Products

Manchego (raw sheep’s milk, Spain)

Widely hailed as the best Manchego available outside of Spain, this farmstead classic is full of subtle herbal and citrusy overtones. - Martin Johnson, Cheesemonger at 67Gourmet

Full description

There are less than ten cheesemakers left in Spain making farmstead PDO Manchego artesano with a natural rind like the one we offer at Essex St. Cheese. Farmstead means the animals live at the same farm where the cheese is made. PDO Manchego artesano is the Spanish government's seal of approval saying this is the real deal, the same great cheese that Don Quixote enjoyed hundreds of years ago. A natural rind—unwaxed, not the artificial brown like most Manchegos you see—allows the cheese to breathe; the cut cheese's aroma is clean, it smells like hay and almonds.

Buttery, herbal and smooth, this sheep's milk Aged Gouda hails from the caves of master affineur Betty Koster, and it brims with supple delight on the palate.  Pair with your favorite Northern Italian red wine.

Martin Johnson, Cheesemonger

Expert Review

Falstaff 90 Points | Medium yellow-green, silver shimmers. Scents of fine yellow apple fruit, some passion fruit, orange zest and meadow herbs. On the palate, medium body, fresh and lively, fine white tropical fruit nuances, lemony aftertaste, already easy to drink.

Winemaker Description 

The Etz estate consists of 30 hectares of vineyards in the Kamptal region of Austria, and are known for producing exceptional Grüner Veltliner. Franz Etz, the proprietor of the estate, gained international recognition when he bested 600 other Grüner Veltliners in a blind tasting competition by 14 of the world's top sommeliers. After, he created a special one-liter bottling of his fruit, called Grüner, for the U.S. market.

Producer Description 

Here’s a whiskey with great finesse. In the world of bourbons, this one is among the most subtly complex-especially in its spicy notes. It’s a well-balanced bourbon-and at a great price too! I’ve tried all the vintages to date, and this one the best. 

Expert Review

96–100 Points Wine Enthusiast | The opening aromas are complex, including milk chocolate, marshmallow and freshly mown hay. Palate entry is sweet and mildly oaky; by midpalate, there’s an embers-glow warmth, followed by woodsy tastes of vanilla and almond butter. Finish shows a touch of honey. 

Producer Description 

Bottled at 100 proof and aged at least 4 years, this bourbon is smooth and warm with notes of caramel, vanilla, oak, and citrus.

It has won the coveted Double Gold Medal at the 2021 edition of the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. 

Winemaker Description

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. 

Expert Review

Vinous 94 Points | Shimmering red. Spice-accented raspberry and cherry aromas, along with a powerful floral topnote that gains power as the wine opens up. Silky and energetic on the palate, offering alluringly sweet, sharply delineated red fruit, spicecake and rose pastille flavors that show a suave blend of depth and litheness. Fine-grained tannins build slowly on a very long, spice-tinged finish that shows excellent clarity and a zesty mineral quality. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2021

The Wine Advocate 93 Points | The NV Vin Mousseux Brut Methode Traditionelle La Cravantine is a pale rosé colored Cabernet Franc sparkling wine with a very delicate mousse. Fermented on the bottle with its own residual sugar from the first alcohol fermentation and after at least one year sur lattes, the wine opens with an intense yet fine and elegant brioche and ripe apple bouquet. On the palate, this is an intense, round and textural, highly delicate fizz with a super elegant and refined mousse and a long, intense and aromatic, sustainably structured finish. A fabulous wine for aperitifs, breakfasts and desserts. 12% alcohol.

Winemaker Description 

This exquisite Cab Franc rose is both serious and delicious. Notes of strawberry and white peach but very clean and mineral on the palette with a wonderfully long finish. 

Producer Description 

Centerbe Faccia Brutto is our take on a European herbal liqueur that is both refreshing and delicious. A number of fresh and dried herbs are used in the blend and macerated in non-GMO neutral grain spirit.

The dried botanicals like lemon balm, anise hyssop, nettles and coriander are macerated for a full week, while the fresh herbs like parsley, tarragon, bay leaves and marjoram are left overnight to preserve color and freshness. The resulting tincture is proofed down and sweetened with organic cane sugar and bottled at a rousing 45% abv. 

Winemaker Description

100% Pinot Noir 60% estate grown fruit from Olivet Ranch vineyard in the Russian River Valley and 40% from Failla’s other single vineyard sources.

Expert Review

Vinous 92 Points by Antonio Galloni  | The Failla Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast is a fabulous wine at this level. Sweet spices, rose petal, mint and succulent cherry/plum notes all lift from the glass. Supple and beautifully layered throughout, the Sonoma Coast hits all the right notes. A final burst of fruit rushes across the palate on the refreshing, inviting wine. There is so much to like.

Winemaker Description

Bright and aromatic with notes of pomegranate, orange zest, bright cherries, and dried herbs. This wine perfectly emphasizes the essence of the Willamette Valley.

Winemaker Description

Medium dry with a full body. Blended and aged for a mellow, nutty flavor. 

Winemaker Description

Harvest is done by hand to select the best fruit. Only the most mature berries are chosen, it is followed by a secondary selection to avoid any compromise on quality. Wild yeasts (pied de cuve) that are naturally present on the skins of the berries are used to obtain exceptional wines that really reflect the terroir with complex flavors and texture. After resting with the skins for 30 days, the juice is fermented in Troncais barrels of French oak barrels for 12-15 days with frequent pump overs. The wine then ages 18 months in Slavonian oak barrels and at least an additional 6 months in the bottle.

The end result is a wine with garnet color with red fruit and cassis aromas
with licorice, smoke and caramel notes with silky tannins.

Critic Notes

Zekun Shuai writes:  A bright and juicy Rioja Crianza with some refined oak that adds a discreet creaminess to the vibrant red fruit. Plums, cherries and a hint of tobacco. Medium-bodied, with a juicy palate and a long, creamy finish, featuring bright red berries, cherries and vanilla at the end. Drink now.  - James Suckling 91

Joaquin Hidalgo writes:  The 2019 Crianza Altos Ibéricos is a Tempranillo from Rioja Alta and Alavesa, aged for 12 months in French and American oak barrels. With a garnet hue, it features blackberry and herb aromas, with subtle cherry notes. Dry and plush on the palate, it leaves a balanced and lingering impression with an expressive final whiff.  Drinking 2024 to 2029.  - Vinous 90

Winemaker Notes

The wine has a dark cherry red color that is very opaque. It has intense and fragrant aromas, with exquisite fruit notes of raspberry jam and spicy hints of green peppercorn. There is also a pleasant note that reminds of toasted bread. On the palate, the wine is warm and has velvety, juicy tannins that are well balanced by the oak aging. 

Winemaker Description

Impressive dark cherry red color with great depth. Seductive floral and dark fruits (cassis, blackberry jam) aromas with undertones of Mediterranean woodland (eucalyptus) and spices (white pepper). Delicate, yet flavorful on the palate with a backbone of very fine-grained tannins and an elegant persistence that culminates — true to its name — in a chorus of aromas and flavors.

Expert Reviews

James Suckling 92 Points | Sweet cherries and berries on the nose with rose petals and lavender. Medium to full body, firm and chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Another year or two will soften this. Try after 2021. (2018). 

Wine Spectator 90 Points | A toasty red, with smoke, mocha, grilled herb and iron notes accenting baked black cherry and plum fruit. Dense and medium- to full-bodied, with fine-grained tannins firming the tightly meshed finish. Carignan, Grenache and Syrah. Drink now through 2028. 5,100 cases made, 250 cases imported. (2018).

Producer Description 

Here the delicate color of Sauvignon appears, pale yellow notes, delicate and subtle, with greenish notes. On the nose, tropical fruits appear, citrus fruits such as grapefruit, and at the end very subtle herbaceous notes, the palate is sweet, intense, with a fresh and interesting acidity, which leaves a very balanced finish, perfect to enjoy at any time.

Our Professional Review

Rand Sieger 67Wine.com | This is about as good as a mosel riesling under $20 can be. Rarely do you find a Spätlese of this quality for such a low price. Classic mosel with bright white currant fruit, clover honey, and an energetic undercurrent of lime zest and slatey minerality. It really explodes on the palate with juicy, mouth watering fruit and the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity.

Try this paired with breaded, deep-fried button mushrooms dipped in tartar sauce. The combination will make you smile.

Winemaker Description 

The Rauen family in the Mosel has been growing grapes for many generations but began bottling their own wine only in 1983. When Harald Rauen took the reins from his father more than 30 years ago, the first thing he did with their vineyards in the slate-rich soils of Detzem and Thornich was to reduce the yields in the vineyards to concentrate on quality instead of bulk. The result has been a line of classically clean and elegant Rieslings. His Spatlese is light-bodied and zesty, just a touch sweet, with notes of apricot, lime, and flint.

Our Professional Review

Rand Sieger from 67Wine.com writes | 'Alte Reben' is German for 'Old Vines.'  This estate grown and bottled Riesling comes from a small family winery in the lower Mosel in the tiny village Thörnich.  Discover the beautiful balance and energy of this dry riesling that drinks way above its price point. 

Winemaker Description 

Dessert wine made from particularly sweet and aromatic grapes. Notes of peach, citrus and honey.