - 2025.

Expert Reviews 

Audrey Frick writes: (Tasted November 7, 2022) The NV Champagne La Cuvée Brut Rosé is entirely Pinot Noir from 10 crus in the Montagne de Reims. It is forward in the glass with ripe currants, fresh herbs, and smoky perfume. This continues to the palate, with notes of ripe wild raspberry and tangerine, and it has a medium to full-bodied texture that is pure and lightly savory on the finish. Fantastically paired with beef tartar and other richer raw preparations, this is a wonderful and food-friendly expression. Drink 2022-2032.  - Jeb Dunnuck 92

Winemaker Description 

The 2019 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has notes of red cherry, raspberry, blackberry, iris, vanilla and clove. Ruby in color, this elegant wine has great acidity and lift on the mid-palate. Black currant and warm baking spices linger with a deep and fruity finish. It will provide drinking pleasure through 2047 given proper cellaring.

Jonathan Cristaldi of Decanter Magazine, 95 Points: Aged in 50% new and 50% second-use American Oak from the Duncan family's The Oak cooperage in Higbee, Missouri. Matt Duncan joined me for my tasting, and he says the Petit Verdot in the blend, of which there is 0.4%, is co-fermented with the Cabernet Sauvignon, intended to bring focus to the Cabernet fruit. A compelling, brooding, muscular rendition of Cabernet from Alexander Valley with gorgeous boysenberry notes, black currants, and rose petals laced with vanillin notes and toasty oak. Medium to full-bodied with black currants, ripe blackberry and black cherry notes framed by velvety tannins laced with that irresistible vanillin note. Toasty oak spices lend a hint of sweetness, balanced by grippy acidity. Long and complex, revealing umami, garrigue, and crushed slatestone on the finish. It's a terrific wine from the Alexander Valley.  Drinking 2023 to 2035.

James Suckling, 94 Points: Handsome and classic for a Sonoma County cabernet, this full-bodied, approachable wine offers abundant aromas of black cherries, toasted oak and tobacco backed by gorgeous black cherries and black olive flavors on moderate tannins. It’s 95% cabernet sauvignon. Best through 2034. 

Alder Yarrow  of JancisRobinson.com, 17/20 Points: Smells of sweet black cherry and cola. Flavours of black cherry, cola and hints of mocha have a nice bright juiciness thanks to excellent acidity. Powdery tannins coat the mouth and stiffen slightly with time. The oak is very well integrated here, making its presence felt in the gradually more muscular tannins and a scent of woodiness in the finish.  Drinking 2024 to 2034.

Audrey Frick of Jeb Dunnuck, 91 Points: The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley includes tiny splashes of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot was aged for 24 months in 50% new American oak and the rest in second-use barrels. The 2019 is the current release, as the estate likes to hold back their wines until they are ready to drink. It offers notes of toasted oak, preserved red plum, forest floor, a hint of coconut, and vanilla. Full-bodied, it has a rounded, creamy texture with a coating feel, sweet tannins, and its oak profile lasting through the ripe finish. It is going to show its best over the coming several years.  Drinking 2024 to 2027.  - Jeb Dunnuck 91

Winemaker Descripton

Sophisticated Pinot from a classic California name who is devoted to crafting wine with a bold new world flair while using original rootstock from Burgundy. Always sourced from an exemplary single plot in the cooler regions of Russian River Valley and matured in an abundance of new oak for 12+ months.

The 2022 comes from a cooler Russian River site and offers a complex bouquet of red currants, smoked earth, ground pepper, and exotic floral and rose hip notes. Rich, medium-bodied, and seamless on the palate, its incredibly classy as well as perfectly balanced.

Pair with: baked salmon, roasted pork loin, duck with figs

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2018 

Antonio Galloni of Vinous writes 93 Points | The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is bright, focused and nuanced, with lovely energy and tons of glass. Perfumed floral and spice accents lift the red-toned fruit nicely. This exquisitely beautiful, vivid Cabernet is all class. Like the Chardonnay, the Cabernet Sauvignon is on the lighter side, even for this style. It will be interesting to see if Heitz also pursues a bit more richness for this wine in future vintages.  Drinking 2025 - 2035.

Joe Czerwinski of the Wine Advocate writes 91 Points |  Heitz's regular 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon features a slightly minty-eucalyptus edge, cherries and a hint of leather. Medium-bodied and concentrated, this is silky and fine, finishing a bit tart. Personally, I'd prefer to see more mid-palate richness, but that's not the style being pursued here.  Drinking 2024 - 2035  - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 91

James Suckling writes 94 Points | A pure, balanced and fresh Napa cabernet that is not just showing heady concentration and dark fruit. Here you get some violets, nimble flowers, redcurrants, graphite and fine spices. Some oranges, too. Fragrant and nuanced. Medium to full body with tight yet refined tannins. Rather linear, tense and elegant, but lacking neither power nor definition. Better to give it a few years to deliver more complexity. 

Jeb Dunnuck writes 91 Points | Lots of ripe blue fruits, sappy herbs, and some background minerality as well as a touch of oak emerge from the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, a medium-bodied, beautifully balanced, elegant Cabernet from this estate that's drinkable today yet will evolve for 15-20 years in cold cellars. It's one for the old school Cabernet lovers out there.  Drinking 2023 - 2043.

Winemaker Notes

Winemaker Description

Violet in hue, the 2021 vintage entices with pomegranate, dark cherry, and black tea. The voluptuous texture fuses with layered notes of boysenberry, bergamot, and hints of sage. As it moves across the palate both acid and fine-grained tannins are flawlessly integrated, accentuated by a red clay minerality. This is a refined and graceful wine with lively acidity, leading to a long finish.

Expert Reviews

Vinous 95 Points | The 2021 Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley) is dense, heady and explosive. All the classic Russian River exuberance comes through, but amplified in all of the good ways and none of the bad. Even with all of the richness and intensity, the 2021 retains good freshness as well as energy. A touch of whole clusters brightens the finish nicely. (2021).

James Suckling 93 Points Plenty of dried strawberry with black cherry and hints of chocolate. Full and very fresh with orange-peel and floral undertones. Vivid fruit. Tangy. About 15% whole cluster. Drink or hold. (2021).

Wine Spectator 93 Points | Bright and punchy, with a host of delicious mulberry and pomegranate notes, carried by crunchy acidity and backed by light anise and potpourri accents on the finish. Shows nice racy energy underneath. (2021). 

Robert Parker 92 Points | The 2021 Pinot Noir is composed of 94% estate fruit. It was crafted with about 15% whole clusters and matured in 33% new oak. It has broody scents of blueberry, cranberry, rhubarb, cured meats, lavender and allspice. The medium-bodied palate has generous, juicy fruit, a soft, grainy frame and a long finish. This is very easy to drink! (2021). 

Winemaker Description

Peay Vineyards is a first-generation family winery. Husband and wife, Nick Peay & Vanessa Wong, grow and make the wine and brother, Andy Peay, and his wife Ami, sell the wine and run the business.

All wines are made from grapes grown on our 53-acre estate vineyard located above a river gorge in the far northwestern corner of the Sonoma Coast, 4 miles from the Pacific Ocean at Sea Ranch. We sit in the chilly inversion layer with fog and wind from the Ocean maintaining cool temperatures with plenty of sunlight.

Winemaker Vanessa Wong left her position as winemaker at Peter Michael Winery in 2001 to launch Peay Vineyards. Formerly she worked at Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Domaine Jean Gros and Hirsch Winery.

We farm organically and maintain our licenses for fish friendly farming and integrated pest management. The health of our vineyard dictates these approaches to farming and making wine. We also run on bio-diesel at the vineyard and solar power at both the vineyard and winery.

Expert Ratings - Vintage 2021 

Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points | The 2021 Pinot Noir Ama is dark ruby, with notes of red cherry and apple skin. The palate is full-bodied and has great structure, with a broad texture, ripe tannins and notes of dark cherry, tea leaf, and forest earth. It’s long on the palate and has a good finish. (2021). 

Robert Parker 94 Points | The 2021 Estate Pinot Noir Ama is powerful and perfumed this vintage. It offers aromas broody aromas of red and black cherries and aniseed with top notes of saline and citrus peel. The medium-bodied palate is chalky and refreshing with generous berry fruit and floral accents, and it has a long, spicy finish. (2021). 

Winemaker Description 

Pretty aromas of ripe boysenberry, dark cherry and cassis, coupled with scents of sweet oak and herbal spice, introduce plush, deeply concentrated, black fruit flavors bolstered by bright acidity and well-structured tannins. This classic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon boasts a long, lovely finish featuring savory fruit, spice and mineral tones.

An excellent companion to beef, rich pork dishes and game.

Winemaker Description

On the palate, it reveals a fresh attack followed by an ample, structured, long-lasting finish. The wine unfurls in successive stages and ends with top-quality tannins produced by whole cluster fermentation. It features aromas and flavors of smoked ham, violet, graphite, graphite, and licorice.

Expert Review

Tropical fruit aromas of guava and pineapple with hints of toasted marshmallow and lavender. Flavors of pear, white peach and key lime. A weighty entry that is balanced by lively acidity brings complexity and elegance to this lovely wine. Enjoyable upon release and over the next six to seven years. Winemaker Description. 

Expert Reviews

James Suckling 94 Points | This is a solid Margaux with blackberries, blackcurrants and undertones of fresh tobacco and a wet earth. It’s full and layered with beautiful energy and structure. Tight at the end, as it should be. Try after 2025. (2019).

Decanter 94 Points | Great depth, starting to really achieve class and depth with generous dashes of chocolate, coffee, mocha. Combines tannic hold with great freshness, an excellent wine; black fruits, bilberry, blackberry, finished off with the fine tannins of smoked oak. A brilliant Marquis de Terme. (2019).

Jeb Dunnuck 91 Points | The 2019 Château Marquis De Terme showed better now than from a bottle tasted earlier this year. Giving up plenty of darker, almost black fruits as well as tobacco, gravelly earth, and spice, it's medium to full-bodied, has a round, fleshy, sexy mouthfeel, quality tannins, and a great finish. (2019).

Wine Spectator 91 Points | Features cherry and black currant puree notes with some inner freshness, while black tea, alder and violet hints form a pretty backdrop. Nice steady finish, too. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now. (2019).

Robert Parker 90+ Points | Aromas of rich black fruits, cherry preserve and pencil shavings introduce the 2019 Marquis de Terme, a medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy wine with a broad attack that segues into an ample mid-palate framed by ripe but youthfully assertive tannins. This is a muscular, rather chunky Margaux that will reward a bit of bottle age and which, with time, may make my score seem conservative. This is an evolving estate, as fully 25% of its vineyards have been replanted since 2009. Cabernet on rich soils between Labégorce and Château Margaux represents the core of the blend. Best After 2025. (2019).

Winemaker Description

This exquisite blend of grapes, stemming from four different harvests, showcases its strong personality through a symphony of fruits and a full-bodied, elegant presence. Singular in its expression of terroir, a revelation of the variety that nature offers from one year to the next.

Réserve Rosé evokes romance and harmony. The initial nose reveals fresh red fruits with a touch of brioche. The first sensation is reminiscent of biting into a perfectly ripe Morello cherry, bursting with full and mature aromas. Powerful, yet remarkably subtle with an extraordinarily long-lasting finish.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2016

95 Points James Suckling | This is a really driven d’Armailhac showing blackcurrants and fruit tea with hints of bark on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, very firm and structured with a long and powerful finish. Direct and linear. Try after 2023.

94 Points Jeb Dunnuck | A thrilling bottle of wine that readers should snatch up is the 2016 Château d’Armailhac. This deeply colored, medium to full-bodied, powerful Armailhac gives up a lovely perfume of blackberry and plums fruits, violets, graphite, cedar pencil, and earthy, herbal nuances. Classic, ripe, layered, and just a beautiful Pauillac any way you look at it, it has plenty of upfront sex appeal but is going to keep for 20-25 years as well. Bravo! The 2016 is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.

93 Points Decanter | There's fairly high acidity on the attack here, and yet it's well balanced by a body that's richer and deeper than in many years of Armailhac. You can definitely feel the texture and the powerful depth of brambly fruit, and there are also some of the signature lilting floral notes, given extra charge through graphite, liquorice, cassis, and that pulsating acidity. Great quality. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Drinking Window 2024 - 2038.

93 Points Wine Advocate | Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 D'Armailhac opens with gregarious crème de cassis, blackberry pie and mulberries scents with hints of chocolate box, roses and charcoal with a waft of dried sage. Medium-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing long and earthy.

93 Points Vinous | The 2016 d’Armailhac, which was bottled in May 2018, has an elegant bouquet that unfolds in the glass, offering blackberries, briar and a touch of cedar and mint. The palate is medium-bodied with dense tannin, grippy in the mouth, and quite voluminous, with perhaps more density on the solid, almost broad-shouldered finish compared to the Clerc-Milon. This fulfills all my expectations from my barrel tasting and is quite simply one of the best d’Armailhac wines ever made.

93 Points Wine Spectator | This juicy red sports dark plum, fig and boysenberry fruit backed by an equally strong wave of bramble and sweet tobacco notes. The cast-iron spine pins down the finish, so give this a little time to integrate fully. Best from 2023 through 2038.

Winemaker Description

Dassai "23" is the sake that defines Dassai. It is made with rice that has been milled so that only 23% of the original size of the grains remains, this is the highest degree of milling of any sake in the world. Going to this extreme allows us to create a sake like no other, a sake that is the pinnacle of refined elegance, subtlety, and delicate flavors and aromas.

To craft the ultimate Junmai-Daiginjo sake, we polished down Yamada-Nishiki rice to 23%. Delivering delicate floral aromas with a palate reminiscent of honey and an elegant lasting finish. We will be donating a portion of the sales of the Dassai Beyond and Dassai 23 series to medical professionals. Winemaker Description. 

Expert Ratings - Vintage 2019

Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points |  The 2019 Rosso Di Montalcino is ripe but energetic, with pure red cherry, rose petal, orange peel, and white pepper. It is medium-bodied, with elegant ripe raspberry with a graceful feel. Seamless, with fine tannins, it is supple and soft in its texture and raises the bar in a big way for the category. 6,700 bottles were produced. 

Vinous 93 Points |  An unbelievably pretty blend of dusty rose, cherry and sage wafts up from the 2019 Rosso di Montalcino. It’s strikingly beautiful and graceful within, silky yet cool-toned, mixing saline-tinged minerals with ripe red fruits and floral nuances that resonate throughout. The 2019 finishes structured yet potent and long, leaving lingering dried cherry and licorice notes. Cellaring will be required, but with that said, this is a Rosso of astonishing depth and complexity.

Winemaker Description

The Pian dell Orino estate is adjacent to the Biondi Santi property. This area has a long history of being particularly suited for growing grapes for high quality wines. Husband and wife team Caroline and Jan's love for Tuscany and passion for viticulture binds them particularly to this land, their vines and the resulting wines. 

The wines are produced from four different vineyards that have a total area of 6 hectares. From the beginning they studied the soil and the structure of each vineyard in order to fully understand its characteristics. Fossils, petrified shells and chalk sediment all testify to the earth’s evolutions and recount marine flooding and periods of drought in the area. 

The wines are produced from four different vineyards that have a total area of 6 hectares. From the beginning they studied the soil and the structure of each vineyard in order to fully understand its characteristics. Fossils, petrified shells and chalk sediment all testify to the earth’s evolutions and recount marine flooding and periods of drought in the area. 

Winemaker Description

Puy-Lacoste 2020 is an example once again of a vintage marked by a significant proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend - 76%, which demonstrates the tremendous potential of its terroir and completed by 24% Merlot. It's a very beautiful vintage, more classic in terms of structure than the 2018 and 2019. The bouquet releases aromas of ripe red fruit, violets and spices. This is complemented by an attractive fresh minerality. The attack is precise, clean and long, with its ripe and melted tannins. Overall, this is a wine of great balance, allying charm, elegance and freshness; it is aromatic, with an aftertaste of considerable purity.

Expert Reviews

97 Points James Suckling | This full-bodied red builds on the palate in a fantastic way with tight, compact tannins that grow and grow on the finish. Plenty of blackcurrant and graphite character and a flavorful finish. Same level as the excellent 2016. Barrel Sample: 96-97.

96 Points Wine Spectator | A nice, tightly coiled Pauillac, with a blitz of iron and savory notes wrapped around a core of cassis, damson plum and black cherry. Sleek and tightly focused, with the iron note leaving a mouthwatering echo. Plenty tight through the finish too, so patience is needed here. Best from 2028 through 2042.

95 Points Decanter | Enjoyable, powerful, concentrated, not the most generous of GPLs but they have captured the essence of Pauillac, and it's hard to resist. Sappy juicy finish, full of cassis, mint leaf and pencil lead along the way with a clear tightness to the tannic frame. Barrel Sample: 95.

95 Points Jeb Dunnuck | The 2020 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste is a more fleshy, textured Pauillac that still plays in the concentrated, focused, structured style of the vintage. Ripe black cherries, currants, toasty oak, chocolate, and tobacco leaf notes give way to a medium to full-bodied, richly textured 2020 that has velvety tannins, good mid-palate depth, and a great finish. Do your best to hide bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following 20-25 years or so. Barrel Sample: 92-95.

94 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate | The 2020 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is excellent, offering up aromas of cassis and plums mingled with pencil shavings, violets and loamy soil framed by a touch of creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, pure and fleshy, with lively acids, powdery tannins and good depth at the core, its supple, charming style belies considerable aging potential.

Winemaker Description

The 2017 Barbaresco Pora Riserva is a medium body wine with intense mineral and spicy aromas, balanced ripe tannins and elegant finish.

Try with pasta dishes, risotto or white and red meat. 

Expert Reviews

Jancis Robinson 17/20 Points |  Barbaresco. Mid developing ruby with orange tinges. Deep leafy cherry with hints of orange and black tea leaves. Supple and fresh acidity with succulent cherry fruit and lots of soft chewy tannins. Very long and juicy with plenty of stuffing, but with an elegant palate weight and ready now.  Drinking 2022 -2030. 

Vinous 93 Points | The 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Pora is rich, creamy and layered, with a bit more generosity than is typically the case. Sweet red cherry, red plum, spice and rose petal are amplified in a radiant, open-knit Barbaresco that will start drinking well in a few years' time.  Drinking 2025 - 2037.  - Vinous 93

Robert Parker 94 Points | The 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Pora (with 13,333 bottles released) is usually the first wine I taste each year when I review this set of Riservas from Produttori del Barbaresco. That's because it usually appears as the most delicate, and the intensity of each successive bottle increases after this one. But these schematics are a bit more difficult to align in a hot and dry vintage such as this that produced richer and more succulent fruit across the board. The Pora is redolent of red and purple fruit with a little more blackberry and plum compared to previous editions. The tannic strength of the wine is also more elaborate. Pora works very well in 2017.  Drinking 2025 - 2048.  

Winemaker Description

In 1987, we made our first vintage of a wine styled after the famous First Growth producers of Bordeaux, created with the same uncompromising care as the Grands Vins of those venerable chateaux. Full-bodied with ripe black fruit and complex baking spice, this wine is amazingly ready to drink right out of the gate, and you can try a bottle or two now—but make sure to save a few to enjoy this wine as it continues to evolve after some time in the cellar.

The 2020 Isosceles is bright in the glass with a dark purple/black core and a lighter ruby purple rim. Attractively aromatic and complex with ripe black and red cherry, black currant, new book leather, cedar, tobacco, vanilla bean, licorice, and oak. Full-bodied on the palate with ripe complex cherry, cassis, and a subtle red berry fruit on entry, with vanilla and licorice baking spice leading into the midpalate, which shows complex savory notes of cedar, tobacco leaf, and leather. The very long, complex, and continually changing finish is a progression of sustained ripe cherry fruit accented by baking spice and oak notes, with smooth chewy tannins and balanced acidity, adding depth and freshness. 

Expert Review

Wine Enthusiast 91 Points Roasted black plum aromas meet with tobacco leaf on the nose of this blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc. The palate shows a lot of primary fruit flavors, from black plum to blackberry, with Christmas spices proving quite prominent. (2020). 

91 Points Robert Parker | The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley includes 9% Merlot from a vineyard in Oak Knoll and spent 16 months in 28% new French oak, with a bit of Hungarian as well. It offers up textbook notes of cherries and redcurrants, plus a hint of vanilla, all in an easy-drinking, medium to full-bodied format. The tannins are silky, and the acids are tart in this moderately concentrated effort that should provide enjoyable drinking over the next 10 years or so. Best After 2023.

90 Points Wine Spectator | Solidly built, showing an array of singed vanilla and cocoa along the edges, with a core of steeped plum and blackberry compote flavors. The slightly chewy finish is scored by tar and savory accents, giving this a bit of an old-school bent in the end. Best from 2023.

Winemaker Notes

Pure and powerful, this wine opens with fresh blueberries, blackberry pie and cassis. The endless dark fruit is complemented by a range of baking spices: vanilla at first, but also clove and cinnamon. The first sip instantly reveals the character of this Cabernet: dense and chewy with bright red fruit, incredible tension and pure, fine grain tannins. Not only is everything in its place; but the layers of flavor, the depth of the fruit and the sublime texture are constantly rearranging. Each glass will be a unique experience. In contrast to the dynamic palate, the finish is focused and stout. Abundant cocoa, espresso bean and black pepper dovetail into dark, black fruit while tart raspberry and strawberry jam linger. 

Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Expert Ratings

Critic Notes

90-92 Points Burghound | Allen Meadows writes:  An ultra-fresh nose features notes of both red and dark currant that enjoy pretty top notes of violet and rose petal plus a touch of earth. There is excellent precision to the super-sleek and precise middle weight flavors that terminate in a balanced finale that is less rustic than usual and with only a touch of rusticity. This offers especially good quality for its level and is recommended. From 60+ year old vines; note that this now has the 1er portion declassified into it and the domaine will continue to do this going forward; the 1er portion accounts for about 2/3 of the cuvée.  

90-92 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate | William Kelley writes:  Offering up aromas of raspberries and plums mingled with sweet spices and petals, the 2020 Savigny-lès-Beaune Aux Fourneaux is medium to full-bodied, seamless and concentrated, with tangy acids and a long, fragrant finish. As readers may remember, this cuvée derives from a single parcel, two-thirds of which is classified as premier cru. 

Winemaker's Notes: The Fournaux vineyard is classified as 1er cru and village depending on the parcel. Chandon used to make a Fournaux 1er Cru, but as of 2018, they started to blend two thirds 1er Cru fruit with one third village level to make a 'super' Savigny village, preferring this blend to making two different cuvées. It's aged for 18 months in neutral barrels. 80% whole cluster. Very pretty with nice density and complexity. 

Winemaker Description

78% Pinot Noir, 22% Pinot Meunier; Cuvée Initiation is the newest addition to the Déhu lineup. Made from Pinot Noir and his signature variety Pinot Meunier, which Benoît planted using massale selection of Pommard clone from Burgundy. Oak vinification and ageing, unfined and unfiltered, low dosage. The wines is zippy and round with a persistent finish.

For red and white wines. This glass is all about elegance and finesse, created from a single piece of mouth-blown glass from the lip of the bowl to the base of the stem. It has been hailed by wine lovers as the perfect Riesling glass, but is also particularly fine for Chardonnay and Gruner Veltliner as well as Chianti and roses.

Technical perfection is the basic principle of the Zalto Denk'Art glasses, and they have always been produced following a tradition of using only the most highly skilled glass-blowers working with a selection of the best raw materials. Originally designed by Father Hans Denk, the famous Austrian "Wine Priest" who was inspired by the tilt angles of the Earth which influenced the design of the curve of the bowls.

All Zalto glasses are lead free and dishwasher safe.

Height: 235 mm, Volume Capacity: 530 ml

Winemaker Description

Blended from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes, this is a succulently fruity, supple and aromatic Champagne with fine bubbles and a crisp, refreshing finish of extended length.

Taittinger Cuvée Prestige Rosé is intense cherry-pink in color with extremely fine, persistent pinpoint bubbles rising in delicate strands to the surface of the wine. Its classic, aromatic Pinot fragrance of red raspberries and strawberries is offset by elegant, subtle floral and earth nuances. 

On the palate, the ripe, full berry flavors are vibrant yet refined, delicately balanced by a fresh acidity which carries into a crisp, refreshing finish of persistent length.

Expert Reviews

Audrey Frick writes: The NV Champagne Prestige Brut Rosé is 30% Chardonnay, about 20% Meunier, and the rest Pinot Noir, with 12-15% still red wine added from Pinot Noir and the base vintage from 2018. It pours a deep pink color and offers aromas of ripe red cherry, fresh flowers, and blood orange. Full-bodied and juicy all the way through, it is ripe with loads of wild berry fruit and has a long and slightly warming finish. It would be suitable as a wine to end the night or as a juicy aperitif. Drink 2024-2034. 9 grams per liter dosage.  - Jeb Dunnuck 92

James Suckling writes: Blood orange color with attractive notes of cherry stones, dried flowers, strawberries and tangerines. Hints of iron and pie crust. Full of flavor, with a full body, sleek bubbles and a deep, beautiful fruit quality. Blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier with 14% red wine. Drink now.  - James Suckling 92

Yohan Castaing writes: The NV Brut Prestige Rosé from Taittinger showcases a delicate yet perfumed bouquet with aromas of plums, gooseberries, wild strawberries and pastry. On the palate, the Champagne is moderately weighted and delicately fleshy with bright acids, a lively and minty mid-palate and a finish featuring a light, graceful note of gastronomic bitterness.  - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 91

Winemaker Description

Peay Vineyards is a first-generation family winery. Husband and wife, Nick Peay & Vanessa Wong, grow and make the wine and brother, Andy Peay, and his wife Ami, sell the wine and run the business.

All wines are made from grapes grown on our 53-acre estate vineyard located above a river gorge in the far northwestern corner of the Sonoma Coast, 4 miles from the Pacific Ocean at Sea Ranch. We sit in the chilly inversion layer with fog and wind from the Ocean maintaining cool temperatures with plenty of sunlight.

The Scallop Shelf has evolved over the last 15 years into the most mineral-driven and understated of our Pinot noirs. The 2021 is perfectly proportioned and harmonious with aromas of sassafras, wet slate, and apple skin with a floral and savory note popping in and out. The elements of the wine are already remarkably well-integrated with notes of cedar, forest floor, and ras el hanout spice framing the fruit. The finish is bright and the flavors go on and on. A wonderful Scallop Shelf from a superb vintage.

Winemaker Vanessa Wong left her position as winemaker at Peter Michael Winery in 2001 to launch Peay Vineyards. Formerly she worked at Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Domaine Jean Gros and Hirsch Winery.

We farm organically and maintain our licenses for fish friendly farming and integrated pest management. The health of our vineyard dictates these approaches to farming and making wine. We also run on bio-diesel at the vineyard and solar power at both the vineyard and winery.

Expert Reviews

Jeb Dunnuck 99 Points | More mineral aromas emerge in the 2021 Pinot Noir Scallop Shelf, with notes of wet stone, black raspberry, and fresh herbs. Medium-bodied and more tension driven, it’s taut with orange zest, clove, and gravelly, saline earth. It’s going to need time to unpack. Drink 2026-2046. (2021). 

Robert Parker 96 Points | The 2021 Estate Pinot Noir Scallop Shelf is delicate and perfumed this year. Pale ruby-purple in the glass it has pretty scents of red licorice and raspberry lavender and saline with mushroom undertones. The medium-bodied palate has a frame of chalky tannins and fireworks of fresh acidity. Despite its lifted character it's bursting with floral fruit and has a long perfumed finish. Give it a couple of years in bottle to unwind. (2021). 

Vinous 96 Points | I tasted many Peay wines during my last visit and the months preceding. The Peay team led by brothers Andy and Nick Peay and winemaker Vanessa Wong turned out an absolutely brilliant set of 2021s. Every wine is a joy to taste. The 2021 Pinot Noir Scallop Shelf offers a more linear mineral-driven expression of the estate. Most of this fruit is Pommard clone but that is not especially evident. Red-toned fruit chalk mint white pepper and slate lend brightness. This linear focused Pinot bristles with saline energy and tension. Give it time.

Clay-limestone terroir with little depth before reaching the bedrock. Gentle to very steep slopes. Surface area: 3.43 ha located in the heart of the Verzé valley, "Les Chênes" comprises two south-west-facing parcels.

The vines are cultivated biodynamically.

Harvesting is entirely manual, and pressing is carried out in Verzé. After decanting, the musts are transported daily to Puligny- Montrachet for fermentation and ageing, under the watchful eye of Domaine Leflaive's technical team. Vinification takes place in vats, and ageing lasts from 15 to 16 months.

Pressing: Long, gentle pneumatic pressing, 24-hour decanting followed by settling.

Fermentation: 55% in stainless steel tanks, 42% in cement tanks and 3% in new oak barrels.

Ageing: After 10 months' ageing on lees in fermentation containers, the wine is racked into stainless steel tanks and aged on fine lees for 6 months. Winemaker Description. 

Zekun Shuai writes:  Tangy and fresh nose showing hints of white pepper and blood oranges to the red berries, cherries and grilled herbs. Tight but caressing on the palate with a medium to full body for Barolo, showing impressive purity, focus and linearity in the finish. Drink or hold.  - James Suckling 92

Bruce Sanderson writes:  A dense, compact red marked by plum, cherry, leather, forest floor and tar aromas and flavors. Well-balanced and lingers on the finish, where chalky tannins leave their impression. Best from 2027 through 2042.   - Wine Spectator 91

Winemaker Description

This is extremely linear and refined with a super-fine line of tannins running through the center of the wine. It’s full-bodied, yet tight and sophisticated, with a long, long finish. Plenty of blackcurrant, dark chocolate, walnut and cedar in the aftertaste. Try after 2025.

Expert Reviews

Winemaker Description

Brunello is the prince of Montalcino wines, produced exclusively from Sangiovese grapes picked by hand from the oldest vines in the farm. After being aged in wood, the wine is bottle aged: this is an essential process in guaranteeing the pleasantness and the complexity that have made the Brunello di Montalcino world-famous. Ruby red in color, with a very intense, persistent nose and with red fruit notes. Warm, balanced flavour with velvet-smooth tannins. Long-lasting aroma. 

Expert Reviews

95 Points Wine Enthusiast | Underbrush, camphor and new leather aromas get together with grilled herbs. Full-bodied and structured, it also shows restraint, featuring dried black cherry, licorice and tobacco alongside firm, fine-grained tannins.

94 Points Wine & Spirits | Rich flavors of dark cherry and plum glide in a smooth texture, gaining notes of dark chocolate and licorice as the wine sits in the glass. The tannins are firm and compact, like new leather, yet the generous fruit tones are already expressive, supported by a cool mineral layer and vivid acidity that keep the flavors fresh over several days. This is a refined and elegant Brunello from the warm 2017 vintage, with plenty of aging potential.

94 Points Robert Parker | The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a saturated and shiny dark ruby color. This edition is loaded with black and purple fruits, such as blackberry preserves and plum. Those more robust tones are followed by spice, tar and campfire ash. The tannins are young (but not stemmy or bitter), and you'd be best served by letting this wine age and relax with more cellar aging. Il Poggione always makes some of the smoothest and most texturally enriched wines in the appellation, and this vintage is no exception. 94 Points + 

Winemaker Description

The Extra Brut Solessence Nature unwinds in the glass with scents of white flowers, crisp green apple, spring blossom and almond paste. Medium to full-bodied, ample and precise, it's a bright, vibrant wine with chalky structure and a long, saline finish.

Winemaker Description

The soils are of marine origin from the Tertiary era, characterized by bluish marl (at a depth ranging from 1 to 3 meters), calcareous, compact structure. The stratification is dense and varied, rich in mineral salts and natural springs.

Barbaresco Rio Sordo receives careful grape selection in the vineyard – 100% Nebbiolo. The immediately noticeable characteristics are the considerable complexity and depth, accompanied by elegance and finesse.

Expert Review

Robert Parker Wine Advocate 94+ Monica Larner | A release of about 3,000 bottles, the 2018 Barbaresco Rio Sordo shows the finesse and delicate fruit that is so well expressed by this estate. The bouquet is redolent of rose hip and crushed flowers, and you get cassis, wild cherry and dried pomegranate as well. There is a giant layer of minty herb, and then the wine finally relaxes with polished tones of crushed stone and white licorice. Cascina delle Rose makes a fine bottle of Barbaresco. 

Winemaker Description

This is a wine from southern Priorat, which marks with a lively, warm and fragrant vein the serious, deep and enigmatic character of old vineyards. Blackberry aromas with balsamic notes typical of the brushwood. The palate is remarkably mature and fresh at the same time.