Casa Raia was purchased in 2006 by Frenchman Pierre Jean Monnoyer who restored the old vineyards and began producing natural wines with three labels, the "supertuscan" Bevilo, a Sangiovese Rose and this Brunello di Montalcino. Made with 100% Sangiovese (as required by law) this ageable beauty is elegant with a nose of cherry, cinnamon, thyme and hints of pencil shavings and earth. Certainly one of the best "natural" wines out there.

With their winery located with the National Park area of Gran Sasso, this family owned winey began their estate in the early 1900's when the first vineyards were purchased but it wasn't until two generations later, the family decided to bottle wines under their own label. When the first grandchild was born, she had flaming red har just like her grandmother, so the label created was "Testarossa" (redhead). This 100% Montepulciano has aromas of plums and cherries with nuances of violet. On the palate it's full-bodied with ripe red cherry, cocoa, licorice, tobacco, leather with smooth tannins and a long finish. The bottle boasts a leather label on this 1.5 L.

Located in the Cote Chalonnaise, Laurent Dufouleur works with the three grape varieites of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Aligote. As part of the Tramier Collection, three family wineries work together to achieve excellence in everything they do. This red wine is a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay, effectively a Passetoutgrains. An unbelievable quality here at an incredible price - aromas of red berries, spice and hints of earth and mushroom with a smooth mouthfeel.

Barnard Griffin Winery began in 1983 with borrowed grapes and a rented cellar, the dream of founders Deborah Barnard and Rob Griffin. It has since become one of Washington's most enduring and award-winning wineries. Along with their tasting room, they also have a tasting room in Woodinville, where one can taste many examples of Washington wine. The bright and concentrated personality of this delicious, six-vineyard, Cab-based red blend is filled with racy cherry, orange zest and cranberry flavors. Juicy acidity augments the lengthy, fruit-filled finish. Well suited for everyday enjoyment and well priced, for making this a great pizza wine.

Winemaking
After a pre-fermentative cold maceration, the fermentation of the must with the skins takes place at a controlled temperature for 12 days, followed by malolactic fermentation. Then the wine is aged for 6 months in tonneaux and 6 months in stainless steel tanks and 4 months in a bottle.

Tasting Notes
The wine takes on a pale ruby colour. Intense aromas are jampacked with blackberry, raspberry, blueberry and a slight peppery note. On the palate, it is dry, medium-bodied, has well-ripened soft tannins, elegant with plenty of acidity and a touch of spice.

It is intense with fresh fruit of red profile, very delicate. A bouquet of floral notes and dine herbs. The wood is almost imperceptible, due to the use of semi-new oak barrels during the ageing. On nose is delicious, subtle and delicate, representing the freshness of a cold vintage.
Palate: Medium body, light and silky texture. Very fruity with very fresh red fruits. The tannins are very fine and fresh leaving a feeling of daintiness and softness.

With 16 months in cask, the Ribera del Duero offers excellent wines made from Tempranillo. Elegant and refined, this will age well- another 15 years easily.

Winemaker Tasting Notes: 

Colour: It is very intense, almost impenetrable, with a very dark background and a deep red rim.

Nose: When you bring it closer to the nose, many layers appear superimposed. The black fruits stand out with the memory of perfectly ripe plums and blackberries. It has a large mineral component that gives depth to the wine with memories of the smell of Chinese ink. The smell of the humid earth and the aromatic herbs in the shade of the pines appeared. There is a huge balance in which oak accompanies in the distance.Delicate, long, suggestive and intense at the same time and topped with menthol notes of black cocoa.

Taste: Voluminous and full. With black fruit and cocoa, but also freshness. It remembers the landscape of the pine forest of La Horra with freshness after the rain.The tannins are of great quality and forge a feeling of power and elegance at the same time, being voluminous and aerial. A set of fruit, minerality, volume, length and freshness that forms a huge wine.

Excellent to have with meat dishes.

Big and rich, with expressive beef and earthy notes to the dark plum and roasted dark cherry flavors, which are backed by firm tannins and acidity. Creamy in the midpalate, with hints of dried green herbs and dark chocolate on the finish.

Ripe and fresh black fruits and plum predominate with chocolate notes and hints of tobacco leaf. It has a mineral character that highlights the smell of the earth, mixed with aromas of aromatic plants. Voluminous, full, and broad with very fine and noble tannins.

96 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: Medium to deep garnet colored, the nose slowly, measuredly emerges with notions of preserved Morello cherries, baked blackcurrants and blackberry compote, giving way to nuances of pencil shavings, unsmoked cigars, Chinese five spice and sandalwood plus ever so subtle hints of cardamom and eucalyptus. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-coating black and red fruit preserves with a firm, grainy-textured frame and fantastic freshness, finishing with a veritable firework display of lingering spices and minerals. This is a more restrained, relatively elegant vintage of Latour that may not have that "iron fist in a velvet glove" power of the greatest vintages but nonetheless struts its superior terroir and behind-the-scenes savoir faire with impressive panache. It is drinking nicely now with suitably rounded-off, approachable tannins, and the tertiary characters are just beginning to bring some more cerebral elements into the compote of temptingly primary black fruits. But, if you're looking to drink it in full, flamboyant swing, give it another 5-10 years in bottle and drink it over the next 20-25 years+. (LPB) 96+ (3/2020)

97 points - Decanter

Blend: 51% Merlot, 47.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1.5% Petit Verdot
Drinking Window: 1988-2030

Discover the exceptional Château Pape Clément 1982, a Pessac-Léognan Grand Cru Classé that has matured to perfection. This iconic vintage reveals complex layers of dark fruit, tobacco, and subtle spice, framed by a silky texture and elegant, lingering finish. Highly prized by collectors and connoisseurs, it showcases the heritage, finesse, and timeless quality of one of Bordeaux’s most esteemed estates.

86 Points - Neal Martin
“A mature, tawny rimmed colour. The nose is typically -Graves- with scents of cedar, singed leather, briary, cigar box and a touch of wild mint. Good definition but lacking a little vivacity. The palate is certainly mature, rather diffuse with soft, furry tannins and low acidity. Mocha on the finish that deserves more grip and persistency, but this wine has a degree of charm."

The 2014 Château Branaire-Ducru is a highly regarded Saint-Julien Fourth Growth, praised for its elegant, fresh, and balanced style. It offers a fragrant nose of violet, cassis, and spice, with a structured yet silky palate featuring notes of plum, blackcurrant, and graphite, making it ideal for drinking from 2021 onwards.

Balancing complexity and finesse, Pastourelle De Clerc Milon 2020 offers a structured palate with notes of cassis, spice, and cedar —an exceptional wine that captures the soul of its vineyard with every sip.

Reflecting centuries of winemaking mastery, Chateau Beychevelle 2020 offers a structured palate with notes of cassis, spice, and cedar —an exceptional wine that captures the soul of its vineyard with every sip.

This is another property owned by the famous Rothschild family, acquiring this estate in 1970, embarking on an ambitious renovation of the vineyards. Vines were replanted, parcels were consolidated and technical improvements were made including the building of a new vat room. Chateau Clerc Milon is a Fifth Growth located in Pauillac that adjoins both Chateau Mouton and Rothschild. This 2019 is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Containing the highest amount of cabernet sauvignon since the 1980's, this is classic Pauillac with fresh cassis, red cherry and plum that has nuances of classic, lead pencil, cedar and tobacco. This can be enjoyed now with a decant but has the ability to age very well for the next 20 years.

Super perfumed, attractive violets with a thread of fresh blueberries, cassis, blackberries and dark plums, delivering a very enticing impression. Beautiful ripeness here. The tannins are perfectly ripe and layers meld into each other, carrying deep, graceful and plush, velvety dark fruit long into the vibrant and seductive, chocolate-laced finish. Great potential. Try from 2024.

The 2021 Les Pagodes de Cos is a strong effort, offering up aromas of cassis, charcoal, dark berries and cigar wrapper, followed by a medium to full-bodied, sweet and fleshy palate that's quite rich and extracted, concluding with a saline finish. It's a blend of 60% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. 2025 - 2035

Lush, round, medium bodied and packed with fresh, ripe red fruits, licorice, earth and mocha, the wine is forward, elegant and supple textured in the fruit filled finish. ---The Wine Cellar Insider:

94 points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate" Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it absolutely sings of red roses, black tea and tilled black soil with a core of crushed blackberries, Morello cherries and cassis plus a hint of cinnamon stick. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers a great intensity of ripe black berries and floral layers, framed by soft, silken tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. (LPB)" (11/2018)

94 points - James Suckling

93 points - Wine Enthusiast

98 points -Robert Parker's Wine Advocate "Deep purple-black colored, the 2016 Pavie Decesse bursts boldly out of the glass with confident blackcurrant preserves, baked blackberries, baked plums and sandalwood notes with touches of Indian spices, mocha and lilacs plus touches of cedar chest and pencil lead. Big, concentrated and voluptuously fruited in the mouth, it has a truly impressive structure of very firm, finely grained tannins and racy freshness lifting all that densely packed fruit to a very long, multilayered finish. Wow! (LPB)" (3/2019)

99 points - James Suckling

94 points - Wine Spectator

91 points -Jeb Dunnuck "The outstanding 2016 Château Marquis de Terme is an attractive, elegant wine that has classic Margaux character. Black cherry and blackberry fruits, hints of graphite and smoke earth, and plenty of tobacco leaf all emerge from this medium-bodied effort, which has some firm tannins and a great finish. Give bottles 3-4 years to let these tannins chill out, and it should drink beautifully for 15+ years. " (2/2019)

94 points Decanter: " The construction here is clear in that you can feel the architectural hand of 2016 with St-Julien balance. This is rich and deep with intense, concentrated and juicy cassis fruits joined by a touch of sweet liquorice, dark chocolate and charred oak edging. I like the balance here. Drinking Window 2024 - 2040 (JA)" (10/2018)

A Red wine from Bordeaux Superieur, Bordeaux, France. Made from Merlot 50%,Cabernet Sauvignon 50%

It is arrayed in an intense, bright garnet red hue flecked with purple. The charming and pleasant nose offers a lovely bouquet of red fruit and liquorice. The equally expressive palate combines aromatic freshness and fruity intensity, interpinned with a velvety texture. A succulent, elegant wine, smooth and well-balanced.

Chateau Gazin is a high quality winery located in the Pomerol AOC on the right bank of Bordeaux, representing five generations of owners and growers. With 23ha of vineyards, the clay-gravel plateau is perfect for merlot and cabernet franc. The 2019 is a blend of 89% merlot, 7% cabernet sauvignon and 4% cabernet franc. A solid Pomerol that has spicy red and black cherry fruit, notes of cedar, violets and plum with a vull-bodied, velvety and textural palate. This will no doubt age incredibly over the long haul!

Chateau Leoville-Barton (Saint Julien)- this wine is massive and powerful with the bulk of this coming from 83% Cabernet Sauvignon with 15% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc providing the lift. It has a solid core of cassis, blueberry compote, sweet oak and plum flavours wrapped with licorice and pencil lead. Muscular, yet lean, drink from 2025-2035. 

The La Tour Carnet from Haut-Medoc is a blend of 68% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Petit Verdot to add that backbone structure. Dark red cherries, plums, smoke, leather, and cedar abound with silky tannins and fresh acidity. Although this is ready to drink now, give it ample time in a decanter for optimal drinking experience!

A blend of 44.7% Merlot and 55.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2020 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion has an alcohol of 14.3%. It rolls effortlessly out of the glass with seducing notes of warm black plums, black cherry compote and blackberry pie, plus suggestions of lavender, crushed rocks and underbrush with a hint of sassafras. The medium bodied palate is delicately played and refreshing, offering lots of soft spoken black fruit and earthy layers with a soft texture and seamless acidity, finishing with a spicy kick.

The 2016 Palmer is a blend of 47% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot. Opaque garnet-purple colored, it slowly glides out of the glass with compelling notes of blueberry compote, warm cassis and kirsch with emerging hints of violets, cigar box, black tea, sandalwood and Sichuan pepper.

This first collection case contains unique bottles sealed with wax, direct from the Château, and includes: 1988, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2003 and 2008 vintages

Absheron-Sharab Nar Bagi is a premium, semi-sweet pomegranate wine produced in Azerbaijan by Absheron-Sharab OJSC. Made from locally grown pomegranates, this ruby-red wine is characterized by a full, balanced flavor with a distinct, pleasant, and slightly astringent pomegranate taste.

Tbilisoba Khvanchkara is a premium Georgian red semi-sweet wine, often associated with the Tbilisoba festival, made from a blend of Aleksandrouli and Mujuretuli grapes grown in the Racha region. It is noted for its deep ruby color, velvety texture, and refined aroma of wild strawberries, raspberries, and almonds.

Marani Pirosmani is a popular, high-quality Georgian medium-dry red wine produced by Telavi Wine Cellar (often associated with the Marani brand) in the Kakheti region. Made from 100% Saperavi grapes, it features an intense ruby color, rich aromas of blackberry and blackcurrant, and a balanced, fruity, and slightly spicy taste.

Michael David Winery's Freakshow Cabernet Sauvignon is a bold, popular Lodi, California red known for its circus-themed labels and rich, accessible flavor profile. It typically features intense aromas of blackberry, black cherry, and toasted hazelnut, with a medium-to-full body, plush tannins, and a smoky oak finish.

Mildiani Mukuzani Reserve is a rich, dry Georgian red wine from Kakheti, made from Saperavi grapes, known for deep flavors of black cherry, plum, chocolate, tobacco, and spice, with oak aging (often 24 months in French barrels) adding vanilla and cedar notes, resulting in a complex, balanced taste with firm tannins and high acidity, perfect with roasted meats and stews.

Ed Knows Merlot is a dry, red wine from Moldova with aromas of red fruits, cherries, and plums, with a smooth, balanced character. It is a medium-bodied, approachable wine that is good for both drinking on its own and pairing with food.