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Expert Reviews - Vintage 2023

The Wine Advocate 92 Points | The Alta Mora 2023 Etna Bianco is 100% Carricante that is aged in stainless steel on the fine lees for 10 months. The fruit used here represents an informal blend from the Contrade Arrigo, Verzelle and Piano dei Daini. This wine shows a golden straw color with medium texture and a little extra heft from a hot vintage that you feel over the palate. It offers waxy aromas of sweet peach and poached pear. There is more richness here compared to your standard Etna Bianco.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019

The Wine Advocate 97 Points |  From a beautiful site that must be seen to be believed, the Altesino 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Montosoli is redolent with dark fruit, blackcurrant and crushed slate. The mineral element of Montosoli and its schistic galestro-rich soils comes through beautifully in this vintage to add a linear sense of immediacy and verticality to the bouquet. The mouthfeel is especially elegant, and the wine's acidity is delivered expertly to showcase freshness but more importantly to highlight the quality of the fruit. The effect is very tonic and bright, and you get hints of baked brioche or oven-baked Italian focaccia bread, thanks to careful aging in Slavonian oak. This is a 12,000-bottle release.

Vinous 97 Points | An enticing blend of steeped plums, blood orange, sage and sweet smoke makes the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Montosoli a total pleasure on the nose. Elegant and soothing, it flows across the palate with a silken wave of ripe red fruits and spices as saline minerals slowly saturate under an air of violet inner florals.

Decanter 95 Points | Elisabetta Gnudi took over the Altesino estate in 1992 and has continued with the Montosoli bottling, which has been produced since 1975. The 2019, harvested at the very end of September, is introverted to start with but the nose eventually hints at porcini with liquorice root and bark. Sleek cherry and raspberry provide the backdrop on the palate, yet that appealing earthy tone pervades. Racy with smooth, vertical tannins clinging in all the right places, it displays cleverly balanced structure and stuffing.

Winemaker Description 

One of the most sought after wines from Montalcino, Montosoli is consistently a blockbuster red. Its intense ruby red color tends towards elegant garnet with age. On the nose, it shows a complex personality with a delicious blend of black cherry, raspberry, violet, licorice, vanilla and black pepper. Extremely enticing, opulent and elegant on the palate, with a warm, long-lasting finish, Montosoli is a wine for special occasions

Pair this wine with beef bourguignon and stroganoff, lamb shank, and roasted rabbit.

Warehouse stored item - please allow three to five business days to fulfill.

Locos por el Vino” is a new project from Bodegas Alto Moncayo, aiming to expand their range with high-quality, modern and casual wines produced from the winery’s youngest vineyards, guaranteeing the continuity of the Alto Moncayo project for future generations to come. 

Winemaker Description 

Appearance : Opaque red-black. Scarlet rim. Aroma: Initially closed. The wine opens to an amalgam of minerals and unctuous super-ripe berries. Palate : Deep, rich and ripe. Black fruits (cherries, plums) give way to hints of liquorice, molasses and a hint of cinnamon. Solid tannins and focused acidity with a long finish.

Tasting notes | Deep, rich, and ripe. Black fruits (cherries, plums) give way to hints of licorice, molasses, and a hint of cinnamon. Solid tannins and focused acidity with a long finish.

Warehouse stored item - please allow three to five business days to fulfill.

Great aromatic intensity of ripe black fruits, blackberries, prunes, black liquorice and spices. The palate is powerful, with big sweet tannins; creamy mouthfeel with a round, long and silky finish.

Locos por el Vino” is a new project from Bodegas Alto Moncayo, aiming to expand their range with high-quality, modern and casual wines produced from the winery’s youngest vineyards, guaranteeing the continuity of the Alto Moncayo project for future generations to come. A tribute to the winery founder & majority owner, Jose Miguel Sanmartin, "Gruñón" is a term for a person who is grumpy, yet has a twinkle in their eye—a duality that brings complexity and depth.

Winemaker Description

It has a bright ruby red color with light violet hues. The first approach on the nose is intense, revealing notes of anise, cardamom, cherry, thyme, fresh plum, jarilla and orange peel. On the palate, it has a fluid structure and supple tannins.

 It is a wine with energy, a pleasure wine that makes you want to drink it. An honest Malbec, made from organically grown grapes.

Winemaker Description

Dark ruby in color, it offers aromas of crushed herbs with hints of black pepper. Silky smooth mouth feel with concentrated smoky black fruit and earthy flavors, with silky tannins and a long finish.

Expert Review

Michael Schachner of The Wine Enthusiast 89 Points | A cloudy brown color along with nutty, slightly fiery aromas of caramel and cocoa open this aggressive oloroso with somewhat sharp acidity. A narrow flavor profile includes toffee, mushroom and orange peel, while saltiness drives a tannic finish.

Expert Review

Michael Schachner of The Wine Enthusiast writes 88 Points | Mildly oxidized aromas of honeyed fruits and salt water are less alert than ideal, while this feels plump but without intense acidic cut. Toffee and caramel flavors include a note of white mushroom, while this golden Manzanilla feels dry and tastes a bit like fresh butter on the finish.

Winemaker Description 

Manzanilla La Jaca is the most famous wine from Bodegas Álvaro Domecq, together with the Fino La Janda. Last year all of the entry-level wines (not the ‘1730’ series) were given a modern, graphical label with abstract motifs and bold colours.

La Jaca is around four years old.

Expert Review 

Michael Schachner of The Wine Enthusiast writes 90 Points | A tan-gold color and oily aromas of almond and walnut open this surprisingly refined Fino. Flavors of butter, peanut and baked apple turn smokier and huskier as this sits, while nut flavors control an expansive finish.

Winemaker Description 

Alvear Fino is straw in color. Clean and tangy with a refreshing finish and a softness which makes it delightfully easy to drink. Perfect as a chilled Aperitif, accompanied by Tapas of olives or shellfish. Serve Chilled. Treat as a white wine. 

Winemaker Description 

A fresh, floral bouquet with notes of acacia flowers, this dry white wine is well-balanced with lively white fruit flavors. Harvested from Italy’s premier regions for the cultivation of Pinot Grigio, the grapes are vinified in stainless steel and released soon after the vintage to preserve the integrity of the fruit and maintain the naturally fresh character of the variety. Alverdi Pinot Grigio is an excellent aperitif.

Winemaker Description 

Harvested from Italy's premier regions for the cultivation of Pinot Grigio, the grapes are vinified in stainless steel and released soon after the vintage to preserve the integrity of the fruit and maintain the naturally fresh character of the variety.

Alverdi Pinot Grigio is an excellent aperitif. A fresh, floral bouquet with notes of acacia flowers, this dry white wine is well-balanced with lively white fruit flavors.

Produced Description 

Italian citrus, ginger, and honeysuckle, with freshness reminiscent of an early morning breeze after a light rain.

Hits the tongue lean and unfolds across the palate with a variety of bitter citrus elements and a medium bodied weight. An elevated, mouth- smacking acidity gives way to layers of zest and pith, but with an underlying sweetness that provides balance and begets another taste.

Unlike the neon shade of other Amaros on the market, Amante’s orange is a beautiful “sunset” color, reminiscent of the Italian golden hour. 

Producer Description 

Mezcal Amaras Cupreata is a unique, artisanal mezcal made from the Cupreata agave, which is native to the mountains of Guerrero, Mexico. This mezcal has a rich, smoky flavor profile with earthy and herbal notes, balanced by a subtle sweetness.

It is crafted using traditional methods, including slow roasting the agave in earthen pits and distilling it in copper stills. The result is a smooth, complex spirit with hints of citrus, agave sweetness, and a long, smoky finish. Ideal for sipping or in cocktails.

Producer Description 

Full bodied with caramel Amarás Reposado grants you entrance to the world of mezcal with its smooth and mellow notes. Handcrafted using the same fine agave Espadín, only this time, it's matured in our barrels carved from 2 different types of Oak.

During this process, it shades into an elegant, light-tanned and natural amber tone, after being left for a minimum of 3 months to adjust itself into our beloved Amarás Reposado.

Producer Description 

Amargo-Vallet Angostura is a bitter liqueur made from Angostura bark and a maceration of cherry fruits, cloves and other roots and spices. Herbal notes of bittersweet dark chocolate and citrus rind balance an earthly richness to create this delightful elixir.

Warehouse stored item - please allow two to five business days to fulfill.

Amaro 72 is an amaro with perfect balance: neither too bitter nor too sweet. 

Powerful entry of fresh herbs and clove Round mid-palate showing sweet characters of cooked spice Delightful, fresh mint finish.

Expert Review

94 Points Tasting Panel | At 46 proof, Montenegro has become one of the leading amari and is extremely popular with mixologists. The sarsaparilla nose is iconic, the palate and experience of bitters and sweets, intertwined with twists and turns, from chocolate to root vegetable to orange zest.

Producer Description 

Soft and silky mouthfeel with a satisfying balance between sweet and bitter notes. Its well- balanced sweetness merges with the other ingredients, fading in a pleasantly bitter finish. Citrus entry with a high level of complexity. Sweet and bitter oranges leave room for motes of lime and mandarin. The herbaceous aroma of marjoram and thyme is gently overcome by spiced, basalmic blends of incense and eucalyptus. Complex roasted notes complete an elegant finish reminiscent of undergrowth and mineral tones. Amber-colored and bright with delicate mahogany transparencies on the outer edges. 

This annotated anthology presents a new perspective about the world-famous Madeira Wine, once widely praised and consumed in the United States of America. It produces the result of an in-depth research in primary 19th century American sources, through which one can see the paramount importance this wine once had in American society, from early Colonial days until the mid 1800's, when its sales started to decline due to the disease that destroyed the island's vineyards in 1852.

This book aims at reviving to the present generation a wide variety of forgotten facts and narratives concerning this product of excellence which is still made at the far-off Madeira island, and still reaches the American shores.

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James Suckling 94 Points | A classic, sophisticated and detailed wine that's fragrant in mint and and spices, rich and layered in flavors. So deep and lush, with black cherries, blueberries, spearmint, cocoa and coffee crema. Aged in all-new French oak.

Warehouse stored item - please allow one to three business days to fulfill.

James Suckling 93 Points | An enticing but well-balanced wine that combines a super-creamy texture with vivid tropical fruit, poached pears and baking spices. It's all barrel-fermented in about 30% oak and shows the characteristic toast, dough and light butter notes of an excellent chardonnay. Affordable for the quality. Drink now or hold.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2023 

Jeb Dunnuck 91-93 Points | A ripe, opulent second wine, the 2022 Amiral De Beychevelle offers lots of black cherry, mulberry, and plum-like fruits as well as some floral, violet, and graphite nuances. It's medium to full-bodied, has elegant, silky tannins, and a great finish. It's one heck of a sexy, already hard to resist second wine that should keep for 10-12 years, if not longer.

James Suckling 91-92 Points | Very refined and pretty already with linear fine tannins that run the length of the wine. Medium body. Attractive finish. 65% cabernet sauvignon and 35% merlot.

Expert Description

Bart Hopkins 67Wine.com | Ampeleia Estate Unlitro is a light, earthy, natural blend of Alicante (Grenache), Mourvedre, Carignano, Sangiovese and Alicante Bouschet from the Tuscan Coast made by Biodynamic wine grower Elisabetta Foradori. The Ampeleia Estate consists of 150 hectares of which 35 are planted to vines and the remainder to wheat, legumes, vegetables, olive groves, woodlands and animals. This vivacious red, which boasts a modest 12% alcohol, sees no oak during production, keeping it agile, light on its feet and almost too easily quaffable.

Aromas of forest flowers, strawberry blossoms, earthy blood plums and delicate spices open up on the nose with crisp, peppery fruit refreshing the palate complimented by invigorating acidity and gentle tannins on the finish.

Not a trace of heaviness, just a pure, natural expression of organic grape growing and harmonious winemaking done with lots of love.

Serve chilled, pour generously, and pair it with just about anything! 

Expert Review - Vintage 2024

Winemaker's Description

To bring on the table a one-litre flask is an ancient tradition, and a symbol of conviviality. Hence the name Unlitro, a bottle whose shape and size recall the joy and carefreeness of being together.

This is a wine that comes from our youngest vineyard, the closest to the sea; from a blend of Alicante Nero, Mourvèdre, Sangiovese and Alicante Bouschet. It's a wine that testifies to our desire to express the territory in a more gentle and immediate way, without losing the character of a classic Tuscan wine.

But Unlitro is more than that: it is also a project created to bring together the forces of Tuscan winemakers closest to the values of Ampeleia and support them in the development of organic methods which combines respect and quality.

Memo Summary Notes

Varietals - Grenache, Cannonau, Garnacha, Carignano, Mourvedre, Sangiovese, Alicante Bouschet.

Organic, Biodynamic, Woman Winemaker

Winemaker Description 

Kisi is one an indigenous varietal native of the Republic of Georgia. Petnat also known as "Petulant Natural Method Ancestral" is the original sparkling wine. Kisi is farmed in a biodynamic, regenerative vineyard planted over a dried up river bed.

The fruit is hand harvested and the wine is skin contact macerated in qvevri. Qvevri's are amphora buried in ground to control their temperature. Once the is done its maceration and still undergoing spontaneous, wild yeast fermentation, its bottled prematurely without additives and allowed to finish its fermentation in the bottle.

This Kisi has a fine bubbles, is dry and textured from skin contact, with crisp green apple and pear aromas and flavors. A fabulous alternative to Champagne.

Memo Summary Notes

Anapea Village Kisi Pet-Nat 2024 is a vibrant, natural sparkling wine from the Kakheti region of Georgia. Crafted by winemaker Khatia Darguashvili, this wine is a "Pétillant Naturel" (naturally sparkling) made from the indigenous Kisi grape, utilizing ancient Georgian techniques adapted for a modern, bubbly style.

Winemaker Description 

Anapea Villlage Qarvani produces Natural Wines exclusively using Georgian traditional methods.  The winery uses 2 sets of Qvevris for both fermentation (6 months on skins) and aging. All farming is organic and biodynamic and the winery is a member, and strict adherent, of the Georgia Natural Wine Association.

Mouth is soft and rich with well expressed aromas of white cherry jam, ripe tropical fruits backed by lively acidity and long finish. Velvety bouquet, velvety fruit tones. 

Memo Summary Notes

The Anapea Village Mtsvane 2020 is a traditional Georgian "Amber" (orange) wine produced in the Kvareli micro-zone of Kakheti. Winemaker Khatia Darguashvili is renowned for her strict adherence to ancient methods, producing wines that are essentially "time capsules" of Georgian history.

It is bone-dry with a "crunchy" texture. You’ll find notes of yellow plum, citrus zest, and tropical guava, balanced by the firm, tea-like tannins derived from the long skin contact.

Winemaker Description

This wine is made in accordance with Georgia’s ancient winemaking traditions. Organic farming and fermented in a set of Qvevri’s (aka Kvevri’s) designed for fermentation and another set of Qvevri’s designed for aging. Bottled with minimal to no sulfur and no filtering or fining. Result is clean, concentrated and balanced. 6 months on skins. Dry, deep amber, nose of honey, fruit, nuts. Bold depth and slight minerality.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022 

The Tasting Panel 92 Points | Quintessential aromas of ripe berries and plum are joined by vanilla and peppercorn in this textbook Zin grown on the most southerly estate vineyard in Paso Robles 14 miles from the Pacific. The result is a red of effusive energy and real charm that's fruit-forward enough to sip on its own yet has sufficient spice and structure to stand up to grilled meats.

The Wine Spectator 89 Points | Snappy and briary, with user-friendly raspberry and green peppercorn flavors that end with zesty tannins. Drink now through 2030. 4,008 cases made.

Winemaker Description

A dominant fruitiness (blackcurrant, cherry), blackberries with a small spicy note. A supple and round on the palate with melted tannins and a beautiful length with a lot of finesse.

Perfect with red meats, either grilled or roasted, cold cuts, vegetable salads, meat or poultry tarts, simmered beef and vegetables (pot-au-feu). Veal, cold tabbouleh, or hard cheeses like Gouda.

Warehouse stored item - please allow one to three business days to fulfill.

James Suckling 93 Points | A very rich texture wraps around subtle fruity and savory flavors that are as ripe as melons and florals and as complex as hay, earth and green tea. A white Rhone-style blend with a full body, good viscosity and a mouth-coating feel that make a big impression. Drink now or hold.

Warehouse stored item - please allow one to three business days to fulfill.

The Syrah Tous les Jours is a quintessential Santa Ynez Valley Syrah. It is simultaneously Bold and Balanced, Rich and Smooth, Fruit Forward and Earthy. It is impossibly dark and full-bodied, without ever going over the top. It is heavily inspired by Northern Rhone Syrah (Hermitage) and Australian Shiraz (Barossa Valley). The aromas and flavors are dominated by black cherry, raspberry, white pepper, forest floor and toasty oak. It is a unique and special expression of Syrah, perfected by us over the past 3 decades. Moreover, it is a style that one can enjoy every day.

VINEYARDS

The carefully selected vineyard sites are the genius of this wine. Each site is situated in a distinct and unique part of the Santa Ynez Valley. They are all impeccably farmed using sustainable practices to provide modest yields of rich, dark, balanced Syrah. Most of the Syrah comes from the Foxen Canyon corridor, adjacent to my old vineyard. This cooler climate location imparts some wonderful savory characters, ideal natural acidity and color, and rich black cherry quality. Next, we look to warmer sites (like Los Olivos) to provide upfront fruit and mouthfeel. Careful blending yields an insanely dark color, riper cherry, raspberry, white pepper and floral notes, all with an incredibly refreshing, balanced and age worthy natural acidity.

WINEMAKING

Each vineyard site and sub-block is carefully hand-picked at optimum ripeness and field sorted during the cold nights typical to the SYV. We then gently sort, destem and partially crush the Syrah. (We also employ some partial-whole-cluster winemaking as well.) Each unique site, clone, and rootstock combination is open-top fermented in small tanks for 2-3 weeks, with lots of oversight and little to no intervention. After a gentle pressing, the wine is aged in French oak barrels for 16 months.

AN AFFORDABLE LUXURY

The quality and drinkability of this Syrah is informed by 30+ years of winemaking experience. Consumers and critics alike keep telling us that we should charge more for this highly revered and awarded wine. We would rather it remain an “Affordable Luxury” that can be consumed “Tous les Jours” (Every Day)!

“Peppery black and blue fruits, violets, bay leaf, and some gamey notes all emerge from the 2022 Syrah Tous Les Jours, a 100% Syrah that has medium-bodied richness, a round, supple, juicy mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's a gorgeous Syrah as well as a smoking value.”

92 Points Jeb Dunnuck

“The 2022 Syrah Tous Les Jours is a fabulous entry-level offering from Andrew Murray. A blast of dark cherry, plum, mocha, scorched earth, licorice, spice and espresso are all dialed up. It's an unreal value. “This gets a lot of really good stuff," Murray adds. No kidding. That's patently obvious. Considering fruit costs, at its retail price, the margins on this wine are close to zero. Production of 8500 cases means there’s plenty to go around.”

92 Points Antonio Galloni for Vinous

“This is one of the better Syrah deals on the planet. Cool-climate aromas of white pepper, herb and tar give edge to the richer berry and cherry elements on the nose. The palate dances across the tongue with vibrant acidity and flavors of cracked pepper, thyme and dark pomegranate.  Editors’ Choice.”

92 Points Wine Enthusiast – Editors’ Choice