Le Sommelier Inc.

Varietals: Merlot 50%, Cabernet Sauvignon 29%, Cabernet Franc 21%

Soil type: Alluvial clay

Maturation: Aged in 100% French Oak for twenty-three (23) months.  The wine is further aged for a minimum of an additional 12 months in the bottle.  Aging in the bottle allows the wine to rest and round out its natural fruit flavour and aromatic attributes.

Alcohol: 13.8%

Tasting notes:  This Meritage (Bordeaux Blend) reveals lots of fruit.  The mouth feel is like velvet.  Unveiled on the palate are ripe cherry, currant, plum, strawberry, blueberry and wild berries.  The fruit is intertwined with hints of caramel, smoke, and toast that are wrapped around the fruit.  It is complex, rich, and has fruit that is extremely well balanced.

Silver Medal - Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, New York

Varietal: Caberlot 100%

Best drinking: 2009 - 2017 

Tasting notes / Review: "The 2005 Il Carnasciale possesses gorgeous, exotic aromatics that meld into a finessed expression of wild herbs, cracked black pepper, red fruits, tobacco and flowers. This is a truly joyous wine imbued with tons of personality. It has less structure than its bigger sibling, but that will allow it to drink well relatively early. This is a very strong effort in this vintage. The entry-level Il Carnasciale is made from the barrels that are culled from the estate’s top selection, Il Caberlot. In 2005, these were generally lots from the younger vineyards. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2017." 90 pts, Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate June 2008

Varietals: Syrah 96%, Cabernet Sauvignon 2%, Grenache 2%

Soil type: Mix of weathering granite, serpentine, shale and limestone, with shale and limestone being the most predominant bedrock types.

Alcohol: 14%

Tasting notes / Reviews: Pepper, spices, tar and black treacle when young. Will develop the characteristics of damsons, raspberries and blackcurrants.

2005 Vintage: 93 pts Bon Appetit, 91 pts International Wine Cellar

PharaohMoans reflects their desire to honor the birthplace of wine. The label is printed to reflect papyrus paper-like paper in the shape of the Rosetta Stone using Hieroglyphics to describe the wine and vintage.

Varietals: 94% Merlot, Cabernet Franc 6%

Tasting notes / Review: "The 2006 vintage is not lacking in (flavor): Silky, elegant, and smoky, this California take on Pomerol is...cooler than, say, the bright, berry-filled 2005 vintage, showing more dark plum and earthy spice. Yet the wine’s structure and style are pure Barrett, which is to say they are pure artistry." Brett Anderson, Robb Report, October 2007

Wine Spectator, 93 points 2003 Vintage (07/05)

The 2006 harvest was a busy one due to dramatic growing conditions.  They started the year with heavy flooding and then a lot of rain in the Spring which lead to a delay in bud break by a few weeks. June brought beautiful conditions and the vines began to bloom and set fruit.  By mid-July they had record-setting heat that may have in fact aided the vintage to ‘catch up’.  Fall brought a cool, long growing season.  The extended hang time helped in the development of very complex, concentrated flavors.  Heidi is very pleased with the vintage and anticipates another complex yet elegant vintage.

The ‘06 vintage label was created by Louisiana artist George Rodrigue, best known for his famous loup-garou or “Blue Dog.”

More reviews on past vintages 

Varietal: Viognier

Maturation: New French Oak barrels and aged on the lees for two months.

Tasting notes: It is characterized by essences of ripe pineapple, lemon, grapefruit, and tangerine. A viscous mouth feel, balanced acidity, and subtle tones of toast and vanilla finish out with a lingering richness.

Varietal: Syrah

Suggested food: Enjoy with hearty stews, steak, and roasts or tomato based pasta dishes.

Tasting notes: Big, ripe, intense layers of blackberry, cherry, pepper, and meaty tones. Firm structure lends to this richly colored Syrah.

Varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon 67%, Syrah 20%, Merlot 8%, Cabernet Franc 5%

Maturation: 18 months in French and American barrels

Suggested food: Beef, game, or tomato based dishes

Varietals: Rich with black pepper, blackberry, cherry, chocolate, tobacco, and a long balanced mouth feel, it will continue to develop for the next 5 years.

Varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon  80%, Malbec 13%, Merlot 7%

Maturation: 16 months in new French oak

Tasting notes: This balanced wine is robust, with flavors of blackberry, cherry, cassis, tobacco, chocolate, smoke and spice, and long velvety tannins lend it to a long rich finish.

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon

Soil Type: Sandy loam over clay

Alcohol: 14%

Varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot.

Maturation: 18 months in 225 liter casks

Suggested food: Rich meat dishes and ripe cheeses.

Tasting notes / Review: Intense, deep ruby red in the colour. Fine and broad with notes of small black fruits and pleasant spicy sensations. Full and with a great structure sustained by mature, silky tannins; nuances of coconut and tobacco, with long persistence on the palate.

"Gorgeous aromas of blackberry and currant, with hints of vanilla. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and a silky finish. Balanced and refined. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Best after 2008. 1,000 cases made." 90 pts James Suckling, Wine Spectator

93 pts David Lawrason 

Varietal: Petit Verdot 100%

Maturation: 16 months in French oak barriques.

Suggested food: Rich meat dishes and ripe cheeses

Tasting notes / Review: Deep ruby red with violet highlights in colour. Fine and very elegant; the notes that emerge of small black ripe fruits, combined with vanilla and spicy notes, derive from maturing in barriques. On that palate, great structure, it confirms the sensations of the nose, characterized by a dense and elegant tannic fabric; prolonged persistence on the palate.

"Intense blackberry and floral aromas follow through to a full body, with chewy tannins and a blackberry and cherry finish. Petit Verdot. Best after 2008. 2,500 cases made." 88 pts James Suckling, Wine Spectator

Varietal: Chenin Blanc 100%

Tasting notes: This wine has ripe aromas of honey, citrus and apricots. The balanced structure and long finish give you a powerful wine to enjoy on its own as an aperitif or with dessert. It also makes an excellent accompaniment to light desserts, many cheeses and the occasional rich and creamy seafood dish.

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting notes:  Brilliant ruby red with hints of garnet in colour. Generous aromas remarkable for their velvety elegance, infused with ripe fruit and subtle notes of spice and herbs. Expansive and well-rounded in the mouth, displaying soft tannins and a judicious acidity in perfect balance with the wine’s structure and body. The remarkably length finish features alluring notes of wild berries and spice.

Varietal: Pinot Grigio

Tasting notes / Review: Straw yellow with greenish highlights in colour. Ripe, intense fruitiness with aromas of spring and summer wildflowers. Expansive in the mouth, soft-textured and with a good complement of acidity; the fruit and floral charateristics carry through nicely from the nose into a lingering, markedly fruit-laden finish.

"Intense, slightly oxidative nose, very ripe concentrated stone fruit, smoke, wheat bread. Rich, succulent palate, long finish. Very serious Pino Grigio, though more Pinot Gris like in style.  Fully dry. Nice." 90 pts, John Szabo, MS, Wine Access First In Line eReport

Varietals: Sangiovese 90%, Canaiolo Nero 10%

Tasting notes: Ruby red in colour, with an intense and persistent bouquet and on the palate, dry and harmonious.

Varietal: Caberlot 100%

Best drinking: 2014 - 2024

Reviews: "The 2004 Caberlot looks to be the finest effort yet from this estate. It is not to be missed. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. All class and elegance, the stunning 2004 Caberlot presents expressive, exotic aromatics and layers of black currants and blueberries buttressed by prominent mineral notes on an ample frame with fine tannins. Showing plenty of structure as well as stuffing, it should offer its most rewarding drinking beginning around age ten, so patience will be required." 95 pts, Antonio Gallioni, Wine Advocate

Full and velvety, with lots of black pepper and blackberry and lots of fruit. Very long and rich. Solid. There’s plenty going on in the bottle. Tastes more like Syrah than Cabernet and Merlot. Best after 2010. 330 cases made." 93 pts, James Suckling, Wine Spectator

3 glasses Gambero Rosso

Varietals: Sangiovese, Merlot & Alicante

Tasting notes / Reviews: "Wonderful nose of blackberry, raspberry, mineral and meat. Full-bodied, with a solid core of silky tannins and a long caressing finish. A new wine. Il Drago ("the dragon") is consulting enologist Carlo Ferrini, and the seven doves are the women who work in the winery. Sangiovese, Merlot and Alicante Best after 2009. 2,500 cases made." JS 92 points, Wine Spectator

"Intense, rich, complex wine  - lots going on here wood spice, earth, clean but woodsy, lots of ripe black fruit. Dry, firm, grippy tannins, very solid, masculine, a touch rustic, lots of power. Long finish. Very nice value here, tannins need time to soften." 90 pts, John Szabo, MS, Wine Access First In Line eReport

Varietals: Sangiovese 30%, Cabernet Sauvignon 30%, Syrah 30%, Petit verdot 10%

Soil type: Medium texture, sandy

Maturation: 12 months in new Allier French barriques + 12 months in-bottle refinement.

Aging possibilities: 20 years

Suggested food:  Meat dishes 

Tasting notes: Sancta Catherina is highly concentrated wine with fragrances of dark-coloured fruit, hints of chocolate. It is soft and rounded to the taste. 

Varietals: Grapes selected from the Bossona vineyard, Sangiovese 100%

Maturation: 24 months in Slavonic oak barrels and 12 months in-bottle refinement.

Aging possibilities: over next 20 years

Suggested food: Red meats and mature cheeses

Tasting notes: The Vino Nobile Riserva Bossona is from the fruit of their best vineyard. It is well-structured, complex, elegant and balanced. Its essentially ruby colour tends towards granite and its fragrances are intense but refined with hints of violets. It has a good presence of tannin and it is velvety and soft in the mouth. 

Varietal: Sangiovese

Soil type: Clay

Maturation: 24 months in 33hl Slavonian oak barrels, 6 months in bottle refinement.

Tasting notes: The Vino Nobile has a bright ruby colour, intense fragrances of ripe cherries and plums while to the taste it is dry, well-balanced and persistent. It is best drunk with traditional Tuscan dishes such as, pappardelle with a meat sauce or with steak.

Varietal: Sangiovese

Maturation: Brief period with Slavonian oak barrels + 3 months in-bottle refinement.

Tasting notes: The Rosso di Montepulicano is a young wine with a lively ruby-red colour. It is full of fruity fragrances. It is dry to the taste, fresh and pleasantly tannic. It is best drunk with typical Tuscan antipasti such as crostini and salami. 

Varietals: Montepulciano 60%, Sangiovese 40%

The blend is made from a selection of Montepulciano, Sangiovese and Lacrima grapes, from organically grown vines that are well exposed to then sun and well aired.  The grape yield per hectare varies according to the potential of the vines and according to the vintage, however is usually no greater than 80-90 quintals. Vinification is done separately for each varietal, in temperature controlled fermentation process.  Refinement takes place over a period of 24 months, of which 10 months is in barriques and tonneaux, 10 months in stainless steel and 4 months in the bottle.

Varietal: Verdicchio 100%

Alcohol: 13.5%

Obtained from the harvest of Verdicchio grapes with a yield per hectare that is lover than required by the production regulations and that varies according to the seasonal trend. The harvesting in this case is also manual, with soft pressing. Fermentation occurs at a controlled temperature in stainless steel vats. This wine expresses al the classic qualities of the Verdicchio.

Varietal: Verdicchio 100%

Alcohol: 14.5%

This wine is obtained from the selection of Verdicchio grapes grown in plots of the vine with particular climatic exposure and morphological characteristics. The Verdicchio grape yield is 50-60 quintals per hectare. The grapes are harvested manually when over-ripe and placed in small cases in various stages. They are then placed in the pneumatic press and only the best must is selected. Fermentation occurs at a controlled temperature in stainless steel vats.

Varietal: Nebbiolo 100%

Maturation: 18-20 months in French barrels, 25% new, 75% 2-4 years old.

Alcohol: 14.5%

Total production: 710 cases

Best drinking: 2010 - 2022

Tasting notes / Reviews:  Intense ruby colour, fruit driven nose with notes of red and black fruit. The tannins are expressive and bold.

"Focused aromas of sandalwood, blackberry and plum follow through to a full-bodied palate, with loads of chewy tannins and a long, long finish. This is very concentrated, yet remains balanced. Needs lots of time in the bottle. Best after 2012. 710 cases made."
93 pts James Suckling, Wine Spectator Dec 2007.

"Sottimano’s 2004 Barbaresco Cotta is perhaps slightly less elegant than the Curra, but it reveals a more immediate personality in its powerful, fruit-driven style, with sweet dark fruit, toasted oak and mentholated, balsamic notes. Despite its generous ripe fruit this wine has plenty of length and supporting structure underneath. It is fairly approachable today, but should also age gracefully. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2022." 92 pts Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate October 2007

"Clean, fresh, more modern expression, perfumed cherry essence, black licorice. Dry, firm, seductive, full tannins, needs 4-5 years to soften, but great elegance, and length. Lovely modern expression – Burgundian-like elegance." 92-93 pts, John Szabo, MS, Wine Access First In Line eReport 

92 pts Stephen Tanzer

Varietal: Nebbiolo 100%

Soil type: Limestone, clay and sand

Maturation: 30 months in barriques and casks (35hl) of French oak and in bottles for 12 months.

Tasting notes:  Every year the Deltetto family personally selects the best vine-yards in the cru of Monforte and La Morra in order to have an excellent Barolo, the “Sistaglia” (which means “to rise”), whose name is perfectly in line with the character of this wine which is amongst the best reds in the Langhe.

Intense ruby red colour with shades of purple, bouquet of mature fruit and jam, high alcohol level and tannic structure for a long ageing period. Goes well with second plates based on meat.

Varietal: Barbera 100%

Soil type: Limestone, clay and sand

Maturation: 18 months in new barriques of French oak and in bottles for 6 months.

Tasting notes / Reviews: Intense red colour with violet reflections, bouquet of jam and vanilla give a great warmth, structure and elegance in the mouth. Goes well with second plates or simply on its own whilst contemplating.

3 glasses Gambero Rosso

Varietal: Moscato 100%

Soil type: Limestone, clay and sand

Suggested food: Tarts and pastries

Tasting notes / Reviews: Straw yellow colour, bouquet of peaches and rose petals, fresh and sweet in the mouth. Goes well with all sweets but in particular with tarts and dry pastries.

"This wine has an outrageously aromatic, unmistakable Muscat nose of elderflower, peach blossom and apricot compote that is highly inviting. The palate is sweet yet not cloying, the 120 grams of residual sugar nicely balanced by vivid acidity and effervescence. Long, perfumed finish. This is an archetypical example of Moscato d’Asti, right on the money." 89 pts John Szabo, MS, Wine Access First In Line eReport

Varietal: Chardonnay 100%

Soil type: Marly limestone soil

Best drinking: 3 - 15 years

Varietal: Chardonnay 100%

Soil type: Marly limestone soil

Best drinking: 3 - 10 years

Tasting notes: This wine is made up of 30 year old grapevines. The grapes, which are harvested when fully ripe, give the wine a very strong and complex bouquet. With the passage of the time, the honey and acacia aromas, which characterize the wine when it is young, will fade in favour of fragrances of dried fruits and hazelnut.

Varietals: Merlot 70%, Cabernet Sauvignon 28%, Malbec 2%

Alcohol: 12.5%

Tasting notes: When young, this wine reveals aromas of red fruit. After being cellared for 5 years, aromas of leather and cocoa are associated with the red fruits which are still present. The tannins become more silky, and the wine reveals all it’s complexity. 

Varietal: Cabernet Franc 100%

Soil type: Limestone, clay, quartz and sand

Maturation: 12 months in barrel

Alcohol: 12.5%

Varietal: Cabernet Franc 100%

Soil type: Limestone, clay, quartz and sand

Maturation: 12 months in barrel

Alcohol: 12.5%

Tasting notes:  A ruby colour, firm and clear. A pretty perfume, fresh and complex in the classical, spicy style of Bordeaux.

Varietals: Merlot 40%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%, Malbec 20%

Soil type: Limestone, clay, quartz and sand

Alcohol: 12.5%

Varietals: Merlot 80%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%

Alcohol: 12.5%

Tasting notes: Dark purple red colour, and an expressive complex nose combining very mature black fruits and finely woody spicy notes.

Varietals: Merlot 85%, Cabernet Sauvignon 15%

Soil type: clay

Alcohol: 12.5%

Tasting notes: A beautiful shade of purple, spicy, vanilla and violet notes with a smoky touch; in the mouth black fruits, licorice and pleasant velvety tannins.

Varietals: Merlot 75%, Cabernet Sauvignon 10%, Cabernet Franc 10%, Malbec 5%

Soil type: Clay

Alcohol: 13% 

Tasting notes: Red fruits combined with spicy notes and highly aromatic.

Varietal: Nebbiolo 100%

Best drinking: 2012 - 2024

Tasting notes / Reviews: Garnet red colour with orange reflections. Ample and complex bouquet with notes recalling truffle and liquorice. In the mouth it feels dry, full and velvety, unfolding a great personality.

"Giacosa’s 2004 Barolo Falletto is so compelling it will be hard not to drink it in its youth. This gorgeous Barolo reveals a deeply structured frame layered with sweet dark fruit, mint, spice and pine. At once delicate and powerful, it is a beautifully finessed wine that is sure to provide much pleasure. A recent bottle of the 1982 is a testament to the virtues of this great site as interpreted by Bruno Giacosa. There will be no 2005 or 2006. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020." Antonio Galloni 96 pts, Wine Advocate, Dec 2007.

Varietal: Nebbiolo 100%

Best drinking: 2009 - 2019

Tasting notes / Reviews: Garnet red colour with orange reflections. Ample and complex bouquet with notes recalling truffle and liquorice. In the mouth it feels dry, full and velvety, unfolding a great personality.

"Giacosa’s 2003 Barolo Falletto is made in an especially weighty, super-ripe style. It offers notable length but shows the adverse effects of the heat, especially on the finish. The Falletto has shut down considerably since bottling, making it hard to evaluate today. It was much more open when I tasted it last year." Antonio Galloni 91 pts, Wine Advocate, Oct 2007.

Varietal: Nebbiolo 100%

Best drinking: 2010 - 2020

Tasting notes / Reviews: Intense garnet red colour. Rich bouquet recalling withered flowers, mint, spices and undergrowth. Dry and balanced flavour with tannic texture and pleasing aftertaste.

"The 2004 Barolo Vigna Croera reveals pretty aromatics and notes of smoke, tar, roses, herbs and the small red fruits that are characteristic of the wines of La Morra. Made in a medium-bodied, delicate style it possesses a graceful, feminine personality and finessed tannins. Even though the wine continued to gain weight in the glass I noted that it was less expressive than when I tasted it from barrel in April 2007. The Croera is made from a high altitude plot in the Serradenari district of La Morra. This site has never been particularly well regarded for Nebbiolo. Long-time oenologist Dante Scaglione told me he expects the vines to only yield top-flight Barolo in truly great vintages. There will be no 2005 or 2006. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020." Antonio Galloni 90 pts, Wine Advocate, Dec 2007.

Varietal: Cabernet Franc 100%

Soil type: Clay & silex (Argilo-siliceux)

Maturation: 18 months in 2/3 new oak

Alcohol: 12.5%

Total production: 450 cases

Best drinking: 2012 - 2022

Suggested food: Red meats such as venison, w/ complex sauces. Shitake mushroom dishes.

Tasting notes / Reviews: This historical walled vineyard lies in front of the castle in Chinon, which is situated near the Vienne River, one of the tributaries of the Loire.  These vines enjoy a southern exposure on five levels of terraces facing the fortress of Chinon and the Vienne, thereby maximizing sunlight and warmth.  

"A big note of dark cocoa leads the way, with smoky bacon, mesquite and grilled herb flavors, all pushed by a large core of dark plum and currant preserve. Herb and iron notes flitter on the finish, but this is tight for now, so cellar. Best from 2008 through 2012." – 93 pts, JM - Wine Spectator

Varietal: Cabernet Franc 100%

Soil type: Tuffeau (clay, chalk)

Maturation: 12 months in 7 year old oak, on lees with racking

Alcohol: 12.5%

Total production: 2000 cases

Best drinking: 2007 - 2010

Suggested food: Rabbit stew; light, creamy cheeses

Tasting notes / Reviews: This vineyard is situated on soil composed mainly of clay and chalk, locally referred to as tuffeau (Touraine’s local stone).  It is out of this stone that Raffault’s underground wine cellars were dug during Roman times.  Light, bright and slightly vegetative in their youth, these wines reveal their fullness after 5 - 10 years of cellaring.

"Juicy and structured, but accessible now, with dark currant, bacony toast, olive, briar and bittersweet cocoa notes running along the brambly tannins. The solid finish is filled with mineral and tobacco. Drink now through 2010." – 90 pts, JM - Wine Spectator

Varietals: Pinot Noir 90%, Chardonnay 10%

Soil type: Limestone & marl

Maturation: 24 months on lees in btl + 1 yr in btl after disgorgement

Alcohol: 12%

Total production: 900 cases

Best drinking: Enjoy over the next 10 years

Suggested food: Fish, shrimp, scallop dishes. White meats & game, such as partridge w/ truffle strips. Oven-baked capon de Bresse w/ morelle sauce.

Tasting notes: Careful and meticulous care has been taken to ensure only the best grapes are used to make this wine, Grand Cru classé à 100%. Bottles are hand-riddled and hand-disgorged, in a house that produces only 45,000 bottles annually. The complexity of this Grand Cru Pinot Noir is wonderfully expressed in the assemblage, similar to the Tradition Brut, but in the Réserve Brut, the reserve wines used are older and more expressive. In addition, each bottle sees additional year of cellaring before being released.

Varietals: Pinot Noir 90%, Chardonnay 10%

Soil type: Limestone & marl

Maturation: 24 months on lees in btl + 1 yr in btl after disgorgement

Alcohol: 12%

Total production: 900 cases

Best drinking: Enjoy over the next 10 years

Suggested food: Fish, shrimp, scallop dishes. White meats & game, such as partridge w/ truffle strips. Oven-baked capon de Bresse w/ morelle sauce.

Tasting notes: Careful and meticulous care has been taken to ensure only the best grapes are used to make this wine, Grand Cru classé à 100%.  Bottles are hand-riddled and hand-disgorged, in a house that produces only 45,000 bottles annually.  The complexity of this Grand Cru Pinot Noir is wonderfully expressed in the assemblage, similar to the Tradition Brut, but in the Réserve Brut, the reserve wines used are older and more expressive.  In addition, each bottle sees additional year of cellaring before being released.

Varietals: Pinot Noir 90%, Chardonnay 10%

Soil type: Limestone & marl

Maturation: 24 months on lees in btl + 1 yr in btl after disgorgement

Alcohol: 12%

Total production: 916 cases

Best drinking: Enjoy over the next 10 years

Suggested food: Fish, shrimp, scallop dishes. White meats & game, such as partridge w/ truffle strips. Oven-baked capon de Bresse w/ morelle sauce.

Tasting notes: Careful and meticulous care has been taken to ensure only the best grapes are used to make this wine, Grand Cru classé à 100%.  Bottles are hand-riddled and hand-disgorged, in a house that produces only 45,000 bottles annually.  The complexity of this Grand Cru Pinot Noir is wonderfully expressed in the assemblage, similar to the Tradition Brut, but in the Réserve Brut, the reserve wines used are older and more expressive.  In addition, each bottle sees additional year of cellaring before being released.

Varietal: Sangiovese Grosso

Distillation method: Distilled in pot still 

Alcohol: 42%

Pouring temperature: 10-12°C

Recommended glass: Small long stemmed tulip-shaped glass

Suggested food: Chocolate and dry pastry 

Tasting notes: Crystal clear and transparent as to colour tonality. Nose; intense and penetrating fragrance expressing a bouquet rich in hints of fruit and jam. Palate; decidedly harmonic, flows smoothly on the palate. Lingers long, with a rich and balanced aftertaste.

 

Varietal: Shiraz 100%

Soil type: Deep Alluvial soil on Creek Flat

Maturation: 30 months new American Oak HogsHeads

Alcohol: 15.8%

Total production: 475 cases

Best drinking: 2012 - 2025 

Suggested food: Meat dishes, kobe beef with roasted portobello mushrooms.

Tasting notes / Reviews: "The 2003 Shiraz spent 25 months in new American oak hogsheads. It offers up an alluring bouquet of cedar, saddle leather, violets, smoked meat, and blueberry compote. Full-bodied, opulent, and intensely flavored, this super rich Shiraz has a long, pure finish. There is enough structure to support 6-8 years in the cellar and it should drink well through 2025." 94 pts Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc 100%

Maturation: 40% spent four months including fermentation in new French oak hogsheads.

Alcohol: 13%

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon 100%

Maturation: 28 months in 10% new French oak hogsheads 90% older American and French oak barrels.

Alcohol: 14%

Tasting notes / Reviews: Darkest crimson and viscous when swirled in the glass. Berry fruit is ripe and perfumed with raspberry, blueberry and classic Coonawarra mint, these are complimented by vanilla and charry oak characters. Sweet blackcurrant, blackberry and dark chocolate flavours upfront and stalky/savoury characters at the finish. The structure is firm but not astringent - plush is an apt descriptor - and there is great length. Cellaring up to 5 years.

"The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon “Vitulus” is similarly styled but more forward than the 2003. The tannins are softer and the wine is a bit less structured. It can be enjoyed now and will provide pleasure through 2020." 89 pts Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon 100%

Maturation: Eighteen months (including malolactic fermentation) in 25% first use French oak barriques, 40% second use and 35% older French and American barriques and hogsheads.

Alcohol: 14%

Tasting notes / Reviews: Intense, almost black with crimson edges. This wine may throw a light crust after a couple of years in the bottle. Very good varietal and Coonawarra definition with plenty of blackcurrant, blueberry and stalky fruit aromas complemented and cedar like, toasty oak. Just a hint of cigar box giving away the very cool Vintage Conditions. Medium-bodied with a well-rounded rich texture. At first the palate has black olive and vanilla bean characters; the middle palate has plenty of currant fruit flavour with the charry, roasted coffee bean characters coming from the oak at the finish. Cellaring potential, 5 – 7 years.

"The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon “Bos” was barrel fermented and aged in a mix of American oak hogsheads and French barriques. Purple/black in color, the wine exhibits a fragrant bouquet of earth, cassis, black currants, and dark chocolate. This leads to a medium-bodied, elegant Cabernet with layered red and black fruit flavors, chocolate, and ripe tannins. Give it 2-3 years to fully blossom and drink it through 2023." 90 pts Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon 87%, Merlot 10%, Cabernet Franc 3%

Maturation: 100% 1st use, hand selected, tightly grained French oak

Alcohol: 14% 

Tasting notes / Reviews: Fragrant and perfumed with hints of spearmint and violets at first. After a little time in the glass there is a rich amalgam of plums, currants and cedar. Currant and cedar flavours with fruit sweetness and fine dry tannins with intensity and balance. The long aftertaste is of black currant and dark chocolate. Cellaring potential, 20+ years.

96 pts James Halliday, Gold medal, 2006 Royal Adelaide Wine Show 

Varietal: Shiraz 100%

Soil type: Deep Alluvial soil on Creek Flat

Maturation: 15 months new American Oak HogsHeads

Alcohol: 15.7%

Total production: 275 cases

Best drinking: 2005 - 2015 

Suggested food: Braised beef w/ pLum sauce, marinated lamb with sweet potato.

Tasting notes / Reviews: "A fabulous value in Barossa Shiraz is Loan’s 2002 Shiraz Front Block, a 100% Shiraz from a young, but top-notch vineyard situated next to Turkey Flat. Aromas of sweet blackberry fruit, flowers, graphite, and pen ink emerge from this rich, full-bodied, powerful red. Drink it over the next decade." 95 pts Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Varietal: Alicante Bouchet 100%

Soil type: Rich alluvial soil on Creek Flat

Maturation: no wood treatment

Alcohol: 10.5%

Total production: 300 cases

Suggested food:  Pizza with fresh tomato, cheese, basil or curry, or raspberry frangipane tart.

Varietal: Semillon 100%

Soil type: Sandy Loam adjacent to the creek

Maturation: 8 months old French Barriques

Alcohol: 13.3%

Total production: 475 cases

Tasting notes / Reviews: "The dry-grown 2005 Semillon was tank-fermented and spent 8 months in seasoned French oak. Medium straw-colored, it offers an expressive perfume of mineral, melon, spring flowers, and candle wax. This leads to a medium-bodied, ripe, well-balanced Semillon with good depth and length. Enjoy it with shellfish over the next 2-3 years." 89 pts Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Varietal: Semillon 100%

Soil type: Sandy Loam adjacent to the creek

Maturation: 10 months old French Barriques

Alcohol: 14.4%

Total production: 425 cases

Suggested food:  Smoked salmon with salad nicoise, duck terrine with onion jam and arugula salad w/cider vinaigrette, chicken or pork with garlic, butter, and sage, fish (thick fillet or Atlantic salmon) pan fried in butter w/herbs or a cheese plate with figs, walnut & date loaf (one of the winemakers favourites).

Tasting notes / Reviews:  "Loan’s winemaker, the talented Chris Ringland, has fashioned a 2002 Semillon offering exuberant lanolin, waxy, citrus oil notes, medium to full body, tremendous fruit intensity, and a long, dry, concentrated finish. Made from 9-year-old vines and aged in old oak, it tips the scales at 14.2% alcohol. The Australians believe these wines age well, but I enjoy my whites during their exuberant, aromatic youth, so I would drink this Semillon over the next 2-3 years. This is an excellent debut release from this up and coming Barossa producer." 90 pts Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Varietal: Nebbiolo 100%

Soil type: Calcareous – clay

Maturation: 18 months in wood (70% oak barrel – 30% barriques)

Alcohol: 14.5%

Suggested food: Braised meats, game in wine, roasts and matured cheeses.

Tasting notes / Reviews: It has a rich, brilliant garnet red colour. Its nose appears candid, elegant and strong, evoking tobacco, spice, liquorice and fruit. In the mouth it appears full, rounded, strong bodied and well balanced.

Varietal: Nebbiolo 100%

Soil type: Calcareous – clay

Maturation: 18 months in wood (70% oak barrel – 30% barriques)

Alcohol: 14.5%

Suggested food: Braised meats, game in wine, roasts and matured cheeses.

Tasting notes / Reviews: It has a rich, brilliant garnet red colour. Its nose appears candid, elegant and strong, evoking tobacco, spice, liquorice and fruit. In the mouth it appears full, rounded, strong bodied and well balanced.

"A truly sumptuous wine, it melds seamlessly together an elegant aromatic medley ennobled by scents of citrus, smoky oak and pungent earth, superb tannins and a powerful, concentrated palate that still manges to convey true elegance." Gambero Rosso, Italian Wines 2008

Varietal: Sauvgnon Blanc 100%

Maturation: 100% Stainless steel for 7 months

Alcohol: 13.6%

Best drinking: drinking now

Tasting notes: This Sauvignon Blanc is rich with layers of Apple, melon, lemon-lime grass, gooseberry, grapefruit, and spice.  Flavors are also wrapped with delightful mineral notes.  It is complex, rich, and fresh, with an explosion of fruit that is extremely well balanced.  It has great depth, with a silky texture, balanced acidity and a clean crisp finish. It is a great wine to drink by itself and relax.

Varietal: Nebbiolo 100%

Soil type: Calcareous – clay

Maturation: 18 months in wood (70% oak barrel – 30% barriques)

Alcohol: 14.5%

Suggested food: Braised meats, game in wine, roasts and matured cheeses.

Tasting notes / Reviews: It has a rich, brilliant garnet red colour. Its nose appears candid, elegant and strong, evoking tobacco, spice, liquorice and fruit. In the mouth it appears full, rounded, strong bodied and well balanced.

"It starts out full and warm on ripe cherry-led aromas with minerally, earthy undertones. The lingering, deeply harmonious palate has well-modelled tannins and confirms the wine as a fine interpretation of the vintage." Gambero Rosso, Italian Wines 2007 

3 red glasses Gambero Rosso (out of 3)

Varietals: Blend of many different types of apples

Alcohol: 41%

Elegant, persistent, with a refreshing intensity. Bright colour combined with copper and amber nuances. It’s very persistent aroma recommends it for drinking as a "Trou Normand" (during a meal), and for accompanying local cheeses. Good base for cocktails.

Varietal: Pinot Noir 100%

Soil type: Limestone and marl

Age of vines: 20 years 

Maturation: 10 months in French oak

Alcohol: 13.3%

Best drinking: 2004 - 2007 

Suggested food: Red meats; grilled meats

Tasting notes: When you imagine a red wine from the Côte d’Or, you might imagine a light to medium bodied wine, with red berries and wet earth characteristics on the nose.  That description accurately describes this Old World style Pinot Noir. The vines enjoy a eastern, south-eastern exposure to the sun, on moderately flat plains of limestone and marl, a soil ideally suited to Pinot Noir. 

Varietals: Avesso, Loureiro

Soil type: Granitic sandy soil

Alcohol: 12.5%

Total production: 1250 cases

Best drinking: 2007 - 2010

Tasting notes / Reviews:  A unique style of Vinho Verde that is weighty and concentrated, without any carbon dioxide. João Pedro Araujo, owner of Casa de Cello, believes that the only reason one would have any spritz in a Vinho Verde is to mask faults in the wine. As he says, he has nothing to hide! And rightly so - this "Green Wine" is crisp, with a lively backbone of acidity. With notes of pear, fresh herbs and white peaches on the nose, the palate is dry, with a rich, green apple creaminess on the palate complimented by a long, refreshing finish. Very versatile, and pairs especially well with oily fish.

"Really very pretty fresh aromas like lemon drops, fresh herbs and minerals; highly inviting. Bone dry, clean, electrifying acidity. Deceptively light and delicate, this wine really lingers nicely on the palate with a whack of fresh citric fruit and floral notes. No CO2. Ideal summer sipper – drink now, though I suspect it will also hold for a year or two." 88+ pts, John Szabo, MS, Wine Access First In Line eReport

Varietals: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz

Soil type: Granitic sandy soil

Alcohol: 13.5%

Total production: 420 cases

Best drinking: 2008 - 2020

Tasting notes: Rich and intense dark cherry colour. Floral notes on the nose. Nice fruit and acidity. Good balance.  Long and elegant finish.

Varietals: Touriga Nacional and Aragonês

Soil type: Granitic sandy soil

Alcohol: 13.5%

Total production: 600 cases

Best drinking: 2008 - 2015

Reviews: "Intense aromas and flavors of red plum and berry provide a fresh juiciness that’s alluring and delicious. There’s a good grip of tannins on the finish. A fine match for roasted poultry. Drink now. 600 cases made." – 88 pts KM, Wine Spectator

Varietals: 65% Sangiovese, 35% Foglia tonda

Soil type: Sandy clay

Tasting notes / Reviews: Very pretty, with perfumed berry and floral aromas. Medium-bodied, with fine tannins and a delicious berry and light spice finish. Best after 2006. 1,080 cases made. –JS 87 pts Wine Spectator

Varietal: 100% Sangiovese

Soil type: Sandy clay

Maturation: 24 months in French & Slavonian oak

Alcohol: 13.5%

Cases produced: 1,110

Best drinking: 2008 - 2015

Varietal: 100% Sangiovese

Soil type: Sandy clay

Maturation: 24 months in French & Slavonian oak

Alcohol: 13.5%

Cases produced: 1,110

Best drinking: 2008 - 2015

Tasting notes / Reviews: “Wonderful aromas of blackberries and licorice, with hints of sweet tobacco.  Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, caressing finish. A beauty.  Why wait?  91 points.” - Wine Spectator, October 15, 2004, 2 glasses Gambero Rosso

Varietal: 100% Sangiovese

Soil Type: Sandy clay

Maturation: 24 months in French & Slavonian oak

Alcohol: 13.5%

Best drinking: 2010 - 2015 

Reviews:

Aromas of dried flowers and berries follow through to a medium-bodied palate, with fine tannins and a juicy finish. Attractive and balanced. Best after 2007. 830 cases made. –JS 88 pts Wine Spectator

93 pts David Lawrason, 3 glasses Gambero Rosso

Varietal: 100% Sangiovese

Soil Type: Sandy clay

Maturation: 24 months in French & Slavonian oak

Alcohol: 13.5%

Best drinking: 2010 - 2015

Tasting notes / Reviews:  A beautiful red with crystal-clear blackberry, mineral and cherry character. Full-bodied, with well integrated tannins and a beautifully caressing finish. Tasting this is like getting a relaxing back rub. Enjoyable to say the least. Best after 2005. 830 cases made. –JS 94 pts Wine Spectator, 2 glasses Gambero Rosso

Varietal: Pinot Nero 100%

Tasting notes: Straw-yellow colour with swift foam of tiny and persistent bubbles. Fruity notes, yeast and biscuits are perceived in the nose. Plentifulness and softness are revealed in its dry flavour.

Varietal: Arneis 100%

Tasting notes: Dark, straw-yellow colour. Intense, fine and elegantly fruity bouquet reminiscent of peach, apricot, citrus, fruit and acacia flowers. Fresh and fragrant flavour with soft plentifulness.

Varietal: Nebbiolo 100%

Tasting notes / Reviews: Garnet red colour. Ample, complex and elegant bouquet with reminiscences of rose, ripe fruit, truffle and spices. Its flavour is dry, full, generous, harmonious and velvety. Wine of aristocratic personality that in the best vintages can boast the denomination “Riserva” on the label.

"The 2003 Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto is a fascinating wine. It is classic Giacosa, with a lovely core of sweet roses, raspberries, licorice and menthol that is currently hiding under an imposing wall of tannins. It is also a wine of contrasts, at times open and accessible, at others brooding and shut down. As it sits in the glass the fruit gradually emerges to fill out the wine’s structure. It had only improved when I re-tasted it several days after first opening the bottle. That said, it will require further cellaring to soften the tannins, as the wine has shut down considerably since bottling. Made from the heart of the Falletto vineyard, it clearly benefits from the age of the vines in these selected plots. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2023." Antonio Galloni 94 pts, Wine Advocate.

Varietal: Nebbiolo 100%

Tasting notes / Reviews: Garnet red colour with orange reflections. Ample and complex bouquet with notes recalling truffle and liquorice. In the mouth it feels dry, full and velvety, unfolding a great personality.

"Giacosa’s 2003 Barolo Falletto is made in an especially weighty, super-ripe style. It offers notable length but shows the adverse effects of the heat, especially on the finish. The Falletto has shut down considerably since bottling, making it hard to evaluate today. It was much more open when I tasted it last year. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019." Antonio Galloni 91 pts, Wine Advocate.

Varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon 72% and Shiraz 28%

Alcohol: 12.2%

Cases produced: 5000

Tasting notes: As the name suggests, this delicious sparkling wine is blend of almost three-quarters Cabernet Sauvignon and one-quarter Shiraz.  With its deep crimson colour, lively mousse and sweet, ripe berry flavours, this wine goes well with poultry meats such as chicken, goose, and duck but also compliments spicy Asian cuisine very well.  Australians love to drink their sparkling reds as an aperitif or as a compliment to a desert 

Varietal: Shiraz 100%

Soil type: Rocky clay loam over the limestone

Aging: A mixture of old and new oak was used including 25% new French sourced and coopered oak. Base wine in barrel for 12 months.

Alcohol: 14%

Cases produced: 450

Tasting notes / Reviews: The inaugural Flamma Sparkling Shiraz is a harmonious drink.  The aroma is vivid and uplifting with mulberry, dark plum, coffee bean and nutmeg. The palate offers mouth filling fruit flavours that have real length and structure.  We have deliberately produced the Flamma to be a drier style of Sparkling Shiraz, a wine that lets the fruit from the vineyard shine through and offers powerful flavours for food matching without any overt sweetness. Drink now or leave under the bed for years to come, this wine has legs.

"Ruby-red. Fresh blackberry, cherry and plum on the nose, with a hint of violet face powder adding complexity. Crisp dark berry flavours are strikingly precise, with a degree of finesse I dont think I’ve ever encountered in a sparkling shiraz. Only lightly bubbly, which allows the fruit to shine. This is a genre that I’m usually only able to appreciate on a cerebral, and perhaps perverse, level. but this is wonderfully balanced, with a clean crisp personality and a long, juicy finish.  Without doubt the most appealing version of this style I’ve ever drunk." Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, July/August 2007.

Frux Frugis is Latin for ‘Fruit of the Earth’. Many wine makers believe that the smell of the earth comes through in the wine. We believe the rocky clay loam over the limestone and the shale of ‘Ulithorne’ bears witness to this.

Varietal: Shiraz 100%

Soil type: Rocky clay loam over the limestone

Aging: 18 months in barrel, 25% New French Oak, 17% New American Oak, 58% 1+yr French Oak

Alcohol: 14.5%

Cases produced: 900

In 2001, they made their first ‘Frux Frugis’ Shiraz from 35 year old vines. It was released in April 2003 to strong reviews. 2001 and 2002 vintages are sold out. There is a small amount of 2003 remaining. In June 2006, the 2004 was released.

Ulithorne ‘Frux Frugis’ grapes are hand selected from the oldest vines on the vineyard. The remainder of the Shiraz from these old vines is used in labels such as Rosemount’s Balmoral.

Robert Parker 2001 Vintage 93 points
Max Allen “a cult wine in waiting” of our 2001 vintage

Robert Parker 2002 Vintage 91 points
Matthew Jukes 2002 Vintage one of the top 250 wines of the world

Robert Parker 2003 Vintage 91 points
Winestate 2003 vintage ‘best of style’ - 4 stars

Robert Parker 2004 Vintage To be rated
Matthew Jukes 2004 Vintage Top 100 Australian Wines in 2006

James Halliday rated Ulithorne as one of the Top 10 new wineries in 2005

Tasting notes / Reviews: Wine bottled in December 2005. This Shiraz exhibits a complex nose of ripe berry fruit (plum & blackberry) evident with new oak tones of vanilla and spice.  The tannins are bold and the wine has a beautiful complexity that will further develop with bottle age. 

"This deep plum/purple-tinged 100% Shiraz explodes from the glass offering scents of vanilla, minty blackberries, figs, plums, and meat. Huge in the mouth, but essentially closed at present, this is an enormously endowed effort with sensational concentration. It requires 2-3 years of bottle age, and should keep for an uncommonly long time, 15 or more years. For connoisseurs." 91 points, Robert Parker, October 2006.

"This estate shows no signs of dropping the baton. Far from it, they are sprinting away from the competition with some of the most fragrant and memorable fruit flavours I have ever seen." - Matthew Jukes, Top 100 Best Australian Wines 2006.

Tasting notes: Powerful, opulent Grüner Veltliner leaving huge legs on the wine glass, an extremely attractive Rubens type, charming to drink, a mozart wine with convincing breadth, peppery with cigar box aromas and plenty of structure, wonderful tension between fruit and acidity, extraordinary length.

Tasting notes: Fresh green apple and grapefruit tones, delicate spicy notes in delightful contrast, accompanied by hints of Sauvignon, a classic summer wine.

Varietal: Trincadeira, Aragonês and Alicante Bouschet
Soil Type: Mediterranean prairie soils
Aging: Stored and aged for 12 months in new oaken barrels from the Allier region of France, followed by 6 months in bottle.
Alcohol: 14%

Tasting notes: Intense garnet colour wine with a delicate aroma of blackberries and plums accented by notes of vanilla, (without effect of the oaken barrels).  In order to preserve its natural qualities, this wine has not been stabilized.  Best served at 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit) and served on appropriate glass to enhance its characteristics.

Varietals: Antão Vaz, Arinto and Verdelho

Soil type: Mediterranean prairie soils

Maturation: Stainless steel

Alcohol: 14%

Cases produced: 1667

Silver medal, Wine Masters Challenge 2008 - www.winemasters

Tasting Notes / Reviews: Medium straw in colour with streaks of lime green, this vibrant wine bursts with grapefruit, peaches, pineapple and royal gala apples. The palate is medium to full bodied and explodes with white peaches, fresh acidity and balanced alcohol. The extended lees contact during maturation gives the wine a slightly creamy and viscous texture, leaving behind a long and refreshing finish. Very well made and immensely enjoyable. Great value!

"A fulsome, creamy blend of local Portuguese varieties, including arinto that sews in refreshing acidity and aromatics. Lifted waxy, peach-apricot, licorice aromas, yet the finish is savoury with avocado and pepper nuances. Try with calamari. Excellent length."
88 points, David Lawrason

"Lime green in colour, the wine has a delicate citrous nose enhanced by a hints of pineapple and lemon, characteristic of the grape varietals.  The flavour is well balanced and its freshness lingers quite long on the palate.  Best served at 10º-12ºC, this wine pairs particularly well with seafood, rich fish dishes or appetizer from the Region of Alentejo like fried porc rinds, sausages and marinated olives." - Professor & winemaker Francisco Colaço do Rosário and Francisco Pimenta, engineer

Varietals: Tempranillo 95%, Graciano 3%, Garnacha 2%

Soil type: Argilo-calcareous 

Alcohol: 13%

Tasting notes / Reviews: "Medium red. Suave red berry, kirsch, anise and dried rose aromas are compelling and strikingly precise. Silky in texture and packed with sweet red berry, licorice, vanilla bean and floral pastille flavors. Fine-grained tannins lend structure to this suave, flat-out delicious wine, which possesses outstanding depth and complexity and finishes with haunting floral echoes." (Jul/Aug 2007) - 93 points, Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar

Varietals: Tempranillo 95%, Graciano 3%, Garnacha 2%

Soil type: Argilo-calcareous

Alcohol: 13.5%

Tasting notes / Reviews: "Fading red. Fresh strawberry, succulent herbs, roses and vanilla on the seductive nose. Energetic, precise red berry flavors boast impressive depth and sweetness, with barely noticeable tannins and slow-mounting minerality adding more verve. Bright, spicy and insistent strawberry and redcurrant flavors define the long, juicy finish." (Jul/Aug 2007) - 92 points, Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar

"The 1999 Pecina Reserva is a blend from organically grown estate fruit. It was aged for 36 months in used American oak. Also dark ruby with a brick rim, it offers up aromas of cedar, spice box, damp earth, tobacco, and blackberry. With a feminine personality and a seamless texture, this silky wine offers complex flavors and a pure finish. Drink it over the next 6 years." - 91 points Wine Advocate.

Varietals: Tempranillo 95%, Graciano 3%, Garnacha 2%

Soil type: Argilo-calcareous

Alcohol: 13%

Tasting notes / Reviews: "Light red. Explosive, perfumed nose offers a range of coconut-accented red berry aromas complicated by fresh and dried flowers, vanilla and cured tobacco. Sweet red fruit flavors are supple and expansive, with a distinctly old school character. Fine-grained tannins add structure to the long, silky finish. This is ready to drink and quite delicious." (Jul/Aug 2007)- 90 points, Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar

"The 2000 Pecina Crianza is 95% Tempranillo with the balance Graciano and Garnacha from organically farmed estate fruit. It was aged for 24 months in seasoned American oak before being bottled unfiltered (as are all of these wines). Dark ruby-colored with a brick rim, it exhibits a nose of cedar, earth, mushroom, tobacco, and blackberry. This leads to a stylish, elegant wine with good concentration and depth that should drink well for another 6 years. It is an excellent value in traditional Rioja." - 90 points Wine Advocate

Varietal: Pinot Noir 100%

Soil type: Alluvial clay

Alcohol: 14.1%

Maturation: 12 months in 100% new French oak. The wine is further aged for a minimum of an additional 12 months in the bottle.  Aging in the bottle allows the wine to rest and round out its natural fruit flavor and aromatic attributes.

Tasting notes: Ruby red color, bright fruit layers of strawberry, cherry, plum. Cedar, toast, smoke, spice, caramel and vanilla are integrated between the fruit layers.  It finishes with an intense fruit quality, while the tannins fold in, to give it a nice Burgundian aftertaste 

Keith Nichols decided to plant this particular clone of Pinot Noir because of its upfront, ripe fruit.  Clone 777 is an aromatic clone of Pinot Noir that shows bright cherry and delicious ripe berry fruit. This single vineyard Pinot Noir was sourced from the Edna Ranch vineyard and produced using traditional Burgundian techniques, fermented in small open top fermenters to facilitate maximum flavour and colour extraction.  The cap was punched down several times a day over a period of 10 days and was aged for 12 months in 50% new French oak from the Allier, Never and Tronçais forests.  Following maturation, the wine was bottled-aged for an additional 5 years before its release.

Varietals:  Touriga Nacional, Aragonês, Cabernet Sauvignon and Alicante Bouschet

Soil type: Poor and rocky, of granitic or schist origin

Aging: Only a few months in tank, the wine was bottled early to retain all freshness and primary aromas of the season.

Alcohol: 12.5

Cases produced: 22,000 bottles

Tasting Notes: Crystal clear ruby-cherry colour.  Fragrance rich with the deep red fruits of Aragonês combined with floral notes from the elegant Touriga Nacional. Full presence in the mouth, with some sweetness balanced with the right level of acidity to maintain its freshness.

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Varietal:  90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot

Aging:  18 months, 37% New French Oak

Alcohol:  14.5%

Aging Potential: 3 - 8 years

Tasting Notes: Aromas of bing cherry, vanilla, clove, blackberry, black pepper, creme de cassis, toast, roasted coffee, fresh herbs and green olive. big, rich and round on the palate, displaying flavors of black cherry accented with toast and campfire notes.The finish is lengthy with nicely integrated barrel tannins.

Varietal: 93% Syrah and 7% Merlot

Aging: 16 months, 100% American Oak, 25% New

Alcohol: 14.7%

Aging Potential: 3 - 8 years

Tasting Notes / Reviews: Dark garnet red, bright and clear in appearance. Aromas of huckleberry, black pepper, cocoa and toast mixed with roast coffee. Focused to show off its jucy flavor of blueberry, plum and blackberry fruit, shaded by hints of mineral and cream as the finish lingers effortlessly against light, crisp tannins.

Varietal: Zinfandel

Aging: American oak 10 months, 10% new

Alcohol: 15.7%

Aging Potential: 6-8 years

Tasting Notes:

The wine was aged in American Oak barrels for 10 months with only 10% new Oak; the balance of the cooperage between 1 and 4-year-old barrels. The wine was bottled unfined. 100% zinfandel. Dark purple and garnet in color with aromas of raspberry, cranberry, dried cherry, and clove. Bright, blackberry jam gives way to a round, spicy impression on the palate. Big, bold tannins give this wine a long, lingering finish.

Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc 100%

Maturation: 94% Stainless Steel, 6% Barrel Fermented (Old French Oak) 

Alcohol: 13.5%

Best drinking: 3 years after release 

Tasting Notes: Pale straw yellow in appe