Search results for: 'needle red'

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96 Points! Typical for this appellation. Lovely on the nose with black currant, pine needle and bark undertones that follow through to a medium body, with firm and fine tannins that run the length of the wine. Very classy. Some graphite. Give this three or four years to come together. Drink after 2027. - JamesSuckling.com

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98 Points! Another incredibly concentrated, focused, insanely impressive wine in the lineup is the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain, which offers a powerful nose of darker currants, scorched earth, graphite, and savory herb aromas and flavors. This full-bodied, dense, concentrated, powerful, inward beauty needs 4-6 years in the cellar but will age forever. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! So much black currant, dark fruit, pine cone, bark and pine needle aromas that show a depth and intensity with round, polished and creamy tannins. Medium to full body, with a complex and gorgeously flavored finish. A blend of 82% cabernet sauvignon, 6.5% cabernet franc, 5% malbec, 4% merlot and 2.5% petit verdot. - JamesSuckling.com

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Hinterhaus Distilling is perched high in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California and uses fresh mountain-water as well as 100 % California wine-grapes to create a unique gin base. South Grove Gin is named for a grove of giant sequoias near the distillery and is infused using botanicals native to the region. 

Tasting Note:
The nose opens with gentle floral aromas, soft juniper, rose hips and elderflower, accompanied by crisp citrus zest. The palate is silky and textured, with crisp gooseberry, pine needle freshness and a subtle ginger finish. The overall experience is elegant, refined and distinctly reflective of its mountain terroir.

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94 Points! This is a beautiful, fresh 2017 Brunello with fine tannins and a medium body of cherry, bark, cedar and pine-needle flavors. It’s long and polished with ultra-fine tannins and fresh acidity. Nicely done for the vintage. Drink or hold. - James Suckling

93 Points! Tenute Silvio Nardi is an estate worth visiting. It occupies one of the most extreme locations in the appellation, tucked away into the hills north of the town in a wild no-man's-land of its own. Once you get there, there is a cozy, warm feeling, with vineyards carved out of the surrounding Mediterranean shrub oaks and forests. If you taste forest floor, button mushroom and wild flowers in the 2017 Brunello di Montalcino, you could easily imagine this magical place. This is a silky, mid-weight Brunello with a cool-climate character (which is preserved despite the hot vintage). - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

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97 Points! This is a fantastic new wine, with crushed berries, stones, and oyster shell with moss and pine needles. Full and linear, with agile acidity that gives the wine energy. It’s salty and lively. So focused and mouthwatering. So attractive now, but will age beautifully. - JamesSuckling.com

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95 Points! Tasted on multiple occasions, the 2020 Château Langoa Barton comes from a mix of different sites in Saint-Julien, which makes it a great representation of the vintage and appellation. The blend is 53.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc. It exhibits a deep ruby/purple hue to go with a beautiful bouquet of red and black cherries, currants, leafy tobacco, and cedar pencil, with a touch of damp earth that emerges with time in the glass. Medium to full-bodied, balanced, and elegant on the palate, it has plenty of mid-palate depth and richness, velvety tannins, and a great finish. This plush, up-front, expansive, wonderfully textured Saint-Julien will benefit from just a few years of bottle age and cruise for two decades. It's the finest example from this château I've tasted. Bravo! - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com

97 Points! This is very linear and structured, with blackcurrant, pine-needle, graphite and cedar aromas and flavors. Intense. Full-bodied, chalky and intense. Superb. Best of the trilogy. Drink after 2027. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

94 Points!  The 2020 Langoa Barton has turned out superbly in bottle, offering up generous aromas of black cherries, crème de cassis, licorice and pencil shavings deftly framed by classy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, deep and fleshy, its concentrated core of ripe but vibrant fruit is framed by sweet, powdery tannins and lively acids. Beautifully balanced, it's somewhat more open out of the gates than the excellent 2019 and will offer an especially broad drinking window. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

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93 Points! The 2016 Red Wine checks in as a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot, and 10% Petit Verdot. Brilliant notes of cassis, tobacco leaf, damp earth, cedary herbs, and graphite all emerge from this concentrated, remarkably pure, elegant Bordeaux blend hat has building tannins and a great, great finish. It tastes like it costs three times the price. - Jeb Dunnuck Learn More

97 Points! Intense aromas of plums, black truffles, bark and dark plums. Pine needles, too. Full-bodied, tight and polished. Extremely elegant and precise. The finish is very long and vertical. Compressed and refined. A beauty already. Drink in 2021 but already a joy to drink. - JamesSuckling.com

98+ Points! The 2015 Les Pavots checks in as 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot and the balance Petit Verdot. It offers a huge nose of blackcurrants, blackberry, scorched earth, graphite, and cedarwood. Deep, rich, supple, and sexy, with a seamless, incredibly elegant texture, it builds with time in the glass and is a monumental Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Sonoma. - Jeb Dunnuck

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93 Points! Absurdly concentrated for an entry-level wine. Deep blueberry and black-cherry fruit fills out the compact and structured medium-bodied palate. Generous fine tannins and notes of licorice and baking-spice aromas. Long, powdery and fresh finish. This is a unique solera-type blend of several vintages from 2022 to 2012. Blaufrankisch plus pinot noir, merlot and zweigelt. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

 

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Red Spot is reborn! Mitchell & Son’s Spot Whiskey range dates back many moons, but over time a few expressions have disappeared from shelves, including Red Spot - but those days are over. The relaunched Red Spot is a 15 year old single pot still Irish whiskey, comprised of three different whiskeys aged separately then blended. One is matured in Oloroso sherry casks, one is aged in bourbon casks, and the final one is initially aged in bourbon casks before being finished in Marsala wine casks.

Nose: Stewed berries and booze red wine, with a touch of new leather giving it a savoury edge.

Taste: Apple turnover, black pepper spiciness, caraway, blackcurrant jam, soft vanilla.

Finish: Lasting oaky warmth and a final hint of damson.

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100 Points! Extremely aromatic with red currants, blackcurrants, spices, iodine, paprika and subtle hints of white pepper. Fresh flowers, fresh sage, lavender and some pine needles and sandalwood. Medium-bodied with perfectly integrated tannins that go on for minutes with refined and harmonious fruit that integrates beautifully into the wine, giving it a weightless structure that shows class and verve. Endless balance and length. It’s so balanced that you could drink it now but it will age for decades. A blend of 75% carmenere, 18% cabernet sauvignon and 7% merlot. Best after 2028. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! Aromatically complex and intriguing, this offers a spiced plum pastry note that melds with petrichor, pine, dried violet and cocoa powder elements. The palate is round and richly textured, with Szechuan peppercorn accents to the concentrated black cherry, plum and cassis center. Everything comes together harmoniously on the finish and lingers, with present but integrated tannins. A stunner that should develop nicely in the cellar. Carmenère, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2040. - Wine Spectator

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93 Points! Darker berries, cassis, graphite, and violet notes as well as classy oak all emerge from the 2021 Red, a brilliant red based off 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% each of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. It way over-delivers and tastes like it costs four to five times the price. - Jeb Dunnuck

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96 Points! The 2019 Château Croix De Labrie is gorgeous and jumps out in the vintage. Almost all Merlot brought up in new barrels, it offers a beautiful bouquet of red and black currants, spicy oak, dried herbs, and flowers, with a beautiful loamy earth and chalky minerality emerging with time in the glass. With remarkable purity and finesse, it's full-bodied, has a great mid-palate, silky tannins, and a great finish. It could be drunk today with a decant but will ideally be given 4-5 years of bottle age. I suspect it will have 20-25 years of overall longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com

98 Points! Fabulous aromas of blackberries, blueberries, pine needles and spices, such as nutmeg and allspice. White pepper, too. Full-bodied and very tight with a solid core of fruit and ultra-fine yet powerful tannins. It’s got so much energy and drive. Vibrant at every level. Precise and not overpowering, yet so structured. 97% merlot and 3% cabernet sauvignon. Made from biodynamically grown grapes. This needs time to soften. Try after 2026. - James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com

 

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96 Points! The 2022 Red Wine The Meadows is the first special bottling Mayacamas has produced that is not Cabernet Sauvignon. A burst of dark red cherry fruit, rose petal, mocha, licorice and sweet spice are all dialed up. Plush contours wrap it all together in style. The 2022 is not the most complex wine I have ever tasted here, but it is immensely pleasurable. The blend is 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. Sadly production is only 89 cases. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous  

93+ Points! In lieu of a special Cabernet Sauvignon release from the 2022 vintage, Mayacamas has bottled the 2022 Red Wine The Meadows, a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. From a site at 2,000 to 2,100 feet above sea level and influenced by the cool headwaters of Redwood Creek, it delivers polished notes of pencil shavings, crushed stone, black cherries and cassis. In the mouth, it's medium to full-bodied, firm and dusty but with ample length and intensity on the sage-tinged finish.- Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

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94 Points! The 2023 Red Wine is a fabulous Grenache/Syrah blend. Red-toned fruit, blood orange, dried herbs, lavender and mocha are all beautifully dialed up. Floral overtones add striking finesse and lift. What a gorgeous and vivid wine this is. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

94 Points! The 2023 PharoahMoans Red Wine is a 50-50 blend of Carneros Grenache and Pope Valley Syrah, but despite omitting Mouvèdre, it is the best vintage of this wine this taster has sampled. Pretty florals—violets and roses—join tea-like, potpourri-ish nuances and berry fruit in this medium- to full-bodied wine. Lively, fresh and complex, the palate is framed by silky tannins and displays ample length on the finish. It's a super value, as long as you're not hung up on Bordeaux varieties or fancy mid-valley AVAs. - Joe Czerwinski, RobertParker.com

94 Points! This Rhone-style blend is unusual in Napa Valley and gives dark, earthy, savory flavors on a firm texture. Full-bodied, moderately tannic and restrained in fruit flavors, instead emphasizing singed herb, oak smoke, star anise and espresso flavors. A 50-50 blend of grenache and syrah grapes. Drink now or hold. - Jim Gordon, JamesSuckling.Com

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A well-defined juniper note with pine needles, immediately followed by the fresh citrus notes of bitter orange, lime and grapefruit. Develops a complex floral note of rose and wallflowers with crushed green herbs, coriander and gooseberry all underpinned by mixed spice. Sugar Kelp adds to the complexity and richness and gives a dry maritime note. Refreshing, with good balance between the bitter juniper and pine and the sweet fruit flavours of mango, grapefruit and orange. A green herb flavour of crushed coriander develops. Distinctive and smooth with a dry, flinty taste. Overall a long, clean finish. As the juniper and citrus fade away, sweet vanilla and black pepper remain with a gentle reminder of the sea. Learn More

94 Points! The 2024 Red Wine Evangelho Vineyard is bold, juicy and wonderfully expressive right out of the gate. A burst of dark red/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, rose petal and pomegranate makes a strong first impression. Carignane is front and center in this gorgeous, engaging Contra Costa red. Readers will have a very hard time keeping their hands off of this. What a gem. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

Own-rooted, 1890s-planted vines in over thirty feet of pure sand...

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92 Points! A proprietary red blend of Petite Sirah, Grenache, Syrah, and Zinfandel aged eight months in 31% new oak. Orin Swift has opened a new, lovely tasting lounge in the town of St. Helena, CA and is worth a visit for those coming to the Napa Valley. Dave Phinney, the founder of Orin Swift, calls all the picks and continues working and honing these wines in the cellar. Rich black cherry, toffee, and caramel spices lead to a full-bodied wine with red berry fruit and chocolatey, robust, chewy tannins. The long fruit driven finish offers ample brown spices and toasty cedarwood. - Decanter Magazine

91 Points! Potent and dense, with brooding flavors of blackberry and cherry accented by bitter chocolate, cracked pepper and savory meat tones as this builds tannins on the finish. Grenache, Syrah and Petit Sirah. Best after 2025. - Wine Spectator

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From the winery: Maître de Chai's red table wine is intended for casual consumption at home and is meant to be served with food. This wine was designed from the beginning to be a delicious summer red. It’s a juicy and vibrant light red made of primarily Grenache from the Abba Vineyard, just east of the town of Lodi, with a very small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. The cool nights and breezes of the Sacramento River Delta provide the perfect growing conditions for the Mediterranean grape variety, and help to preserve its vibrant acidity.

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