Jeff Carrell makes wine in Languedoc, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Beaujolais. This Pinot hails from Languedoc and has a round, fresh mouth with cherry, strawberry and flint notes along with a spicy, wet stone with nuances of earth on the palate. If you're looking for value driven Pinot Noir, look no further than Pinot from the Languedoc!

Xavier Gerard is one of the young stars of the Northern Rhone. His father left him some prime land in the regions of Cote Rotie (including a tiny parcel in La Landonne), Condrieu and Saint Joseph. Although he is not certified, he practises organically in all his vineyards, and all of his wines are unfined and unfiltered. This is a blend of 96% Syrah and 4% Viognier, which makes its presence known with a touch of stone fruit among the ripe forest berries. Good concentration and smooth tannins, yet with high acidity that all lead to a long finish.

Winemaker Notes

A wine of good density ruby red, with brown, mahogany, biscuit hints. The rim is fairly thick and the legs are fine, clear, abundant and regular. At once expressive, forthright and complex. There are notes of all families of fragrance: fruit, flowers, and spices. The attack is forthright, round and suave, soothing even. The intense aromas initially recall the complexity of the nose. There is leather and lightly charred wood, and roasted notes. The beauty of the wine is revealed by its elegance rather than its full-flavor. The wine has an attractive aromatic range with a finish of remarkable elegance.

Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon: 65%, Merlot: 30%, Cabernet Franc: 4%, Petit Verdot: 1%
Drinking Window: 2019 - 2050

98 Points - Neal Martin, Vinous
"The 2014 Pontet-Canet is a captivating example of biodynamic Bordeaux at its best. It offers an intense and complex nose of blackcurrants, blackberries, crushed stones, and cedar with hints of graphite and spice. The palate is full-bodied, richly textured, and beautifully balanced, with ripe tannins that provide structure without heaviness. Layers of dark fruit, mineral notes, and a subtle earthiness develop seamlessly, culminating in a long, precise finish. This is a profound wine with great ageing potential.”

Reflecting centuries of winemaking mastery, Chateau Giscours 2020 offers silky tannins interwoven with flavors of blackberry, tobacco, and graphite —an exceptional wine that captures the soul of its vineyard with every sip.

Embodying an iconic legacy, Chateau Latour Martillac 2020 offers aromatic intensity featuring truffle, plum, and subtle oak nuances —an exceptional wine that captures the soul of its vineyard with every sip.

Balancing complexity and finesse, Chateau Beau-Sejour Becot 2020 offers silky tannins interwoven with flavors of blackberry, tobacco, and graphite —an exceptional wine that captures the soul of its vineyard with every sip.

Deep, dark, almost opaque ruby-red color with hints of purple at the rim. There are lovely licorice notes overlaying the bursting dark-fruit on the nose. The palate combines juicy dark fruit, licorice and some earthy grip. The wine has good acidity, warming alcohol & a very smooth texture on the finish. The fruit on the finish is ripe in character with black-cherry and black olive flavors.

The watchword for this wine is style. Tannins underline the fruit. This rich structure, while not losing the swaths of berry flavors and crisp black currants, presents the balance between the ripeness and freshness of the vintage. Drink this wine from 2024. Roger Voss

"This impressive wine is structured yet well balanced by an attractive fruitiness that parallels the tannins and the smokiness from wood aging. The density of the palate is countered by fresh acidity that shines through. Drink 2024. Roger Voss" - 95/100, Wine Enthusiast

This underrated wine is made by the Chateau Cheval Blanc team, so it's no slouch. With 74% merlot, 14% cabernet sauvignon and 12% cabernet franc, this medium bodied wine is pure and balanced with cherry, plum, tobacco, leafy herb, and chocolate notes. Enjoy this wine now!

Chateau Angelus in St. Emilion, Bordeaux's right bank has been in existence since 1782. Now operated by Stephanie de Bouard-Rivoal, who represents the 8th generation of the Bouard de Laforest family. Her goal is to ensure the Angelus name continues to represent excellence and timelessness. Although the estate has been farming organically, they are going through the process to obtain official organic certification. The 2019 Angelus is a red blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Full and powerful the blackfruits of black cherry, cassis, plum, dried flowers and forest floor are evident with ripe tannins, medium+ body and a full, long finish. This wine is sure to age for 30 or more years.

The 2019 La Fleur-Pétrus dares to outshine Trotanoy this year, wafting from the glass with aromas of rich berry fruit, plum preserve, dark chocolate, cigar box and spices. Full-bodied, rich and enveloping, it's broad and layered, with beautifully polished tannins, a ripe core of fruit and a seamless, enveloping profile. This is an elegantly muscular, generous Pomerol whose sumptuous personality reflects the warm, dry vintage. Drink Date 2025 - 2055

Offering up aromas of rich cassis and blackberry fruit mingled with burning embers, loamy soil and cigar wrapper, the 2019 La Tour Carnet is medium to full-bodied, velvety and enveloping, with a broad attack that segues into an ample core of fruit that's framed by ripe, powdery tannins and lively acids. This is a seamless, rather giving Médoc that has turned out very well. Best After 2023

Château Ksara Le Prieuré is a medium-bodied, unoaked Lebanese red blend (typically Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cabernet Sauvignon) from the Bekaa Valley, showcasing intense red and black fruit, spice, and licorice notes. Known for its bright ruby color, soft tannins, and fresh acidity, it offers a savoury, rustic, and smooth drinking experience.

Travaglini Gattinara DOCG is a classic, elegant Italian red from Piedmont, made from 100% Nebbiolo, known for its deep garnet color, complex aromas of red fruit (cherry, raspberry), floral notes (roses, violets), earthy hints (leather, forest floor, mineral/iron), and spicy undertones (licorice, cinnamon). It's full-bodied yet balanced with vibrant acidity, firm tannins, and a savory finish, often showing minerality from volcanic soils, making it a cellar-worthy wine that pairs beautifully with roasted meats, game, and aged cheeses.

The Blasted Church Vineyards Syrah VQA typically offers a rich and complex tasting experience. The nose reveals notes of blueberry, plum, and violet, with a hint of gamey Syrah. On the palate, you can expect a rounded attack with blueberry, blackberry, and ripe red berries, leading into mid-palate flavors of wild sage and plum. Lively acidity balances the mouthfeel, and fine-grained tannins persist throughout the finish.

Vineyard notes: "Our new “Red Wine of the World,” this red blend is sourced from famed regions of southern Australia, the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. Consisting of Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro with a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon."

Another great wine from the winemaking team at Casale del Giglio, this is another "petit" wine, although there's nothing little about it. Typically the grape used in Bordeaux blends to provide the tannic backbone, it's seen more and more often as a monovarietal wine. The Petit Verdot is part of a special research project that was launched in 1985 with the goal to identify maximize the territory’s potential for quality viticulture. Finding ideal growing conditions with respect to climate, elevation, and soil, the Petit Verdot matures into an elegant and full-bodied red wine with great berry flavours. Velvety and ripe tannins provide a great backbone. A complex wine with great aging potential.

If you're looking for Beaujolais Cru, look no further. Of the 10 Cru, CLS has wines from seven. Rather than sourcing the grapes from all across the Beaujolais region, each individual Cru has their own terroir and soil structure; all made with 100% Gamay with the resulting wines unique and set-apart from each other. Moulin-a-Vent is known as one of the more 'robust' Cru. From the Les Thorins sector of Moulin-à-Vent, this wine is dense with some solid tannins. Rich, juicy and generously structured with jammy red fruits, Lucien’s Moulin-À-Vent has a red crimson robe.The complexity is deep, with spicy aromas, and a lovely bouquet of blueberries and violets. It is rich in body and character with a beautiful long silky finish backed by mature tannins.

The Cakebreads exemplify their dedication to quality through years of family teamwork, sustainability, and a sharp focus on fruit and terroir expression, earning them certification as a Napa Green Winery since 2008.

"Aromas of toasted nut, scorched earth and underbrush come to the forefront. On the medium-bodied palate, taut, close-grained tannins support dried cherry, prune and licorice. Kerin O’Keefe" - 88/100, Wine Enthusiast

Though it was a very dry year, this vintage still managed to keep its impressive elegance. The wine opens with enticing aromas of wild cherry, fresh and dried roses, incense, wild herbs and savoury spice. The palate is an example of thoughtfulness and craft with a core of deep wild berries, black tea, and crushed stones that are all supported by supple tannins and lifted acidity." - 97/100, Wine Enthusiast

A nose of brambly dark berries with a touch of pine needle prepare the palate for flavors of blackberry, cassis, cocoa powder, coffee bean and eucalyptus. Tannins come on a bit heavy and then recede into a minty finish.

Red blends of this type rarely shine as brightly. This ultra concentrated and smooth-textured blend including Merlot, Petite Sirah and Malbec is inky dark in color, luxurious aromatic of blueberries, blackcurrants and mint followed by oak spices and dark chocolate on the palate. Creamy in texture, it is laden in massive but melted tannins.

The Fiano di Avellino is grown on the Irpinia hills, where the peculiar microclimate lends the wine notes of toasted hazelnuts and soft dried fruit. The acidity adds an extra splash of personality and makes it the perfect choice for pairing with soups, seafood and your favourite white meat dishes.

Barbera d’Alba Superiore La Lisi boasts an intense ruby red hue with garnet reflections. Its aromatic profile is characterized by a fruity, vigorous, and fragrant nose, offering notes of raspberries and other berries. This wine is pleasantly savory and balanced on the palate, delivering a fresh and fruit-filled experience from bouquet to finish.

With its usual deep ruby red colour, Ornellaia 2020 stands out on the nose with ripe red fruits and delicate vanilla and gentle tobacco notes. Upon tasting, the wine reveals itself to be rounded and velvety, making an enjoyable and engaging first impression that entices for a second sip. The tannins are dense yet elegant and the finish proves to be savoury and enduring.

This Pinot from Oregon stands as a testament to the state's ability to produce wines that can indeed rival those from Burgundy. This realization is further solidified upon tasting this particular wine, which is currently in its optimal drinking window and will remain so for the next few years. It opens up slowly, revealing a salty zest of dark cherry and the wild garrigue—a type of herby scrub found in Burgundy. This wine is a gastronomic delight, becoming one of my favorites when paired with a seared steak accompanied by a red wine pan jus.

Neroametà emerges from the white vinification of the Aglianico grape, showcasing an age-old family vision that highlights the exceptional adaptability of this venerable vine. This wine is a homage both to the varietal heritage of the black Aglianico grape, which reveals a distinctive elegance when vinified in white, and to the wine's geographical and cultural roots, reflecting the harmony and contrast of its landscape. It features an elegant bouquet, rich in expansive and intricate floral notes, including lily of the valley and citrus, seamlessly integrated with subtle fruity and mineral nuances. On the palate, it presents a fresh, savory, and bold profile, leading to an intense mineral-laced finish, encapsulating its refined complexity and depth.

Established in 1869, this family-operated winery stands as one of the most venerable estates in Alto Adige. Now run by Elena Walch and her two daughters, their name is synonymous with quality. Made from 100% Lagrein, a grape indigenous to the area, is one of the most tannic grapes in all of Italy. The wines produced from this grape are characterized by their freshness and elegance, offering notes of berry, spice, and cocoa, complemented by firm tannins. Try with meat heavier meats, such as wild game, bison and beef steak.

~mjh

Aromas of black pepper, strawberry, green bell pepper and chalk with hints of mint are on the nose. This is a medium-bodied red that features red fruit and herbaceous flavors. It has a mineral character, soft tannins and medium acidity.

Provenance Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a, full-bodied, and, velvety Napa Valley red, primarily sourcing from Rutherford and other top AVAs. It features rich,, dark fruit flavors of blackcurrant, plum, and, blackberry, complemented by cocoa and, fine, integrated tannins. The wine is, aged for 18 months in French oak, offering a long, structured finish. 

On the nose, it offers aromas of black currant, blackberry, and vanilla, along with notes of tobacco and leather. On the palate, it is full-bodied with well-structured tannins and flavors of black cherry, plum, and chocolate. The wine has a long and smooth finish, making it a great pairing for hearty meat dishes.

91/100 Wine Enthusiast
"This smooth and open young wine mixes a lush mash-up of purple fruits, notably plums and blueberries, with a gentle hint of tanned leather. The tannins are soft and smooth, making this a great candidate for drinking over the next two or three years. Paul Gregutt"

The Chave family has been tending vines on the world famous hill of Hermitage for half a millennia. The estate was handed down to Gérard Chave in 1970, who quickly established a reputation for producing incredible wines. His son, Jean Louis, a graduate from the University of California Davis, is the most recent generation to manage the estate. Jean-Louis Chave Selections is the wineries line of négociant wines. The grapes are sourced from select growers located in the Rhône. The "Mon Coeur" Côtes-du-Rhône is made from a blend of grapes harvested from plots in Vinsobres, Visan, Buisson, and Estargues. It represents an affordable entry-point into of the France's finest producers.

Rich in red and blue flowers giving pleasure in the notes of lavender, passionflower, magnolias and gardenias. A lot of citrusy hints describe the secondary scene. Medium to full bodied, extremely light, gentle tannins of very fine grain and a harmonic, balanced finale with a smooth, progressive closure.

"Lush fruits of black cherry, blackberry and red plum. Rich notes of freshly turned earth, magnolia flower and sweet touches of white chocolate. Young round silky tannins provide a long finish. These soil series were born from the volcanic eruptions of the Blue Mountains 15 million years ago, which created basalt islands that still sit on the top of Northern Willamette Valley hills. This representation of those volcanic soil series is specifically from the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. Ken Wright has been working with their Estate vineyards in the Eola-Amity Hills since the late 80s and they are now firmly tapped into the volcanic basalt parent material. This mother rock is what gives wine true character and identifiable regional complexities of this Volcanic AVA." - Ken Wright Cellars