Search results for: 'early la'

La Escribana is a vino de pasto from the Pérez family’s holdings in the famed Macharnudo vineyard (La Escribana & San Cayetano). After a green harvest in early August to reduce production and provide a small amount of “green wine” for distillation or adjusting the acidity of the final wine, La Escribana is picked in late August and pressed into stainless-steel tanks for fermentation. It sees a year of biologic aging in 80-year-old botas before bottling.

Learn More

From the winery:

La Antigua Clásico is one of Alberto Orte’s most enduring history projects and shows off an unexplored region of DOCa Rioja, the western mountain range of Sierra de la Demanda. Inspired by the style of winemaking that was popular in the first half of the 20th century, Alberto’s winemaking emphasizes freshness and minerality, leading to balanced, long-lived wines. To that end, he has found old vine Garnacha, Tempranillo and Graciano in Sierra de la Demanda, south of the Ebro river in Rioja Alta. The north-facing, high-altitude vineyards receive far less sunshine than those in the valley, resulting in grapes that ripen slowly, showcasing intense flavors of greater balance and focus. This poses quite a risk that only hands-on viticulture can remedy: this area is one of the last to harvest in all of Western Europe, usually in early November! In addition to the cool climate, Sierra de la Demanda’s vineyards are extremely scattered and steep. This terrain is impossible to mechanize, and all vineyard work must be done by hand. The result is a handcrafted wine of precision and elegance – fresh and beautiful to drink now, with built-in longevity. Learn More

98 Points! The more delicate, ethereal and fine 2023 La Dama has a paler color and is fragrant and subtle, with a sense of fragility and delicacy like no vintage before. The grapes from the lower part of the main vineyard, called Lupier, where you find less slate (but still slate), were picked in early September and were vinified with 100% full clusters and a long maceration. The higher part was vinified separately and might be released as a new single-vineyard wine; but there are only a couple of barrels of it, and they have not yet decided what to do. The alcohol level is contained, at around 13.5%. It's precise, clean and focused and has purity of aromas and flavors, a delicate texture, super fine tannins, balance and lots of energy. The two wines are now more different than ever. It's really stunning, bravo! - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

Learn More

98-99 Points!  This is incredibly classic in style with so much currant, lead pencil, crushed stone and sweet tobacco. It’s full-bodied with minerally, stoney and powerful tannins. It goes on and one. Real Las Cases here. Solid as a rock. Progresses to violet, graphite and licorice at the end. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

96-98 Points!  The 2020 Léoville Las Cases is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc and 8% Merlot, aging in 80% new French oak barriques, weighing in with an alcohol of 13.68%, a pH of 3.8 and an IPT (tannins index) of 79. The Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested from the 21st to the 27th of September, the Merlot from the 12th to the 15th of September and the Cabernet Franc on the 18th and 19th of September. With an opaque purple-black color, it slowly unfurls to reveal beguiling notes of fresh blackcurrants, Morello cherries, candied violets and dark chocolate, giving way to an undercurrent of crushed rocks, unsmoked cigars, clove oil and fragrant earth. The medium-bodied palate is a powerhouse of energy, delivering tightly wound red and black fruits, mineral and floral layers, supported by fantastic tension and incredibly ripe, silt-like tannins. The finish has jaw-dropping fragrance and depth. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Learn More

Learn More

95 Points! The 2023 El Terroir is a village red from San Martín de Unx that was selected from six different vineyards that were harvested quite early, at the beginning of September. It fermented with full clusters, indigenous yeasts and a long maceration. It is slightly darker than La Dama, with more clout and some more tannins but all relative to La Dama, which is superlative, because outside that context, this would be super fragrant, elegant and subtle. It has container power, lots of energy and depth and a beautiful combination of wild berries, herbs and flowers. It has a fine-boned, medium-bodied palate and good balance. It has contained ripeness and around 13.5% alcohol. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

Learn More

98+ Points! The 2015 Côte Rôtie La Mouline has closed down substantially since I tasted it from barrel, yet it’s nevertheless a magical wine in the making. Sporting a deep, saturated purple color as well as a monster bouquet of crème de cassis, graphite, crushed rocks, and hints of flowers, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, building tannins, and a focused, tight, backward vibe that’s going to need 4-5 years of bottle age. It’s going to be incredibly long-lived. - Jeb Dunnuck

Learn More

92+ Points! The 2022 Las Uvas de la Ira is Garnacha from seven vineyards in El Real de San Vicente, fermented separately and separating according to the health of the skins, with shorter and longer macerations, and matured in concrete and oak vats and foudres (50/50, approximately). It has the profile of the year, with slightly riper fruit, 14.5% alcohol and slightly dusty tannins.- Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

Learn More

Some of the oldest vineyards in the world thrive in the Mokelumne River AVA between Lodi and the Sacramento Delta. The Bechthold Vineyard is indeed the oldest Cinsaut planting in the world, struck on its own roots in 1882 and farmed organically. Nearby, the Royal Tee Vineyard was planted in 1889, comprising 82% Zinfandel, 8% Carignan and the remainder a mix of Flame Tokay, Black Prince, Mission and Muscat table grapes. The majority of this blend is Carignane from the “1900 Block” of Jessie’s Grove, which includes 10% of the almost extinct white grape Monbadon, also known as Berger. All of these vines are own-rooted, dry-farmed and certified heritage vineyards.

The 2021 Vintage was extremely dry and ”cold, with frosts during the early growing season. The resulting harvest was very light, with less than half the crop expected on many vines. Harvested from early September (Zin) to early October (Carignan).

Moderately dark in color, this wine presents a complex nose with dark fruits, earth and hints of woodruff. The palate presents well-sculpted tannins supported by a good acid backbone that leads to a long, lingering finish echoing the fruits first found on the nose.

Mokelumne River, Lodi, 14.6% Alcohol by Volume, 316 cases produced, <.01 residual sugar, 3.7 pH, 6.5 g/L TA, winemaker is Greg La Follette.

Learn More

100 Points! An utterly brilliant Pomerol and the finest wine from this estate to date, surpassing even the 2016, the 2019 Château La Conseillante checks in as 84% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Franc and was raised in 70% new French oak. A wine of incredible finesse, purity, and precision, its deep purple hue is following by an incredible array of blueberries, crème de cassis, spring flowers, damp earth, and violets. Flawlessly balanced, full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, it has a beautiful mid-palate, ultra-fine, utterly seamless tannins, and a heavenly finish. It doesn't have the sheer density or outright power of some of the other top Pomerols, but as I wrote in the barrel sample review, no one marries elegance with opulence as well as Conseillante. This magical Pomerol will take a decade to hit full maturity and will evolve for 30 years or more. This is haute couture at its absolute pinnacle, and as I wrote in the barrel review, hats off to Marielle Cazaux for producing one of the top wines of the vintage. - Jeb Dunnuck

99 Points! The transparency and vibrancy here is impressive. From the very start it’s so aromatic, showing crushed-berry, dark-chocolate, coffee and cedar character. Full-bodied, yet tight and wonderfully tailored, with tannins that are fine-textured, but intense and so long, giving this wine great length. A joy to taste, but needs many years to soften and come together. Wonderful development here. Try after 2028. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

98 Points! The 2019 La Conseillante was stellar from the sample sent to "Martin Towers" in spring 2020, and the news is that there is no change in bottle. Allowed to open while gossiping away with winemaker Marielle Cazaux (you have to catch up when you are unable to see people regularly), the 2019 unveils an awesome, extraordinarily pure bouquet that seduces the senses, featuring dark cherries, blueberry, pressed violet and a touch of blood orange, all displaying wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied and cohesive, with fine-grained tannins and a judicious touch of black pepper toward the finish, which fans out gloriously while maintaining a sense of class. The best La Conseillante since the 2010? No - better. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

 

Learn More

94–95 Points – James Suckling
“A beautifully structured and polished La Chapelle with layers of dark fruit, graphite, and crushed stones. Medium- to full-bodied with fine tannins, excellent balance, and a long, focused finish. A superb second wine.”

92–95 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“A beautiful, layered second wine from this team, the 2025 La Chapelle De La Mission Haut-Brion checks in as 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28.3% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, and a splash of Petit Verdot. Ripe black cherries, graphite, red plums, smoke, and tobacco are just some of the nuances on the nose, and it's full-bodied on the palate, with a pure, layered mouthfeel, fine and polished tannins, and a great finish.”

92–94 Points – Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
“Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2025 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion prances out with gregarious notes of fresh black cherries, juicy raspberries, and cassis, plus hints of lavender oil and pencil shavings with a waft of tree bark. The medium-bodied palate delivers fine-grained tannins and great tension to match the bright black and red berry flavors, finishing minerally. The blend is 28.3% Merlot, 52.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1.1% Petit Verdot, and 18% Cabernet Franc. The alcohol is 14.1%.”

93–95 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Flowers, tobacco leaves, black cherries, cassis, smoke, and crushed rocks create the aromatic profile. The wine is fresh, vibrant, and energetic with a beautiful sense of purity to the fruit. The finish combines minerality, freshness, and length, making this one of the strongest vintages of La Chapelle in recent years.”

Learn More

92 Points! Moving to the Pinot Noirs, the 2022 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills comes from a mix of sites (mostly Fiddlestix, radian, and Sanford & Benedict) and saw 15 months in neutral oak. Its medium ruby hue is followed by a complex, medium-bodied 2022 that has some gamey, iodine-like character in its savory red fruits, leafy herb, bay leaf, and forest, earthy nuances. I love its overall balance, and it has terrific complexity and a satisfying, lively, upfront style that will drink nicely through 2032. - Jeb Dunnuck

From the winery:

A longtime favorite, the 2023 SRH Pinot Noir combines wines from a “who’s who” of the most famous vineyards in our region. This wine comes from: Fiddlestix (42%), Radian (15%), La Rinconada (15%), Bentrock (8%), 10ninths (7%), Sanford & Benedict (5%), Spear (5%), and Rancho La Vina (3%). The very cool 2023 produced a superb SRH blend with grapes being picked over a remarkable 5-week period from Early September to Mid-October. Temperatures throughout the late summer and early Fall were moderate, and ripeness gained gradually until the last lots could be picked at Radian on October 12.

The deliberate inclusion of 20 separate blocks (9 distinct clones) at 8 vineyards is intended to create great complexity in the final blend, which we think is accomplished here. The wine shows wildly different berries (cranberries, strawberries, raspberries, loganberries) and red and black cherries, along with rhubarb, cola, and a panoply of baking spices (nutmeg, cardamom, cloves) and floral notes such as red rose and blood orange. The medium bodied wine has a silky texture and great length buoyed by great acidity and present tannins. The most approachable of our Pinot Noirs, the SRH will drink well right out of the gate, improve for 5-7 years and last another 8 after that at least.

Learn More

100 Points! One of the most powerful and significant La Fleur-Petrus I have ever tasted with incredible depth and power. It’s full and so layered with fine and intense tannins. It shows very dark fruits, dark chocolate with hazelnuts, and milk chocolate with almonds. This will age for eternity. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

100 Points! The finest vintage from this address I've ever tasted, as well as a perfect wine, the 2020 Château La Fleur-Petrus reveals a dense purple hue to go with a deep, layered, full-bodied, yet flawlessly balanced style carrying a smorgasbord-like array of red and black fruits, chocolate, dried flowers, spicy oak, and damp earth. It's not a powerhouse in the style of Trotanoy, Vieux Château Certain, or say, Clinet, but is all about finesse, elegance, and complexity. This magical Pomerol will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and cruise for 20-30 years in cold cellars. - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com

Learn More

98 Points! One of my favorite wines (although it's hard to find), La Violette makes a rich, sexy, yet always elegant and seamless style of Pomerol. Their 2019 Château La Violette is deep purple-hued and offers an incredible perfume of blue fruits, iron, tobacco, spice box, flowers, and loamy earth. Full-bodied on the palate, it shows the pure, elegant style of the vintage, has beautiful tannins, perfect balance, and a great, great finish. There's lots of creamy background oak that needs time to integrate, but this is another remarkable release from this team. Give it a few years and enjoy over the following 20-25. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! The 2019 La Violette offers typical ravishing scents of blueberry, crème de cassis and violet (of course), modern yet irresistible and well-defined, and better than in previous years. The palate is medium-bodied, fleshy yet balanced, with supple tannins, copious, lightly spiced red fruit and a pure, concentrated finish. A delicious Pomerol that offers hedonic pleasure. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

Learn More

97+ Points! Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 La Mondotte strolls nonchalantly out of the glass with expressive scents of plum preserves, blueberry compote and chocolate-covered cherries, followed by suggestions of candied violets, licorice, hoisin and black truffles with a waft of ground cloves. It's medium to full-bodied with seriously impressive tension and wonderfully ripe, velvety tannins supporting the generous black fruit preserves layers, finishing with amazing length and loads of panache. It will require a good 4-5 years to unlock some of its finer nuances, then drink this powerhouse over the next 25+ years. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com

98 Points! Blackberry, plum, mushroom and wood undertones. It’s full-bodied with firm, ripe tannins. Savory and fleshy texture on the palate. Well balanced. Flavorful finish with length. Such polish and composure for a young wine. So classy! Try after 2026. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

Learn More

99 Points! A gorgeous wine, yet one that's going to demand bottle age, the 2019 La Mondotte comes from a tiny vineyard located just beside Pavie Decesse and is always a blend of mostly Merlot with roughly 15-30% Cabernet Franc, brought up in new French oak. Mulled blackcurrants, darker cherries, tobacco leaf, chocolate, lead pencil, and burning ember-like nuances all emerge from this brilliant wine, and it's full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, with good acidity, building tannins, and a great, great finish. It holds onto the more classic, focused style of the vintage, yet it's a beast of a wine that brings the goods. Hide bottles for a solid 7-8 years or more, count yourself lucky, and it's going to have 30-40 years of longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! This has a fragrant nose of blackberries, red tea, cloves, bark, orange zest and dark chocolate. Sandalwood and tile, too. Full-bodied with chewy yet supple tannins and fresh acidity. Seamless and rich. Long and muscular. Try from 2027. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

Learn More

100 Points! The 2019 Château La Mission Haut-Brion is Merlot-dominated, checking in as 53% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc. It's a more opulent wine compared to Haut-Brion, and the Merlot is front and center here, with ripe, sexy black cherry and redcurrant fruits as well as licorice, scorched earth, cedar pencil, and graphite aromas and flavors. Rich, exuberant, and straight up sexy on the palate, it's full-bodied, has a deep, layered mid-palate, building tannins, and a heavenly finish. Just a prodigious, powerful, off-the-charts expression of this terroir, it actually reminds me slightly of the 2005 (or 1998?) with its mix of sexiness and opulence. This is one of the few 2019s that will make your eyes roll back in your head. It will need 10-15 years of cellaring, but it’s a sensational wine on every level and will have 40+ years of prime drinking. - Jeb Dunnuck

98 Points! Blackcurrants and crushed stones with violets and roses. Earthy and black truffle notes, too. Medium to full body with firm, silky tannins that are layered and attractive, in a muscular and toned fashion. Iodine, ink, earth and bark with wet-vine undertones to the fruit at the end. Reserved and impressive. Best after 2025. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

99 Points! The 2019 La Mission Haut-Brion unwinds in the glass with aromas of inky berry fruit, wild plums and cherries mingled with notions of warm spices, burning embers and creamy new oak. Full-bodied, deep and layered, it's rich and concentrated, with a deep core of fruit, bright acids and fine, powdery tannins. Powerful and tightly wound, this is less sumptuous and demonstrative out of the gates than its sibling Haut-Brion, but I suspect it possesses even greater potential.- William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

 

Learn More

98 Points! The 2020 La Gaffelière is superb. Rich, dense and explosive. Black cherry, gravel, licorice, grilled herbs and menthol race out of the glass. Deep, pliant and explosive, the 2020 is magnificent. At this stage, the 2020 is an infant, but that won't be a problem in a few years. This vivid, statuesque Saint-Émilion is nothing short of thrilling. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

98 Points! The 2020 La Gaffeliere is composed of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it soars out of the glass with expressive notes of redcurrant jelly, plum preserves, and kirsch, plus nuances of dark chocolate, violets, pencil lead, and fragrant soil with a waft of crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate is so tightly wound, featuring very fine layers of red and black fruit intertwined with floral and mineral nuances, supported by highly pixilated, super-ripe tannins and amazing tension, finishing very long and with the energy of an atomic bomb. This is stunning! - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, TWI

Learn More

93 Points! The 2021 La Lobita combines Tempranillo with a touch of Albillo Mayor from Soria, Ribera del Duero. A vibrant purple in the glass. The fruit-forward aromas deliver elderberry, crushed plum and floral notes, along with pennyroyal and mustard. Dry and lean with firm tannins, it boasts a juicy, energetic palate. The 2021 is made in the new, rewardingly fruit-driven Ribera style. - Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous

75% Tempranillo and 25% Albillo from organic, recuperated 100-year-old vines in the high elevation (900-1,000 meters) eastern edge of Ribera del Duero.

Winemaking: Spontaneous fermentation and gentle racking by gravity. Co-fermented in used 500L French oak barrels. Bottled in the spring of 2022 and held a year in bottle prior to release.

Production: 1,339 bottles (288 bottles imported)

Learn More

100 Points! The 2020 La Mission Haut-Brion is a brilliant effort that exhibits a level of balance and integration that are impressive in such a powerful young Bordeaux. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries and plums mingled with burning embers, pencil shavings, violets and smoked black tea, it's full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a layered, elegantly muscular profile, its brooding core of fruit framed by a generous endowment of powdery tannin that tempers the ripeness of the vintage. Checking in at 14.7% alcohol, it's nonetheless more classically styled than the more flamboyant 2019 vintage or even the slowly maturing 2010 which I re-tasted alongside for context. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

99 Points!  Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 La Mission Haut-Brion is a blend of 48.6% Merlot, 43.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8.2% Cabernet Franc, with a pH of 3.85. After a swirl or two, the nose blossoms with an alluring array of black cherries, kirsch, and blackcurrant jelly scents, followed by hints of rose oil, sandalwood, tree bark, and Indian spices. The medium to full-bodied palate is densely laden with muscular black fruits, supported by firm, rounded tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and fragrant. - Lisa Perroti-Brown, The Wine Independent

Learn More