Wines

Don't look for scores, much like other icon producers like Cappellano in Barolo, Cerbaiona does not send their wine out for reviews, preferring to let the juice speak. The Brunello is produced only in the best vintages... From the importer: There are now over 200 bottling producers of Brunello but when people speak of the top tier we are talking about an interchangeable 10 names depending one’s preference stylistically. Soldera, Biondi Santi, Salvioni, and Cerbaiona would be most people’s pick for top 5 Brunello producers (not necessarily in that order). What makes the Cerbaiona Brunello so unique is the conscious coupling of great terroir and minimalist intervention. What arrives is a clear representation of one of the greatest Brunello vineyards bottling wine today.

93 Points! Lots of tobacco leaf, truffle, cedar, and earthy notes emerge from the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Jack's Vineyard, and it has a solid core of ripe black fruits, a round, seamless texture, building yet ripe, polished tannins, and a great finish. Coming from a vineyard outside of Walla Walla, it has a forward, soft feel which makes it already hard to resist, yet I see no reason it shouldn't evolve gracefully for 10-15 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! In 1969, Joe Heitz made a cuvée that was more outstanding than his Napa Cabernet, but not a single-vineyard bottling. In 2018, after the winery was bought by Gaylon Lawrence Jr., the team at Heitz discovered four bottles and decided they should set out to recreate Joe’s experiment. It is the boldest of the bunch: a delicious hedonistic pleasure filled red with excellent balance and teeming with pure dark fruit notes, rich earthen spices, dried purple florals, cedarwood, tobacco, and dark chocolate — a firm acid backbone frames fine-grained tannins. There is plenty of richness, balanced by tension and energy. Lawrence Wine Estates Master Sommelier and CEO Carlton McCoy calls it the ‘uber Napa cuvee’ and the best multi-site expression of Heitz for the vintage. - Decanter Magazine

93 Points! Expressive, with a bold menthol note followed quickly by boysenberry and blackberry compote flavors wrapped in black licorice. The long finish has a tug of earth amid a generally velvety feel, while the menthol note curls around the fruit. Distinctive. Drink now through 2038. - Wine Spectator

Situated on the foothills of Knights Valley, near Calistoga, our vineyard is comprised of rocky clay loam Red Hills soil and benefits from its proximity to Mount Saint Helena. The warm and windy climate is ideal for the long ripening of the red Bordeaux varietals. Handcrafted using classical winemaking techniques, this special wine is dedicated to our son, Paul Morlet. It is ‘My Knight’ or ‘Mon Chevalier.’

99 Points! The 2018 ‘Mon Chevalier’ always seems to me to have one foot in Napa and one foot in Sonoma. Boasting a ruby/purple color, it’s slightly more reserved and stately (knightly, if you will), with building aromas and flavors of blackcurrants, toasted bread, dried violets, baking spices, and loamy earth. These carry to a pure, full-bodied, multidimensional Cabernet that’s flawlessly balanced, has ripe yet certainly present tannins, a notable sense of minerality, and a great, great finish. It’s just another incredible wine from Luc Morlet that can be drunk today with ample pleasure or cellared for 20-30 years if, for some reason, you feel the need to delay gratification. - JebDunnuck.com

92+ Points! The ripe red 2018 Terra de Cuques is a 50/50 blend of Garnacha and Cariñena from different vineyards around the village of Torroja (there are some grapes from Poboleda, a cooler village) that fermented equal parts in stainless steel and concrete; it matured in concrete and foudres but with the intention to abandon the aging in oak in the near future. It has lots of notes of licorice and Mediterranean herbs, intermixed with ripe berries and very little impact from the oak. The palate is round and reveals abundant grainy tannins. This is a powerful Terra de Cuques. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

From the importer: Originating from vines planted on clay and chalk (tuffeau) soil, this wine offers the distinctive character of Cabernet Franc: deep and bright ruby color, fine aromas of red fruits (red current, cherry) and floral subtleties (violet, iris), fine and velvety tannin, with a fresh and balanced finish. Best served below room temperature (14 to 16º C), Clos des Cordeliers Cuvée Tradition is at its prime when young and is the perfect companion for cold meats, roasted meats, grilled fish and cheese.

This smooth, polished Savigny really shows off the warmer, riper, finely structured 2018 vintage. Full of red fading to black cherry, this beauty is drinkable now but another half dozen years in the cellar will fully round it into form...a delight and a deal!

93 Points! Starts out rich, with a touch of glycerol in the texture, before civilized tannins take over on the finish. Offers plum, cherry, earth, tobacco and iron notes that prevail, with a firm grip of tannins on the finish. Best from 2026 through 2043. - Wine Spectator

96 Points! Intense aromas of black cherries, lavender and spice, such as nutmeg. Some sandalwood and bark, too. Full-bodied with a solid core of fruit and tannins for the vintage. Rather chewy, suggesting that additional bottle age is needed. Try after 2026. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! Depths of dark, balsamic-tinged black cherry, plum sauce and autumnal spice make the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino impossible to ignore. This is velvety to the core, nearly opulent in feel, with a dense wave of ripe red fruits complemented by nuances of sweet lavender and tobacco. It leaves the palate clenched with fine tannins and primary concentration, creating a classic sensation that transcends the vintage. Nearly a minute goes by, and hints of cocoa and sweet herbs continue to resonate. Wow! Production at the Pertimali estate was down by 20% due to the spring frost, and the decision was made to place all of the juice usually intended for the Riserva into the straight Brunello, the result being one of the top wines of the vintage. - Eric Guido, Vinous Media

95 Points! Spicy and creamy shiraz-based blend with velvety tannins framing a silky core of dark fruit, licorice, cloves, grilled herbs and spices. Five spice and smoked paprika coming through. Full-bodied yet elegant. 65% shiraz, 23% cabernet sauvignon, 9% cabernet franc and 3% merlot. Drink or hold. Screw cap. - JamesSuckling.com

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.

96 Points! Beautiful, attractive cabernet characters with cigars, tobacco leaf, currants, savory tapenade and sweet roasted chili peppers. Cocoa powder and star anise, too. Intense, but remaining fluid with a bright, red-fruited center palate followed by a lengthy, layered finish, full of Spanish chocolate and cigar box characters. Lasting almost a minute. 2% merlot and 1% cabernet franc in the blend. 10% new French oak 300 liter barrels. Drink now or hold. Screw cap. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! This has an intense nose of ripe blackberries, cooked cherries, walnuts, mocha, tobacco, tar and grilled herbs. It’s medium-to full-bodied with a beautifully round, creamy yet firm tannin frame. Lots of ripe and plush dark fruit and spice. Drink from 2023. - JamesSuckling.com

Only produced in certain vintages, Derame’s Muscadet Sevre et Maine Vieilles Vignes ‘Les Roches Gaudinieres’ is our latest find in that Muscadet-that-wants-to-be-white-Burgundy category.  As we say, “You can take the Melon out of Burgundy (where this grape originally came from), but in some cases you still find a lot of Burgundy in the Melon.” This striking white comes from Melon de Bourgogne vines planted in gabbro soils (igneous rock with a high calcium content) in 1940.  A little over a decade ago, Morandiere proprietor Alexandre Déramé had the opportunity to purchase this prized 7+ acre parcel from an older grower that was retiring. The rest, as they say, is history.