Wines
8 Items Found
- Clos Robert Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 Product #25534 (In Stock)
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Bob Stack is best known as an importer of fine value wines from around the world (his Red Dust Shiraz has been a favorite here for years). He named his California negotiant venture Clos Robert to clearly indicate his preference for French-styled Cabs, and that’s what he delivers here. The 2008 Clos Robert Cab is made from a mix of purchased fruit that Bob vinifies and wine he buys from a range of suppliers across California.
The 2008 Clos Robert is terrific blend of California ripeness and Bordeaux style. The aromas and flavors lead with big red currant, blackberry and black cherry fruit that fill your mouth from side to side without ever becoming heavy or clumsy. Notes of dark chocolate, mocha, and sweet spice add complexity and juicy acids and fine tannins keep the wine precise and refreshing. Certainly a great match for a grilled burger, but this will stand up to strip steak and delight on its own as well. - Grivault Bourgogne Blanc 2007 Product #22930 (In Stock)
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The 2007 vintage was a challenge in Burgundy. The growing season started early but then slowed dramatically during a wet June and cool, cloudy, July and August. When August winds began to blow and dry things out, growers jumped to start their Pinot Noir harvests before rot could spread and carry away their crop. Chardonnay growers had to make a tough decision – start to harvest quickly (limiting losses to rot) or wait for better ripeness and accept lower yields.
At Domaine Grivault, Michel Bardet decided to wait, and was able to harvest a reasonably sized crop in September with good fruit flavors and ripe acids. After fermentation, the wine completed its malolactic fermentation over the winter and remained in used (4 years older or older) barrels until bottling. Like most good 2007s, this was intense and a little intimidating when it arrived in the US in March, 2010, but now it’s started to unfurl.
Today, there’s a lot going on aromatically here, with notes of French butter and grilled nuts on top and apple skin, chervil, citrus and a touch of dried herb honey swirling underneath. In the mouth, very 2007 – bracing and bright with loads of bright lemon, passion fruit, and lemon rind at first and then green apple, lime, limestone coming up underneath. A note of fresh butter and nut shows towards the end before the juicy acids and saline mineral kick in to make your mouth water. A sense of lemon butter and fresh mint lingers on and on. A stunning wine for shell fish or poultry with a touch of citrus right now and still plenty of potential to improve. - Condado De Haza Ribera Del Duero 2007 Product #25419 (In Stock)
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In the 16 months since Tanzer published his review of the 2007 Condado de Haza, it’s rounded out beautifully and opened up for immediate enjoyment. It’s 100% Tempranillo given a long fermentation – 25 days – and then aged 18 months in fine-grained American oak. Easy enough to enjoy on its own on a cold winter’s night, this will sing with grilled meats, rich braises, or most any stew or dish featuring meat and black olives.
“Ruby-red. Musky aromas of berry skin and cherry, with complicating notes of dried flowers and herbs. Firm on entry, then fleshier in the middle, offering sweet red fruit flavors and a subtle peppery quality. Sweeter on the anise-tinged finish, where the cherry element lingers with good intensity. This will be drinking well soon, or could even be enjoyed now with a little aeration.”International Wine Cellar 90 points
- Celler Cecilio Negre Priorat 2009 Product #25693 (In Stock)
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Always rich and complex, Negre has just a touch more volume, intensity, and power in the warm 2009 vintage. There’s plenty of generous fruit and spice here, but it’s the stony mineral character that makes it special. Drink it now with roasted or grilled meat while a few bottles gain more complexity and definition in cellar for a decade.
“Celler Cecilio is the oldest registered winery in Priorat. The 2009 Negre is the same blend as the 2008 (50% Garnacha, 30% Carinena, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon) and received the identical elevage (fermented with native yeasts and aged for 12 months in seasoned French oak). Reflecting the better vintage, it offers up a racy bouquet of cherry blossoms, incense, black cherry, black raspberry, and lavender. More structured and concentrated than the 2008, it will benefit from 1-2 years of additional bottle age and provide enjoyment through 2019.”Wine Advocate 91 points
- Dom Weinbach Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg 2010 Product #25204 (In Stock)
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My tasting note from August, 2011, at the Domaine reads, "We've got to have this!" Every bit as refreshing as the Riesling Reserve, this layers on Grand Cru intensity and depth and an endless finish. You'll find Gala apple, white peach, and lots of zesty lime flavor here under intense aromas of fresh flowers, wet stones, and lime zest. This long, complex, mouthwatering, white comes from the upper slopes of the first vineyard in Alsace to achieve “Grand Cru” status.
"Racy and medium-bodied, this offers flavors of yellow apple, candied lemon zest, beeswax, blanched almond and lots of ground spice. Lovely precision to the overall balance. Mouthwatering finish. Drink now through 2020."Wine Spectator 92 points
- Dom Weinbach Gewurtztraminer Cuvee Theo 2010 Product #25209 (In Stock)
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Named for Catherine Faller’s father, Theo, this classic Alsace Gewurtz comes from the Domaine's home vineyard of Clos des Capucin and a vineyard in Altenbourg. A wonderful balance of intensity and cut with open, generous, accessibility. Exotic fruits and a strong lychee nut element are framed by baking spice and stony, smoky, mineral notes. The lip-smacking, smoke-tinged finish brings you back for another sip.
"A dry and streamlined Gewürz, with lively acidity framing flavors of pink grapefruit, cantaloupe, star fruit and lots of white pepper and pickled ginger. The fresh finish shows a briny hint of fleur de sel. Drink now through 2022."Wine Spectator 91 points
- AP Vin Pinot Noir Ridgetop Vyd Sonoma Coast 2010 Product #25588 (In Stock)
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My personal favorite from Tuesday’s tasting with winemaker Andrew Vingiello, this screams “Sonoma Coast Pinot” to me. Andrew made 125 cases of this beauty in 2010 from fruit grown at 1,100 feet just a few miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. Andrew explained that this site gets plenty of cooling breezes from the ocean, but sits above the fog line on the eastern side of the mountains, allowing the vines to reach full ripeness even in a roller-coaster year like 2010.
The aromas and flavors show plenty of tangy Pinot Noir fruit with a lift of almost citrusy acidity and softly tannic finish. I liked the brightness and sweet/sour, ying/yang of this wine and the lengthy, soft, finish. - Amalie Robert Pinot Noir The Estate 2007 Product #25737 (In Stock)
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Ernie and Dena’s first Pinot love was a bottle of Dujac and their winemaking mentor was Cristom’s Steve Doerner. You’ll find both of those influences here. Partial whole cluster fermentation adds structure and exotic spice to the dark red fruit flavors and a little bulk to the fine, firm, tannins. This will continue to unfurl over the next few years, but would be a stunner with duck and cherry sauce tonight!
“Vivid red. Exotically spiced red berry and cherry aromas are complicated by notes of cola, sassafras, star anise and cinnamon. Juicy, impressively precise red fruit flavors are framed by silky tannins and lifted by a zesty suggestion of blood orange. Fine-grained and lithe, leaving sweet red fruit and candied floral notes behind. This sexy wine is drinking very well today but is balanced to reward another five years of aging.”International Wine Cellar 91 points
