Old Accessories

Aromas of minerally pencil lead and smoky plum, berry and a little vanilla. This is slightly tight at first but opens beautifully. Plum and berry flavors offer more than enough support for the oak, while the finish is dominated by wood-spice. This wine is in the happy place between traditional Rioja and new age Rioja.

Organic

A light-bodied, chillable red with a crunchy acidity.
Very old vines 80-100+ years old grown on granite slopes of the Serra de Estrela. There are several varieties here but mostly Baga and Jaen. Natural fermentation in lagares with 20% whole clusters. A long maceration time but without extraction. The wine finishes fermentation and malo in casks.20 months aging in in old barriques and a 2500L old wooden vat. The wine is bottled unfiltered.
11% abv

Offers a palate of beautifully bright and vibrant, fresh fruit that is incredibly refreshing;with notes of white fruit, candied almonds and green apples. Exceptional on its own or a perfect
with oysters, sashimi, light fish & salads.The Brut Millesimato is very dry.

80% Pinot Nero, 20% Chardonnay from vineyards located in Alta Langa.
Handpicked, selected, and kept separate according to their vineyard location. Only free-run juice.
First and second fermentation with indigenous yeasts. The lots mature in tank until May, and are then blended and bottled prior to secondary fermentation. A minimum of 36 months on the lees. All bottles are hand-riddled. Average production: 7,500 9L cases

Franciacorta Millesimato: Grapes come from a single harvest (minimum requirement is 85%). The wine must spend a minimum of 30 months on the lees, and may not be released until at least 37 months after harvest.

95 points James Suckling
A precise, layered nose that shows excellent purity despite some sweet oak spices. More berry fruit comes out as you give it some time in the glass. Plums, cherries, red berries with dark mushrooms, cured meat, grilled spices, stones, vanilla and iodine. Juicy, spiced berries quickly tighten up on the medium- to full-bodied palate with dusty, powerful tannins, allowing it to expand into the finish. It grows on the palate and the creaminess is already chiselled. This will age beautifully in the next 10-15 years. Drinkable now, but better from 2026.

94 points Vinous
The 2019 Reserva Imperial is a blend of 85% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha, 5% Graciano, and 5% Mazuelo sourced from Villalba, Briones and Torremontalbo in Rioja Alta. Aged for 24 months in a combination of French (70%) and American (30%) oak barrels, this dark garnet wine reveals enticing aromas of blackberry and ripe plums from the Tempranillo, complemented by hints of hops and herbs from the other varieties. Dry, intense and juicy on the palate, it offers a fairly chalky and energetic mouthfeel. This is a classic Rioja with a nod to fruit-forwardness.

94 points Wine Advocate
The 2019 Imperial Reserva was cropped from a very healthy year with good ripeness and balance, a powerful vintage with a 185-day vegetative cycle. They look for finesse, precision and power, a blend of Tempranillo and 15% Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha put through optical sorting and fermented in oak vats with yeasts selected from the Imperial vineyards and a 20-day maceration, then it matured in barrels, 70% French and the rest American, for 24 months. It has 14% alcohol and a pH of 3.61. It feels very classical, with finesse and power, balanced and serious. It has tannins that call for food. 150,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2022.

94 points Vinous
The 2019 Reserve de la Comtesse is elegant, silky and nuanced, with terrific presence and tons of pure class. Crushed red berry fruit, mint, blood orange, rose petal and spice all build with a bit of aeration. I am so impressed with the wine's breadth and textural intensity. The 2019 Reserve is without a doubt one of the best recent editions here. Antonio Galloni (02/22)

92-94 points Vinous
The 2019 Reserve de la Comtesse is conspicuously deep in colour. The bouquet takes time to unfurl with exceedingly pure blackberry, raspberry and cassis aromas, the oak seamlessly integrated. The palate is very well balanced with fresh acidity, fine grain tannins, a touch of salinity developing towards the finish that has more grip than previous vintages. Superb. Neal Martin (6/20)

Featured in The New York Times article by Eric Asimov: 20 wines under 20 for Hunkering Down
"This full-bodied red from an excellent producer on the Canary Islands is made entirely of listan negro, one of the major local grapes, grown in high-altitude, terraced vineyards. It's juicy and lightly tannic, with aromas of flowers and red fruits and maybe a touch of licorice."

92 points View from the Cellar
The Tinto Traditional bottling from Frontn de Oro is made entirely from Listn Negro, with the wine raised in neutral American oak casks for three months. The wine comes in at 13.5 percent octane in the 2022 vintage and delivers a lovely bouquet of bitter cherry, pepper, volcanic soil tones, tree bark and a lovely array of sweet botanicals in the upper register. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, elegant and nicely transparent, with a good core of fruit, tangy acids, modest tannins and a long, complex and beautifully balanced finish. Fine juice that could do with a handful of years in the cellar to soften up those backend tannins a bit more.

A slightly sweet version of Cabernet Sauvignon, while it has the primary characteristics of a Cab, pronounced berries, dark chocolate, coffee, and leather, it loses the some of the harshness that turn people away from Cabs. It has a soft luscious feel to it with a well rounded mouth. Goes well with red meat, chicken, and especially those that are marinated with a sweet finish.

95 points James Suckling
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.

The Valpolicella Ripasso Ca’ del Laito Classico Superiore from Tommaso Bussola is made all from very low yielding, old vines of 40% Corvina and Corvinone, 40% Rondinella, 10% Molinara, and 10% Others. Corvinone in particular is quite rare today because of its low yields and finicky growing habits. Yet, Tommaso claims it is the Corvinone that gives his wines their depth. He calls it the Super Corvina, saying that it produces stronger, denser, richer, more perfumed wines. This wine offers up a deep, complex, and vibrant bouquet of sweet blackberries, a bit of red currant, a gorgeous array of spice tones, a fine foundation of soil, a touch of new leather, and a top note of sultana raisin. On the palate, the wine is pure, full-bodied and very expressive, with superb focus and grip, a beautiful core of fruit, fine mineral drive and bounce and a long, tangy moderately tannic finish.

Grapes were hand-harvested from vines ranging from 5 to 30 years old, pressed, then fermented with selected yeast for ten days. Then refermented on the skins of Amarone for another ten days. Finally, the wine is aged for 17 months in 700L Austrian oak - second passage.

Ca’ del Laito was a place-name for a vineyard that straddles the ridge above Quintarelli. Tommaso purchased the vineyard (and the little workhouse there) from Masi in ~2002. Tommaso Bussola is now often mentioned along with Giuseppe Quintarelli and Dal Forno Romano as the top estates in the Valpolicella appellation.

Winery Notes:
"Deep garnet color. Luxurious and dynamic aromas of ripe strawberry, bright cherry and faint notes of spicy oak and vanilla. The complexity of the palate smoothly layers rich red currant notes and baking spice flavors with light smoke, earth and leather. A balanced, velvety texture and supple tannins carry the wine through to a lingering, succulent finish."

Light-bodied, bright, pale yellow with depth and a gold hue, even colour throughout. The nose is appealing and pure, with aromas of honeysuckle, tropical fruit and stonefruit.

93 points James Suckling
An amalgam of redcurrant and blackcurrant aromas with cedary and leafy tones, dark berries and pepper and plenty of oak strut. The palate has a deep vein of black-fruit flavors, as well as plum and chocolate. Bold extract. A blend of Padthaway, Coonawarra, Wrattonbully, McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley. Drink now.

Organic / Biodynamic

Kuyen's grapes are organically grown, which Espinoza believes gives his fruit a superior expression of terroir. The Kuyen blend is aged for one year in French oak barrels, then bottled and aged an additional six months in the cellar prior to release. Deep black fruit aromas with a hint of pepper & graphite on the nose. Chewy and structural on the palate the fruit notes of black plum & black cherry are dense with a slightly green finish.

Blend: 57% Syrah, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Carmenere, 2% Petit Verdot

Organic

Powerful nose, red fruits, undergrowth and violets. And blueberries. Dark, red-black robe. On the palate it is also strong and very fruity. The fruitiness lingers well on the finish. A good cartridge from northern Portugal.

80% of Touriga Nacional + 20% of Old Vines
Clay-Limestone at 300 meters altitude.
Spontaneous fermentation in old granite tanks with foot stepping for nice extration.
Aged in used French oak barrels for 18 months + 6 months in still + bottle.

Quinta do Poldrado is located in Portugal inside the wine region of Tras-os-Montes near the city of Chaves, where the wine making tradition comes from the passage of the Romans in the region. The Estate has existed for more than 200 years, being one of the oldest Estates in the region. If you travel around the region it's common that you’ll find granite tanks dug in the rocks that the romans used at that time to make their wine. All the wine making respects the tradition of the Estate and the region, and it's fermentation occurs in those old granite tanks, with foot steeping for a nice maceration and extraction of aromas and structure. Poldrado’s wines have a mix of more than 50 varieties of grapes coming from the over 70 year old vines, such combinations make every wine an authentic, and remarkable piece of history.

98 points Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Barolo Bric del Fiasc is the hallmark wine of the estate, and it shows. Taking on more concentration, it is pure and generous with kirsch, star anise, nutmeg, and menthol and moves impressively to the palate with ease and nobility. It offers fantastic depth while remaining true to the vintage and propels forward through an arch of acidity, while having grounded notes of Earl Grey tea, black cherry, and crushed stones as well as ripe tannins.

100 points Jeb Dunnuck
The wine of the vintage in Saint-Julien, if not all of the Medoc, the 2019 Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou is based on 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, aged in 100% new French oak, that hit a natural alcohol of 14.2% with a monster IPT (number of tannins) of 88. It's certainly one of the most concentrated Saint-Juliens, revealing a dense purple hue to go with a stacked bouquet of creme de cassis, freshly sharpened pencils, damp clay, tobacco, and hints of spring flowers. Concentrated, full-bodied, and powerful, it has incredible tannins, flawless balance, and a gorgeous finish. While most estates today are playing it safe and producing more ethereal, elegant wines that drink well right out of the gate, thankfully, this estate continues to make concentrated, powerful, age-worthy wines, and this heavenly beauty is as good as it gets! It will need a decade of bottle age to hit the early stages of maturity and will evolve for 50 years or more. Bravo to Bruno Borie! (4/2022)

98 points Vinous
The 2019 Ducru Beaucaillou, which was matured in 100% new oak for 12 months, has a glorious bouquet of cigar humidor, cedar, black fruit and a touch of black truffle, very complex and quite compelling. The palate is still very Pauillac-inspired in style, and finely proportioned, with chiseled tannins. Displaying superb clarity and salinity on the finish, this feels very persistent and utterly charming. It will repay a decade in bottle and then last several more. I believe this will outperform the 2018 in the long run. Neal Martin (2/2022)

96+ points Wine Advocate
Powerful and muscular, the 2019 Ducru-Beaucaillou offers up aromas of cassis, raspberries and cherries mingled with notions of violets and iris, framed by a generous application of creamy new oak. Full-bodied, velvety and concentrated, it's rich but lively, with a deep core of fruit and an ample endowment of ripe, powdery tannins. Fuller maturity and a more rigorous selection over the last two decades have brought what proprietor Bruno Borie characterizes as additional "punch" to this wine, in the form of unprecedented levels of anthocyanins and tannins, but all that substance and structure will require some patience before we'll see if Ducru is still Saint-Julien's most elegant wine. (4/2022)

Our Malbec is a juicy, fresh, gentle and versatile wine. Represents the strength of the youth that led us to fall in love with Agrelo. Of an intense red purple color expresses predominant fresh red plums and violets. Fermented in our exclusive concrete vats called “Mates” using only indigenous yeast.

Organic / Natural

A vineyard selection of Otskhanuri Sapere (oh-sah-kh-ah-noo-ree sah-pear-eh) made by the young woman winemaker Gvantsa Abuladze, sister of Baia Abuladze and brother Giorgi Abuladze. This rare and difficult to say variety is sourced from their estate in the village of Obcha. All red varietals grown in Imereti are higher acid, lower sugar grapes due to the humidity of the region. Otskhanuri Sapere is especially known for its ridiculously dark color. The grape is notoriously hard to work with since it is difficult to get the necessary sugar levels. 2019 was a typical year so this was the last grape they picked in the second week of November. All the fruit is estate grown, hand picked and hand sorted. After destemming the wine is pressed and put into qvevri with skins and fermentation starts spontaneously. Once fermentation is completed the skins are removed and the wine is aged in qvevri.

Insane dark color, notes of pomegranate, sour cherry, this wine has crazy cool crispness, medium-plus body, super dry with firm fresh tannin on the finish.

Organic

Organic

The Rotes Handgemenge is a blend of Zweigelt and Blaufrankisch. The juiciness of the Zweigelt plays well with the structure of the Blaufrankisch. It's meant to be an easy drinker on days when you don't want to take yourself so seriously. It's bottled unfined and unfiltered. This is opens up with a note of loamy earth, followed by graceful blackberry flavors which decorate the silky texture. It is lighter in body, but never lacking substance.

100 points Vinous
The 2019 Montrose is very clearly one of the wines of the vintage. Rich, inky and towering in concentration, the 2019 possesses off the charts intensity and tons of structure to back it up. Succulent black cherry, plum, tobacco, gravel and licorice infuse the 2019 with striking depth. The 2019 is not quite as opulent as some recent vintages, and that's a good thing. Readers will find a regal wine that marries elegance with power. Unforgettable. Antonio Galloni (1/2022)

100 points Wine Enthusiast
The wine has a massive structure, great concentration. It now really shows the results of the massive investment of the owners, the telecom magnate Bouygues family. The powerful tannins mask the impressive black fruits and the wine?????s rich berry flavors. This magnificent wine will develop slowly over many years. Drink from 2027. *Cellar Selection* (8/2022)

99 points Decanter
A generous and abundant nose full of fruit and aromatic intensity followed by a gorgeous mouthfeel showcasing fruit density and concentration wrapped up in soft, velvety-smooth tannins. Just so much depth but also refinement here, it feels well made with just the right amount of fruit, toasty spice, tannins, freshness and acidity. The overall structure is gently framing all the elements - big and bold but quietly confident. The tannin impact is also enjoyable giving a feeling of approachability despite the long life ahead. Just superb - one of the best in 2019. (1/2022)

100% Susumaniello vines planted in 2016. Being a late-ripening varietal, harvest takes place in early October. The Susumaniello grapes have a blue/black colour that produces deeply colored, almost inky wines. Fermented with native yeasts in concrete vats where 80% of the wine matures while 20% is transferred in used tonneaux.

A recent project started in 2016 by 4 friends, all veterans in the wine world, when an elderly farmer, no longer able to tend his land, decided to sell his 2 hectares of 50 years old alberello Negroamaro vines. The offer was impossible to resist and the first wine was released in 2019, only 4,000 bottles of it. An additional 2 hectares of Susumaniello were acquired, a local grape varietal that was widely grown but that for a number of reasons (late ripening, low yields soon after its vigorous first years of life etc.) had almost disappeared. The name Susumaniello comes from the local dialect expression for the Italian word somarello, donkey, an animal much needed to carry the heavy loads of grapes from the plentiful harvest from the young vines. We are in the sun-scorched Salento, in the Brindisi province, near the sea, along the ancient Roman Appian Way. A classic Mediterranean landscape, mostly flat, where olive trees and vines play the main role.