Becker Guillaume Red Wine
$27.19
Guillaume is the French translation of Wilhelm. The name Wilhelm in turn means the conqueror.
With a mouthful of a label name like Familie Friedrich Becker Guillaume Rotwein, you must be wondering: is this wine German or French? This Cuvee takes its queues from both wine-making countries, typically being made with a combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Dornfelder. It also sometimes features Pinot Meunier and Blauer Portugieser (a red grape variety planted mostly in Germany, Austria and also in Portugal, under the name “Português Azul”). The exact recipe for this Cuvee changes from vintage to vintage.
Thanks to the growing region, the grapes are grown on two different soil types. Some vines are planted on deep loam and clay soils while others are rooted in limestone soils. The age of the vines is between 19 and 35 years. The grapes are hand-picked, destemmed and allowed to naturally ferment. After two to three weeks of fermentation in open oak vats and vats, they were gently pressed. Further maturation took place for 25 months in large and small oak barrels. The wine was bottled in December 2022 without filtration or fining.
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The Becker family owns more than 30 hectares and produces over 12,000 cases annually. Positioned on the very border with France in the town of Schweigen, the Beckers have witnessed that border shifting throughout history. Today, they have vineyards on both the French and German sides, at the edge of the Palatinate (Pfalz) forest—with 50 percent of their land situated on the French side in Alsace.
The soils in the area are composed of deep layers of shell limestone, with various topsoils, which in combination with the region’s mild climate, provide the ideal growing conditions for Spätburgunder. Hence, the logical focus is on the variety. As one of the pioneers, Fritz Becker Sr. was also one of the first winemakers in the region to mature his Spätburgunder in barriques.
Their most prestigious vineyard is Kammerberg, a steep single vineyard on deep marl and limestone near Wissembourg, recovered by Fritz Sr. in 1967. The old vines are mostly German clones and some French and grow on deep marl lime soils that produce powerful but also refined, mineral-driven Pinot Noirs (it is all about the dirt here!); St. Paul cultivated here in the 14th century by the Cistercians of Wissembourg, which had since become overgrown but the Beckers uprooted trees and bushes in early 2000 and planted Spätburgunder; and Sonnenberg, with poor limestone soils ideal for growing Riesling.
From KWM: We sourced these wines a year ago after reading the rave reviews from numerous publications, in Germany and beyond. The Pinot Noirs are prized and will give Burgundy fans a solid alternative.
Becker Herrenwingert Pinot Noir
$88.39
The Becker family owns more than 30 hectares and produces over 12,000 cases annually. Positioned on the very border with France in the town of Schweigen, the Beckers have witnessed that border shifting throughout history. Today, they have vineyards on both the French and German sides, at the edge of the Palatinate (Pfalz) forest—with 50 percent of their land situated on the French side in Alsace.
The soils in the area are composed of deep layers of shell limestone, with various topsoils, which in combination with the region’s mild climate, provide the ideal growing conditions for Spätburgunder. Hence, the logical focus is on the variety. As one of the pioneers, Fritz Becker Sr. was also one of the first winemakers in the region to mature his Spätburgunder in barriques.
Their most prestigious vineyard is Kammerberg, a steep single vineyard on deep marl and limestone near Wissembourg, recovered by Fritz Sr. in 1967. The old vines are mostly German clones and some French and grow on deep marl lime soils that produce powerful but also refined, mineral-driven Pinot Noirs (it is all about the dirt here!); St. Paul cultivated here in the 14th century by the Cistercians of Wissembourg, which had since become overgrown but the Beckers uprooted trees and bushes in early 2000 and planted Spätburgunder; and Sonnenberg, with poor limestone soils ideal for growing Riesling.
From KWM: We sourced these wines a year ago after reading the rave reviews from numerous publications, in Germany and beyond. The Pinot Noirs are prized and will give Burgundy fans a solid alternative.
Pietradolce Etna Bianco
$36.54
Pietradolce is a story of historical and family traditions, with its roots on the northern slopes of Mount Etna in Solicchiata, a hamlet a few kilometres from Castiglione di Sicilia. The estate is a unique expression of passion and visceral attachment to the land, the crucial values of their winery philosophy. Environmental sustainability, organic cultivation and good practices based on Etna’s traditions are what underlies their winemaking.
Torabhaig Allt Gleann Single Malt
$94.49
Allt Gleann is the second release from Torabhaig Distillery on the Isle of Skye, and the first whisky from this distillery to find its way to Canada. It was produced from peated Laureate and Concerto Barly, fermented with Saspirit M-1 & Pinnacle MG+ yeasts, and matured in a mix of 80% first fill and 20% refill casks before bottling at 46%. The barley was peated to 77ppm with highland peat, with just 17ppm in the resulting spirit. The distillery's tag line is that their whiskies exhibit "well-tempered peat!" 89pts Whisky Fun!
Producer Description
"Our second release in The Legacy Series, Allt Gleann is named after one of two burns that feed the distillery. An evolution on the 2017 inaugural release, Allt Gleann introduces Laureate malted barley alongside Concerto, Safspirit M-1 yeast alongside Pinnacle MG+, and re-fill whisky barrels in maturation alongside first-fill bourbon barrels. There is a little more peat and added complexity compared to the 2017 inaugural release, elegantly showcasing the evolution of our spirit."
High West High Country Single Malt
$97.19
The High Country Single Malt is a relative departure for High West, in that it is made entirely of whiskey from their own distillery instead of being a blend of their own juice with sourced Rye and Bourbon from Indiana or Kentucky. It is made at High West's Distillery in Park City, Utah and has a Mash Bill of 85 base malt, 14% Caramel 60 Malt, and 1% Chocolate Malt. Bottled at 44%.
Macbeth Collection BenRiach 31 Year
$825.99
Part of a massive 42 bottle collection of whiskies, wherein each release represents a character from Shakespeare's MacBeth.
31-year-old BenRiach matured in American Oak Refill Hogsheads. You've probably heard us wax poetic about how much we love these types of casks. This BenRiach should be a cracker! 88.7pts on Whiskybase
Producer Note: “For Menteith, a nobleman who marched to oppose Macbeth, we have selected a malt from the ruggedly beautiful Benriach Distillery, which shines bright in various woods. It is a treat to find it so perfectly expressed, aged 31 years, in these high-quality Bourbon barrels: all the hallmarks of a classic fruit-driven, floral Benriach, with rich caramel and cinder (a nod to the dark) delivered by the casks.”
Natural colour, non-chill filtered, and bottled at 53.1% abv.
Macbeth Collection Glen Garioch 31 Year
$825.99
Part of a massive 42 bottle collection of whiskies, wherein each release represents a character from Shakespeare's MacBeth.
This 31-year-old Glen Garioch was matured in American Oak First Fill Bourbon Barrels. One of the most interesting releases in the range. 89.67pts on Whiskybase
Producer Note: “There is complexity in Angus, who is among the thanes who switch allegiance from Macbeth to Malcolm over the course of the play. Our choice of distillery here, Glen Garioch has a fascinating tale of its own - the early 1990s saw a return to slower production that you can taste in the weight of the spirit. Florals and spices are balanced and tempered by the unctuous mouthfeel.”
Natural colour, non-chill filtered, and bottled at 54.6% abv.
Tri Carragh Ardmore 2009 12 Year
$126.74
Glendalough 7 Year Mizunara Finish
$113.39
Japanese Mizunara Casks: So hot right now! They can magically be used to finish any whisky and make it more expensive in the process. This single malt whiskey was initially matured in ex-Bourbon casks before a period of finishing in Mizunara oak. The result is at least 7 years old and bottled at 46%.
Glendalough Distillery was founded by five friends in 2011. It was the first craft distillery to come online in Ireland in the modern era, and heralded the upcoming boom of distillery and brand growth Irish Whiskey would soon undergo. Glendalough Distillery resides in a valley within County Wicklow, about an hour's drive south of Dublin. It has been owned by Mark Anthony Brands since 2019.
Producer Description
"As the first Irish whiskey distillery to use the rare and exotic Mizunara, we had very much ventured into the unknown. Bringing Irish single malt and Japanese oak together went far off the beaten path, literally.
The volcanic northern-most island of Japan, Hokkaido is where we found Mizunara, the most sought-after oak in the whiskey world which we use to age our 7yo Irish Single Malt.
The trunks of these uniquely beautiful trees are prone to growing twisted and are notoriously difficult to cooper due to its porousness. However, therein lies its saving grace, whiskey can seep deeper into the wood extracting more flavour from this unique cask."