2016  St. Joesph Chemin Faisant

St. Joesph Chemin Faisant -- "Chemin Faisant" or "On the Way" is a complex St Joseph with peppery aromas on the nose followed by gorgeous depth and freshness. Structure and finesse reign supreme in this beautiful bottle.

2019  Cote-Rotie

"The 2019 Côte Rôtie Côte Blonde is as seamless and silky as they come and is just a quintessential Côte Rôtie. Black raspberries, flowers, ground pepper, and subtle meatiness all emerge from this beauty, and it’s full-bodied, has remarkable tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. It certainly offers pleasure today, but smart money will hide bottles for 4-5 years. It will knock your socks off over the following two decades." - 97pts JD

2011  Torroja Vi de Vila

50% Carinena, 50% Garnacha. Terroir al Limit is a partnership between super-star South African winemaker Eben Sadie and former chef Dominik Huber. Their go-to reference wine/estate is Domaine de la Romanee Conti and it’s apparent that their range of wines is modeled after the Burgundy tradition of village wines, 1er cru site wines, and Grand Cru single vineyard wines. Terroir al Limit is a true garage wine project focusing on old vines of garnatxa and carinena located primarily around the historic village of Torroja. The philosophy of the estate is to capture the character of the terroir by minimizing the effect of winemaking to minimal processing and natural handling of the grapes, enabling the individual sites to express themselves fully. The vines are farmed biodynamically although they are not certified.

2003  

2013  Swartland

A.A. Badenhorst is the result of one family’s long-term love affair with wine. The estate is owned by cousins Adi and Hein Badenhorst - their grandfather was the farm manager of Groot Constantia for 46 years and their fathers grew up on the estate. A graduate of Elsenburg College in South Africa, Adi moved overseas to work harvests at Chateau Angelus, Alain Graillot and Wither Hills in New Zealand. He returned to South Africa and worked at Simonsig, Steenberg and Groote Post before his appointment as winemaker for Rustenberg, the highly regarded estate in Stellenbosch. The Swartland appellation of South Africa has become ground central for a small, but influential group of talented young winemakers who are establishing new boundaries for South African wines. A.A. Badenhorst is located in the Siebritskloof area of the Paardeberg mountain range in Swartland. In 2008, after working with Rustenberg for nine years, Hein and Adi bought a dilapidated 148 acre farm called Kalmoesfontein for its 62 acres of old bush vines. Their Cinsault (Cape Hermitage) and Grenache vines are some of the oldest in the country - the average age is 45 years old and 58 years respectively - and their Chenin Blanc is on average 40 years old. The vineyards are dry-farmed and biodynamic methods are practiced throughout the farm. The vineyards are particularly noteworthy for their exposition - instead of facing one direction; the parcels were planted on east, north and south facing slopes. The soils are composed of low-bearing Paardeberg, Lammershoek or Lemoenfontein granite. While Adi and Hein have modernized the cellar and the 1930’s farm house, Adi’s winemaking methods are traditional. All the wines begin with whole bunches. The white grapes are transferred directly into old casks or concrete tanks for fermentation and aging. The red grapes are fermented in concrete tanks or wood casks. Minimal sulfur is added before and after fermentation, otherwise, no other stabilizers or chemicals of any kind are used. Both A.A. Badenhorst estate wines are made in the same manner. The grapes were sorted in the vineyard and placed in refrigerated containers to rest overnight. The whole bunches were fermented naturally in concrete or wood tanks - the grapes weren’t mechanically crushed, but trodden by foot and minimal sulfur was added. Once fermentation began, the must was punched down twice per day and then left on its skins for six months before pressing. The wine was pressed into 4000L casks and aged for 16 months, during which time the wine was topped regularly but not racked until the final blends are complete.

2015  

"Deep, bright-rimmed ruby. Displays intensely perfumed dark berry, cherry preserve and olive aromas, along with hints of succulent flowers and incense. Sweet and expansive on the palate, offering sappy black raspberry, licorice and spicecake flavors that become livelier on the back half. Plays richness off finesse smoothly and finishes impressively long and sweet, with velvety tannins coming in late." - 93pts Vinous

2006  

The top wine from Charvin, their Chateauneuf du Pape ranges from 80-90% old vine Grenache with Syrah, some Mourvedre and a bit of Vaccarese. Staunchly traditionalist, they do not destem, the fruit is crushed & fermented in concrete fermentation vats and the wine is aged in cement. Domaine Charvin is a beautiful expression of Chateauneuf du Pape with a focus on purity, ripe red fruits and freshness.

2017  Gigondas

Gigondas -- "More concentrated and tannic than the 2016, the 2017 Gigondas shows outstanding potential. Marked by hints of charred wood and mocha, it's nevertheless rich, ripe and fruity, with a long finish." - 91-93pts WA

2017  Côtes de Provence Sainte-Victoire

In the same foothills of Mont Sainte Victoire in which Paul Cézanne lived and found inspiration, the Sumeire family has thrived since the thirteenth century. This magical place is shielded from northern winds, with abundant sunshine and chalky soil regulating temperatures and helping to create a unique microclimate. The Sumeires added Château Maupague to their collection of properties in 1991, with a goal of creating a classic rosé on par with the finest of the region, light in color, fresh, aromatic and dry. Château Maupague is a blend of 70% Grenache, 25% Cinsault and 5% Syrah. Rosé's with a majority of Grenache are rare for the region and result in a much more complex wine that transcends the appellation. Both the Cuvée Cabaret from the younger vines on the estate and the Cuvée Sainte Victoire from the older vines offer amazing value and remarkably high quality, while beautifully representing the best of Provence. -- Composed of scree and clay-sandstone from the Late Cretaceous period, with colluvial deposits from the surrounding hills. Located at the foot of the Sainte Victoire Mountain, in the village of Trets, just outside of Aix-en-Provence. Yield of 45 hectoliters per hectare. Average age of vines: 20 years. Grapes are hand harvested, destemmed, undergo skin maceration and light penumatic pressing. The wine is then vinified in temperature-controlled vats.

2015  Terrasses du Larzac Les Gravettes

Terrasses du Larzac Les Gravettes - Syrah, Cinsault, and Grenache Red wine for laying down, spring or summer 55% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, 15% Syrah 15 months of aging in demi-muids, barrels and concrete eggs. FOOD & WINE PAIRINGS Duck à l'orange, lamb tagine, creamy cheeses, strawberry panacotta

2001  La Landonne

2011  Francois de Tournon WA 95