Reds

Expert Reviews- Vintage 2018 

Jesica Vargas of the Wine Enthusiast 91 Points | This elegant wine has delicate cocoa powder, black pepper and red-fruit aromas with a dash of espresso and a subtle oaky note. The palate presents firm tannins and nice juicy acidity. It's flavorful with cherry and raspberry blended with coffee bean and spice. It has a lingering fresh finish.

Vinous 90 Points | The 2018 Pinot Noir Herú from Casablanca was made with 30% whole bunches and aged in casks and eggs. Cherry red in hue. The nose features strawberry, herbs and damp earth against an oaky backdrop. Terse and refreshing with a silky, grippy flow; the finish is fruity. A ripely expressive wine.

Decanter 88 Points |  Quite perfumed, raspberry liqueur nose. Rounded and light, with polished tannins and mellow acidity.

Expert Reviews

Tim Fish writes:  Fragrant raspberry and fresh violet aromas lead to elegantly layered cherry, mineral and savory tea flavors, with a silky mouthfeel that slowly builds tension on the polished finish. Drink now through 2033.   - Wine Spectator 94

Clive Pursehouse writes:  An intensely decorated set of aromas announce this broader valley bottling from Résonance: ripe strawberries, smoked cedar plank and a melange of warm exotic spices. The palate is concentrated with rich dried red berry flavours, piquant chicory root spice, and an extended lingering savoury depth. Delicious.  Drinking 2024 to 2033.  - Decanter 93

James Suckling writes:  Aromas rich in savory, woodsy and spicy notes lead to vibrant black cherries, grilled plums, mushrooms, star anise and a touch of black pepper. Distinctive for a broad Willamette Valley bottling, this is lively and medium-bodied. Drink now or hold.  - James Suckling 93

Eric Guido writes:  A pretty blend of steeped plums and violet flowers introduces the 2022 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley. This is cool-toned and classic in feel, with ripe red and blue fruits that flow across textures of pure silk, leaving a tinge of sweet spice toward the close. An air of lavender lingers along with ripe blackberries and hints of sage as the 2022 tapers off with stunning length and gentle tannins. This is a wonderfully harmonious effort that will reward cellaring.  Drinking 2026 to 2034.  - Vinous 92+

Audrey Frick writes:  Ruby red-hued, the 2022 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley has a very appealing nose with notes of ripe cherries, wild herbs, sassafras, and fresh flowers. Approachable and medium-bodied, it offers ripe, defined tannins, stemmy spice on the palate, and ripe acidity. It’s a charming wine with a stemmy texture to drink over the next 4-5 years.  Drinking 2024 to 2029.  - Jeb Dunnuck 90

Expert Reviews - Vintager 2019

Antonio Galloni of Vinous 91-93 Points writes | The 2019 Cantemerle is fabulous. Deep, inky and super expressive, Cantemerle is a real standout in 2019. Dark red and purplish berry fruit, grilled herbs, rose petal, spice, sweet pipe tobacco and mint are some of the many notes that develop here with a bit of coaxing. More than anything else, it is the wine's extraordinary balance and sense of harmony that stand out here. Don't miss this! Drinking 2024 - 2050. 

Jeb Dunnuck 91 Points | An incredibly consistent estate that always delivers a quality wine, the 2019 Château Cantemerle checks in as 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Classic Médoc notes of red and black currants, cedar pencil, sappy herbs, and tobacco give way to a medium-bodied 2019 with terrific balance, ripe, polished tannins, good acidity, and outstanding length. This terrific wine will benefit from just short-term cellaring and keep for 15+ in cold cellars. Drinking 2023 - 2039.

James Molesworth of the Wine Spectator 90 Points writes: Very direct in feel, offering plum and cherry puree notes gilded with violet and anise hints. Shows a graphite accent on the finish, which adds depth as the fruit blossoms around it. Solid. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2030.

Richard Hemming MW of Jancis Robinson 16/20 Points writes: Old-fashioned savoury black fruit with tannins that grip without asphyxiating. Savoury tart finish with lots of classic cassis. Ready to drink now (with food). Drinking 2023 - 2029.

Neal Martin of Vinous 93 Points writes: The 2019 Cantemerle has a fruit-driven bouquet with opulent blackberry and blueberry fruit, certainly one of the most floral in the flight with pressed violets developing in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with very supple tannins, fleshy and rounded, though I am looking for more tension and precision on the finish. This is a really fabulous Cantemerle that surely represents outstanding value. No excuse not to have this in your cellar. Drinking 2025 -2050.

William Kelley of the Wine Advocate 92 Points writes | Opening in the glass with notions of rich berry fruit, licorice, cedar, violets and loamy soil, the 2019 Cantemerle is medium to full-bodied, with a fleshy core of fruit, lively acids and powdery tannins that gently assert themselves on the finish. This shut down a little after bottling (some 11 months ago at the time of writing), but it is beginning to bounce back to reveal a wine of real charm and character. Drinking 2025 - 2045 

James Suckling 95 Points | A red with lots of currant, blackberry, fresh-herb and tobacco character. Hint of mushroom, too. It’s full and layered with polished, chewy tannins and a bright and fresh finish. Very long and focused. Give it time to come together. Very classic character here. Best after 2026. - James Suckling 95

Georgina Hindle of Decanter 94 Points writes: Green pepper and herbaceous notes on the nose with minty eucalyptus alongside ripe cherry and blackcurrant aromas - so classic. A lovely mouthfeel here, smooth, well defined and preise. Quite direct, serious and darkly fruited - such a concentrated core - but with smooth tannins, a soft sweetness and freshness that lifts the overall frame. Balanced with succulence. Makes a lasting impact and impression. A great value pick. Drinking 2025 - 2045.

Jane Anson 92 Points writes |  Plenty of smoked cedar oak on the opening beats, this is full-throated in its extraction but comes across as confident rather than too much, and as it softens the damson and black cherry fruits are attractive. 40% new oak. Drinking 2026 - 2040.

Expert Ratings

Wine Spectator 93 points | A solid, slightly burly version, featuring streaks of tar and bay leaf mixed with dark plum and black currant preserve flavors. The finish is underscored by a warm paving stone note, which adds cut, drive and a hint of old school. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024. (2019). 

Wine Enthusiast 95 Points |  From a reliable estate, this wine is firm in feel. It also has open black fruits that pair alongside the generous tannins. It is good long-term aging. Barrel Sample: 93-95Wine Advocate 92 points Deep purple-black in color, the 2019 Meyney strides confidently out of the glass with classic notes of cassis, warm plums and baked blackberries plus hints of cedar chest, bay leaves, pencil lead and clove oil plus a waft of underbrush. The medium to full-bodied palate has a generous core of ripe black fruits with a slight touch of oak poking through and a firm backbone of ripe, grainy tannins, finishing with impressive length. (2019).

Decanter 93 points | One of the wines I use as a marker of how good the vintage is in St Estèphe, because it isn't classified but is in a brilliant location right next door to Montrose. And this is good, extremely concentrated, pure cassis and bilberry flavours, tons of tannins, clear austerity and fairly high acidity as I am getting in a lot of these 2019s. Not the same luscious character as 2018, but in many ways that makes it more typical of the appellation, and the alcohol seems less over the top than in 2018. Lots to enjoy here, not quite up to 2016 standard but not far. Tasted two weeks apart, and if anything its expression had deepened second time around.  Barrel Sample: 93Jeb Dunnuck 94 points This estate has been on a roll of late, and the 2019 Château Meyney is a terrific wine. Beautiful notes of crème de cassis, spicy oak, dried flowers, and dried tobacco all emerge from the glass, and this beauty is medium to full-bodied, with a seamless texture, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. Count me impressed. Not a powerhouse, it should drink nicely right out of the gate yet also evolve for 20 years or more. Range: 92-94 Points. (2019).

James Suckling 92 Points |  Aromas of ripe berries, licorice and chocolate with a touch of mushroom and some dustiness. Silky, polished texture with medium body and firm tannins. Holds long and even, with a lingering sensation of crushed stones. Hold for a couple of years. Second wine of Meyney. Best after 2023.Vinous 95 points The 2019 Meyney has a divine bouquet, so pure and winsome with floral red berry scents, beautifully integrated new oak and superb precision. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy to the point where you can almost overlook the backbone of this Saint-Estèphe. It could have been blowsy, yet it retains superb balance and feels luxuriant and long on the finish. This is a stellar showing easily eclipsing its performances either in barrel or just after bottling. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.  —  Neal Martin. (2019).

Winemaker Description

Very aromatic, fruity notes stand out over the wood ones. We perceive black fruits such as blackberries and plums alongside with spiced notes, obtained during its time in oak barrels, that bestow elegance. Roasted notes appear gradually as well.  The wine has a great structure and body. It is well-balance and velvety on the mouth. It has a pleasant and long lasting finish.

18 months in French oak barrels. The wine is then finely-tuned in the bottle for a period of six months. For the purpose of preserving every characteristic of the wine, before being bottled, the wine goes through a clarification and stabilization process, followed by a filtration process. Nevertheless, over time, due to the use of very gentle techniques, some natural sediments might appear. 

Winemaker Notes

Deep purple colour with intense aromas of red and black fruits, crushed violets and a touch of mocha. The palate has generous ripe fruits and a plush, velvety texture supported by vibrant acidity, with fruits and spices that linger on the finish. Extreme refinement.

Critic Notes

Jeb Dunnuck writes:  The 2019 Le Petit Ducru De Ducru-Beaucaillou is also Merlot-dominated and includes 36% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot. It offers classic Saint-Julien elegance and purity in its darker currant and cherry fruits as well as notes of tobacco, violets, and lead pencil. With medium-bodied richness on the palate, it has wonderful tannins, a balanced, layered mouthfeel, and outstanding length. It needs air to show at its best and is just a charming, elegant, layered 2019 to enjoy over any time over the coming decade.  Drinking 2022 to 3032.  - Jeb Dunnuck 91

Georgina Hindle writes:  Lovely, fresh, delicate and fruity nose; smells quite rich and ripe. Good push of plush fruit, bright cherry straight away then darkens to something more serious and sensual. Tannins are overpowering, just so abundant, covering the tongue and cheeks but they're soft - you need that structure to give it life. Feels sculpted if a little excessive right now, but good freshness and drive, and round on the mid-palate with no angles. Some spice at the end. From the western part of the appellation, a parcel of about 25ha purchased in the 1970s. 10ha in the process of being replanted - so 15ha in production. This is the third wine and receives declassified fruit from the higher wines, although produced with the same philosophy.  Drinking 2023 to 2031  - Decanter 90

Antonio Galloni writes:  The 2019 Le Petit Ducru de Ducru-Beaucaillou is plush, creamy and open-knit, all of which give it considerable immediacy, not to mention tons of charm. Succulent dark cherry, plum, mocha and licorice lend nuance in this racy, Merlot-based blend. The Petit Ducru is a new wine meant to be the third selection from the château.  Drinking 2025 to 2029.  - Vinous 92

Critic Notes

Alistair Cooper MW of Jancis Robinson writes 16.5 Points | Tasted blind. Pure strawberry fruit on the nose, rosemary and thyme. Sweet and supple mid palate with a lovely savoury meaty note behind. Excellent energy drives this wine, juicy, fresh and really appealing!   Drinking 2024 to 2030.

Matt Walls of Decanter writes 91 Points | Fine and pretty, precise red berry fruits. Brisk, balanced, and drinkable. Enjoyable zingy acidity. Small but perfectly formed for a 2021 Gigondas. Mostly destemmed, natural yeasts, no acidification.  Drinking 2023 to 2028.

Nicolas Greinacher of Vinous writes 91 Points | The 2021 Gigondas Cuvée Tradition 1871 checks in at a moderate 13.7% alcohol. Cropped at 26hL/Ha, it offers shy red fruit aromatics but really comes alive on the palate. Solid flavor concentration flawlessly matches the energizing acidity, all tucked into a corset of gently sculpted tannins. The finish of this 2021 red is distinctively elegant. This spent one year in a combination of concrete tanks and foudres.  Drinking 2024 to 2031. 

Winemaker Description

A dark, rich purple in color, this wine is from vines grown in ancient Cambrian earth, formed from Cambrian rocks that are over 500 million years old. A limited edition Shiraz dedicated to the first born children of the founders, this wine boasts aromas of cassis and blackberry. The palate is full-bodied yet refined with perfect integration of French oak and decadent notes of dark fruits, tobacco, and mocha. The finish is long with black pepper overtones, red chili and soft tannins, which give this wine a finish that lingers long after it's been enjoyed. 

Pair with a roast leg of lamb, barbecue, and aged hard cheese.

Expert Review

San Francisco Chronicle | Brendel likes to say that they have a secret ingredient: dirt. Their range of wines are made from some of the best sites in Napa’s most renowned regions, including the eastern side of Rutherford (the main component here), the highest elevations of Howell Mountain, two diverse sites in St. Helena, and a steep plot in Oak Knoll. Each vineyard is chosen for its quality and unique aptitude, with soil types ranging from volcanic to clay to bring out the best in each grape in their array of wines. It’s, as they put it, good dirt.

Winemaker Description 

The 2021 Brendel Cooper’s Reed Cabernet Sauvignon is a fresh and vibrant take on Napa Valley’s famed grape varietal. Harvested under moonlight, the fruit is crushed at cool temperatures and then thoughtfully monitored throughout fermentation. After a 7-10 day fermentation, the wine is gently pressed to oak casks where it is allowed to mature for 9 months prior to bottling. Fruit is sourced from prized vineyards in Napa and Sonoma, giving the wine its mouthwatering structure, and elevage in upright oak casks preserves the bright red and black fruit characteristics.
– Brittany Sherwood, Director of Winemaking

Winemaker Description 

"Maraschino cherry, pomegranate, smoked meat, earth and rosemary flavors highlight this sleek red, which is defined by vivid acidity and solid tannins, with a dry, sinewy finish. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2026 through 2037. 3,000 cases made, 1,250 cases imported."

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2021

Winemaker Description

David Chapel has been immersed in the world of winemaker since his childhood. Overnoy, Lapierre and many others, friends with David's late father Alain Chapel, a renowned Michelin-starred chef, have shared their table and their knowledge with him. It is therefore natural that he decides, after a few years of sommelier training, to start his own business in Morgon, at the Lapierre family. 

There he met Michele, an American sommelier on a visit; after a stint in New York, they decided to return to Beaujolais and settled in Regnie-Durette in 2017.

After a 2016 vintage vinified in Morgon, 2017 marked their big debut, picking up grapes and vines from Julienas, then from Chiroubles, Fleurie and Lantignie in 2018. A non-interventionist approach and winemaking that respects local traditions results in wines that are crisp, fresh but with all the depth of the great Beaujolais wine. 

Winemaker Description

This juicy red is 100% Gamay from a 9 hectare plot of 60 year-old vines planted on granitic soil. No sulphur is used in the cellar and after bottling the wine is left to rest for 2 months before release. Fresh and fruity with low tannins, this makes for great accompaniment to fish dishes. 

A bright crimson-purple in colour. Aromas of red cherries, cassis and strawberries mixed in with pleasantly earthy notes. Juicy and light on the palate with notes of summer red fruit flavours and silky tannins leading to a refreshing finish.

Try chilled with roasted cod, coq au vin or prawn dumplings with a sweet chilli sauce.

Grapes are hand-harvested and meticulously sorted. Semi-carbonic maceration without SO2, for 4-6 days 2 months in “cuve”.

Almost all the grapes for this cuvée come from within the Morgon cru, but the wine is not entitled to the Morgon appellation because yields surpass the accepted limit of 56 hl/ha. This is intentional: the high yields prevent excessive concentration and yield an easy-drinking, fruit-driven red with low alcohol. 

Expert Review

Allen Meadows writes:  A restrained if pretty nose timidly offers up its array of mostly red gamay fruit cut with spice and pepper hints. The delicious and attractively textured middleweight flavors possess good verve before culminating in a dusty, mildly austere and sneaky long finale where a hint of warmth slowly emerges. This too could easily be enjoyed young or held for 2 to 3 years in order to round off the moderately firm tannins. Good quality for the category.  - Burghound

Winemaker Description

Rescuing and resistant, Queen Isabella has ensured since the attack of phylloxera, in the 19th century, the continuation of vineyards and wine on the islands until the present day. For many...it's not part of the customs.

This "Isabella" the Forbidden, highlights the history of the last 200 years, in an elegant, aromatic, authentic and...simple wine, like all that is good!

A fresh, elegant, spicy and saline red like few others. Ideal partner for grilled and seasoned red meat dishes. Signature of the winemaker António Maçanita.

An Isabella Forbidden and super appetizing.... Another great wine from the Azores Wine Company! 

Winemaker Description

The incredible quality of the 2018 vintage is on full display in our Estate Merlot. Sensationally dense with ripe plum, boysenberry, and blackberry flavors that leap out of the glass, the smooth, rich fruit is complemented by milk chocolate, fresh tobacco, sandalwood, black licorice, violet, and mocha. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2018

Jeb Dunnuck 92 Points | Merlot excelled in 2018, and Pride's 2018 Merlot offers a beautiful, medium to full-bodied, plump, rounded style that's a joy to drink. Giving up lots of redcurrants, black cherries, tobacco leaf, earth, and chocolate, it has nicely integrated tannins and no hard edges. It's a gem to enjoy over the coming 7-8 years, if not upwards of a decade or more.

Vinous 93 Points | The 2018 Merlot is another very pretty wine in this part of the Pride range. Plump and juicy, with mid-weight structure, the 2018 is gorgeous right out of the gate. Succulent black cherry, plum, mocha, licorice and spice all flesh out effortlessly, with bright acids that keep the flavors lively. The restrained style is so appealing.

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Expert Reviews

Neal Martin of Vinous writes 91 Points | The 2019 Greysac presents a well-defined nose of blackberry, cedar and graphite scents that unfurl with aeration. The medium-bodied palate offers sappy black fruit and fine depth. Quite supple in the mouth, with a pure, caressing finish that belies its backbone. Very fine. Drink: 2025-2045. (v. 2019). 

Antonio Galloni of Vinous writes 90 Points | The 2019 Greysac is a super-expressive, savory Médoc loaded with personality. Dried herbs, mint, tobacco, cedar and licorice all grace this wonderfully inviting, mid-weight offering. Pretty floral accents lift the finish nicely. The 2019 has turned out beautifully. Drink: 2024-2039. (v. 2019).

Jeb Dunnuck 90 Points | Deep ruby/purple-hued, the 2019 Château Greysac offers up solid aromatics of red and black cherries, leafy herbs, cedar, and spicy oak. These carry to a medium-bodied Médoc that has wonderful overall balance, ripe tannins, and a great mid-palate. It's an outstanding effort well worth enjoying over the coming 10-12 years or so. Drink: 2022-2034. (v. 2019).

Georgina Hindle o Decanter writes 90 Points | Ripe bramble fruits on the nose. Tannic grip from the start, filling the mouth completely but they have a lovely quality to them - soft and silky. Blackcurrant fruit fills the palate with pencil lead, slate and clove spicing. Feels like good quality with restraint and refinement. Give it some time or a good airing. Drinking Window: 2023-2030.(v. 2019).

Winemaker Description

Lush and powerful, the 2020 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir showcases this valley’s great fruit. The wine presents vivid aromas of amarena cherry, marionberry, lilac, and baking spices. Subtle notes of rhubarb, currant, rosemary, and earth add depth and complexity. Lively and youthful, the wine delivers excellent balance, purity of fruit, and sustained richness with a velvety texture, and it is sure to develop beautifully in the cellar.

This dinner table classic pairs exceptionally with coq au vin, mushroom ravioli, roasted pecans and walnuts, grilled vegetables, or creamy cheeses. 

Expert Review

Wine Spectator 90 Points | This has nice, subtle energy, with rippling rooibos tea, blood orange and red currant notes that meld steadily through a savory finish. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2021 

Antonio Galloni of Vinous writes 92 Points | The 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva Villa Antinori is laced with black cherry, plum, new leather, licorice and spice. Ample and expansive in feel, the 2021 is wonderfully generous, not to mention incredibly delicious. Fruit sources are from some of the most coveted sites in the appellation.  Drinking 2024 to 2031. 

Monica Larner of the Wine Advocate writes 92 Points | This wine sees its fruit sourced from multiple villages: San Casciano, Gaiole, Castellina and Greve. The 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva Villa Antinori is not married to a specific subzone of the appellation because it seeks to embrace a house style rather than a vineyard identity. Aged in tonneaux with some barrique, the wine is rich and lasting but not large. In fact, it remains elegant on the palate with fine tannins and good fruit tension with cherry and blue flowers.  Drinking 2024 - 2030.

Bruce Sanderson of the Wine Spectator writes 92 Points | This is packed tightly with cherry, pomegranate, plum, earth and Mediterranean scrub flavors. Lively and fresh midpalate, while the dense, chewy tannins flex their muscles on the finish. Give this time. Best from 2026 through 2043. 

James Button of Decanter writes 91 Points | A historic label first produced in the 1923 vintage, today's Riserva aims to combine the past with the present. Vinified in stainless steel and aged in large oak barrels and some barriques, this has a plush, ripe aroma of dark hedgerow berries and menthol. A bed of supple, ripe tannins and coffee-marked wood support the breadth and depth of this wine's offering: spicy and fleshy dark fruits with a gentle wash of freshening acidity and some breezy menthol on the finish. 500,000 bottles produced.  Drinking 2024 to 2032.

Expert Reviews 

Winemaker Description

The Amarone is considered a top wine in Veneto. Its incredible aromas derive from the strict selection of the grape material of the grape varieties Corvino, Rondinella and Sangiovese. After drying for 4 months on straw mats and fermenting these particularly concentrated grapes, the 30 months are aged in French and Slavonian oak. Only after another year on the bottle does the Amarone leave the Zenato family winery on Lake Garda.

The Amarone della Valpolicella Classico from Zenato is made from grapes from the classical Valpolicella region and is the jewel in the wine production of the Zenato family.

This Italian red wine presents itself dark red, almost black in the glass. It overwhelms in the best way with voluminous elegance, dense, multi-layered aromas and a beautiful balance of fruit and tannin. A phenomenal length makes this Amarone irresistible. An exceptional red wine at an amazingly low price.

Winemaker Description

Rose gold in color, with alpine strawberries, cherries and plums on the nose, and a lovely background of exotic spices. Spook Light has a delightful cleansing astringency on the palate with great intensity, opulence and length. 

Winemaker Description

Domaine Zafeirakis’s 12 ha (30 acres) of vines are planted in Tyrnavos, in the foothills of Mount Olympos (seen in the image below) in Thessaly in the east of central mainland Greece. The winery is marked near the town of Larissa on this World Atlas of Wine map of Greece. This is a perfect spot for Limniona, a thick-skinned and high-acid grape which loves hot days and cool nights.

Expert Review

Jancis Robinson states as follows: The 50 Great Greek Wines. Zafeirakis Limniona 2019 was one of my favourite reds in the selection I tasted. It was already showing some signs of the interactions that happen between the many components in a wine when it ages in bottle (in those wines not made for immediate consumption), so that while all that lovely dark and dark-red fruit and the gentle spice notes provide delicious intensity and freshness – more blackberry and cherry than blackcurrant or strawberry – there’s now also the first signs of complexity, flavours that are much harder to describe because they are so special to high-quality, maturing red wine. 
The tannins are starting to soften though not yet silky, and while there is no rush to drink this, it is perfect now: a tantalising array of aromas and flavours to capture your attention even if you have indulged in a late-December flavour-fest or have opened one or two expensive bottles saved for special occasions. The last two lines in my tasting note read: ‘A sophisticated wine that still packs a punch. Seriously moreish.

Winemaker Description 

This wine is 100% hand harvested Garnacha from a single plot that is all planted to goblet within the estate vineyard in the Los Chacayes IG within the Uco Valley. The nose is vibrant and perfumed showing raspberry and cranberry wrapped up in wet clay and a touch of ash. The palate is soft and round with red cherry and baking spices with a light tannin backbone. A very nuanced and layered wine.

Winemaker Description

Deep dark purple in color. Leather on the nose. Black plums with tannins and a little heat on the palate. It's medium-bodied with a cleaner finish than you expect it to be. Let it open up a little for the most enjoyment. Pair with grilled meats.

Winemaker Description

As their house cuvee, Lemelson's Thea's Selection is a blend from their five organic, estate vineyards that span three different Willamette Valley AVAs. As such, it is a wonderful representation of the vintage across all their sites. The nose is inviting and earthy with black cherry, black currant and plum fruit that is nuanced by subtle notes of black tea, chocolate, mushroom, and lavender. This wine is rich and supple with silky tannins and a juicy core which transitions into a long finish that leaves the taste of brambly fruit on the palate. 

Expert Reviews

93 Points James Suckling | Dried herbs, spices, orange peel, wild strawberries and hints of pomegranates. Medium-bodied, vivid and silky on the palate, with delicious and refreshing fruit character. Lots of cherries and dried orange peel flavors. (2021). 

92 Points Wine Spectator | Brisk and generous, with snappy cherry and pomegranate flavors highlighted by oolong tea and savory spices. Concludes with fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2031. (2021). 

92 Points Vinous | A smoky blend of wild herbs, ground ginger and crushed raspberries smolders up from the 2021 Pinot Noir Thea's Selection. It's softly textured with cooling minerality and pure red berry fruits underscored by saline minerals. Zesty acidity adds a liveliness through the finish as the 2021 tapers off long and spicy yet only lightly tannic. (2021). 

90 Points Wine Enthusiast | A pronounced saline note similar to the lining of a freshly shucked oyster mixes with notes of blackberries and marshmallows toasted over a smoky campfire. Bracing acidity and velvety tannins frame flavors like raspberry, smoked almonds and candied rose petals. (2021). 

Winemaker Description

100% Pinot Noir. The only kosher Pinot from Willamette Valley! Cherry on the nose, with flavors of blackberries, dried herbs and roasted coffee beans. Aged 12 months in neutral Oak barrels.

Winemaker Description

Always an appealing Cabernet Sauvignon, this deep plum-colored vintage showcases a gorgeous Bordeaux-varietal blend, with sandy, fine-grained tannins, and a plush, velvety-rich mouthfeel. Built to age and develop further complexity over time, the wine is ripe and juicy in its youth with aromas and flavors of vibrant boysenberry, strawberry preserves, and cassis alongside earthier notes of crushed stone, iron, bay laurel, and cedar. Baking spice elements from the well-integrated oak work well with the more traditional Knights Valley tones of wild lavender and bittersweet chocolate. Poised and lively with a structured, juicy, mouthwatering acidity and a finish that’s elegant, long, savory, and pleasing.

Expert Ratings - Vintage 2020 

Critic Notes

James Suckling writes:  A vivid and crunchy pinot with lots of sea salt, strawberries and hibiscus with hints of violets and sandalwood. Notes of fresh flower stem. it’s medium-bodied with pretty fruit and a long, bright finish with plenty of energy. Drink now.  - James Suckling 94

Critic Notes

Joaquin Hidalgo writes:  The 2021 Nicolò Brunetto is a blend of 80% Sangiovese co-fermented with equal portions of Syrah and Merlot from the Uco Valley. Aged for 12 months in French barrels (one-fifth new), it's garnet-red with a cherry sheen. The nose offers faint oaky notes, mushrooms and undergrowth against a sour cherry backdrop. Tart and dry in the mouth, it establishes a delicate tension between the reactive tannins and high acidity, resulting in a layered palate in which the oak plays a supporting role. This is a long-lasting red wine that pays homage to Tuscany.  Drinking 2023 to 2033.  Vinous 93

James Suckling writes:  A fragrant nose with wild berries, currants, dried herbs, potpourri and nutmeg. It’s medium-bodied with finely grained tannins. Poised and layered with bright acidity bringing a succulent, sour cherry character to the palate. Long and developing finish. Drink or hold.  - James Suckling 93

Aaron Romano writes:  Compact and built on structure and acidity, this could benefit from time to develop. Still, the potential is there, and there's a measure of elegance underneath the muscle. With subtle dried floral and mushroom tones to the tart cherry core, this offers baking spice details that dance in. Plenty of fresh thyme and mineral notes fill out the finish. Sangiovese, Syrah and Merlot. Best from 2026 through 2038.  - Wine Spectator 92