The outstanding 2005 Termanthia has a much more reticent nose than the 2004, which is a difficult act to follow, but in many ways it is just as attractive, perhaps with better delineation and more elegance, scents of incense,... Read More
Fresh and intense fruity aromas well integrated with a flower touch, gentle spices & lively eucalyptus leaves touch. The aromatic experience continues, the mouthfeel is silky and vibrant. After lively and intense attack, an explosion... Read More
The 2021 Clio is ripe and heady with 16% alcohol and generous oak. It's faithful to the house style, but like many other wines from the 2021 vintage from the Gil family, this also came through as fresher and more balanced... Read More
The 2012 Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial was produced with a blend of 81% Tempranillo and 19% Mazuelo (Cariñena) from the plot La Plana in the Ygay estate, which was planted in 1950 at 485 meters above sea level, the... Read More
The most classical of their wines, the 2015 Prado Enea Gran Reserva is a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano, mostly from Rioja Alta (Sajazarra, Cellorigo and Fonzaleche), but the Garnacha is from different plots... Read More
The 2019 Reserva, sold as Crianza in Spain, comes from a dry and warm year with low yields and concentrated wines. The grapes from the Haro zone, the four from Rioja, Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta, Mazuelo and Graciano fermented... Read More
Inky dark, with coconut, baking spice and leather on the otherwise fruity nose. There's a lumber yard's worth of oak here, but overall it works. The spice element is undeniable, while the quality of the fruit supercedes... Read More
Getting the remnants from the other cuvees, the 2012 Remnant (which was formerly called the Alchemist) is 35% Tempranillo, 25% Petit Verdot, 23% Syrah and the balance Cabernet Sauvignon that saw the standard 18 months in a combination... Read More
This is a study of darkness from the front to back. The wine begins with charred meat, packed violet, elderberry-paste and straight-up charcoal aromas on the nose. The palate pairs dried meat with black, almost bitter fruits,... Read More
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Brandlin Estate opens with savory scents of grilled meats, bouquet garni and tapenade over a core of ripe black and red currants, boysenberries and black raspberries plus... Read More
Deep garnet in color, the 2009 Bettina has a seriously savory nose of tapenade, Black Forest cake, sandalwood, dried Provence herbs and smoked meats with a background of prunes, baked blackcurrants and kirsch plus wafts of forest... Read More
The Buglioni 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Il Lussurioso is luxurious and thick with plenty of dark fruit, spice and tobacco. This is a large-scale Amarone with thick textural richness and lots of lasting intensity... Read More
The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is a fascinating wine. Some of the rougher, wilder edges that are present in the 2008 are smoothed out here. Layers of expressive dark fruit, licorice, mint and new leather wrap around... Read More
The resulting wine is fantastic with aromas of clove, cranberry, raspberry, coffee, cinnamon, black pepper, and coco nibs. Gloriously pure notes of boysenberry, graphite, blackberry, coffee, and dark chocolate soar from the glass... Read More
The 2019 Cade Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is blended of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec. Deep garnet-purple in color, it charges out of the glass with vibrant black cherry preserves, wild blueberries... Read More
Sweet and jammy in youth, with robust flavors of raspberry and cherry jam. The sweetness is balanced by crisp acidity and firm tannins, as well as a minerality that must come from the terroir. A feminine wine, Calera's '08... Read More
A thrilling Pinot Noir that comes from a 13.8-acre vineyard planted in 1975 on mostly on limestone, at an elevation of 2,200 feet, the 2012 Pinot Noir Jensen Vineyard was harvested September 24 to October 21 and was aged 16 months... Read More
First up and seriously perfumed, the 2011 Pinot Noir de Villiers is a gorgeous wine that excels both for its complexity and for its richness and breath on the palate. Giving up notes of ripe cherries, wild strawberries, exotic... Read More
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon 1913 is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 7% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple in color, the nose bursts with bold notes of warm cassis, blackberry pie, chocolate mint and tobacco with... Read More
This almost-100% Zinfandel bottling from the heritage Papera vineyard is delightfully complex and juicy—an expressive celebration of spiced plum and soft, juicy cherry. The spiciness on the back palate is especially rewarding.... Read More
Carpineto is a dynamic estate with property in Chianti Classico and Montepulciano in addition to Montalcino, where the fruit is grown on a dry-farmed outcropping at over 500 meters in elevation, sloping gently northward. It is... Read More
Dark fruit notes of blackberry, blueberry and black currant infuse the velvety texture, while a solid base of tannins lies beneath. The tannins linger in the end, with a subtle refrain of fruit. Sangiovese and Merlot. Best from... Read More