Products

Winemaker Description

Winemaker Description 

This light sake is seamlessly put together. Just sweet enough for sipping chilled on a warm day, with rarefied flavor notes that impart a declasse elegance, and a finish that is pleasantly dry. 

Producer Description 

Akutain’s Rioja Reserva — a blend of Tempranillo with a touch of Garnacha and Viura — is fermented in a combination of stainless steel and fiberglass tanks, then aged for 35 months in predominantly neutral American oak with a small amount of French barrels. Mid-Ruby in color, this Reserva possesses a beautiful bouquet of ripe berry fruit mixed with notes of dried herbs, tobacco and rose petals.

The full-bodied palate displays concentrated flavors of black cherry, cooked-down strawberries and earth balanced by velvety, textured tannins. The finish exhibits enduring depth and complexity. The perfect companion to grilled, roasted or braised meats and game.

Winemaker Description

All the grapes are hand-harvested, from severely-pruned, low-yielding vines. The red Crozes-Hermitage grapes are not destemmed, i.e. 100% whole-cluster. They are loaded into lined concrete vats, and temperatures are brought down to 18°C for a 2 to 5 day pre-fermentation maceration. Once vinifications (indigenous yeast) get going, temperatures rise to 30°C, and cuvaison lasts 15 to 21 days. Aged for one year - 80% of them in one to 3 year old oak barrels, the remaining 20% in vat. They are given a light filtration but no fining before bottling.

Expert Ratings 

James Suckling 94 Points |  A very pure and floral nose with cherries, violets and plums as well. Medium body with velvety tannins and bright acidity. Such a succulent core of redcurrants and violets with minerality and a transparent character to the focused finish. Drink or hold. (2021). 

Wine Spectator 90 Points | Shows appealing sanguine, meaty character, with a core of steeped plum and a firming spine of iron. Well-defined, with chalky tannins, dried herbs, lavender and toasted apple wood. Drink now through 2030. 2,500 cases made, 500 cases imported. (2021). 

Producer Description 

An 80-20 blend of Marsanne and Roussanne, the 2022 Crozes Hermitage Blanc is a 50-50 blend of barrel-fermented and tank-fermented portions. Malolactic fermentation is blocked. It's a deep golden color, rich, broad and honeyed on the full-bodied palate, then finishes with a bit of white pepper and surprising zestiness.

Expert Reviews

James Suckling 95 Points | A fragrant nose of spiced cherries, ripe blackberries, dried herbs, baking spices and hints of earth follow through to a medium body with finely grained tannins. It has precision with a slight bitterness on the mid-palate. Layered and funnelled with a mineral edge. Long savory and spicy finish. Best after 2026.

Wine Advocate 93 Points | Sultry and smoldering, with incense and an attractive cherry and blackberry core. Powerful and densely packed on the smooth palate, with softening tannins still guiding the long, salty, iron-infused finish, which stands firm. Polished and well-crafted, with impressive texture. Drink now through 2032.

Winemaker Description

From two tiny parcels in St. Joseph, this is a slightly fresher, more early-drinking wine than the remarkable Crozes-Hermitage that constitutes the majority of Alain's production.

Winemaker Description

From two tiny parcels in Saint-Joseph, this is a slightly fresher, more early-drinking wine than the remarkable Crozes-Hermitage that constitutes the majority of Alain's production.

Winemaker Description

Alamos Malbec offers layers of dark cherry and blackberry and a velvety mouthfeel. Aromas of violet intertwine with spice and vanilla, while balanced tannins create a velvety mouthfeel and expansive finish. This Malbec delivers a complex fine red wine that pairs beautifully with a wide range of cuisine and goes beyond the expected. 

Critic Notes

Wine Advocate by Luis Gutierrez writes 90 Points | The fruit-driven, light and fresh 2022 Malbec is young and vibrant with a bright ruby color and a nose of red berries and violets, which is attractive. It's juicy and tasty, with a serious dry finish.

 
James Suckling 91 Points | Zekun Shuai writes:  A juicy malbec with hints of baked plums, cherries and a fine twist of spices. A hint of geraniums, too. Medium-bodied on the palate with well-grained tannins and a juicy finish. Drink now.

Winemaker Description 

Alavida Malbec is vibrant and dry, with black fruit and floral notes typical of a quality Malbec from our corner of the planet. Enjoy!

A spanish riff similar to the hebrew toast l’chaim! is an invitation to people everywhere to come together and share in the simple joys of good food and wine. argentina is a nation rich in diversity and our multi-cultural family at domaine bousquet has been making certified organic wines in argentina since 1997, when we began planting vines in the upper reaches of tupungato’s cool-climate gualtallary area.

USDA Organic certification.

Vineyards of the Uco Valley at the foot of the Andes at 1200 m.a.s.l. The low temperatures of the valley presents allow for an optimal development of the grapes, managing to develop their quality to the maximum. Gravel and sand Soil.

Winemaker Description

Mercurey was named after the Roman temple built here to honour the god Mercury. Boasting 650 ha (1,605 acres), 85 plots and 32 Premier Crus, Mercurey is the largest of the Côte Chalonnaise’s appellations.

Their vineyard of "Pierre Milley" is planted on the hillside where they benefit from southwest–western exposure. The soil is rich in clay and well drained due to its stony nature. The bedrock consists of compacted limestone with a few predominately marly limestone areas. 

Expert Review

90 Points Wine Spectator | A bright red, offering pure cherry, raspberry and violet flavors. Elegant and balanced, ending in a mouthwatering impression. (2020).

Our Professional Review

A blend of 40% Pinot Gris, 35% Muscat, 25% Riesling.  This is one of my favorite Alsace whites because of its amazingly fragrant nose of flowers, that I think the Muscat and Pinot Gris brings to this wine.  It is like smelling great perfume and when it enters your mouth you taste all the complex flavors the three grape varieties bring to the wine with the acidity of the Riesling making it both lush and crisp at the same time.  There is a certain creaminess and lushness that this particular wine envelopes your mouth with that makes me just love it.  Bernie, Follow the Drinker®

Winemaker Description - Importer Notes 

"The Edelzwicker, is a rare blend (one of two produced by Boxler) and often features fruit from his grand cru parcels. Jean Boxler says, “To find the right balance for the Edelzwicker Réserve, I cannot hesitate to steal from my more prestigious cuvées.”  Think of this bottling as his musical supergroup. Its purpose is to showcase what an Alsatian white tastes like when some of the region’s best grapes—which usually shine on their own—come together and harmonize. The result is a floral, luscious, and medium-bodied masterpiece, with notes of orchard fruit and tangerine. Incredibly versatile at table, it would be a match made in heaven with Chris Lee’s soufflé or a baked fish with grilled vegetables, but it would also complement a variety of Chinese, Indian, or Thai dishes that have a little spice." - Kermit Lynch

Winemaker Description 

100% Gewurztraminer from estate fruit averaging 35 years-old. Certified Organic and Biodynamic. White wine. Alsace, France. The 2022 vintage expresses a powerful and complex bouquet of exotic fruits, flowers, and spices. The enveloping palate strikes a delicate balance between power and finesse.

Domaine Albert Mann is heralded the world over as being in the top-tier of Alsace producers. Using organic methods guided by biodynamic practices, the Domaine cultivates precisely controlled yields to obtain grapes of elevated maturity and complexity, resulting in wines that produce their own unique style. Never heavy, clumsy or out of balance, each carefully-crafted vintage presents a beautiful delineation of flavors and precise textures. Winemaker Description. 

Producer Description 

Life is a blank slate – filled with possibilities, promise, and potential. It falls on us to take each step of our journey living life to the fullest and turning those myriad possibilities into the reality we desire. And that desire is at the heart of Aldez Blanco. Bottled directly after its second distillation, our Blanco pairs and blends perfectly with the possibilities that lie before each one of us.

With its flavors of pure agave, untouched by outside influences and unaged, Aldez Blanco is fresh and ready to join you in taking life by the reins and forging your own unique path. 

Winemaker Description 

This 100% Garnacha wine boasts a big, bold, and funky flavor with a touch of freshness. Its dense, fruity palate is complemented by a prolonged finish and ample acidity, preventing it from feeling too heavy.

The producer purposefully maintains some of the CO2 for a spritzy texture, giving it a slightly effervescent quality. For the full expression, allow it to aerate. The vineyards of Alfredo Maestro Tejero are nestled within the Ribera del Duero. These natural wines are produced without the addition of sulphur in either the vineyard or winery. All grapes are carefully hand-harvested.

Winemaker Description

Wine made with only grapes, well-kept vineyards, and healthy land.” 

This is the mantra of Castellano winegrower Alfredo Maestro, a bright light amongst an abyss of industrially farmed, over-ripe, over-oaked, and over-manipulated wine-scape that is the Ribera del Duero these days.   

Alfredo Maesto is a city man, who has become a farmer as a choice and not because of circumstances. He is guided by passion and love, which we find in each of his bottles. His production is mainly of reds (Tempranillo and Garnacha) which can be drank both young and aged; then there’s the LoveAmor, the albillo (white grapes) pure which surprises even the most demanding of tasters. Alfredo Maestro manages some vineyards near Madrid, but mainly in Castilla y Leon, in Penafel in the Ribera near Valladolid (the Spanish Bolgheri), land which has always celebrated the most famous Spanish reds. To process natural wines in this piece of land is like finding yourself on the frontline in the Caporetto battle and yet, Alfredo Maestro, teacher both in name and facts, acting as a righteous Charon he takes on the task of ferrying heretic sommeliers from vanilla wines with shavings icing towards the right way of pure, real wine. Winemaker Description. 

Winemaker Description 

Alix crafts this delicious and refined Sancerre Blanc in a gentle, flowery, mineral style. It is generous, yet perfectly balanced with a dry refreshing mineral finish, and it’s a terrific value. Serve with goat’s milk cheese, oysters, shellfish and white fishes, or as a the perfect aperitif.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2021

Alison Napjus writes:  Creamed black cherry and black raspberry fruit is structured by chewy tannins and fresh acidity in this balanced red. Shows a subtle underpinning of sanguine iron and earth accents, with appealing details of dark chocolate shavings, dried mint and anise that linger on the finish. Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Sangiovese. Drink now through 2029.  - Wine Spectator 90

James Suckling writes:  A fruity wine with bright raspberries, pressed flowers, bay leaves, sweet spice and forest floor. The attack is firm, with velvety tannins, a medium to full body and crisp acidity. Chewy with a chocolaty aftertaste. A bit chalky in the finish. Drinkable now, but best from spring 2025.  - James Suckling 92 

Expert Reviews

Wine Spectator 93 Points | The 2015 Mingortiz is pure Tempranillo from an organically farmed vineyard in Briones that gives the wine its name. It was planted in 1964, a south-facing plot with limestone-rich soils at 515 meters altitude that give the wine length and elegance. The uncrushed grapes fermented in an oak vat after a six-day cold soak. Malolactic was in barrel, same as the élevage, which was in brand new French barriques and lasted 16 months. 

Wine Enthusiast 93 Points | Finca Allende wines are back in the U.S., and 2015 is a fine vintage to debut this single-vineyard Tempranillo. Its ripe aromas suggest berry and prune, with floral highlights. Lemony acidity bolsters its warm, toasty blackberry and plum flavors. Agile in build, it shifts gears like a fine-tuned transmission. 

Winemaker Notes:

Alois Lageder Terra Alpina Pinot Bianco is brilliant straw yellow in color; fruity aromas of apples and peaches; medium- bodied with vibrant acidity and a fresh mouth-watering finish.
Great as an aperitif or with starters, salads, and all kind of seafood and pasta dishes.

Winemaker Description

A vibrant bouquet of fresh red and  black fruits with floral notes and a hint  of pepper. It is medium-bodied, has a  moderate amount of gentle yet grippy  tannins and refreshing acidity. 

Winemaker Description

Bright purple-red color. Complex, typical bouquet of small berries red fruits, leather and spices (vanilla, pepper, clove), with hints of ripe blackberry. Full mouth, rounded tannins, balanced acidity and well integrated wood tones. Long aftertaste with intense quince aroma.

Expert Reviews

Decanter 95 Points | Gorgeous aromatics of pot pourri, wild strawberry and red cherry. Vibrant and bright with well-managed tannins, plenty of juicy and crunchy fruit and refreshing acidity. (2019).

Wine & Spirits 92 Points | This has more to it than its super-friendly face initially lets on. Give it some air and flavors emerge from under that bright cherry-red fruit—some of xinomavro’s telltale tomato-leaf and lamb-fat notes, carried on a fine burr of tannins. Inviting and complex. (2019).