Search results for: 'paraje needle valley red white'

93 Points! The appellation series Malbecs are typically made in the same manner, seeing 11-13 months in 100% French oak, a small percentage of it new. Here, the 2022 Malbec Appellation Paraje Altamira is from the cooler region of Altamira, where it retains acidity and freshness while offering crisp red fruit and silky texture, lasting for days on the palate. It should age well another 10-12 years as well. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

92 Points! Another highlight of the Catena Appellation range is the 2022 Appellation Paraje Altamira Malbec, opening with the region's signature purple-flower note and accented with fresh herbs and a citrus-driven zest quality. On the palate, it combines a svelte, seamless purity with lifted, focused energy that runs through the crunchy, high-toned finish. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

93 Points! There's a little more ripeness and concentration in the 2020 Parajes, which matured in well-seasoned (at least fourth use) barriques and a 5,000-liter oak foudre. It's a little rounder and creamier, a more powerful wine (it was bottled 15 days before I tasted it) with a nice Bierzo character. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

93 Points, Tim Atkin's Wine Value of the Year! Wild and floral, with notes of rose petal, tarragon, and spring meadow herbs, this 100% Monastrell from Jumilla’s Valle Estrecho shows bright grip and chalky tannins. Aged seven months in old concrete tanks from the 1960s, it’s textured, vibrant, and deeply rooted in the fruit character of Monastrell and the stony, calcareous soils. It finishes with a bright lemon peel twist. - Tim Atkin

93 Points! The 2021 Malbec Reserve from Altos Las Hormigas, sourced from Paraje Altamira and Gualtallary in the Uco Valley, boasts a lean, precise character. Planted in chalky soils, it's a rich purple in the glass. The expressive nose presents enticing blueberry, violet, sage and other herb aromas. It has a compact, focused profile on the palate, with chalky tannins that contribute to the lean texture and a refreshing mouthfeel that highlights the wine's taut structure. The long, nuanced finish allows the wine's spare beauty to really come through. - Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous Media

91 Points! Lifted, with cherry cola up front, the 2020 Pinot Noir Anderson Valley has a generous palate of fresh cranberry cocktail, sweet baking spice, and tangy acid on the finish. This red is hard not to love and is full of pleasure. Drink it now or over the next 5-6 years. - Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com

95 Points! This has a lovely core of fruit with aromas of nectarines, grilled lemons and flint. The midweight, textural palate shows balanced acidity, finishing with a slight phenolic grip. Moving out of the cooler 2023 bottling, this is far more generous and open. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! For fans of Chardonnay without malolactic fermentation, Shafer's 2024 Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch remains a standard-bearer. Ripe pineapple, pear and honeysuckle mark the nose, while the full-bodied palate is loaded with opulent mango fruit that's expansive and lush but brought back into focus on the crisp citrus-and-green-apple finish. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

93 Points! Made by Geneviève and Luc Janssens, the 2016 Proprietary Red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc that spent 30 months in French oak. Revealing a dense purple color as well as Old World notes of dark currants, tobacco, chocolate, and spring flowers, this rich, medium to full-bodied effort has ripe tannins, a rounded, elegant texture, and a great finish. It shows the classic, balanced style of this vintage nicely. It's terrific today yet should evolve for 15-20 years as well. - Jeb Dunnuck

93 Points! Made since 2001 from a number of Sonoma County vineyards, the 2023 Three Valleys blends 71% Zinfandel, 16% Carignane, 9% Petite Sirah, 2% each Mataro and Alicante Bouschet from Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma Valley, and Russian River Valley. Floral, it is complex and less rustic than usual, the vintage showing classic charm and elegance. Though it is one of Ridge's largest production wines, it is made in the exact same way as all its others, in open top tanks with real oak and native fermentations. It's meant to represent a vintage more than a location. A popular by-the-glass pour, order it when you see it. It's drinking well now and should continue to for another 5-7 years. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

93 Points! Generous and robust yet retains a sense of polish, with expressive raspberry and blueberry flavors highlighted by licorice and pepper, plus a whiff of dill as this builds toward fine-grained tannins. Zinfandel, Carignane, Petite Sirah, Mataro and Alicante Bouschet. Drink now through 2034. - Wine Spectator

93 Points! Aromas of confit cherries, licorice, blackberry bush, baking spices and violets. The palate is full-bodied with a rounded mouthfeel and firmly framed tannins that end in a lush and generous finish. Made from a blend of 71% zinfandel, 16% carignane, 9% petite sirah, 2% mataro and 2% alicante bouschet. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! Based on 100% Sauvignon Blanc and aged nine months in 50% used French oak, 20% new French oak, and 30% concrete egg, the 2024 Sauvignon Blanc AE offers lots of citrus and grapefruit hints with plenty of background grassy, herbal nuances. Medium gold-hued, it's medium-bodied, with bright acidity and a classy finish. This impeccably made Sauvignon Blanc will keep for 3-4 years with ease. Drink 2025-2029. - Jeb Dunnuck

93 Points! The 2024 AE White Wine is the second wine, 100% Sauvignon Blanc made and matured nine months in a mix of vessels (50% used barrels, 20% new barrels and 30% concrete egg). Passion fruit, crushed stone and grapefruit notes on the nose lead into a medium- to full-bodied wine. It's plump, rounded and generous, but it still retains bright acids and a lingering, mouthwatering finish. It's a terrific value in Napa Sauvignon Blanc. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

93 Points! A dark red color, the 2023 Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley is deeper on the nose with mocha, candied flowers, crushed berries, mint, and vanilla bean aromatics. The palate has the most ripeness and richness, a more immediate feel in the range, and a more opulent though well-managed sensation. Drink over the coming 5-7 years. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

79% Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, Teldeschi Ranch
14% Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, Mounts Ranch
7% Dry Creek Valley Petite Sirah, Mounts Ranch

93 Points! The 2023 Cuvée Juveniles Blanc is sedate and driven by dry extract; it is wider than it is sweet or intense, and the flavor across the palate draws out long over the finish. This is a classy wine here, with lemongrass, chalk, pear skin and green almond. It has an intense mid-palate with very pretty flavor; it's structured like Chenin Blanc. I like it, a lot. - Erin Larkin, robertparker.com

93 Points! Another appellation wine, the 2023 Chardonnay Russian River Valley is a bright golden yellow color and offers notes of poached yellow apples, toasted spice, almond, chamomile, and lemon curd. The palate is full-bodied and elegant, as is characteristic of this vintage, and has an even and floating feel on the finish. It’s ripe and has a more pithy texture, but it’s well-detailed and more immediate. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

94 Points! The 2023 Chardonnay Willamette Valley opens with a gentle whiff of sweet spice that gives way to mineral-infused nectarine and a hint of sage as it blossoms in the glass. Rounded textures and ripe orchard fruit sweep across the palate. Saline concentration and nuances of tart citrus add form toward the close. A caking of chalky, salty concentration lingers as this tapers off remarkably fresh and full of lively tension. - Eric Guido, Vinous Media

94 Points! A bright yellow-green hue, the 2023 Chardonnay Willamette Valley takes things to the next level. It offers a silky, rounded feel with notes of fresh pear, wet stones, lime oil, floral perfume, and hints of almond. Medium to full-bodied, it has a refreshing spine of acidity and a salty, mineral texture. There’s concentration and extract, although it remains leaner than the Black Label. Drink over the next 8-10 years. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

93 Points! Twomey’s first vintage in the Deep End of Anderson Valley was made entirely with estate-grown fruit from their Bearman Bend property and Monument Tree. It has very pretty deep forest notes with red berry fruit dusted with brown baking spices and cedarwood. Compote-rich boysenberry fruit on the palate layers in a soft palate that feels livened by orange peel citrus. Silky tannins glide to a crushed stone mineral finish with more flamed orange peel, clove, and earth. - Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter Magazine

Carlisle is wrapping it up after the great 2023 vintage. This is your last shot!

96 Points! Moving to the Russian River Valley, the 2023 Zinfandel Piner-Olivet Ranches is a saturated red color and amplifies things with its more forward, layered feel, offering aromas of kirsch, bright pepper spice, cedar, and fresh flowers .The acidity shines through more vibrantly compared to the Sonoma Valley wines, with a more electric feel, ripe tannins, and a long finish. It reminds me of great Barbera, retaining both ripeness and vibrant acidity. It’s a tremendous vintage of this wine to drink over the coming 12-15 years. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

93 Points! After a decade, the 2014 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet remains remarkably youthful, just beginning to shed its baby fat. Savoury notes of coriander, cedarwood, and sage leap from the glass. Medium-bodied, with taut, elongated tannins with crisp edges and an assertive presence. There’s so much power here that the dusty red currant fruit and violet perfume are somewhat muted, lingering in the background, waiting for the tannins to soften. A wine still evolving, with plenty of life ahead. - Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter Magazine

97 Points! Transparent and minerally, showing dark-cherry and forest-floor aromas with some ink and blood undertones. Medium-bodied with beautiful integration and excellent length that goes on for minutes. Firm tannins. Vivid. From ungrafted vines planted in the 1970s. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! This wine is expressive and bright, a part of the 00's assemblage series, crafted from different sites in the Willamette Valley. Aromas of woodland berries and pine boughs offer a fresh contrast to the forest floor and red cherries. Ripe red strawberries, and mint leaf on the forepalate, finishing with layered darker fruits, rich forest floor and salty ocean minerality. - Decanter Magazine

92-94 Points! Crème de cassis, graphite, sweet tobacco, and sweet, loamy earth notes all define the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, a nicely textured, layered, pure, seamless barrel sample. - Jeb Dunnuck

93 Points! The 2021 Syrah is gently meaty on the nose, but very fresh, though. Forty percent of the fruit underwent carbonic maceration, which has imbued the wine with life, energy and a bit of a party. There's a pleasurable fatty sweetness here; it extends the wine out in the mouth and through the finish. It's very good. This is vibrant and bright, but it's slinky too. Gee, it's good. The tannins that shape the wine make it savory, but the core of fruit is pure. - Erin Larkin, robertparker.com

94 Points! A juicy and fruity red with blackberry and some dark chocolate and graphite character. Lead pencil, too. Medium-bodied with creamy and integrated tannins and a juicy finish. Savory and delicious. Some iodine. A blend of grenache, shiraz and mourvedre. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The 2021 Plexus comprises 48% Shiraz, 28% Grenache and 24% Mourvèdre. This is the first wine that John Duval made when he left Penfolds; the first vintage was 2003. This is polished and juicy, the long and mild 2021 season on show here. There are notes of raspberry pip and cocoa, a hint of chocolate-covered licorice and tobacco, brine and star anise. It's a lovely wine, as ever. And it's potentially a superstar release, given the inherent balance and length of the season and, therefore, the wine too. - Erin Larkin, robertparker.com

93 Points! This quite serious 2021 Red Plexus is a Rhone blend of Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvèdre with an almost Gigondas feel. It delivers exceptional value with its brooding blackberry, meat stocks and licorice aromas, plus a dusting of spices. Dry with excellent focus and concentration, the cooler 2021 vintage provided a tighter and tannic package delivering waves of meaty olive tapenade and peppery complexity. The length is excellent, but it needs a little time to blossom. - Angus Hughson, Vinous

93 Points! Beautifully perfumed notes of violet and lavender add an effusive quality to the core of blackberry, kirsch and fresh plum, with accents of star anise, sage, masala chai and tapenade, plus a touch of bittersweet chocolate that lingers on the long finish, where the plush tannins add further elegance. Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvèdre. - Wine Spectator