3297 products
Glenrothes 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch 750ml
Producer Description
Try The Glenrothes 18 Year Old and you’ll be enormously impressed by this whisky’s exquisite character and balance. Aromas of orange oil, vanilla pods, pear and almonds open the experience. On the palate, notes of pears, vanilla, sweet ginger and rosewater culminate in a finish that is long, elegant and slightly peppery. A must try.
Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz 2020 750ml
Winemaker Description
This fresh, fruity, semi-sweet wine displays aromas and flavors of ripe, juicy berries with dark chocolate undertones.
The perfect balance between sweetness and acidity makes for a refreshing approachability. It is a versatile food wine, best served slightly chilled.
Hornitos PLATA Tequila 100% Puro Agave 1.0L LITER
Expert Review
Wine Enthusiast 89 Points | For those who prefer their Tequila with a sweeter side, this blanco offers a vanilla-marshmallow scent, which is echoed on the silky palate alongside coconut and pineapple, finishing with hints of cinnamon and lemon peel. Recommended for tropical drinks.
Producer Description
For a smooth tasting tequila made from 100% blue agave, look no further than our Plata. This tequila has a clean, lively flavor with floral and herbal notes. Enjoyable from start to finish.
Galliano Ristretto 375ml
Expert Review
Wine Enthusiast 91 Points | Sip or mix this deep brown liqueur. The scent is sweet and coffee-like, interwoven with hints of dark chocolate and blackberry. The palate surprises with a distinct, assertive anise twang. Finishes long, with anise, espresso and dark chocolate.
Produced Description
True Italian espresso liqueur made with two types of espresso beans: Robusta from Kenya and Arabica from Columbia for an invigorating bold flavor. Producer Description.
Cakebread Cellars "Dancing Bear Ranch" Howell Mountain 2017 750ml
Critic Notes
97 Pts | Jeb Dunnuck writes: The top Cabernet is the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Dancing Bear Ranch, which comes all from the Howell Mountain AVA. It's another inky colored beauty boasting a terrific perfume of black and blue fruits, ground herbs, spice box, graphite, and forest floor. With brilliant minerality on the palate as well as full-bodied richness and an expansive, opulent texture, it has sweet tannins and is approachable today, yet will benefit from short-term cellaring and cruise for 25-30 years. It's one of the few 2017s to come close to its 2016 counterpart. Bravo! Drinking 2024 to 2054. Jeb Dunnuck 97
95+ Pts | Lisa Perrotti-Brown writes: Bottled only three weeks ago, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Dancing Bear Ranch is composed of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 1% Merlot, having spent 22 months in 60% new French oak. Very deep garnet-purple in color, it reveals beautiful notions of kirsch, red and black currant preserves, raspberry pie and warm plums with hints of red roses, stewed tea, underbrush and cinnamon stick. Medium-bodied, the palate has wonderful red fruit and floral intensity intermingled with black fruits, framed by firm, grainy tannins and a wicked backbone of freshness, finishing very long and mineral laced. Very different from the epic 2016 Dancing Bear, but very exciting! Drinking 2020 to 2038. - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 95+
93 Pts | Antonio Galloni writes: The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Dancing Bear ranch is a gorgeous Howell Mountain red. Succulent black cherry, plum, licorice, spice, new leather, rose petal and blood orange all run through this deep, resonant, unctuous Cabernet Sauvignon from Cakebread. This is a very pretty wine. Drinking 2022 to 2032. - Vinous 93
James Suckling writes: Polished, intense aromas of ripe blackcurrant, blackberry jam, pine and walnut. It’s full-bodied with tight, fine-grained tannins. Rich wood-spice and stewed-fruit flavors. 89% cabernet sauvignon, 10% cabernet franc and 1% merlot. Drink now. - James Suckling
James Molesworth writes: Lively, with currant, plum and loganberry notes mixed with light bramble and licorice root accents. Fairly open in feel for Howell Mountain, with just a light tarry edge holding the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Drink now through 2026. - Wine Spectator
Old Forester Bourbon 86 Proof 1.0L LITER
Produced Description
Sharp and sweet, with a strong floral character that swirls with hints of mint, rich tobacco leaf and vanilla. A touch of oak and pine provides a strong underpinning. Sharp at first, but softens quickly, with hints of oak, sweet corn and rye grain character. Spicy, with soft vanilla and light orange notes. Long, warm and slightly drying. Nice level of sweetness.
E. Guigal LIEU-DIT Saint Joseph 2019 750ml
Expert Reviews
Wine Advocate 92 Points | Scents of pencil shavings join heady cassis notes on the nose of Guigal's 2019 Saint-Joseph Lieu-Dit Saint-Joseph, sourced from the former estates of Grippat and de Vallouit. Aged half in new oak and half in second-fill barrels, it's full-bodied, rich and ripe, with a velvety mouthfeel and a lingering finish. (2019).
Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points | The 2019 Saint Joseph Lieu-Dit Saint Joseph ratchets everything up a notch and has an almost flamboyant style in its sunny red and black fruits, spice, smoked game and flowery incense aromas and flavors. It's full-bodied, has sweet tannins, a round, sexy profile, and a great finish. The oak here is also perfectly integrated. Drink this beauty any time over the coming 10-15 years. (2019).
Onabay Merlot Great Blue Heron North Fork 2018
Winemaker Notes
From hand-harvested vines on the North Fork of Long Island. The grapes were entirely destemmed to add emphasis on the fruit profile. The wine was aged in French oak (20% new) for 17 months. Excellent with steak and fries.
Onabay combines vines planted in the 1990s and high density, high quality selected clones, crating a perfect balance. This wine in fact is well balanced with flavors of plum and liquorice and a mineral finish. All supported by a smooth tannin. Earthy and velvety at the same time, typical qualities of good Merlot. Winemaker Description.
Onabay Vineyards' nineteen acres are dedicated to growing the best Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Chardonnay grapes the vintage allows. Onabay combines original plantings from the 1990s with more recent high density plantings of the highest quality clonal selections. This synthesis gives Onabay the advantage of consistently harvesting balanced, flavorful grapes that surpass the region's expectations.
Brad Anderson is committed to growing, producing and bottling world-class wines with the help of a very talented team, including vintner Bruce Schneider, winemaker/grape grower John Leo, and viticulturalist, Bill Ackermann. Francesca Anderson, renowned botanical artist, created the drawings of herons that make the Onabay labels so distinctive. Daughter, Mia C. Anderson's poems also grace the labels. A published poet, Mia's love of natural history and environmental themes lend themselves perfectly to the Onabay mission.
Chiara Anderson Edmands oversees the marketing of Onabay Vineyards. She and her husband, Ben, delight in pairing the family wines with the delicious bounty of the North Fork. And their three children are growing up immersed in the natural magic of this land, where winter snow leads to spring blossoms, and summer exuberance yields sweet ripe grapes.
Two generations of Andersons are now involved in artisanal winemaking. The third generation may soon be prepared to continue that commitment. Winemaker Description.
Tormaresca Castel del Monte Bocca di Lupo Puglia Organic 2015 750ml
Expert Review - Vintage 2015
Wine Spectator 91 Points: A fresh and elegant red, with a lovely range of spice, graphite and violet aromas wafting through notes of pure black cherry and mineral. Long and creamy, with fine-grained tannins firming the herb-laced finish. Drink now through 2029.
Wine Advocate 92 Points: Made with organically farmed fruit, the Tormaresca 2015 Castel del Monte Aglianico Bocca di Lupo is one of the top-end wines from this estate and indeed the whole region of Puglia. This pure expression of the mighty Aglianico grape opens to a deep array of dark fruit flavors followed by sweet spice, tobacco and savory smoked bacon. This is a linear, but full-bodied expression with the tannins to cut through a juicy rib-eye steak. It ages in oak for 18 months.
James Suckling 94 Points: This shows real freshness for the aglianico grape, contributed in part by the fresh sage and thyme undertones and also the backdrop of fresh blueberries and citrus. Hints of charcuterie. Full-bodied and ripe, but very structured and fine with elegant, caressing tannins. From organically grown grapes.
Umani Ronchi Lacrima di Morro d’Alba Fonte del Re 2021 750ml
Winemaker Description
The wine presents a deep ruby red color with evident shades of violet. The nose is remarkable for a delicate and characteristic, in- tense and aromatic vinous aroma, suggestive of roses, violets and brushwood.
Flavor dry and warm, with clear and pungent but not rasping tannins. Soft and fairly rounded, and also with good body and persistence.
This wine is traditionally matched with typical local charcuterie such as Lardellato di Fabriano or Ciavuscolo salami, first courses based on Salsa Rossa and meat sauce, and second courses based on white meats. It can also be accompanied by antipasti of blue fish, marinaded or soused in the same wine, and some types of fish soup. It is also excellent with medium-hard cheeses.
Goblet of medium size and roughly spherical shape, to allow the wine to oxygenate properly and for the aromas to open up completely.
Ritual Pinot Noir Casablanca Valley Organic 2019 750ml
Expert Review
Wine Spectator | A medium-bodied red with aromas of wild raspberries, porcini, dried herbs and smoked meat. Powdery, fine tannins with a chalky feel. Concentrated and taut with a savory, mineral finish. Drink or hold. (2019)
Peju MERLOT Napa Valley Legacy Collection 2018 750ml
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.
The Bitter Truth Cucumber Bitters 200ml HALF PINT
Producer Description
The Bitter Truth Cucumber Bitters offer new ways of mixing your favored spirit by adding unadulterated flavors of green cucumber to your mixed drink – no matter which season is up. These fresh cucumber notes are accompanied by a light bitterness and herbal notes of rosemary, thyme and lingering floral notes of summer blossoms. With a golden amber color, these bitters are peppery, with earthy fruity curious aromas of marinated cucumbers, cracked pepper and fleur de sel and squash finish.
Light & inviting, The Bitter Truth Cucumber Bitters will lift your white spirits to new heights like sunshine in spring and will work fantastically in numerous classic and innovativ cocktails & long drinks. Try these bitters in your favorite Pimms`s Cup, Gin & Tonic or in a tasty Garden Cocktail.
Fresh green cucumber with grassy notes of herbs de Provence. Light & inviting with aromas of freshly cut cucumber peel and balanced herbal bitter notes.
Mollydooker Shiraz Blue Eyed Boy 2021 750ml
Winemaker Description
Black crimson in color, this wine leaps from the glass with powerful aromatics of blueberries, fresh plum, licorice and nuances of chocolate biscuit. The seamless texture is laced with fresh berry fruit, coffee, vanilla cream and warm spice, giving us a full-bodied Shiraz with an endless depth of flavor and great length.
Expert Review
Robert Parker 92 Points | Once you taste a few of a producer's wines side by side, you really start to get a feel for stylistic preference between warm vintages and cool ones. I surprise myself by saying here that I prefer the warmer vintages at Mollydooker (this does not make it right) because the sunshine and ease with which ripening can occur in a warmer year really seems to suit the plush, high-octane style being proliferated here. So, this 2021 Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz is far more on the blue fruit spectrum than the 2020, which has a complex array of sweet/savory/spice characters. The detail here errs to blackberry, blood plum and resin—a spicy, full-bodied Shiraz. Not for the faint of heart.
Domaine Anne et Herve Sigaut Chambolle Musigny 2021 750ml
Expert Review - Vintage 2021
Burghound 88 Points | From four separate parcels scattered around the commune.
Attractively fresh aromas of various dark berries, violet and discreet spice wisps introduce racy, delineated and utterly delicious middleweight flavors that conclude in a lingering bitter pit fruit-inflected finale that delivers solid length. This will need to develop better depth to merit the upper end of my projected range.
Anne Sigaut told me that 2021 "had the growing season from hell because even putting aside the problems that the frost caused, the constant wet weather made our life difficult. It was often impossible to get tractors in the vineyards to treat and the vines didn't have their normal resistance to what turned out to be very intense disease pressure. We soldiered on but in the middle of July, I confess to wondering if we were going to have a harvest. As it turned out, we did and it began on the 20th of September. Yields were variable but basically off between 30 and 50% as we rejected a lot of fruit though mostly for being underripe. Potential alcohols came in between 12 and 13% and we chose to vinify lightly to be sure we weren't extracting astringent elements. Funnily enough, the quality of the resulting wines is much better than I imagined and I quite like them. With that said, had you asked me what I thought the quality would be when we started picking, I would have given a different answer!" I agree with Mme Sigaut that her 2021s are really quite good and there are several that are worth your attention.
Quintessa Napa Valley Red Biodynamic 2017 750ml
Expert Reviews - Vintage 2017
Wine Advocate 95 Points | Already bottled, the 2017 Quintessa displays a deep garnet-purple color. The nose needs a little coaxing before it reveals bold, expressive notes of crushed red and black plums, black currant jelly, wild blueberries and kirsch with nuances of camphor, cloves, cedar and lilacs plus a hint of oolong tea. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has beautifully expressed, elegant red and black fruit layers, with a sturdy, grainy frame and plenty of freshness, finishing long and earthy.
Decanter 93 Points | Power and concentration from the first nose, underbrush and spice box notes show traces of the drought of the 2017 summer, turning into liquorice, bitter black chocolate, sweet fig and tight-berried fruit as it opens. Flavourful and compact, with subtle hints of thyme and sage, lacks some freshness but this is a well structured enjoyable bottle. From a beautiful, one-block vineyard in Rutherford, with vines on terraces planted around a lake. 76% new oak. Blend completed with 1% Petit Verdot. Tasted twice.
James Suckling 95 Points | Crushed berries, incense and blackberries with black-olive undertones. Extremely perfumed. Medium to full body. Very intense for a 2017. Crafted and polished. Long and caressing. Elegant. Drink or hold.
Domaine Chandon De Briailles Pernand Vergelesses ROUGE 1er Cru Les Vergelesses Organic Biodynamic 2020 750ml
Winemaker Description
François de Nicolay succinctly described the 2020 growing season as "dry and hot with enough of both to create at least some degree of hydric stress. There wasn't much disease pressure though and the fruit was super-clean when we arrived at the harvest. We chose to begin picking on the 17th of August and continued through to the 26th and brought in yields that were only about 60% of normal though with better acidities than we obtained in either 2018 or 2019.
Expert Reviews
Wine Advocate 90 points Opening in the glass with aromas of cherries, berries, loamy soil and peonies, the 2020 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Les Vergelesses is medium to full-bodied, with a velvety attack and a deep core of fruit, framed by lively acids and powdery tannins that assert themselves on the finish. — Outstanding.
Alan Meadows 90 Points | An earthier and not quite as spicy array is comprised by notes of red and dark berries with a similar plethora of pretty floral nuances. The mouthfeel of the medium weight flavors is again super-sleek thanks to the moderately fine-grained tannins supporting the firm, youthfully austere and sneaky long finale. At least some patience advised.
Ardbeg Correyvrecken Single Malt 750ml
Whisky Advocate | Part of the permanent Ardbeg range since 2008, Corryvreckan is created from a blend of standard Ardbeg and Ardbeg aged in virgin French Limousin oak casks. Smoky bacon and seaweed, plus dark berries, prickly spices, walnuts, lemon, and sweet peat on the nose. Sweet and savory on the palate, with more lively spice, woodsmoke, phenols, and licorice. The finish is lengthy, with peat, sea salt, pepper, and black coffee. Editors’ Choice.
Cantina del Notaio Aglianico del Vulture l'Atto Biodynamic 2022 750ml
Winemaker Description
100% Aglianico del Vulture Cantine del Notaio is a Demeter certified Biodynamic estate located in the rugged volcanic hills of Mount Vulture in Basilicata.
Atto is the sort of wine you don't expect from the Aglianico del Vulture denomination. Fruit of the hard work and efforts of Cantine del Notaio in this exceptional denomination, and under the direction of Professor Luigi Moio, Atto represents the quintessence of mountain wine. A fine, clean-cut and most enjoyable red, characterised by a remarkable freshness and resolute minerality.
In its production, after rigorous and selective harvesting by hand, a short maceration follows that ensures all the Aglianico's tannin and freshness are retained in the wine. The ageing process takes place in the spectacular underground cellar, excavated into the volcanic ground. After a minimum of 12 months in used French oak barrels, Atto is released onto the market as a young and well-formed wine, that's also rich, complete and, despite its youth, possessing a finely tempered profile of the rough Aglianico.
Appearing a lovely, intense ruby colour, that denotes both its youth and its potential, Atto reveals on the nose a rich array of aromas, ranging from cherries to violets, pencil lead to spicy notes. The pleasant acidity and the smoothness of its tannins afford it an amazing persistence with hints of fresh fruit and meadow flowers.
Kammer Brandy Williams Birne Pear In The Bottle 750ml
Producer Description
From the fruit to the brandy, they use exclusively the finest and tastiest substances. A long maturation in glazed earthenware jugs at the constant cool temperature of deep vaulted cellars then gives the brandies their exquisite taste and inimitable fruity bouquet.
Kammer fruit brandies are best served slightly chilled and neat in an armagnac glass or champagne flute.
Jacopo Poli Grappa Po di Poli Traminer Aromatica Acquavitae 750ml
PO' di Poli Aromatica is a young grappa featuring an aromatic, balmy taste. Made from Gewurtzraminer grape marc. This grappa offers aromas of lemons and grapefruits, with a hint of pine sprig. Full-bodied taste.
Distillerie is an artisanal grappa distillery owned solely by the Poli family, founded in 1898 in Schiavon, near Bassano del Grappa, in the heart of the Veneto. The distillery produces mainly grappa or liqueurs derived from grappa.
They select only the best grape pomace from some of the best winemakers in Italy and use a traditional copper still that has been in use for more than a century. Po di Poli Aromatica is a young grappa made from Gewurztraminer marc; it has aromas of lemon and grapefruit with a hint of pine and is full-bodied, with great character and elegance. Producer Description.
Domaine du Clos de Tart Grand Cru 2017 750ml
Expert Review
Clear Creek Blue Plum Brandy 375ml
Producer Description
Blue Plum Brandy, known as Slivovitz in much of Eastern Europe, in France as Quetsch and in Germany as Zwetschgenwasser, is pot distilled from a pure fermented mash of Italian Blue plums grown in the Pacific Northwest.
Clear Creek makes it much as it has been made in Europe for centuries and believe the result is smoother, more aromatic, and more sophisticated than any European Blue Plum Brandy. It makes a great sorbet.
Girasole Pinot Noir Mendocino Organic 2022 750ml
Winemaker Desciption
Pinot noir grapes from our home ranch, Redwood Valley Vineyards, were hand harvested in late September of 2020. The bunches were carefully destemmed into a stainless steel tank for fermentation. The mixture of skins, seeds and juice were cold soaked for 24-48 hours to begin flavor extraction.
After a CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) approved yeast was added, the must was mixed two times per day to continue extracting color and tannin. These pump-overs are critical to enhancing the aroma and fla- vor from the pinot noir grape. Once fermentation is complete, the must was delicately pressed and aged on French oak for 9 months.
Medium ruby in color, this wine is brimming with captivating aromas of Queen Anne cherries, fresh cranberry and notes of cola. On the palate, flavors of ripe red fruit preserves, vanilla and a hint of oak. With firm acidity and unassuming tannins, this wine delivers a soft, luscious finish. Incredibly versatile in the pairing department, or as a sipper all by itself.
Franck Balthazar Cornas CHAILLOT 2020 750ml
Expert Review
Vinous 97 Points Josh Raynolds writes | Glass-staining ruby. Exotically perfumed black and blue fruit, incense and candied licorice scents, along with mineral, olive and exotic spice overtones. Seamless and expansive on the palate, offering deeply concentrated yet lively blackberry, boysenberry, cherry-cola, salty olive and floral pastille flavors that show outstanding energy and mineral lift. Slow-building tannins grow on a strikingly long, focused finish that strongly echoes the licorice and mineral notes.
Laphroaig QUARTER CASK Single Malt Scotch 750ml
91 Points Whisky Advocate | This expression is aged for approximately 5 years in bourbon barrels before spending a final few months in quarter casks. Characteristic tar, engine oil, and ashy peat on the nose. Oily and full on the palate, with sweet grain notes, cinnamon, seaweed, hot peat, and black pepper. The finish is long and powerful, with persistent peat and chili, plus a sprinkling of sea salt.
Penfolds RWT Bin 798 Barossa Valley Shiraz 2018 750ml
Winemaker Description
The initials RWT stand for ‘Red Winemaking Trial’, the name given to the project internally when developmental work began in 1995. Naturally, now no longer a ‘trial’, RWT Shiraz was launched in May 2000 with the 1997 vintage. The alphanumeric Bin designation 798 was bestowed upon the wine from the 2016 vintage. Its style is opulent and fleshy, contrasting with Grange, which is more muscular and assertive. RWT is made from fruit primarily selected for its aromatic qualities and plush texture. The result is a wine that helps to redefine Barossa shiraz at the highest quality level. RWT wines area built for the long haul, with the precision, concentration and balance to age for many years.
Expert Review
Wine Advocate 98 Points | Sourced only from the Barossa Valley RWT is aged exclusively in French oak giving it two major points of difference from the rest of the Penfolds range. Always a sexy voluptuous wine (and admittedly a personal favorite) the 2018 RWT Shiraz ratchets that up to new heights in a great Barossa vintage boasting layers of berry-like fruit refined vanilla shadings and baking-spice notes plus more exotic elements like star anise and cocoa powder. It's full-bodied and plush without being unstructured in any way with a lingering complex finish and the concentration to age two decades or more.
James Suckling 96 Points | This has a very attractively fresh showy feel to the nose with aromas of ripe red cherries blackberries goji berries and redcurrants as well as red plums and some wild-herb and licorice notes on offer too. Very expressive and fragrant. The palate has a super intense and powerful delivery of ripe red-cherry and plum flavors and immaculately fresh French oak (64% new) that really clasps and holds the finish long. The tannins are so ripe and well positioned. Drink over two decades.
Penfolds Grange 2015 750ml
Winemaker Description
Opaque, a dark core with a lighter deep red concession on rim. An eruption of fruits. At once lively and expressive, conceding Grange personality yet still not revealing all .... Dark coffee grind, malt and tapenade merge with black earths, almost verging on peat. Mandated V.A and formic notes propel a slurry of dark-skinned berried fruits, flirting with dark liquorice and soy. Oak completely hidden, long since absorbed. Now, back to the glass for a second sniff! Initially the ‘enlivened’ dark fruits of a Christmas pudding or boiled fruitcake mix demand attention. But there’s much more to complement these fruits – impressions of ironstone, graphite, iodine, black ink, and a black pudding viscosity. Formidable, meshed tannins – texturally honeycombed, without the honey! Oak has entwined itself invisible. Yes, every barrel still new, and completion of fermentation off skins in barrel still Grange modus operandi. Integrated, measured ... and clearly more than one sip required to gain an authentic ‘first-impression’. Certainly a wine of its vintage. A Grange of 2015.
Expert Reviews
James Suckling | Much anticipated vintage for Grange and it is a powerhouse of concentration and complexity. Aromas of orange and lemon peel to start, then graphite, blackberries, plum paste, black cherries, boundless sweet oak spice, fresh cedar, tar, mahogany, roasted coffee and chocolate - the list goes on. Such complexity. Classic Grange, offering such deep, dark intensity. The palate has immense richness and depth with a super succulent and very long, fleshy, deeply weighted array of dense, velvet-wrapped tannins that run so long. The fruit flavors sit in the blackberry, blood-plum and blueberry zone with succulent, long and assertive structure, carrying through in an utterly seamless mode. The finish is tightly wrenched, in spectacularly powerful style, locking this wine in for a very long haul. Best from 2030.
eb Dunnuck | The flagship 2015 Grange is a monster of wine and one of those rare wines that blends power and elegance perfectly. Revealing a saturated purple color, it’s seemingly more forward and seductive than past great vintages, which I suspect is due to the incredible purity of fruit as well as the wine’s flawless balance than any change in winemaking or stylistic shifts. I also think the acidity is healthy, and the 2015 tips the scales at 14.5% alcohol, which is certainly in the sweet spot, if not tame, for beautifully ripe Syrah these days. A blend of 98% Shiraz and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 20 months in new American oak hogsheads, it offers an extraordinary perfume of sweet crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, camphor, Asian spices, licorice, and wildflowers. This is followed by a full-bodied, powerful yet incredibly seamless and elegant Shiraz that has no hard edges, a big, dense mid-palate, ripe tannins, and a great finish. Coming close to rivaling the 1986, which has always been a benchmark vintage of Grange for me, the 2015 offers a more polished, elegant, approachable style. Vintage comparisons aside, this is a legendary example of Grange in the making. The savvy wine lovers out there will give this 7-8 years of bottle age (I’ll probably be out of bottles by then) and enjoy over the following 2-3 decades.
Robert Parker | The nose of the 2015 Grange features the wine's characteristic lifted aromas, joined by pronounced American oak influence and bold blackberry fruit, plus hints of red meat, raspberries, asphalt and vanilla. It's dense and concentrated on the palate, full-bodied yet balanced and firm, with a rich, velvety texture and long, plush finish. Don't expect great complexity at this stage—it's much too young to show much more than the primary fruit and oak elements—but this is a Grange that should easily go three or four decades.
Wine Spectator | Distinctive and powerful, yet still elegant, showing restraint despite the dense and generous flavors. Precise notes of dark chocolate, maraschino cherry, mahogany and toasted coconut complement the core of wild blackberry and blueberry fruit. The tannins are smooth and polished, delivering some tug on the finish, which persists as subtle hints of dried lavender and white pepper linger. Drink now through 2040.
Wine Enthusiast | This vintage of the famed wine is perhaps its most approachable to date. The nose is open and expressive, with waves of aromas ranging from licorice, currant and plum to baking spice, furniture polish, freshly picked olive, mushroom and vanilla. The mouthfeel is satiny in texture, awash with fruit and spices of all shapes and sizes, all wound by fine tannins. Drink through 2040.
Marimar Estate Cristina Pinot Noir Don Miguel Vineyard Organic 2013 750ml
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.
Domaine Xavier Monnot Meursault Les Chevalieres 2022 750ml
Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022
Neal Martin of VInous writes 90-92 Points | The 2022 Meursault Les Chevalières is matured in 25% new oak 350-liter barrels in order to reduce the wood impact. It is taut and focused on the nose, quite understated at first, with touches of almond and hazelnut. The palate is well-balanced, with impressive concentration on the entry. Quite spicy on the mid-palate with tangy marmalade and ginger, this fans out in a pleasing fashion towards the finish. Drinking 2025 to 2035.
Bruce Sanderson of Wine Spectator writes 93 Points | Aromas and flavors of white flowers, citronella and hazelnut cream abound, backed by lively acidity. Lip-smacking and fresh, this white persists on the toasty, smoky finish. Drink now through 2028.
Winemaker Description
Known to offer a magical balance of smoothness and freshness, Meursault's quality is hard to rival. The village lies in the middle of Côte de Beaune, just south of Volnay. Meursault is said to mean “mouse’s jump” because in the past the plots producing Pinot Noir and those producing Chardonnay were no more than a mouse’s jump from one another. Today the village is almost exclusively Chardonnay. A tiny bit of Pinot Noir is produced here with the best coming from Les Santenots on its northern side near Volnay.
While there are no Grands Crus, Meursault’s numerous acclaimed Premiers Crus can compete with any other top-notch white Burgundy. Some to know are Les Perrières, Les Genevrières, Les Charmes, Le Poruzot, Les Bouchères and Les Gouttes d’Or.
Meursault produces outstanding village level wines as well. In general great Premiers Crus and even village level Meursault (Chardonnay) have enticing aromas of lime peel, tropical fruit, crushed rocks, spice and hazelnut. On the palate there is a wonderful balance of brightness and a seductive length with flavors of white peach, pineapple and citrus.
Finca Allende Rioja Allende 2017 750ML
Our Professional Review
Oscar Garcia Moncada | Miguel Angel de Gregorio is a master at crafting wines of great balance and finesse while showcasing the terroir of Briones, Rioja. Nose of dark plums, blackberry and raspberry. Medium-bodied with good tannic structure and great mouth-feel. Ready to drink.
Winemaker Description
Intense cherry color with purple hints. On the nose, fruit sensations (blackberries, blueberries, black fruits) dominate the perfectly integrated tones conveyed by aging in wood barrels that provide sensations of cedar and tobacco.
It is serious and lively on the mouth with power and a great balance; broad and flavorsome combining fruity freshness and the elegant structure of a wine that is suitable for aging.