Wines

From the importer: I’m not sure why I didn’t bring in this perfect everyday white when I first started importing the Montepulciano; I certainly should have. The wine is pale straw in color, with aromas of almond, citrus and a hint of herbs. It is bone dry and finishes with a very attractive hint of apple-skin. This is a knockout everyday bottle of white wine, flavorful enough to stand up to a range of dishes but bright enough to make a good dry aperitif.

Varietal Composition: 50% Pinot Noir Lodi - Woodbridge AVA, CA USA 25% Pinot Noir - Central Coast AVA, CA USA 25% Chardonnay - Lodi-Woodbridge AVA, CA USA

100 Points! Aged five years in oak and another five in bottle, the 2016 Unico is made from a blend of estate parcels, the blend decided after one year in barrel. The producer believes that vintages that end in the number 6 tend to be exceptional, producing its top three years since 2000. This is no exception. Plush, with underlying grip, the wine is 96% Tempranillo with 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, an explosive, full-bodied exploration of dense red fruit, tension, and intensity that’s juicy, tense, and energetic. There’s a tremendous amount of elegance and power vying for equal attention. These wines live up to every inch of hype and acclaim. It’s drinking beautifully already and should sing easily another 40-50 years. - Virginie Boone, robertparker.com

99 Points! The 2016 Único was perfumed and elegant, showcasing a very good vintage in the region. Winemaker Gonzalo Iturriaga started in 2015—a powerful year—and he remembers 2016 as a very balanced year, with higher yields and finer-boned wines. The winter was mild, and there was a cooler than average spring and a warm summer. September was dry, which provided healthy grapes and balanced ripening. The harvest started the 22nd of September and finished the 11th of October. The bottled wine is 96% Tinto Fino and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon with 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.82 and 4.8 grams of acidity. It has the old Vega perfume, intoxicating, complex and nuanced, full of personality and a very energetic palate, vibrant and fresh, not lacking power but with lots of elegance. The wine is released 10 years after the harvest, combining time in new and used American and French oak barrels and 20,000-liter oak vats, and it obviously spends plenty of time in bottle. This is a monumental vintage of Único. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

98 Points! One of the finest Valbuenas available, showcasing great depth, structure and detail while remaining polished. It exhibits notes of blackberries, cocoa powder, graphite, and high-quality sandalwood, with hints of lard and violets. The standout feature this year is the quantity and quality of the tannins—huge, yet incredibly refined and polished. There are plenty of fine grits that aren’t fully integrated but should harmonize in two to three years. Exceptionally long finish. Will hold effortlessly for the next 20 years. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! The 2021 Valbuena comes from a year with pristine grapes, good ripeness and balance, for them one of their finest years when they didn't have to rush and everything happened in a smooth way. The year was marked by the snowstorm Filomena in January, which provided good water reserves, and the rest of the winter had temperatures reaching -15 degrees Celsius! This was a blend of 96% Tinto Fino (a.k.a. Tempranillo) and 4% Merlot aged in barrels and 8,500- and 21,000-liter oak vats during the first year and later only in oak vats. This is the youngest expression of the "Vega" nose, subtler and elegant, more insinuating, less developed and keeping some primary notes, not as tertiary as the Únicos. It comes in at 14% alcohol, with a pH of 3.85 and 4.65 grams of acidity, and it has a medium- to full-bodied palate, with elegant tannins and very good balance. This is one of the finest recent vintages for Valbuena, and in a way, it reminded me of the 2010, with elegance and precision. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

An ultra-rare non-vintage bottling of cuvees from the 1950's and/or 1960's!

92 Points! Another brilliant value that readers will love, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Silencieux,is a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Merlot, all of which spent 22 months in 50% new oak. This medium to full-bodied, round, balanced, mouth-filling beauty has lots of ripe black and blue fruits, some background spicy oak, velvety tannins, and a great finish. Drink bottles any time over the coming decade. - Jeb Dunnuck

92 Points! Classy red here with currants, blueberries and mahogany aromas. Full body, chewy tannins and a long finish. Intense and powerful. - JamesSuckling.com

90 Points! The 2025 Mâcon-Pierreclos has turned out well, unfolding from the glass with notes of ripe pear, fresh bread and white flowers, followed by a medium-bodied palate that is simultaneously textural and vibrant. It was vinified entirely in stainless steel. - Kristaps Karklins, robertparker.com

92-94 Points! The 2025 Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru Sur la Roche has turned out beautifully, unfurling in the glass with a deep bouquet of peach, pear and white blossoms mingled with notes of freshly baked bread. Medium- to full-bodied, it is structured and chalky, with a generous core of fruit and lively acidity, culminating in a long, saline finish. - Kristaps Karklins, robertparker.com

100 Points! A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2019 La Joie is deep garnet-purple in color. It has a wonderfully flashy and flamboyant nose of blackcurrant cordial, redcurrant jelly, plum preserves, and potpourri with hints of chocolate mint, tilled soil, chalk dust, and forest floor. The medium to full-bodied palate is very taut and muscular with tons of bright, crunchy black fruits and wonderful tension, finishing with tons of earthy nuances. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, TheWineIndependent

99 Points! Composed of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and the remainder of Petit Verdot, the 2019 La Joie is compact and unfolds more slowly in the glass. The nose is rich with graphite, sage oil, and black plum. The palate is full of kirsch, fresh leather, currant, and tobacco, with fine tannins that go for ages, along with the fruit and well-balanced acidity. - Jeb Dunnuck

100 Points! The 2019 Le Désir is just as stunning as the first time I tasted it from bottle. It's pure and layered, with alluring scents of Morello cherries, dried mushrooms, cigars, sage and aniseed wafting from the glass. The palate strikes a fine balance of concentrated fruit, loads of powdery tannins, and energetic bursts of fresh acidity. It has a deep core of concentrated, perfumed fruit with the first faint touches of umami character and a long finish driven by floral and iron tones. I can't get enough of this wine. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir, sourced from the premier cru village Cuis and the grand cru villages Chouilly, Oger, Cramant, and Mesnil.

98+ Points! Coming just about all from the Ecotone Vineyard (there's a splash of Georges III in here), the 100% Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Mysterons is deep purple-hued, with an insanely good bouquet of red and black fruits, iron, bloody meat, and graphite, and it turns slightly more floral and violet-tinged with air. Classic, quintessential 2021 Napa Valley magic, it's full-bodied and has tons of obvious minerality, a stacked mid-palate, and enough tannins to warrant 5-7 years of bottle age. It will most likely merit a perfect rating at maturity. - Jeb Dunnuck

93 Points! Released as the classic Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley in the past, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Spinning Plates has a vivid purple hue to go with a rocking bouquet of pure blue fruits, spring flowers, graphite, and subtle background oak. It's medium to full-bodied and round, with a beautiful core of sweet fruit and ripe tannins. All varietal brought up in 85% new French oak, this ripe, sexy, impressive 2021 will drink well for 15 years if well stored. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! The 2021 Chardonnay Vie di Romans is a showstopper, rich and floral in the glass, with dried nectarines and apricots lifted by yellow flowers and candied lime. Its textures are lifted, yet this makes quite an impact, with bright acidity enlivening masses of ripe peach and chamomile. Hints of confectioners’ sugar and lemon custard are left to linger as a burst of gingery spice and sour melon adds verve. A minute goes by, and this continues to resonate with hazelnut notes. - Eric Guido, Vinous Media

95 Points! With fruit from La Morra, the mid-weight 2018 Barolo Brunate shows a pretty softness and a delicate side with dried rose, lilac and blue flower. The wine completes malolactic fermentation in barrique and is later moved into large oak casks for aging. This dual oak treatment is part of Vietti's secret recipe for producing the silky tannins and fine texture you taste here. A production of 4,493 bottles, the wine is recognized by that distinctive aromatic finale of licorice and balsam herb. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com