Cesar Marquez Parajes Red
$34.99
César Marquez Perez has deep roots in Bierzo. His family founded the Castro Ventosa winery in 1752 and they still own it today. Thanks to that long history, he has access to many of the top sites in the region. He has grown up in the vines and wineries in Bierzo and has learned from his elders, including his uncle Raul Perez. And now he has his own project. He launched his solo project in 2015 with 4 wines. Today he makes 7 wines from 6 HA of 80 to 120-year-old vines.
He is a part of the new wave of Spanish vignerons who know the greater world of wine and also have a respect for and connection to the land around him. He is finding old vines in uniques sites and vinifying them separately to showcase the ability of Mencía to transmit terroir. He is structuring his lineup of wines in Burgundian fashion - appellation wine, village wine, and single vineyard wines. He is farming organically. He is using partial whole cluster, reductive winemaking and low sulphur. He is making wines that are not just great for Bierzo or Spain, but that stand alongside the best wines from any region or country.
Taylor Fladgate 10 Year Tawny Port
$44.99
93 points from Robert Parke's Wine Advocate! The review: "It is my opinion that Taylor's tawny ports are the best of their type. When tasted against other tawnys, they all exhibit more aromatic personalities, greater fruit and ripeness, and a wonderful sweetness and length. The Ten Year Old Tawny is a personal favorite, as well as the best bargain among these ports."
Jaboulet Ermitage Rouge 2018
$117.99
Philippe Jaboulet and his son, Vincent, carry on long-established family winemaking traditions at Domaine Philippe & Vincent Jaboulet in Crozes-Hermitage. Located in the northern Rhône Valley about one mile south of Tain l’Hermitage, the domaine was founded in 2006 following the sale of Maison Paul Jaboulet Ainé, where Philippe managed the family’s vineyards and handled all grape purchasing. After the sale, Philippe and Vincent retained about 32 acres of the family’s vineyards, including most notably a parcel of the original Thalabert vineyard, which is situated in the Crozes-Hermitage appellation. (Philippe and Vincent Jaboulet acquired another 37 acres to add to the newly formed domaine, including a small plot in Cornas-1.7 acres.) The parcel from the Thalabert vineyard that belonged to Paul Jaboulet Ainé was renamed Nouvelère, commemorating the ‘new era’. The domaine’s Nouvelère wine is produced from the vineyard’s oldest vines, up to 80 years old.
The domaine owns other vineyard holdings in Crozes-Hermitage, where relatively younger vines yield full-bodied reds from the Syrah variety. These wines are aged in tanks and both small and large oak barrels; no new wood barrels are employed.) These reds are released two years after the vintage. The domaine’s Crozes Hermitage white wine comes from the Marsanne grape.
In Hermitage, the Syrah wines are sourced from 30-year-old vines in the Les Dionnières lieu-dit; the grapes are raised carefully: organic fertilizer and no chemical insecticides. The family also produces limited quantities of Hermitage white wines, made from 100% Roussanne grapes; in Cornas, a small amount of red wine is produced.
The entire domaine has received the High Environmental Value certification from the French Ministry of Agriculture, recognition of the domaine’s efforts to implement environmentally respectful practices, according to Vincent Jaboulet.
Poplar Grove Syrah
$49.99
Founded in 1993, Poplar Grove Winery is one of the original five wineries on the Naramata Bench. Tony and Barb Holler purchased the winery in 2007 with the long-term vision and commitment to building one of the most respected wine growing estates in Canada. Their sons, Chris, Andrew, Matthew and Eric farm more than 160 acres of estate vineyards with care. Together, they share a commitment to express the incredible diversity of the Okanagan Valley. The Hollers are leading the journey to put Okanagan Valley wines on the map with an unwavering commitment to traditional farming and winemaking principles.
Lopez Heredia Tondonia Reserva 375mL
$53.99
Lopez de Heredia is a family-run Spanish producer based in Rioja and regarded as one of the world’s greatest wine estates. It was founded in 1877 by Don Rafael Lopez de Heredia y Landeta. Four generations of the Lopez de Heredia family have devoted themselves to upholding their 140-year tradition of producing exceptional wines.
Tondonia, the winery’s most famous vineyard and product, was established between 1913 and 1914. It extends over 250 acres on the right bank of the River Ebro. In addition to Tondonia, the estate owns three vineyards (Cubillo, Bosconia, and Zaconia) covering a total area of 420 hectares. The soil is alluvial clay with a high proportion of limestone. Lopez de Heredia winery is the oldest in Haro and one of the first three houses in the Rioja region. They use completely natural and traditional methods of winemaking and their grapes are sourced exclusively from their own vineyards. They use typical Rioja varieties to produce the best wines: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo for reds, Viura and Malvasia for whites. The winery’s commitment to tradition is evident in their 131-year history of using American oak. They continue to have their own cooperage, making them the only bodega in Spain to hand-craft all the barrels used to age their wines.
Road 13 Viognier
$37.99
In their words: Our roots run deep in this valley, and that means we know this place like the back of our hands. Experience has taught us that you can’t make great wine without good dirt and hard work. We farm sustainably here. It’s our way of taking good care of this place we call home. It’s not always easy, but it produces honest, quality wines, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
The Golden Mile and Black Sage Bench is home to just the right mix of heat and heart in our neck of the woods.
Vajra Nebbiolo 375ml
$24.99
One of the best-kept secrets out of Piedmont is the winery G.D. Vajra. Located at 1300ft in elevation and being the highest winery in Barolo they are fortunate enough to have some of the latest ripening grapes in Barolo and also providing smaller berries with thicker skins. A lot of the vineyards were planted in 1947, but the winery itself was not started until 1972 and the first vintage was released in 1978.
"Aldo and Milena Vajra are among the quietest and most introspective of Piedmont’s top echelon growers. It is the wines that do the talking here, and they do that ever so eloquently," according to Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. And from the winemaker: "Ruby red, delicate and at times, transparent. Intense expressive aromas of violets and dried roses are layered over small red berry notes. Silky tannins envelop the palate with personality and vivacious energy."
Castell`in Villa Chianti Classico
$48.99
In 1968, Riccardo and Coralia Pignatelli della Leonessa purchased this ancient three hundred hectares estate. After a careful, conservative restoration, Castell’in Villa still maintains its medieval charm.
The Castell’in Villa Chianti Classico is composed of 100% Sangiovese grapes. It is a complex and serious blend of our different vineyards. The wine is aged in traditional Chianti Classico casks for about 12 months.
The Castell’in Villa Chianti Classico captures the fruit of the Sangiovese grapes and the earthy, spicy and slightly wild traces of the soil in a beautiful blend. It is an unusually concentrated Chianti Classico, that will invariably benefit from age. These wines are legendary for their ability to age, as is the case with the 1971 Riserva ($660, one left).
Burrowing Owl Chardonnay
$51.99
Burrowing Owl's first vineyards were planted in 1993 and the winery's first vintage was released in 1997. The winery boasts the first underground storage caves in the Okanagan Valley. This Chardonnay has a delicate bouquet of peaches and melons with just a hint of fresh mango. It is an outstanding white wine that shows lots of depth; it would shine at any dinner party. Go Canadian!