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Winemaker Description 

The grapes of our Volcanic Riesling grow in the Valley of Tears in the northern Golan Heights which is the coldest and highest viticultural area in Israel. The fermentation was at 15.0-18.0 degrees C to achieve a delicate extraction of colors, aromas and flavors.

The wine has a golden straw with hint of green hue, with scents of Jasmin, pear and lime. Through the palate light medium bodied wine, that have flavors of green apples and lime. With nice and well balanced acidity, as well as a crisp and mineral texture.

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The Alfasi family founded Odem Mountain Winery, Israel’s northernmost winery. At 1,100 meters above sea level, it is tucked away in the heart of an enchanting, secluded oak forest, overlooked by Mount Hermon, where snowfall happens each winter. With wine of uncompromised quality, Odem Mountian tells the story of a loving family creating wine in a rugged, yet beautiful place. The Volcanic Riesling has a bouquet of blossoms and citrus and expresses the unique terroir of the high-elevation vineyards and volcanic soil of the northern Golan Heights.

Winemaker Description 

The grapes for the Secret Reserve Petit Verdot are night-harvested from the finest vineyards in the Holy Land, and then aged in French oak barrels for 18 months, which contribute to its complexity and balance.

Dark purple in color, with powerful fruit, aromas of spice, as well as intense multilayered flavors, this is a wine for those seeking excellence. Aging will further enhance this outstanding wine. This wine is unfiltered.

Winemaker Description 

Beit El Or Yakar Cabernet Sauvignon is made from estate-grown grapes in Israel’s central mountain range. Aged for 12 months in new French oak barrels, this wine has a deep purple-black color and concentrated flavors.

Expect tastes of plum and warm blackberries, complemented by pleasant tannins and a long finish. This complex yet approachable Cabernet Sauvignon is both enjoyable now and suitable for aging.

Producer Description 

Matthieu Barret is a Biodynamic winemaker from Domaine de Coulet in Cornas. His love of savory Northern Rhone reds brought him to a vineyard in the southern Rhone village of Visan planted exclusively to Syrah and farmed organically and Biodynamically. 

The 2023 Petit Ours (Little Bear), named for Matthieu’s nickname, has a dark berry aroma on the nose accented with black pepper, violet, lavender, black olive and savory spice. Juicy, fresh and vibrant in the mouth with earthy complexity and sturdy tannins.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022

Charles Curtis MW of Decanter Magazine writes 94 Points | Lucie Coutoux explained that although La Maltroie and Champgains (as they spell it) are roughly the same elevations on the band of premier crus, there is more limestone in Champgains that gives a bigger wine. In 2022, this shows ripe notes of passionfruit and lime peel with an accent of hazelnut and hay. The texture is supple and rich, almost fat, but pleasantly so. The grapes are from the domaine's parcel of 0.44 hectares at the top of the slope. Drinking Window: 2027-2050.

Jasper Morris of Inside Burgundy writes 92 Points | A glowing pale lemon yellow. There is a clear white fruit charm to this, a little more chiselled than the softly welcoming Chenevottes, with a limestone length and purity at the finish. Drink from 2027-2032.

Allen Meadows of Burghound writes 91 Points | This is aromatically similar to the Maltroie though with evident floral elements. There is slightly better volume and mid-palate density to the delicious and caressing but punchy medium weight flavors that possess a healthy amount of sappy dry extract while exhibiting better overall depth and persistence. This too should be approachable young but easily repay mid-term keeping.

Expert Review

Michael Schachner of The Wine Enthusiast writes 88 Points | Mildly oxidized aromas of honeyed fruits and salt water are less alert than ideal, while this feels plump but without intense acidic cut. Toffee and caramel flavors include a note of white mushroom, while this golden Manzanilla feels dry and tastes a bit like fresh butter on the finish.

Winemaker Description 

Manzanilla La Jaca is the most famous wine from Bodegas Álvaro Domecq, together with the Fino La Janda. Last year all of the entry-level wines (not the ‘1730’ series) were given a modern, graphical label with abstract motifs and bold colours.

La Jaca is around four years old.

Expert Review 

Michael Schachner of The Wine Enthusiast writes 90 Points | A tan-gold color and oily aromas of almond and walnut open this surprisingly refined Fino. Flavors of butter, peanut and baked apple turn smokier and huskier as this sits, while nut flavors control an expansive finish.

Expert Review - Vintage 2020

Michael Alberty of The Wine Enhusiast writes 94 Points | Caffè latte, cranberry and lilac aromas make for a heck of an introduction. Then comes the wave of blackberry, rosemary, tarragon and English breakfast tea flavors—delicious. This wine features the sturdiest tannins this side of a tannery, so be prepared to offer it a little air. Enjoy now until 2034. 

Winemaker Description

Joyful, rich pink color, vivacious cascading bubbles and the full rich flavor of Pinot Noir combined with the elegance of Chardonnay and the uniqueness of Pinotage providing the color. This is the Tradition Rosé - rich in flavour with a long finish.

Winemaker Description 

Historically owned by the Marcelis family, passionate about viticulture, Château Moutinot is now run by the Helfrich family.

The property concerned with respect for the environment is committed to a High Environmental Value approach and promotes a living land, where human intervention on the vine is limited to what is strictly necessary, in the respect for flora and fauna but also for the health of farmers and consumers. The wine of Château Moutinot is an elegant wine, which combines fruity and gluttony.

Expert Review - Vintage 2020

Roger Voss of the Wine Enthusiast writes 88 Points | Petit Verdot forms a formidable 30% of the blend of this wine, giving density, structure and spicy black fruits. The wine is worth aging. Drink from 2025.  

Winemaker Description

A Medoc estate with only 3 hectares of vines planted to 30 year old Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines. Fermented in a combination of steel and cement vats making for a Bordeaux that's fruited and delicious and from a very fine vintage.

Winemaker Descxription 

MUSE DE MIRAVAL is a rigorous selection of the château's oldest and best plots and the finest expression of this unique terroir!

Organically farmed.

This rosé cuvée, mostly vinified in egg-shaped concrete vats, is also aged to a lesser extent in special oak barrels (so-called demi-muids). Each of its aromas evokes a chapter in Miraval's history, reflecting the place and its fragrance, which is typical of this Provençal winery. The unique shape of its handcrafted bottle (available only in magnum) and its very own rosé wine celebrate Miraval's timeless style with rare elegance.

Winemaker Description 

Grape varietal : Melon de Bourgogne. Vine age : 40 years. Farming : Ecological Farming. Vinification : Méthode traditionnelle. After initial fermentation in underground cement tanks, the wine undergoes a secondary fermentation in bottle and is aged on the lees for 9 months.

The House of Chéreau Carré occupies the most privileged position in the Loire-Atlantique department of France. This family-owned property dates back to the 15th century. The vines here are some of the most prized in the region of the Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine.

The property is managed by Bernard Chéreau, whose family origins span back to the eleventh century. Bernard’s passion for Melon de Bourgogne is evident in the quality of his wines.

Our Professional Notes

Oscar Garcia Moncada, 67 Wine Buyer, writes:  On the nose, you’ll encounter an enticing bouquet of wild red berries—raspberries, strawberries, and red currants. The palate continues the red berry theme, delivering a tangy, fruit-forward experience complemented by a delightful saline minerality that adds complexity. The finish is crisp and dry, with a bright, natural acidity that makes this wine a fantastic choice as an aperitif or a versatile companion to food. 

Winemaker Description 

Cherry red color of medium intensity, medium layer. The nose is intense, with notes of jelly beans and red fruits combined with mineral notes of flint and a light background of toast. At the entrance to the mouth we will find soft tannins, with high volume and fat, well compensated by good acidity and a general feeling of verticality. Red fruits and mineral notes stand out, resulting in a long and intense aftertaste.
Evolution

In good conditions of this bottle will evolve positively for at least the next 7 years.

Winery Notes

Quality sparkling wine with very fine bubbles due to its long aging. Complex aroma, fresh notes of pineapple and eucalyptus, toasted cocoa and dried fruits, perfectly blended together. Voluminous, fleshy and fresh in the mouth. Structured and surprisingly fresh, long-lasting and well balanced.

Its high acidity and dry finish make it incredibly versatile:

• Tapas: Excellent with Jamón Ibérico, olives, and aged Spanish cheeses.

• Seafood: Perfect with oysters, sushi, or grilled shrimp.

• Anything Fried: The sharp acidity cuts beautifully through rich, fried foods like calamari or fried chicken.

FARMING

Certified Organic 

Winemaker Description 

Juan Jurado belongs to a new generation of young winemakers who see potential in the Marco de Jerez region beyond traditional fortified wines. After living away from his native Andalusia for many years (from Sitges to Australia via London), during which time he trained in the world of wine and sommellerie, he decided to return to his roots to start a project focused on authentic wines that reflect the diversity of the Jerez Region beyond Finos and Olorosos.

In 2022, Jurado invested all his savings to purchase a small vineyard in the Miraflores de Sanlúcar estate, along with winemaking equipment including a press, destemmer, casks, and jars to produce his first vintage. This marked the birth of Agrícola Calcárea, a project dedicated to crafting honest wines using minimal yet sufficient intervention to showcase the unique characteristics of each vineyard through classic and ancestral varieties of the Marco region.

The resulting wines are highly aromatic, featuring stone fruit, citrus, and white flower notes, with chalky and salty undertones. On the palate, they are savory and mineral, with a touch of bitterness.

Winemaker Description 

Andalucía has a long tradition of producing non-fortified wines—reds and whites made from the same grapes used for fortified wines (Sherry). In Andalucia these still wines are known as Vinos del Marco de Jerez or Vinos de Pasto. It is important to highlight that these wines do not belong to the Jerez-Xeres-Sherry DO. In recent years, producers like Willy Pérez, Ramiro Ibanez and others have led a movement to bring these wines back into the spotlight, aiming to place them on tables around the world.

During a recent in-store tasting with Nacho Monclús, Spanish & South American Portfolio Manager at T. Edwards Wine & Spirits, he introduced me to a producer from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Andalucía: Juan Jurado of Agricola Calcarea.

Mr. Jurado represents a new generation of winemakers who have spent years working abroad, gaining experience in vineyards as well as in both front- and back-of-house roles in the restaurant industry. These experiences have enriched their perspective, and upon returning home, many have sought to revive the long-standing traditions of their ancestors. Mr. Jurado is one such story.

After more than a decade away, he returned to Andalucía and founded Agrícola Calcárea, producing wines in a small-scale, garage-style setting. His wines quickly gained national recognition, attracting the attention of the press. Now, his work has reached New York City, where wine lovers can experience his unique expressions firsthand.

When Nacho presented the wines to me, I was immediately drawn to their beautifully designed labels. The three wines I tasted featured indigenous Andalusian grape varieties, including Palomino (also known as Listán Blanco) and Tintilla Rota. All three expressions stood out, but my palate that day had a particular affinity to Agrícola Calcárea Porfía Tinto 2023 — an electric, vibrant red made from Tintilla Rota.

Porfia Tinto 2023 is unlike any other Spanish red currently available in the NYC market, this wine is a testament to the energy and innovation defining the new wave of Andalusian winemaking.

Porfia Tinto 2023 opens open with an alluring nose of sun-kissed black fruit: black cherries, black berries with undertones of dried Mediterranean herbs. On the palate this red is harmonious walking a tight rope of tannins, acidity and flavor: Suave tannins, crisp acidity and just perfect fruit quality.

Pair this red with Pan-Roasted Quail lightly dressed in thyme butter sauce.

Oscar Garcia Moncada

Winemaker Description 

This Manzanilla spends nine years under flor and is the most intensely aromatic bottling. Good freshness and balance on the palate, finishing with a salty twist and a bitter note. Only 1,500 bottles made.

Winemaker Description 

A young Manzanilla with four year of biological aging. Thanks to the proximity of the sea, the aging under flor is intense. The wine has complex character, resulting in great elegance, plenty of finesse, with a delicate and saline finish.

Our Notes

A vibrant young Manzanilla with plenty of character. Aromas of green olives, green citrus fruit, and a pungent saline quality bind all the aromas and flavors together. Serve well-chilled in a white wine glass and pair with Marcona almonds, potato crisps, and Jamón de Bellota. But also try it with cold potato and leek soup, sprinkled with crisp bits of pancetta. Manzanillas are my ideal apéritif wine to awaken the palate before a meal.

Oscar garcia Moncada, 67 Wine Buyer

Winemaker Description 

La Igriega Malbec Paraje Altamira is a single-vineyard Argentine red showing off the beauty and complexity of the Malbec grape. "The name LA IGRIEGA means "Y" in Spanish--equivalent to "and" in English--and symbolizes the genetic structure of this project. 

Winemaker Description 

Viña Sastre is an iconic, family-run winery in the heart of Ribera del Duero, famous for making long-lived, elegantly structured wines from organic, old vines grown near the Duero river. Flavus is an incredible, singular white wine made from indigenous cayetana blanca grapes from 100-year-old vines, selected from Sastre’s historic Pago de Santa Cruz vineyards at 800m to 840m for their complexity and ability to age gracefully. Sastre handcrafts classic wines through extremely low-yielding biodynamic farming methods, fermenting exclusively with native yeasts.

In Pago de Santa Cruz, a small amount of white cayetana blanca grapes have always existed alongside the red tempranillo, co-planted and traditionally mixed into the field blend destined to be one of Spain’s most iconic wines. Through Jesús Sastre’s good friend and Rías Baixas pioneer Gerardo Méndez, they first researched and separated the white grapes from the blend, making the first Flavus in 2007 to make a simple, charming white wine for near-term consumption. Ribera del Duero does not have much of a tradition for white wines, so the initial concept was to make something simple and humble. Instead, they discovered through the cellaring and consistent tasting of verticals of Flavus over the years that the wine is capable of improving in bottle for a decade or more, leaving tasters stunned by the unique, complex flavors which develop. There is no designation for Ribera del Duero blanco, so while this mighty blanco may be a “Reserva” qualitatively and spiritually, bureaucratically, it carries the humble Vino de Mesa designation. Perhaps in the future, the appellation will see the same possibilities for value and quality in their white wines as their more famous reds.

Vinification – Following a manual harvest, the wine spontaneously fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel. No malolactic fermentation. The wine was racked and aged in stainless steel for ten months, followed by two years of bottle age prior to release.

Winemaker Description 

Red wine Aged in wood. 20 months in French and American oak barrels and 24 meses en botella.

Pinord Chateldon Reserva 2019 captivates with its aromatic intensity, featuring prominent raisin and red fruit jam nuances, beautifully enhanced by a subtle hint of oak. Upon aeration, it unveils layers of clove and pepper, adding to its complexity.

On the palate, this red wine is smooth and well-balanced, with flavors mirroring its meticulous maturation. Its journey across the palate is harmonious, culminating in a prolonged and fulfilling finish that lingers, imparting a sense of opulence and richness.

Winemaker Description 

Jesús Sastre performs a high-wire, tight-rope act with his wines, where the drinker can have everything in one wine, and at the end of it all, one is left wondering how he is able to pack such an adventure into each bottle.

He manages to achieve a level of sophistication and complexity unequaled by almost no other producer in Ribera del Duero.” WOW!!!

The Viña Sastre is dark and brooding with notes of baked black fruit, herbs, earth, and cocoa powder. Grill it up with steak with a little melted cabrales blue cheese and see God.

Winemaker Description 

Fruity with notes of apple, pear, papaya and pineapple, butter and wood. Pallet Refreshing soft, balanced and slightly sweet. Frontera Chardonnay bears a distinctive varietal character.

Winemaker Description 

A natural, young, and fresh wine. Made with minimum intervention. No added Sulfites. A blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha. 

Experience the purity of Alona Rioja Sin Sulfitos Añadidos, a unique wine with no sulfites added and organically farmed. 

Expert Review

Wine Spectator 89 Points | There's a richness here offsetting the firm structure, but the iodine and roasted walnut notes shine on the finish. Caramel, burnt molasses and tobacco round out the flavor spectrum. Drink now. 1,750 cases made.

Winemaker Description 

Mahogany colour with iodine tinged edges. Strong and nutty, with hints of varnish, caramel and vanilla. Very dry, well-rounded structure, with faint hints of saline, a slightly bitter and long- lasting finish.

Winemaker Description 

The 2021 Cuvée brings together a variety of Pinot Noir blocks from the 42-acre Domaine Lumineux vineyard, showcasing the full spectrum of the estate. Heavy rains in the early summer of 2021 impacted pollination in the vineyard and resulted in a very light fruit crop. This was followed by record setting heat and extreme dry conditions throughout the summer, which proved to be beneficial for optimal grape ripening. The combination of low yield and ample warmth produced wines of exceptional balance, intensity, and grace in the Willamette Valley. This ideal harvest yielded outstanding Pinot Noir fruit that came together harmoniously in this blend.

A select blend of our distinct pinot noir clones, the 2021 Cuvée is a multidimensional, harmonious, expression of the Domaine Lumineux Dundee Hills vineyard. This wine exhibits opulent aromas of spice, featuring hints of anise, nutmeg, and earthy forest floor. The savory palate is accompanied by concentrated red fruit notes, intermingled with dried fig. The 2021 Cuvée boasts a complex structure, with intriguing notes of black pepper lending an alluring mouthfeel and a prolonged finish.

Expert Review - Vintage Year 2022 

Wine Enthusiast 92 Points | Followers of the fruit, this wine's for you. Aromas of lemon verbena, thyme and apple blossoms start things off. Then come the creamy fruit flavors of mango sorbet and lemon curd, with a touch of pineapple and vanilla crème brûlée. Fortunately, just enough acidity keeps the fruit from running amok.

Winemaker Description 

The Fino Jerez Seco from Emilio Hidalgo shines with its refreshingly light elegance and the typical Flor note that exudes pure enjoyment

Enjoy this exquisite sherry as a perfect aperitif or a harmonious accompaniment to fine tapas, salads, or fresh seafood.