Search results for: 'flight and feathers 2017'

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

97 Points! Crushed raspberry plum in colour, vibrant and concentrated, juicy and balanced, has precision and succulence and carefully thought out delivery of tannins, grilled spices, nutmeg, liqourice, bilberry, damson and pomegrante. Great stuff, playing at a high level. - Jane Anson

97 Points! Ripe, baked dark cherries with spices and some violets. Hints of graphite, cocoa powder, incense and black pepper. Dried rose petals. A slightly fuller Cheval des Andes with tense, silky tannins and a lingering, generous finish. Ripe, but still has lots of restraint and precision. 49% malbec, 49% cabernet sauvignon with a 2% petit verdot. 24% of the malbec comes from Altamira and all the rest of the fruit come from Las Compuertas. Drink or hold. - James Suckling

96 Points! The 2020 Cheval des Andes is a blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 49% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot from Paraje Altamira in the Uco Valley and Las Compuertas in Luján de Cuyo. Aged in French oak barrels, it's purple in the glass with a garnet sheen. The nose reveals a well-judged approach to the warmth of 2020, featuring ripe plum, redcurrant, mint and hints of white pepper over a bed of bay leaf and cedar. It's dry and velvety on the palate, with rich, polished tannins that deliver a juicy, balanced mouthfeel. The balsamic notes and rich palate reflect the year's character, while the finish is dynamic and long-lasting. - Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous Media

95 Points! This almost half-half Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec with 2% Petit Verdot is rich and full in the mouth. Tannins are massy and filling, this has power and dominance with concentrated blackcurrant, plum and black cherry fruit. Highly spiced and sunkissed, this is intense and quite a force on the palate with liquorice, black pepper and tobacco tones and a flinty mineral aspect on the finish. The alcohol sticks out a touch, just lingering with heat at the end, but it has freshness and matches the altogether hefty frame and power from start to finish. Certainly a punchy and confident wine that's out to shine. 3.83pH. Ageing 22 months, 40% in 225l Bordeaux barrels, 405 in 400l barrels, 20% in 2,500l foudres (50% new). - Georgina Hindle, Decanter

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...the 2017 Côtes du Rhône Villages 1895 is a beauty! Deeply colored, concentrated, full-bodied and layered, it has a modern style but terrific purity and depth of fruit. - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com Learn More

94 Points! Pale to medium ruby, the 2017 Pinot Noir JINSEI Tobias Glen Vineyard opens slowly to warm black cherries, cranberries, woodsmoke, bergamot, dried flowers and a touch of tobacco and graphite. Medium-bodied, it’s wonderfully concentrated and savory, with meaty touches intertwined with the dark, ripe fruits, juicy, grainy and finishing long with lots of nuance. This has an appealing deeper, darker character than the rest of the lineup...made by consulting winemaker Stéphane Vivier. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

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92 Points! From a single parcel of 65-year-old vines, the 2017 Cairanne Col du Debat features subtle cinnamon and clove notes on the nose. It's full-bodied, rich and velvety, with plenty of raspberry and cherry fruit, plus attractive resiny notes of rosemary and pine on the long finish. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

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93 Points! The elegant, complex and fresh 2017 Malbec Gran Reserva was produced with one hectare of extremely old vines. It's fermented with a small percentage of Semillon grapes in barriques that are rolled, then the wine matures in those barriques for some 24 months. The wine is still marked by the élevage in barrel with smoky and tasty aromas, and it's hard to get to the delicate floral notes in the nose. It's very long in the finish, with grainy tannins and a serious, dry finish. It needs time to finish absorbing the oak, but it has the stuffing to do so. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

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95 Points! The 2017 Syrah Rockpile Vineyard is another huge success in the vintage. From a great site in the Rockpile AVA of Sonoma County, its deep purple color is followed by a great bouquet of blueberries, iron, crushed rocks, ground pepper, and hints of smoked game. Structured and tannic on the palate, it reminds me of a young Cornas and needs 4-5 years of bottle age. It’s seriously impressive, though, and should have 15 years of overall longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck

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90 Points! Coming all from Sonoma County, the 2017 Smoke & Mirrors is always a good value, and this vintage is no exception. Lots of bright blueberry and plummy fruits give way to a medium-bodied, nicely textured wine that has plenty of peppery herbs and incense aromatics, good acidity, and a clean, lengthy finish. It doesn’t match the 2016, but it’s an outstanding, pleasure-bent effort that will evolve nicely for 7-8 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

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93 Points! The blend is 97% Merlot this year—usually, it is around 83% or more Merlot—with the remaining proportion consisting of Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Grand Village leaps from the glass with bold notions of Morello cherries, wild blueberries and blackberry compote plus hints of violets, star anise, pencil lead and menthol. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is solidly structured with firm, ripe, rounded tannins and bold freshness supporting the dense, muscular fruit, finishing long and mineral laced. Only around 4,000 bottles were made, but what has been made is truly impressive. - Wine Advocate

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94 Points! The entry level cuvée, the 2017 Artigas is mostly Grenache blended with 10% each of Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon. This medium to full-bodied beauty delivers loads of sweet raspberry fruits as well as notes of cedar, dried flowers, and chalky minerality. With ripe, silky tannins, beautiful overall balance, and a great finish, this is another incredible value from this estate that will offer loads of pleasure over the coming 7-8 years or more. - Jeb Dunnuck

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97 Points! The 2017 Pinot Noir Mills Vineyard is slightly deeper colored (it's still translucent) and offers a gorgeous nose of ripe redcurrants, cherries, spring flowers, sappy forest floor, and ample spice nuances. With medium to full body, beautiful depth of fruit, and a seamless texture, it's another stunning Pinot Noir from this team that I'd be happy to have in the cellar. - Jeb Dunnuck

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94 Points! Here's a new wine that reflects the enthusiasm for comune-focused wines that are now gaining much traction across the Barolo appellation. The Fratelli Alessandria 2017 Barolo del Comune di Verduno shows beautifully even in its youth and most especially after the bottle has been opened for a bit or double decanted. Like all these wines from this vintage, it needs a little extra breathing room. The results are precise and focused with a good balance of light spice, mineral and tar. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

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

98-100 Points! Opaque in color, the wine pops from the glass with black fruits, cloves, cinnamon, blackberries, blueberries, purple flowers, almonds, and smoke. The wine coats, bathes, and covers your palate with seemingly endless layers of opulent, black fruits. The cashmere tannins create the impression of velvet as the wine lingers for 60 seconds or more with its waves of black, blue. and red fruits, dark cocoa, licorice, and Asian spice. There is a seamlessness to the finish, as well as lift, and purity. This is a very hedonistic, yet elegant wine. 2022 clearly competes with the best of vintages of Cos ever produced. The wine was made from blending 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. 14.04% ABV, 3.79 pH. The yields were 33 hectoliters per hectare. The harvest took place September 7 to September 23. The Grand Vin was produced from 66% of the harvest. The wine is going to approachable early in its life, yet it has the ability to age for decades. Drink from 2028-2060. - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

98-100 Points! One of the finest wines to ever pass my lips, the 2022 Château Cos D'Estournel is a monument in the making. Based on 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and 1% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this saturated ruby/purple-hued Saint-Estèphe offers a full-bodied, massive, opulent style as well as perfumed red, blue, and black fruits, ample spice, chocolate, graphite, and lead pencil-like aromatics, a stacked mid-palate, flawless balance, and a monster of a finish. An improved version of the 2009 (if that's possible), this is a legendary wine in the making. Hats off to Michel Reybier and technical director Dominique Arangoïts. - Jeb Dunnuck

97-99 Points! The 2022 Cos d'Estournel, composed of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs quite a lot of shaking and swirling to unlock fragrant notes of warm cassis, redcurrant jelly, and black raspberries, leading to hints of rose oil, Indian spices, cedar chest, and sandalwood, plus a touch of crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is very classic, with a solid backbone of firm, ripe tannins and impressive tension to support the taut, muscular black and red fruit layers, finishing very long and with remarkable purity. pH 3.79, TPI 90. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

98-99 Points! Unique structure to this wine and very Cos with all the spices and dark fruits. Tobacco and cedar. It's starts off full-bodied and flavorful, but continues to unfold in an energetic and weightless way. Savory and primary. Al dente grapes here. Exciting and thought-provoking. - James Suckling

97 Points! Fresh and vibrant blackcurrant aromas with milk chocolate, vanilla and floral scents - so aromatic and expressive. Juicy and alive, bright and vibrant on the palate with soft herbal scents surrounding the fruit. The flavours - blackcurrant, black cherry, damson and orange rind - settle vertically but the firm and textured tannins give the focus, structure and tension. It has liquorice and flint edges all the way giving a savoury touch and clear minerality as well as dark chocolate and clove spice. Refined and serious but also there’s such a delicious juicy undercurrent giving life and energy. Confident winemaking on show, this is a real success in delivering a complete and powerful wine with depth but no heaviness. Totally delicious and moreish. A wine you're going to finish! Potential upscore in bottle. Two-third grand vin production. 2.94 total acidity. 3.79pH. 90 IPT. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

95-97 Points! The 2022 Cos d'Estournel was picked from 7 to 23 September at 33hL/ha and is aged in 50% new oak (one cannot imagine that being countenanced 15-20 years ago). It has an overtly floral nose with wilted violets infusing the precocious yet controlled black fruit. There's fine delineation, impressive focus and energy. The palate is smooth and silky on the entry with pliant, sculpted tannins. The acidity is well judged (3.79pH) with white pepper and a graphite element toward the persistent finish. Quintessential Cos d'Estournel, this wine will mature for many years, although the jury's out on whether it will surpass triumphs like the 2016 or 2019/20. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

95-97 Points! The 2022 Cos d’Estournel is stunning. Rich and statuesque in bearing, the 2022 captures all the best this vintage had to offer. A wine of precision and power, the 2022 balances the intensity of the year but without veering into the realm of the exotic, as was the case in vintages such as 2005 and 2009. It marries ripeness and classical rigor in a style that is quite appealing. I imagine the 2022 will need a good 15-20 years to be at its finest. Harvest took place between September 7 and 23, exceptionally early. Drinking window : 2028-2052 - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

93-95 Points! The 2022 Cos d'Estournel unwinds in the glass with aromas of sweet berries, plum liqueur and rich spices, followed by a full-bodied, broad-shouldered and muscular palate that's rich and structured, with a ripe core of fruit and chewy tannins. Harvest dates were relatively early this year, and maturation is occurring in only 50% new oak; yet the 2022's chunky, glass-staining style makes it Ducru Beaucaillou's only rival for the title of most extracted second growth of the Médoc. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

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94 Points! Extremely perfumed with hazelnuts, dried flowers, currants and berries. Some cranberries, too. Full-bodied, extremely soft and velvety with reserved and refined character at the finish. Polished, creamy texture. Some minerally undertones. Succulent and long with a juicy finish. It’s linear and long with air. Distinguished. Cabernet sauvignon, marselan and cabernet franc. Already very drinkable, but better in 2022. - JamesSuckling.com

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94 Points! This is a field blend and shows intense tobacco-leaf and floral character. It’s full bodied, chewy and powerful. Wild and thought-provoking. Moss, bark and black-tea undertones. A blend of 38% cabernet sauvignon, 34% cabernet franc and 28% merlot. - JamesSuckling.com Learn More

From the importer: The domaine’s top red wine is the cuvée Charles de Batz, which was the original name of d'Artignan. The wine is composed of 90% Tannat with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon from vines that are between 50 and 100 years old. After being completely destemmed, the Cabernet and Tannat are fermented separately in cement tanks. During this time, a bit of micro-oxygenation or microboullage takes place. The wine then goes into oak (50% new) in an underground cellar where it also undergoes malolactic fermentation. After 12 months in wood, it is blended and bottled after a very light filtration.

Very ripe, rich Madiran that takes no prisoners. This wine succeeds in obtaining more fruit than tannin! The color is nearly opaque—wine doesn't get much darker than this. It displays notes of black fruit (blackcurrant and blackberry) along with just a hint of red fruit. There is a cedar-like creaminess to the oak which is extremely well-integrated. Tannins pick up on the finish but, let's face it, this is Madiran and that is to be expected. These tannins seem to dissolve when the wine is matched with richly flavored meats like leg of lamb, duck, goose or game.

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From the winery: Notes of blackberry, licorice, Asian spice, citrus rind, boysenberry and mineral waft from this zingy, lively vintage of Sadie’s vineyard! The palate is quite yummy and juicy with notes of raspberry, root beer, spices, plum, charcoal, redwood bark and blueberry muffins. This Pinot is beautifully balanced with super-fine-grained tannins, an intense, concentrated body and an extremely long, lingering savory finish.

Sadie’s Vineyard, named for the family’s first German Shepherd, sits in the beautiful Sebastopol Hills along the chilly Bodega Highway corridor. The site is planted to some of our favorite clones; Pommard and Dijon 115.

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97 Points! Dried strawberry with asphalt, dried meat and acorns. Lots of flowers as well. Full-bodied and powerful with fantastic depth of fruit and layers of chewy, ripe tannins. An extremely powerful and muscular wine, yet it maintains its energy and verve. Try after 2024. - JamesSuckling.com Learn More