Specials

91 Points! The 2019 Colline Novaresi Spanna offers up scents of sweet dried cherry, mint, tobacco, dried herbs and crushed rose petal. Deceptive in its light-bodied structure, this ethereal red has plenty of depth. The savory, mineral side of Nebbiolo is very much on show. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

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91 Points! The smart buy in the Ackerman lineup is the suave, polished 2018 Memoir Red Wine. A blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% each Cabernet Franc and Merlot, and 6% each Malbec and Petit Verdot, it seamlessly marries cedary oak notes with cassis and dark chocolate flavors. Medium to full-bodied and less opulent and weighty than many of its Napa counterparts, it's still velvety-plush but also marked by ample freshness and length. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

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95 Points! The 2019 Tinto Parcelas is an equal blend of Alicante Bouschet and Petit Verdot aged for 12 months in new oak tonels. It comes in at 14.48% alcohol. This is a blend of the best parcels of the Herdade. Another beautiful wine from this Alentejo outpost of Sogrape, this has the same features of its lesser-priced siblings—polish, moderate tannins, precision and good fruit. Here, though, the Alicante more influences the blend, easily dominating the more neutral Petit Verdot. This is also a bit tighter, thus likely to be even slower to evolve. It has the best structure of the three in this report and the most upside. You could drink this now, but it will be better in a couple of years. It will then age well. - Mark Squires, robertparker.com

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95 Points! The 2021 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills offers a richer, nicely oaked profile that includes honeyed stone fruits, toasted spice, crushed stone, and salted citrus-like nuances. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, and has a concentrated, mouth-filling profile that's grounded by a beautiful spine of vibrant acidity. It benefits from air, and this is another awesome Chardonnay from this team that readers will absolutely love. - Jeb Dunnuck

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95 Points! Crunchy black cherries, raspberries, leather, and peppery floral notes all emerge from the 2021 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills, an incredibly pure, medium-bodied Pinot Noir that has fabulous concentration, a focused, nicely structured mouthfeel, and a great finish. It's a hidden little gem of a Pinot Noir that readers should snatch up! - Jeb Dunnuck

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95 Points! It’s really hard to believe that this is a 2020, such is the youthful energy of this extraordinary wine. I love the intense lemon blossom aroma in the nose. Concentrated, creamy and very elegant, this high-end Savennieres isn’t difficult to understand. Less fundamentally mineral than the very best, but still plenty of wet stone at the long silky finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.- JamesSuckling.com

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95 Points! The effusive sliced-pear and white-peach aromas introduce you to this extraordinary, contemporary interpretation of this grape, which is so often dismissed as old-fashioned. The abundant fine tannins remind me of natural wines, but there’s a level of brightness here that’s totally Alpine and gives it remarkable drive at the very long wet-stone finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

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95 Points! Such an elegant wine for this Grand Cru that tends towards aromatic richness, the pineapple and basil notes very delicate on the nose. On the medium-to full-bodied palate there’s more succulence, but even there the crushed-stone minerality keeps everything very cool and straight. Very long, focused finish with so great vitality and very fine tannins. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

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95 Points! So much candied citrus, angelica, dried sage and thyme in the nose! However, this compact and highly structured Alsace Grand Cru dry riesling is still very youthful and really needs a lot of aeration (decanting and big glasses!) to open it up. Stunning complexity of fruit, herbal and mineral character at the imposing yet very cool finish. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drinkable now, but best from 2025. - JamesSuckling.com

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96 Points! From just outside the town of Windsor, the 2020 Chardonnay UV - El Diablo Vineyard is energetic with aromas of green apple, lemon verbena, and delicate savory herbs. The palate is juicy and long, with lemon curd and snappy acidity, balancing out with a clean finish. Drink over the next 15 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

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92 Points! The 2019 Cap de Faugères has tightened up a lot on the nose, showing dense black fruit, tar and graphite scents, quite Left Bank in style. The palate is much more expressive, featuring fleshy red berry fruit mixed with allspice, clove and white pepper. Persistent and quite convincing on the finish. Give it time for those aromatics to get their mojo back – which they will. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

91 Points! The 2019 Cap de Faugeres is terrific, just as it was from bottle. Rich and expansive, the 2019 is so expressive right out of the gate. Succulent red cherry, spice, leather and tobacco all kicked up in this attractive entry-level offering from Silvio Denz. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

 

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95-97 Points! Not yet bottled, the 2018 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict is still resting in 20% new French oak. Coming from a great site on the southern side of the Sta. Rita Hills, it offers a rocking bouquet of lemon curd, chamomile, toasted bread, spice, and a touch of crushed stone-like flinty minerality. Beautifully textured, medium to full-bodied, and elegant on the palate, it's another brilliant wine from this estate. - Jeb Dunnuck Learn More

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