Cellar Wines

Fermentation of Altamura Cabernet Sauvignon occurs in both open and closed top fermenters. Certain lots are allowed to macerate on their skins for up to three weeks following fermentation. This technique produces a wine with softer,... Read More

The 2018 Le Corton Grand Cru has turned out very nicely in bottle, offering up a deep and complex bouquet of cassis, wild berries, grilled meats, black truffle, blood orange and sweet forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, deep... Read More

Alex Sanchez makes memorable wines. His Brovia 2018 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione hits close to home, as this vineyard in Castiglione Falletto is especially elegant and well managed. The wine shows pinpoint precision with small... Read More

This has a slightly grainy feel, with cedar and ground vanilla bean notes leading to layers of plum, cherry compote and lightly mulled currant fruit. A strong tobacco accent fills in on the finish, revealing a cedary echo at the... Read More

Of course, the wine to buy in order to get a look at the Lafite Rothschild style and personality is their second wine, Carruades de Lafite, which has become very fashionable in Asia, causing the prices to soar. A very strong effort,... Read More

The second wine, the 2007 Carraudes de Lafite, is nearly equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with tiny dollops of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. A sleeper of the vintage, it offers sexy, ripe berry fruit intermixed with... Read More

"Has coffee and chocolate aromas, with hints of ripe fruit. Medium-bodied, with soft tannins and a fruity, plummy, milk chocolaty aftertaste. Best after 2012." Wine Spectator 89

The Castello Banfi 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio alle Mura pours from the bottle with an inky dark appearance and rich color concentration. The full-bodied Brunello takes the Banfi philosophy (based on research and... Read More

A blend of (organic and biodynamic) Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese, the 2019 Sammarco is more austere and even robust compared to the punchier style prized throughout this portfolio. This is a firmly grounded wine,... Read More

Each year, Caymus sets aside the best barrels of our Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley to produce Special Selection. Distinguished by extremely fine, velvety tannins and enjoyable upon release or with aging. A wine of structure... Read More

Aged for around 18 months in barrel, 60% new and 40% second fill, the 2018 Beychevelle needs a fair bit of swirling to release classic notes of cassis, plum preserves and ripe blackberries, with emerging suggestions of unsmoked... Read More

Rich and muscular, the 2020 Beychevelle offers up aromas of cassis, blackberries and baked plums mingled with notions of spices, pencil shavings and toasty new oak. Medium to full-bodied, thick and fleshy, with an ample core of... Read More

Aromas of raspberries, currants, pencil shavings and sweet spices introduce the 2019 Beychevelle, a medium to full-bodied, supple and enveloping wine that's fleshy and seamless, with a generous core of fruit, ripe tannins... Read More

The 2019 Duhart-Milon is showing beautifully, mingling aromas of cassis and wild berries with notions of violets, cedar wood, orange rind, licorice and spice box in a perfumed bouquet. Medium to full-bodied, supple and seamless,... Read More

This rolls through with a cashmere grace, offering cassis, steeped plum and blackberry purée flavors infused with black tea and incense notes. A late alder thread keeps this nicely grounded. Suave. Merlot and Cabernet Franc.... Read More

A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 L'Eglise Clinet has a 3.63 pH and 14.5% alcohol. It was aged in 70% new barriques. Deep garnet-purple in color, it opens with a stunning fragrant-earth perfume, accented... Read More

The 2019 Léoville Poyferré is showing very well in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of crème de cassis and wild berries mingled with notions of licorice, loamy soil, cigar wrapper and smoke. Full-bodied,... Read More

The 2018 Montrose is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Very deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a good amount of air to unlock the vibrant scents of crushed blackberries, preserved... Read More

While Justine Tesseron declined my request to taste at the property, I was able to acquire a bottle of the 2020 Pontet-Canet for review. The wine starts strong, wafting from the glass with attractive aromas of cherries, sweet... Read More

The 2019 Pontet-Canet offers up an expressive bouquet of plummy fruit, kirsch, dried herbs and peonies. On the palate, it's full-bodied, ample and seamless, with melting tannins, succulent acids, and a long, liqueured finish.... Read More

A voluptuous wine, this is rich and fruity yet properly balanced by a magnificent structure. Pure, crisp and packed with a black currant flavor, this will be a remarkable wine as it develops. Still young, it needs many years to... Read More

Chimney Rock's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District is pretty textbook stuff, delivering black cherries and cassis dusted in dried earth and mixed spices. Medium to full-bodied, it's silky and fine, not overpowering... Read More

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Tomahawk Vineyard is slightly brighter and more perfumed than the Ganymede, offering a brilliant array of crème de cassis and black raspberries as well as spicy oak, graphite, and spring flower... Read More

Powerful and well-structured, with vibrant acidity backing a lively blend of dark fruit and fresh-crushed cooking spice flavors. Cedary and savory notes in the midpalate, with a long finish filled with underbrush accents. Drink... Read More

Dalla Valle was the first winery to demonstrate what heights Cabernet Franc could reach in the valley with their Maya proprietary blend, which averages 50-55% Cabernet Franc and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2012 Maya is a... Read More

A ripe, lush style, with waves of warmed plum sauce, cassis, Christmas pudding and melted black licorice rolling through, inlaid with singed tobacco, menthol and loam hints along the way. For fans of the big style. Drink now through... Read More

Rising star Caterina Dei has produced this estate bottled wine in a refined, elegant style. Intense aromatics of ripe cherries and plums are nuanced with spice and leather on the rich palate. Suave, silky finish.

A seductive, polished red, with sappy cherry, black currant and warm licorice melting together, all upheld by a spine of iron. Offers garrigue, black pepper and singed apple wood smoke accents on the lush palate, which shows real... Read More

Ripe and polished, with a friendly beam of warmed cassis and plum sauce flavors flanked by singed vanilla and apple wood. Reveals a tug of tobacco on the finish. Leans to toasty in the end, but is solidly built nevertheless. Drink... Read More

Generous scents of ripe cherries emerge on the nose of the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, joined by hints of cedar, vanilla, dried herbs and some darker berries. Full-bodied and velvety in texture, it's a fine representation... Read More

The Brovia 2018 Barolo Garblèt Sue' reveals a fine texture with seamless aromas of purple and red forest fruits that appear delicately and softly. Those lifted primary notes are followed by a filigree of spice, tar,... Read More

The 2016 Bolgheri Rosso Camarcanda (Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc) is infinitely smooth and finely textured down to the very last pixel in what is a high-resolution panoramic photograph. The core of the wine is packed tight with... Read More

Derived mostly from Renardes this year, the 2017 Corton Grand Cru is a definite success, offering up aromas of cassis, spicy soil, grilled meat and dark chocolate. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and incisive,... Read More

The 2021 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley was matured for 15 months in 34% new oak. It has a medium ruby color and generous aromatic layers of lavender, licorice, eucalyptus and forest floor with a core of dark fruit. The medium-bodied... Read More

The 2017 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast was aged for 10-17 months in 40% new French oak, 15% wood tanks and 6% concrete tanks. Medium ruby, it's broodily scented with black cherries, underbrush, pencil shavings and dried tobacco... Read More

The 2021 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast was matured in 39% new oak for 15 months. The nose opens slowly from allspice and brown sugar to a core of red cherry and cranberry, tea leaves, and lavender. The medium-bodied palate offers surprisingly... Read More

Matured for 15 months in 52% new oak, the 2021 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills has a very pretty expression this vintage. The nose features detailed scents of blueberries, strawberries, Earl Grey tea leaves and forest floor, and the... Read More

This beautiful, stunningly dense purple-colored effort (includes about 90% Cabernet Sauvignon) offers up precise notes of graphite, black cherries, cassis, scorched earth, and minerals. Medium to full-bodied with fabulous fruit,... Read More

This mouthwatering Champagne has an ethereal quality, with a frame of chiseled acidity and focused precision to the pointillisme-like, vibrant mousse. Yet this shows depth and generous expression, with the finely spun notes of... Read More

This distinctive version leads with pine forest, sweet bay leaf and savory notes, with a core of steeped currant and bitter plum fruit, plus ample tobacco and warm stone notes in the background. The finish is chiseled in feel,... Read More

Ruby and garnet red in color, this structured and elegant wine offers notes of mature fruits, mint, eucalyptus, and fine spices with fine tannins.

"Very fine tannins with bright acidity yet soft at the same time. Redcurrants. Medium body. Polished and lightly savory. So pretty for a 2020. Drink or hold." James Suckling 94

Layered aromas of blueberry and blackberry waft from the glass at its first swirl. The wine lingers on the palate with delightful purity of fruit. Flavors of plum, black currant and savory herb come alive from beginning to end.... Read More

Very deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Opus One soars out of the glass with bright, bold boysenberries, warm cassis and ripe, juicy black plums notes, plus emerging nuances of lilacs, oolong tea, cinnamon stick, tilled soil... Read More

Winemaker Dave Phinney expects to bottle a bit more than 6,000 cases of the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Mercury Head, what he calls a typical volume for it. Sourced from a couple of well-known valley floor sites and the Stagecoach... Read More

This is a beautiful expression of coastal Tuscany and the sunny Mediterranean. The Ornellaia 2019 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia (a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot) pours from the... Read More

The 2018 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia is complete and seamlessly stitched together with extreme care and precision. This is an almost technical blend of Merlot (at 50% of the blend for the first time), 42% Cabernet Sauvignon,... Read More

This vintage of Ornellaia is called Solare and represents the 12th edition in the estate's Vendemmia d'Artista series featuring artwork by Tomás Saraceno. His beautiful art depicts a radiant sun halo and is intended... Read More

This is a beauty, so generous and opulent with fully seamless transitions. The wine’s traditional blend is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with tiny percentages of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, although this warm... Read More

An intense red, defined by lively acidity and framed by dense, ripe tannins that showcase its black currant, blackberry, violet and toasty oak aromas and flavors. Iron and wild herb accents emerge as this plays out on the finish.... Read More

The 2016 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia is a wine of extreme complexity and precision. It offers monumental depth with profound layers of black fruit, coffee, licorice and baking chocolate. I tasted this 2016 vintage beside the... Read More

Our 2021 Chardonnay is a thrilling, age-worthy wine, ultra-rich and concentrated yet beautifully balanced with lively fresh-style. Intense aromas of ripe gooseberry, lemongrass, and sweet clover bound from the glass with lingering... Read More

With aromas of earth, dried spice and crushed stone, the Paolo Scavino 2018 Barolo Bric dël Fiasc holds its own in this vintage. Thanks to its wide shoulders, the wine gives emphasis to a core of dark fruit, licorice and... Read More

Moving over to Novello, the Paolo Scavino 2018 Barolo Ravera is slightly more simplistic in this vintage with a tart cherry element that opens loud over the bouquet. You might also notice crushed white pepper, salty limestone... Read More

The 2020 Patrimony Cabernet Sauvignon, made entirely with free-run juice, will be in 100% new French oak barrels for 30 months. It has an opaque ruby-black color and youthfully gregarious aromas of cassis, blueberries, pencil... Read More

The Produttori del Barbaresco 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Asili (with 9,029 bottles produced) is distinguished by its elegance and the very smooth and silky delivery of fruit managed here. Seamless transitions are made between wild... Read More

With exactly 16,090 bottles made, the Produttori del Barbaresco 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello is another stellar experience in this series of nine single-vineyard Riserva wines from Barbaresco's most successful wine cooperative.... Read More

The 2016 Vintage Port is a field blend, mostly Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cao and Sousao, aged for 18 months in old wood. It comes in with 82 grams of residual sugar. This was in bottle for only about seven weeks... Read More

Marked by scents of cherries and raspberries, with just the barest hints of cedar and mocha-tinged oak, Quintessa's fruit-forward 2021 Proprietary Red Wine is wonderfully smooth and supple in the mouth. It's medium to... Read More

At first glance, this commanding Cabernet Sauvignon displays aromas of pronounced blackberry notes, black pepper spice, fresh-cut pine, pencil shavings, dried herbs, and a pleasing woodsy feel. There is a juicy entry on the palate... Read More

The 2018 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is ruby in color with notes of strawberry, fresh carnation, black pepper and vanilla. This wine builds in strength and body across the mid-palate with a blackberry character on... Read More

This Cabernet Sauvignon is crafted by world famous winemaker, Philippe Melka, from Skipstone's hillside estate vineyard terraces. Only 675 cases were produced of this stunning, concentrated, powerhouse Cabernet. Jeb Dunnuck... Read More

Slated for a September 2024 release, Spottswoode's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon comes across as more vibrant, floral and fresh than the 2020. Violet and cassis notes are accented by hints of crushed stone and pencil shavings on... Read More

The new top-of-the-range is the 2017 Yjar, a difficult name in most languages, selected because the property used to be managed by the Duque de Híjar—this is just a different spelling. It's a red produced with... Read More