Organic + Biodynamic Wine & Spirits

Winemaker Description

The 2017 La Tâche Grand Cru soars from the glass with a captivating and beautifully integrated bouquet of exotic spices, rose petals, raspberries, cherries and blood orange mingled with notions of cinnamon and coniferous forest floor. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with a deep and tightly coiled core that marks it out as the most muscular wine in the cellar, displaying considerable concentration and largely concealed structure. While this is a dramatic young La Tâche, there's evidently plenty held in reserve, too, and it simply has appreciably more presence than any of the other wines that preceded it in this tasting. Winemaker Description.

• Winemaker Description

  Mont des Oiseaux is a cuvée produced in small quantities from Clos de l'Arlot's youngest vines, an estate Monopoly. This wine reveals the elegance of a great terroir and emphasizes the delicacy of red fruit. Fresh and tangy, with good cellaring potential, this wine can also be enjoyed in the bloom of youth.

• The Terroir

  This Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru is located inside the Clos de l'Arlot. It comes from the upper part of the Clos with a white limestone soil, and from a plot of young vines located at the bottom of the Clos on marl soil.

• Discover more

  - Ageing in barrels, with 30% of new barrels. Bottling takes place after 15-18 months of ageing.

Winemaker Description

Intense garnet red color. Very classic and traditional with a robust structure and intense tannins. Bouquet takes a little time to show itself with slight hints of yeast. It opens slowly in the glass touch of spice and menthol. In the final, the powerful structure and concentration soften the tannins potential. Pairs well with game, red meats, and cheeses.

Expert Reviews

Wine Advocate 95 Points | The Vietti 2020 Barolo Ravera offers dark fruit cherry and blackcurrant enhanced by soft spice. You also get a sun-kissed note of eggplant tomato leaf and ferrous earth. Ravera displays strong lines with good acidity and firm tannic backbone. It closes dry and ages in large oak botte only. This is one of the most eyeballed MGAs sites. Ravera with its open mountain skyline and cool temperatures is seen as one of the best sites in the appellation especially as the climate changes. This vintage produced exactly 10026 bottles.

Vinous 94 Points | Picked on October 9 and 10 the 2020 Barolo Ravera has plenty of Ravera classicism and tension but also feels a bit light in the mid-palate. Ravera is never a huge wine in body but the depth is often there even if expressed in an understated and more linear manner. The 2020 lacks that depth. Red-toned fruit blood orange mint spice and white pepper lend brilliance throughout.

Winemaker Description

Considered the pinnacle of Burgundy, Domaine de la Romanee-Conti produces some of the world’s most revered wines from its tiny vineyards in Vosne-Romanee. Grands-Echezeaux, is a Grand Cru vineyard yielding sublime wines that are among the most highly-sought, seductive and rarest in the world.

The 2020 Grands Échézeaux is full-bodied, ample and fleshy with an abundance of powdery tannins and succulent acids. The luscious palate presents strawberry, cherry, leather, earth, mushroom, mint, a touch of spice, oak, and refreshing minerality.

Expert Reviews

Wine Spectator 90 Points | This red shows some depth to the black cherry, black currant, iron and tobacco aromas and flavors. There is a hint of tar, and the firm structure is well-integrated. Drink now through 2032.  — Bruce Sanderson

Wine Enthusiast 92 Points | This blend opens with ripe aromas that recall blueberry and strawberry jam, followed by notes of spice, chocolate and moist tobacco. The finish is soft and velvety, and it comes with a touch of plush richness. This is complex and balanced.

Decanter 91 Points | Sweet wood nuances lead with cinnamon, clove and a touch of vanilla eventually ceding to wild cherry and wet soil. On the palate, forest berries are laced with chocolate. The fruit is concentrated and plush with ripe, powdery tannins giving effortless support. This is its usual sophisticated and polished self, with lots of juiciness. Yields are a low 30 hL/ha and ageing is in a combination of French oak tonneaux and barriques, 10% new. Give this another year for the wood to integrate.  Drinking 2022 -2027 — Michaela Morris

Jancis Robinson 17.5 Points | Greve in Chianti. 100% Sangiovese.  The grapes were destemmed but not crushed and fermented in stainless steel as well as oak casks where it also went through MLF. Aged in barriques and tonneaux for up to 14 months. Certified vegan and organic.

Walter Speller | Medium to deep crimson. Gorgeous nose of cherry and with the scent of cigar box. Luscious juicy fruit on the palate and silky tannins that make their mark. Beautiful balance and elegant and concentrated at the same time. Amazing length and focus. Drinking 2021 -2028.

Vinous 93 Points | The 2018 Chianti Classico is classy, polished and exceptionally beautiful. Like so many wines in 2018, the Chianti Classico is aromatic and gracious in feel, more finesse than power. Silky tannins wrap around a core of bright Sangiovese fruit. From start to finish, the 2018 is all class.  Drinking 2020 -2033.

Expert Reviews 

Decanter 92 Points |  The oldest part of this vineyard was planted in 1935 but the average age is 34 years. It's located at 400 metres – Ravera is one of the highest MGAs within the communes of Barolo and Novello, which it straddles. This 2019 is intensely perfumed, with dried fruits soaked in blood orange, strawberry jam and a suggestion of grace. The attack confirms this lightly extracted style, with ripe tannins, still sticky at the moment, and long, refreshing acidity leading to a good finish.

Vinous 100 points | The 2019 Barolo Ravera is the most intensely mineral and saline of the Barolos. Crushed rocks, white pepper, flowers, orange zest, red berry fruit and bright acids all run through this finely sculpted, chiseled Barolo. Readers who enjoy Barolos of energy and tension will adore the Ravera. I have always had a soft spot for this Barolo. The 2019 is another magnificent dimension of Vietti's dark horse, a wine that over the last 10-12 years has routinely challenged for the crown here, and often won!

Winemaker Description

Intense ruby red color. Generous nose with aromas of ripe red berry fruit with spicy overtones. Intense on the palate, quite rich though very elegant and well-balanced. The tannins are present, but very well integrated in the fruit structure of the wine. Long aftertaste with good freshness. A wine with extraordinary finesse and balance. Pair with red meats, roasts, and wild game.

Expert Reviews

Vinous 98 Points | The 2019 Barolo Cerequio is a worthy follow up to the stellar 2018. Aromatic and deeply pitched, the 2019 races across the palate with remarkable depth and intensity. Crushed red berry fruit, rose petal, mint and cinnamon all open in the glass, but it is the wine's silkiness and suppleness that impresses most. A kick of acids and tannins puts an exclamation point on the finish. This is a gorgeous Cerequio that takes all the finesse this site offers, and then turns up the volume. What a wine.

Robert Parker 97+ Points | Vietti was able to buy a 9,000-square meter piece of Cerequio from Michele Chiarlo, arguably the king of this celebrated cru. And because this is a new addition to the portfolio, the Vietti team is still learning the ropes. For example, there is a fresh minty tone that pops up from the bouquet of the 2019 Barolo Cerequio. "That minty note was a mystery to us," Luca Currado tells me. "But then we understood that its part of Cerequio." This wine shows a firm grip on the palate that does extend out to include some textural softness, but it ultimately remains quite structured. Among the grand cru sites of La Morra, Luca Currado tells me that "Cerequio is the brother and Brunate is the sister." His wife Elena Penna adds, "We've never had two sites so close to one another show such a great difference between them.

Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points | Coming from La Morra, a more fruit-forward tone can be found in the licorice spice and depth of the 2019 Barolo Cerequio, which offers slightly darker fruit, ripe berries, and peppercorn. This was the second vintage produced and is more approachable now for the vintage. It is a joyful wine though it still has ripe structure.

Winemaker Description 

Le Berceau de Fees" by Domaine Aux Moines is a lovely and juicy Chenin Blanc from young vineyards of famous Roche-aux-Moines grand cru. It opens on the nose to clean and straight aromas of fruit, flowers and aromatic herbs, surrounded by sharp saltiness. The sip is fresh and direct, animated by great acid shoulder and long mineral persistence. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020 

Wine Spectator 93 Points | The 2020 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts opens in the glass with notes of plums and wild berries mingled with aromas of orange oil, exotic spices, smoked duck and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, layered and muscular, it's finer-boned and less overtly powerful than its 2019 and 2018 predecessors, even if it's still a serious, structured, concentrated wine.

Barrel Sample: 93-95 Burghound 93 Points | This is the first wine to show any appreciable reduction though the whole cluster vinification does peek through the funk. Once again, the bigger-bodied and much more muscular flavors possess a highly attractive texture thanks to the generous dry extract that partially buffers the prominent tannic spine supporting the robust, powerful and gorgeously complex and persistent finish. This is a classic Malconsorts which is very much built to reward longer-term cellaring.

Barrel Sample: 93-95 Decanter 96 Points | A dense, almost creamy, concentrated cassis fruit, adorned with notes of smoke, spice and salt. Focused, with plenty of tannin and extract, this is a wonderful wine. 2020 saw tiny yields from Dujac's 1.55ha in Malconsorts - no more than 10-15 hl/ha. The fruit was partially destemmed and fermented slowly prior to ageing. The wine gets the same 16 months in 70% new casks that the grand crus receive. 

Expert Review

John Gilman 96 Points | This is my first taste of Domaine des Closiers top bottling, les Trezellières, which is made from a parcel of old vines and given fully two years aging in barrel, with somewhere between ten and twenty percent of the casks new. The 2019 les Trezellières is beautifully deep and refined aromatically, delivering scents of black cherries, cassis, Cuban cigar wrapper, a very complex base of soil, a touch of Cheval Blanc-like menthol, a gentle dollop of tree bark, cedar and a topnote of cigar smoke. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, elegant and rock solid at the core, with great focus and complex, superb soil undertow, fine-grained tannins and a very long, pure and classy finish.

The small percentage of new oak gives this wine more refinement than the les Coudraies bottling, but because it is no more than twenty percent new oak, the wood influence is far more subtle out of the blocks than in Clos Rougeard’s Le Bourg bottling, which is the closest comparison I can think of for this brilliant young Saumur Champigny. Give this beautiful wine plenty of time in the cellar to properly resolve its tannins and completely blossom! (2019). 

Winemaker Description 

To taste Emeric’s brandy is to confront one of the wildest and most potent homemade concoctions in any cellar in the Rosenthal family of growers. According to local tradition, he blends this heady elixir with twice the volume of unfermented grape must—mostly Chardonnay—to create his Macvin du Jura, which throws politeness out the window and offers the imbiber a juicy, flagrant, undeniably delicious version of the recipe.

Expert Review

Vinous 97 Points: The 2019 Barolo Lazzarito continues a trend seen in recent years in which the focus has been more about finesse than raw power. Intense red fruit, iron, dried herbs, chalk, dried rose petal and white pepper all run through this deep, virile Barolo. The power and intensity of Serralunga really come alive on the heady, explosive finish. Bright saline notes linger on the deep, resonant finish. A Barolo of raw, unbridled power, the Lazzarito demands patience.

Expert Reviews 

Burghound 91 Points Discreet but not invisible wood influence can be found on the ripe aromas of various dark berries prominent earth and violet scents. Somewhat surprisingly in the context of the reported yields the mid-palate is not especially dense though I very much like the beguiling texture that is at once caressing yet powerful before culminating in a precise serious and equally austere if notably longer finale. This is an opulent and refined Clos des Epeneaux. (Drink starting 2030)Vinous

92 Points Vinous | The 2020 Pommard Clos des Epeneaux 1er Cru was a blend of two instead of four cuvées this year due to the depleted production. It has a precocious bouquet with black cherries raspberry menthol and blood orange scents that gather momentum in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins taut and fresh lightly spiced with hints of allspice and tangy quince. It displays fine composure towards the finish with impressive length. This is a superb Clos des Epeneaux though will it surpass the 2019? I?m not sure. (Drink between 2026-2050)

Expert Reviews 

Wine Spectator 94 Points | A very fresh, floral-laced style, offering a bright beam of cassis and plum gelée laced with flashes of violet, hibiscus and rose petal. Nicely grounded through the finish, with alder and warm earth hints filling in. Approachable, but this has more to show in time. Best from 2023 through 2036. (JM)

Wine Advocate 94 Points | Delicate herbal shadings accent the cassis notes on the nose of Corison's 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon. It's classic Corison, balanced and concentrated without being showy or weighty, silky in feel, with a long, lingering finish and two decades of ageability. (JC)Decanter 94 points Alluring aromas of dark cassis, graphite, cedar and wild herbs. It has a striking depth with layered flavours and texture, and while restrained now it is incredibly well-built and in need of time in the cellar to fully shine. Reveals subtle hints of fresh black and blue berries, currants and dried herbs tinged with red florals. Finishes with polish, energy and poise. (JC)

Jeb Dunnuck 92 Points | Lots of dark, blackcurrants, cassis, darker chocolate, and hints of violets emerge from the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, a medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced St. Helena Napa Cabernet Sauvignon offering nicely integrated acidity, terrific balance, and a great finish. This quintessential Cathy Corison Cabernet shines on all accounts. It's going to evolve for two decades. (JD)

James Suckling 94 Points | A perfumed nose of blackberries, dark cherries, cedar, cocoa and nutmeg. Violets too. Medium body with fine tannins and bright acidity. Fresh and refined with a bright core of wild fruit and a long, flavorful finish. Drink or hold. (JS)

Vinous 93 Points | The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is full of charm. It offers all of the natural intensity of the year, with bright acids that keep the flavors bright. Sweet red cherry, plum, cedar, tobacco and spice all build effortlessly. This open-knit yet classically built Cabernet is likely to offer a wide window of drinkability over the next 15-20 years. As always, Cathy Corison's Napa Valley Cabernet is a blend of three sites in St. Helena. (AG)

Wine & Spirits Magazine 96 Points | The 2019 vintage might be something of an outlier for Cathy Corison, who picked two weeks later than usual, taking advantage of the cool season from summer into fall. This wine is, in fact, an idealized version of her benchland cabernet sauvignon, holding on to the elegance she regularly achieves, while adding a luscious textural beauty that more often comes from bottle age. James Conley of NYC’s Keen’s Chophouse found the aroma suggested a more delicate wine than the density and extract this one carries in its “cabernet grape tannins and intriguing, lifted fruit. If someone said, ‘I love Napa, but show me what I’m missing.’ I’d say, ‘Well, try this.’” Warm and explosive in its energy, this wine carries an imprint of the benchland soils in the play of darkness and light, in the detailed tannins that make you crave another taste. (JG)

Expert Review 

Vinous 99 Points | The 2020 Romanée-Conti Grand Cru was picked on 26 and 28 August at 28.7hL/ha. As usual, I leave it for 5-10 minutes to open in the glass, predisposed not to show everything upon first pour. It reveals lovely dark berry fruit, sous-bois, clove and haunting sea spray notes (picture yourself walking along the pebble beach at Whistable and the tang of shucked oyster shell in the salty air). The palate is medium-bodied with very fine and pliant tannins. Harmonious to a tee with a perfect silver bead of acidity, long and languorous, this fans out with ineffable ease on the finish. Stunning. 500 cases produced. Tasted at Corney & Barrow’s annual in bottle tasting in London.

There are no superlatives sufficient for the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti Grand Cru Monopole 2015. The sole property of the DRC estate, the Romanée-Conti vineyard — a mere 1.8 hectares in the heart of Vosne-Romanée, Côte de Nuits — produces what many consider the greatest wine on earth. The 2015 vintage, harvested from vines averaging 56 years of age, has earned perfect 100-point scores from both Decanter and Wine Advocate, cementing its place among the most extraordinary bottles ever produced. Only 403 cases were made.

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti

Founded in the 18th century and owned jointly by the Leroy and de Villaine families, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is the most celebrated wine estate in the world. Farming entirely by biodynamic principles, with yields among the lowest in Burgundy, DRC produces wines of transcendent complexity from the greatest Grand Cru vineyards of the Côte de Nuits — Romanée-Conti, La Tâche, Richebourg, Romanée-Saint-Vivant, Grands-Échézeaux, and Échézeaux. The Romanée-Conti vineyard itself is a monopole — owned exclusively by DRC — and its wine is produced in quantities so small that it remains one of the most sought-after and collected bottles in existence.

Critical Acclaim — 2015 Vintage

100 Points — Decanter: "Aromatic fireworks of ripe red and black fruits, toast, spice and a note of decadent perfume lead into a complex palate showing pristine flavours of ripe raspberry, dark cherry, spice, cream and minerals. Lavishly upholstered by sweet, dense filigree tannins and buoyed by fine acidity — the opulent texture and presence of this wine is beyond remarkable. Arguably the ultimate terroir wine, this 2015 is also the epitome of truly great Pinot Noir. Drinking Window 2025–2060."

100 Points — Wine Advocate: "Opening to reveal a bouquet of kaleidoscopic complexity, notes of raspberry and red plum mingling with rose petal, peony, blood orange and spice. Silky, medium to full-bodied and stunningly complete, its supremely elegant tannins entirely cloaked in pristinely delicate red fruit. Despite its incredible concentration and persistence, this Romanée-Conti is utterly weightless, and its effortless harmony and unremitting finish preclude any argument about its benchmark quality."

99 Points — Burghound (Allen Meadows): "Sometimes, try as I might, words fail to communicate adequately those few transcendent experiences where a wine is just so amazing that it's impossible to capture it. The breathtakingly beautiful nose reveals an exotically broad range of highly perfumed floral, spice, tea and incense-like nuances. The opulently textured, concentrated and equally mineral-driven flavors accentuate the perfumed character of the nose — the finish lasted for seemingly several days."

98 Points — Vinous: "Enters the mouth like liquid velvet, expanding to show an incredible 3-D texture and great depth to its soil-inflected flavors of flowers, spices, mocha, underbrush and savory minerality. This utterly seamless, spherical wine saturates the entire palate like a thunderstorm breaking out across a wide front. Should easily evolve positively for three decades or more."

Tasting Profile

Profound and ethereal. The nose is a kaleidoscope of ripe raspberry, dark cherry, rose petal, peony, blood orange, spice, toast, and incense. On the palate it is simultaneously opulent and weightless — liquid velvet with a 3-D texture, pristine red fruit, savory minerality, and filigree tannins of extraordinary finesse. The finish is seemingly endless. A wine that defies description.

Details

2015 | Pinot Noir | Romanée-Conti Grand Cru Monopole, Vosne-Romanée, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France | AOC Romanée-Conti | 750ml | 403 cases produced

Provenance & Cellaring

Harvested 10 September 2015. Bottled 22 March 2017. Drinking window 2025–2060. Store at 55°F in a dark, vibration-free environment. Decant 2–3 hours minimum if opening now. A wine for the ages — patience will be extraordinarily rewarded.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019 

Antonio Galloni - Vinous Media - 97 Points "The 2019 Barolo Pira is powerful and deep but also very closed. There's so much energy here but readers will have to be patient as this classically austere young Barolo clearly needs time. Hints of pine menthol licorice and dried herbs appear with some reluctance. I would not dream of touching a bottle anytime soon. Superb."

Bruce Sanderson - Wine Spectator - 96 Points "A distinctive white pepper aroma leads off followed by flavors of strawberry sour cherry mint menthol and iron. Despite the lightness and ethereal quality the texture reveals viscosity and intensity. Balanced and complex ending with terrific length. Best from 2027 through 2045."

Winemaker Description 

Castello dei Rampolla d'Alceo is a premium, proprietary blend of Cabernet and Petit Verdot grapes exclusively from the renowned Panzano in Chianti region of Tuscany. This organic and biodynamic red is sure to tantalize your taste buds with its complex bouquet and flavor profile.

Expert Reviews - VIntage 2009

Vinous 96 Points | The 2009 d'Alceo comes across as much more classic in style and structure than the 2008. According to Luca di Napoli, the trick to 2009 was harvesting on the early side. Freshly cut flowers, sweet red berries, plums, mint and licorice all take shape in the glass Over the last few months, the 2009 d'Alceo has softened a bit, releasing expressive, floral aromatics, brighter shades of fruit and striking inner perfume, but it remains quite vibrant in the context of a vintage in which so many wines are quite a bit riper in style. The 2009 is a wonderfully deep, resonant d'Alceo that should offer a wide drinking window starting in a few years. It certainly looks like Rampolla nailed the vintage.  Drinking 2019 - 2039.

Antonio Galloni, 96+ | My absolute favorite wine of 2022 was a bottle of the Castello dei Rampolla 2006 d'Alceo that I had the good fortune to drink at dinner during a work event in Tuscany last year. I remember the wine vividly, and if I were to review it again, it would certainly merit a perfect score. With that profound inspiration in mind, I feel especially optimistic toward this outstanding group of new releases from Maurizia di Napoli and her talented team. This historic estate has farmed according to organic and biodynamic methods since 1994, making it one of the first in Italy to do so. In truth, I have found some inconsistencies along the way over the many years I have reviewed and adored these wines. Such is the magic of artisanal winemaking. But thanks to that memory of that 2006 d'Alceo, I remain in awe of Castello dei Rampolla today. 

Expert Reviews — Vintage 2020

James Suckling 94 Points | Attractive aromas of ripe cherries, dried strawberries, dried orange peel, spices and crushed stones. Medium to full body with compact, firm, finely grained tannins. Smooth and textured with vivid fruit underneath and a lingering finish. Drink or hold.

Jeb Dunnuck 92 Points | Rich ruby color. A selection from the best vineyards, aged for two years. Toasted cedar, cherry lozenge, menthol, and spiced orange peel. Medium-bodied with ripe tannins folding into a mineral texture, mouthwatering stony earth, and a long, clean finish.

Robert Parker | Wine Advocate 93 Points | Ripe fruit with measured intensity that never feels heavy or overdone — achieving this level of balance is not easy in a hot growing season. Characterized by an especially linear and direct personality that pushes over the palate with good momentum.

Wine Spectator 90 Points | Juicy yet firmly structured with bright cherry and blackberry fruit. Dense tannins inform the finish with accents of earth and mineral. Balanced in a youthful, exuberant way. Best 2025–2039.

Winemaker Notes

Ruby red with a trace of garnet. Elegant nose displaying hints of spice and fruit. Well-structured with smooth tannins and a long finish. Certified organic Sangiovese from one of Chianti Classico’s most historic and beautiful estates.

Tasting & Pairings

Ripe cherry, dried strawberry, orange peel, crushed stones, cedar, menthol, and spice. Medium to full body with firm, finely grained tannins and a mineral finish. Decant or cellar through 2039.

• Bistecca alla Fiorentina or grilled lamb — the classic Tuscan pairing for a Riserva of this caliber.
• Wild boar ragù or pappardelle with meat sauce — the tannin structure and earthy notes complement rich, slow-cooked sauces.
• Aged Pecorino Toscano — a regional cheese that mirrors the wine’s earthy, mineral character.

Maris Organic Rosé — Languedoc, France

Maris is one of the Languedoc's most committed organic and biodynamic estates, farming in the heart of La Livinière with a deep respect for the land and the vines. Their Organic Rosé is a direct-press expression — no skin contact, fermented entirely in stainless steel to preserve the freshest, most vibrant fruit character possible. Now available in can format, it's the same quality wine in a more portable, sustainable package: perfect for outdoor occasions, picnics, and anywhere a bottle isn't practical.

The rosé pours a pale, luminous pink. The nose is fresh and fruit-forward — tutti-frutti red berries, strawberry, and a lift of citrus. On the palate, it's light, lively, and refreshing with a clean, dry finish and just enough texture to make it genuinely satisfying. Serve well-chilled and drink with abandon.

"Tutti fruity with finesse — direct press, stainless steel fermented, certified organic." — Maris Winemaker

• Producer: Maris, La Livinière, Languedoc, France
• Appellation: IGP Languedoc
• Varietal: Rosé blend
• Farming: Certified Organic
• Vinification: Direct press, stainless steel fermentation, no skin contact
• Format: Can
• Tasting Notes: Red berries, strawberry, citrus, light and refreshing, clean dry finish
• Best Paired With: Aperitif, Asian cuisine, poultry, grilled fish, light salads

Certified organic Languedoc rosé in a can — fresh, fruit-forward, and made for the moment.

Winemaker Description

On the palate it has a powerful attack, with a lively acidity, firm and well present tannins, wild bush and red berry notes, with an extremely long finish and great concentration.

Trentangeli the name translates to "Thirty Angels," a reference to an old legend associated with the Bocca di Lupo estate. This specific DOC (Castel del Monte) is famous for its volcanic and limestone soils, which give the wine a distinctive "rocky" minerality that sets it apart from the jammy, fruit-forward wines often found in southern Puglia (like Primitivo).

Aroma of excellent complexity, with wild bush and spicy notes like curry, pepper and ginger, red berries and black fruits mixed with a light cacao touch, the result of a good maturation, along with a slightly stony finish. 

On the palate it has a powerful attack, with a lively acidity, firm and well present tannins, wild bush and red berry notes, with an extremely long finish and great concentration.
Aroma of excellent complexity, with wild bush and spicy notes like curry, pepper and ginger, red berries and black fruits mixed with a light cacao touch, the result of a good maturation, along with a slightly stony finish. 

Memo Pairing Suggestions

Because of its high tannin structure and organic richness, this wine needs "big" flavors:

• Local Puglia Style: Orecchiette with spicy sausage and broccoli rabe (Cime di Rapa).

• Meats: Grilled ribeye, wild boar ragu, or meaty pizzas.

• Cheese: Sharp, aged cheeses like Pecorino or a mature Cheddar.

• Signature Pairing: Lamb Osso Buco or roasted lamb with aromatic herbs.

  
  

   

About Hardy VSOP Cognac

Hardy VSOP Fine Champagne Cognac is crafted from organic grapes grown in the prestigious Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne crus of the Cognac region — the two finest terroirs in all of Cognac. Hardy respects and celebrates the environment at each stage of development, combining the perfection of nature with the excellence of time. The result is an exceptionally refined VSOP that reflects both organic integrity and classic Cognac elegance.

Tasting Notes

A delicate bouquet reminiscent of spring flowers opens the nose, followed by sweet aromas of fresh pear, vanilla, and hazelnuts. On the palate, the cognac is smooth and well-rounded with a harmonious balance of fruit, oak, and spice. The finish is long, warm, and gently lingering.

Serve & Enjoy

Best enjoyed neat or on the rocks to appreciate its full aromatic complexity. Also excellent in classic cocktails such as a Sidecar, Cognac Sour, or French 75.

Product Details

Bottle Size: 700ml
Style: VSOP Fine Champagne Cognac
Region: Cognac, France
Classification: Fine Champagne (Grande & Petite Champagne)
Farming: Organic
Producer: Hardy Cognac
ABV: 40%

Winemaker Description 

Originating from wild vines, Orangetraube was first selected as a recognized varietal in 1840 and has been a part of the Zahel family's field blends (Gemischter Satz) since the winery began in 1930, but only produced as a monovarietal white since 1954.

Two generations later, Alexander Zahel is the last remaining producer of this unique treasure of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. 

This unique historic variety from Vienna's vineyards is fresh, complex, and edgy, with under ripe stone fruit and zippy acidity. 

Materia Prima Orange Wine Xarel·lo — Penedès, Cataluña 2024

Materia Prima is a project from the Parés Baltà family — one of Penedès' most committed organic and biodynamic estates — dedicated to exploring the full expressive potential of their indigenous varieties through natural, minimal-intervention winemaking. This Orange Wine is produced entirely from biodynamically grown Xarel·lo and Sauvignon Blanc, vinified with extended skin contact in the traditional amber wine style. The result is a wine of genuine complexity and character: pale amber, slightly cloudy, and full of the kind of textural depth that only skin-contact winemaking can produce.

The 2024 pours a pale amber with a slight natural haze. The nose is aromatic and layered — citrus peel, tropical fruit, and compote with a subtle oxidative complexity from the skin contact. On the palate, it's surprisingly approachable — fine structure, pleasant density, and gentle tannins that give it grip without austerity. The finish is long and complex, with a lingering savory-mineral thread that rewards attention. Simple to drink, but full of incredible skill.

"Simple to drink but full of incredible skill — a must-try for anyone who enjoys Orange Wines." — Materia Prima

• Producer: Materia Prima (Parés Baltà), Penedès, Cataluña, Spain
• Vintage: 2024
• Appellation: Penedès DO
• Blend: Xarel·lo & Sauvignon Blanc
• Style: Orange Wine (extended skin contact)
• Farming: Certified Biodynamic
• Size: 750ml
• Tasting Notes: Citrus peel, tropical fruit, compote, fine tannins, long complex finish
• Best Paired With: Chorizo tortilla, marinated anchovies, peas and cod salad, aged cheeses, charcuterie

A biodynamic orange wine from one of Penedès' most forward-thinking estates — textured, complex, and a perfect introduction to skin-contact wine.

Expert Reviews - 2022

The Wine Advocate 93 Points | The 2022 De La Finca comes exclusively from their own vineyards, 60% Xarel.lo, 30% Macabeu and 10% Parellada, and has the added complexity and nuance from a longer élevage, no less than 30 months in bottle with lees and closed with a cork after refermenting. It's bone dry, not adjusted, and sold as a brut nature. It has a bright, almost fluorescent yellow color and a very expressive nose with notes of yeasts and Mediterranean herbs, subtler, more complex and with smaller, more integrated bubbles and a vibrant, clean and precise palate, super tasty. It comes from the plots on slopes already classified by Pepe Raventós's grandfather. Here, they have lower yields, accentuated by the vintage, which is more marked in the wine, as it's always from the same plots. The whole clusters are pressed, looking for longer aging potential, and fermentation is in concrete, always thinking about a longer-lived wine. It's a generous wine from a generous year. 55,000 bottles and 1,000 magnums were produced.

James Suckling 92 Points | The nose shows subtle cream, minerals and touches of white almonds, dried herbs and chalk. Almost bone-dry on the palate, with an ample mousse and very good weight and volume. Medium- to full-bodied with a subtle, medium-long finish. Nicely phenolic at the end. From organically grown grapes. Xarel-lo, macabeu and parellada. Nothing earthy here. Drink now or hold.

Winemaker Description 

Situated on the highest terraces of the River Anoia, the Vinya dels Fòssils vineyard has marine soils with a high fossil content. This characterises the structure and the soil composition of this vineyard. The carbonates are the component that provides the main source of typicity to this sparkling wine with a high saline expression. It is a sparkling wine with a unique identity and personality.

Winemaker Description

An open-knit nose of wild plum, almond and orange with underlying notes of salted bread. On the palate, the wine shows considerable body and a complex array of flavors including lemongrass, peppermint and quince. As the wine breathes scents of orange blossom and honeysuckle come to the fore and mingle with the soft, spicy accents of cumin and nutmeg.

Winemaker Description

Syrah Laide translates loosely to Pretty-Ugly, a French term of endearment to describe something that is unconventionally beautiful, a dogma that is applied to each cuvée. "Hawks Butte adds slightly more density and fruit while still wildly fresh with lithe tannin and Halcon compliments with brooding structure. Violet, camphor, white pepper and cedar" - Jolie-Laide 100% Syrah, grapes were planted on two vineyards (Halcon and Hawkes Butte) both at high elevation. 

Grapes are left on stems, crushed by foot and fermented with very light punch downs. The juice is then placed into neutral oak for 10 months. 12-25ppm added SO2 depending on vintage and cuvée. 

Winemaker Description

The La Résistance Côtes du Rhône Organic Sans Soufre Ajouté 2024 is a classic expression of the Southern Rhône Valley crafted without any added sulfur from harvest through bottling. This commitment to zero-intervention winemaking is designed to recover the natural expression of the terroir and showcase the authentic character of the southern Côtes du Rhône’s grape varieties — Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre.

Deep, dark color. The nose offers stone fruit aromatics, particularly black cherry. On the palate, fruit and spice take center stage, with smooth, well-integrated tannins and a beautiful ripeness throughout.

Pairing Suggestions

• Classic Rhône: Lamb daube, grilled lamb chops, or a slow-roasted leg of lamb with herbs.
• Hearty: Wild boar ragù, beef stew, or a mushroom and lentil cassoulet.
• Cheese: Aged Manchego, Comté, or a firm sheep’s milk cheese.

Winemaker Description 

Lively fruit and minerality on a zesty palate. Slightly sweet, with a dry finish. Unfined, unfiltered.

Founded in 1891, the Brand winery has been producing wine in the Pfalz for five generations. Their vineyards are located on limestone-rich soils around the village of Bockenheim, in the northern part of the region, along the border of the Rheinhessen. Daniel and Jonas' father, Jürgen, always farmed their vines responsibly, but when his children took over, they immediately transitioned to organic viticulture, gaining certification in 2017. The Brothers Brand also utilize biodynamic treatments, always experimenting to discover which practices work best in their vines. All of their wines are made with little, if any, added sulfites. 

Wonderfully aromatic with lively fruit and minerality and a lovely zest and charge on the palate, perfectly balanced by the residual sugar. The Feinherb Riesling has a slight sweetness on the attack, though the sugar melds perfectly into the body, finishing dry and crisp. No fining or filtration and minimal use of sulfur.

Authentic Ribera del Duero Tempranillo

Quinta Milu Ribera del Duero Tempranillo 2024 showcases the pure expression of Spain's celebrated wine region. Crafted from 100% Tempranillo grapes harvested from fifty-year-old vines, this wine captures the essence of traditional Spanish winemaking. Winemaker Germán R. Blanco describes it as "vino de pueblo"—a wine for everyday enjoyment and for everyone—reflecting his commitment to creating approachable yet authentic wines that honor the terroir of Ribera del Duero.

Artisanal Winemaking Process

Every step in creating Quinta Milu reflects dedication to quality and tradition. The grapes are carefully destemmed before aging for a minimum of six months in seasoned French or American oak casks. Staying true to natural winemaking principles, this wine is bottled unfined, unfiltered, and without cold stabilization, preserving its authentic character and allowing the terroir to shine through in every glass.

Germán R. Blanco's operation in the small town of La Aguilera is a "micro winery". He eschews modern winemaking techniques and international varieties working with old Tempranillo vines. He makes "vinos de pueblo", blended wines from different vineyards from villages in the area, as well as vinos de parcela, sourced from single-vineyards, and parcel-specific.

There is no new oak in the winery, Germán uses concrete, amphorae, and old barrels. Quinta Milú is named for Germán's son Lucas whom they lovingly refer to as "Mi Lu" or Milú.

Rich Flavor & Aroma Profile

Experience a wine that delights all the senses. The deep ruby color hints at the complexity within, while the nose reveals an inviting bouquet of dark berries, ripe cherries, and subtle vanilla undertones from oak aging. On the palate, you'll discover layers of dark fruit flavors balanced by smooth tannins and a velvety finish. The interplay of fruit-forward sweetness and gentle spice creates a harmonious drinking experience that lingers pleasantly.

Versatile Wine & Food Pairings

Quinta Milu's balanced profile makes it an exceptional companion to a wide range of dishes. Enjoy it with classic Spanish tapas, grilled chorizo, or paella for an authentic experience. It also pairs beautifully with roasted lamb, beef tenderloin, aged Manchego cheese, or hearty mushroom risotto. Whether you're planning a casual weeknight dinner or an elegant celebration, this versatile wine enhances any meal.

A Wine for Every Occasion

More than just a bottle of wine, Quinta Milu represents the soul of Ribera del Duero and the Fifth Mile philosophy of making exceptional wine accessible. Its approachable nature welcomes newcomers to Spanish wine while offering the depth and complexity that seasoned enthusiasts appreciate. Share it with friends, pair it with your favorite meal, or simply enjoy a glass as you unwind—Quinta Milu is designed for life's everyday moments and special celebrations alike.

Winemaker Description 

Winemaker Description 

Century-old, pre-phylloxera, ungrafted vines planted on a blue slate hillside of dizzying steepness renders a wine that’s nothing short of profound. It offers intense flavor, integrated juiciness, sensuous texture and extraordinary length and intricacy with guaranteed potential for long maturation.

Gernot Kollmann started his career at the Immich Batterieberg winery in 2009. Since then he has led the house to new successes. Connoisseurs are fascinated by the house wines because they reflect the Moselle and especially the Riesling in an intensive and individual way.

The Immich Batterieberg Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling brings sweet and tart pleasure into the glass. Enchanting herbal bouquet Its bright straw-yellow dress suits the Immich Batterieberg Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling admirably. Spicy flint and dried herbs inspire in the bouquet. Here the Riesling flatters the nose in a clear and light way. Ripe plate peach, a hint of citrus zest and apple blossom find their way into the aromatic spectacle.

The Immich Batterieberg Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling on the palate The mineral-fruity nose of the Immich Batterieberg Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling is followed by a full-bodied and crystal-clear pleasure on the palate. The dried garden herbs and the spicy slate combine on the tongue with apple compote and juicy peach wedges. Balsamic accents and a sinewy body give the wine a lot of elegance, even in the long finish. The fruit of the Immich Batterieberg Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling is pleasantly restrained and leaves plenty of room for spicy and mineral notes.

For this reason, the Riesling is ideal as an accompaniment for the exclusive kitchen on special occasions. Baked veal cheeks on risotto, steamed zander and grilled trout welcome him with joy at their side. Gernot Kollmann creates a fine Riesling from a steep site.

For the Immich Batterieberg Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling, the winemaker chooses particularly long-grown vines with deep roots. The plants have been growing on the blue slate soil for more than eighty years. The Ellergrub site is known for exceptionally elegant wine.

The Immich Batterieberg Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling does not disappoint either. Gernot Kollmann ferments the wine with great patience and calm. Under his hands, the Riesling unfolds its natural potential and absorbs the terroir around the steep slate slope. Great enjoyment from a great location.

Producer Notes

From the ever-creative and driven Julien Sunier comes Wild Soul — his ‘anytime red,’ as he fondly refers to it. Like most of Sunier’s fruit, Wild Soul is farmed organically and harvested at high altitude (400m) in the Beaujolais Villages appellation. The elevation results in exceptional freshness, aromatic vibrancy, a lithe presence on the palate, and endless pleasure. Pure, expressive Gamay at its best.

Food Pairings

• Charcuterie, pâté, or cured meats
• Roasted chicken or duck confit
• Mushroom dishes or earthy lentil stews
• Serve slightly chilled for maximum freshness