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Organic

94 points View from the Cellar (John Gilman)
The 2017 vintage of les Picasses from Domaine Raffault has just been released, nearly six years out from the vintage. The wine is simply outstanding on both the nose and palate, with the bouquet hopping from the glass in a vibrant and already complex blend of sweet dark berries, cassis, cigar wrapper, gravelly soil tones, a touch of smoked meats, currant leaf and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and complex, with superb mid-palate depth, excellent soil signature and grip, ripe, well-measured tannins and impeccable balance on the long, complex and very classy finish. At age six, this wine is certainly approachable today, but it is still a puppy and the real fireworks will not start until it is at least twelve years of age. Outstanding young Chinon! 2023-2075+

"Ruby red colour with a golden rim. Bright and deep. Complex aromas. There is a great balance between the fruit (cherries, black plums, ripe blackberries) and the clean nuances of the wood (clove, pepper, vanilla and coconut). The nose is further enriched by the aromas that develop during bottle ageing. Smooth and balanced on the palate with a full, elegant feel and a long, lingering finish." Winemaker notes

Aged for 18 months in American and French-oak casks (50%). Rounded off for 18 months in the bottle cellar.

94 points James Suckling
A really fresh and well-balanced Amarone here, with tapenade, ripe but fresh blackberries, chili chocolate and some red berries, too. This is tight and juicy, with a medium-to full-bodied palate and a long, fruity finish. A modern, fresh expression of Amarone that shows immense drinkability, but still pretty serious. Not super-concentrated, but shows restraint and balance. Drink or hold.

95 points James Suckling
Black fruit with orange peel and fresh mushrooms on the nose. It’s full-bodied with polished, firm tannins and a long, caressing finish. It’s intense, but ever so polished and refined. Classic quality. Very drinkable, but will age beautifully.

Organic / Natural / No Sulphur

Hand-harvested organic Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from twenty year old vines in Los Carneros California. Fourteen day spontaneous fermentation in neutral oak with indigenous yeasts then aged 24 months in neutral oak, 12 months in bottle. There is no fining nor filtration and zero sulfur is added. Their red blend from Carneros is a knock-out! A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that spent 24 months in neutral oak and 12 months in bottle before release. The wine is deep, but not brooding, with classic cassis, blackberry, tobacco leaf, and allspice notes. Although full-bodied the wine is lively and easy to drink. No gloppy late-harvest fruit put in 200% new oak barrels here, just a beautifully balanced well-made wine. Bravo Les Lunes!

94 points Wine Spectaor
A fresh, graceful red, with dense, sculpted tannins creating good tension while finding fine integration with a lovely range of ripe black plum and black cherry, cured tobacco, balsamico and minerally iron and tar notes. Firm and racy on the lasting, spiced finish. Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo. Best from 2025 through 2035. 4,166 cases made, 500 cases imported

91 points James Suckling
Savory, dried meat and spiced plums and cherries with a hint of rust and walnut to the nose. Elegant and juicy on the palate with some tart red plums and light berry fruit. Long and almost a bit ethereal with firm tannins.

80% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha sourced from the prized Finca la Pedrizavineyard.

95 points James Suckling
[#38 Top 100 Wines of Spain 2023] A more vibrant and fruitier expression of Ardanza this year with strawberries, mussels, warm spices and berries. Round and silky on the palate with lovely spices and a long, nicely saline finish. A nice touch of creaminess works really well here and further extends the finish. 80% tempranillo and 20% garnacha. Drink or hold.

94 points Wine Advocate
2017 was not an easy harvest, but it produced some beautiful and classical wines, like the 2017 Viña Ardanza Reserva, which shows a little more advancement and polish and is ready to drink. It was produced with 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha from their vineyard La Pedriza in Tudelilla. It fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and matured in American oak barrels, 36 months for the Tempranillo and 30 for the Garnacha (that was harvested 15 days later), with six rackings. It's ripe and aromatic, tertiary, with 14.5% alcohol and mellow acidity, a medium-bodied palate and sleek tannins. It has a pungent note of clove and pepper, some licorice and ink and the cherries in liqueur from the Garnacha. An updated classical Ardanza. 600,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2021.

Organic

With an elegant and attractive profile, it shows our commitment to sustainability and preservation of the environment. A combination of Aragonez, Trincadeira and Alicante Bouschet, the classic and timeless blend from Alentejo from the organic vineyard Vinea Maria. Fermented in stainless steel vats and aged for 12 months in new and used French oak barrels. Notes of black fruit jam, intense earthy perceptions, mint, green coffee and toast. In the mouth, it is structured, elegant, fresh and with a long finish.

94 poijnts James Suckling
A juicy red with lots of blackberry, chocolate and light oak aromas and flavors. Mushroom and cedar, too. Its full-bodied, layered and very rich with a flavorful, savory finish.

92 points Wine Advocate
The 2017 Via Real Reserva displays more advanced characteristics than the 2018 I tasted next to it. It has notes of forest floor intermixed with hints of fruit, berries in liqueur and some spices. 2017 was a very challenging year, and the wine is evolving at a faster pace. It's 13.9% alcohol and has a pH of 3.54, coming through as polished and ready to drink now. It's mostly Tempranillo with 10% other grapesGraciano, Garnacha and Mazuelo.

80% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha sourced from the prized Finca la Pedrizavineyard.

95 points James Suckling
[#38 Top 100 Wines of Spain 2023] A more vibrant and fruitier expression of Ardanza this year with strawberries, mussels, warm spices and berries. Round and silky on the palate with lovely spices and a long, nicely saline finish. A nice touch of creaminess works really well here and further extends the finish. 80% tempranillo and 20% garnacha. Drink or hold.

94 points Wine Advocate
2017 was not an easy harvest, but it produced some beautiful and classical wines, like the 2017 Viña Ardanza Reserva, which shows a little more advancement and polish and is ready to drink. It was produced with 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha from their vineyard La Pedriza in Tudelilla. It fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and matured in American oak barrels, 36 months for the Tempranillo and 30 for the Garnacha (that was harvested 15 days later), with six rackings. It's ripe and aromatic, tertiary, with 14.5% alcohol and mellow acidity, a medium-bodied palate and sleek tannins. It has a pungent note of clove and pepper, some licorice and ink and the cherries in liqueur from the Garnacha. An updated classical Ardanza. 600,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2021.

This wine shows two dominant things. One, a Bordeaux influence with the oak aging playing a major role in this wine's character. Second, the wine is showing its age. Fruit is not at the forefront like most Chilean wines. Secondary notes are in command reminiscent of a Haut Medoc straight from the cellar.

The fermentation is carried out with destemmed whole berries, native yeasts, temperature control (not to exceed 28-30°C), a soft extraction and a long maceration period to obtain smooth tannins and a firm structure. After 30 days of maceration in average, the wine is aged for 12 months is new barrel (10%) , used barrels and Flexcubes. Only 250 cases produced.

This is a variety from D??o, that was brought more than 100 years ago to Vidigueira, with an extraordinary adaptation to the soil and climate conditions of the region, It is however a prima donna that needs controlled vigor and low production to produce extremely balanced wines with the capacity to maintain high acidity and vigorous tannins, which makes it so important in these sunny southern lands. This is our blue wine, due to its aroma of blue fruits, blueberries and ripe blackberries. It is elegant and balanced with surprising freshness and a long and harmonious finish, as if these aromas and tastes were notes that make up a song. That is why Alfrocheiro is Miguel Maria, the musician of the family.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec blend aged in French oak barrels.

Organic

92 points Vinous
The 2017 Brut Nature Leopardi is a blend of 45% Macabeo, 40% Xarello and 15% Parellada trom Penedes. Aged for 66 months on the lees and disgorged in March 2024, this sparkling wine offers aromas of thyme and lime, with oxidative green apple tones set against a bakery layer. Dry and refreshing, the ethereal, crunchy palate drives through a yeasty, saline finish. This is a well-crafted, savory Corpinnat.

94 points Wine Advocate
I tasted two vintages of the Gran Reserva from Haro, starting with the 2017 Imperial Gran Reserva from a warm and dry year whose yields were lowered by frost in late April and was saved by rains at the end of July. It's 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo with 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.65 and 5.31 grams of acidity. It fermented in small oak vats followed by malolactic in concrete and aging in French (70%) and American oak barrels for two years, during which time the wine was racked every eight months. It's evolving at a slightly faster pace and maybe it's a little lighter, but I didn't feel the heat, which is quite something. It's drinking well. 75,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2020.