Wines (24 View)

93 points James Suckling

A seductive, refined and well-composed blend of 80% grenache, 10% syrah, 7% mourvedre and 3% cinsault. It shows aromas of spiced cherries, grilled herbs, bay leaves, roasted meat and crushed peppercorns. It’s medium- to full-bodied with finely grained tannins. Seductive and fine with a delicate texture throughout and a warming finish with spices. Drink or hold.

92 points Wine Advocate
The 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape from La Bastide Saint Dominique reveals an elegant, gourmand bouquet of dark cherries, flowers, spices and chocolate. Medium to full-bodied with a juicy core of fruit, it's well-balanced, layered and enveloping with a charming, velvety mid-palate that segues into a fresh, ethereal finish. This blend of 80% Grenache Noir, 10% Syrah, 7% Mourvèdre and 3% Cinsault matured in stainless steel and concrete tanks. It can be drunk any time over the next decade and over.

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

95 points James Suckling
Savory and complex with dried orange peel, cedar and plenty of sweet spices, walnuts, caramel, dried mushrooms and pine needles. Shows maturity here, with a medium body and superb freshness. Incredibly long finish with lots of truffle and walnut. Lasts over a minute. Very complete now, but you can still hold it.

94+ points Wine Advocate
The 2016 Viña Ardanza Reserva was produced with 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha that matured in used American oak barrels for three years, where it was hand-racked from barrel to barrel six times in the case of Tempranillo and five times for the Garnacha, as it had a slightly shorter élevage of 30 months. Against all odds, I found the 2016 to be fresher than the 2015 and less developed, despite the fact that winemaker Julio Sáenz told me he considers it a warmer year. But I have found many wines I like in 2016, and the wine feels very clean and quite harmonious, younger and less developed, with more primary notes and a velvety mouthfeel. 600,000 bottles produced. The wine was bottled in June 2020.

Organic / Natural

Winemaker Notes:
60% Barbera/40% Bonarda (aka Croatina, not the same Bonarda found in Argentina). Trebbiolo is made from the youngest, most productive vines, aged 5-20 years and grown on the estate's gentle slopes and heavy clay soils. The fruit is organically farmed and harvested by hand. It is destemmed and fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel with a 20-day skin maceration; the wine is aged in stainless steel. No sulfur at any point in the process. The name "Trebbiolo" is derived from the name of nearby river and valley Trebbia; if La Stoppa opted into the Italian appellation system, Trebbiolo would be their version of a Gutturnio Fermo DOC wine.

90 pts Vinous
Masses of crushed raspberries mix with wild herbs, dried roses and hints of underbrush as the 2019 Vino Rosso Trebbiolo opens up in the glass. It’s soft and round in feel yet bristling with energy as vibrant acids enliven its crisp red and blue fruits. Sweet spices, zests of citrus and hints of mint form toward the close as this tapers off nicely refreshing with medium length. You’d be hard-pressed to stop at just one glass. The Trebbiolo is a juicy and no-frills blend of 60% Barbera and 40% Bonarda.

Citrus aromas marked by subtle notes of grapefruit and the zest of lemons. The profile of the wine is a classic, aromatic and refined Sauvignon Blanc unadorned or manipulated. The wine lingers on the palate with a mineral character of freshness. 

Lava Cap’s Cabernet Sauvignon has long been recognized for producing age-worthy wines that showcase vibrant fruit and rich texture. The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon holds true to this, with a dark purple color, and dark black fruit on the nose. On the palate, vibrant fruit mingles with allspice and clove, framed by vibrant acidity and well integrated tannins.

Organic / Biodynamic / Natural / No Sulfur Added

This naturally sparkling Rose hails from the Loire Valley in France, comprised of organically farmed Gamay. It is bright, lively, and delicate on the palate with enticing notes of fresh strawberries and rhubarb. The finish is precise and dry.

The vineyards are spread across 25 parcels with vines ranging from 30 to 130 years for the oldest vines. The Jousset’s fundamental and profound respect for nature led them to exclude herbicides and pesticides in favor of the balance that biological diversity promises down to the microscopic level. They believe that to make an original wine it is necessary to have living soils with high microbial activity, a “living” vine, and a balanced life between plants and animals in all of the domain’s parcels.

The Llopart does an extremely gentle press in a vertical basket press. Maximum permitted yields of must per weight of grapes is 66.66% - the Llopart family does not extract past 45-50%. The semi-unpressed grapes are sold off to a local cooperative. The must ferments in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks and is aged sur lie for four months before being returned to bottle. The secondary fermentation is carried out in the bottle in underground cellars.

The Llopart family were granted their family estate in 1385, making them one of the oldest growers in Penedès. They founded their company for the production of sparkling wines in 1887, making them the second oldest house for sparkling wine in Spain, and the oldest family-owned sparkling wine house in the country. They own 500 Ha of land, 95 of which are planted to organically certified vineyards. In 2017, Llopart became one of the six founding members of CORPINNAT, an new recognized classification for premium organically farmed sparkling wines from heart of Penedès. Llopart were pioneers in the production of Rosé sparkling wines and were one of the first producers to make rosé sparkling from exclusively red varieties.

94 points Wine Advocate
The 2016 Viña Cubillo Tinto Crianza was surprising, spectacular, elegant, clean and fresh like few vintages before. It was a superb year, with quality, quantity and freshness. It's quite the opposite from the previous 2015, which was a much warmer and riper year. The 2016s have moderate alcohol and especially the perception of less ripeness (even though the alcohol is very similar). It feels very young, still quite primary. Mercedes explained, "Cubillas, a 24-hectare plot, is a vineyard that could produce Gran Reserva wines. It's a very good vineyard, but we would miss the Crianza in our range". In fact, the comment was that this vintage is even a challenge for the Viña Tondonia red "because of its price." It is indeed a bargain. "But it doesn't have the finesse of Tondonia," concluded María José. Anyway, it's super tasty. 92,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2022. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2032

94 points Tim Atkin
It could be a Gran Reserva," says María José López de Heredia of a wine that is always sold as a Crianza, partly for historic reasons. Picked late in a cooler vintage, it partners Tempranillo with 20% Garnacha, and 5% each of Graciano and Mazuelo. Earthy, stemmy yet refreshing, it has negligible oak, racy redcurrant and pomegranate fruit and savoury tannins. 2024-29

100% tank-aged Malvasia Volcanica. Malvasia Volcanica is a grape that is truly indigenous to the Canary Islands, a crossing of Marmajuelo (an indigenous peach-skinned white grape) and Malvasia Aromatica. Crisp, bright and positively exploding with citrus and mineral flavors.

This Rosado stuns once again with its minerality, salinity, and elegance. Made from the direct press of Listan Negro. The wine is pale and subtle in color but not in character. Always refreshing and relaxed on the palate where that volcanic minerality displays itself. Dry, refined, and masterfully done. Don’t miss it!

Los Bermejos is on the easternmost island of Lanzarote, only 125km from the African coast where conditions are extreme. A volcanic explosion that lasted from 1730-1736 covered the entire island in lava and ash 3-5 meters deep. Consequently, each vine must be planted in a hole or hoyo that breaks through that infertile volcanic crust of petrified lava to the organic matter that can nourish it. The wind, which acts as a natural fungicide, is so ferocious that each hoyo is surrounded by rock walls for protection. The flora on Lanzarote – including the vines – cannot grow very high; there are not enough nutrients in the soil to support sprawling greenery. Yields are minuscule (16 hL/ha) and each berry is concentrated with flavor. All vineyard work is done meticulously by hand. Some of the wines are certified organic, depending on the vintage. Ignacio supplements his crop with purchased fruit from growers who share his vision of sustainable viticulture; with such low yields the winery would have to own most of the land on the island in order to produce financially sustainable quantities of wine from exclusively proprietary grapes.

Organic

One of the best value Burgundian producers, Lucien Muzard's approach of organic farming, hand-harvesting, and traditional winemaking creates a wonderful expression of Bourgogne Rouge. A deliciously light drop of red fruit flavor with a distinct sensual silkiness and minerality, it's an exemplary bottle of Bourgogne Rouge. This comes from parcels in Maranges and Santenay, plus a one hectare parcel in the Hautes Cotes. Always an exceptional value, the 2023 is simply delicious and an amazing value!

From rabigato, codega, godello and viosinho planted on mica-schist and fermented mostly in old barrels, it has the lemon-mineral punch of great Burgundy, plus a ripe pear fruitiness, white poppy and remarkable density. This is sleek, contemporary white winemaking of the highest order. Bright straw yellow. On the nose, stone and orchard fruit abound, with flinty wet stone and white pepper laid over the dominant aromatics. On the palate, impressively bright and mineral-driven, with a great balance between power and lift. Lemon, green apple, and bosc pear flavors co-mingle with a touch of floral tone and slate minerals. Juicy and mineral-driven all at once. 50% Rabigato, 20% Codega, 15% Gouveio (Godello), 10% Viosinho. 30-45 year old vines, planted to mica schist at 500-600 m (1,640 -1,968 ft) elevation. 90% fermented in used barrel; 10% fermented in stainless steel. All indigenous wild yeast fermentation. Aged in 90% used barrel and 10% stainless steel. 1 year of lees contact with no battonage.

Xisto Illimitado, by famed Douro winemaker Luis Seabra, is a Portuguese analogue to the idea of a “village” level Burgundy. A field blend of 6 varieties planted across 3 subzones in the Douro, Illimitado is a survey of the schist-driven terroir in the appellation. The Douro is the oldest demarcated appellation in Western Europe, chartered in 1756. Since 1986, the focus has diversified from the early days of fortified wine production in Porto, giving rise to a number of fine table wines that spearheaded the Portuguese wine market in America in the early 2000s. Luis Seabra, former winemaker at Nieeport, has focused his winemaking on the distinct soil types in the valley, and this latest project shows the breadth of style that is achievable in the region. Bright, focused and fresh, Xisto Ilimitado is a great introduction to the new Douro.

Bright garnet. High-toned red and blue fruit aromas, tinged with wet stone and violets. On the palate, lush, but with bright acidity to balance the red cherry and pomegranate fruit. White pepper, slate and herbal aromas overlay the core of fruit on a juicy, fresh finish. 30% Touriga Franca, 20% Tinta Amarela, 20% Tinta Roriz, 10% Rufete, 10% Tinta Barroca, 5% Malvasia Preta, 5% Donzelinho Tinto. Sustainably farmed vineyards planted from 1960 to 1980 in schist soil at 400-600 m (1,232-1,968 ft) elevation. 30% fermented in stone lagar with foot pigeage; other 70% in vat, 100% whole cluster. Maceration – lagar for 8 days; vat for 25 days. Racked to neutral barrel for 1 year followed by 5 months in tank. 100% natural yeast fermentation (no cultivated yeasts).

Xisto Illimitado, by famed Douro winemaker Luis Seabra, is a Portuguese analogue to the idea of a “village” level Burgundy. A field blend of 6 varieties planted across 3 subzones in the Douro, Illimitado is a survey of the schist-driven terroir in the appellation. The Douro is the oldest demarcated appellation in Western Europe, chartered in 1756. Since 1986, the focus has diversified from the early days of fortified wine production in Porto, giving rise to a number of fine table wines that spearheaded the Portuguese wine market in America in the early 2000s. Luis Seabra, former winemaker at Nieeport, has focused his winemaking on the distinct soil types in the valley, and this latest project shows the breadth of style that is achievable in the region. Bright, focused and fresh, Xisto Ilimitado is a great introduction to the new Douro.

Third Place finisher in our 2023 Wine Of The Year blind taste off!

Sustainably farmed Grenache 44%, Syrah 42%, Mourvedre 14% from four vineyard sites in Los Olivos and the greater Santa Ynez Valley - Rolling Vines, Bernat, Coteaux de Clair, and TTT Roblar. The Syrah and Grenache are fermented partly with whole clusters, while the Mourvedre is 100% destemmed. Fermentation is with native yeasts in open-top oak tanks. The wine is matured for 14 months in neutral barrique and bottled without fining or filtration.

Mallea is a collaboration between viticulturist Erik Mallea (director of viticulture at Sanford & Benedict and a co-founder of Willett-Mallea Farming) and winemaker Justin Willett (of Tyler Winery and Lieu-Dit Winery). After working together in various capacities for over a decade, Erik and Justin have started this exciting new project to highlight Santa Barbara County’s potential with Rhône grape varieties. They are farming four small vineyard sites clustered around Los Olivos in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara.

Third place was a nice surprise because it is a brand new wine on the scene, Mallea GSM Santa Barbara County 2021. This is a traditional Rhone blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mouvedre (GSM) but from Santa Barbara County California. The pedigree of the guys behind it is first-rate but what impressed us was the juice in the bottle! If you enjoy Cotes du Rhone or Southern French reds you are going to love Mallea. This is a wine of subtlety and not as flamboyant as our number two wine. Clearly, the wine is masterfully blended as each component adds complexity, and yet the wine is seamless on the palate. Fresh jovial fruit dances on the tongue with its lively acidity while pepper and Mediterranean spices come out in the finish. Mallea GSM provides a ton of pleasure for a very reasonable price.

The labels reference Erik Mallea’s Basque heritage, depicting 19th & 20th-century aspen tree carvings by Basque shepherds in the American West. Erik’s father, Joxe Mallea-Olaetxe, is a respected scholar of this cultural tradition.

93 points Wine Advocate
The 2021 Armé Cabernet Sauvignon is blended with 10% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. It has pretty tones of blueberries and black cherries with nuances of lavender, thyme and underbrush. The palate is medium-bodied, chalky and refreshing, with surprising depth of crunchy fruit and floral sparks across the long, juicy finish.

92 points Vinous
The 2021 Armé is a tasty Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend from Marietta. Gravel, scorched earth, tobacco, incense, leather and menthol add layers of nuance to a core of dark-toned fruit. This somber, virile red packs plenty of intensity into its mid-weight frame

93 points Wine Advocate
The 2021 Dry Riesling Wirz Vineyard comes from some of the oldest Riesling vines in California; the head-pruned, dry-farmed vines were planted in 1952 in Cienega Valley on limestone. It's spicy, delicious and hard to put down, opening with gregarious scents of white peach, candle smoke, lime, biscuit and loads of floral perfume. The light-bodied palate is dry and shimmery, balancing racy acidity with creamy citrus fruit and flinty undertones, and it has a long, spicy finish. 800 cases were made.

92 points Vinous
The 2021 Dry Riesling Nadi Wirz Vineyard is, as the name states, dry. It offers terrific tension and plenty of cut. The lack of sweetness results in an especially taut Riesling. Hints of green apple, slate, crushed rocks, petrol and white flowers linger. This is such a vivid and expressive wine."-

95 points Wine Advocate
The 2021 Román Zinfandel is juicy, alluring and easy to drink without sacrificing complexity, offering tremendous quality for its modest price. Blended with 4% Petite Sirah and 4% Barbera, the nose is bursting with kaleidoscopic yellow peaches, strawberries and raspberries plus nuances of sage, aniseed and Angostura bitters. The medium-bodied palate has a finely chalky frame, fireworks of fresh acidity and generous layers of spicy fruit that call you back for another sip.

92 points Vinous
The 2021 Román is an absolute delight. Crushed flowers, sweet red cherry fruit, cinnamon, leather and dried herbs are nicely lifted in this translucent, weightless Zinfandel-based red. Dollops of Petite Sirah and Barbera round out the blend. This is grace personified

Organic / Natural

Grapes: Gruner Veltliner, Welschriesling, Muller-Thurgau

"It's a wine made in a very classical way, with no maceration, just gentle press and then some time in tanks. The idea here is to have wine that you can drink with literally everyone, be they natural wine fans or haters." -Nestarec

"Light straw in color with bright yellow highlights. Aromas of golden apples with a hint of white peach. Well-balanced acidity provide a fresh and lively mouthfeel with a clean dry finish." Winemaker notes

The grapes are grown in the Veneto region of Italy, in an area near the Valdobbiadene D.O.C.G.area, on the sloping hills just north of Treviso. Soil is alluvial with an important presence of clay.

Founded in 1887 by Francesco Mionetto in the small village of Valdobbiadene, Mionetto has been the preeminent name in Prosecco for over 125 years. In the heart of the Prosecco region, Mionetto produces the exceptional wines that comprise America's favorite Prosecco brand.

Organic

#85 On The Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines Of 2024!

90 points Wine Spectator
A mix of honeysuckle, crab apple, lemon, pine and earth flavors highlight this intense white, which is fresh and balanced, leaving a saltiness on the languid aftertaste. Drink now through 2028. 2,500 cases made, 520 cases imported.

94 points Wine Advocate
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 destemmed and lightly crushed in oak vats with indigenous yeasts, and 80% of the volume matured in French oak and the rest in Centro European and American oak, 20% of them new, for 22 months, during which time the wine was racked every eight to nine months. This is serious and young but balanced, nuanced and complex. They are shortening the time in oak, as they feel they have better and younger barrels and think the wines need less time in oak and more time in bottle. This is very Muga, very Rioja and very good. They produced an impressive 960,000 bottles and 18,000 magnums of this. There is only one master blend that is bottled at different times. I tasted a bottle that was filled in April 2022 (because of the lack of availability of bottles!).

#51 On The Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines Of 2024!

91 points Wine Spectator
A rich, savory thread of tobacco, smoke and ground coffee underscores flavors of creamed cherry and blackberry fruit, black olive, orange peel and cocoa powder in this fresh and focused red. Medium-bodied and well-knit, with lightly chewy tannins firming the finish. Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano. Drink now through 2030.