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Chateau Montrose Saint Estephe Deuxieme Cru Classe 2019
Chateau Montrose Saint Estephe Deuxieme Cru Classe 2019
Regular price Regular Price: $246.99 Sale priceYour Price: $231.97
Save $15.02
Available: 23
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)
PJ00025
France
Bordeaux
Red
2019
.750L
Dalla Valle Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Dalla Valle Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Regular price Regular Price: $315.99 Sale priceYour Price: $294.97
Save $21.02
Available: 18
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate needs a lot of swirling and coaxing to unlock notions of blackcurrant pastilles, warm black plums and mulberries, plus hints of black olives, tilled soil, mossy tree bark and violets with emerging baker's chocolate and star anise hints. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and with impeccable poise, it has beautifully ripe, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing epically long and earthy.
97 points Vinous
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is dazzling. What a wine! Ample and creamy, the 2019 possesses striking resonance to match its elegant, refined personality. A healthy dollop of Franc adds freshness to a core of dark red cherry, red plum, mocha, spice and new leather flavors. There is a level purity here that is just remarkable. This is the first vintage that includes a small portion of wine aged in amphora. I especially admire the aromatic presence and vibrancy in the 2019.
W21345
US
California - Napa Valley
Red
2019
.750L
Dominus Estate Napa Valley 2019
Dominus Estate Napa Valley 2019
Regular priceYour Price: $299.97
Available: 19
The 2019 Dominus is blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc, aged in 40% new French oak. Impressively dark-hued in the glass, it yields scents of cherries and cassis on the nose—or is it black cherries and redcurrants? Subtle notes of mocha, pencil shavings and almost Graves-like earthiness wind through the concentrated, medium to full-bodied palate, giving it a sense of savory gravitas, while the finish is silky and long, leaving a lingering residue of soft tannins and mouthwatering freshness.
98 points James Suckling
Lots of crushed stone, lead pencil and licorice aromas that are extremely aromatic and bright. Black cherries, cloves and purple fruit, too. Full body and a round and ripe center-palate with a juicy interior. It opens at the end with a savory and juicy finish. Layered and beautiful.
W21021
US
California - Napa Valley
Red
2019
.750L
Dominio del Aguila Penas Aladas Gran Reserva Ribera del Duero 2015
Dominio del Aguila Penas Aladas Gran Reserva Ribera del Duero 2015
Regular price Regular Price: $260.99 Sale priceYour Price: $233.97
Save $27.02
Available: 8
98 pts Wine Advocate
Their Gran Reserva style red 2015 Penas Aladas Gran Reserva had a very long aging in barrel a total of 54 months including six months of malolactic fermentation. This comes from a myriad of small plots of some of the oldest vines in the village of La Aguilera in the same zone that names the wine at 870 to 890 meters in altitude. The valley receives very cold winds from the Duero River and the vineyards are surrounded by junipers pines and oak trees which makes it up to three degrees Celsius lower than the rest of the village one of the coldest places in the whole of Ribera del Duero. The soils have a layer of sand that is gradually mixed with clay until around one meter deep and then there's a layer of marl and limestone a textbook soil for the vine. 2015 was a powerful vintage and there was some frost that also delivered a little more concentration. The wine has an old Ribera del Duero style with some rusticity and lots of power energy and concentration but with great balance. It has plenty of fine tannins and lots of chalkiness. This should be very long lived. 2223 bottles and 41 magnums were hand bottled unfiltered and unfined in May 2020.
W21001
Spain
Ribera del Duero
Red
2015
.750L
Dom Ruinart Blanc De Blancs Brut Champagne 2009
Dom Ruinart Blanc De Blancs Brut Champagne 2009
Regular priceYour Price: $259.97
Available: 32
"The wine shows a superb, golden yellow color with a beautiful luminosity and a fine and persistent mousse. The nose is clean and intense with warm, rich notes of brioche, French toast and roasted almonds. On the palate the wine is very supple and harmonious, with notes of honey and minerals on the long, sustained finish. Ruinart Blanc de Blancs is produced from a blend of 100% premiers crus Chardonnay grapes from the best of recent vintages. Grapes from the estate vineyards in Sillery and Brimont (ancestral home of the Ruinart family) are joined by carefully selected grapes from other premiers crus vineyards in the Cote de Blancs and the Montagne de Reims." Winemaker notes
W20230
France
Champagne
Sparkling
2009
.750L
yes
Aberfeldy 21 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whiskey, Highland 750mL
Aberfeldy 21 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whiskey, Highland 750mL
Regular priceYour Price: $219.99
Available: 10
Highlands, Scotland- 21 years of aging has added dignity to Aberfeldy's distinctive heather honey softness. The taste lingers like a fine liqueur with its long, dry finish enhanced by notes of mature Seville oranges, spices, vanilla and sandalwood. Sip and savor this exclusive whisky.
S01951
Scotland
Highland
Single Malt Scotch
.750L
yes
Chateau Haut Brion Pessac-Leognan 2009
Chateau Haut Brion Pessac-Leognan 2009
Regular priceYour Price: $999.97
Available: 46
There are 10,500 cases of the 2009 Haut-Brion, from a blend of 46% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 14% Cabernet Franc. For technicians, the highest ever natural alcohol, 14.3%, was achieved, with a pH of 3.9, which is about the same as the 1989 and 1990, as well as 1959. This is the kind of wine to send chills even up my spine, and I have been tasting here for nearly 30 years. An extraordinary nose of plum, blueberry, raspberry, crushed rock, and that intriguing floral as well as unsmoked cigar tobacco note (a classic sign of this terroir) is followed by a wine of creamy unctuosity reminiscent of 1989, but there is a freshness, vibrancy and precision that is historic and possibly unprecedented. Some graphite emerges as the wine sits in the glass, but the wine is very thick while at the same time precise and elegant. This is the quintessential expression of one of the greatest wine terroirs of the world. To reiterate, the good news is that there are going to be 10,500 cases of Haut-Brion in 2009, which is about 1,500 more cases than the 9,000 produced in 2005. This wine will probably need 7-8 years of cellaring when released and evolve as well as the 1959 has (which is still a perfect wine today), so we?????re realistically talking 50-75 years when stored in a cool cellar. (Tasted once.) - WA98-100
W-00005493
France
Bordeaux
Red
2009
Red Blend
.750L
yes
Vega Sicilia Unico Ribera del Duero 2009
Vega Sicilia Unico Ribera del Duero 2009
Regular priceYour Price: $499.97
Available: 5
I tasted a bottle of the 2009 ??nico blind and was taken by the freshness, the red fruit notes and the Burgundian-like characteristics of this vintage, which on paper was quite warm and dry. I also tasted the 2009 Valbuena, which is always more approachable, and was blown away by its aromatics. With time in the glass the ??nico opened up and got closer to the character of Valbuena but with more depth and clout, while showing extremely elegant. I tasted it again in the context of all the wines from the group, and it delivered all that I saw when I tasted it blind. It takes some time to unfurl its aromatic palette, and it feels young and somewhat undeveloped, younger than it is. It has a touch that made me think of the old vintages of ??nico on the nose but with very polished tannins and a soft mouthfeel that provides elegance. This is a wine that ages for no less than ten years before it's released. 2009 seems like a great vintage for Vega Sicilia, much better than what I anticipated. It should develop nicely in bottle.
W11171
Spain
Ribera del Duero
Red
2009
Tempranillo
.750L
yes
La Rioja Alta 890 Gran Reserva Rioja 1981
La Rioja Alta 890 Gran Reserva Rioja 1981
Regular priceYour Price: $399.97
Available: 22
This is an exceptional example of an old school Spanish Rioja that was aged in different-sized oak vessels, and not released until it had reached full maturity. If readers think the price is high, consider the fact that this bodegas has aged the wine for the consumer, rather than asking you to buy it as a "future" in 1982 and hold it for 15 years before drinking it.
The traditionally made Spanish wines from this bodega are successful. However, readers looking for more internationally-styled Spanish reds that have saturated ruby/purple colors, and grapy personalities are advised that this bodega emphasizes the more mature, aged character of Spanish Rioja, with mature garnet colors with rust at the edge, and fragrant, intense, evolved aromatic profiles.
The Bodega was formed in 1890 as a partnership of 5 quality-conscious growers keen to exploit the export potential for well-made, ?????modern????? Rioja. At this time, French vineyards were ravaged by phylloxera, and connoisseurs were having to look elsewhere for supplies of fine wine. Rioja, with its excellent climate and soils, had already attracted attention, and experiments with Bordeaux-style vinification and barrique-aging were proving very successful. The region?????s only real disadvantage was its remoteness, cut off from the lucrative markets to the north by the same mountains that ensured its favorable climate. This problem was solved by construction of the rail link to Bilbao, and it is no coincidence that Bodegas La Rioja Alta was established next to the Haro railway station in the same year it opened. In 1904, La Rioja Alta absorbed Bodegas Ardanza, and gained access to some of the finest vineyards in the Rioja Alta district. The luxury 904 bottling commemorates this important milestone in the company?????s development. Since then Rioja has seen more bad times than good, and many producers have harmed the reputation of the region and its production methods, releasing sloppily-aged wines which were never good enough to support a long time in cask. But La Rioja Alta has never let standards slip, and continues to this day the tradition of careful long-aging that gives Rioja its unique character. These wines offer a wonderfully complex bouquet, rich flavours, a seductively smooth texture, and are all ready to drink on release.
Few dispute that La Rioja Alta S.A. is the leading quality orientated producer in the Rioja. With more than 50,000 casks and 6.4 million bottles stored at any one time, the equivalent of about 8 years sales, La Rioja Alta S.A. is unique in its ability to supply large quantities of fully mature wines of world class quality. The company owns 300 hectares of vineyards in different parts of the best zones of the Rioja Alta region. La Rioja Alta S.A. is specialized in red wines. The leading grape variety is the Tempranillo with small doses of Mazuelo and Graciano. The Vina Ardanza differs from the other wines with some 25% Garnacha in the blend. After vinification in the new ultra modern vinification plant near Haro, aging is in traditional Bordeaux casks, all made from American oak. Racking is by hand every 6 months with 8 teams working full time racking the 51,000 casks. There is no filtration prior to bottling and further long aging in bottle before release. In short the wines are made in the traditional Rioja manner. The company is adamant about not using French oak, keeping the unique Rioja style which has been developed since the end of the 19th century. In spite of the varying amount of time in cask and bottle the wines all display a wonderful rich ruby colour, gorgeous aromas of oak, spices and fruit followed by a sensational feel on the palate, with a wonderful smooth texture, clean rich oaky/fruity flavours and a long lingering finish. All the wines are ready for consumption on release but will keep for many more years in bottle. This situation is almost unique in the world of wine and is the reason why so many restaurants list La Rioja Alta?????s outstanding range of truly classic Rioja wines.
W04951
Spain
Rioja
Red
1981
Tempranillo
.750L
yes
Dominus Estate Napa Valley 2015
Dominus Estate Napa Valley 2015
Regular priceYour Price: $329.97
Available: 7
Bottled in July 2017 and composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc, the Dominus 2015 Proprietary Red Wine leaps from the glass with notes of fresh wild blueberries, crushed blackberries and black currant juice with touches of wild thyme, underbrush, iron ore and aniseed with wafts of lavender and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has incredible energy and vivacity, with the firm, pixelated tannins and lively backbone skillfully framing the muscular fruit, finishing with wonderful length and depth.
W10363
US
Red
2015
.750L
Chateau La Conseillante Pomerol 2020
Chateau La Conseillante Pomerol 2020
Regular price Regular Price: $315.99 Sale priceYour Price: $299.97
Save $16.02
Available: 8
Another utterly brilliant wine from this team, the 2020 Château La Conseillante is based on 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc that saw 70% new French oak. Unquestionably in the same league as the 2019, this beauty offers an incredible bouquet of pure blue fruits, cassis, violets, spring flowers, and truffle. This carries to a full-bodied, seamless, incredibly elegant, layered Pomerol offering perfect tannins, the vibrant, focused, structured style of the vintage, impeccable balance, and a gorgeous finish. As always, this wine is more about purity, finesse, and elegance than power. It offers pleasure even today yet should be given a decade in the cellar, and it will be a 40- to 50-year wine. (3/2023)
100 points Wine Advocate
One of the wines of the vintage is the 2020 La Conseillante, a blend of 86% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Franc that wafts from the glass with inviting aromas of raspberries, red cherries and mulberries mingled with exotic spices, violets and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and vibrant, it's a beautifully elegant, sensual wine with a deep core of fruit framed by powdery tannins, concluding with a long, extravagantly floral finish. This is a Pomerol of striking purity and sophistication. Congratulations to Marielle Cazaux and her team for surpassing even what they achieved in 2016 and 2019 with this brilliant 2020! (4/2023)
PJ00550
France
Bordeaux
Red
2020
.750L
Krug Brut Champagne 2006
Krug Brut Champagne 2006
Regular priceYour Price: $424.97
Available: 11
The 2006 Krug Vintage is fabulous. Here the richness, breadth and texture of Pinot come through loud and clear in a Champagne that is classic Krug. Red plum, coffee, spice, baked apple tart and lemon confit all flesh out effortlessly in the glass. The ripeness of the year is evident, and yet the vibrancy of the Chardonnay lends so much energy. The 2006 can be enjoyed today, but also has the balance and stuffing to develop well for many years to come. This is a superb showing from the 2006.
PJ00399
France
Sparkling
2006
.750L
yes
Chateau Leoville-las-Cases Saint Julien Deuxieme Cru Classe 2003
Chateau Leoville-las-Cases Saint Julien Deuxieme Cru Classe 2003
Regular price Regular Price: $248.99 Sale priceYour Price: $229.97
Save $19.02
Available: 22
Jeb Dunnuck, 96pts. - "The 2003 Chateau Leoville Las Cases comes from what is still the hottest vintage on record for Bordeaux. (Others that are close are 2006, 2011, 2018, and 2019.) A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 13% Cabernet Franc that hit 13.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.62 (IPT was 75), its deep ruby/plum color is followed by a terrific, almost Pauillac-like bouquet of ripe blackcurrants, freshly sharpened pencils, chocolate, violets, and a touch of chalky minerality. It builds beautifully with time in the glass and is full-bodied on the palate, offering ripe tannins, a round, expansive mouthfeel, plenty of mid-palate depth, and a great finish. Hats off to the team at Las Cases for such a gorgeous wine from a challenging vintage!" (3/2021)
W-00003237
France
Bordeaux
Red
2003
.750L
yes
Vega Sicilia Unico Ribera del Duero 2012
Vega Sicilia Unico Ribera del Duero 2012
Regular price Regular Price: $545.99 Sale priceYour Price: $499.97
Save $46.02
Available: 25
The 2012 ??nico is released 10 years after the harvest. They produced it with the grapes from 40 of the 210 hectares of vineyards they have, with a total of 55 separate plots and 19 different soils. It's mostly 95% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes that are cooled down for 24 hours and then fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts. Malolactic fermentation was in stainless steel and the aging in 225-liter oak barrels and 20,000-liter oak vats for a long time as this was bottled in June 2018. 2012 is a concentrated year, warm and dry with some rain at the end of September that helped the end of the ripening process of healthy grapes with lots of color and ripe tannins. The wine has a ripe nose, with intoxicating notes of black fruit, fresh meat and blood, a spicy touch from the American oak and an earthy twist. It's a voluptuous and decadent vintage for Vega Sicilia, for those that favor years like 2006, a bit atypical, or 1999.
97 points James Suckling
Berry, smoke, violet and sandalwood aromas follow through to a full, layered palate that shows super polished tannins that are caressing and long. It?????s tight and very long. Give it two or three years to soften. Drink after 2023.
W21102
Spain
Ribera del Duero
Red
2012
.750L
yes
Domaine Humbert Freres 1er Cru Estournelles St Jacques Gevrey Chambertin 2019
Jean Luc & Eric Burguet 1er Cru Lavaux St Jacques Gevrey Chambertin 2019
Jean Luc & Eric Burguet 1er Cru Lavaux St Jacques Gevrey Chambertin 2019
Regular price Regular Price: $239.99 Sale priceYour Price: $216.97
Save $23.02
Available: 6
The 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux Saint-Jacques 1er Cru has a wonderful bouquet of blackberry, raspberry, rose petals and touches of melted tar; the 100% new oak is subsumed extremely well. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy and ripe, displaying a touch of piquancy on the silky-smooth finish and Asian spice on the aftertaste. (Drink between 2023-2038)
W20742
France
Burgundy
Red
2019
.750L
Vega Sicilia Unico Ribera del Duero 2011
Vega Sicilia Unico Ribera del Duero 2011
Regular price Regular Price: $599.99 Sale priceYour Price: $539.97
Save $60.02
Available: 19
The Unico released in 2021, 10 years after the harvest, is the 2011 Unico, selected from 40 of their 210 hectares of vineyards. 2011 is a concentrated and ripe vintage, and they selected 95% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon that were cooled in a cold room for 24 hours before being sorted; the bunches and grapes macerated at 9 to 10 degrees Celsius for three to four days, and then it was inoculated with a pied de cuve to ferment with pumping overs. Malolactic was in stainless steel, and the wine was put through a long aging, 10 years between oak and bottle, using new and used French and American oak barrels and 20,000-liter oak vats. For Vega Sicilia, 2011 was a fresher year than 2010, not the common idea about those vintages in Ribera del Duero. The wine has a developed nose with some notes of ripe black fruit, meat and underbrush, somewhat herbal and perfumed. There is something about the nose of the ??nicos that I cannot quite describe but is quite distinct, and it's in this vintage and also in the Reserva Especial.
W20433
Spain
Ribera del Duero
Red
2011
Red Blend
.750L
yes
Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore 2012
Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore 2012
Regular price Regular Price: $257.99 Sale priceYour Price: $238.97
Save $19.02
Available: 9
The 2012 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia is very similar to the 2011 Ornellaia that precedes it. These were both hot vintages, but 2012 saw the heat towards the end of the growing season. In fact the harvest in 2012 came two weeks earlier than average. This seamless blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (56%), Merlot (27%), Cabernet Franc (10%) and Petit Verdot (7%) shows some of the roundness and softness of that summer heat. The wine's density and extraction are spot-on and the bouquet is beautifully shaped by dark cherry nuances with spice, leather and tobacco at the back. There is a gorgeous sense of richness and plushness here. Some 160,000 bottles were produced. This edition of Ornellaia is more immediate in character and less suited to the decades-long aging that cooler vintages can affront so successfully.
94+ points Vinous
The 2012 Ornellaia has put on quite a bit of weight since I first tasted it from bottle a few months ago. Rich, powerful and concentrated, the 2012 offers plenty of depth and intensity, with expressive fruit and striking mid-palate intensity. Dark red cherry jam, wild flowers, licorice, smoke, tobacco and mint blossom in the glass. There is a very slight element of dryness in the tannin that is the signature of a year in which ripening took place in fits and starts. It will be interesting to see if that note softens over time.
Aged for 18 months in barrique (70% new and 30% once-used). After bottling, the wine aged a further 12 months prior to release.
W08963
Italy
Tuscany
Red
2012
Cabernet Sauvignon
.750L
yes
Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2014 1.5L
Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2014 1.5L
Regular priceYour Price: $269.97
Available: 8
The 2014 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has an opaque crimson color with a purplish hue. The alluring nose draws you in with notes of cassis, black cherry, pipe tobacco, salted caramel, cocoa beans, and fresh strawberry. This full-bodied wine enters with a depth of flavor and offers mouth-coating, velvety tannins, and flavors of cream soda and red fruit. Black currant and vanilla notes crescendo through the palate to the lengthy finish. This wine is drinkable upon release, but given proper cellaring conditions can be enjoyed through 2040.
Blend: 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11.6% Merlot, 6.7% Cabernet Franc, 2.1% Petit Verdot, 1.6% Malbec
W11429
US
California - Napa Valley
Red
2014
Cabernet Sauvignon
1.5L
yes
Dominus Estate Napa Valley 2018
Dominus Estate Napa Valley 2018
Regular price Regular Price: $399.99 Sale priceYour Price: $369.97
Save $30.02
Available: 28
The flagship 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon checks in as 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot brought up in 40% new French oak. With an essence of Cabernet like character in its darker currants, green tobacco, cedar, graphite, and floral aromas and flavors, this gorgeous wine is full-bodied and has bright yet integrated acidity, polished tannins, and a great, great finish. It’s just gorgeously put together and a magical, flawless wine. It’s going to take a decade to hit maturity but will evolve for 40-50 years in cold cellars. It is as good as it gets in classic, age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon!(1/2021)
100 points James Suckling
This is incredible on the nose, offering hot stones, blackcurrants, iodine and wet earth. Full-bodied with a tight center palate, then it opens with a tannin structure that is weightless and spreads across the palate. Totally integrated on the palate. This is a magic-carpet wine. Really incredible. One of the reference points for the vintage. Drinkable now and please try a bottle, but it’s one for the cellar. (5/2021)
99 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Very deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Dominus slowly emerges from the glass with profound notes of blackcurrant cordial, ripe black plums, boysenberries and Black Forest cake with hints of violets, star anise, cracked black pepper, raspberry leaves and pencil lead, plus a touch of garrigue. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers impactful black fruit layers, creating a beguiling sense of richness that is beautifully countered by invigorating freshness and great poise, framed by super ripe, plush tannins and beautiful tension, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note and, finally, lots of mineral sparks. For all that it is at the moment, one cannot help but feel that this 2018 is holding something back. Give it a good five years in bottle, at least, and then get set for what I suspect will be a mindblowing transformation over the next 30 years+. (LPB) (2/2021)
97 points Vinous
The 2018 Dominus is wild and exotic from the first taste. Lifted aromatics make a strong opening impression. There is something exuberant about the 2018 that is hard to describe. The 2018 is not a huge Dominus, nor is it massively structured, but the intensity of the flavors is remarkable just the same. Dark raspberry, spice, leather and cedar are some of the many notes that open over time. (AG)
W20023
US
California - Napa Valley
Red
2018
.750L
yes
Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5 Ribera del Duero 2019
Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5 Ribera del Duero 2019
Regular priceYour Price: $224.97
Available: 24
The obsession in 2019 was to avoid excess ripeness and to keep the freshness, so they did a softer vinification, used larger vats for the elevage and used less American wood. The 2019 Valbuena was produced with a blend of Tinto Fino with 3% Merlot. It has 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.88 and 4.6 grams of acidity. I love the nose; it is perfumed and subtle. And the wine is beautifully textured; the tannins are very fine, silky even, quite different from the tannins from the other 2019s from the group that I tasted next to this, Macan and Pintia. A triumph over the conditions of the year, it's a more elegant Valbuena than I anticipated. 190,490 bottles, 5,581 magnums and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in June 2022
PJ01080
Spain
Ribera del Duero
Red
2019
.750L
Vega Sicilia Unico Ribera del Duero 2013
Vega Sicilia Unico Ribera del Duero 2013
Regular price Regular Price: $545.99 Sale priceYour Price: $499.97
Save $46.02
Available: 6
I had already tasted the 2013 Unico from magnum in a vertical tasting of all the magnums ever produced and was quite impressed by it (and the still unreleased 2014 that should be available in 2024). 2013 saw a rainy harvest, and the wine is subtle, elegant and fresh, complex, silky and with precision. The wine matured in 225-liter barrels in an initial phase and then in 22,000-liter oak vats until it was bottled in June 2019. This year, the final blend was 97% Tinto Fino and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon with a little less alcohol, 14%, and a pH of 3.78 and 5.2 grams of acidity, fresh and balanced, more elegant and subtler. Unico often transcends the character of the vintage and doesn't follow the norm in the region, and the 2013 is a good example of that. It was a very rainy and complicated vintage; they harvested quite quickly to avoid botrytis, and while other people waited for concentration, they did not, and their approach clearly paid back. It's aromatic and floral, less dense than the 2012, subtler, more expressive and more elegant. It's clean and fresh, tasty, with very fine tannins. It's a big surprise for the vintage and one of the finest Unicos in the last few years. 76,476 bottles, 3,658 magnums and some larger formats produced, the shortest crop since 2009.
PJ00862
Spain
Ribera del Duero
Red
2013
.750L
Suntory Yamazaki 12 Year "100th Anniversay Limited Edition" Single Malt Japanese Whiskey 750mL