Sitewide Sale - Reds

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019 

Joe Czerwinski writes:  Whitehall Lane's 2019 Merlot Napa Valley actually contains 87% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot. Slightly candied cherry notes mark the nose, framed by vanilla and touches of dried tobacco, while the medium to full-bodied palate is succulent and juicy, textured without being overly rich or tannic.  Drinking 2022 to 2030.  - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 90

James Suckling writes:  Vibrant, fruity nose of ripe plums, raspberries, mulberries, licorice and nutmeg. Some chocolate orange, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with creamy tannins. Plush, round and succulent. Drink or hold.  - Wine Spectator 91

Tim Fish writes:  Refined and structured, with expressive red currant, toasty mocha and tomato leaf tones that gather tension and polish toward fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2029.  - Wine Spectator 91

Winemaker Description 

This Merlot offers notes of raspberry croissant, red currants, cocoa powder, and layers of graphite. The palate showcases fine, firm tannins alongside chocolate cherry lollipop, red plums, dried goji berries, and toasted brioche. It is supple in texture and shows attractive depth on the finish. Winemaker Description. 

Winemaker Description 

Intense red, violet and bright. Fresh aroma, like the plum, joined with lactic notes and a subtle touch of vanilla. In mouth is sweet inlet, medium palate, firm structure and sucrose finish.

'Gato Negro Cabernet Malbec is a soft red wine, with aromas of black fruit, like plums, with subtle notes of vanilla. Delicious mouthfeel, medium body and firm structure.

Expert Review - Vintage 2018 

Wine & Spirits Magazine 93 Points | Meghan Zobeck makes this wine with cabernet from Burgess’s Sorenson Vineyard, a west-facing parcel on Howell Mountain, blending in a small amount of petit verdot and malbec from Haymaker, an eastfacing vineyard slightly higher in elevation. Aged mostly in neutral French oak barrels (15 percent were new), this developed a textural grace without the weight of oak tannins, feeling airy in its richness. There’s darkness to the fruit and a marrow-bone savor, ending light and breezy.

Winemaker Description

Made for sharing. Crafted using unique growing techniques and state-of-the-art technology for winemaking, this California wine is made with high-quality grapes from the Lodi region. With a well-balanced acidity, this red merlot wine features beautifully integrated tannins that create complexity and structure. 

Rich aromas of blackberry, cherry, chocolate and red berries complement an enticing ripe plum, toasty mocha oak and cherry cola flavor. This full-bodied Woodbridge merlot wine has a soft and versatile style that pairs well with hearty pasta with Bolognese sauce, grilled steak, lamb, pork chops and hamburgers.

For best taste and quality, store this bottle of wine at room temperature and chill before serving. Please enjoy our wines responsibly. © 2021 Woodbridge Winery, Acampo, CA

Winemaker Description

Caymus has a signature style that is dark in color, with rich fruit and ripe tannins – as approachable in youth as in maturity. Since its founding in 1972, Caymus has become renowned as a consistent leader in the production of Napa Valley Cabernet. Grapes for this wine are farmed in a range of Napa’s sub-appellations – from Coombsville to Calistoga – with fruit from the valley floor creating lushness and the hillsides providing backbone. Diversification enables us to make the best possible wine in a given year, featuring layered, lush aromas and flavors, including cocoa, cassis and ripe berries.

Winemaker Description

Tuffe is Philippe Vatan’s red made from a wide variety of parcels spread across his limestone-rich vineyards. Aged in stainless-steel in an immaculate cavernous cellar, this has classic Cabernet Franc notes that include black raspberry and just the right amount of savory herbs while finishing with well-integrated tannins. 

Winemaker Description

Rich, silky, velvety, soft and with smooth tannins. Fruity notes of cherry, strawberry, raspberry, and ripe tomato. Floral notes reminiscent of rose petal and violet. Serve with Boeuf Bourginon, roast beef, and braised lamb. 

Winemaker Description 

The classic Blaufränkisch from Zantho shows a fine fruit reminiscent of blackberries with a hint of cinnamon. Juicy berries on the palate are supported by a very harmonious acid and tannin structure. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2019

Wine Spectator 90 Points | A balanced, medium-bodied version, with light, taut tannins providing fine-grained texture and support for flavors of mulled cherry, tobacco, red licorice and cocoa powder, this is creamy and fragrant on the finish. Tempranillo, Mazuelo and Graciano. Drink now through 2029. 50,000 cases made, 3,500 cases imported.

Winemaker Description 

A contemporary wine, alluring and well structured, it has captured the character of an outstanding part of the world. Ripe and full of berry fruits and spice, Beronia Reserva's velvety texture is an iconic classic.

Winemaker Description

Borgo Reale Chianti Riserva is made from a selection of the finest grapes, receiving additional aging following fermentation. Enjoy with all types of pasta, hor d'oeuvres, and red or white meats.

Winemaker Description

Vivid notes of black raspberry, fresh pomegranate juice, with wild blueberry, sassafras, subtle licorice, toasted oak an earthy backbone, and grippy tannins. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2023 

90 Points James Suckling | A light and fresh pinot that has real pinot character, with sliced strawberry and citrus notes. Light-bodied, clean and an attractive.

Winemaker Description

Medium-bodied with juicy flavors of berry and black cherry with soft tannins for a smooth finish. Enjoy with wild mushroom risotto or slow-cooked beef stew.

Winemaker Description

The complex and mature bouquet offers rich fruit aromas, along with hints of spice and notes of raisin fruit, layered with tobacco and leather. Elegant and velvety on the palate, this is classic Gran Reserva Rioja from an excellent vintage that provides outstanding value for money.

Winemaker Description

Medium ruby-purple, the 2019 Estate Pinot Noir Ama features pure, layered aromas of rhubarb, tart dried red cherries, burnt orange peel, blueberries and violet with tones of conifer and forest floor, continuing to offer new aromatic nuances with each return to the glass. The medium-bodied palate is bright and chalky, with youthfully coiled fruits and a long, spicy finish.

Expert Review

Robert Parker 94 Points | Medium ruby-purple, the 2019 Estate Pinot Noir Ama features pure, layered aromas of rhubarb, tart dried red cherries, burnt orange peel, blueberries and violet with tones of conifer and forest floor, continuing to offer new aromatic nuances with each return to the glass. The medium-bodied palate is bright and chalky, with youthfully coiled fruits and a long, spicy finish. (2019). 

Expert Review - VIntage 2022

Audrey Frick of Jeb Dunnuck writes 93 Points | A vivid but transparent red color, the 2022 Nebbiolo D'Alba Valmaggiore is bright with aromas of candied cranberries, cinnamon, dusty earth, and fresh roses. Coming from a single vineyard in Roero, the wine is medium-bodied and ripe but retains great freshness and vibrancy, with terrific structure and a long, rather notable finish. An impressive entry to the Nebbiolo range, it offers a lot of fresh purity and is surprisingly light on its feet for the vintage. Drink 2024-2034.

Kerin O`Keefe 92 Points | Sandrone’s Valmaggiore is always one of the best young Nebbiolos out there and the 2022 doesn’t disappoint. It offers intense aromas of ripe forest berry, dark spice and blue flower that on the palate transform into juicy red cherry, crushed raspberry, licorice and ground clove. Polished tannins lend structure and finesse. Drink through 2027.

Winemaker Description

Valduero Dos Cotas Reserva is a barrel-aged, single-variety Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) red wine made by Bodegas Valduero in the D.O. Ribera de Duero.

Set up in the small Burgos town of Gumiel del Mercado by Gregorio García álvarez in 1984, the Valduero family winery was one of the first to be founded in Ribera de Duero. Currently, alongside their two daughters Yolanda and Carolina, they cultivate 200 hectares of Tempranillo variety vineyards to make Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva wines in their winery, built at the foot of a mountain. An authentic cave over 30 metres deep that houses more than 4,000 oak barrels and a million bottles ready to send out all over the world.

Valduero Dos Cotas Reserva comes from old strains over 50 years old planted at an altitude of 830 metres in clay-calcareous soils. They use traditional agriculture and a bush training system to naturally limit production to an average of 3,500 kg / ha. When the grapes reach optimum ripeness, they are manually harvested into 14 kg boxes.

In the winery, Valduero Dos Cotas Reserva ferments for 8 days in stainless steel tanks between 23ºC and 28ºC with pump-overs and 10 days of maceration. It then ages for 30 months in oak barrels of 3 different origins and finally stabilises in the bottle for 18 months before going to market.

Valduero Dos Cotas Reserva is a fine and elegant barrel-aged red wine that is a classic Ribera de Duero with well-balanced fruit and wood.

Winemaker Description

6Cepas6 is a great range that focusses on the fun and approachable side of Rioja. Rather than being over tannic, oaky or dry these wines are bold, fruity and exciting. Hand selecting in the vineyards and sorting in the cellar followed by 6 months aging in new oak barrels. 

Red fruits and spices and toasted brioche. Powerful yet fruity enough to remain balanced and subtle. Soft tannins and a lovely finish. Perfect with red meats, pasta or a good old stew! 

Expert Reviews

Jeb Dunnuck writes: I was lucky enough to taste the 2016 Château Gloria on multiple occasions and it’s unquestionably the finest vintage of this cuvée I’ve tasted. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, aged in 42% new French oak, its deep purple color is followed by a powerful, medium to full-bodied wine that has thrilling purity in its ripe black and blue fruits, tobacco, and graphite-laced aromas and flavors. Deep, layered, with ripe tannins and the purity and freshness that makes the vintage so special, this is a brilliant Gloria to drink over the coming 20+ years. Drinking 2019 - 2039 - Jeb Dunnuck 94

William Kelley writes: The 2016 Gloria is showing brilliantly and appears to be entering the beginning of its drinking window. Offering up a deep bouquet of sweet crème de cassis and blackberries mingled with sweet spices and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with fine concentration, ripe tannins and bright acids, it's a vibrant, precise wine from this sometimes rather flamboyantly styled estate, impressing for its purity of fruit and structural seamlessness. Gloria in excelsis! Drinking 2022 - 2040 - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 93

Elin McCoy writes: Though it's hardly under-the-radar, this unclassified château (one of the few in this appellation) consistently offers rich bright fruit , charm, and juicy generosity in a lighter, elegant St-Julien style, especially in top vintages like 2016. The plots that make up its vineyards were painstakingly acquired by the late Henri Martin and it's now run by his daughter and son-in-law, along with fourth growth Château Saint-Pierre. The blend in 2016 is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot and aged in 40% new barrels. This was the first vintage made in a new winery, with 76 different-sized tanks, and it's one of the best wines ever from Gloria. - Drinking 2022 - 2040 - Decanter 93

James Suckling writes: Beautiful aromas of blackcurrants and blueberries. Hot-stone undertones. Full-bodied, very tight and focused with very fine tannins that are strong and bright. Compressed. Serious. Try in 2023. - James Suckling 94

Antonio Galloni writes: The 2016 Gloria is one of the undisputed stars of this vintage. Rich, deep and explosive, the 2016 possesses tremendous intensity in all of its dimensions. Sweet red cherry, tobacco, menthol, licorice and dried rose petal all add complexity. In 2016 Gloria is a real head-turner. It should be a fabulous value as well. There is not much else to say. Drinking 2026 - 2046 - Vinous 96

Jane Anson writes: Immediately on the nose you get the rich structure of the fruit, rippling with texture and life. It has just the right amount of drama, offering a tight and well-focussed delivery. This is beautiful, showing great underlying freshness and grip with real tension and minerality. Drinking 2027 - 2040 - Decanter 94

Jancis Robinson writes: Tasted blind. Restrained nose suggests there’s a lot going on here. Savoury – as dry as a Barton wine – but with great constitution. Drier than usual. Drinking 2027 - 2045 - Jancis Robinson 17.5

Expert Ratings - Vintage 2021 

93 Points Robert Parker | Sourced primarily from Oak Knoll, the 2021 Zinfandel Black Chicken delivers briar-laced bramble-berry fruit, plus a decent dose of vanilla (maturation was in 25% new French oak). Full-bodied, it's creamy, ripe and lush, with a slightly herbal tang on the lingering finish. 

93 Points James Suckling | Dark plums, crushed dark berries, cocoa beans, dried orange and moist bark. Medium-bodied, spiced and racy with sleek tannins and vivid acidity. Flavorful and silky.

92 Points Jeb Dunnuck | Tobacco, cigar, red and black plums, and strawberry notes all emerge from the 2021 Zinfandel Black Chicken, a medium-bodied, elegant, seamless Zinfandel that has light tannins and a great finish. 

92 Points Wine Enthusiast | A touch of maple sweetness tops boisterous, bright fruit flavors in this fullbodied, smooth and lightly tannic wine from one of Napa’s few Zinfandel specialists. Raspberries, strawberries and vanilla taste rich and relaxed as you sip.

Winemaker Description

Showing the influence of the breezy and fog-laced Oak Knoll District, the 2021 vintage offers rich, plush fruit, delicate acidity and a structure defined by well-ripened tannins. Layered notes of black cherry, raspberry, sandalwood, bergamot, cloves, blueberry, and balsam on the nose. Delicate, yet rich with plum compote, violets, and baking spice on the palate. An ideal vintage of the Black Chicken that, with proper cellaring, will continue to improve for the next 5-7 years. Winemaker Description.

Winemaker Description

This is extremely linear and refined with a super-fine line of tannins running through the center of the wine. It’s full-bodied, yet tight and sophisticated, with a long, long finish. Plenty of blackcurrant, dark chocolate, walnut and cedar in the aftertaste. Try after 2025.

Expert Reviews

Winemaker Description 

Made from old-vines planted on sandy soils in the coastal region of Apulia, this full-bodied, blackberry-perfumed, exotic Primitivo displays unexpected complexity for the price, and will please consumers in search for a juicy, hedonistic everyday house red.

Cantine Due Palme, is a cooperative founded in 1989 in Cellino San Marco, in the province of Brindisi in the high part of Salento. It is a project of Angelo Maci, third generation of winemakers/ grape growers, who with steadiness and dedication has made Cantine Due Palme one of the most active cooperatives in the South of Italy.

Winemaker Description

Fragrant and floral aromas of hibiscus and dried rose petal combined with bright cherry, dried cranberry, and just a hint of black licorice, are expressed in this classic Oregon Pinot Noir. A medium bodied entry instantly pleases and leads to a silky mid palate carried by dried Bing cherry, black tea, with light sandalwood and cedar notes. 

Well balanced, this wine’s body is supported by youthful yet integrated tannin and moderate acidity that lingers into a medium long finish. A direct and mouth watering Pinot Noir that promises to pair perfectly with both Wednesday night takeout or Friday date night!

Winemaker Description

2020 Gnarly Dudes is an unctuous yet classic Barossa Valley Shiraz. This Barossa Valley Shiraz staple will be able to go anywhere with you.

Expert Review

91 Wine Spectator | There's lots to admire in this compact red, which offers dense, firm tannins and accents of Earl Grey tea, smoked paprika, bay leaf, blackberry, blueberry and a hint of sweet mint on the finish. Drink now.

Winemaker Description

Scarpetta Barbera del Monferrato is a bright plum red color. Aromas of crushed berries and plums intermix with aromas of earth and porcini mushrooms. On the palate, the wine is medium bodied with bright acidity and low tannins, yet wonderfully balanced.

The high acidity and low tannins let this wine work with everything from a pizza or homemade pasta to a piece of beef or pork.

Expert Review - Vintage 2016

The Wine Advocate 93 Points | I love the textbook nose of the 2016 Señorío de P. Peciña Reserva, as it is earthy, spicy and developed, with notes of leather and vanilla and a touch of smoke and brick dust. It has ripe fruit without excess and a medium-bodied palate with great balance and freshnesjs. It has pungent flavors and is powerful and ripe without excess at 14.5% alcohol and with polished chalky tannins. This matured in American oak barrels for 36 months, during which time it was racked every six months. 42,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in September 2020.

Winemaker Description 

Winemaker Description

Dark opaque plummy colors jump from the glass. Aromas of dark fruit: blackcherry, Plum and blackberry; Layered with soft notes of cinnamon and cloves. Full and satisfying finish.

Expert Reviews

Oscar Garcia Moncada, 67Wine: Tempranillo from Rioja Alavesa that expresses the terroir and microclimate of this acclaimed region. The Saenz family, who owns the winery and vineyards,  date their winemaking tradition all the way back to the 16th century. 

Sarah Jane Evans MW, 91 Points | Pedro Ballestero Torres MW, and Pierre Mansour write:  Black fruits, wild herbs, savoury tannin, and balsamic notes with rich fruit feel in the mouth. Long and open on the finish. 

Winemaker Description

Hewitson Mourvedre Baby Bush 2019 is a wine produced by Hewitson winery in the Barossa Valley region of South Australia 1. It is made from 100% Mourvèdre grapes, which are grown on 15-year-old bush vines 1. The wine is a medium red with a bright purple hue and has aromas of brambly blueberry and black cherry, dried herbs, and earth 2. On the palate, it delivers a rich, velvety mouthfeel with sarsaparilla and classic blue fruits backed by very soft and fully ripe tannins 12. The grapes are whole bunch pressed and left on their skins for a couple of weeks before being aged for 15 months in seasoned French oak barriques.

Expert Reviews

According to Ray Jordan, a wine critic, the wine has a spicy raspberry and cherry character that lifts effortlessly from the glass. There is also a hint of liqueur chocolate and a lick of vanilla bean that adds to the complexity. 

Campbell Mattinson, another wine critic, describes the wine as firm, sweet, and ripe with just enough rusty/meaty notes to lend it some character. It feels of-the-earth even as the fruit swims forward, and its overall balance cannot be questioned. He suggests that it is good now but will be better in 2022.

Winemaker Description

This Cabernet Sauvignon is a deep and intense ruby red. On the nose are notes of plum, currants and cherries with toasted notes from oak ageing. On the palate this wine is elegant and soft with a fresh and persistant finish. 

Winemaker Description

Appearance : Clean and with an intense color with cherry reflections. Aroma : Aromatic intensity and complexity, where red and black fruits appear with notes of underlying vanilla and balsamic. Taste : It transmit its strong and harmonious constitution, fruit and tannic softly shaped by the oak vessel, which are prolonged. Tasty and ashy, it’s a faithful, exponent of winery.