93+ Points! The regular white 2018 Manda Huevos Blanco Carramainas was produced with grapes from the single vineyard that is mentioned on the label. There is a skin-contact version of grapes from this same plot, but these grapes were harvested 12 days earlier than those destined to ferment with the skins, as the aim here was to achieve higher acidity and freshness and let the lees rather than the skins be the ones defining the style of the bottled wine. This is 95% old-vine Macabeo with only 5% Garnacha Blanca, with good ripeness and bright acidity. It fermented after a slow pressing and one night of settling in 500- and 900-liter oak barrels, where it was kept with the full lees for two months. It was then racked into Flextank (plastic) eggs with fine lees and then matured for another 12 months. It has a Burgundian profile, going back to the style of the 2014, in a leesy and smoky style, still very young and undeveloped. There's also something that reminded me of old-style white Rioja. The palate is vibrant and has pungent citrus acidity. It feels like a white to lay down, as it should develop nicely in the bottle. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com Learn More
Tre Bicchieri Gambero Rosso...6 Mura Rosso is a full-bodied and concentrated Carignano, able to age for an extended time. Produced from ancient vines with very low yield by hectare. Deep red ruby color, powerful aromas and flavors full of mature red fruit and spices. Very elegant wine but austere, like the land where it comes from. Learn More
Importer notes: When Antonio Barbadillo left the family winery in 2008 to pursue his vision of making a classic style of complex, aged Manzanilla, everyone thought he was loco. But Antonio, along with his wife and four sons, knew that unfiltered, aged wines were the noble investment of Sanlúcar and he wanted to push the limits of what people envisioned of this mysterious, fragile and beloved biologically aged wine. Previously, Manzanilla Sacristía AB was sourced from 32 butts within an 80-butt solera at Bodegas Sanchez Ayala (where the Manzanillas of Equipo Navazos’ La Bota got their fame), the largest independent bottler of sherry. Sacristía is bottled in miniscule sacas, usually two a year and always completely en rama to ensure a maximum and pure expression of flor development and aromatics. As of the Primera Saca of 2014, this base wine has been sourced from sleeping Manzanilla treasures that lie beneath a thick layer of flor in Bodegas Yusta, a dusty old cellar in the backroads of Sanlúcar. In search of the perfect balance for the Sacristia style he has in mind, Antonio tastes wines from a variety of top producers from the most important Pagos and multiple criaderas before selecting his favorites for each bottling. Learn More
97+ Points! I was blown away by the 2016 Château Gracia from barrel and it doesn’t disappoint from bottle. Coming from Michel Gracia’s tiny 1.83-hectare vineyard and a blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in new barrels, it sports a vivid purple color as well as a blockbuster bouquet of blackberries, cassis, liquid violets, graphite, crushed rocks, and background high-class oak. With full-bodied power, a deep, layered, concentrated mid-palate, sweet tannins, and awesome purity of fruit, it’s another magical vintage for this estate. Hide bottles for 3-5 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 2-3 decades.- Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com
