Search results for: 'paraje de crush'

97 Points! A complex nose of raspberries, redcurrants, blueberries, spices and dried herbs. It’s medium-bodied with elegant tannins. Round, juicy and layered on the palate, offering great harmony and balance. Fresh, yet complex with a savory finish. Old-vine character. The vines are more than a century old. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

The oldest Malbec vines in Chile, planted 1890!

A blend of Malbec from their three different soil types picked at different times within a 10 to 12-day span, it is for this that Laurent’s mid-range Cahors, Les Calades, is the most accessible and widely appealing. He describes it as the flagship of their range, “a pure Malbec with power and freshness that represents the king grape variety of our appellation on limestone, and the new generation of Cahors: more fluid, rich and balanced with a distinct and very present mineral and marine finish.”

Each plot has an average age of around 40 years (2023) and naturally ferments in separate concrete vats with 10% of whole bunches between three weeks to a month. Because Malbec already provides a lot of substance from its very thick skin, he does a single short pump-over every two days to preserve the hygiene of the cap of about 300 liters in total of the 50hl vat. After fermentation, the grapes are pressed and mixed with the free-run wine and aged for 11-13 months equally between Italian terracotta amphora, old 30hl French oak vats and six-year-old 225l French oak barrels. They’re lightly filtered at bottling without any added sulfites.

8 months oak aging with partial malolactic fermentation; minimum 40 months of ageing in bottles and minimum 3 months after disgorgement, no fining and light filtration, disgorgement with dosage liqueur vinified in barrels. Dosage 2g/L; disgorgement November 2022

From the importer:

Made entirely of organically grown Teroldego grapes, picked around the end of September; bunches are entirely destemmed, 50% of the berries are left whole; fermentation is sometimes carried out with indigenous yeast, sometimes with cultivated yeast, depending on the vintage. Fermentation and maceration take place in both wooden and unlined cement fermenters, for a total of up to 40-50 days. The wine is aged in French oak barrels of between 2,500 and 4,000 liters capacity and in unlined cement tanks for about 10 months. About 2,500 cases are produced.

Color is a gorgeous opaque violet-tinged purple; on nose and palate the wine makes me think of cooler-climate Syrah with hints of Cabernet Franc, very berryish, meaty, some Assam tea notes, some herbal notes, rusty/meaty hints, big but not at all bitter. Fresh palate, long finish with almond note.

93-94 Points! Tasted just before bottling, so a sample of the final blend, the 2023 PSI is juicy, ripe and approachable. It is a little showier and headier, despite having similar alcohol to the bottled 2022 (perhaps a tad higher, but not quite reaching 14%), and it feels a little riper, with peachy notes and some decayed flowers. It has abundant tannins and feels like it's in need of some more time in bottle. This is usually the case for PSI: the tannins need time. They are resolved quite quickly, but it does need a bit of time. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

97 Points! Fabulous nose of red fruits, summer flowers and licorice. The very complex interplay of huge fine tannins and richness reminds me of Grand Cru Burgundy, but this has a southerly personality. Great velvety finish that goes on and on. Doesn't want to stop. 80% grenache, 10% mourvedre and 10% cinsault. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drinkable now, but best from 2025. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Darker in its ruby color, the 2019 Laurasie is a pure Cabernet Sauvignon from almost 20-year-old vines on the stony Jurassic plateau of Fosse-Sèche, where yields are not bigger than 20 hectoliters per hectare. This is fleshy and concentrated yet pure, fresh and elegant on the deep, terroir-driven and beautifully floral (violets) as well as graphitic nose that is absolutely distinctive in its delicate, pure and balanced style. Black and blue berries, dark cherries, green paprika, pencil lead and herbal, wet gravelly notes lead to a medium to full-bodied, highly elegant, refined and perfectly balanced palate that exhibits perfectly ripe, round and juicy fruit with a firm but ripe, very fine and elegant tannin/acidity complex. The finish of this concentrated red is tight, intense and spicy, showing black berry and chocolate as well as graphite and coal with dark cherry notes. Irresistible and, in 2019, possibly the finest wine from Fosse-Sèche. The wine was aged for 12 months in concrete eggs. Tasted in January 2021. - Stephan Reinhardt, robertparker.com

97 Points! Dense licorice and forest berry aromas mask the deep tannin structure of this Chateauneuf-du-Pape masterpiece. Full-bodied but with a lightness of touch. Then the power and stony intensity pour over you in a giant wave. The freshness is extraordinary for this hot and dry vintage. Serious tannins in the very long, compact and refined finish. From organically grown grapes. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! The estate lost some Grenache due to shatter, so the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape is based on 40% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache, 10% Counoise, 10% Syrah, and the rest a mix of permitted varieties. It was all destemmed except for the Syrah and brought up in foudre. The higher Mourvèdre component gives it a more serious, focused style than most in the vintage, and it has darker blackberry fruits intermixed with roasted herbs, spring flowers, violets, and some meaty nuances on the nose. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a deep, pure, layered mouthfeel, it has ripe, velvety, yet building tannins and a great finish. Another beautiful vintage for this cuvée, it has the approachable style of the vintage yet brings more than enough density and concentration to evolve for 30 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! The 2022 Imaginador collects the fruit that doesn't go into the five single-vineyard bottlings and presents them with the clarity and precision many producers strive for in their top cuvées. It leads with a spice-driven nose, adding flourishes of dried flowers and smoke with time. The palate embodies the weightlessly saturated profile that defines the entire portfolio, concluding with ultra-refined tannins and stony persistence. This is a superb introduction to a world-class set of wines. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

93 Points! Reductive notes of racy bramble berries, pomegranates, rose hips and white pepper funk. Nice fruit on the palate, but kept nicely bone-dry, with tense, firm tannins and a fresh finish. Very slightly metallic. 100% whole clusters fermented in open steel tanks, 60% to 80% aged in foudres.- JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! The wide spectrum of black berries with notes of candied orange and clove pull you into this rich and fleshy Beaune 1er Cru. However, there's a firm tannic core beneath all this and the powdery tannins at the long finish provide clear contours. Slight salinity there. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

90-92 Points! Pretty and cool yet definitely ripe aromas reveal notes of various dark berries, violet and rose petal. The suave and seductively textured medium weight flavors possess very fine density while the youthfully austere and moderately firm finish makes clear that this will need at least a few years of bottle aging first. - Allen Meadows, Burghound

Les Moutons comes from Laurent’s favorite Malbec plot at the top of the hill on its poorest rocky topsoil on Jurassic limestone bedrock. This is where les moutons (the sheep) like to hang out the most, eating and fertilizing—“a sort of organic doping of the vineyards,” Laurent says.

“Les Moutons is destined to be my grand cuvée,” Laurent says

This 0.45ha upper plot in the vineyard always produces extraordinary wine from its 45-year-old vines, which he partially attributes to the plot’s spare soils and the regularity of sheep contributions. But perhaps the most significant factor is that it’s not made every year. Laurent’s vision for this wine is to have something serious and precise, and when the year doesn’t line up the way he wants it to, like 2021 and 2023, he blends it into Les Calades. 

Once the grapes arrive, half are destemmed and layered, “millefeuille style,” with the whole bunch clusters in a 30hl tronconic wood vat for around three weeks of natural fermentation with a control of between 12-14°C. The must is pumped over once per day until pressing.

Despite the notable beauty and class of the wine each year that it’s made, Laurent says that he’s still finding his way to fully realize his vision for this wine. In 2019, it was aged for 13 months in equal parts amphora, foudre and barrel. All of this 2020 was aged in 8hl Italian terracotta amphoras, and in 2022 it was four-year-old French oak barrels (at least from October 2022 to October 2023). As with the other reds, Les Moutons is not fined but passes through a light filtration, and has no added sulfites at any time.

97 Points! The 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Trois Sources comes from a terroir similar to the Reserve and is based on 70% Grenache, 10% Cinsault, 5% each Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Counoise, and the rest a mix of varieties. Ripe blackberries, roasted garrigue, loamy soil, licorice, and a kiss of graphite all emerge on the nose, and this beauty hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless mouthfeel, beautiful yet building tannins, and a great finish. It's slightly more open and expressive than the Les Hauts-Lieux, yet I suspect both of these cuvées will cruise for two decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

This wine was born in the 70s and is the result of blending plots of schist and mica schist located around the family cellars. A beautiful classic from Muscadet Sèvre & Maine which tells the story of the Luneau-Papin estate with each harvest.

98 Points! Originating from decomposed granite soils containing mica, quartz, silt and sand, the 2022 Miles holds the top position in the Pedro Parra cellar. It presents an enchanting bouquet of dark fruits, exotic spices and fresh flowers that is both commanding and elegant, focused and expansive. The silky palate merges the finest elements found throughout the collection and unites them: textural richness, vibrant energy and a gripping tannic foundation. It ends with a juicy, tense and almost sweet intensity, although it finishes bone-dry and lingers with remarkable persistence, nuance and depth. Within a cellar filled with wines intended to transcend their varieties and express only their origins, this bottling achieves that objective most clearly. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

95 Points! Probably the most well-rounded or balanced Pedro Parra cru that according to Parra is the Rumbo Al Norte of Comando G. What is certain here is the complexity and depth, with subtler white pepper funkiness but a little more fruit in a complex, nuanced mode. Grapefruit, minerals, rose petals, white pepper reduction and dried watermelon. A little rounder and creaminer than Parra’s Newk, with fresh, dusty tannins that extend to the lengthy, nicely austere finish. A little richer than the 2021. Drink from 2025. - JamesSuckling.com

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

100 Points! A vintage of precision and aromatic purity, this is one of the finest Angélus wines ever made. A blend of 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, the nose is heady and complex, filled with dark chocolate, cherries, blackcurrants, violets, and rose. On the palate, it’s silky, scintillating, and fresh, with a crystalline clarity and balance that feels almost effortless. Chalky yet creamy tannins add depth, while flashes of heat and liquorice spice on the finish bring structure and length. Juicy, deep, and incredibly moreish, this dances across the palate with finesse and vibrancy. A wine of energy, persistence, and sheer sophistication. 100% new oak (50% Cab Franc in foudre). 3.7 pH. 75 IPT. Organic. - Georgia Hindle, Decanter Magazine

99 Points! This is a powerful Angelus, showing incredible depth and intensity as well as tannins that are totally melted into the wine, giving incredible energy for such a young bottle. It makes me think of the great reds of the 1940s or 1950s but with modern precision. Full-bodied but agile, this has endless length, the blackberries and crushed stones, light herbs and dark chocolate showing throughout. Such balance. Al dente. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. So attractive now but will age forever. - JamesSuckling.com

98+ Points! Moving to the Grand Vin, the 2022 Château Angelus is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc that spent 21 months in 100% new barrels, with a portion of the Cabernet Franc in foudre. It reveals a pure ruby/purple hue as well as stunning aromatics of black raspberries, cassis, spring flowers, and graphite that show more floral nuances with time in the glass. It's incredibly well-balanced, has fine tannins, and a rare mix of purity, finesse, and richness. It's an absolutely gorgeous Angelus that deserves a decade in the cellar and will cruise for 40+ years. The style here has shifted considerably towards elegance and finesse, sometimes at the expense of texture and richness, yet this classic beauty delivers perfectly balanced richness, depth, and elegance. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! The 2022 Chateau Angelus is made from 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it erupts from the glass with intoxicating notes of blackberry pie, blueberry preserves, and red currant jelly, leading to suggestions of potpourri, underbrush, cinnamon stick, and anise. The full-bodied palate has a solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and bags of freshness supporting the red and black fruit layers, finishing long and fragrant. Classic Angelus! - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW

92 Points! Focused and nicely structured, with aromas of red plums, forest floor, crushed violets and tobacco that carry into a medium- to full-bodied palate. The tannins are firm but integrated, holding a vivid line of acidity that gives the finish clarity and tension. From organically grown grapes. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! A wine that announces itself like June roses in full bloom. Split cherries and crushed raspberries lead you down a garden path where wild thyme grows. The palate shifts gears, showing unexpected muscle under its pretty exterior. Here's your answer to the eternal "what pairs with everything" question. - Wine Enthusiast

97 Points, James Suckling's #1 Argentine Wine of the Year! So linear and driven, with so much tension and intensity. Aromas of sliced apples, lemons and stones. Medium-bodied with flavors of apples, seashells, lemons and crushed stones. It goes on and on. Matured in 30% amphorae and 70% oak. Fantastic. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

The organic Col di Corte 2021 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore Anno Uno has some fresh, grassy aromas on first nose with field flower and chamomile. It delivers a lean approach to the palate and takes on more volume along the way with candied fruit, lime and crushed stone, finishing lively and zesty.- Monica Larner, robertparker.com

100% Garnacha from the Dama parcel planted in 1903 at 650m ASL in San Martín de Unx • fermented spontaneously in tank • raised for 36 months in neutral 500L and 600L French oak 

93 Points! The first vintage released by Rafael Perez when he took over the estate, this is 100% Garnacha fermented in stainless steel and then aged for 24 months in French barrels of different sizes. It is a very pretty and elegant red with lavender and mint aromas reminiscent of the surrounding forest of San Mart¡n de Unx. The palate is direct with vertical acidity but enough generosity and juicy wild strawberry fruit. A well crafted wine. - Tim Atkin, MW