A Very Special Wine Boutique

“I love everything that is old; old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines. “- Oliver Goldsmith, The Vicar of WakefieldThe month of November is one of the best in terms of tastings as we are very thirsty here at the Wine Watch as we take almost the entire month of December off in terms of wine tastings- so we hit it hard in November. And one of the best deals that we offer is that if you have more wine than you can drink by yourself we will help you drink your wines and pay you for them! Imagine that we will pay you to drink your wines!!! This is a tasting that is for one of our good friends from the 1961 vintage, who has been collecting wines from his vintage for decades and will now share them with you. This is a “Once in a Lifetime” tasting that features both Burgundy and Bordeaux form the legendary 1961 vintage. These may not be the most sought-after wines from this amazing vintage but I have added a bottle of 1961 Petrus from my stash to sweeten the pot and that along with the 1961 La Tache is worth the price of admission alone! This tasting, which includes dinner and gratuity is $1750.00 + tax, there are only 12 spaces available for this event. For reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any food allergies or aversions and chefs Toni and Dani will be happy to accommodate you..1961 Bordeaux VS Burgundy Wine tastingFriday, November 20th7:30 PM1961 A. Ligeret Volnay1961 A. Ligeret Gevrey Chambertin1961 A. Ligeret Vosne Romanee1961 Lupe Cholet,Beaune1961 A. Ligeret Gevrey Chambertin1961 A. Ligeret Alox Corton 1961 Domaine de la Romanee Donti La Tache Grand Cru Monopole1961 Chateau Petrus Pomerol1961 Chateau Cos D'Estournel Saint Estephe1961 Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac1961 Chateau Lascombes Margaux1961 Chateau Beychevelle St Julien1961 Chateau Larrivet Haut Brion1961 Chateau La Tour BlancheMenuSelection of CheeseLions Main Mushroom and Emilio Lustau Amontillado Sherry SoupBeef Tartar Served Over Bone Marrow with Whole Wheat Toast and Truffle AioliDuck Confit with sundried Cherry reduction and sweet potato flanGinger Scented Vanilla Creme Brulee This tasting, which includes dinner and gratuity is $1750.00 + tax, there are only 12 spaces available for this event. For reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any food allergies or aversions and chefs Toni and Dani will be happy to accommodate you. A brief Review of the 1961 vintage taken from: www.thewinecellarinsider.com:“1961 Bordeaux wine is one the legendary Bordeaux vintages of all time and for several good reasons. Of course, that all starts with the perfect growing season and harvest. The spring frost conditions naturally reduced crops, lowered yields and concentrated the already intense flavors. Generally speaking, the spring was mild in Bordeaux, which led to an early and even flowering. A frost struck much of Bordeaux at the end of May, which damaged many of the vines. Because the frost occurred late in the season, after the flowering, there was no additional birth of new berries. The crop was already low, due to the frost of 1956, this only reduced the yields further, with several the top estates reporting yields of 11 hectoliters per hectare. From that point forward, everything improved.The summer was for the most part, warm, sunny and dry. The only break from the excellent summer weather occurred in July, when the summer rain fell, which proved to exactly what the grapes needed. The remainder of July was warm, sunny and dry. August was extremely hot and dry, which was followed by a close to perfect September, which was warm and dry. These conditions produced small, ripe, sweet, ripe, thick skinned berries with almost unseen levels of concentration of intensity and flavor. The 1961 Bordeaux harvest officially began September 22. This is similar to what happened in 1945. Although, in 1945, the harvest started even earlier. Due to the naturally low yields in both years, the vintages are often compared with each other.While 1945 Bordeaux favored the Medoc , that is not the case with 1961 Bordeaux wine. Stunning 1961 Bordeaux wine was produced in Pessac Leognan , Pomerol , Pauillac , St. Julien and while Margaux was not consistent, Chateau Palmer made what people feel remains the best wine in their history! Chateau Latour is prodigious. It was not a good vintage for St. Emilion , or the sweet, white, Bordeaux wine from Sauternes . Pomerol was particularly successful. 1961 Haut Brion is one a contender for the best wines they produced in the 20th century and La Mission Haut Brion is not far behind!1961 1961 Bordeaux Wine Vintage Report and Buying GuideThe small harvest produced great 1961 Bordeaux wine from in appellation from top to bottom. The wines were rich and tannic, which demanded extended cellaring. 1961 Bordeaux was not fun to drink in its youth. In part, that explains why so many 1961 Bordeaux wines remain for sale today. The best wines are concentrated, deep, complex and hauntingly perfumed. One of the most important traits all great vintages share, is that the wines from top to bottom, and in all appellations produce great wine. One of the best aspects of 1961 Bordeaux wine is that numerous chateaux produced very good wines. This means consumers do not need to look only at the top wines to be get a good chance at enjoying, great older wine. Today, 1961 Bordeaux wine is considered one of the true reference point vintages for mature, Bordeaux wine.”Read more about the 1961 vintage at Wine Cellar InsiderAll the wines from the 1960’s in the store on SALE!! 1969 REMOISSENET CHAMBOLLE MUSIGNY LES CHARMES PREMIER CRUPrice: $1624.50 Your Price: $1462.05 Quantity in Stock: 31969 D'Oliveira Sercial MadeiraPrice: $762.00 Your Price: $685.80 Quantity in Stock: 21968 Fossi Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, Tuscany, ItalyPrice: $325.00 Sale Price: $255.00 Quantity in Stock: 91968 D'Oliveiras Boal MadeiraPrice: $960.00 Your Price: $864.00 Quantity in Stock: 11966 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva (mid shoulder fill)Price: $130.00 Sale Price: $105.00 Quantity in Stock: 15 1964 FOSSI CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA DOCG, TUSCANY, ITALYPrice: $295.00 Sale Price: $255.00 Quantity in Stock: 121964 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva (mid shoulder fill)Price: $190.00 Sale Price: $140.00 Quantity in Stock: 181964 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva (low shoulder fill)Price: $120.00 Sale Price: $95.00 Quantity in Stock: 41962 Fossi Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, Tuscany, ItalyPrice: $375.00 Sale Price: $295.00 Quantity in Stock: 61962 Pierre Damoy Chambertin Clos De Beze Grand CruPrice: $1950.00 Your Price: $1755.00 Quantity in Stock: 11960 Clos Fourtet Saint-Emilion Grand CruPrice: $350.00 Sale Price: $295.00 Quantity in Stock: 11960 Martinez Vintage Port (top shoulder fill, no label)Price: $289.00 Sale Price: $245.00 Quantity in Stock: 1

"Alcohol - the cause of and solution to all of life's problems"Homer SimpsonWe are doing serious scientific work with wine here at the Wine Watch and when we have an opportunity to put a dozen top level wines on the table from two great vintages like 1995 and 1996 from Italy, we are always game. Especially when they are from the cellar of a wine collector like Dr. Robert Maliner.Our good friend Dr. Robert Maliner is from the 1936 vintage, and he still has several thousand bottles of wine in his cellar, so we are trying to help him get through most if not all of these before his time on this earth expires. This is the most valuable service that we offer at Wine Watch. If you have potentially more wine than you can drink, we will help you drink your wines that are in their prime years of drinking. Join us as we experience one of the great vintages from Italy with a dozen selections from one of South Florida’s top wine collector’s cellar. The fee for this tasting which includes dinner and gratuity is $395 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com1995 VS 1996 Italian Wine TastingWith Special Guest Dr. Robert MalinerSaturday November 7th7:30pm1995 Fontodi Chianti Classico1995 Argiano Brunello di Montalcino Tuscany1995 La Macchiole Screo (Syrah)1995 Luce Tuscany 1995 Tommaso Bussola Amarone Vigneto Alto TB 1996 Altare Barolo La Morra Piedmont 1996 Marcarini Barolo Brunate1996 Castello de Rampollo d’Alceo Tuscany 1996 Tua Rita Redigaffi Bogheri 1996 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri 1996 Hofstatten Steinraffler Lagrain Alto Adige 1995 Arnaldo Caprai Sagrantino Montefalco Pasito Umbria MenuSelection of Cheese and CharcuterieHeirloom Tomato and burrata Salad with Piro Extra virgin Olive Oil and Bonini 25-Year Aged Premium Italian Balsamic Vinegar from ModenaVeal Carpaccio with Capers and Herbed AioliSangiovese Braised Lamb Shank with White Bean Puree and Sundried Tomato CoulisTiramisuThe fee for this tasting which included dinner and gratuity is $395 + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any food allergies or aversions and chefs Toni and Dani will be happy to accommodate you.All the wines from the 1995 Vintage in the store on SALE!!1995 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon NapaPrice: $2250.00 Your Price: $2025.00 Quantity in Stock: 11995 Clos du Bois Marlstone Alexander ValleyPrice: $90.00 Sale Price: $75.00 Quantity in Stock: 51995 Jessandra Vittoria Cabernet Sauvignon SonomaPrice: $55.00 Your Price: $49.50 Quantity in Stock: 601995 Charles Cimicky Red Blend BarossaPrice: $59.00 Sale Price: $51.92 Quantity in Stock: 8 1995 Domaine de Baumard Clos du Papillon SavennieresPrice: $79.00 Sale Price: $59.00 Quantity in Stock: 11995 Domaine de Baumard Clos de Sainte Catherine Coteaux Du LayonPrice: $75.00 Sale Price: $59.00 Quantity in Stock: 21995 Domaine Des Baumard Quarts De ChaumePrice: $139.00 Sale Price: $115.00 Quantity in Stock: 191995 Canalicchio Di Sopra Brunello di MontalcinoPrice: $250.25 Your Price: $225.23 Quantity in Stock: 121995 COSIMO TAURINO PATRIGLIONE ROSSO SALENTO IGT, PUGLIA, ITALYPrice: $85.00 Sale Price: $65.00 Quantity in Stock: 531995 Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCGPrice: $218.75 Sale Price: $175.00 Quantity in Stock: 11995 Fontodi Vigna del Sorbo Chianti Classico Gran SelezionePrice: $230.00 Sale Price: $195.00 Quantity in Stock: 11995 Luigi Righetti Capitel De' Roari, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG, ItalyPrice: $150.00 Sale Price: $115.00 Quantity in Stock: 581995 Chateau d'Issan, MargauxPrice: $235.00 Your Price: $211.50 Quantity in Stock: 61995 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Pessac Leognan Bordeaux, FrancePrice: $625.00 Sale Price: $495.99 Quantity in Stock: 151995 Chateau Latour 'Les Forts de Latour' Pauillac, FrancePrice: $425.00 Sale Price: $350.00 Quantity in Stock: 21995 Chateau Lynch Bages PauillacPrice: $425.00 Sale Price: $350.00 Quantity in Stock: 111995 Chateau Lafite Rothschild PauillacPrice: $995.00 Your Price: $895.50 Quantity in Stock: 11995 Chateau Mouton Rothschild PauillacPrice: $999.00 Sale Price: $795.00 Quantity in Stock: 381995 Chateau de Valandraud Saint Emilion Grand CruPrice: $550.00 Your Price: $495.00 Quantity in Stock: 21995 Domaine De La Romanee Conti Romanee Conti Grand CruPrice: $25750.00 Your Price: $23175.00 Quantity in Stock: 11995 Taylor Fladgate Quinta de Vargellas Vintage PortPrice: $99.00 Sale Price: $85.00 Quantity in Stock: 51995 Warre's Quinta Da Cavadinha Vintage PortPrice: $120.00 Your Price: $108.00 Quantity in Stock: 11995 D'OLIVEIRA MADEIRA TINTA NEGRAPrice: $265.00 Your Price: $238.50 Quantity in Stock: 2All the Wines from the 1996 Vintage on SALE!!California1996 Diamond Creek Cabernet Lake NapaList Price: $1100.00 Your Price: $990.00 Quantity in Stock: 11996 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Lake Vineyard Napa MagnumList Price: $2250.00 Your Price: $2025.00 Quantity in Stock: 11996 Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill Cabernet Sauvignon Napa ValleyList Price: $588.00 Sale Price: $500.00 Quantity in Stock: 21996 Diamond Creek Cabernet Red Rock Terrace Microclimate 3 NapaList Price: $995.00 Your Price: $895.50 Quantity in Stock: 1Italy1996 Caparzo Ca del Pazzo Sant'AntimoList Price: $56.25 Your Price: $50.63 Quantity in Stock: 11996 LUIGI RIGHETTI CAPITEL DE' ROARI, AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOCG, ITALYList Price: $150.00 Sale Price: $115.00 Quantity in Stock: 81996 Dante Rivetti Barbaresco Bricco de Neueis RiservaList Price: $139.00 Your Price: $125.10 Quantity in Stock: 11996 Fontanafredda Lazzarito BaroloList Price: $257.00 Sale Price: $205.00 Quantity in Stock: 21996 Ceretto Bricco Rocche Prapo BaroloList Price: $253.00 Sale Price: $215.00 Quantity in Stock: 2France1996 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti MONOPOLE GRAND CRUList Price: $27500.00 Your Price: $24750.00 Quantity in Stock: 11996 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche Grand CruList Price: $8500.00 Your Price: $7650.00 Quantity in Stock: 11996 Camille Giroud Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand CruList Price: $995.00 Sale Price: $750.00 Quantity in Stock: 31996 Chateau Cos D'Estournel St. Estephe, FranceList Price: $425.00 Sale Price: $350.00 Quantity in Stock: 431996 Château Saint-Pierre, Saint-JulienList Price: $277.50 Your Price: $249.75 Quantity in Stock: 91996 Chateau Gazin Pomerol, FranceList Price: $235.00 Your Price: $211.50 Quantity in Stock: 21996 Chateau Soucherie Coteaux du Layon Vieilles VignesList Price: $69.00 Your Price: $62.10 Quantity in Stock: 21996 Domaine Richou Coteaux de l'AubanceList Price: $39.00 Your Price: $35.10 Quantity in Stock: 2

“Most bad," the host concluded. "If you ask me, something sinister lurks in men who avoid wine, games, the company of lovely women, and dinnertime conversation. Such people are either gravely ill or secretly detest everyone around them.”― Mikhail Bulgakov, The Master and MargaritaI have always said- “I don't trust people that don't drink wine....”I have also always said that Vino Nobile de Montepulciano is the best value in Tuscany, you get a similar quality wine to Brunello di Montalcino at close to 50% of the price and Avignonesi is one of the benchmark wineries from this region. Take me back in the time machine before inflation has doubled the price on everything over the last 4 years. This wine is still the same price!!! I would imagine they will have to raise the price soon as this is an amazing deal and one of the best values in the shop period… from anywhere!!Happy Hour Wine Tasting FeaturingAvignonesi Vino Nobile di MontalcinoThursday, November 5, 20266pm2024 Avignonesi Il Marzocco Chardonnay Tuscany2022 Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG2022 Avignonesi 'Poggetto di Sopra' Vino Nobile di Montepulciano2022 Avignonesi Grifi IGT Tuscany2021 Avignonesi Desiderio Merlot Cortona2020 Avignonesi Capannelle 50&50 Toscana IGTMenuSauerkraut Balls with Spicy Marinara SauceChicken Parmesan SlidersSalmon and Avocado Tartar served on Cucumber ChipsCharcuterie PizzaThe fee for this tasting is $95 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. All of the wines in the store from Avignonesi Winery on SALE!!2022 Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCGPrice: $24.00 Your Price: $21.60 Quantity in Stock: 6The Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a selection of Sangiovese from all of our vineyards in Montepulciano, creating a multifaceted wine that is a true expression of the terroir.2015 Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG MagnumPrice: $75.00 Your Price: $67.50 Quantity in Stock: 9OUR TASTING NOTES: Fresh plowed earth, dark spices, coco and some floral notes, nice complexity with dark cherry and wild strawberry fruit, dried meats, opens up nicely but needs some time. A good amount of freshness and dark cherry fruit with fresh herbs and some dark earth and spice notes nice complexity here, balanced finish. Finish 40+ TASTING DATE 05/13/192023 Avignonesi DA DI BIANCOPrice: $26.00 Your Price: $23.40Intense golden yellow colour with green hues. On the nose, it is fresh and elegant with notes of white peach and green apple, pineapple and delicate hints of lemon. On the palate, the entire mouth is pervaded by a marked freshness that accompanies the entire tasting experience. The body is voluminous and structured, accompanied by silky tannins that caress the palate. Citrus notes of grapefruit and fresh elderflower emerge. The finish is savoury and persistent, worthy of a great ageing wine.GRAPES: 50,26% Orpicchio, 28,62% Grechetto, 19,33% Trebbiano, 1,21% Vermentino, 0,58% Malvasia2024 Avignonesi Il Marzocco Chardonnay TuscanyPrice: $40.00 Your Price: $36.00Straw yellow colour with vivid greenish reflections. A dynamic and profound wine, an expression of Tuscan Chardonnay. Il Marzocco enchants you with its explosive notes of lime blossom, grapefruit and ripe pineapple, enriched by intriguing nuances of honey and flint. The palate is full and creamy with elegant lemon notes, then sage and elderflower. The palate is delighted by a vibrant, mineral finish with a slight woody aftertaste.Blend: 95% Chardonnay, 5% Petit Manseng2024 Avignonesi Rosso di Toscana CantaloroPrice: $19.00 Your Price: $17.10A versatile,young red wine with a ruby red colour and a bouquet characterized by inviting aromas of mature red fruits with delicate notes of cedar, rosemary and thyme.2024 Avignonesi Rosso di MontepulcianoPrice: $19.75 Your Price: $17.78Grapes: 96% Sangiovese, 4% other local red varieties.Grape origin: Le Capezzine Estate, close to the village of Valiano, to the north west of Montepulciano, I Poggetti and Le Badelle vineyards, on the Argiano hills, east of Montepulciano, and the Banditella and El Grasso vineyards, located in the Banditella area, south east of Montepulciano.Altitude: 270 - 375 metres a.s.l.Exposure: Variable, depending on each single vineyard.Soil type: Alkaline, with layers of clay, sand and silt, of Pleistocenic origin at Le Capezzine and of Pliocenic origin at I Poggetti, Le Badelle, El Grasso and Banditella. In the Banditella vineyard the soil is somewhat rocky due to an ancient river bed.Age of the vines: 10 - 40 years old.Training system: Bush-trained, guyot and cordon-trained. Vine density: 7,158 vines per hectare in the bush-trained vineyards, from 5,200 to 6,200 hectare in the cordon-trained vineyards and 2,564 vines per hectare in the old, guyot-trained vineyards. VinificationHarvest: Picking took place between September 19 and October 10.Vinification: The fermentation was spontaneous with the use of indigenous yeast. Malolactic fermentation took place in oak.Ageing: 5 months in oak. One part of the wine was aged in French barriques and the other in large, Slavonian oak casks.Alcohol: 13%Total production: 58,000 bottles.Tasting notesMedium ruby red colour with typical varietal aromas including strawberries, raspberries, blood plums and cranberries with hints of rosemary and thyme. A burst of fruit on the palate leads way into velvety tannins balanced by a fresh acidity and a long lasting, delicately spicy finish2022 Avignonesi 'Poggetto di Sopra' Vino Nobile di MontepulcianoPrice: $52.50 Your Price: $47.25The Alliance is a group of six Nobile producers - Salcheto, Poliziano, La Braccesca, Dei, Boscarelli, and Avignonesi - all sharing the dedication to Nobile’s rediscovery. The six winemakers have coordinated their respective work and each crafted a cru 100% Sangiovese Nobile specifically for this project.The Poggetto di Sopra brings out the characteristics of its environment, recalling the clay soil it lays upon. PASSIONATE like the radiant sun of this vintage...Harmonious wines warm and charming on the canvas the marriage between light and matter. The variable weather conditions of this vintage with the right timing enabled us to make powerful, yet elegant wines. The wine shows grace and elegance, the bouquet is complex with tones of raspberry tart, indian spices, especially clove and cardamom. The tannins are silky with a long lingering finish.2021 Avignonesi Desiderio Merlot CortonaPrice: $52.50 Your Price: $47.25This is from their vineyards in Cortona with a high amount of blue clay, Desidario is the name of the famous bull that lived on the estate, and let's just say he was the breeder of big bulls that made the beefsteak Florentine famous- this is the breeding stock. Dark earth forest floor like aromas to the dark plum and blueberry fruit very intense with notes of mocha and fine herbs, nice complexity on the nose. A big and chunky wine on the tongue but has wonderful freshness and balance through the finish, dark spices and plum and cherry fruit to the end. Finish 45+ Most Excellent2022 Avignonesi Grifi IGT TuscanyPrice: $25.25 Your Price: $22.7350% Sangiovese 50% Cabernet SauvignonThe blending of two such different personalities as Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon come together to give this wine its unique character. Dark ruby red in colour with purple hues. The nose opens with hints of blueberries, blackberries and incense, and moves on to sandalwood, graphite and vanilla nuances. In the mouth it is dense and complex with hints of plum and blueberry. It then evolves into a balsamic and spicy explosion supported by good acidity. The lively tannin on the whole palate accompanies the savoury and persistent finish.2020 Avignonesi Capannelle 50&50 Toscana IGTPrice: $163.00 Your Price: $146.702018 Avignonesi Capannelle 50&50 Toscana IGTPrice: $136.50 Your Price: $122.85 Quantity in Stock: 3A historic collaboration between Avignonesi from Montepulciano and Capannelle from Gaiole in Chianti, 50%50 brings forth all the silky elegance of the Merlot and the distinct, rustic charm of the Sangiovese.50&50 has a deep, ruby red color. Aromas of dried cranberries and black cherries intertwine with scents Mediterranean herbs and sweet spices. The flavour is rich, enveloping and long lingering with a long and balsamic finish. This elegant blend of Merlot and Sangiovese is perfect for long ageing in the bottle2010 Avignonesi Vin Santo 375mlPrice: $337.50 Your Price: $303.75 Quantity in Stock: 2This Vin Santo is characterized by intense aromas of caramel and walnut husk, softened by hints of honeydew honey, nutmeg and pennyroyal. The aftertaste recalls memories of candied orange and butter biscuits. On the palate this sweet wine reveals infinite taste sensations, a symphony of notes of dried figs, almonds and orange jam. A perfect balance between sweetness and acidity leads to a long and sensual finish.A bit about Avignonesi Winery: The winery is named after the Avignonesi family, the founders of the original estate. Constant research and development aimed at expressing the true character of the Montepulciano terroir has, over time, earned the winery a well-deserved place among the flagship producers of Tuscany. In 2009, Avignonesi was acquired by Virginie Saverys who has since introduced organic farming methods to craft distinct, genuine wines with an even stronger character, and has acquired additional vineyards and a state-of-the-art winemaking facility in the Montepulciano appellation. They believe that the life force of the earth and the uniqueness of their terroir are at the heart of the Avignonesi brand. Avignonesi is reborn from the soil of the vineyards with each vintage in wines that mirror the subtle flavors of the site and the special traits of each year. The wines express the richness and beauty of the Montepulciano territory. They respect the heritage of Montepulciano, where Sangiovese wines have been produced for centuries, and they wish to contribute to its future by being the finest representative of its heritage that they can be. They respect the innate character of each wine and seek to follow its natural evolutionary path from the soil to the cellar and - finally - to the bottle. These wines are made from 100% Estate fruit, they cut the production to do this and they are all biodynamically farmed, 100% Sangiovese with minimal use of new oak, 2nd and 3rd passage.Virginie was born in Ghent, Belgium and graduated in law from the University of Paris in 1983. Virginie was brought up in a family that always enjoyed fine wines and, as a wine lover, decided to invest in the Avignonesi winery in 2007, after having retired from her highly successful legal career and moving to Tuscany. In 2009 she bought the whole of Avignonesi with the intention of taking a winery already recognised for its quality, innovative research and experimentation to a new level of excellence.She is a strong believer in organic products and homeopathic medicine, so converting the winery to sustainable farming methods was a natural choice. Her aim at Avignonesi is to produce wines which do not only mirror the distinct identity of the terroir of Montepulciano, but wines which are healthier for her customers, healthier for the land and therefore for future generations.

Water Separates the people of the world. Wine unites them.We just received a collection of wines that had a bunch of cool stuff from the 1966 vintage. These wines are now 60 years old and although that is really old for a bottle of wine, for those of you who are turning 60 years old this year it is always fun to taste through a collection of wines from your birth year but the older you get the harder it is to find wines from your vintage. It took me all year to come up with this list of wines to host an event celebrating this great year in Bordeaux, Italy and Oporto. The 1966 vintage in Bordeaux is widely regarded as an excellent and classic year for red wines of Bordeaux, defined by traditional structure, finesse, and remarkable longevity. The 1966 vintage in Tuscany was generally considered an average to mediocre year rather than a standout or classic harvest. The 1966 vintage in Port is widely regarded as an outstanding and classic post-war year, though it is often playfully overshadowed in public memory by the legendary 1963 vintage.Join us as we experience 9 wines from the 1966 vintage along with a special meal prepared by chef Toni Lampasone. The fee for this tasting which includes dinner and gratuity is $495 per person + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. 1966 Vintage Wines – A Study of 60 Year-old WineSaturday, November 14th7:30pm1966 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva1966 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac-Leognan1966 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion Pessac-Leognan1966 Chateau Lascombes Margaux1966 Chateau Malescot-St-Exupery Margaux1966 Chateau Beycheville Saint JulienChateau Montrose Saint Estephe1966 Chateau d'Yquem Sauternes1966 Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage PortMenuSelection of Cheese and CharcuterieLions Main Mushroom And Emilion Lustau Amontillado Sherry SoupDuck Confit with Sweet Potato Au GratinDark Chocolate Crème BruleeThe fee for this tasting which includes dinner and Gratuity is $495 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com . Please let us know when you make your reservation if you have any food allergies or aversions and chefs Toni and Dani will be happy to accommodate you.All the wines from these great producers in the store on SALE!! 1964 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva (low shoulder fill)Price: $120.00 Sale Price: $95.00 Quantity in Stock: 41964 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva (mid shoulder fill)Price: $190.00 Sale Price: $140.00 Quantity in Stock: 181966 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva (mid shoulder fill)Price: $130.00 Sale Price: $105.00 Quantity in Stock: 151978 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG Tuscany, ItalyPrice: $120.00 Sale Price: $95.00 Quantity in Stock: 281988 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, Tuscany, ItalyPrice: $120.00 Sale Price: $95.00 Quantity in Stock: 251990 Badia a Coltibuono Sangioveto Vino da Tavola TuscanyPrice: $195.00 Sale Price: $150.00 Quantity in Stock: 162020 Badia a Coltibuono Roberto Stucchi RS Cultusboni Chianti Classico 375mlPrice: $11.00 Your Price: $9.90 Quantity in Stock: 4 1982 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac LeognanPrice: $1275.00 Your Price: $1147.50 Quantity in Stock: 41986 Chateau Haut-Brion, Pessac-Leognan, France MagnumPrice: $2250.00 Sale Price: $1750.00 Quantity in Stock: 41998 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac LeognanPrice: $995.00 Your Price: $895.50 Quantity in Stock: 12000 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac LeognanPrice: $1395.00 Sale Price: $895.00 Quantity in Stock: 12003 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac Leognan (MAGNUM)Price: $1420.00 Sale Price: $1190.00 Quantity in Stock: 12005 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac LeognanPrice: $1250.00 Your Price: $1125.00 Quantity in Stock: 12006 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac LeognanPrice: $825.00 Your Price: $742.50 Quantity in Stock: 12010 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac LeognanPrice: $1250.00 Your Price: $1125.00 Quantity in Stock: 11982 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Pessac Leognan Bordeaux, FrancePrice: $2250.00 Sale Price: $1750.00 Quantity in Stock: 171986 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Pessac LeognanPrice: $999.00 Sale Price: $750.00 Quantity in Stock: 71989 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion Pessac-Leognan (375ml)Price: $942.00 Sale Price: $795.00 Quantity in Stock: 11995 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Pessac Leognan Bordeaux, FrancePrice: $625.00 Sale Price: $495.99 Quantity in Stock: 152000 CHATEAU LA MISSION HAUT BRION PESSAC LEOGNANPrice: $925.00 Sale Price: $750.00 Quantity in Stock: 12005 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Pessac LeognanPrice: $825.00 Sale Price: $700.00 Quantity in Stock: 22009 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Pessac LeognanPrice: $795.00 Your Price: $715.50 Quantity in Stock: 12010 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Pessac LeognanPrice: $950.00 Your Price: $855.00 Quantity in Stock: 11990 Chateau Lascombes MargauxPrice: $295.00 Sale Price: $230.00 Quantity in Stock: 71999 Chateau Malescot-St-Exupery MargauxPrice: $215.00 Sale Price: $175.00 Quantity in Stock: 41998 Chateau Montrose Saint-EstephePrice: $312.00 Sale Price: $265.00 Quantity in Stock: 11990 CHATEAU MONTROSE ST. ESTEPHE MAGNUM 1.5LPrice: $2695.00 Sale Price: $2250.00 Quantity in Stock: 62003 Chateau Montrose, Saint-Estephe, FrancePrice: $365.00 Sale Price: $295.00 Quantity in Stock: 12014 Chateau Montrose St EstephePrice: $405.00 Your Price: $364.50 Quantity in Stock: 21980 Chateau D'Yquem SauternesPrice: $795.00 Your Price: $715.50 Quantity in Stock: 31983 Chateau d'Yquem SauternesPrice: $1041.00 Your Price: $936.90 Quantity in Stock: 21983 Chateau d'Yquem Sauternes Labels StainedPrice: $895.00 Your Price: $805.50 Quantity in Stock: 22013 Chateau d'Yquem Sauternes (375ml)List Price: $388.50 Your Price: $349.65 Quantity in Stock: 12018 CHATEAU D'YQUEM SAUTERNES 375MLPrice: $363.00 Your Price: $326.70 Quantity in Stock: 1Chateau d'Yquem “N*4” SauternesPrice: $420.00 Your Price: $378.00 Quantity in Stock: 22003 Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage PortPrice: $1500.00 Your Price: $1350.00 Quantity in Stock: 31997 Quinta do Noval Colheita PortPrice: $253.00 Sale Price: $210.00 Quantity in Stock: 11991 Quinta Do Noval Vintage PortPrice: $145.00 Your Price: $130.50 Quantity in Stock: 11983 Quinta do Noval Quinta do Silval Vintage PortPrice: $206.00 Sale Price: $175.00 Quantity in Stock: 1Quinta Do Noval 20 year Tawny PortPrice: $117.00 Your Price: $105.30 Quantity in Stock: 5Quinta Do Noval 10 Year Tawny PortPrice: $35.00 Your Price: $31.50 Quantity in Stock: 3NV Noval LB Ruby PortoPrice: $19.75 Your Price: $17.78 Quantity in Stock: 4

"It's a hard grape to grow. As you know. Right? It's, uh, it's thin-skinned, temperamental, ripens early. It's, you know, it's not a survivor like cabernet, which can just grow anywhere and thrive even when it's neglected. No, pinot needs constant care and attention. You know? And, in fact, it can only grow in these really specific, little tucked-away corners of the world. And only the most patient and nurturing of growers can do it, really. Only somebody who really takes the time to understand pinot's potential can then coax it into its fullest expression."Miles – SidewaysI remember the first time I met master sommelier Larry Stone, it was at Rubicon restaurant in San Francisco in the early 1990’s on my second trip to California as a young sommelier while working at Café Maxx. Larry Stone was one of the first people to pass the MS exam and I was excited to meet him when our group from Café Maxx ate at Rubicon. Larry has a photographic memory and has an encyclopedic knowledge of wine so you can imagine how impressed I was as a young sommelier hoping to get to the next level. I was very impressed with Rubicon’s wine program the organization of the wine list and of course Larry did not disappoint me as he was very approachable and although we only had a brief conversation about wine that night I knew from that moment on that I would pursue a career in the wine industry.I remember my first trip to Oregon in the summer of 1994 for the IPNC (International Pinot Noir Celebration) this is one of the best wine parties that I have ever attended. The festival is limited to 500 attendees as it is hosted by McMinnville College and that is all they can accommodate in their lecture facilities. I remember not only was the quality of the wines at the highest level but the people in attendance were some of the most passionate Pinot Noir lovers that I had ever come across. This was the second time that I met Larry Stone and this time I got to hang out with him and play pool at a local bar after one of the evening’s festivities. Once again he was very easy to engage and I was even more impressed with his knowledge and demeanor once again making me an even bigger fan of this MS. It was quite a few years after that when Larry started Lingua Franca winery and visited the Wine Watch. I was so excited to learn that Larry was stopping by the store to taste me on his wines. I was eager to tell him the story of how impressed I was with him and what an inspiration he was to me when I first started out in the wine business. Of course, he did not remember either of our first two meetings but I was so impressed with his wines that I ordered everything that was presented to me that day and have had them listed on our site if they were not on the shelf ever since that day. Larry was so impressed with the Wine Watch that he promised to host an event with us the next time he came back to South Florida. Join us as we welcome the founder of Lingua Franca Winery Larry Stone to Wine Watch for a special evening of wines from Willamette Valley’s most prized vineyard sites. The fee for this tasting which includes dinner and gratuity is $250 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Lingua Franca Oregon Wine Tastingwith Special Guest Founder Larry Stone MSThursday, November 12, 20267:30 PM2023 Lingua Franca Chardonnay Avni Willamette Valley2023 Lingua Franca Chardonnay Estate Eola Amity Hills2023 Lingua Franca Bunker Hill Chardonnay Willamette Valley2022 Lingua Franca Winery AVNI Chardonnay Willamette Valley2022 Lingua Franca Chardonnay Estate Eola Amity Hills2017 Lingua Franca Chardonnay Estate Eola Amity Hills2023 Lingua Franca Pinot Noir Avni Willamette Valley2023 Lingua Franca Pinot Noir Estate Eola Amity2023 Lingua Franca 'The Plow' Pinot Noir Willamette Valley2022 Lingua Franca Mimi’s Mind Pinot Noir Eola Amity2022 Lingua Franca Tongue & Cheek Pinot Noir Willamette ValleyMenuSelection of Cheese and CharcuterieSea Scallop Carpaccio with Candied Citrus and Lavender AioliBeef Tartar served Over Bone Marrow Canoe with Whole Wheat Toast and Truffle AioliDuck Confit with Pinot Noir Cherry Reduction and Purple Potato MashVanilla Bean Crème BruleeThe fee for this tasting which includes dinner and gratuity is $250 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any dietary restrictions and chefs Toni and Dani will be happy to accommodate you.A bit about Lingua Franca WineryLingua Franca Winery(n) lin·gua fran·ca(1): a universal language used to connect people of diverse backgrounds.At precisely 4 pm on December 31st, 2012, Larry completed this once-in-a-lifetime acquisition. The Janzen Farm, sought after for over 40 years by the finest names in Oregon winemaking, was now in his hands to develop.Following low-impact, organic, and biodynamic farming principles under the guidance of dear friend and renowned regenerative viticulturist Mimi Casteel, our estate vineyard was planted with different combinations of rootstock and budwood to reflect the varying soil conditions within the vineyard.The exceptional fruit produced from this land showcased unparalleled purity and elegance, capturing the attention of esteemed white wine producer Dominique Lafon.Widely respected as one of the top winemakers in Burgundy, Dominique Lafon took notice of this exceptional vineyard site and joined Larry Stone to craft uniquely expressive wines harnessing the unique terroir of Oregon.The Willamette Valley is an ideal location to grow Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Its average seasonal temperatures, long daylight hours in the summer months, and total annual rainfall resemble the conditions in Burgundy, where the fruit attains uncontested perfection. All of our work is guided by respect for the environment, encouraging healthy diversity of life around and among us.All the wines from Lingua Franca Winery on SALE!!2023 Lingua Franca Chardonnay Avni Willamette ValleyPrice: $32.50 Your Price: $29.25(92 Points) The 2023 Chardonnay Avni has alluring aromas of quince, white peach, meringue, chamomile, beeswax and hazelnut. The medium-bodied palate has a satiny texture and expansive, honeyed flavors. Its generosity is balanced by mouthwatering acidity, and it has a long, textural finish. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate2023 Lingua Franca Chardonnay Estate Eola Amity HillsPrice: $49.50 Your Price: $44.55(94 Points) A bright, yellow/green-toned hue, the 2023 Chardonnay Lingua Franca Estate features notes of green apples, fresh flowers, citrus zest, and crushed stones. The palate is more linear and bright, with a scintillating spine of electric acidity and a clean, zesty finish. It’s going to benefit from another 6-12 months in bottle and should easily drink well over the coming 8-10 years. Jeb Dunnuck2023 Lingua Franca Bunker Hill Chardonnay Willamette ValleyPrice: $65.00 Your Price: $58.50Though crisp and lean on the tongue, Bunker Hill Estate Chardonnay 2023 has a surprisingly floral, marzipan, and mineral nose, but on the palate it is lemon peel, citrus and herbs. Surprisingly muscular, richly textured and bright with lemon highlights. The aroma of freshly picked Provençale herbs emerges as the wine opens with aeration. There are layers of flavor in the round, spicy and citrusy finish. The vineyard has yielded a paradox of wonderfully luxurious flavors on the foundation of its usual taught restraint.Vineyard Notes: Bunker Hill is 100% sourced from our Bunker Hill Estate Vineyard in the South Salem Hills and is the oldest source of fruit for any of our wines, having been planted in 1995 to CH76. It is among the earliest of the Dijon-clone plantings in Oregon, situated on the remnant of an 1840s pioneer farm. The soils are quite thin over the basalt bedrock and the slope faces the ocean winds on the west, which makes for thicker skins.Production Notes: The grapes were handpicked to maximize freshness and tension in the finished wine. The grapes were 100% whole cluster pressed, settled in tank for 24 hours on average, then barrel fermented with native yeasts in a combination of 23% new, 600-liter puncheons and 77% old French oak barriques and puncheons from diverse coopers. Full malolactic fermentation completed spontaneously in each barrel. After 11 months aging on lees, the wines were combined in tank with their lees for five months prior to bottling.Winemaker Notes: The growing season in 2023 started off with a pattern that had prevailed for the previous two years with a cold wet spring, though never with any frost or other extreme event. The cool spring weather led into a beautifully warm second week of May with temperatures in the mid 80s in the Eola-Amity Hills that promoted shoot growth. This set up for a good flowering in June. There were no real extremes of heat this summer but with overall very helpful warm to an occasional hot day throughout the season. Picking began mid- September in good weather and each block could be picked at exactly the right time.2022 Lingua Franca Winery AVNI Chardonnay Willamette ValleyPrice: $33.00 Your Price: $29.70 Quantity in Stock: 3This is the only key production wine that is not estate grown. Larry originally was going to sell fruit, so he planted mainly Pinot Noir on the site. In order to make the volume of Avni Chardonnay he uses about 60% Chardonnay that is from his neighbors, organically farmed on shallow, volcanic Nekia soils. The rest is purchased from the Van Duzer Corridor, where the temperatures are cooled by winds coming off of the nearby ocean. The main source is from the west side of the hill at the valley floor just to the south of Lingua Franca. On the nose this wine has aromas of lemon citrus and mineral, all organically farmed, showing notes of white flowers as the wine opens up. Bright and focused bouquet with lemon citrus, white flowers and a distinct minerality here, a firm hand of acidity and excellent length and complexity on the finish. Finish 45+ Most Excellent2022 Lingua Franca Chardonnay Estate Eola Amity HillsPrice: $50.00 Your Price: $45.00 Quantity in Stock: 8Floral notes leap out of the glass of the 100% Estate-grown Chardonnay 2022, with notes of jasmine, gardenia and lemon blossom. The contribution of low-yielding CH548 blocks seem to impress their character on the late vintage. The palate is round and fresh, entering with green apple and creamy lemon, which develop into chamomile and sea salt, with a round-textured, long finish of floral and saline notes.Tasting Notes: Lingua Franca Estate Chardonnay is a permanent addition to our wine portfolio. Its aroma is a combination of creamy lemon custard, grapefruit zest, jasmine and vanilla. While it has the richest aroma and texture of all our Chardonnays, it is still lively and bright, lifted by its underlying energy, an excellent expression of our vineyard.Vineyard Notes: Lingua Franca Estate Chardonnay is sourced 80% from the original blocks planted by Larry Stone in 2012 and now augmented by two additional blocks grafted over to Chardonnay from Pinot Noir in 2018 and 2019. The newer blocks will have more of an influence in coming years as they mature.Production Notes: The fruit field sorted, hand-picked, then 80% whole cluster pressed, 20% crushed and pressed, then settled in tank for 24 hours on average, barrel fermented with wild yeast in a combination of 27% new, lightly toasted 500- liter puncheons, and 73% old French oak puncheons and barriques from diverse coopers. Full malolactic fermentation completed spontaneously in each barrel. After 11 months aging on lees, the wines were combined in tank with their lees for five months prior to bottling.2022 Lingua Franca 'Sisters' Chardonnay Willamette ValleyPrice: $79.50 Your Price: $71.55(93 Points) Smoky crushed rocks and nuances of curry leaf give way to nectarine and a hint of spice as the 2022 Chardonnay Sisters blossoms in the glass. Distinctly savory, it offers soft textures and ginger-infused orchard fruit that take on a salty sensation toward the close. Intense citrus leaves a tart chewiness and mouthwatering quality as crunchy mineral tones linger. Vinous2022 Lingua Franca Bunker Hill Chardonnay Willamette ValleyPrice: $65.00 Your Price: $58.50 Quantity in Stock: 2This is Larry stone former sommelier, an Estate vineyard farmed biodymanically and this is located in Salem, their winemaker worked at DRC and Dujac and this wine has a good amount of minerality flinty with white flowers and lemon citrus, green apple. A cosmic label imaged taken from the hubble spacecraft, this wine has a lovely balance and a creamy mineral laced texture, very complex and layered finish the bottle opened yesterday is almost identical to the one opened today and both were even better the following day- Bravo the best Chardonnay I have ever tasted from Oregon. Finish 50+ Most Excellent2019 Lingua Franca Chardonnay Estate Eola Amity HillsPrice: $50.00 Your Price: $45.00 Quantity in Stock: 5(92 Points) "This Is Tight And Balanced, Though Not As Deep Or Rich As In Past Vintages. Sleek Flavors Of Lemon Rind And Green Apple Come With Ample Acidity, Even With Full Malolactic Fermentation. The Wine Has The Structure And Length To Age, So Tuck It Away For A Couple Of Years And It Should Develop Nicely. Paul Gregutt" Wine Enthusiast2017 Lingua Franca Chardonnay Estate Eola Amity HillsPrice: $59.00 Sale Price: $45.00 Quantity in Stock: 18Lingua Franca Estate Chardonnay is a permanent addition to our wine portfolio. Its aroma is a combination of creamy lemon custard, grapefruit zest, jasmine and vanilla. While it has the richest aroma and texture of all our Chardonnays, it is still lively and bright, lifted by its underlying energy; an excellent expression of our vineyard.2023 Lingua Franca Pinot Noir Avni Willamette ValleyPrice: $35.00 Your Price: $31.50Bright strawberry and raspberry fruit with a nice amount of pretty floral notes, earthy highlights. This is all estate bottled on Jory soil mainly pommard clone the biggest berry clone from the heritage plot Ponzi family 115, 114 and 113. Big ripe red cherry red raspberry very seductive and easy to drink with ripe open fruit very pretty structure mineral floral notes and exotic spices. Bright and fruity but not light in nuance and spice. Finish 45+ Excellent +2023 Lingua Franca Pinot Noir Estate Eola AmityPrice: $49.50 Your Price: $44.55This is on the Gelderman soils, mainly 777 and 543 and this wine has a bit more perfume and floral notes with black raspberry fruit and a bit more minerality and complexity on the nose. A big Pinot Noir but quite elegant and this wine has some tannins but a very balanced and a long finish all that nuance from the nose lingering through the finish. Finish 50+ Most Excellent +2023 Lingua Franca 'The Plow' Pinot Noir Willamette ValleyPrice: $65.00 Your Price: $58.50(95 Points) A bright red color, the 2023 Pinot Noir The Plow is from the top blocks of the estate and then blended blind. It has lifted, bright aromatics of pomegranate, strawberries, sweet herbs, and floral perfume. It's medium-bodied, with a graceful and approachable feel, fine tannins, and a floating finish. It’s delightful now and should drink fantastically over the coming 12-15 years. Jeb Dunnuck2022 Lingua Franca Mimi’s Mind Pinot Noir Eola AmityPrice: $79.50 Your Price: $71.55(95 Points) Fleshy in texture but steely at the core, with vibrant acidity and crushed stone accents framed by raspberry, guava, fresh violet and black tea flavors that gather tension toward fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2034. Wine Spectator2022 Lingua Franca Tongue & Cheek Pinot Noir Willamette ValleyPrice: $65.00 Your Price: $58.50(95 Points) Sleek and silky yet keenly structured, with a simmering backbone of mineral-tinged acidity framed by raspberry, cherry, forest floor and savory tea accents that build toward the dynamic finish. Wine SpectatorA bit about the history of wine in OregonIt was in 1979 when serious wine producers started to look at the potential of this area as Eyrie Vineyards' 1975 South Block Pinot Noir placed in the top 10 of Burgundy-style wines at the Gault-Millau French Wine Olympiads, and was rated the top Pinot Noir. This send the news around the wine world and shortly after Robert Drouhin, head of Burgundy's legendary Maison Joseph Drouhin, was visiting America's west coast promoting the Drouhin Burgundies. The California wine industry was just starting to receive its first recognition back then, but there was little if anything going on in Oregon. Robert's first visit to the Northwest and its earliest vineyards left him with the impression that it quite possibly would be Oregon, not California, that would ultimately prove to be the best place to grow the great grape of Burgundy - Pinot noir.Inspired by his trip to Oregon and the results of 1979 tasting that was held in Paris, where, for the first time, the best new Oregon Pinot noirs were tasted in competition with the finest Burgundies. Robert decided to hold his own blind tasting in 1980 at the Drouhin cellars in France, with several of the best Oregon Pinot noirs going up against the finest Drouhin Grand Crus. It was a Drouhin Grand Cru that took first place this time, but an Oregon wine (the now legendary 1975 Eyrie Vineyards South Block) placed 2nd by a very narrow margin with the French experts. News of this tasting brought the first widespread international attention to Oregon Pinot noir.After a few years’ time Robert's daughter Véronique just graduated with an advanced degree in enology from the University of Dijon, and wanted to expand her experience by working in Oregon. Véronique interned with Adelsheim Vineyards, Bethel Heights, and Eyrie for the 1986 vintage. Later on, Robert mentioned to David Adelsheim that it might be interesting to buy a piece of land in Oregon, to see what it might produce. What started as a passing thought began its transformation into reality when Adelsheim phoned the Drouhins in Beaune not long thereafter to tell them of a property that was for sale that they might be interested in. The rest is history and with one of Burgundies foremost wine producing families moving to Oregon the writing was on the wall that this wine producing region would soon get its much-deserved recognition as one of the world's premier Pinot Noir growing regions.Today, the state of Oregon in the United States has established an international reputation for its production of wine. Oregon has several different growing regions within the state's borders which are well-suited to the cultivation of grapes; additional regions straddle the border between Oregon and the states of Washington and Idaho. Wine making dates back to pioneer times in the 1840s, with commercial production beginning in the 1960s.American Viticultural Areas entirely within the state include the Willamette Valley, Southern Oregon, Umpqua Valley, and Rogue Valley AVAs. Parts of the Columbia Gorge, Walla Walla Valley, and Snake River Valley AVAs lie within Oregon.Currently there are over 1000 wineries in Oregon and a bustling tourism industry has developed around wine tasting. Much of the tourism focuses on the wineries and tasting rooms in and around the Yamhill Valley southwest of Portland.

Thoughts on the matter: “I would like a wine. The purpose of the wine is to get me drunk. A bad wine will get me as drunk as a good wine. I would like the good wine. And since the result is the same no matter which wine I drink, I’d like to pay the bad wine price.”Steve MartinComedian, writer, actor, banjo playerThe Vineyard House was originally Hiram Crabbs place in the late 19th century, it was sold to the Stelling family and then to Gil Nickel. Gil left this house to his son Jeremy to ensure that he would always have a place in Napa Valley. On the Vineyard House property there is a 2 acre vineyard which some of the fruit from this site now goes into the this exciting new wine and he has also purchased 35 acres right there on the valley floor located just 50 feet before you get to Harlan estate and Bond Wineries. In the very near future this wine will be 100% estate bottled. Bill Ballentine is making the wine and the first vintage was 2005.I have liked every vintage of this wine and we had all of them at the last tasting we had with Jeremy where we put his neighbor Harlan’s wine next to Vineyard House and our group of “Wine Drinking People” blind picked the Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 over Harlan Estate 2009. These latest releases are a cut above the first wines, and we are just beginning to see the potential of this Vineyard House property. Join us as we experience the newest releases from our good friend Jeremy Nickel and his better half Asha Nickel for a special night at the wine bar. The fee for this tasting which includes dinner and gratuity is $375 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.Vineyard House Wine Tastingwith Special Guests Jeremy and Asha NickelFriday, November 13th7:30 PM2021 The Vineyard House Chardonnay2017 The Vineyard House Chardonnay2021 The Vineyard House 'The Boss Vineyard' Block 8 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa2022 Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon HW Crabb's Hermosa Valley Napa2019 Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon HW Crabb's Hermosa Valley Napa2018 Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon HW Crabb's Hermosa Valley Napa2016 Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon HW Crabb's Hermosa Valley Napa2015 Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon HW Crabb's Hermosa Valley Napa2014 Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon HW Crabb's Hermosa Valley Napa2013 Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon HW Crabb's Hermosa Valley Napa2012 Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon HW Crabb's Hermosa Valley Napa2022 Vineyard House Cabernet Franc Block 5 - Crabb's Black BurgundyMenuSelection of Cheese and CharcuterieCanadian Lobster Enchilada with Salsa Verde SauceDuck and Smoked Mozzarella Ravioli with Sundried Tomato Browned ButterBeef Short Rib Wellington Served over Wild Mushroom Cabernet Sauce with crème Fraiche MashBourbon Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie with Vanilla Ice CreamThe fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $375 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any dietary restrictions and chefs Toni and Dani will be happy to accommodate you.A bit about The Vineyard HouseThe Vineyard House (TVH) is an exceptional and rare Cabernet Sauvignon created by proprietor Jeremy Nickel as a tribute to his late father Gil Nickel, founder of three of Napa’s most acclaimed wineries: Far Niente, Nickel & Nickel, and Dolce. Like his father before him, Jeremy’s vision for TVH is to build a world-class estate winery around his one-of-a-kind property in Oakville, and to produce an extraordinary and inspirational Cabernet Sauvignon that is at once drinkable and collectible. To that end, TVH has received rave reviews and held its own twice in blind tastings against Napa’s most renowned cult wines. TVH takes its name from a 19th century farmhouse surrounded by vineyards in a picturesque valley in Oakville, California. Known as The Vineyard House, the home was built in 1853 by William Baldridge, one of Napa’s most prominent citizens. It was bestowed to Jeremy by Gil when he passed away in 2003.Jeremy is proud to continue the family tradition of great winemaking. “Here’s to all we do that would make our fathers proud!"My father taught me many life lessons, one of which was “never compromise on quality.” The Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon is a tribute to my father’s commitment to excellence, as well as his passion for fine Cabernet. An “Okie from Muskogee,” who established three of Napa Valley’s most iconic brands, Gil Nickel was not only my father, but my hero, whose lessons continue to inspire me every day. here’s to our fathers!" Jeremy NickelAll the wines from Vineyard House in the store on SALE!!2021 The Vineyard House Chardonnay NapaPrice: $105.00 Your Price: $94.50 Quantity in Stock: 1This wine opens with enticing aromas of orange blossom, bright citrus, and a delicate hint of creamy brioche. On the palate, it is impressively fresh and vibrant, with lively acidity seamlessly integrated into its medium-bodied frame. Flavors of passion fruit, citrus zest, and a subtle echo of brioche are carried by a refined, stony minerality. Beautifully balanced and elegantly nuanced from start to finish, this is a sophisticated expression of Napa Valley Chardonnay. Enjoy its youthful energy now, or cellar for graceful development over the next decade and beyond.2017 Vineyard House Chardonnay Oakville NapaPrice: $75.00 Your Price: $67.50 Quantity in Stock: 17(93 Points) “Entirely barrel fermented, this layered, complex white is structured and complex. It offers tones of lemon peel, pear and Gravenstein apple, with a tangerine accent lending lift. Balanced and graceful, it winds its way to a finish of nutmeg and clove. — Virginie Boone”2022 VINEYARD HOUSE CABERNET FRANC BLOCK 5 - CRABB'S BLACK BURGUNDYPrice: $210.00 Your Price: $189.00The Cabernet Franc Crabb's Black Burgundy Block 5 comes from the Hermosa Vineyard and a block that sits immediately adjacent to Harlan Estate.... Beautiful black cherry and currant fruits, notes of dried flowers, new leather, unsmoked tobacco, and spice, medium to full-bodied richness, and outstanding balance all characterize this terrific Cabernet Franc that's geared for drinking over the coming 10-12 years. Winemakers: Philippe Melka Maayan Koschitzky2021 The Vineyard House 'The Boss Vineyard' Block 8 Cabernet Sauvignon NapaPrice: $412.50 Your Price: $371.25Notes of blueberry compote, plum, clove and black pepper intermingle with gravelly minerality and leather. The palate is enriched with silky, mouth filling tannins, bright black fruits with lingering notes of clove, dusty cocoa powder and brioche. The wine has extraordinary length and persistence and will only benefit from extended cellaring.The reduced winter rains of 2021 brought a second consecutive year of drought that was felt across the valley. The headwinds, coupled with dry, difficult conditions during bud determination in 2020, resulted in a light vintage for 2021. Earlier ripening sites, on hillsides or with limited soil water, trended even earlier than normal due to the dry conditions and lightened crop load. Overall grape quality is quite high across the board with great color, balanced tannin structure and ideal chemistry. -Atelier Melka2019 The Vineyard House 'The Boss Vineyard' Block 8 Cabernet SauvignonPrice: $412.50 Your Price: $371.25 Quantity in Stock: 1(95 Points) My favorite of the The Vineyard House offerings is the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Block 8, a wine that includes 10% Cabernet Franc. Gorgeous scents of cassis, bay leaf, black cherries and vanilla merge seamlessly on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is richly textured and supple, with a long, velvety finish. Impressively delicious. Wine Advocate2022 The Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon Estate NapaPrice: $292.50 Your Price: $263.25Dense garnet and purple staining fruit punctuates our Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Black cherry, black plum, and dark currants entwine with sweet tobacco, conifer, and mocha essence. Soft texture and refined tannins allow this wine to reveal ripe cherry cobbler, graphite, ceder, with herbal sage and star anise. Incredibly balanced and delicate yet focused with a persistent finish.2021 The Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon Estate NapaPrice: $295.00 Your Price: $265.50 Quantity in Stock: 1This wine is a classic expression of a moderate to warm vintage, producing smaller berries and lighter crop than average. Dark in color, it opens up in the glass with expressive aromas of graphite with pronounced cherry and blackberry. On the palate, the wine is powerful with a good, firm tannin structure, blending in hints of natural sweetness, ripe fruit and great acidity. This wine is just starting to show its potential and will age gracefully for 15+ years.This wine is a classic expression of a moderate to warm vintage, producing smaller berries and lighter crop than average. Dark in color, it opens up in the glass with expressive aromas of graphite with pronounced cherry and blackberry. On the palate, the wine is powerful with a good, firm tannin structure, blending in hints of natural sweetness, ripe fruit and great acidity. This wine is just starting to show its potential and will age gracefully for 15+ years.2019 The Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon Estate NapaPrice: $337.50 Your Price: $303.75 Quantity in Stock: 1(95 Points) The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate comes all from the estate in Oakville and is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. It has a darker fruited style (blackberries, currants) as well as textbook Oakville iron, tobacco, and black olive. It's broader and more expansive compared to the 2021s, but also not quite as long or focused. Regardless, this is a brilliant, layered, sexy 2019 that will evolve for at least two decades. Jeb Dunnuck2018 The Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon NapaPrice: $352.50 Your Price: $317.25(94 Points) Looking first at the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, this inky hued effort offers a dense, full-bodied, powerful, yet promising style. Giving up solid currant and cassis fruits, notes of dark chocolate and roasted herbs, a dense mid-palate, and a great finish, it needs to be forgotten for 4-6 years and should be long lived. Jeb Dunnuck2016 The Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon Estate NapaPrice: $352.50 Your Price: $317.25Dark currant and cherry fruit, dark spice and dark mocha chocolate, fresh plowed earth, graphite mineral, a cornucopia of fruit earth and spice on the nose. Very big and chewy with dark cherry, currant, cassis very rich on the tongue with ripe round tannins and a very silky sexy texture to this wine with layers of dark spices. This wine has lots of juicy fruit very exotic spices and a long finish echoing the nuance from the nose through the finish. Finish 50+ Most Excellent2015 The Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon Estate NapaPrice: $352.50 Your Price: $317.25The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon is a case study of power & balance. This reddish-purple wine displays concentrated aromas of blackcurrants, blackberries, red currants, crème de cassis, violets, rosehips, tobacco leaf, forest floor, and pencil lead. Its seamless tannic structure and bright acidity will provide the stuffing for great longevity in your cellar. Patience will pay off in dividends, but our extended barrel aging adds a supple nature to the wine allowing for accessibility in its youth.2014 The Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon NapaPrice: $352.50 Your Price: $317.25 Quantity in Stock: 1(94 Points) This is a delightfully elegant and balanced red that's blended with 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. It is subtle and nuanced in aromas of forest, clove and cassis. Layers of flavor develop on the palate, inviting swirls of chocolate and black cherry. (VB) Review Date: 04/2019 Wine Enthusiast2013 Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon NapaPrice: $369.00 Your Price: $332.10TVH has produced a huge Cab, and this one is jammed with deep ripe flavors of juicy blackcurrant, blackberries and black cherries oozing with dark chocolate and some gentle nuances of freshly ground espresso. Randa Warren - Master Sommelier

"Champagne, if you are seeking the truth, is better than a lie detector. It encourages a man to be expansive, even reckless, while lie detectors are only a challenge to tell lies successfully." Graham GreeneChampagne is my favorite wine and our biggest tasting of the year coming up in a few weeks on Saturday, November 21st. Although the annual Champagne tasting is almost here we have dozens of champagne tastings throughout the year when our friends are in town from Champagne.We will be partying like a rock star on Wednesday November 11 when our friends from Louis Roederer Champagne tasting will be here featuring the largest array of their top cuvee Cristal that we have ever put on the table including two of the newly released Vinotheque versions of this tete de Cuvee disgorged after 15 years in the cellar and out of magnum format. Join us as we welcome Jean Remi Barbier to the wine bar for a special evening of Louis Roederer Champagne including eight different versions of Cristal and Cristal rose. The fee for this tasting which includes dinner and gratuity is $795 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.Louis Roederer Champagne Tastingwith Special Guest Jean Remi BarbierWednesday, November 11, 20267:30 PMNv Champagne Louis Roederer Collection 246 Magnum2019 Louis Roederer Blanc De Blancs Brut Champagne1997 Louis Roederer Cristal Vinothèque Brut Champagne Magnum2002 Louis Roederer Cristal Vinothèque Rose Brut Champagne Magnum2008 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Champagne Magnum2013 Louis Roederer Cristal Rose Brut Champagne2013 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Champagne2014 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Champagne2016 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Champagne2018 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Champagne2018 Louis Roederer Brut Rose ChampagneMenuShoestring Fries with GremolataCeasar Salad with Bacon Fried Polenta Croutons and Crispy ProsciuttoDuck Trap Salmon with Italian Sturgeon Caviar served on top Potato PancakeAussie A-5 Waygu Filet Sashimi Served with Champagne Rice and Hoisin ReductionStrawberry ShortcakeThe fee for this tasting which includes dinner and gratuity is $795 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any dietary restrictions or aversions and chefs Toni and Dani will be happy to accommodate you. A bit about Louis Roederer ChampagneVery little is known about the early days of the Louis Roederer Champagne House apart from the fact that the firm was founded in 1765 by a Monsieur Dubois and that it was owned and managed by a Monsieur Schrieder in the early 1800's. In 1827 Schrieder asked his young eighteen year old nephew, Louis Roederer, to help him run the firm. Schrieder was extremely impressed by the young man's ability; and when Schrieder, who had no sons, died in 1833, he left the business to Louis. Louis Roederer wasted no time in giving the House his own name; he then set about to make the rather inconsequential firm of Louis Roederer a powerful name in Champagne. The markets on which he concentrated were Russia, the United States, and Great Britain. The Tsars and the aristocracy of Russia had an unquenchable thirst for Champagne, and up until the 1830's that country was the exclusive preserve of Veuve Clicquot, Moët, and Dom Ruinart. By 1836 the Tsar himself was drinking Louis Roederer Champagne and sending his wine steward to Reims to taste the annual cuvées. Shortly thereafter, the monarch's wine steward began to complain that there was nothing to distinguish the Louis Roederer Champagne served at the Tsar's table from the Louis Roederer Champagne consumed by his subjects. Louis Roederer immediately arranged for special "Cristal" bottles to be made. Although they were the same shape as the ordinary bottles, they were so strong that the punt (the "push-up" in the bottom of the bottle) could be eliminated - a feature particularly appreciated by the Tsars, for they always feared that terrorists could plant a bomb in the punt of a Champagne bottle. The "Cristal" bottle became the exclusive Champagne of the Russian Court and the first of the great deluxe Champagnes such as Dom Pérignon etc. that are now produced in limited quantities by almost every Champagne House. When Louis Roederer died in 1870, he had fulfilled the ambitions of his youth. He was famous in Russia; his Champagne firm had grown from an annual production of 100,000 to two and half million bottles; and he was the third or fourth largest supplier of Champagne to the United States.The fortunes of the House of Roederer took a disastrous downturn at the end of the Russian Revolution. At the time of the outbreak of the First World War, almost three quarters of Roederer's production was being shipped to Russia. The war and the ensuing Russian Revolution meant that little Champagne was going to Russia, and it nearly bankrupted the firm. When the Revolution concluded, the communists, who were eager to destroy every last vestige of Tsarist influence and culture, declared that Champagne was too "bourgeois". Because of this new political attitude and because of the close link with the former Tsar, the importation of Louis Roederer Champagne to Russia ceased. A catastrophe of this magnitude would probably have destroyed most businesses, but fortunately there was an appreciative and eager market in the United States, England, and Belgium.During the thirties and forties, the firm was run by the colorful and determined Roederer widow, Madame Camille Orly-Roederer, who expanded the firm's holdings and reestablished Roederer's position as a powerful Champagne House. She earned great respect from the male Champagne magnates for her business acumen and was the talk of the world social scene, as she was known to strut into gala parties larger than life and "dressed to the nines" in fabulous diamonds and Dior gowns...and order Roederer Champagne for everybody in the house! It is interesting to note that the "new Tsars" of Russia may not consider Louis Roederer Champagne as bourgeois as Lenin once did. When Brezhnev visited President Nixon in Washington in 1972, he wired ahead and requested that several well-chilled bottles of "Cristal" be placed in his stateroom prior to his arrival!! We are sure that the new capitalist leaders of Russia will soon be toasting their successes once again with Roederer.Today Louis Roederer supplies over 80% of its production from its own vineyards which are classified at an average rating of 95%. (All Champagne vineyards are quality rated from 80% to 100% by a special committee; very few vineyard areas get the top 100% (Grand Cru) rating.) This is an enviable position to occupy, for most of the major Champagne firms have to purchase more than half their grape needs from independent growers and therefore do not exercise as much control over the growing process - an extremely important aspect. The house style at Roederer - best exemplified by their superb non-vintage known as "Brut Premier" - is notably smooth, full-bodied, and mature. Roederer also produces a non-vintage Rosé, a vintage Brut, an extra-dry, and of course the renowned luxury cuvée, "Cristal", and its fabulously expensive sibling "Cristal" Rosé. All the Champagne from Louis Roederer in the store on SALE!!2018 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut ChampagnePrice: $418.50 Your Price: $376.65(98 Points) The 2018 Cristal opens a new chapter for Roederer. The Cristal estate is composed of 45 parcels. In better vintages, most of the 45 parcels are used for the blend. The 2018 vintage brought with it elevated ripeness and generally low acids. Longtime Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon was forced to cast his gaze wider, to look for parcels that offered a touch of freshness. Lécaillon expanded his palette to 57 parcels. The result is a Cristal unlike any other I have tasted. Orchard fruit, dried flowers, spice, chalk and herbs are some of the many notes that take shape in the glass. Floral and savory overtones are quite distinctive. Lécaillon reduced oak ferments, racked very quickly after fermentation and used all his best Chardonnay lots for Cristal, so much so that there is no Blanc de Blancs. He bottled earlier than normal and chose a crown capsule with a liner that allows less oxygen transfer than the norm here. Taken together, those choices paid off handsomely. In tasting, the 2018 is positively stunning. Its linear energy and brilliance are a bit reminiscent of the 2014, but its flavor profile is completely different from any Cristal I can remember tasting. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. 98+ (AG) Vinous, Reviewed May 2026(99 Points) Created in 1876 to satisfy the demanding tastes of Tsar Alexander II, Louis Roederer’s Cristal has since become a symbol of luxury all around the world. Produced only during the best years, it’s made from 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, the grapes coming from 45 of the finest lieux-dits in the region. 2013 was a late bloomer, with flowering only taking place in July after a cool spring. The summer was ideal with long periods of dry and warm weather. One third of the wine is aged in oak and there’s no malolactic fermentation. Vincenzo Arnese: Packed with elegant yet powerful aromas of ripe orchard trees that merge with brioche and dry cookies. This is a harmonious and well-defined Champagne with integrated residual sugar and astonishing acidity. Divine! Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW: Lemon coloured with a pink hue. Like a blanc de noirs, with cherries and white fruit aromas. Balanced and suave. Goes from less to more, with an exceptionally long and complex finish. Amanda Barnes: Appealing notes on the nose of pastry dough and apple tart that are very open. On the palate there’s beautiful concentration with lingering savoury notes. Minerally and sophisticated. (Panel Tasting) Decanter, Reviewed December 20222016 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut ChampagnePrice: $395.00 Your Price: $355.50 Quantity in Stock: 6(98 Points) The 2016 Cristal is a blend of 58% Pinot Noir and 42% Chardonnay with 7 grams per liter of dosage. No malo-lactic was performed here, and 31% of the base wines were aged in French oak. The nose begins with bright red berry notes of fresh raspberries and strawberries before opening out to a complex undercurrent of saffron, white chocolate, talc, baker’s yeast, and emerging wafts of citron blossom and pear tart. The palate is very dry and spicy, not needing even a touch more sweetness thanks to the abundance of ripe berry and citrus flavors, delivering beautifully knit acidity and typically tiny, persistent bubbles. It finishes with notes of effervescent chalkiness and saffron flowers, leaving you reaching for another sip. (LPB) The Wine Independent, Review Date: 07/20242014 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut ChampagnePrice: $395.00 Your Price: $355.50 Quantity in Stock: 3(98 Points) This vivid Champagne has upfront and linear definition, thanks to rapierlike acidity, with finely meshed flavors of ripe black cherry and mandarin orange fruit, raw almond, anise and cardamom spice as well as a touch of honeycomb, which all unfurl and expand on the fine, creamy palate. Sleek acidity continues through to the finish, with additional racy character provided by a streak of minerally saline and chalk, which gains momentum through the midpalate and rings out on the well-cut, lasting finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2040. Wine Spectator2013 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Champagne MagnumPrice: $942.00 Your Price: $847.802013 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut ChampagnePrice: $395.00 Your Price: $355.50 Quantity in Stock: 4(99 Points) Created in 1876 to satisfy the demanding tastes of Tsar Alexander II, Louis Roederer’s Cristal has since become a symbol of luxury all around the world. Produced only during the best years, it’s made from 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, the grapes coming from 45 of the finest lieux-dits in the region. 2013 was a late bloomer, with flowering only taking place in July after a cool spring. The summer was ideal with long periods of dry and warm weather. One third of the wine is aged in oak and there’s no malolactic fermentation. Vincenzo Arnese: Packed with elegant yet powerful aromas of ripe orchard trees that merge with brioche and dry cookies. This is a harmonious and well-defined Champagne with integrated residual sugar and astonishing acidity. Divine! Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW: Lemon coloured with a pink hue. Like a blanc de noirs, with cherries and white fruit aromas. Balanced and suave. Goes from less to more, with an exceptionally long and complex finish. Amanda Barnes: Appealing notes on the nose of pastry dough and apple tart that are very open. On the palate there’s beautiful concentration with lingering savoury notes. Minerally and sophisticated. (Panel Tasting) Decanter, Reviewed December 20222012 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Champagne Methuselah 6 literPrice: $15950.00 Your Price: $14355.00 Quantity in Stock: 1(98 Points) The 2012 vintage of Cristal is the first to be produced entirely from Demeter-certified, biodynamically-farmed fruit, which is a landmark for Maison Roederer. The future is now here! I have been looking forward to this release of this vintage of Cristal for a few years now, but sadly found myself not in top form to appreciate its debut, as I was so suffering from jet lag after my three weeks on the road in November that my energy level was no match for this beautiful young wine. The 2012 Cristal is its customary cépages of sixty percent pinot noir and forty percent chardonnay and none of the vins clairs went through malo this year, with one-third of the blend barrel-fermented. The wine was finished in 2012 with a dosage of 7.5 grams per liter and offers up a beautiful young nose of pear, apple, fresh lemon, white flowers, a very complex base of chalky minerality, a hint of the caraway seed to come and a topnote of white flowers. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nascently complex, with a racy girdle of acidity, a rock solid core, impeccable focus and grip, refined mousse and stunning length and grip on the poised and perfectly balanced finish. This is another great vintage of Cristal in the making, but it deserves plenty of time in the cellar to blossom properly. Review Date: 11/2019, John Gilman2008 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Champagne 3 LiterPrice: $4495.00 Your Price: $4045.50 Quantity in Stock: 1(100 points) This latest incarnation of the famous brand is a superb wine. It is on par with, maybe even better than, the already legendary 2002. Its balance is impeccable: Apple and citrus flavors working with the tight minerality to give a textured yet fruity wine. Produced from Roederer's own vineyards which are mainly biodynamic, the wine has its own intense purity and crispness. It has amazing potential and is likely to age for many years. Drink from 2020. Wine Enthusiast2000 Louis Roederer Cristal Vinothèque Brut Champagne MagnumPrice: $2545.00 Your Price: $2290.50(95 Points) “Disgorged four years ago, with four grams per liter dosage, after a decade sur lattes and six years sur pointes, the 2000 Cristal Vinothèque bursts with notes of golden orchard fruit, mandarin, white flowers and iodine. Full-bodied, ample and powerful, with a deep and layered core, lively acids and a beautifully pearly mousse, it's a long, sapid Champagne that's showing very well today. As Lecaillon observes, the Vinothèque is the house's riposte to "everyone who says Cristal is released too young—with the Vinothèque releases, we've exaggerated the aging process to make Cristal more powerful and more dramatic." And this release is certainly a formidable effort in a vintage impacted by hail in the Montagne de Reims.” The Wine Advocate, September 2021, William Kelley1997 Louis Roederer Cristal Vinothèque Brut Champagne MagnumPrice: $2545.00 Your Price: $2290.50(95 Points) The 1997 Cristal Vinothèque spent 15 years sur lattes and four years sur pointes (where bottles are stored neck-down to minimize contact between the lees and the wine, as well as ensuring a hermetic seal to the bottle) before disgorgement. It has shown brilliantly both times I've encountered it this year, unwinding in the glass with scents of sweet citrus fruit, peach, spices, iodine and fresh bread. Medium to full-bodied, racy and incisive, it's a precise, chiseled wine with a deep core and a long, saline finish. (WK) Wine Advocate, Review Date: 08/20222015 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Rose ChampagnePrice: $772.50 Your Price: $695.25(97 Points) "The 2015 Cristal Rosé is superb. Rich and dense, the 2015 possesses terrific depth and textural resonance from start to finish. Time in the glass brings out notable creaminess and volume. Kirsch, red plum, blood orange and dried rose petal infuse the 2015 with captivating, palate-staining depth. Cristal Rosé is certainly one of the very finest wines in this uneven vintage. I find it a touch more complete than the Blanc. Of course, the volume for the Rosé is much smaller, but the best sites clearly had the potential to be quite successful. The blend is 56% Pinot Noir from Bonotte Pierre Robert (Aÿ) and 44% Chardonnay from Montmartin (Mesnil-sur-Oger) and Pierre Vaudon (Avize)." Vinous2013 Louis Roederer Cristal Rose Brut ChampagnePrice: $675.00 Your Price: $607.50 Quantity in Stock: 4Blend: 63% Pinot Noir, 37% ChardonnayA great rosé champagne must be made from very ripe grapes, which are sometimes difficult to obtain in the Champagne climate. As a result, Louis Roederer has chosen to invest in one of the earliest Champagne crus, Cumières, for which the steeply-sloping, shallow clay and limestone soils face south and benefit from the additional light reflected from the river Marne, enabling phenolic maturity to be achieved. In these select terroirs, Louis Roederer applies the precise winemaking methods required for the production of a saignée rosé. The style of this rosé is elegant, full-bodied and with delicate fruitiness (red fruits). Brut Rosé is 100% estate-bottled from the grapes of the historic family-owned vineyards.2002 Louis Roederer Cristal Vinothèque Rose Brut Champagne MagnumPrice: $2999.00 Your Price: $2699.10(98 Points) This rosé is a light tawny-gold hue in the glass, with a gossamer feel to the mouthwatering acidity. There’s a crystalline lattice supporting flavors of dried cherry and blood orange pâte de fruit alongside savory white truffle and grilled macadamia nut, plus notes of oyster shell, smoke and saffron. Softly effervescent and creamy, with a long, long finish. Sip and savor this beauty. (AN) Wine Spectator, Review Date: 12/2025NV CHAMPAGNE LOUIS ROEDERER COLLECTION 246Price: $60.00 Your Price: $48.00This is the 246th blend of Roederer's non-vintage Champagne. It is a fine wine, highlighting the blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, bringing in reserve wines to give richness and balance. It is fresh, beginning to show signs of maturity, with an apple aroma and a ripe palate. Drink now.2019 Louis Roederer Blanc De Blancs Brut ChampagnePrice: $103.50 Your Price: $93.15Intense yellow hue with bright, luminous tints. An even flow of creamy, ultra-fine bubbles. Bouquet of harvest (almonds), spring flowers (honeysuckle) and citrus (lemon). The aromas are harmonious and deep, with delicate notes of roasted almonds and roasting. Upon aeration, powdery and chalky nuances emerge, creating a refined reductive nose typical of exceptional Chardonnays. Precise, juicy and deep on entry to the palate, this wine exudes a magnificent concentration of ripe fruit and floral aromas interwoven with a mineral freshness. The mouthfeel is creamy and chalky, almost powdery and drying, imparting a trim, finely honed quality to the palate. Juicy and rounded, the wine is drawn out into a fresh, powdery finish. The palate crescendos like a torrent of white mountain water, with a lingering sweetness from the wood ageing complementing the saline length and structure imparted by the white chalk of Avize.2015 Louis Roederer Blanc De Blancs Brut ChampagnePrice: $105.00 Your Price: $94.50 Quantity in Stock: 12018 Louis Roederer Vintage Brut ChampagnePrice: $93.50 Your Price: $84.15(94 Points) Coming from Verzy and Chouilly, the 2018 Champagne Vintage Brut has 80% Pinot Noir from Verzy and is the last vintage to include Chardonnay from Chouilly. Historically, the Chardonnay was included in the blend to soften the austerity of the Pinot Noir; however, with these recent vintages and warming conditions, this is no longer necessary, as the Pinot Noir is fully ripe and appealing on its own. In the glass, it offers aromas of pure red cherries, fresh flowers, bright spice, and wild raspberries. Medium to full-bodied, it has compact definition, a pillowy mousse, a chalky texture, and mouthwatering tangerine notes on the finish. While I am eagerly anticipating the 2019 release, this holds a fantastic place in the range to enjoy now or over the next 15 or so years. Jeb Dunnuck2018 Louis Roederer et Philippe Starck Brut Nature Millesime ChampagnePrice: $115.50 Your Price: $103.95 Quantity in Stock: 2Charming, delicate and refined, Brut Nature 2018 takes the generous character of the year and turns it into a wave of fruity, saline freshness. It exudes harmony and precision, revealing the exceptional limestone backbone created by these cool terroirs in Cumières.The result of a free-spirited collaboration between the Louis Roederer Champagne House and creator Philippe Starck, this pared-down, zero-dosage champagne captures the essence of Cumières' black soils in a sunny vintage. Produced exclusively in warm, dry years, it reflects our vision of a “climate change laboratory” through its singular taste.For almost 20 years, our Brut Nature has been a marker of the changes occurring in the Champagne region and is a pioneering model of experimentation. Produced exclusively in hot, dry years, it is a forerunner of the champagnes of tomorrow and a platform for experimentation. The winegrowing practices used in its production are tailored to this specific context and offer a glimpse into the future of the region's viticulture.Brut Nature is the embodiment of this changing Champagne region, reflecting the shifting landscape in its restrained style and understated design. A veritable incubator of innovation, Brut Nature benefits all the Louis Roederer champagnes as it helps us anticipate and adapt to these changes.« Brut Nature is the showcase of our most innovative experiments of the last 20 years, it is a ‘laboratory of climate change’ that has allowed us to rediscover certain traditional and sometimes forgotten skills, such as knowing how to bring out the best in the original Champagne grape varieties or the practice of complantation. »— Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, Cellar Master, Champagne Louis Roederer2015 Louis Roederer et Philippe Starck Brut Nature Millesime ChampagnePrice: $99.00 Your Price: $89.10 Quantity in Stock: 1(94 points) The most compelling rendition of this bottling that Roederer has produced to date, the 2015 Brut Nature exhibits inviting aromas of golden orchard fruit, clear honey, dried white flowers and wet stones. Medium to full-bodied, layered and vinous, with a fleshy, concentrated core of fruit, chalky structure and a long, precise finish, it's a Pinot Noir-dominant blend from Cumières that's slightly lower in pressure, making for a more delicate mousse. (WK)" (8/2022) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate2018 Louis Roederer Brut Rose ChampagnePrice: $97.50 Your Price: $78.00(95 Points) The 2018 Champagne Vintage Brut Rosé is based largely on Pinot Noir from Cumières, with additional Pinot Noir from Mareuil sur Aÿ that brings more intensity and drive to balance the upfront fruit of Cumières. Composed of 60 percent Pinot Noir, it offers a chalky, lightly saline profile with notes of apricot, fresh strawberry, and blood orange. Medium-bodied, it has more structure than expected in the vintage and finishes clean and mineral. Drink 2025-2045. (AF) Jeb Dunnuck, Reviewed December 20252017 Louis Roederer Rose Brut ChampagnePrice: $85.50 Your Price: $68.40 Quantity in Stock: 4Lovely pink hue with light copper tints. Steady flow of fine bubbles. An immediate bouquet of forest fruit (wild strawberries and raspberries) and citrus (blood orange) with some zesty and powdery petal-like notes (rose-flavored macaroons). Upon aeration, the citrus fruit gives way to iodised and chocolate nuances with a few spicy and resinous (cedar) overtones. The palate is caressingly soft, delicious, delicate and elegant. We have the sensation of a silky texture that softly evaporates to give way to a cloud of delicate and slightly spicy perfumes. The fruit is concentrated and almost liqueur-like on the mid-palate where it is energised by the fresh and iodised flavors. On the finish, the delectable chocolate nuances combine with the chalky freshness to create a lingering and pure impression of salinity.Blend: 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay2013 Louis Roederer Brut Rose Millesime Champagne MagnumPrice: $267.00 Your Price: $240.30(92 Points) The Roederer 2013 Rosé has a lovely light pink color and opens with highly delicate red fruit and flowery aromas. The wine is light, fresh, pure, very delicate and stimulatingly salty. Very energetic and at the same time caressing. The finish displays pink grapefruit, blood orange, and lime zest flavors. Highly stimulating in its purity, freshness and citrus character. Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon finds it less vinous than the 2012, but he thinks the 2013 has huge aging potential. Disgorged in January, tasted at the domaine in May 2018. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate2012 Louis Roederer Rose Brut Champagne MagnumPrice: $220.50 Your Price: $198.45A great rosé champagne must be made from very ripe grapes, which are sometimes difficult to obtain in the Champagne climate. As a result, Louis Roederer has chosen to invest in one of the earliest Champagne crus, Cumières, for which the steeply-sloping, shallow clay and limestone soils face south and benefit from the additional light reflected from the river Marne, enabling phenolic maturity to be achieved. In these select terroirs, Louis Roederer applies the precise winemaking methods required for the production of a saignée rosé. The style of this rosé is elegant, full-bodied and with delicate fruitiness (red fruits). Louis Roederer Brut Rosé is 100% estate-bottled from the grapes of the historic family-owned vineyards.THE VINTAGE: 2012 was one of the most challenging and complicated years ever experienced in Champagne. Yet difficult conditions often lead to great things… The low yields, due to the vagaries of the weather, combined with continental conditions towards the end of the season, gave us unusual levels of maturity, resulting in rich, full-bodied and structured wines worthy of the greatest vintages in Champagne.TASTING NOTES: On the eye: Golden pink hue with bright red tints. Exceptionally fine, lively sparkle forming even, persistent streams of bubbles.On the nose: Intense bouquet of ripe fruit (blackcurrant) and candied orange, accompanied by subtle notes of orange blossom and Madagascar vanilla. The bouquet is very stable, dense and opens out slowly to reveal a deep, sweet character.On the palate: Smooth and full-bodied on entry to the palate. Its ripe, warm palate is both tactile (silky texture) and rounded (ripe, sweet anthocyanins with an almost liquorous consistency), and is lengthened by a fresh, chalky finish. Subtle notes of hazelnut and cocoa beans linger on the end palate.TECHNICAL INFORMATION: Varietals: 63% Pinot Noir, 37% Chardonnay2018 Louis Roederer Brut Nature Rose Philippe Starck ChampagnePrice: $112.50 Your Price: $101.25(93 Points) The ripest and darkest Pinot Noir bunches were pre-harvested and macerated before pressing. Their juice lent the colour to this compelling pink wine that is slow to open. Gently, both orange peel and later also redcurrant compote rise from the glass, showing the future direction of travel. The palate is all sleekness, held in a firm and elegant frame that marshals the generosity of the fruit and underscores the clarity and brightness of the flavours. This still has to unfold and will do so beautifully with more bottle age. (AK) Decanter, Reviewed May 2025NV Louis Roederer Carte Blanche Champagne Demi SecPrice: $82.50 Your Price: $74.25After the upheavals of the early 1900s, particularly the First World War that destroyed more than half of the Louis Roederer estate, Léon Olry Roederer reconstructed the vineyards. He decided to buy grapes to ensure the continuity of the House during this difficult period and, at the same time, created a multi-vintage wine that would have a consistent flavour, whatever the harvest year. The Carte Blanche cuvée—like Brut Premier—is produced from around 40% Pinot noir, 40% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Meunier, 5% of which is wine matured in oak tuns. It is aged for 3 years in Louis Roederer’s cellars and left for a minimum of 6 months after dégorgement (disgorging). Carte Blanche, which has more dosage added than Brut Premier, perfectly reflects the great tradition of demi-sec champagnes. Ample, creamy, with a refined and persistent acidity that gives it a very delicate freshness, this blend has ripe fruit notes with almost caramelized accents and a flavour of honey and ground almonds.

"The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age." Lucille BallThere is nothing that is quite as decadent as white truffles but if you are going to pair a wine with this unique culinary experience Nebbiolo would be my first, second and third choice. The Piedmont is one of the world's most unique grape growing regions and is the only area where the Nebbiolo varietal makes a high-quality age worthy wine. This is also the only part of the world where you find the white truffle. These truly unique fungi are not only very intense in flavor but also incredibly expensive pound for pound the most expensive food in the world today. This is one of the only times when it comes to food and wine where the food almost always costs more than the wine here at our “Once in a Lifetime” events at the Wine Watch.Join us as we experience one of the rare culinary treats alongside three of the greatest wine producers of the Piedmont with a selection of vintage wines from that Angelo Gaja, Guiseppe Rinaldi and Bruno Giacosa that makes this white truffle and vintage Piedmont tasting one of the greatest events of its kind that we have ever hosted!! Chef Toni Lampasone will be making a special tasting menu to accompany the wines. The fee for this event which includes dinner and gratuity is $795.00 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.Angelo Gaja, Giuseppe Rinaldi and Bruno GiacosaPiedmont White Truffle DinnerSaturday, October 31st7:30 PM1987 Gaja Cabernet Sauvignon Darmagi Langhe 2000 Gaja Sori Tildin Langhe 2000 Gaja Costa Russi Langhe2001 Bruno Giacosa Barolo 2001 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto di Serralunga D’Alba 2003 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche Del Falletto di Serralunga D’Alba2003 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili2005 Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste2003 Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le CosteMenuParmesan Reggiano and Prociutto di ParmaEgg Flan with White TruffleGnocci with White Truffle and Kerry Gold ButterWahoo Sashimi with Fontodi Olive Oil and White TrufflesOsso Bucco Ravioli with White Truffle Creme SauceChocolate BarkThe fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $795 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Please let us know when you make your reservation if you do NOT like veal and Toni will be glad to make you chicken.A bit about Gaja Winery:He has been called a restless genius; others have been less charitable in their characterizations of Angelo Gaja (pronounced GUY-YAH). Gaja is a fourth generation winegrower from Barbaresco, one of Italy's premier wine districts in Piedmont in northern Italy. As controversial as Angelo Gaja is, nobody disputes his great talents as a winemaker or his ability to generate interest in his wines. Gaja in his relatively short career has become the highest profile grower in Piedmont as well as Italy's most famous winemaker. He has accomplished this through consummate skill at both winemaking and public relations. He describes himself as "vain"; we translate that to mean that he is not the least bit reluctant to be an unabashed publicist for his own wines. Gaja has traveled extensively throughout the world hyping the Gaja name while also trying to learn more about how he might apply new technology in order to improve his own wines. He first visited California for this purpose in 1974, and it is presumed that it was there that he became fascinated with the "barrique" concept - the idea of aging his reds in small oak barrels. He has broken new ground in many areas, and even his critics begrudgingly admit that the results speak for themselves. Gaja is now regarded as Piedmont's leading producer of Barbaresco, and his wines command prices that rival those charged anywhere in the world.The Gaja firm has been bottling wines since the early 1900's; in 1964 a decision was made to contract the size of the Gaja winery and produce only wines from the winery's own vineyards. The fact that the Gaja winery produces only estate wines is a most salient point in the gospel according to Gaja, for he feels that the consumer is willing to pay more for "authentic Gaja". Gaja is the largest private owner of vineyards in the Barbaresco zone with 153 acres. About half the annual Gaja production of 22,000 cases is Barbaresco - the rest is split between Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Barbera, a nouveau-style Nebbiolo called Vinot, several Chardonnays, a Cabernet, and a Barolo. The Cabernet and Chardonnay have been very controversial in this part of Italy where tradition and conservative values reign supreme. To plant foreign grapes in Barbaresco was heresy to some; but Gaja defends against those charges by pointing out that in the 1890's - before phylloxera destroyed the vineyards - there were Cabernet and Chardonnay vines planted in Piedmont. Even the retired Giovanni Gaja, Angelo Gaja's father (who is now said to like the Cabernet planted in the Gaja vineyards), referred to the Cabernet plantings as "darmagi" - "such a pity." He felt that it was a pity that Cabernet - not the native Nebbiolo - was being planted in a prime vineyard site by his son. The name stuck, and Gaja's Cabernet is called Darmagi. We have tasted the Chardonnay and the Cabernet with Gaja and on several other occasions and have been impressed with their quality; their price, however, is extremely ambitious.In 1988 Gaja purchased a Barolo vineyard in the Marenca e Rivette area of the village of Serralunga. The property was well known to Gaja, for his father often purchased fruit from this vineyard in order to produce Barolo in the 1940's and 1950's. This long standing desire to return to Barolo was reflected in the name Gaja selected for the Barolo. The name "Sperss" is an expression in Piedmontese dialect that translates to "profound longing or nostalgia" (in this case nostalgia for Barolo.) The first two releases - the 1988 and 1989 Sperss - have met extraordinary critical reception. The 1989 was selected as the number two wine in the TOP 100 wines of 1993 and scored a (96) in The Wine Spectator!Gaja has made his name with Barbaresco. Both Barbaresco and Barolo are produced from the Nebbiolo grape within a few miles of each other in Piedmont. Gaja ages his Barbaresco in small new oak barrels, and he manages to produce a wine that takes on a certain subtlety and suppleness without losing the personality of the Nebbiolo grape. One way Gaja manages to do this is by steam cleaning the inside of his brand new oak barrels in order to remove some of the oak extract they might otherwise impart to the new wine - a rather shocking technique that works! His Barbarescos have a unique personality for other reasons as well. He picks his grapes late for more extract and color, but he also strives to produce a harmonious wine with more aroma and flavor and less tannin. These and many other factors are what make Gaja Barbarescos unique and sought out by connoisseurs all over the world. In addition to Gaja's regular Barbaresco, he bottles three "crus" - but only in great years. His single vineyard Barbarescos - "Sorì San Lorenzo", "Sorì Tildìn", and "Costa Russi" - are quite possibly the best produced in Italy and among the world's noblest red wines. Over the past decade Angelo Gaja has really excelled with his Barbaresco - producing fabulous world-class wines in vintages such as 1982, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and this 2001. The Piedmont has seen an unprecedented string of outstanding vintage from 1996-2001. All three of Gaja's single cru Barbarescos rated a (95) or better in The Wine Spectator; in both 1996 & 1997 and in 1998 two of the three rated (95) or better, an incredible track record for the last three releases. Generally of the three crus produced by Gaja, the Sorì San Lorenzo is the slowest maturing, the longest-lived, and the least approachable in its youth. The Costa Russi is the most approachable when young, while the Sorì Tildìn falls between the two. In The Gambero Rosso (the Italian wine Bible) Gaja is the only producer in the Piedmont with a rating of “Two Stars”, indicating the number of times his wines have received the coveted “Three Glass” award. Gaja’s wines have received twenty-one (a star for every ten “Three Glass” wine). They call Gaja “Here we are in the presence of what is undoubtedly the best Italian winery, to judge from the quality of its wines; colleagues and wine critics from all over the world admit as much.”ALL the Gaja wines that we have available in the store:2024 Gaja Rossj-Bass LanghePrice: $129.00 Your Price: $116.10WINE Named after Rossana, younger daughter of Angelo Gaja, whose nickname is Rossj, and the site of one of the vineyards used to make this wine, positioned in the lower part of a hill (low in italian is “basso”).Rossj-Bass is produced from three separated vineyards in the Langhe district: two of them, Rossj and Bass – and both were planted in 1984, are located in area surrounding the village of Treiso. Rossj-Bass includes also Chardonnay grapes from a vineyard in Serralunga d’Alba.The 2023 Rossj-bass presents a powerful burst of tropical fruit and citrus flavors. The concentrated flavors reveal layers of mango, mandarin, cedar, and a slight hint of spice, floral notes, anise, and vanilla. The structure is solid, delivering elegance through its woven acidity. The finish is wellbalanced, leaving a lasting impression of sweet citrus. -wilsondaniels,com2023 Gaja Alteni Di Brassica Sauvignon Blanc LanghePrice: $219.00 Your Price: $197.10The name originates from Alteni, small stone walls that once surrounded the plots of land, and the word Brassica, yellow flowers growing in the vineyards in spring.The first vineyard of Alteni Di Brassica was planted in 1983 in the heart of Barbaresco (Masuè). The other vineyards are in Serralunga d’Alba (Vivaldo 3 and Colombaio) and in Trezzo (Serra Pini, Boscasso, and Cascina Langa).TASTING NOTES: Very fresh, with notes of lemon, lime, and lychee, accompanied by fresh vegetal aromas. A rich bouquet of aromatic herbs ranges from thyme to mint, from lemonscented sage to rosemary. It presents aromas of pear jam, fruit mustard, and a spicy hint of kumquat. On the palate, it is very fresh and lively, with a light final reduction and a lovely savoriness. Its taut acidic structure contributes to defining the character of the wine, all focused on savoriness.2016 Gaja Sito Moresco LanghePrice: $85.00 Sale Price: $69.00 Quantity in Stock: 72019 Gaja Sito MorescoPrice: $85.50 Your Price: $76.95 Quantity in Stock: 1Angelo Gaja is known for producing elegant, opulent wines that are true to their origins. He is a pioneer in the production of single-vineyard wines in Piedmont. Several estate-owned vineyards provide the grapes for Sito Moresco, among which is the twenty-five-acre Sito Moresco vineyard in Barbaresco. The name means "Moresco's site" and refers to the former owner of this vineyard Sito Moresco combines complexity and longevity with refinement and accessibility. Ruby red in color, this wine offers a pure nose with aromas of small fruits. On the palate, it is elegant and balanced with fine tannins and a fresh finish.2021 Gaja Sito Maresco MagnumPrice: $193.50 Your Price: $164.482022 Gaja Sito Moresco Rosso LanghePrice: $84.00 Your Price: $71.402023 Gaja Sito Moresco Rosso LanghePrice: $85.50 Your Price: $72.682022 GAJA BARBARESCO MAGNUMPrice: $1042.50 Your Price: $938.252022 Gaja Barbaresco DOCGPrice: $408.00 Your Price: $367.20(95 Points) Showing that Gaja Midas Touch, the 2022 Barbaresco is a seamless wine with a long, polished mouthfeel. This vintage saw 10% whole-cluster fruit. That fermentation method started on an experimental level in 2021, but it's giving encouraging results, Giovanni Gaja tells me, because it reinforces impressions of freshness, especially in the hot years. This Barbaresceo shows Nebbiolo purity, while remaining chiseled and elegant all the while. The bouquet peels off to reveal pretty layers of crushed rose, stone and plump fruit. The tannins are beautifully balanced. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate2021 Gaja Barbaresco 3 LiterPrice: $2208.00 Your Price: $1987.20(96 Points) This was an epic vintage, and the entire Gaja family is ready to sing its praises. The 2021 Barbaresco sets the tone with sweet cherry flavors framed by spice, earthy notes and elegantly sweet tannins. Giovanni Gaja says the 2021 growing season had two phases: the first six months of the year saw rain and cool temperatures with some frost and soggy conditions until May; however, from June forward, the season saw sunny days without excessive heat spikes. In line with the character of the vintage, this wine shows succulent fruit that is balanced and not too ripe. There is depth and volume here. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate2022 Gaja Costa Russi BarbarescoPrice: $900.00 Your Price: $810.00(97 Points) The 2022 Barbaresco Costa Russi has a very even and well-integrated character. Pouring a bright red color, it’s layered with spice and fruit on the nose, revealing aromas of wild raspberries, sweet spices, hints of clove, incense, pressed flowers, and leather. Medium-bodied, it offers plushness with a seamless texture, good richness without weight, and a long finish. Drink 2026-2056. (AF) Jeb Dunnuck, Review Date: 05/20252020 Gaja Costa RussiPrice: $900.00 Your Price: $810.00(95 Points) The Gaja 2020 Barbaresco Costa Russi has a rose and floral note that emerges at first, and it doesn't have the heavy dark earth or cured leather aromas that we get in the Barbaresco. This wine is focused on fruit tones, bright ones, and those nuances are juicy, generous and long. There's more youth in this wine, and the tannins are extremely fine and silky. Count on this wine to improve with age. The Wine Advocate Reviewed by: Monica Larner2022 Gaja Barbaresco Sori San LorenzoPrice: $1125.00 Your Price: $956.25(97 Points) The 2022 Barbaresco Sori San Lorenzo is more contemplative of a wine, with aromas of deeper spice and an earthier component compared to the Tildin, but as it opens, it takes on pure notes of cherry liqueur, preserved orange, and forest earth. The palate is elegant but with a velvety texture upfront, even freshness, with a deeper richness to its texture. Long on the palate, with a long finish, it’s built for the long haul and is likely going score even higher in the future. (AU) Jeb Dunnuck, Review Date: 05/20252022 Gaja Sori Tildin Langhe-Barbaresco Piedmont, ItalyPrice: $975.00 Your Price: $828.75(98 Points) The 2022 Barbaresco Sori Tildin exhibits fresh aromas of black raspberries, orange peel, anise, and toasted spices. It has a more immediate feel initially, but there is lovely structure and a layered complexity that unfolds in the glass to back this up. A step up on the palate, I love this where this is now. It has fantastic detail, with ripe tannins and a long finish. It’s a true pleasure all around and offered a more complete feel at this tasting. Drink 2026-2056. (AF) Jeb Dunnuck, Review Date: 05/20252020 Gaja Sori Tildin Langhe-BarbarescoPrice: $1065.00 Your Price: $905.25(97 Points) First produced in 1970, the 50th vintage of Sori Tildin shows the grace and magic of this vineyard alongside the dedication of the Gaja family to sheer excellence. Savory aromas and dark-skinned fruits define the nose of the wine with hints of warmed spices, dried orange peel and iron as the wine develops in the glass. A wine that is exact and focused with vibrant plum flavors at the center with notes of forest floor, anise and dried rose. Fine elegant tannins provide a foundation that will carry this wine well into the future. Drink 2026–2050. Wine Enthusiast2022 Gaja Dagromis Barolo DOCGPrice: $145.50 Your Price: $130.95The nose shows deep wet earth, warm spice, sandalwood, juniper, red fruit, and subtle savory, sanguine notes. Powerful and concentrated on the palate, it is balanced by bright savory acidity and dense yet polished tannins, finishing fresh with a hint of blood orange.Blend: 100% Nebbiolo2021 Gaja Dagromis Barolo MagnumPrice: $346.50 Your Price: $311.85This wine opens with balsamic aromas, where the fruit prevails and fills the nose with its vibrant presence. One can perceive wild, ripe, and freshly picked fruit, with notes of plum blending into a bouquet of red and balsamic flowers, including rose, broom, and sweet licorice. The tannins are soft and juicy, providing a sensation of roundness and length on the palate. The structure is remarkable, rich, and full, and the wine has a good balance. It concludes with an elegant aftertaste of violet and a long, persistent finish.2021 Gaja Barolo ConteisaPrice: $675.00 Your Price: $607.50(99 Points) "The bright red 2021 Barolo Conteisa is highly expressive and ramps up the volume on the nose. It makes a statement with its aromas of wild spice, redcurrants, cherries, ripe tannins, and intense ripe orange fruit. It has a lot of clarity but offers dramatic intensity and completeness, with mouthwatering acidity, angular tannins, and a fantastically long finish. Flirting with perfection, this is an exceptional wine all around to return to over the coming decades…" Jeb Dunnuck2022 Gaja Conteisa Barolo DOCG MAGNUMPrice: $1582.50 Your Price: $1424.25(96 Points) The Gaja 2022 Barolo Conteisa opens to generous aromas of bright cherry and ripe red fruit that immediately signal the warmth of the vintage. Sourced from the Cerequio MGA, where the vines are now protected by overhead netting, the wine is broad and richly textured, with earthy undertones, sweet spice and ripe fruit layered over a classically structured palate. Chalky tannins and bright acidity provide plenty of support, although the wine remains noticeably more austere and tightly wound. The 2022 also carries a touch of youthful reduction on the finish. In personality, it recalls concentrated vintages such as 2000, 2005 and 2006, and I would expect its drinking window to begin later than is standard for this wine. The Wine Advocate Reviewed by: Monica Larner2021 Gaja Barolo SperssPrice: $725.00 Your Price: $652.50(98 Points) With fruit from Serralunga d'Alba, the Gaja 2021 Barolo Sperss is marked by a distinctive ferrous note of rusty nail or soft earth that frames a core of dark fruit. The wine is exceptionally balanced and beautiful with depth and a high level of fruit purity. Unlike the Conteisa, which ends with a sweeter floral note, this wine is decidedly salty and stony on the finish, giving it a harder edge in terms of structure. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate2020 Gaja Sperss Barolo MagnumPrice: $1732.50 Your Price: $1559.25(98 Points) The 2020 Barolo Sperss is a bright red color and reveals an incredibly floral profile of rose petals and ripe strawberries. Aromatically light on its feet, with a joyous feel, on the palate the structure is more focused and compact, with mineral undertones that weave through with more a defined nature. It needs more time, but this is a fantastic red to drink over the coming 30 years. Jeb Dunnuck2001 Gaja Sperss LanghePrice: $736.00 Sale Price: $625.00 Quantity in Stock: 3(95 Points) The 2001 Sperss is the alter ego to the Conteisa. It is a decidedly powerful, virile wine with plenty of Serralunga muscle in its powerful, brooding personality. Tobacco, mint, crushed flowers, licorice and leather are some of the notes that add complexity and depth to the dark fruit. Layers of flavor build to the explosive finish. Readers will have to be patient with the Sperss. All it needs is time. (AG) Review Date: 04/2012 Wine Advocate2019 Gaja Darmagi Cabernet LanghePrice: $452.25 Your Price: $407.03 Quantity in Stock: 1First Cabernet Sauvignon post-phylloxera planted in Piedmont, Darmagi is a single vineyard situated in the municipality of Barbaresco. It was Giovanni Gaja, Angelo’s father, who involuntarily named this wine, because when Cabernet Sauvignon was planted instead of Nebbiolo, his first comment in Piedmontese dialect was Darmagi! (What a pity!).Vineyard Profile: Planted in 1978, Darmagi is Angelo Gaja’s tribute to the prestigious Cabernet Sauvignon variety, with a clear expression of the Langhe.Tasting Notes: Intense cassis and blueberries on the nose with hints of forest notes, such as tree bark, a trace of iodine rounded by sweet wood aromas. Soft tannins with nice acidity. In the mouth, it is smooth and velvety, elegant.Giuseppe RinaldiWine Spectator Posted: September 4, 2018By: Bruce SandersonGiuseppe "Beppe" Rinaldi, proprietor of the Giuseppe Rinaldi estate in the Italian wine appellation of Barolo, died September 2nd after recently being diagnosed with bladder cancer.He was 69."Beppe Rinaldi was a special person, low-keyed, very knowledgeable about the history of the Barolo area and a staunch traditionalist, just like his father and grandfather," said Dominic Nocerino of Vinifera Imports, Rinaldi's New York importer, who began working with the estate in 1980.Rinaldi, a veterinarian by profession, took the reins of his family's winery three decades ago after the death of his father, Battista. The Rinaldi family had first started selling grapes in the late 1800s; Rinaldi's grandfather, also Giuseppe, began bottling and selling wines in the 1920s. Despite the changes occurring in the Barolo region in the 1980s and '90s, Rinaldi continued to make wines much like his father and grandfather had, blending crus to find a balance. He produced two cuvées, each a blend of vineyards, fermented in wooden vats and aged in large, neutral-oak barrels: Brunate-Le Coste and Cannubi San Lorenzo–Ravera.When labeling laws changed with the release of the 2010 vintage, Rinaldi blended three of the vineyards, calling the wine Tre Tine, or "Three Casks," and bottled the Brunate separately. Known for their youthful austerity and ageability, Rinaldi's Barolos were pure and complex. Beppe's other nickname was “Citrico,” or “the acidic one,” for his directness and acerbic wit.Rinaldi was joined in the Winery by his eldest daughter, Marta, an enologist, in 2008, and younger daughter, Carlotta, an agronomist, in 2012.“The winery is in good hands with his children," Nocerino told Wine Spectator. "Beppe will be greatly missed, but his legacy will live on in the wine world."In addition to his daughters, Rinaldi is survived by his wife, Annalisa.2020 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo BrunatePrice: $700.00 Your Price: $630.00 Quantity in Stock: 7(95 points) "The 2020 Barolo Brunate is stellar. I especially admire its mix of soaring intensity and energy, and yet the wine also remains light on its feet. Ethereal, nuanced and classy, the Brunate is a super-classic Barolo with the refinement of the present day. Dark fruit, spice, leather, menthol and licorice build into the potent, substantial finish, with notes of minerals and blood orange that linger. Drink: 2028-2045. (Jan 2024)" Antonio Galloni (Vinous)2020 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Tre TinePrice: $681.25 Your Price: $613.13 Quantity in Stock: 12(95 points) "Lifted aromatically, with impeccably polished tannins and fine balance, the 2020 Barolo Tre Tine is super-impressive. In its first vintages, the Tre Tine was pretty imposing and linear from a tannin perspective, but the 2020 stands out for its exquisiteness and balance. Like most wines in this vintage, it is on the lighter side, but that is in no way a bad thing. Drink: 2025-2040. (Jan 2024)" Antonio Galloni (Vinous)2019 GIUSEPPE RINALDI BAROLO BRUNATE MAGNUMPrice: $1350.00 Your Price: $1215.00 Quantity in Stock: 4(100 points) “The 2019 vintage is the first Brunate fully tended by Carlotta and Marta, following their father, Beppe Rinaldi's death. Typically blended with 15% of the Le Coste MGA for an acid drive, its southern exposure seems to be beneficial in this austere vintage. Fermented in oak vessels with natural yeast and aged for 36 months, the nose is a smorgasbord of details from liquorice and earth to pot pourri and mint leaf. There's a fresh pomegranate and red cherry core, and a finish of rhubarb and orange peel. The elegance of the tannins is great – velvety and dense – with refreshing acidity and polite alcohol. This Brunate has gorgeous balance between grace and power that will keep it going for decades. The best 2019 tasted. It will be officially presented in April. (AF)” (2/2023) Decanter2019 Giuseppe Rinaldi Bussia, Barolo DOCG, ItalyPrice: $650.00 Your Price: $585.00 Quantity in Stock: 15(97 points) "The 2019 Barolo Bussia, a new wine in this range, is fabulous. It is also a very serious, almost somber Barolo endowed with huge fruit and equally imposing tannins. Sage, mint, dried herbs, crushed leaves and spice lend compelling aromatic intensity to this deep, layered Barolo. Exotic hints of orange peel, spice and sweet dried cherry linger on the explosive, soaring finish. What I love most about the Bussia is its complexity. Each taste reveals a new shade of its glorious dimension as the 2019 builds into its seriously long, resonant finish. This is a tremendous debut from sisters Marta and Carlotta Rinaldi. Drink: 2029-2059. (Jan 2023)" Antonio Galloni (Vinous)2019 Giuseppe Rinaldi 'Tre Tine', Barolo DOCG, Italy MagnumPrice: $1300.00 Your Price: $1170.00 Quantity in Stock: 42019 Giuseppe Rinaldi 'Tre Tine', Barolo DOCG, ItalyPrice: $687.50 Your Price: $618.75 Quantity in Stock: 21(95 Points) Tre Tine is Rinaldi's blend of Ravera (60%), Le Coste (20%) and Cannubi San Lorenzo (20%), confirmed on the cork. Harvest began in the middle of October with the southern expositions such as Cannubi and Le Coste, and ended with Ravera, a late-ripening southeast-facing site close to the forest. ‘In 2019 we had cool nights and the grapes were properly ripe,’ said Carlotta Rinaldi. Sweet violet dominates the nose, allied to restrained blood orange, wild strawberry and a whiff of funkiness; volatile acidity here is slightly received. The attack is refreshing, with juicy, velvety tannins leading to an elegant finish. Decanter2018 GIUSEPPE Rinaldi Brunate BaroloPrice: $750.00 Your Price: $675.00 Quantity in Stock: 5(95 Points) Rinaldi's 2018 Barolo Brunate is one of the more satisfying wines of the vintage. Austere, medium in body and classic in feel, with that extra bit of textural resonance that is such a Brunate signature, the 2018 has real potential. Dark cherry, melted road tar, tobacco, spice, menthol, sage and licorice all build in the glass. The 2018 is going to need a few years to soften and start hitting its stride, but all the ingredients are there. It's a powerhouse, that much is certain. Vinous2018 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Tre Tine MagnumPrice: $1025.00 Your Price: $922.50 Quantity in Stock: 52018 GIUSEPPE Rinaldi Tre Tine Barolo PiedmontPrice: $725.00 Your Price: $652.50 Quantity in Stock: 11(94 points) The Giuseppe Rinaldi 2017 Barolo Tre Tine was bottled in September 2020, and Carlotta Rinaldi tells me that the wine has gone through various moments of openness and shyness since then. The wine was a little closed when I tasted it this past summer, but its evolution is far from over. As you contemplate the bouquet, you sense lots of fruit, yet there is no excessive ripeness like you might expect from this hot and dry vintage. It shows elegant fruit weight, streamlined and silky, with dried violet, spice and rusty nail. It carries a medium texture that is elongated by the wine's integrated tannins and acidity. Tre Tine is a blend of fruit from Ravera, Le Coste and Cannubi San Lorenzo, and these latter two vineyards were harvested especially early in this vintage, starting on September 13, 2017, which is unusual for Nebbiolo. - Monica Larner Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, September 20212017 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Tre Tine MagnumPrice: $1325.00 Your Price: $1192.50 Quantity in Stock: 62017 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Tre TinePrice: $699.00 Your Price: $629.10 Quantity in Stock: 2(95 Points) The 2017 Barolo Tre Tine is fabulous. A wine that marries classicism with the racy personality of the year, the 2017 hits all the right buttons. It's a wine that satisfies all the senses, with more than enough to please both the hedonistic and intellectual senses. Everything about the 2017 is spot on. Bright red berry fruit, rose petal, mint, lavender and spice build into the delineated, salivating finish. As always, the Tre Tine is a bit more linear than the Brunate. In 2017, it is one of the wines of the vintage. Don't miss it! Galloni2017 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate 3 LiterPrice: $2550.00 Your Price: $2295.00 Quantity in Stock: 12017 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate MagnumPrice: $1325.00 Your Price: $1192.50 Quantity in Stock: 62017 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo BrunatePrice: $700.00 Your Price: $630.00 Quantity in Stock: 5(95 Points) The 2017 Barolo Brunate is a dark, powerful wine. A huge swath of tannins gives the Brunate its feeling of gravitas. Readers will have to be patient with the 2017, as it is going to need a number of years to come together. Dark cherry fruit, lavender, sage, licorice, spice and earthy notes build into a crescendo of aromas and flavors that is just captivating. The 2017 finishes with tremendous substance and intensity, both of which bode so well for the future. Galloni2015 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Tre TinePrice: $695.00 Your Price: $625.50 Quantity in Stock: 24(95 Point) This wine celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 2016. Representing its 99th birthday, the 2015 Barolo Tre Tine is a blend of fruit from Ravera (60%), Le Coste (20%) and Cannubi San Lorenzo (20%). These sites encountered some challenges with hail in the 2014 vintage that resulted in a 30% loss of fruit. The Rinaldi family saw hail in the Brunate and Cerequio area in 2016. But the 2015 vintage saw smooth sailing and what winemaker Marta Rinaldi calls "a return to normalcy." She says fermentations proceeded beautifully and without any holdups. This Barolo opens to a medium-dark garnet color with bright fruit tones followed by licorice, tar and delicate balsam herb. The wine offers a degree of softness that comes through in the quality of the tannins and the texture of the mouthfeel. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate Monica Larner 062820192005 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le CostePrice: $700.00 Your Price: $630.00 Quantity in Stock: 1The 2005 Barolo Brunate/Le Coste presents a darker shade of red fruit along with a more muscular, dense personality. This too is a relatively soft style for Rinaldi, and while some of the complexity of the finest vintages appears to be lacking, the wine nevertheless offers compelling balance and harmony. 92 pts Galloni2005 Giuseppe Rinaldi Cannubi S. Lorenzo Ravera BaroloPrice: $737.50 Your Price: $663.75 Quantity in Stock: 8Beppe Rinaldi is a revered traditionalist, following the techniques Battista and Giuseppe had employed in the early and mid 1900's. Wines are macerated on their skins for a long time, and aging takes place large botti. The results are powerful, deep Barolos that are met with the precision and aromatics that make them incomparable. They offer wild spices, gamey notes, and of course Nebbiolo's tell-tale tar and roses.Essentially two Barolos were made, the Brunate-Le Coste and the Cannubi (San Lorenzo)-Ravera. Laws recently changed and now multiple crus aren't permitted on labels. Starting in 2010 the Brunate-Le Coste was bottled with a higher 85% Brunate and just 15% Le Coste (the maximum legal addition). The Cannubi (San Lorenzo)-Ravera began to implement wine from Le Coste and the new name for the bottling is "Tre Tine" (three vats).2003 Giuseppe Rinaldi Brunate Le Coste BaroloPrice: $575.00 Your Price: $517.50 Quantity in Stock: 14(92 Points) Rinaldi’s 2003 Barolo Brunate/Le Coste is deeply flavored and intense, with more than enough fruit to balance its tannic structure. The characteristic balsamic notes that are typical of this wine literally jump out of the glass. This seriously long and powerful Barolo is also remarkably accessible and is a great introduction to one of Piedmont’s great wines. When tasted separately the different qualities of the two vineyards are striking. Brunate provides the muscle and complexity, while Le Coste gives the wine a measure of softness. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019Bruno GiacosaA profound passion for Piemontese wine handed down for three generations…Bruno Giacosa, a man of few words but eloquent talent, practices an extremely simple philosophy based on the respect of traditions both in the vineyard and in the cellar. Giacosa brings out a richness of flavor and an intensity of character to produce wines of meditation. In addition to Bartolo Mascarello, Giacomo Conterno, and Aldo Conterno the Giacosa estate is the most respected producer of traditional style Barolo. Giacosa is not an enologist, which surprises most people. He learned by working with his father and grandfather and became fascinated by what could be created from the grape. Bruno feels that wines were better in the past, when there was less sophistication and treatment made to both grapes and wine, less handling. The yields were smaller as well. In the old days, he points out, things were done more simply and with more care. Until recently Giacosa owned no vineyards; he bought all the grapes he required, selecting, as he still does, from some of the area’s best sites. In 1982, he bought the Falletto vineyard in Serralunga. Giacosa firmly believes in the value of single-vineyard bottlings. Crus are only bottled in the better vintages, and if a wine does not attain a very high standard, he either declassifies it, selling the wine as a simple nebbiolo, or he does not bottle it at all. That said, the high hill country positioning—400 metres above sea level—the propitious south/southwest sun exposure, and the peculiar microclimate of the amphitheatre-like vineyards assure a remarkable location for vines. Given the combination of all of these elements, Bruno Giacosa understandably produces an extensive range of high-profile bottles.Legendary Piedmont wine producer Bruno Giacosa died on 21 January 2018 in Alba, Italy, aged 88, surrounded by his daughters Bruna and Marina2023 Bruno Giacosa Asili BarbarescoPrice: $349.50 Your Price: $314.55Red garnet colour of good intensity. On the nose you can perceive delicate aromas of ripe red fruit; In the mouth it has a good balance and a good tannic texture. The tannins are present but sweet and silky, good persistence and excellent nose-mouth correspondence.2022 Falletto di Bruno Giacosa Asili Barbaresco DOCG, ItalyPrice: $307.50 Your Price: $276.75(95 Points) This elegant wine shows the finely tuned and nuanced essence of Asili with its fine soils. It opens to a bright ruby color and delivers chalky tannins that retain their tension and grippy feel. On the close, you get hints of violets and blue flower. This is a very terroir-driven wine, but it needs more time in bottle to fully express itself. There will be a red label, or Riserva, made in 2020 to be released later this year (that I have reviewed here). A 2021 Riserva will be released in 2026. If Bruna Giacosa (daughter of the late Bruno Giacosa) makes a red label, the white label is not produced. Wine Advocate2022 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto Piedmont ItalyPrice: $445.50 Your Price: $400.95Intense ruby red colour. The nose is dominated by notes of small red fruit, flowers and light spicy notes. On the mouth, an excellent structure accompanied by good freshness. Very good tannic balance.2021 Bruno Giacosa BaroloPrice: $283.50 Your Price: $255.15Ruby red color with light garnet reflections. Fine aroma, with intense notes of fresh red fruit. In the mouth it has a good freshness and a good tannic texture which gives a good persistence to the wine.2022 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Rocche del Falletto Riserva MagnumPrice: $1096.50 Your Price: $986.852022 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Rocche Falletto di Serralunga d'AlbaPrice: $549.00 Your Price: $494.10(97 Points) The 2022 Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche pours a ruby red color and is still somewhat reserved aromatically. With air, it begins to reveal salted licorice, cherry cordial, pressed roses, orange rind, and gravelly earth. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied yet expansive, saturating without heaviness and carrying impressive length. This is structured but already shows clarity of site and intent. Jeb Dunnuck2022 Falletto di Bruno Giacosa Rabaja Barbaresco DOCG, ItalyPrice: $483.00 Your Price: $434.70(97 points) "The Bruno Giacosa 2021 Barbaresco Rabajà comes in a bottle with a white label. Bruna Giacosa explains that although she came close to making a Riserva (or red label) in 2017, Rabajà is usually presented in a white label. Rabajà has more backbone and a greater sense of richness and density. The Asili site is characterized by sandy soils, resulting in elegant and finessed wines. Even though Asili is right next door to Rabajà, the soil composition is completely different. Here, you get darker fruit tones with a very pretty mineral or salty signature. This is a beautiful vintage, one that excels in focus and clarity of fruit. I really love this expression of Rabajà, but you are best off giving it more bottle time to evolve." Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, January 20252021 Falletto di Bruno Giacosa Barolo DOCG Piedmont, ItalyPrice: $482.00 Your Price: $433.80(97 Points) You feel the signature of an elegant vintage in the superbly direct and focused Bruno Giacosa 2021 Barolo Falletto. This beautiful wine offers bright berry fruit, blue flower and crushed stone. This is a complete wine, with aromatic intensity that is matched to the depth of mouthfeel and structure. We can expect a red label Barolo Riserva Falletto Vigna Le Rocche from the 2020 vintage to be released in 2026 and a 2021 edition to be released in 2027. That will certainly be something to look forward to. The Riserva was previously made in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017. Vinous2021 BRUNO GIACOSA BAROLO FALLETTO MAGNUMPrice: $801.00 Your Price: $720.902021 Bruno Giacosa Barolo FallettoPrice: $400.50 Your Price: $360.45(97 Points) Supple in texture and loaded with finesse, the Barolo exudes flavors of raspberry, cherry, rose, iron, tar and spices, with a hint of licorice. The dense, fine grained tannins emerge as this winds down on the long, languid aftertaste. Vibrant and complex.2020 BRUNO GIACOSA Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche Riserva Magnum (1.5L)Price: $2115.00 Your Price: $1903.50Purchased in 1980, the Falletto estate is comprised of 13 hectares (32 acres) in the commune of Serralunga d’Alba. Considered by Bruno Giacosa as the best area for producing elegant and long-lived Barolos, the Falletto vineyard is southwest facing on steep slopes of calcareaous clay soils in an amphitheater shape. The estate features a single plot known as Vigna Le Rocche, which contains the oldest vines and produces wines that are vinified and bottled separately from the rest of the estate. The Falletto wines are austere, elegant and complex on the nose, with excellent structure and suave tannins.2020 Giacosa Barbaresco Asili Riserva Red Label 3 LiterPrice: $3150.00 Your Price: $2835.002020 Bruno Giacosa Asili Riserva Barbaresco MagnumPrice: $1550.00 Your Price: $1395.002020 Falletto di Bruno Giacosa Asili Riserva Barbaresco DOCG, ItalyPrice: $775.50 Your Price: $697.95(97 Points) The 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Asili was aged for 20 months in barrel followed by two years in bottle. In this vintage (as in 2021), the weather conditions and the maturity of the grapes were evident in the vineyard, indicating that they would produce the red label Riserva bottling this year. (In other vintages, that decision has been made in the cellar.) In the glass, the wine displays a medium red transparent hue and offers fantastic layers of incense, Asian spices, fresh currants, and raspberries. The palate is elegant and refined, with a long, graceful feel. It’s very long on the palate, with a balanced, fruity feel, and its perfume lasts on the finish, featuring notes of apricot perfume. It's gorgeous already, but I would stash this away and check back in a few years. It’s deceptively approachable now but has the structure to age over the coming decades. This vintage reminds Bruna Giacosa of 2000, a vintage marked with similar elegance. Jeb Dunnuck2020 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto Magnum (1.5L)Price: $732.00 Your Price: $658.802020 Bruno Giacosa Barolo FallettoPrice: $366.00 Your Price: $329.40(94 Points) Strawberry, cherry, rose, eucalyptus and stony mineral flavors are framed by dense, fine-grained tannins in this graceful, firmly structured red. Elegant and very Burgundy in profile, with a vibrant character and excellent length. Best from 2028 through 2046. Wine Spectator2020 Bruno Giacosa Barolo DOCGPrice: $282.00 Your Price: $253.80Tasting notes: Red garnet in color. Intense and fine aromas of fresh red fruit. The palate presents good freshness, excellent structure and fine, velvety tannins.2019 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche MagnumPrice: $655.00 Your Price: $589.50 Quantity in Stock: 22019 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Rocche Falletto di Serralunga d'AlbaPrice: $328.00 Your Price: $295.20(96 Points) With the white label, the 2019 Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche is a generous and expansive wine that hits the palate from all sides. It offers lingering sensations of sweet fruit with a good amount of intensity and muscle power pushing from behind. That forward momentum is fueled by dark fruit, rusty earth, wet clay and blood orange. It shows elegance, substance and finely tuned tones with considerable tension and tightness. This is another bottle to rest at the back of your cellar. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate2018 Bruno Giacosa Barolo DOCGPrice: $255.00 Your Price: $229.50 Quantity in Stock: 4(98 Points) The 2018 Bruno Giacosa Barolo is very rich and hedonistic, with ripe strawberries and rose hip and notes of incense, lilies and violets. It is a lovely nose, persistent, intense and enticing and on the palate it is like falling into a soft velvety bed of rose petals. It already has such beautiful harmony and poise. It has a lush, sensual texture of crushed velvet, and is full-bodied without feeling heavy. There are plenty of dense, savory tannins extending the very long finish, creating a combination of seductive charm and power. This is something special, a great achievement in this vintage. Wait 2-3 years at least but I would not want to miss that young fragrance. Drink: 2025-2052 The Wine Independent2017 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili MagnumPrice: $482.50 Your Price: $434.25 Quantity in Stock: 1Winemaker Notes: Intense garnet red color. Notes of raspberry, blackcurrant and wild strawberry are found on the nose. On the palate, good structure is matched with freshness of fruit and fine tannins.

"By making this wine vine known to the public, I have rendered my country as great a service as if I had enabled it to pay back the national debt."~ Thomas JeffersonIf only a modern-day politician could contribute as much to the quality of our life as the late great Thomas Jefferson. He was one of the first advocates of wine in the United States, and he is one of the reasons why we have the greatest selection of wines from all around the world in the U.S. today. So, remember...no matter how bad it gets, we still have the best selection of the world’s greatest wines at the most competitive prices in the world here in the U.S. of A.Speaking of GREAT wines from the U.S.A…. I need a few good men or women to help me drink some really fine wine on this occasion our annual California Cult Cabernet Sauvignon wine tasting. We will be sampling some very small production Napa Valley wines and the price of the event is less than one half the price of a single bottle of Screaming Eagle- which will be on the table tonight!! This event was sold out to start the week but we had 3 spots open up over the last few days!What makes a "cult wine"? Do the producers pick the grapes at night under the full moon? Do they make it under a secret oath or while sacrificing a small farm animal? These ultra-expensive, hard to find wines from California just have more customers than they do bottles to go around. The simplest factor in the economy kicks in with these wines, good old supply and demand. These wines are priced where they are because that’s what they sell for!All the wines on the table tonight are from the cellar of our good friend Dr. Robert Maliner. Dr. Malier is one of the biggest wine collectors in South Florida and we are trying to help him finish up his last 6000 bottles! The best offer we have if you have more wine than you can drink like Bob…we will pay you for the wines and you get to drink it!! One of the rarest wines we have ever opened up from California is on the table tonight a 1958 vintage Cabernet Sauvignon from Charles Krug winery in perfect condition was just added to the line-up and ironically enough we just happened to purchase Charles Krug’s lot this year at the Premier Napa Valley trade auction. Antonio’s first e-mail and this wine are included on this offering along with all the other wines from these great Napa Valley producers are also included on this offering.This tasting is limited to 14 tasters and the fee for this event which includes dinner and Gratuity is $1495.00 + tax. For reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.California Cult Cabernet TastingFeaturing Screaming Eagle, Schrader, Maybach, Scarecrow, Promontory and more…With Special Guest Dr Robert MalinerFriday, October 30th7:30pm2014 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon Napa2015 Screaming Eagle The Flight Napa2014 Maybach Materium Napa2015 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon Napa2014 Promontory Napa2010 Schrader Cabernet Sauvignon Old Sparky Napa Magnum2003 Bond Matriarch Napa2002 Harlan The Maiden Napa1993 Grace Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa1958 Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon Napa MenuSelection of Cheese and CharcuterieLions Main Mushroom Soup with Amontillado Sherry and Crème FraicheRed Wine Braised Beef Short Rib Wellington with Wild Mushroom Cabernet Sauce and Crème Fraiche MashChocolate Chip Bourbon Pecan PieThe fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $1495 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any dietary restrictions and chefs Toni and Dani will be happy to accommodate you. All the wines from these Napa Cult Wineries in the store on SALE!!2019 Maybach Family Vineyards Irmgard Pinot Noir Sonoma CoastPrice: $95.00 Sale Price: $79.00 Quantity in Stock: 62018 Maybach Family Vineyards Irmgard Pinot Noir Sonoma CoastPrice: $95.00 Sale Price: $79.00 Quantity in Stock: 152014 Maybach Family Vineyards Amoenus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, NapaPrice: $275.00 Your Price: $247.50 Quantity in Stock: 1 2023 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon NapaPrice: $2950.00 Your Price: $2655.00 Quantity in Stock: 12022 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon NapaPrice: $3200.00 Sale Price: $2500.00 Quantity in Stock: 12021 SCREAMING EAGLE CABERNET SAUVIGNON, NAPA VALLEY MAGNUMPrice: $10500.00 Sale Price: $8500.00 Quantity in Stock: 12021 SCREAMING EAGLE CABERNET SAUVIGNON, NAPA VALLEY, USAPrice: $3500.00 Sale Price: $2650.00 Quantity in Stock: 12020 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, USAPrice: $3500.00 Sale Price: $2750.00 Quantity in Stock: 22019 SCREAMING EAGLE CABERNET SAUVIGNON NAPAPrice: $3500.00 Sale Price: $2975.00 Quantity in Stock: 12018 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon Napa MagnumPrice: $13500.00 Sale Price: $9900.00 Quantity in Stock: 12018 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon NapaPrice: $4250.00 Sale Price: $3550.00 Quantity in Stock: 22017 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon Napa MagnumPrice: $12500.00 Sale Price: $8250.00 Quantity in Stock: 12016 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon Napa MagnumPrice: $12950.00 Sale Price: $9900.00 Quantity in Stock: 12016 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon (3pk) OWCPrice: $15000.00 Sale Price: $12500.00 Quantity in Stock: 12016 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon NapaPrice: $4250.00 Sale Price: $3550.00 Quantity in Stock: 12015 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon Napa MagnumPrice: $11950.00 Sale Price: $8900.00 Quantity in Stock: 12014 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon Napa MagnumPrice: $11500.00 Sale Price: $8500.00 Quantity in Stock: 12013 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon Napa MagnumPrice: $12500.00 Sale Price: $9500.00 Quantity in Stock: 12013 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon NapaPrice: $3900.00 Sale Price: $3450.00 Quantity in Stock: 12012 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon Napa MagnumPrice: $16500.00 Sale Price: $12000.00 Quantity in Stock: 12011 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon NapaPrice: $3550.00 Sale Price: $3100.00 Quantity in Stock: 22007 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, USAPrice: $5500.00 Your Price: $4950.00 Quantity in Stock: 12015 Second Flight by Screaming Eagle NapaPrice: $895.00 Your Price: $805.50 Quantity in Stock: 12011 Screaming Eagle 'The Flight - Second Flight', Napa Valley, USAPrice: $825.0 Sale Price: $695.00 Quantity in Stock: 32019 Promontory NapaPrice: $1395.00 Your Price: $1255.50 Quantity in Stock: 12023 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon NapaPrice: $995.00 Your Price: $895.50 Quantity in Stock: 32019 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 3 LITERPrice: $12500.00 Sale Price: $9999.00 Quantity in Stock: 12019 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon MAGNUMPrice: $3450.00 Sale Price: $2900.00 Quantity in Stock: 12019 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon Napa (original wooden case of three bottles)Price: $5300.00 Sale Price: $4500.00 Quantity in Stock: 12018 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon Napa (Magnum)Price: $2335.00 Your Price: $2101.50 Quantity in Stock: 12015 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon NapaPrice: $935.00 Sale Price: $795.00 Quantity in Stock: 62005 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford NapaPrice: $1190.00 Sale Price: $949.00 Quantity in Stock: 12023 Schrader Cellars Double Diamond Oakville Cabernet SauvignonPrice: $94.50 Sale Price: $65.00 Quantity in Stock: 122022 Schrader Cellars Double Diamond Proprietary Red OakvillePrice: $89.00 Your Price: $80.10 Quantity in Stock: 142021 Schrader Cabernet Sauvignon Double Diamond OakvillePrice: $96.50 Your Price: $86.85 Quantity in Stock: 72018 Schrader Old Sparky Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Napa MAGNUMPrice: $2350.00 Sale Price: $1900.00 Quantity in Stock: 12017 Schrader 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Cellars T6 Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon NapaPrice: $495.00 Sale Price: $425.00 Quantity in Stock: 62016 Schrader Cellars CCS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa ValleyPrice: $525.00 Sale Price: $450.00 Quantity in Stock: 12015 Schrader Cellars CCS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa ValleyPrice: $550.00 Sale Price: $475.00 Quantity in Stock: 22015 Schrader Cellars Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Colesworthy Cabernet Sauvignon Napa MagnumPrice: $800.00 Sale Price: $695.00 Quantity in Stock: 12015 Schrader Cellars Old Sparky Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa MAGNUMPrice: $1950.00 Sale Price: $1650.00 Quantity in Stock: 22015 Schrader Cellars RBS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Napa ValleyPrice: $495.00 Sale Price: $395.00 Quantity in Stock: 12015 Schrader Cellars RBS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa ValleyPrice: $475.00 Sale Price: $395.00 Quantity in Stock: 82014 Schrader Cellars Old Sparky Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa MAGNUMPrice: $1850.00 Sale Price: $1475.00 Quantity in Stock: 12014 Schrader Cellars Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Colesworthy Cabernet Sauvignon Napa MagnumPrice: $800.00 Sale Price: $695.00 Quantity in Stock: 12013 Schrader Cellars Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Colesworthy Cabernet Sauvignon Napa MagnumPrice: $1300.00 Sale Price: $1000.00 Quantity in Stock: 12012 Schrader Cellars Old Sparky Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa MAGNUMPrice: $3000.00 Sale Price: $2500.00 Quantity in Stock: 12011 Schrader Old Sparky Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Napa MAGNUMPrice: $1750.00 Sale Price: $1395.00 Quantity in Stock: 12010 Schrader Cabernet Sauvignon Old Sparky Oakville Napa MagnumPrice: $1595.00 Sale Price: $1250.00 Quantity in Stock: 12008 Schrader Cellars Old Sparky Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Napa MAGNUMPrice: $3100.00 Sale Price: $2600.00 Quantity in Stock: 12007 Bond Pluribus Proprietary Red NapaPrice: $695.00 Sale Price: $550.00 Quantity in Stock: 12005 Bond Vecina NapaPrice: $595.00 Sale Price: $475.00 Quantity in Stock: 12005 Bond Pluribus Proprietary Red NapaPrice: $725.00 Sale Price: $550.00 Quantity in Stock: 12004 Bond Pluribus NapaPrice: $550.00 Sale Price: $455.00 Quantity in Stock: 12003 BOND Vecina Napa ValleyPrice: $450.00 Your Price: $405.00 Quantity in Stock: 12002 BOND Vecina Napa ValleyPrice: $725.00 Sale Price: $595.00 Quantity in Stock: 12019 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon NapaPrice: $2150.00 Your Price: $1935.00 Quantity in Stock: 32006 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon NapaPrice: $1450.00 Sale Price: $1195.00 Quantity in Stock: 11995 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon NapaPrice: $2250.00 Your Price: $2025.00 Quantity in Stock: 1Charles Krug – Napa Valley’s First Winery and Antonio’s Pick from Premier Napa 2026First and foremost, I want to thank all of the producers, winemakers, staff, newfound friends, and especially my dad for making this trip truly incredible. Words cannot explain how excited I was to be a part of PNV this year; it was my first-ever major wine event, and it did not disappoint. Everything from the beautiful scenery and historical landscape to the delicious food paired with the best wine Napa has to offer was almost too much to handle at once.My father and I don't always see eye-to-eye, but one thing we definitely share is the 'sales gene'—it’s rooted deep in my blood. So, with that being said, the lot that truly stole the show for me was Lot 175: the 2024 Charles Krug "Alta 1695" Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. Although my opinion may be biased due to the fact that this is one of the only auction lot wines we will have available for sale, I will say with confidence that this wine is spectacular.The name "Alta 1695" refers to the 1,695-foot elevation of the Mondavi family's Cold Springs Vineyard on Howell Mountain. The wine is a liquid snapshot of the site’s altitude and terroir—an intense, well-structured, and age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon. On the palate, the wine has a dark fruit profile with ultra-fine tannins and hints of graphite, smoked paprika, and tobacco leaf.I first tried this wine at a tasting hosted at Revana Estate, where I met Angelina Mondavi, Head Winemaker at Charles Krug. Angelina's story is one for the books: she is a fourth-generation Mondavi who has carved her own path, becoming the first woman in her family to fill the position of head winemaker since the Mondavis acquired the estate in 1943. Although I did not have much time to speak with Ms. Mondavi, she was able to share a story about her Aloft project, which she co-owns with her sisters. The brand was originally started by Marc Mondavi, Angelina's father, with the four sisters acquiring Aloft in 2016 when they heard of its possible cancellation, putting the brand under the umbrella of the Mondavi Sisters’ Collection. Angelina, along with her sisters, believed that brands like Aloft bring variety and complexity to an estate's collection. On the contrary, the Charles Krug winery has built a reputation on high-volume production wines; with Aloft being a high-priced, low-production brand, it's easy to see why the board of directors for Krug did not see a fit. In a poetic twist, Angelina and her sisters have been so successful that the same board of directors who once doubted the brand are now considering buying it backA standout runner-up that we simply couldn't pass up was Lot 106, which provided a stunning preview of Elizabeth Spencer’s 2025 'Muse' Sauvignon Blanc. While Napa is often defined by its Reds, the 'Muse' is a masterclass in what the region can do with whites when handled with this much precision. The Elizabeth Spencer team designed this lot as a singular expression of the variety, focusing on intense aromatic purity and a specific block-selection that is entirely distinct from their standard portfolio.My father always says, 'White wine matters,' and this wine is a true testament to that statement. It possesses a vibrant, mineral-driven backbone that really commands attention. I’m glad to share that we secured this lot at an incredible price, coming in nearly $2,000 less than the Orange wine from The Vice. It was a rare moment where quality and timing aligned perfectly on the auction floor.Although Alta 1695 takes the cake for wines that I experienced at PNV, the Chappellet tasting undoubtedly had the best food. There were two dishes in particular that I cannot stop thinking about. The first was sous-vide lamb on top of the world’s smoothest mashed potatoes, topped with a delicious savory demi-glace. Hands down, it was the most tender lamb I have ever tasted. The second—arguably the better of the two—was a masterclass in culinary misdirection. The dish looked as if it were a regular cappuccino topped with cinnamon; however, after the first bite, you are quickly met with crunchy graham crackers layered over braised venison in a blueberry red wine reduction, the perfect mix of sweet and savory.Before PNV, I used to think that my dad had the easiest job ever: drinking the best wines all day while talking to like-minded people. After my experience, I can say with certainty that drinking all day is not at all easy; I found out quickly why there were spit cups. PNV 2026 was an incredible experience, and while I now know that 'drinking for a living' is a lot more work than it looks, I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor than my dad to show me the ropes. I'm excited to see how the Charles Krug 'Alta 1695' will hold up over time. Thank you!Antonio LampasoneWine ConsultantWine Watch, Inc.954.523.9463837 NE 3rd AvenueFort Lauderdale, Florida 33304Wine Watch 2026 Premier Napa Valley Selection from Charles Krug WineryAuction 30 | Lot No. 175Vintage: 2024Charles KrugCabernet SauvignonHowell Mountain10 cases produced2024 Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain Alta 1965 Premier NapaPrice: $195 Pre-Sell $150/btl.Alta 1695 takes its name from the soaring 1,695-foot elevation of the Mondavi family's Cold Springs Vineyard on Howell Mountain--a rare, commanding site shaped by altitude, time, and vision. This wine signals a bold new chapter for Charles Krug Winery, one of Napa Valley's last historic, family-owned estates. Crafted as the inaugural Premiere lot by fourth-generation co-proprietress Angelina Mondavi, it marks a generational milestone and a powerful first. Guided by lifelong connection to the land and global perspective, Alta 1695 embodies place, purpose, and progress--honoring legacy while confidently carrying the Mondavi story into its next era.(The wine is scheduled to arrive any day!!)

WineWatch Selection’sI Sodi di San Niccolò2020 Castellare di CastellinaToscana IGT · Sangioveto and Malvasia NeraList price$115List priceSale price$97.50Sale PriceCLub Member Price$82.88bottles in stockThe producerAbout Castellare di CastellinaCastellare di Castellina was formed in the 1970s from four estates (Castellare, Caselle, San Niccolò and Le Case) on the initiative of Paolo Panerai, with the aim of producing wine of the best possible quality. I Sodi di San Niccolò is the estate’s top wine.The estate distinguishes between fields, the more easily worked terrain, and sodi, the hardest soils, which are the best for growing vines. It produces wine according to the Tuscan method and uses only indigenous Tuscan grape varieties.With the Universities of Milan and Florence, directed by Professor Attilio Scienza, Castellare created the first experimental vineyard in the Chianti region and carried out the first scientific selection of Sangiovese clones, called Sangioveto locally. It also introduced the barrique, following research and advice from the oenologist Emile Peynaud.A sculpture by Matteo Spender in the centre of Castellina is dedicated to the Mezzadri, who ran the estates as neither owners nor labourers.The vineyardI Sodi di San NiccolòThe vineyard sits in the hills of a natural amphitheatre facing south-west. It is an experimental vineyard planted in collaboration with the Universities of Milan and Florence and the Istituto di San Michele all’Adige, for ongoing research into grape clones.Sun exposure is good, and a small amount of clay allows water to drain. The soil is low in organic content, which reduces nitrogen and yield per hectare. The grapes have a high percentage of polyphenols, with complexity and concentration carried into the wine.The word “sodi” was used by Tuscan peasants for soils that are hard and stiff to work.Critic reviewWine Spectator97 Points“Packed with ripe, juicy cherry, blackberry, pomegranate and floral aromas and flavors, this red is supple and beautifully integrated. Earth, iron and tobacco accents add detail as this winds down on the lazy, resonant aftertaste, showing terrific energy. Sangioveto and Malvasia Nera. Best from 2026 through 2043.”— Wine SpectatorWine detailsAt a glanceProducerCastellare di CastellinaWineI Sodi di San NiccolòVintage2020RegionToscana IGT, TuscanyGrapesSangioveto, Malvasia NeraDrinking window2026 through 2043 (Wine Spectator)

"I made wine out of raisins so I wouldn't have to wait for it to age."- Steven WrightWhen it starts to get cold, we start thinking about the high alcohol wines to keep us warm. So, we will be taking down some high alcohol wines on Wednesday, October 28th and one of my favorite types of high-octane wines is Port.This type of wine was created hundreds of years ago to appease the English thirst for wine during their hundred year’s war with France occurring in the 14th and 15th centuries. There are several types of fortified wines but Vintage Port is considered by those in the know to be among the world's finest high octane grape juice elixir.With sweet wines waning in popularity the Portuguese wine producers have started to make more dry non fortified wines. These wines have been available in Portugal for years but many of the top wines of Portugal are just now starting to arrive on the shores of this country. Join us as we welcome the eighth generation of the Yeatman family to south Florida for a special night of wines from some of their top vineyard sites and of course a few vintage fortified wines to showcase the best wines in their category. The fee for this tasting which includes dinner and gratuity is $275 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Taylor Fladgate Portuguese Wine TastingWith Special Guest Robert BowerWednesday, October 28th7:30pm2022 Graca da Pedra Alvarhino, Moncao y Melgaco2021 Quinta da Pedra ‘Milgres’ Alvarinho, Moncao y Melgaco2021 Quinta de Portal Reserva, Duoro2018 Principal ‘Calcario’, Bairrada2013 Principal Grande Reserve, BairradaTaylor Fladgate 20 yr TawnyTaylor Fladgate 30 yr TawnyTaylor Fladgate 1975 Colheita TawnyTaylor Fladgate 2022 Sentinel VintageMenuGrilled Sardines Served on Toasted Sourdough BreadSliced Black and Blue New York with Sweet Potato and Carrot FlanDouble Chocolate Chip Bourbon Pecan Pie with House Made Vanilla Ice CreamThe fee for this tasting which includes dinner and gratuity, is $275 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463. Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any dietary restrictions and chefs Toni and Dani will be glad to accommodate you. A bit about our Host Robert Bower:Robert Bower has spent a quarter of a century taking Port to the world, nearly five years of it on the ground in the United States, and it is a calling he was born into. He represents the eighth generation of the Yeatman family to work in the Port trade, the family whose name has stood on the door of Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatman since 1838.Born in Porto in 1975, Robert first came to know Port as a child, following his father through the steep terraced vineyards of the Douro at harvest time. His father, Huyshe Bower, a relative of the Yeatmans, joined Taylor’s in 1959 and later became a partner. Huyshe went on to open new international markets for the house, reducing its historic dependence on Britain and he started the close partnership with Kobrand in 1987. He grew Taylor’s to be a reference for Port in North America and Asia. It is work his son would later take up.At eight, Robert was sent to school in England, continuing at Eton College and then Imperial College London. There he graduated in biology and, a year later, earned a Master’s in Molecular Biology and Virology. This was followed by three years with the pharmaceutical company Novartis in Cambridge, England. Drawn back to Portugal and the Douro, he prepared for the wine trade with studies in marketing, languages and wine tasting in England and France.Robert joined The Fladgate Partnership in the spring of 2001, managing its North American markets from Porto. He then moved to the United States, spending nearly five years at Kobrand Corporation as the Port wine Portfolio Manager, working closely with the American trade. In March 2011 he returned to Portugal as Market Director, responsible for more than 20 markets around the world, from New Zealand and Singapore to Switzerland and Portugal itself, where he successfully grew market share.Today Robert’s focus is on making his family’s Ports and table wines available around the world, and on showing the remarkable range of high-quality wine styles that Portugal produces.About The Fladgate PartnershipFounded in 1692, Taylor’s has remained independent and family-run throughout its history. Its parent company, The Fladgate Partnership, brings together the Port houses of Taylor’s, Fonseca, Croft and Portal, as well as still and sparkling wines from the Douro, Bairrada, Dão and Vinho Verde, including Principal, Quinta da Pedra, Royal Palmeira, Bella and Quinta do Portal. The group also owns The Yeatman and Vintage House hotels, fine-dining restaurants and the World of Wine (WOW) cultural quarter in Vila Nova de Gaia.All the wines from these two producers in the store on SALE!2022 Anselmo Mendes Muros Antigos Alvarinho Moncao E MelgacoPrice: $23.50 Your Price: $21.15A very bright and crisp wine with fresh pineapple and lime citrus fruit along with a briny character, green pepper spice, wet stone like mineral notes. Tongue tingly acidity through the finish, a light and refreshing white with notes of white flowers, ginger spice and that briny nuance through the finish. Finish 35+ Very Good +2021 Quinta da Pedra ‘Milgres’ Alvarinho, Moncao y MelgacoPrice: $36.75 Your Price: $33.08Quinta da Pedra dates back to the 17th century. It is situated in the heart of Moncao and Melgaco, a sub region of the Vinho Verde appellation, where Alvarinho excels. The property's dry farmed 155 acres benefit from the pure granite soils on gently slopes with perfect exposure. Fermentation begins in temperature controlled stainless steel, then finishes for at least 12 months in very old, used French oak barrels (10+ year old). Batonnage is carried out for 6 months.Bright yellow. Pronounced aroma of fresh stone fruit with citrus tones, white flowers and wet rocks. Medium to full body, with a refreshing acidity that cuts through the palate. Layers of aromatics along with a silky texture that lingers throughout the palate.2021 Quinta de Portal Reserva, DuoroPrice: $33.00 Sale $29.70(91 Points) My favorite of the range is the 2021 Reserva Tinto, which has a fresher and more elegant profile, probably because of the natural conditions of the cooler year. It was produced with a blend of 45% Touriga Nacional, 40% Tinta Roriz and 15% Touriga Francesa. It has 13.5% alcohol, with a paler color, a floral and perfumed nose with some spiciness and a medium-bodied palate with fine tannins and good balance and freshness. This matured in used French oak barrels for nine months. 10,800 bottles and 100 magnums produced. It was bottled in October 2023. Wine Advocate2018 Principal Calcario BairradaPrice: $29.00 Sale $26.10The property's 151 acres are spead over clay-limestone soils that dominate the gently hills of this property. The entire vineyard is dry farmed. With a base of red wine (Principal) and our use of gravity flow winemaking, we are able to produce a red wine that reflects the nature of the limestone rich soils: with its expressive fruit, vibrant acidity, minerality and rich texture.Vivid ruby with a medium-intensity core. Aromas of dark fruits, such as black plum, combined with rockrose and spices. Full-bodied, with mouthwatering acidity and well-integrated medium tannins. Captivating and persistent finish.2013 Principal Grande Reserve BairradaPrice: $157.50 Sale $141.75Inspired by the greatest blends in the world, this wine showcases the power of Portuguese Touriga Nacional. The property’s 151 acres are spread over the rich clay-limestone soils that dominate the gentle hills of this property. The entire vineyard is dry farmed. These wines are vinified using gravity flow winemaking.Deep ruby core with aromas of rich black fruit with notes of mint and herbs, wrapped in light spicy notes from the oak. It is a full-bodied, voluminous wine with elegant and smooth tannins.Taylor Fladgate 20 yr TawnyPrice: $81.00 Sale $72.90(94 Points) Offers a supple-edged feel -- think burnished leather -- while notes of dried peach and cherry, cinnamon, graham cracker and toasted pecan meld steadily through the lengthy finish. Wine SpectatorTaylor Fladgate 30 yr TawnyPrice: $202.50 Sale $182.25Taylor Fladgate is one of the few remaining houses to produce a 30 Year Old aged tawny Port. Selected red Ports produced in the eastern areas of the Douro Valley are matured in seasoned oak casks in Taylor Fladgate cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia. Here, the cool and damp coastal climate encourages a slow and gentle ageing process, producing aromas of great complexity and finesse.Taylor Fladgate 40 Year Tawny PortPrice: $292.50 Your Price: $263.25 Quantity in Stock: 4(95 Points) The NV 40 Year Old Tawny Port was bottled with a bar top cork in 2014. It comes in with 125 grams per liter of residual sugar. Big, weighty and mouth filling, this is an aromatic Tawny that finishes with acidity and tension. Gripping on the finish, its flavors become more interesting as long as it sits in the glass (or on your palate). It is not, perhaps, as sunny as the Fonseca, its sibling reviewed this issue, but it is denser and more gripping. Comparing to the Taylor 30 (also reviewed), I'm not sure I liked the 40 here all that much better. The 30 is a bit fleshier while this 40 is a bit more concentrated in flavor and aromatics. Perhaps some additional age also helped this 40 combat some of the aggression on the 30. They are both pretty fine, a difference of five to Midnight and five after, rather than night and day. It is still a fine experience and my favorite of the group. Don't drink it too warm. Room temperature is mostly too warm. The sweet spot for most tends to be 58-62 degrees Fahrenheit. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate1975 Taylor Fladgate Colheita TawnyPrice: $517.50 Sale $465.75Taylor Fladgate holds one of the most extensive reserves of very old cask aged Port of any producer. They include a collection of rare Single Harvest Ports. These are Ports from a single year which age to full maturity in seasoned oak casks. Taylor Fladgate has decided to make a limited release, each year, of a Single Harvest Port made 50 years previously. The ninth in the series is the 1975 Single Harvest.Rich chestnut in color, with a broad amber rim. An elegant, floral, beautifully perfumed nose with an opulent core of wild honey, treacle, tea leaf and a delicate red cherry compote. Cedary tobacco aromas, notes of wild rosemary, thyme and a kiss of fresh mint add complexity. The palate is luscious and lifted by a fresh acidity with flavors of blood orange marmalade, dried figs, apricots and rum babá. The finish is bright, lean, fresh and harmonious. A superb Single Harvest Tawny Port.2022 Taylor Fladgate Sentinel VintagePrice: $84.50 Sale $76.05Taylor Fladgate Port is proud to announce the release of its new Taylor Fladgate Sentinels Vintage Port, a unique blend crafted from wines produced on Taylor Fladgate's historic properties in and around the Pinhão Valley. This central region of the Douro Valley is one of the most historically significant areas for Port wine, recognized as the source of the finest Ports since the inception of the Port trade.The four estates—Terra Feita, Junco, Casa Nova, and Eira Velha—are all located within the original 1756 demarcation and were awarded feitoria status, the highest classification for Port vineyards. The name Sentinels is inspired by the granite pillars, known as “marcos de feitoria”, which stand guard along the demarcation line that separates the highest quality Port areas, and this is where many of the Taylor Fladgate’s estates are situated. A total of 335 stone posts were placed between 1758 and 1761 to mark this prestigious area.Each of these historic properties offers distinct characteristics in terms of altitude, orientation, sun, wind exposure, and mix of grape varietals. Despite their individuality, they share a distinctive 'Pinhão Valley' style—rich, deep, and powerfully fruity—that ensures a harmonious blend while each contributes uniquely to the wine's overall complexity and aroma.2016 Taylor Fladgate LBV PortPrice: $23.75 Your Price: $21.38 Quantity in Stock: 4Winery Notes: Taylor Fladgate were pioneers of the LBV category, developed to satisfy the demand for a high quality ready-to-drink alternative to Vintage Port for everyday consumption. Unlike Vintage Port, which is bottled after only two years in wood and ages in bottle, LBV is bottled after four to six years and is ready to drink when bottled.Taylor Fladgate continues to lead the LBV category of Port worldwide, in spite of the fact that many other shippers now also produce an LBV. The wines used to blend Taylor Fladgate LBV were drawn from a reserve of some of the best full bodied red Ports, produced at the 2016 harvest, from grapes grown on Taylor’s own vineyards and on other top properties in the Cima Corgo and Douro Superior areas.Tasting Notes Broad purple black colour with a narrow magenta rim. The character of the 2016 vintage is clearly imprinted on this finely tuned and beautifully balanced LBV. Very bright, intense fruit on the nose, black woodland berry aromas blending with fresher notes of raspberry and plum. Wild herbal notes of resin and balsam lend the wine a lifted, ethereal quality and an additional dimension of complexity. On the palate, the fruit character is denser and more luscious but there is also a fresh grapey quality. The taut, linear tannins of great quality are another hallmark of the 2016 vintage, as is the seam of racy acidity which runs through the palate. The finish is extraordinary long, a seemingly infinite surge of dense berry fruit flavour. This elegant and stylish LBV displays the classic Taylor Fladgate blend of pure, focused fruit with a sinewy muscularity and impressive stamina and depth.Notes on the Viticultural Year and Harvest: The weather pattern during the growing and ripening seasons had a decisive effect on the character of the 2016 wines, with their elegance, refinement, crisp acidity and magnificent tannins. Spring was unusually wet, with heavy rain and relatively cool conditions throughout April and May. This had the benefit of restoring ground water levels, depleted by the previous year’s drought, and creating reserves for the hot summer that was to follow. However, the wet spring conditions also resulted in loss of fruit in some areas and a significant reduction in yields. They also delayed the start of the ripening cycle.Véraison started late, with the first signs visible around the second week of July. From early July, hot dry conditions prevailed until well into September. In spite of the heat, maturation was even and gradual. Together with the late start to the cycle, this meant that, at the end of August, the crop was still far from ripe. Some rainfall in mid-September helped to round off the maturation. Producers that delayed picking until after the rains were rewarded with perfect harvesting conditions, with cool nights helping to extend fermentation times and allow for gentle extraction. The first grapes were picked at Taylor Fladgate's Quinta de Vargellas on 17th September, with the Pinhão Valley estates following on the 23rd and 26th respectively.1995 Taylor Fladgate Quinta de Vargellas Vintage PortPrice: $99.00 Sale Price: $85.00 Quantity in Stock: 5(91 Points) The 1995 Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha Vintage Port is a typical field blend aged in used French oak vats. It comes in with 93 grams per liter of residual sugar. This was the debut vintage of the Vinha Velha, and it leads off the vertical this issue. Drinking perfectly now, this has chocolate and caramel, seeming very much like a gentle, mature and harmonious Port, but it has neither profound complexity nor a lot of power. It is, however, sensual and appealing, wonderful to drink now. It likely won't get better at this point, but I was pleased to see it expand in the glass and improve even by my last taste. I'd want to drink this now, personally. Adrian Bridge suggested it had reached its mature plateau, and I agree. It will hold on that plateau reasonably well, perhaps longer than anticipated, depending on how you like them. Of course, most wines, especially Ports, don't fall off the table. It has plenty of life left in a literal sense. When it declines, the decline will be slow and long. Wine Advocate2000 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port MagnumPrice: $425.00 Your Price: $382.50 Quantity in Stock: 1(98 Points) Among the most saturated blue/purple/black-colored examples of the vintage, Taylor's 2000 tastes like a young vintage of Chateau Latour on steroids. Aromas of graphite, blackberry liqueur, creme de cassis and smoke jump from the glass. Spectacularly concentrated and enormously endowed, with sweetness allied to ripe tannin, decent acidity, and layer upon layer of fruit and extract, this is the leading candidate for the port of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040.1997 Taylor Fladgate PortPrice: $150.00 Sale Price: $120.00 Quantity in Stock: 9(96 Points) Saturated black/purple-colored, with stunning aromatics of blueberries, blackberries, licorice, and iron, this spectacular vintage port is one of the stars of the vintage. Extremely full-bodied, with silky tannin, spectacular concentration and purity, multiple flavor levels, and an evolved, forward personality, this is an exquisite yet precocious 1997 vintage port. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2030 Wine Advocate1945 Taylor Fladgate Vintage PortPrice: $2500.00 Your Price: $2250.00 Quantity in Stock: 1(97 Points) Nearly as sublime as the '48, this is a majestic wine in its own right, with a superb concentration of fruit and a firm structure. Deep, dark ruby with a garnet edge, ripe raisin, almond and cedar aromas, full-bodied, with masses of ripe grape and almond flavors and medium tannins that tickle your palate on the finish. Built to age for centuries but amazing to drink now. –JS Wine Spectator Issue: Web Only – 19891992 Fonseca Vintage PortPrice: $163.00 Sale Price: $129.00 Quantity in Stock: 3(94 Points) Intensely fruity on the nose, with lots of blackberry and violet. Full-bodied and lightly sweet, with slightly astringent tannins and a medium finish. Silky. Still very tight. Needs time. '91/'92 Port retrospective. Best after 2010. 8,500 cases made. –JS Wine Spectator05/31/051997 Fonseca Vintage PortPrice: $125.00 Sale Price: $100.00 Quantity in Stock: 1(93 Points) Somewhat of a lightweight for Fonseca, but undeniably charming, this dark ruby/purple-colored wine offers a floral, exotic, flamboyant bouquet, a sweet, fleshy style, but not a great deal of weight or massiveness. Heady alcohol, sweet tannin, and a velvety texture make for a gorgeous finish. While I would have preferred to have seen more weight, structure, and intensity, this is an outstanding, albeit lighter than normal Fonseca. Anticipated maturity: now-2020 Wine Advocate # 126 Jan 2000 Wine Advocate2000 Fonseca Vintage Port MagnumPrice: $275.00 Sale Price: $230.00 Quantity in Stock: 7(96 Points) The 2000 Fonseca continues to exude finesse and focus on the nose, with pure blackberry, juniper berries, licorice and a touch of sloes, perhaps as Adrian Bridge remarked, just beginning to close after ten years in bottle. The palate is underpinned by very fine tannins, a sensual, svelte texture with wonderful acidity. The harmony and symmetry is alluring, the finish precise and demonstrating the persistency to suggest a long future ahead. Drink 2020-2060. Wine Advocate

"The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age." Lucille BallThere is nothing that is quite as decadent as white truffles but if you are going to pair a wine with this unique culinary experience Nebbiolo would be my first, second and third choice. The Piedmont is one of the world's most unique grape growing regions and is the only area where the Nebbiolo varietal makes a high-quality age worthy wine. This is also the only part of the world where you find the white truffle. These truly unique fungi are not only very intense in flavor but also incredibly expensive pound for pound the most expensive food in the world today. This is one of the only times when it comes to food and wine where the food almost always costs more than the wine here at our “Once in a Lifetime” events at the Wine Watch.Join us as we experience one of the rare culinary treats alongside three of the greatest wine producers of the Piedmont with a selection of vintage wines from that Angelo Gaja, Guiseppe Rinaldi and Bruno Giacosa that makes this white truffle and vintage Piedmont tasting one of the greatest events of its kind that we have ever hosted!! Chef Toni Lampasone will be making a special tasting menu to accompany the wines. The fee for this event which includes dinner and gratuity is $795.00 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.Angelo Gaja, Giuseppe Rinaldi and Bruno GiacosaPiedmont White Truffle DinnerSaturday, October 31st7:30 PM1987 Gaja Cabernet Sauvignon Darmagi Langhe 2000 Gaja Sori Tildin Langhe 2000 Gaja Costa Russi Langhe2001 Bruno Giacosa Barolo 2001 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto di Serralunga D’Alba 2003 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche Del Falletto di Serralunga D’Alba2003 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili2005 Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste2003 Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le CosteMenuParmesan Reggiano and Prociutto di ParmaEgg Flan with White TruffleGnocci with White Truffle and Kerry Gold ButterWahoo Sashimi with Fontodi Olive Oil and White TrufflesOsso Bucco Ravioli with White Truffle Creme SauceChocolate BarkThe fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $795 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Please let us know when you make your reservation if you do NOT like veal and Toni will be glad to make you chicken.A bit about Gaja Winery:He has been called a restless genius; others have been less charitable in their characterizations of Angelo Gaja (pronounced GUY-YAH). Gaja is a fourth generation winegrower from Barbaresco, one of Italy's premier wine districts in Piedmont in northern Italy. As controversial as Angelo Gaja is, nobody disputes his great talents as a winemaker or his ability to generate interest in his wines. Gaja in his relatively short career has become the highest profile grower in Piedmont as well as Italy's most famous winemaker. He has accomplished this through consummate skill at both winemaking and public relations. He describes himself as "vain"; we translate that to mean that he is not the least bit reluctant to be an unabashed publicist for his own wines. Gaja has traveled extensively throughout the world hyping the Gaja name while also trying to learn more about how he might apply new technology in order to improve his own wines. He first visited California for this purpose in 1974, and it is presumed that it was there that he became fascinated with the "barrique" concept - the idea of aging his reds in small oak barrels. He has broken new ground in many areas, and even his critics begrudgingly admit that the results speak for themselves. Gaja is now regarded as Piedmont's leading producer of Barbaresco, and his wines command prices that rival those charged anywhere in the world.The Gaja firm has been bottling wines since the early 1900's; in 1964 a decision was made to contract the size of the Gaja winery and produce only wines from the winery's own vineyards. The fact that the Gaja winery produces only estate wines is a most salient point in the gospel according to Gaja, for he feels that the consumer is willing to pay more for "authentic Gaja". Gaja is the largest private owner of vineyards in the Barbaresco zone with 153 acres. About half the annual Gaja production of 22,000 cases is Barbaresco - the rest is split between Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Barbera, a nouveau-style Nebbiolo called Vinot, several Chardonnays, a Cabernet, and a Barolo. The Cabernet and Chardonnay have been very controversial in this part of Italy where tradition and conservative values reign supreme. To plant foreign grapes in Barbaresco was heresy to some; but Gaja defends against those charges by pointing out that in the 1890's - before phylloxera destroyed the vineyards - there were Cabernet and Chardonnay vines planted in Piedmont. Even the retired Giovanni Gaja, Angelo Gaja's father (who is now said to like the Cabernet planted in the Gaja vineyards), referred to the Cabernet plantings as "darmagi" - "such a pity." He felt that it was a pity that Cabernet - not the native Nebbiolo - was being planted in a prime vineyard site by his son. The name stuck, and Gaja's Cabernet is called Darmagi. We have tasted the Chardonnay and the Cabernet with Gaja and on several other occasions and have been impressed with their quality; their price, however, is extremely ambitious.In 1988 Gaja purchased a Barolo vineyard in the Marenca e Rivette area of the village of Serralunga. The property was well known to Gaja, for his father often purchased fruit from this vineyard in order to produce Barolo in the 1940's and 1950's. This long standing desire to return to Barolo was reflected in the name Gaja selected for the Barolo. The name "Sperss" is an expression in Piedmontese dialect that translates to "profound longing or nostalgia" (in this case nostalgia for Barolo.) The first two releases - the 1988 and 1989 Sperss - have met extraordinary critical reception. The 1989 was selected as the number two wine in the TOP 100 wines of 1993 and scored a (96) in The Wine Spectator!Gaja has made his name with Barbaresco. Both Barbaresco and Barolo are produced from the Nebbiolo grape within a few miles of each other in Piedmont. Gaja ages his Barbaresco in small new oak barrels, and he manages to produce a wine that takes on a certain subtlety and suppleness without losing the personality of the Nebbiolo grape. One way Gaja manages to do this is by steam cleaning the inside of his brand new oak barrels in order to remove some of the oak extract they might otherwise impart to the new wine - a rather shocking technique that works! His Barbarescos have a unique personality for other reasons as well. He picks his grapes late for more extract and color, but he also strives to produce a harmonious wine with more aroma and flavor and less tannin. These and many other factors are what make Gaja Barbarescos unique and sought out by connoisseurs all over the world. In addition to Gaja's regular Barbaresco, he bottles three "crus" - but only in great years. His single vineyard Barbarescos - "Sorì San Lorenzo", "Sorì Tildìn", and "Costa Russi" - are quite possibly the best produced in Italy and among the world's noblest red wines. Over the past decade Angelo Gaja has really excelled with his Barbaresco - producing fabulous world-class wines in vintages such as 1982, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and this 2001. The Piedmont has seen an unprecedented string of outstanding vintage from 1996-2001. All three of Gaja's single cru Barbarescos rated a (95) or better in The Wine Spectator; in both 1996 & 1997 and in 1998 two of the three rated (95) or better, an incredible track record for the last three releases. Generally of the three crus produced by Gaja, the Sorì San Lorenzo is the slowest maturing, the longest-lived, and the least approachable in its youth. The Costa Russi is the most approachable when young, while the Sorì Tildìn falls between the two. In The Gambero Rosso (the Italian wine Bible) Gaja is the only producer in the Piedmont with a rating of “Two Stars”, indicating the number of times his wines have received the coveted “Three Glass” award. Gaja’s wines have received twenty-one (a star for every ten “Three Glass” wine). They call Gaja “Here we are in the presence of what is undoubtedly the best Italian winery, to judge from the quality of its wines; colleagues and wine critics from all over the world admit as much.”ALL the Gaja wines that we have available in the store:2024 Gaja Rossj-Bass LanghePrice: $129.00 Your Price: $116.10WINE Named after Rossana, younger daughter of Angelo Gaja, whose nickname is Rossj, and the site of one of the vineyards used to make this wine, positioned in the lower part of a hill (low in italian is “basso”).Rossj-Bass is produced from three separated vineyards in the Langhe district: two of them, Rossj and Bass – and both were planted in 1984, are located in area surrounding the village of Treiso. Rossj-Bass includes also Chardonnay grapes from a vineyard in Serralunga d’Alba.The 2023 Rossj-bass presents a powerful burst of tropical fruit and citrus flavors. The concentrated flavors reveal layers of mango, mandarin, cedar, and a slight hint of spice, floral notes, anise, and vanilla. The structure is solid, delivering elegance through its woven acidity. The finish is wellbalanced, leaving a lasting impression of sweet citrus. -wilsondaniels,com2023 Gaja Alteni Di Brassica Sauvignon Blanc LanghePrice: $219.00 Your Price: $197.10The name originates from Alteni, small stone walls that once surrounded the plots of land, and the word Brassica, yellow flowers growing in the vineyards in spring.The first vineyard of Alteni Di Brassica was planted in 1983 in the heart of Barbaresco (Masuè). The other vineyards are in Serralunga d’Alba (Vivaldo 3 and Colombaio) and in Trezzo (Serra Pini, Boscasso, and Cascina Langa).TASTING NOTES: Very fresh, with notes of lemon, lime, and lychee, accompanied by fresh vegetal aromas. A rich bouquet of aromatic herbs ranges from thyme to mint, from lemonscented sage to rosemary. It presents aromas of pear jam, fruit mustard, and a spicy hint of kumquat. On the palate, it is very fresh and lively, with a light final reduction and a lovely savoriness. Its taut acidic structure contributes to defining the character of the wine, all focused on savoriness.2016 Gaja Sito Moresco LanghePrice: $85.00 Sale Price: $69.00 Quantity in Stock: 72019 Gaja Sito MorescoPrice: $85.50 Your Price: $76.95 Quantity in Stock: 1Angelo Gaja is known for producing elegant, opulent wines that are true to their origins. He is a pioneer in the production of single-vineyard wines in Piedmont. Several estate-owned vineyards provide the grapes for Sito Moresco, among which is the twenty-five-acre Sito Moresco vineyard in Barbaresco. The name means "Moresco's site" and refers to the former owner of this vineyard Sito Moresco combines complexity and longevity with refinement and accessibility. Ruby red in color, this wine offers a pure nose with aromas of small fruits. On the palate, it is elegant and balanced with fine tannins and a fresh finish.2021 Gaja Sito Maresco MagnumPrice: $193.50 Your Price: $164.482022 Gaja Sito Moresco Rosso LanghePrice: $84.00 Your Price: $71.402023 Gaja Sito Moresco Rosso LanghePrice: $85.50 Your Price: $72.682022 GAJA BARBARESCO MAGNUMPrice: $1042.50 Your Price: $938.252022 Gaja Barbaresco DOCGPrice: $408.00 Your Price: $367.20(95 Points) Showing that Gaja Midas Touch, the 2022 Barbaresco is a seamless wine with a long, polished mouthfeel. This vintage saw 10% whole-cluster fruit. That fermentation method started on an experimental level in 2021, but it's giving encouraging results, Giovanni Gaja tells me, because it reinforces impressions of freshness, especially in the hot years. This Barbaresceo shows Nebbiolo purity, while remaining chiseled and elegant all the while. The bouquet peels off to reveal pretty layers of crushed rose, stone and plump fruit. The tannins are beautifully balanced. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate2021 Gaja Barbaresco 3 LiterPrice: $2208.00 Your Price: $1987.20(96 Points) This was an epic vintage, and the entire Gaja family is ready to sing its praises. The 2021 Barbaresco sets the tone with sweet cherry flavors framed by spice, earthy notes and elegantly sweet tannins. Giovanni Gaja says the 2021 growing season had two phases: the first six months of the year saw rain and cool temperatures with some frost and soggy conditions until May; however, from June forward, the season saw sunny days without excessive heat spikes. In line with the character of the vintage, this wine shows succulent fruit that is balanced and not too ripe. There is depth and volume here. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate2022 Gaja Costa Russi BarbarescoPrice: $900.00 Your Price: $810.00(97 Points) The 2022 Barbaresco Costa Russi has a very even and well-integrated character. Pouring a bright red color, it’s layered with spice and fruit on the nose, revealing aromas of wild raspberries, sweet spices, hints of clove, incense, pressed flowers, and leather. Medium-bodied, it offers plushness with a seamless texture, good richness without weight, and a long finish. Drink 2026-2056. (AF) Jeb Dunnuck, Review Date: 05/20252020 Gaja Costa RussiPrice: $900.00 Your Price: $810.00(95 Points) The Gaja 2020 Barbaresco Costa Russi has a rose and floral note that emerges at first, and it doesn't have the heavy dark earth or cured leather aromas that we get in the Barbaresco. This wine is focused on fruit tones, bright ones, and those nuances are juicy, generous and long. There's more youth in this wine, and the tannins are extremely fine and silky. Count on this wine to improve with age. The Wine Advocate Reviewed by: Monica Larner2022 Gaja Barbaresco Sori San LorenzoPrice: $1125.00 Your Price: $956.25(97 Points) The 2022 Barbaresco Sori San Lorenzo is more contemplative of a wine, with aromas of deeper spice and an earthier component compared to the Tildin, but as it opens, it takes on pure notes of cherry liqueur, preserved orange, and forest earth. The palate is elegant but with a velvety texture upfront, even freshness, with a deeper richness to its texture. Long on the palate, with a long finish, it’s built for the long haul and is likely going score even higher in the future. (AU) Jeb Dunnuck, Review Date: 05/20252022 Gaja Sori Tildin Langhe-Barbaresco Piedmont, ItalyPrice: $975.00 Your Price: $828.75(98 Points) The 2022 Barbaresco Sori Tildin exhibits fresh aromas of black raspberries, orange peel, anise, and toasted spices. It has a more immediate feel initially, but there is lovely structure and a layered complexity that unfolds in the glass to back this up. A step up on the palate, I love this where this is now. It has fantastic detail, with ripe tannins and a long finish. It’s a true pleasure all around and offered a more complete feel at this tasting. Drink 2026-2056. (AF) Jeb Dunnuck, Review Date: 05/20252020 Gaja Sori Tildin Langhe-BarbarescoPrice: $1065.00 Your Price: $905.25(97 Points) First produced in 1970, the 50th vintage of Sori Tildin shows the grace and magic of this vineyard alongside the dedication of the Gaja family to sheer excellence. Savory aromas and dark-skinned fruits define the nose of the wine with hints of warmed spices, dried orange peel and iron as the wine develops in the glass. A wine that is exact and focused with vibrant plum flavors at the center with notes of forest floor, anise and dried rose. Fine elegant tannins provide a foundation that will carry this wine well into the future. Drink 2026–2050. Wine Enthusiast2022 Gaja Dagromis Barolo DOCGPrice: $145.50 Your Price: $130.95The nose shows deep wet earth, warm spice, sandalwood, juniper, red fruit, and subtle savory, sanguine notes. Powerful and concentrated on the palate, it is balanced by bright savory acidity and dense yet polished tannins, finishing fresh with a hint of blood orange.Blend: 100% Nebbiolo2021 Gaja Dagromis Barolo MagnumPrice: $346.50 Your Price: $311.85This wine opens with balsamic aromas, where the fruit prevails and fills the nose with its vibrant presence. One can perceive wild, ripe, and freshly picked fruit, with notes of plum blending into a bouquet of red and balsamic flowers, including rose, broom, and sweet licorice. The tannins are soft and juicy, providing a sensation of roundness and length on the palate. The structure is remarkable, rich, and full, and the wine has a good balance. It concludes with an elegant aftertaste of violet and a long, persistent finish.2021 Gaja Barolo ConteisaPrice: $675.00 Your Price: $607.50(99 Points) "The bright red 2021 Barolo Conteisa is highly expressive and ramps up the volume on the nose. It makes a statement with its aromas of wild spice, redcurrants, cherries, ripe tannins, and intense ripe orange fruit. It has a lot of clarity but offers dramatic intensity and completeness, with mouthwatering acidity, angular tannins, and a fantastically long finish. Flirting with perfection, this is an exceptional wine all around to return to over the coming decades…" Jeb Dunnuck2022 Gaja Conteisa Barolo DOCG MAGNUMPrice: $1582.50 Your Price: $1424.25(96 Points) The Gaja 2022 Barolo Conteisa opens to generous aromas of bright cherry and ripe red fruit that immediately signal the warmth of the vintage. Sourced from the Cerequio MGA, where the vines are now protected by overhead netting, the wine is broad and richly textured, with earthy undertones, sweet spice and ripe fruit layered over a classically structured palate. Chalky tannins and bright acidity provide plenty of support, although the wine remains noticeably more austere and tightly wound. The 2022 also carries a touch of youthful reduction on the finish. In personality, it recalls concentrated vintages such as 2000, 2005 and 2006, and I would expect its drinking window to begin later than is standard for this wine. The Wine Advocate Reviewed by: Monica Larner2021 Gaja Barolo SperssPrice: $725.00 Your Price: $652.50(98 Points) With fruit from Serralunga d'Alba, the Gaja 2021 Barolo Sperss is marked by a distinctive ferrous note of rusty nail or soft earth that frames a core of dark fruit. The wine is exceptionally balanced and beautiful with depth and a high level of fruit purity. Unlike the Conteisa, which ends with a sweeter floral note, this wine is decidedly salty and stony on the finish, giving it a harder edge in terms of structure. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate2020 Gaja Sperss Barolo MagnumPrice: $1732.50 Your Price: $1559.25(98 Points) The 2020 Barolo Sperss is a bright red color and reveals an incredibly floral profile of rose petals and ripe strawberries. Aromatically light on its feet, with a joyous feel, on the palate the structure is more focused and compact, with mineral undertones that weave through with more a defined nature. It needs more time, but this is a fantastic red to drink over the coming 30 years. Jeb Dunnuck2001 Gaja Sperss LanghePrice: $736.00 Sale Price: $625.00 Quantity in Stock: 3(95 Points) The 2001 Sperss is the alter ego to the Conteisa. It is a decidedly powerful, virile wine with plenty of Serralunga muscle in its powerful, brooding personality. Tobacco, mint, crushed flowers, licorice and leather are some of the notes that add complexity and depth to the dark fruit. Layers of flavor build to the explosive finish. Readers will have to be patient with the Sperss. All it needs is time. (AG) Review Date: 04/2012 Wine Advocate2019 Gaja Darmagi Cabernet LanghePrice: $452.25 Your Price: $407.03 Quantity in Stock: 1First Cabernet Sauvignon post-phylloxera planted in Piedmont, Darmagi is a single vineyard situated in the municipality of Barbaresco. It was Giovanni Gaja, Angelo’s father, who involuntarily named this wine, because when Cabernet Sauvignon was planted instead of Nebbiolo, his first comment in Piedmontese dialect was Darmagi! (What a pity!).Vineyard Profile: Planted in 1978, Darmagi is Angelo Gaja’s tribute to the prestigious Cabernet Sauvignon variety, with a clear expression of the Langhe.Tasting Notes: Intense cassis and blueberries on the nose with hints of forest notes, such as tree bark, a trace of iodine rounded by sweet wood aromas. Soft tannins with nice acidity. In the mouth, it is smooth and velvety, elegant.Giuseppe RinaldiWine Spectator Posted: September 4, 2018By: Bruce SandersonGiuseppe "Beppe" Rinaldi, proprietor of the Giuseppe Rinaldi estate in the Italian wine appellation of Barolo, died September 2nd after recently being diagnosed with bladder cancer.He was 69."Beppe Rinaldi was a special person, low-keyed, very knowledgeable about the history of the Barolo area and a staunch traditionalist, just like his father and grandfather," said Dominic Nocerino of Vinifera Imports, Rinaldi's New York importer, who began working with the estate in 1980.Rinaldi, a veterinarian by profession, took the reins of his family's winery three decades ago after the death of his father, Battista. The Rinaldi family had first started selling grapes in the late 1800s; Rinaldi's grandfather, also Giuseppe, began bottling and selling wines in the 1920s. Despite the changes occurring in the Barolo region in the 1980s and '90s, Rinaldi continued to make wines much like his father and grandfather had, blending crus to find a balance. He produced two cuvées, each a blend of vineyards, fermented in wooden vats and aged in large, neutral-oak barrels: Brunate-Le Coste and Cannubi San Lorenzo–Ravera.When labeling laws changed with the release of the 2010 vintage, Rinaldi blended three of the vineyards, calling the wine Tre Tine, or "Three Casks," and bottled the Brunate separately. Known for their youthful austerity and ageability, Rinaldi's Barolos were pure and complex. Beppe's other nickname was “Citrico,” or “the acidic one,” for his directness and acerbic wit.Rinaldi was joined in the Winery by his eldest daughter, Marta, an enologist, in 2008, and younger daughter, Carlotta, an agronomist, in 2012.“The winery is in good hands with his children," Nocerino told Wine Spectator. "Beppe will be greatly missed, but his legacy will live on in the wine world."In addition to his daughters, Rinaldi is survived by his wife, Annalisa.2020 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo BrunatePrice: $700.00 Your Price: $630.00 Quantity in Stock: 7(95 points) "The 2020 Barolo Brunate is stellar. I especially admire its mix of soaring intensity and energy, and yet the wine also remains light on its feet. Ethereal, nuanced and classy, the Brunate is a super-classic Barolo with the refinement of the present day. Dark fruit, spice, leather, menthol and licorice build into the potent, substantial finish, with notes of minerals and blood orange that linger. Drink: 2028-2045. (Jan 2024)" Antonio Galloni (Vinous)2020 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Tre TinePrice: $681.25 Your Price: $613.13 Quantity in Stock: 12(95 points) "Lifted aromatically, with impeccably polished tannins and fine balance, the 2020 Barolo Tre Tine is super-impressive. In its first vintages, the Tre Tine was pretty imposing and linear from a tannin perspective, but the 2020 stands out for its exquisiteness and balance. Like most wines in this vintage, it is on the lighter side, but that is in no way a bad thing. Drink: 2025-2040. (Jan 2024)" Antonio Galloni (Vinous)2019 GIUSEPPE RINALDI BAROLO BRUNATE MAGNUMPrice: $1350.00 Your Price: $1215.00 Quantity in Stock: 4(100 points) “The 2019 vintage is the first Brunate fully tended by Carlotta and Marta, following their father, Beppe Rinaldi's death. Typically blended with 15% of the Le Coste MGA for an acid drive, its southern exposure seems to be beneficial in this austere vintage. Fermented in oak vessels with natural yeast and aged for 36 months, the nose is a smorgasbord of details from liquorice and earth to pot pourri and mint leaf. There's a fresh pomegranate and red cherry core, and a finish of rhubarb and orange peel. The elegance of the tannins is great – velvety and dense – with refreshing acidity and polite alcohol. This Brunate has gorgeous balance between grace and power that will keep it going for decades. The best 2019 tasted. It will be officially presented in April. (AF)” (2/2023) Decanter2019 Giuseppe Rinaldi Bussia, Barolo DOCG, ItalyPrice: $650.00 Your Price: $585.00 Quantity in Stock: 15(97 points) "The 2019 Barolo Bussia, a new wine in this range, is fabulous. It is also a very serious, almost somber Barolo endowed with huge fruit and equally imposing tannins. Sage, mint, dried herbs, crushed leaves and spice lend compelling aromatic intensity to this deep, layered Barolo. Exotic hints of orange peel, spice and sweet dried cherry linger on the explosive, soaring finish. What I love most about the Bussia is its complexity. Each taste reveals a new shade of its glorious dimension as the 2019 builds into its seriously long, resonant finish. This is a tremendous debut from sisters Marta and Carlotta Rinaldi. Drink: 2029-2059. (Jan 2023)" Antonio Galloni (Vinous)2019 Giuseppe Rinaldi 'Tre Tine', Barolo DOCG, Italy MagnumPrice: $1300.00 Your Price: $1170.00 Quantity in Stock: 42019 Giuseppe Rinaldi 'Tre Tine', Barolo DOCG, ItalyPrice: $687.50 Your Price: $618.75 Quantity in Stock: 21(95 Points) Tre Tine is Rinaldi's blend of Ravera (60%), Le Coste (20%) and Cannubi San Lorenzo (20%), confirmed on the cork. Harvest began in the middle of October with the southern expositions such as Cannubi and Le Coste, and ended with Ravera, a late-ripening southeast-facing site close to the forest. ‘In 2019 we had cool nights and the grapes were properly ripe,’ said Carlotta Rinaldi. Sweet violet dominates the nose, allied to restrained blood orange, wild strawberry and a whiff of funkiness; volatile acidity here is slightly received. The attack is refreshing, with juicy, velvety tannins leading to an elegant finish. Decanter2018 GIUSEPPE Rinaldi Brunate BaroloPrice: $750.00 Your Price: $675.00 Quantity in Stock: 5(95 Points) Rinaldi's 2018 Barolo Brunate is one of the more satisfying wines of the vintage. Austere, medium in body and classic in feel, with that extra bit of textural resonance that is such a Brunate signature, the 2018 has real potential. Dark cherry, melted road tar, tobacco, spice, menthol, sage and licorice all build in the glass. The 2018 is going to need a few years to soften and start hitting its stride, but all the ingredients are there. It's a powerhouse, that much is certain. Vinous2018 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Tre Tine MagnumPrice: $1025.00 Your Price: $922.50 Quantity in Stock: 52018 GIUSEPPE Rinaldi Tre Tine Barolo PiedmontPrice: $725.00 Your Price: $652.50 Quantity in Stock: 11(94 points) The Giuseppe Rinaldi 2017 Barolo Tre Tine was bottled in September 2020, and Carlotta Rinaldi tells me that the wine has gone through various moments of openness and shyness since then. The wine was a little closed when I tasted it this past summer, but its evolution is far from over. As you contemplate the bouquet, you sense lots of fruit, yet there is no excessive ripeness like you might expect from this hot and dry vintage. It shows elegant fruit weight, streamlined and silky, with dried violet, spice and rusty nail. It carries a medium texture that is elongated by the wine's integrated tannins and acidity. Tre Tine is a blend of fruit from Ravera, Le Coste and Cannubi San Lorenzo, and these latter two vineyards were harvested especially early in this vintage, starting on September 13, 2017, which is unusual for Nebbiolo. - Monica Larner Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, September 20212017 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Tre Tine MagnumPrice: $1325.00 Your Price: $1192.50 Quantity in Stock: 62017 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Tre TinePrice: $699.00 Your Price: $629.10 Quantity in Stock: 2(95 Points) The 2017 Barolo Tre Tine is fabulous. A wine that marries classicism with the racy personality of the year, the 2017 hits all the right buttons. It's a wine that satisfies all the senses, with more than enough to please both the hedonistic and intellectual senses. Everything about the 2017 is spot on. Bright red berry fruit, rose petal, mint, lavender and spice build into the delineated, salivating finish. As always, the Tre Tine is a bit more linear than the Brunate. In 2017, it is one of the wines of the vintage. Don't miss it! Galloni2017 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate 3 LiterPrice: $2550.00 Your Price: $2295.00 Quantity in Stock: 12017 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate MagnumPrice: $1325.00 Your Price: $1192.50 Quantity in Stock: 62017 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo BrunatePrice: $700.00 Your Price: $630.00 Quantity in Stock: 5(95 Points) The 2017 Barolo Brunate is a dark, powerful wine. A huge swath of tannins gives the Brunate its feeling of gravitas. Readers will have to be patient with the 2017, as it is going to need a number of years to come together. Dark cherry fruit, lavender, sage, licorice, spice and earthy notes build into a crescendo of aromas and flavors that is just captivating. The 2017 finishes with tremendous substance and intensity, both of which bode so well for the future. Galloni2015 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Tre TinePrice: $695.00 Your Price: $625.50 Quantity in Stock: 24(95 Point) This wine celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 2016. Representing its 99th birthday, the 2015 Barolo Tre Tine is a blend of fruit from Ravera (60%), Le Coste (20%) and Cannubi San Lorenzo (20%). These sites encountered some challenges with hail in the 2014 vintage that resulted in a 30% loss of fruit. The Rinaldi family saw hail in the Brunate and Cerequio area in 2016. But the 2015 vintage saw smooth sailing and what winemaker Marta Rinaldi calls "a return to normalcy." She says fermentations proceeded beautifully and without any holdups. This Barolo opens to a medium-dark garnet color with bright fruit tones followed by licorice, tar and delicate balsam herb. The wine offers a degree of softness that comes through in the quality of the tannins and the texture of the mouthfeel. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate Monica Larner 062820192005 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le CostePrice: $700.00 Your Price: $630.00 Quantity in Stock: 1The 2005 Barolo Brunate/Le Coste presents a darker shade of red fruit along with a more muscular, dense personality. This too is a relatively soft style for Rinaldi, and while some of the complexity of the finest vintages appears to be lacking, the wine nevertheless offers compelling balance and harmony. 92 pts Galloni2005 Giuseppe Rinaldi Cannubi S. Lorenzo Ravera BaroloPrice: $737.50 Your Price: $663.75 Quantity in Stock: 8Beppe Rinaldi is a revered traditionalist, following the techniques Battista and Giuseppe had employed in the early and mid 1900's. Wines are macerated on their skins for a long time, and aging takes place large botti. The results are powerful, deep Barolos that are met with the precision and aromatics that make them incomparable. They offer wild spices, gamey notes, and of course Nebbiolo's tell-tale tar and roses.Essentially two Barolos were made, the Brunate-Le Coste and the Cannubi (San Lorenzo)-Ravera. Laws recently changed and now multiple crus aren't permitted on labels. Starting in 2010 the Brunate-Le Coste was bottled with a higher 85% Brunate and just 15% Le Coste (the maximum legal addition). The Cannubi (San Lorenzo)-Ravera began to implement wine from Le Coste and the new name for the bottling is "Tre Tine" (three vats).2003 Giuseppe Rinaldi Brunate Le Coste BaroloPrice: $575.00 Your Price: $517.50 Quantity in Stock: 14(92 Points) Rinaldi’s 2003 Barolo Brunate/Le Coste is deeply flavored and intense, with more than enough fruit to balance its tannic structure. The characteristic balsamic notes that are typical of this wine literally jump out of the glass. This seriously long and powerful Barolo is also remarkably accessible and is a great introduction to one of Piedmont’s great wines. When tasted separately the different qualities of the two vineyards are striking. Brunate provides the muscle and complexity, while Le Coste gives the wine a measure of softness. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019Bruno GiacosaA profound passion for Piemontese wine handed down for three generations…Bruno Giacosa, a man of few words but eloquent talent, practices an extremely simple philosophy based on the respect of traditions both in the vineyard and in the cellar. Giacosa brings out a richness of flavor and an intensity of character to produce wines of meditation. In addition to Bartolo Mascarello, Giacomo Conterno, and Aldo Conterno the Giacosa estate is the most respected producer of traditional style Barolo. Giacosa is not an enologist, which surprises most people. He learned by working with his father and grandfather and became fascinated by what could be created from the grape. Bruno feels that wines were better in the past, when there was less sophistication and treatment made to both grapes and wine, less handling. The yields were smaller as well. In the old days, he points out, things were done more simply and with more care. Until recently Giacosa owned no vineyards; he bought all the grapes he required, selecting, as he still does, from some of the area’s best sites. In 1982, he bought the Falletto vineyard in Serralunga. Giacosa firmly believes in the value of single-vineyard bottlings. Crus are only bottled in the better vintages, and if a wine does not attain a very high standard, he either declassifies it, selling the wine as a simple nebbiolo, or he does not bottle it at all. That said, the high hill country positioning—400 metres above sea level—the propitious south/southwest sun exposure, and the peculiar microclimate of the amphitheatre-like vineyards assure a remarkable location for vines. Given the combination of all of these elements, Bruno Giacosa understandably produces an extensive range of high-profile bottles.Legendary Piedmont wine producer Bruno Giacosa died on 21 January 2018 in Alba, Italy, aged 88, surrounded by his daughters Bruna and Marina2023 Bruno Giacosa Asili BarbarescoPrice: $349.50 Your Price: $314.55Red garnet colour of good intensity. On the nose you can perceive delicate aromas of ripe red fruit; In the mouth it has a good balance and a good tannic texture. The tannins are present but sweet and silky, good persistence and excellent nose-mouth correspondence.2022 Falletto di Bruno Giacosa Asili Barbaresco DOCG, ItalyPrice: $307.50 Your Price: $276.75(95 Points) This elegant wine shows the finely tuned and nuanced essence of Asili with its fine soils. It opens to a bright ruby color and delivers chalky tannins that retain their tension and grippy feel. On the close, you get hints of violets and blue flower. This is a very terroir-driven wine, but it needs more time in bottle to fully express itself. There will be a red label, or Riserva, made in 2020 to be released later this year (that I have reviewed here). A 2021 Riserva will be released in 2026. If Bruna Giacosa (daughter of the late Bruno Giacosa) makes a red label, the white label is not produced. Wine Advocate2022 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto Piedmont ItalyPrice: $445.50 Your Price: $400.95Intense ruby red colour. The nose is dominated by notes of small red fruit, flowers and light spicy notes. On the mouth, an excellent structure accompanied by good freshness. Very good tannic balance.2021 Bruno Giacosa BaroloPrice: $283.50 Your Price: $255.15Ruby red color with light garnet reflections. Fine aroma, with intense notes of fresh red fruit. In the mouth it has a good freshness and a good tannic texture which gives a good persistence to the wine.2022 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Rocche del Falletto Riserva MagnumPrice: $1096.50 Your Price: $986.852022 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Rocche Falletto di Serralunga d'AlbaPrice: $549.00 Your Price: $494.10(97 Points) The 2022 Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche pours a ruby red color and is still somewhat reserved aromatically. With air, it begins to reveal salted licorice, cherry cordial, pressed roses, orange rind, and gravelly earth. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied yet expansive, saturating without heaviness and carrying impressive length. This is structured but already shows clarity of site and intent. Jeb Dunnuck2022 Falletto di Bruno Giacosa Rabaja Barbaresco DOCG, ItalyPrice: $483.00 Your Price: $434.70(97 points) "The Bruno Giacosa 2021 Barbaresco Rabajà comes in a bottle with a white label. Bruna Giacosa explains that although she came close to making a Riserva (or red label) in 2017, Rabajà is usually presented in a white label. Rabajà has more backbone and a greater sense of richness and density. The Asili site is characterized by sandy soils, resulting in elegant and finessed wines. Even though Asili is right next door to Rabajà, the soil composition is completely different. Here, you get darker fruit tones with a very pretty mineral or salty signature. This is a beautiful vintage, one that excels in focus and clarity of fruit. I really love this expression of Rabajà, but you are best off giving it more bottle time to evolve." Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, January 20252021 Falletto di Bruno Giacosa Barolo DOCG Piedmont, ItalyPrice: $482.00 Your Price: $433.80(97 Points) You feel the signature of an elegant vintage in the superbly direct and focused Bruno Giacosa 2021 Barolo Falletto. This beautiful wine offers bright berry fruit, blue flower and crushed stone. This is a complete wine, with aromatic intensity that is matched to the depth of mouthfeel and structure. We can expect a red label Barolo Riserva Falletto Vigna Le Rocche from the 2020 vintage to be released in 2026 and a 2021 edition to be released in 2027. That will certainly be something to look forward to. The Riserva was previously made in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017. Vinous2021 BRUNO GIACOSA BAROLO FALLETTO MAGNUMPrice: $801.00 Your Price: $720.902021 Bruno Giacosa Barolo FallettoPrice: $400.50 Your Price: $360.45(97 Points) Supple in texture and loaded with finesse, the Barolo exudes flavors of raspberry, cherry, rose, iron, tar and spices, with a hint of licorice. The dense, fine grained tannins emerge as this winds down on the long, languid aftertaste. Vibrant and complex.2020 BRUNO GIACOSA Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche Riserva Magnum (1.5L)Price: $2115.00 Your Price: $1903.50Purchased in 1980, the Falletto estate is comprised of 13 hectares (32 acres) in the commune of Serralunga d’Alba. Considered by Bruno Giacosa as the best area for producing elegant and long-lived Barolos, the Falletto vineyard is southwest facing on steep slopes of calcareaous clay soils in an amphitheater shape. The estate features a single plot known as Vigna Le Rocche, which contains the oldest vines and produces wines that are vinified and bottled separately from the rest of the estate. The Falletto wines are austere, elegant and complex on the nose, with excellent structure and suave tannins.2020 Giacosa Barbaresco Asili Riserva Red Label 3 LiterPrice: $3150.00 Your Price: $2835.002020 Bruno Giacosa Asili Riserva Barbaresco MagnumPrice: $1550.00 Your Price: $1395.002020 Falletto di Bruno Giacosa Asili Riserva Barbaresco DOCG, ItalyPrice: $775.50 Your Price: $697.95(97 Points) The 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Asili was aged for 20 months in barrel followed by two years in bottle. In this vintage (as in 2021), the weather conditions and the maturity of the grapes were evident in the vineyard, indicating that they would produce the red label Riserva bottling this year. (In other vintages, that decision has been made in the cellar.) In the glass, the wine displays a medium red transparent hue and offers fantastic layers of incense, Asian spices, fresh currants, and raspberries. The palate is elegant and refined, with a long, graceful feel. It’s very long on the palate, with a balanced, fruity feel, and its perfume lasts on the finish, featuring notes of apricot perfume. It's gorgeous already, but I would stash this away and check back in a few years. It’s deceptively approachable now but has the structure to age over the coming decades. This vintage reminds Bruna Giacosa of 2000, a vintage marked with similar elegance. Jeb Dunnuck2020 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto Magnum (1.5L)Price: $732.00 Your Price: $658.802020 Bruno Giacosa Barolo FallettoPrice: $366.00 Your Price: $329.40(94 Points) Strawberry, cherry, rose, eucalyptus and stony mineral flavors are framed by dense, fine-grained tannins in this graceful, firmly structured red. Elegant and very Burgundy in profile, with a vibrant character and excellent length. Best from 2028 through 2046. Wine Spectator2020 Bruno Giacosa Barolo DOCGPrice: $282.00 Your Price: $253.80Tasting notes: Red garnet in color. Intense and fine aromas of fresh red fruit. The palate presents good freshness, excellent structure and fine, velvety tannins.2019 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche MagnumPrice: $655.00 Your Price: $589.50 Quantity in Stock: 22019 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Rocche Falletto di Serralunga d'AlbaPrice: $328.00 Your Price: $295.20(96 Points) With the white label, the 2019 Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche is a generous and expansive wine that hits the palate from all sides. It offers lingering sensations of sweet fruit with a good amount of intensity and muscle power pushing from behind. That forward momentum is fueled by dark fruit, rusty earth, wet clay and blood orange. It shows elegance, substance and finely tuned tones with considerable tension and tightness. This is another bottle to rest at the back of your cellar. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate2018 Bruno Giacosa Barolo DOCGPrice: $255.00 Your Price: $229.50 Quantity in Stock: 4(98 Points) The 2018 Bruno Giacosa Barolo is very rich and hedonistic, with ripe strawberries and rose hip and notes of incense, lilies and violets. It is a lovely nose, persistent, intense and enticing and on the palate it is like falling into a soft velvety bed of rose petals. It already has such beautiful harmony and poise. It has a lush, sensual texture of crushed velvet, and is full-bodied without feeling heavy. There are plenty of dense, savory tannins extending the very long finish, creating a combination of seductive charm and power. This is something special, a great achievement in this vintage. Wait 2-3 years at least but I would not want to miss that young fragrance. Drink: 2025-2052 The Wine Independent2017 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili MagnumPrice: $482.50 Your Price: $434.25 Quantity in Stock: 1Winemaker Notes: Intense garnet red color. Notes of raspberry, blackcurrant and wild strawberry are found on the nose. On the palate, good structure is matched with freshness of fruit and fine tannins.

Wine Watch Trivia:When was the first known reference to a specific wine vintage?Roman Historian Pliny the Elder rated 121 B.C. as a vintage "of the highest excellence." or as I say "Most Excellent"We have been following the handy work of Agustin Huneeus since his early days in his homeland Chile with the mammoth Concha y Toro winery and have been impressed by every one of his stops along the way turning around landmark Napa wineries like Franciscan Estates and Mount Veeder. His return to Chile has produced some of the greatest wines that this country has to offer with his Veramonte label. I visited this winery during my trip to Chile in August of 2008 and have to say that it was the most professionally run wineries that I saw on my journey along with Casa Lapostolle and Montes. These wines present some of the best values that we can offer you if you like Bordeaux varietals. Although he has bought and sold several wineries over the years the current portfolio of wineries the family represents are all what I would call “Most Excellent”.Quintessa really speaks for itself as the property is not only incredibly beautiful, but the wines are always among the best coming from Napa every year. The 2023 release is once again a candidate for wine of the vintage in Napa Valley but everything in the Huneeus portfolio of wineries is equally impressive and tonight you get to sample a bit of everything that they are currently offering.The fee for this happy hour wine tasting is $125 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Happy Hour Wine Tasting Featuring Quintessa Wine EstatesWednesday, October 21, 20266pm2025 Illumination Sauvignon Blanc Napa2024 Flowers Chardonnay Sonoma Coast2023 Flowers Chardonnay Camp Meeting Ridge Estate Sonoma Coast2023 Benton Lane Pinot Noir Willamette Valley2023 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon Napa2023 Favia Cabernet Sauvignon Napa2023 Quintessa Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford NapaMenuAll American Beef SlidersArctic Char in Wonton with Hoisin BBQSteak Fries with Parmesan and Truffle AioliArancini with Sunday SauceCharcuterie PizzaThe fee for this wine tasting is $125 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com A bit about Agustin Huneeus:Agustin Huneeus, Sr., embarked upon his legendary career as a winemaker over four decades ago. He founded premier wineries both in California and Chile, and guided others to worldwide acclaim. He is perhaps best known for his artistry and innovative techniques resulting in critically acclaimed wines crafted in the Bordeaux tradition. Wines and wineries achieving prominence under Agustin’s hand include Veramonte (Primus) and Concha y Toro of Chile, and Franciscan Oakville Estate, Mount Veeder, Estancia and Quintessa of California. He is considered a trail blazer with his Cuvee Sauvage, Napa Valley’s first wild-yeast fermented Chardonnay, and Magnificat, one of Napa Valley’s first Bordeaux style proprietary blends.Agustin is recognized both as a philosopher and an artist. He has stamped his imprimatur on a school of thought that has profoundly influenced the California wine industry. To most vintners, a wine is a Chardonnay, perhaps, or a Zinfandel, or a Merlot. To Agustin, a wine is the embodiment of a place. Its heritage, its terrior, - its ‘somewhereness’, in his words - matters most. Meritage wines, those artful blends that pay tribute to the winemaker rather than to the variety, exemplify the Huneeus principle of "attaching wine to a place." Agustin’s famous Quintessa, has become one of the landmark Bordeaux style blends from the Napa Valley, this testifies to the wisdom of his philosophy of allowing the vineyard to express itself.Agustin served as Chairman of the 1996 Napa Valley Wine Auction, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the Wine Spectator Magazine that same year. He is the former president and current chairman of Franciscan Estates, a winery he brought from obscurity to world limelight. Along with his winery at Long Shadows Vintners, Agustin retains ownership in Quintessa and Flowers. He resides at Quintessa Estates with his wife, Valeria, who holds a Ph.D., and is a scientist and viticulturist in her own right.Valeria Huneeus, FounderBorn in Chile, PH.D, Microbiologist and Viticulturist Valeria Huneeus originally intended to study medicine, but redirected her love of science into viticulture and enology. After graduating from the university of Chile, she worked as a viticulturist in the southern hemisphere. When Valeria and Agustin moved to New York and began a family, Valeria broadened her interests, pursuing a PH.D. In biochemistry from Columbia University. She then spent ten years doing research in cholesterol and cell metabolism with the veteran’s administration and the University of California at San Francisco. Looking for an opportunity that would allow her to work closer to her husband, Valeria transitioned into vineyard development with the Mistral Vineyard in Santa Clara County. This project gave her valuable experience that she was able to use in the development of Quintessa. Valeria stumbled on the Rutherford property that would become Quintessa during a time when she was searching for a new vineyard management project, and her vision and perseverance made it possible to purchase the property in 1990. Believing that we are stewards of the land, Valeria took special care to be respectful of the landscape and the soil during the property development. Many other facets of her philosophy have been applied to the development of the Quintessa vineyard and its daily care to this day, as Valeria remains a driving force in long-term vision of the vineyard.2023 Quintessa Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Napa 3 LiterPrice: $1350.00 Sale $1215.002023 Quintessa Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford NapaPrice: $287.00 Sale $229.50(99 Points) A marvelously bright red from winemaker Rebekah Wineburg, remarkably fragrant in its mineral elegance of the dusty red pulverized earth that is so characteristic of the Rutherford AVA, also appearing on the palate as fine, gravelly, cocoa-powder infused tannins. Pure-fruited, with ripe cassis and blackberry notes, salted dark chocolate, and a full-bodied personality, radiant with exotic floral notes of hibiscus and red rose, with a touch of dried sage and rosemary that adds further complexity. Incredibly elegant and built for long-term cellaring. The full blend includes: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 2% Carménère, 2% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot. After 20 days of maceration, the wine was aged for 22 months in 60% new French oak barrels and 3% in a terracotta amphora. Decanter2022 Quintessa Red RutherfordPrice: $287.00 Your Price: $258.30 Quantity in Stock: 6(99 Points) Such an incredible wine here - one of the stars of the September releases. Smells amazing, cooling blueberries with fragrant blackcurrants, edges of florality - totally inviting scents. Full and filling in the mouth, this is ample with such a layered effect, super vertical and elongated. Tight and a little tense but it really works - such balance between black fruit, dried herbs, high acidity and a profound structure. Refined and beautifully presented. So much life, so much energy - this is pure class. A wine you don't want to put down. Feels hands off despite such concentration and power. Ends salty with sticky liquorice, mint and cooling wet stones. You could definitely drink this now but it will age too! 1% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot complete the blend. One of the final few vintages with Rodrigo Soto at the helm - he stepped down last year to concentrate on his family project Far Mountain in Sonoma Valley which is worth following. Winemaker Rebekah Wineburg. Decanter2021 Quintessa Proprietary Red Napa Magnum 1.5LPrice: $607.50 Your Price: $546.75 Quantity in Stock: 12021 Quintessa Proprietary Red NapaPrice: $287.00 Your Price: $258.30 Quantity in Stock: 2(100 Points) An exquisite wine, relying primarily on Cabernet Sauvignon from a single estate. Aromas of lavender, dried herbs and grapefruit pith combine with flavors of firm fruits and cocoa on a structure of abundant, powder-fine tannin and a mouthwatering finish. This wine is refined, detailed and delicious, with as much elegance as energy. Best 2026–2040. — Elaine Chukan Brown Wine Enthusiast2015 Quintessa Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Napa MagnumPrice: $789.00 Your Price: $710.10(96 Points) Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Proprietary Red Wine has a very deep purple color and notes of crushed rocks, dusty earth and iron ore over blackcurrants and black cherries, plus hints of tapenade, bay leaves, underbrush and chargrill. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is bursting with densely packed, youthful black fruits, framed by finely grained tannins and refreshing acidity, finishing long and mineral laced. This was tasted as a barrel sample. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate2001 Quintessa Red Rutherford NapaPrice: $240.00 Sale Price: $195.00 Quantity in Stock: 2(92 Points) Quite ripe and oaky, made in a big, impressive style. Knocks you out with the density and concentration of its black currant, dark chocolate and coffee flavors. Completely dry, and with a tart, espresso-like bitterness, this beauty is guaranteed to age, with its firm tannins. Review Date: 10/2004 Wine EnthusiastThe Quintessential Wine EstateAgustin and Valeria Huneeus developed Quintessa in 1990 to establish the property as one of the great red wine estates of the world. Valeria guided the 280-acre Rutherford vineyard with strict care for the soil and environment with a commitment to biodynamic and organic farming. The vineyard’s many microclimates, soil types, elevations, and exposures have been planted to a wide selection of rootstocks and clones, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and small plots of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenère. The winery’s eco-sensitive design integrates nature and winemaking, with a gravity flow process, naturally cooled winery and caves. Grapes are crushed on the winery roof and flow by gravity into the fermentation room below. After fermentation with native yeasts and extended maceration in stainless steel, French oak and concrete tanks, the wine ages in French oak barrels in the caves. Winemaker Charles Thomas brings over 20 years of winemaking experience in California to Quintessa’s next decade. He leads a winemaking team that includes international blending consultant Michel Rolland.It is hard to believe that just a few decades ago this pristine property in the heart of Napa Valley had never seen a grapevine. Originally part of the Caymus land grant, the property was purchased in the 1940s by George Mardikian, a high profile San Francisco restaurateur, owner of the renowned Omar Khayyam restaurant. Mardikian had grand plans for the property and believed it's destiny was to be a premium wine estate. George Mardikian died in the early 1980s never having fulfilled his dream.The combination of the property's size, beauty and location in the heart of one of the world's greatest appellations, Rutherford, created a speculative frenzy among potential buyers. From the time of his death until the final sale in 1990, many prestigious vintners in the Napa Valley attempted to buy the property, several getting as far as escrow, without success.Agustin And Valeria Huneeus remember the first time that they discovered the property: "In 1989, Valeria and I found the property that would become Quintessa, a remarkable estate in the heart of the renowned Rutherford appellation of Napa Valley. With 280 acres, it was the last great undeveloped property in Napa Valley and had all the characteristics of a great wine estate: rolling hills, many different microclimates and a vast diversity of soil types. Maybe the other buyers could not close due to money, but most speculate that the former owner was a bit difficult to deal with but Augustan will tell you today, “Now with nearly fifteen years of growth, the vines have lost their youthful exuberance and have developed into a balanced vineyard that needs little manipulation to produce low yields and concentrated flavors." - Agustin Huneeus"The fact that the property at Quintessa had never been planted to grapes before spoke to the vivacity of the soil and the absence of grape pests. But it was amazing the diversity of the land that convinced us of Quintessa's potential to be one of the truly great wine estates of the world. The estate includes a valley, a lake, a river, five hills, four microclimates and numerous different soil types. Few vineyards anywhere encompass such diversity." - Valeria HuneeusAgustin and Valeria Huneeus developed Quintessa in 1990 to establish the property as one of the great red wine estates of the world. Valeria guided the 280- acre vineyard with strict criteria of care for the soil and environment through a commitment to biodynamic and organic farming. The vineyard matches rootstocks and clones to the estates diverse terroir and is planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with small plots of Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Carmeniere. The winery's eco-sensitive design integrates nature and winemaking. Grapes are crushed on the winery roof and flow by gravity into the fermentation room below. After extended maceration in steel and French oak tanks, the wines are basket pressed and aged in French barrels in the caves. Winemaker Charles Thomas brings over 20 years of winemaking experience to Quintessa's next decade. His team includes consulting winemaker Aaron Pott and international blending consultant Michel Rolland.We visited this vineyard site over the summer and were blown away by the 2005 release, this is one of the best wines made in Napa Valley with only 10% of the fruit from their vineyards making it into the final blend. Most that know Quintessa will tell you that they have a second label called Faust, but only 1% if the juice from the Quintessa property goes into this wine. Faust is made almost entirely from another vineyard site that is located in Coombsville and is an outstanding wine in its own right and to be called the second wine of Quintessa would not be a bad thing as I just mentioned they use typically only 10% of the fruit that is produced on this property for Quintessa and there is no real second wine the rest of the juice is sold off in bulk!A complete list of wines that we have here in the store from this the Huneeus Group:2025 Illumination Sauvignon Blanc NapaPrice: $39.00 Your Price: $35.10Layered aromas of Luxardo cherry and black currant are underscored by leather, coffee, and wet slate. Notes of star anise add savory complexity, while vanilla bean lends subtle warmth. The palate is structured and composed, with fine, present tannins framing the wine's earthy, savory character—an expression shaped by Northern California's mountainous terrain. Balanced and approachable now, it offers depth and structure to evolve gracefully with cellaring.Blend: 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petite Sirah, 5% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc2023 Benton Lane Pinot Noir Willamette ValleyPrice: $24.00 Your Price: $21.60Fresh raspberries and sour cherries on the nose, and spices such as black pepper and cardamom in the back, mingle with hints of earthiness and herbs redolent of dried thyme and fresh pennyroyal. Medium bodied with a vibrant, textured midpalate. Marked by elegant tannins and balanced acidity, this is a complex, nuanced wine with a long finish.2023 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon NapaPrice: $50.25 Your Price: $45.23The core of Faust comes from our Coombsville Estate as well as from our vineyards in Rutherford and Oakville. This wine jumps out of the glass with aromas of fresh black cherry and plum. Layers of savory cherry compote, earth, cedar and graphite are rounded out by a long finish with hints of dark chocolate, balanced acidity and minerality.(93 Points) The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon The Pact boasts a healthy ruby/purple hue and is perfumed, floral, and elegant, almost in the style of the 2019, with red and dark fruits, spice, and loads of charm. Medium-bodied and seamless on the palate, it has fine tannins, terrific balance, and impressive accessibility. A blend of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot, it was aged 22 months in French oak, 45% new. Jeb Dunnuck2021 FAVIA CABERNET SAUVIGNON COOMBSVILLE NAPA VALLEYPrice: $281.25 Your Price: $253.13(98 Points) Deep garnet- purple in color, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville explodes with bombastic notes of crème de cassis, black cherry preserves, and boysenberries giving way to nuances of cedar, graphite, and lavender oil. The full- bodied palate is jam packed with intense black and blue fruit layers supported by a solid line of firm grainy tannins and amazing tension, finishing long and with wonderful purity. January 2024 | Lisa Perotti-Brown/The Wine Independent2022 Favia Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville NapaPrice: $281.25 Your Price: $253.13The strong character of wines from the Oakville appellation in the Napa Valley is undisputed. There is an internal depth and an external structure that sets them apart and creates power, balance, and harmony.2021 Favia Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville Napa ValleyPrice: $281.25 Your Price: $253.13 Our blocks at Oakville Ranch-high above the eastern edge of the Valley, organically farmed on red, rocky, iron-rich soils— continue to amaze us with their consistent, full-throated expression of Cabernet Sauvignon grown in this unique sliver of the Valley. 2022 was a dry season delivering a limited yieldof very intense fruit. Ocean breezes off the San Pablo Bay moderated the warm temperatures at harvest, pushing the grapes over the finish line with soft tannins, forward fruit flavors, and very seductive textures in the wine. This pure Cabernet Sauvignon wine was carefully fermented and on the skins for twenty-plus days, gently pressed and put straight to barrel for malo-lactic fermentation. Aged in 50% French oak barrels for 19 months, with minimal racking and without fining or filtration. We feel this hands-off approach tothe elevage is the best way to bring focus to the vineyard. Especially given the polished tannins evident in the young wine in barrel, this minimalist approach helped to preserve the freshness and sense of place in the wine. Effusive notes of black fruits, gravel, sage brush, and baking spices are immediately enticing. On the palate, a rush of fruit indicates that this wine will be enjoyed in its youth, with its velvety impression and nearly impossible length. There is enough density in the wine, however, that it should easily develop in bottle over the next 10-15 years.100%Cabernet Sauvignon460 cases produced2023 FAVIA CABERNET SAUVIGNON NAPAPrice: $112.50 Your Price: $101.25This 2023 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon will certainly evolve in the cellar, but it has been crafted to be enjoyed right away. Dark red fruits, red raspberries, graphite and exotic woods are just a few of the complexities that come forward immediately. The savory tones and freshness of Coombsville meld well with the generous black fruits and solid structure of Oakville. Careful tannin extraction, barrel aging for twenty months in 50% new French oak barrels, and botting without fining or filtration, ensure that the wine retains fruit intensity and maintains its bold texture and generous length.Blend: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot2023 Flowers Chardonnay Camp Meeting Ridge Estate Sonoma CoastPrice: $115.00 Your Price: $103.50From the original vineyard planted in 1991 and this is 100% estate and 100% barrel fermented with 15 months, 45% new oak. Has that intense lemon curd citrus fruit and a very strong mineral component to the nose, sea shell notes, crème brulee and vanilla bean, a bit more intense oak but this wine can handle it lots of fruit and that minerality really weighing in along with a touch of butterscotch candy. This vineyard is 29 acres and seavy ridge is 47 acres. Very intense lemon citrus on the tongue with an almost oily texture with layers of tongue tingly minerlaity through the finish, this wine is still quite youthful, a bit reserved on the first day but opening up nicely by the next morning, this wine needs time but has all the right stuff. Finish 50+ Most Excellent2024 Flowers Chardonnay Russian River ValleyPrice: $67.50 Your Price: $60.75The lovely nose on this cool-climate Chardonnay conjures a spring orchard—leading with nectarine, then giving way to pear. Juicy and generous, the palate carries subtle notes of baking spice interwoven with Asian pear and white nectarine. Lemongrass and hints of candied citrus peel take a turn around toward the exotic, while vibrant acidity and bright grapefruit keep the finish lively and long.2024 Flowers Chardonnay Sonoma CoastPrice: $34.75 Your Price: $31.28 Quantity in Stock: 11Rich and mineral laced lots of ripe tree fruit lemon drop candy and hints of carmel corn showing a bit of eveolution here on the nose. A big and balanced chardonnay like a grand cru Bburgundy very complex with an almost oily textrue here lovely balance and freshness a long mineral laced finish some oak but has lovely balance. Most Excellent

"This is very old wine. I hope you will like it."Count Dracula in Dracula (1931)We love to taste very old wines for scientific evaluation but most people like to drink young wines. Great vintages of great Bordeaux sometimes need 20-30 years to be drinking at their peak. You have to have a good imagination what they will be like when they are fully mature and nothing we have on the table tonight is fully mature but we have some great vintages like 2015, 2016 and some older wines like the 2008 and 2009 (2009 had 20 wines that scored 100 points in the Wine Advocate making it the greatest vintage in Bordeaux history according the publication that Robert Parker JR. founded)Bernard Margrez is one of the top names in Bordeaux today and he is 1936 vintage, so an icon in the wine business turning 90 years old this year. Bernard has aged like a fine wine getting better and better every year at producing some of Bordeaux’s top wines from both the left and the right bank. We have an incredible selection of his wines on the table tonight with 10 wines in all. The fee for this tasting which includes dinner and gratuity is $295 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Chateau Pape Clement Bordeaux Wine TastingWith Special Guest Antoine Dalis Sales Manager for the USASaturday, October 27th7:30pm2020 Le Clementin du Chateau Pape Clement Blanc Pessac-Leognan2019 Chateau Pape Clement Blanc, Pessac-Leognan2022 Chateau Pape Clement Blanc, Pessac-Leognan2008 Château Pape Clément Rouge Pessac-Leognan2009 Château Pape Clément Rouge Pessac-Leognan2015 Château Pape Clément Rouge Pessac-Leognan2016 Château Pape Clément Rouge Pessac-Leognan2018 Château Pape Clément Rouge Pessac-Leognan2020 Château Pape Clément Rouge Pessac-Leognan2018 Chateau Clos Haut Peyraguey SauternesMenuSelection of Cheese and CharcuterieFrench Onion SoupDuck Confit with Pomme FritesVanilla Bean Crème BruleeThe fee for this tasting which includes dinner and gratuity is $295 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any food allergies of aversions and chefs Toni and Dani will be happy to accommodate you.A bit about Chateau Pape Clement and Bernard Magrez"Bernard Magrez's career has been marked by passion, a constant desire to improve, know-how and exceptional success, with its roots first in Bordeaux ( Grands Crus Classés) and then in other prestigious terroirs in France and around the world.Bernard Magrez was born in Bordeaux in 1936. From a rather rigid upbringing, he drew his first life lessons. But between enduring them and assimilating them, the choice was clear: in the midst of turmoil, an uncommon inner strength would take root.At the age of 13, he was sent to an apprenticeship center for 3 years, where he obtained a CAP in wood sawing, his only diploma. It was there that he met François Pinault.At 19, perfectly self-taught, he joined the Cordier group, a major Bordeaux wine house, which he left at 21.It was there that he discovered all the ins and outs of the business.The year is 1961. Bernard Magrez is 25 years old, and his ambition is an anchor in the infinite possibilities. He travels to the United States, where he discovers an unprecedented sales model: the hypermarket.Back in France, he set up his own company, William Pitters, dedicated, among other things, to whisky and port. The latter was sold in the country's very first Carrefour store, becoming the second most popular brand in France.At the time, the company had annual sales of €12,000 and sold 14,000 bottles of Port, which it received in barrels from Portugal.It was only with a real desire to win that we moved forward without faltering."Never Give UpWilliam Peel Scotch Whisky became the undisputed leader in France, the world's biggest Scotch Whisky consumer.It also takes the lead in the tequila market in France, with over 60% market share, and in the ready-made cocktail market. Gradually, its range of spirits expanded, until it fully conquered the market. The time has come to look even further ahead.Bernard Magrez has never stopped evolving, renewing and diversifying, always on the alert, focused on the horizon, already ready for the next step.But this fury for building might never have been expressed without a key moment in his life: forty years ago, he fell into wine as one falls into love.He creates Malesan wines wines in Bordeaux, which became the market leader.The 80s. Bernard Magrez began his rise to fame with the acquisition of his first Cru Classé,the one that remains the icon of the Maison Bernard Magrez to this day: Château Pape Clément.This was followed in 1999 by Château Fombrauge, Grand Cru Classé de Saint-Émilion since 2012.Then Château La Tour Carnet in 2000, Grand Cru Classé in 1855, Haut-Médoc.In 2011, Bernard Magrez, as a patron of the arts, created the Institut Culturel Bernard Magrez. A cultural institution dedicated to contemporary art. A bridge between tradition and innovation, enabling everyone to enjoy a unique experience.In 2012, Bernard Magrez acquired Clos Haut-Peraguey, Premier Grand Cru Classé de Sauternes.A four-stage masterstroke that made himunique owner of four prestigious estates at once. That same year, he became "The Man with 40 Châteaux".Bernard Magrez - The man with 40 ChâteauxTimes are changing. Bernard Magrez adopts the codes, and the margins, of the luxury industry.As passionate as ever, Bernard Magrez strives for excellence in everything he does, constantly innovating.Bernard Magrez creates La Grande Maison in Bordeaux, a 5-star hotel with 6 luxury rooms and 2 Michelin stars. First with his friend Joël Robuchon and then with Pierre Gagnaire in 2018. This restaurant had the distinction of boasting a wine list with 259 Bordeaux Crus Classés, including 172 Grands Crus Classés. The establishment has since closed in 2020, following the Covid-19 pandemic.All the Chateau Pape Clement in the store on SALE!!2023 l'Ame De Pape Clément Blanc Pessac LeognanPrice: $34.00 Your Price: $30.60L’Ame de Pape Clément Blanc 2023 is a captivating white wine that showcases the elegance and complexity of Bordeaux’s Pessac-Léognan region. This wine is crafted with meticulous attention to detail, offering a harmonious blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. On the nose, it reveals enticing aromas of citrus fruits, white flowers, and a hint of vanilla. The palate is vibrant and well-structured, with flavors of ripe pear, lemon zest, and a touch of minerality.2020 Château Pape Clément L'Âme De Pape Clément Graves RougePrice: $33.75 Your Price: $30.372019 Château Pape Clément L'Âme De Pape Clément Graves RougePrice: $35.75 Your Price: $32.18L'Ame de Pape Clément Rouge is a full-bodied, complex wine with a deep ruby color and aromas of ripe blackberry, cassis, and dark cherry. On the palate, it has a velvety texture with flavors of blackberry, plum, and dark chocolate. The tannins are well-integrated and the finish is long and lingering. L'Ame de Pape Clement is a second label from Château Pape Clement. It translates to "The Soul of Pape Clement" which is precisely what this beautiful wine is.Blend: 44% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc2019 Le Clementin du Chateau Pape Clement Pessac LeognanPrice: $68.75 Your Price: $61.882020 Clementin de Pape Clement Blanc Pessac LeognanPrice: $69.50 Your Price: $62.55(89-91 Points) The 2020 Clémentin de Pape Clément Blanc is wonderfully exotic in its bouquet. Lemon peel, jasmine, white flowers and apricot are all laced together. Medium in body, with striking inner perfume and lovely texture, the Clémentin de Pape Clément Blanc is an absolute delight. This is so nicely done. (AG) Vinous, Review Date: 05/20212020 Clementin de Pape Clement Blanc Pessac LeognanPrice: $69.50 Your Price: $62.55(89-91 Points) The 2020 Clémentin de Pape Clément Blanc is wonderfully exotic in its bouquet. Lemon peel, jasmine, white flowers and apricot are all laced together. Medium in body, with striking inner perfume and lovely texture, the Clémentin de Pape Clément Blanc is an absolute delight. This is so nicely done. (AG) Vinous, Review Date: 05/20212019 Clementin de Pape Clement Blanc Pessac LeognanPrice: $71.00 Your Price: $63.90(90-92 Points) A blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Semillon, the 2019 Clémentin de Pape Clement Blanc was harvested from the 30th of August to the 13th of September. It was vinified in various types of vessels. Sixty percent was fermented in French oak barrels of varying capacities ranging from 225 to 500 liters, 22% of which were new. Seven percent was fermented in concrete eggs. Seventeen percent was fermented in large, French oak foudres, with 44% new. And 16% was fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. The nose is already quite complex, offering a range of savory and fruit scents including baking bread, shaved almonds, dried herbs and white grapefruit with notes of apricots and fresh pears coming through along with a waft of allspice. Medium-bodied, the palate has wonderful vitality and energy with loads of mineral nuances and a long, intensely fruited finishing. Impressive for a second wine! (LPB) Wine Advocate, Review Date: 06/20202022 Chateau Pape Clement Blanc Pessac LeognanPrice: $220.00 Your Price: $198.00(98 Points) Arguably the dry white wine of the vintage along with Laville, this is an extraordinary wine with the texture of a grand cru white Burgundy, the so-called gout de petrol that one finds in Coche-Dury Meursault-Perrieres, or one of the top Montrachets from the likes of Domaine Leflaive or Romanee-Conti. Honeyed orange, sweet melons, subtle smoke, stunning concentration, and a full-bodied mouthfeel make for an extraordinary expression of white Graves that should age beautifully for 15-20 years. The final blend from the tiny 7.5-acre parcel of this historic vineyard was 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Semillon, 5% each of Sauvignon Gris and Muscadelle. Wine Advocate # 181, Feb 20092021 Chateau Pape Clement Blanc Pessac LeognanPrice: $198.00 Your Price: $178.20(93-94 Points) The 2021 Pape Clément Blanc shows the tension and cut that this vintage could bring to dry white Bordeaux. Exhibiting aromas of gooseberries, nectarine, confit citrus and pastry cream, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy but incisive, with a textural attack and a bright, saline finish. It's a blend of 72% Sauvignon Blanc, only 22% Sémillon, 5% Sauvignon Gris and 1% Muscadelle. (WK) Wine Advocate, Review Date: 04/20222019 Chateau Pape Clement Blanc Pessac LeognanPrice: $198.00 Your Price: $178.20(95-97 Points) A blend of 46% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Semillon and 14% Sauvignon Gris, the 2019 Blanc was harvested from the 30th of August to the 13th of September. It was vinified in various types of vessels. Sixty percent was fermented in French oak barrels of varying capacities ranging from 225 to 500 liters, 22% of which were new. Seven percent was fermented in concrete eggs. Seventeen percent was fermented in large, French oak foudres, with 44% new. And 16% was fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. The nose of this nascent beauty was locked up tight for the first few minutes, eventually unfurling to offer subtle scents of fresh pineapple, green guava, kumquat and lemon zest with an emerging core of honey-drizzled white peach, chopped almonds and oyster shells plus a waft of baker's yeast. Medium-bodied, the palate is beautifully nuanced and poised, delivering fantastic intensity with a racy backbone and gorgeous satiny texture, finishing with epic length. Stunning. (LPB) Wine Advocate, Review Date: 06/20202012 Chateau Pape Clement Blanc Pessac LeognanPrice: $225.00 Your Price: $202.50(96 Points) I am not sure what the exact blend is for the 2012 Pape Clément, but it has a light gold color and is a gorgeously full-bodied, multi-dimensional wine with great texture in its notes of rose petal, honeysuckle, crystallized/caramelized tropical fruits, mandarin orange and honeyed lemon. Aged 15 months in mostly new French oak, this is another brilliant achievement for proprietor Bernard Magrez from this tiny white wine vineyard, although I would rate it slightly below his perfect 2009. Anticipated maturity: now-2030. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate2022 Chateau Pape Clement Rouge Pessac LeognanPrice: $145.00 Your Price: $130.50(95 Points) Focussed and charming, good weight and depth, the tannins come into play almost straight away coating the mouth in fine but plump, fleshy black fruit with cool blue fruit touches and high acidity giving a different, lighter nuance. Well made, with good definition. Not as lively as some, but has supreme complexity and shine, everything feels well worked with touches of oak, liquorice spice and clove that dot the palate. Strong and serious but confident and controlled. A thoroughbred. Tightly knitted but still showing glamour. Harvest 7-27 September. Bee friendly, HVE3 certified. Celebrating 770 vintages in 2022. Michel Rolland and Julien Viaud consultants. (GH) Decanter, Review Date: 04/20222020 Chateau Pape Clement Pessac-Leognan RougePrice: $145.00 Your Price: $130.50(98 Points) The 2020 Pape Clément is outrageously beautiful. Dark, virile and imposing, the 2020 is a rare vintage of Pape Clément that is vertical and statuesque in feel. Dark fruit, chocolate, new leather, licorice and cloves infuse the palate with tremendous depth. In a word: magnificent. - Antonio Galloni Vinous2019 Chateau Pape Clement Pessac-Leognan RougePrice: $146.25 Your Price: $131.63(98 Points) As to the Grand Vin 2019 Château Pape Clement, it reveals a dense purple hue to go with stunning aromatics of crème de cassis, graphite, lead pencils shavings, scorched earth, and tobacco. Beautifully balanced, with flawless tannins, this full-bodied Pessac has that rare mix of elegance and power, a great mid-palate, and again, perfect balance. It's one of the gems of the vintage and has some accessibility today given its purity and balance, yet deserves 4-5 years of bottle age and will cruise for 20-25 years or more in cold cellars. The blend is equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, brought up in two-thirds new French oak. Jeb Dunnuck2018 Chateau Pape Clement Pessac-Leognan, France 3 literPrice: $870.00 Your Price: $783.002018 Chateau Pape Clement Pessac-Leognan, France MagnumPrice: $319.25 Your Price: $287.322018 Chateau Pape Clement Pessac-Leognan, FrancePrice: $161.25 Your Price: $145.13(99 Points) Coming from 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc brought up in 60% new French oak, the 2018 Château Pape Clement from Bernard Magrez is a gorgeous wine that's performing even better from bottle than barrel, which is always a good sign. Deep ruby/purple, with stunning crème de cassis and blackberry fruits as well as kaleidoscope-like notes of graphite, scorched earth, smoke, violets, and spring flowers, it offers full-bodied richness yet stays light on its feet, graceful, and almost ethereal on the palate, with integrated acidity and building yet seamless tannin's. The Cabernet Sauvignon really sings at this point, and there's almost a Médoc-like regalness here. Reminding me of a slightly more elegant 2005 (it also has similarities to the 2016), it will benefit from 4-6 years in the cellar and keep for 30+ years. Jeb Dunnuck2016 Chateau Pape Clement Rouge Pessac LeognanPrice: $168.00 Sale Price: $145.00 Quantity in Stock: 2(96 Points) Blended of 60% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Pape Clement has a deep garnet-purple color and quite a serious, earthy nose with truffles, tilled soil, underbrush and smoked meats over a cassis, baked plums and redcurrants core plus a touch of lavender. Medium to full-bodied, firm and grainy, the palate is built like a brick house, supporting muscular black fruit and earthy notions and finishing very long and mineral laced. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate2014 Chateau Pape Clement Pessac-Leognan, France MagnumPrice: $313.75 Your Price: $282.37(94 Points) Cigar box, tobacco, smoke, licorice and blackberry aromatics open up the full bodied, fleshy wine. The fruit is fresh, ripe and rich, the tannins are refined and the texture is quite silky. A decade of time is warranted before pulling a cork here. 94 Points - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider2010 Chateau Pape Clement Rouge Pessac-Leognan, FrancePrice: $398.25 Your Price: $358.43(95 Points) Fat, deep, intense and packed with licorice, smoke, fresh ground coffee beans, black cherries, fennel, blue fruits, earth and plums. Thick, rich, full bodied, lush textured and packed with layers of rich, dark berries, chocolate and oak, this blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc produced a strong vintage for Pape Clement. 95 Points - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider2009 Chateau Pape Clement Rouge Pessac-Leognan, FrancePrice: $373.25 Your Price: $335.93(97 Points) Deep garnet in color, the wine inches closer to maturity with truffle, cigar box, leather, salty plums, tobacco leaf and red berries. Full-bodied, lushly textured, with ripe, polished, round tannins and some oak remaining to be resolved, the finish serves up layers of ripe, dark, velvet textured, polished fruits. This is still primary, so 6-8 more years of aging will come close to bringing this around. If you cannot wait that long, give it 2-3 hours of air. 97 Points - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider2008 Chateau Pape Clement Rouge Pessac-LeognanPrice: $197.75 Your Price: $177.98(95 Points) Young, full bodied, rich and intense, the wine is loaded with dark fruit, which you can easily see in its color. There is intensity, earthyness, smoke, licorice, espresso and black cherry from start to finish. The wine is a fabulous balance between the sweet fruits, youthful character and promise of future complexities. 95 Points - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider2005 Chateau Pape Clement Rouge Pessac-LeognanPrice: $390.75 Your Price: $351.68(96 Points) What most people miss with Pape Clement, is that the wine is so concentrated, intense and a bit oaky in its youth, it needs cellaring time to really reveal its all. Still youthful here, another 5-7 years are needed before everything really starts coming together. Still, it is impossible not to see and enjoy the intensity, purity, depth of flavor, length and richness. The tannins are ripe, the texture is akin to velvet and the smoky, dark berries in the finish resonate for ages. Opened in the name of science, I'm waiting another 5 years before popping another bottle. I'm thinking my score could also pop another Pt or 2, once this really gets going. 96 Points - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider1999 Chateau Pape Clement Rouge Pessac LeognanPrice: $237.50 Your Price $213.75(91 Points) The stunning 1999 Pape Clement is a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon and 46% Merlot. The wine is performing better from bottle than it did from cask. There is a fabulous bouquet of smoke, blueberries, raspberry cassis, and liquid minerals. This is a medium to full-bodied, layered, concentrated wine with no hard edges. As it sat in the glass, additional aromas of cedar wood, graphite, and cigar smoke emerged. This is a classic, sexy, knock-out Pessac-Leognan with a surprisingly dense, rich style for a 1999. (RP) Wine Advocate, Review Date: 04/20021985 Chateau Pape Clement Rouge Pessac LeognanPrice: $298.75 Your Price $268.87According to Robert Parker: "The 1985, the best Pape-Clement since the 1975, is a fragrant, supple, tasty wine with a great deal of finesse and charm. It is deeply concentrated, medium bodied, long, and complex. Anticipated maturity: Now-2000. Last tasted, 3/89." Clyde drank it last week-delicious wine-very elegant and earthy.All the Chateau Fombrauge in the store on SALE!!2022 Chateau Fombrauge Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, FrancePrice: $51.50 Your Price: $46.35(93 Points) Flowers, leafy herbs, chocolate covered plums, espresso, licorice and cherries create the perfume. Medium/full-bodied, round, and polished, the wine is already showing its layers of black cherries, and chocolate coated blackberries on the mid-palate and in the long, fruit-filled, polished finish. With its lush style, this will be approachable on release. The wine blends 71% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2023-2042. 92-94 Pts. - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider2021 Chateau Fombrauge St Emilion Grand Cru ClassePrice: $45.00 Your Price: $40.50 Quantity in Stock: 4(92 Points) Ripe, chewy and mouth filling, this is on the plusher side in terms of fruit flavour but with a core of velvet-like, quite grippy tannins that take hold and support the fruit. Lashings of dark chocolate, liquorice, vanilla and a cinnamon edge giving a lovely nuance of spice while the juicy fruit flavours linger on top. A dark, savoury style with plenty going on but delivered with refinement and clarity. Certainly one of the bolder styles. Decanter 2020 Chateau Fombrauge Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, FrancePrice: $55.25 Your Price: $49.73(93 Points) Ripe, round, lush forward and fruity, the wine is packed with chocolately, plums, espresso and licorice from top to bottom. The rich, concentrated, layers of plush, polished fruits linger on your palate which is a good thing, as they are delicious. Drink from 2023-2040. - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider2019 Chateau Fombrauge Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, France 6 LiterPrice: $705.00 Your Price: $634.502019 Chateau Fombrauge Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, France MagnumPrice: $107.75 Your Price: $96.982019 Chateau Fombrauge Saint Emilion Grand CruPrice: $52.00 Your Price: $46.80(94 Points) The 2019 Château Fombrauge is terrific and has a good mix of richness, concentration, and elegance. Giving up notes of mulled ripe cherries, Asian spices, blackberries, tobacco, and cedar pencil on the nose, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless, layered, pure mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and just beautiful overall balance. It's already drinking beautifully today yet will evolve positively for 5-7 years and hold for another 15-20 years. It's another brilliant Saint-Emilion in the vintage. This seemed more modern and polished from barrel but shows a very classic style now from bottle. Best after 2022. Jeb Dunnuck2018 Chateau Fombrauge St Emilion Grand Cru Classe MagnumPrice: $105.00 Your Price: $94.50(95 Points) A gorgeous wine that shines on all account, the 2018 Château Fombrauge sports a dense purple hue to go with loads of blackcurrant and black cherry fruits as well as tobacco leaf, damp earth, chocolate, and cedary herbs. With full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, silky tannins, and outstanding length, this rock star Saint-Emilion can be enjoyed any time over the coming 20-25 years or more. It's hands down the finest vintage I've tasted from this estate. Jeb Dunnuck2016 Chateau Fombrauge Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, FrancePrice: $56.25 Your Price: $50.63(94 Points) Deep dark ruby with a firm core, purple reflections and a subtle brightening on the rim. The nose shows fully ripe cherries, gentle nougat, a hint of plums and pleasant herbal spice - an inviting bouquet. Juicy, but not opulent, the palate is one of pleasant fruit character, elegance and persistence, it is a very promising wine, textural with a ripe fruit finish. – FalstaffAll the Chateau La Tour Carnet Haut in the store on SALE!!2019 Bernard Magrez Chateau La Tour Carnet Haut Medoc, FrancePrice: $55.25 Your Price: $49.73(92 Points) Dark ruby-garnet, purple reflections, broad rim brightening. Delicate roasted aromas, a hint of nougat, pleasant blackberry confit. Elegant and balanced, pleasant sweetness, round tannins, mineral, firm finish, a hint of chocolate on the finish, will benefit from bottle ageing. - Falstaff2018 Bernard Magrez Chateau La Tour Carnet Haut Medoc, FrancePrice: $55.25 Your Price: $49.73(93 Points) The vineyards surrounding the 12th-century castle have produced this rich and densely structured wine. Powerful tannins give a smoky character to the ripe, black-plum fruits. It definitely needs aging, so drink from 2026. Roger Voss. - Wine Enthusiast2016 Bernard Magrez Chateau La Tour Carnet Haut Medoc, FrancePrice: $63.25 Your Price: $56.93(91 Points) Deeply colored, this is already showing off its round, concentrated, lush, display of ripe, dark, sweet, ripe fruits, smoke, licorice, dark chocolate and espresso. - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider2015 Bernard Magrez Chateau La Tour Carnet Haut Medoc, FrancePrice: $58.25 Your Price: $52.43(91 Points) Much better from the bottle than from the barrel, the round textured, forward wine provides a plummy, licorice, espresso and dark cherry nose. Polished, lush, ripe fruits, licorice and espresso complete the experience. - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider2015 Bernard Magrez Chateau La Tour Carnet Blanc Haut MedocPrice: $45.00 Your Price: $40.50 Quantity in Stock: 1A 2.5 hectares in the Medoc mainly blended with Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris and Semillon. A good amount of ripe exotic fruit, candied pineapple and pink grapefruit jolly rancher candy, very tropical and exotic with pretty floral notes and hints of gravelly mineral notes, really opening up nicely with some time in the glass. Juicy pineapple and ripe melon fruit with that savory grapefruit citrus leaving the tongue salivating for food, that minerality lengthening the finish. Finish 50+ Excellent +All the Chateau Clos Haut Peyraguey on SALE!!2018 Chateau Clos Haut Peyraguey Sauternes 375mlPrice: $31.75 Your Price: $28.58(96 Points) This is silky but with a proper mule kick of acidity on the finish, given layers and depth by gunsmoke. This has great balance - a lemon curd start and lime zest finish. Enjoyable. Drinking Window 2021 - 2048. Decanter2017 Chateau Clos Haut Peyraguey SauternesPrice: $62.50 Your Price: $56.25(95 Points) The 2017 Clos Haut-Peyraguey showed brilliantly and is another stunning Sauternes from this great vintage. White peach, honeycomb, flowers, and plenty of botrytis notes all emerge from the glass, and it’s nicely textured and full-bodied, with a beautiful balance between its fruit and acidity. It’s already delicious yet should evolve for two decades. Jeb Dunnuck2015 Chateau Clos Haut Peyraguey Sauternes 375mlPrice: $43.00 Your Price: $38.70(93 Points) The 2015 Clos Haut Peyraguey is a blend of 95% Semillon and 5% Sauvignon Blanc, cropped at just 14 hectoliters per hectare between September 7 and October 15. It has a perfumed and quite floral bouquet with dried yellow flowers intermixed with dried honey and quince aromas. The palate is very well balanced with pure botrytised fruit, not the most complex Sauternes of the vintage, but tensile with a citrus-fresh, blood orange-tinged finish. Enjoy this over the next 5-25 years. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The feeling of friendship is like that of being comfortably filled with roast beef; love, like being enlivened with champagne.Samuel JohnsonAlthough we have a good selection of all the major champagne labels and one of my favorite statements to make about Champagne today is that "there is no BAD Champagne", there are a lot of great small producers’ wines now available in the U.S. One of the first smaller producers that we began touting in the store was Billecart-Salmon. I remember when Wine Watch was one of the only places in South Florida that you could find this brand!We have hosted a dozen events with our friends at Champagne Billecart Salmon over the years so when I heard that Pierre Chichportiche was in town we immediately put a date on the calendar to host a tasting and this may be the best event we have ever hosted with this prestigious house with nine different wines including the 2008 Clos St Hiliare!The fee for this tasting which includes dinner and gratuity is $395 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Billecart Salmon Champagne Tastingwith Special Guest Pierre ChichporticheFriday, October 23rd7:30 PMNV Billecart Salmon Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Champagne Magnum2013 Billlecart Salmon Blanc de Blanc Cuvee Louis Salmon Brut Champagne NV Billecart Salmon Rose Brut Champagne 2013 Billecart Salmon Cuvee Elisabeth Salmon Rose Brut Champagne NV Billecart Salmon Le Reserve Brut Champagne, France 2012 Billecart Salmon Cuvee Nicolas Francois Billecart Brut Champagne 2015 Billecart Salmon Cuvee Nicolas Francois Billecart Brut Champagne NV Billecart-Salmon Brut Sous Bois Champagne 2008 Billecart Salmon Clos Saint-Hilaire Brut ChampagneMenuShoestring potatoes with lemon gremolataCaramelized Onion Dip with Italian Sturgeon Caviar with House Made Potato CrispsSea Scallop Carpaccio with Candied citrus segments and Lavender AioliChicken Kiev with Champagne Béarnaise SauceStrawberry ShortcakeThe fee for this tasting which includes dinner and gratuity is $395 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any food allergies or dietary restrictions and chefs Toni and Dani will be happy to accommodate you.A bit about Champagne Billecart Salmon:Billecart-Salmon is presently one of France's top Champagne houses - a fact that one would never learn from reading books (where it gets bare mention except in Serena Sutcliffe's new book, Champagne) or from inquiring with wine merchants - many of whom have still not yet heard of it. This Champagne house is one of the great undiscovered properties in France; and this, my friend, is your little secret!...a least for the present. Billecart-Salmon has found a following in the United States among serious wine connoisseurs, and its Champagnes have been lavishly praised in the pages of respected wine publications such as The Underground Wine Journal and The Wine Advocate. The editor of the latter, Robert Parker, in his book Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide says: "One cannot say too many good things about this small house that produces wonderfully light, elegant yet flavorful champagnes. In every one of my tastings, Billecart has shown exceptionally well." We might add that this Champagne is a selection of the inimitable Robert Chadderdon of New York, a broker and importer. Chadderdon's fastidious reputation and obsession for quality is so renowned that a consumer may regard any wine labeled a "Robert Chadderdon Selection" as being accompanied by an ironclad guarantee of authenticity and quality.Although the Billecarts resided in Champagne from the 16th century, it was not until 1818 that Nicolas-François of that family entered the Champagne business. The Salmon part of the name came from Francis' wife, the former Elizabeth Salmon. Within several years the firm gained an excellent reputation, and growth was very rapid. However, financial ineptness in the 1830's led to a decline in the business which the succeeding generations of the family were not able to correct. Charles Roland-Billecart assumed control of the firm in 1917 at what could not have been a worse time. The business was near financial ruin, World War I was being conducted in their very vineyards, and shortly after the war the world market for Champagne literally collapsed as the new Soviet Republic banned it as "bourgeois" and the nations of Western Europe were mired in the aftermath of the most devastating conflict mankind had ever known. Nevertheless, Charles steadily increased the fortunes of the firm and made a crucial and, no doubt, emotionally painful decision in 1926 to sell the family vineyards in order to achieve further growth and put Billecart-Salmon on a solid financial footing. In retrospect it turned out to be a wise decision, and today Billecart-Salmon enjoys the success it once knew in its earliest days.The fact that Billecart-Salmon is able to produce exceptional Champagne while relying on the favor of independent growers (the firm owns only a few vines of Pinot Noir at Mareuil-sur-Aÿ) is a tribute to the firm's commitment to quality and the obvious winemaking skills practiced there. So hardfast is the resolve of Billecart-Salmon to produce only the best that they cut their production in half from 1978 to 1982. The harvests of 1978, 1980, and 1982 were lean years; and Billecart-Salmon did not want to gamble on purchasing grapes from new suppliers with whom they were unfamiliar, so production was cut back from 600,000 bottles to 300,000 bottles. Production in 1986 was back up to 450,000 bottles with nearly half exported and the United States at the top of that list. The firm buys cuvées from as many as twenty-five different growths and performs the complex task of blending to achieve a delicate, fragrant house style that is loaded with flavor. The high percentage of black grapes in their cuvées belies the extraordinary lightness and delicacy for which Billecart-Salmon is noted. We have sometimes mistaken their wines for those of Taittinger - a firm which employs a heavy percentage of white grapes in their cuvées. Because there is a great deal of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier in Billecart blends, the wines have a great depth of flavor and are also capable of longevity. Besides the non-vintage Brut, Billecart-Salmon is noted for its exquisite vintage-dated Blanc de Blancs (it is made from 100% Chardonnay and vineyards rated 99 to 100%). Billecart Salmon's tour de force, however, is the extraordinary non-vintage Rosé. We believe that this salmon-colored beauty is one of France's two or three best Rosé Champagnes. Rosé represents ten percent of Billecart's total production - an unusually high percentage for a Champagne house (although we believe that increasingly higher percentages are the future trend). Billecart-Salmon describes their special pink Champagne as the "blanc de blancs of rosés" - a perfect description of the Billecart style. All the Champagne from Billecart Salmon in the store on SALE!!NV Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve Champagne 15 Liter NebuchadnezzarPrice: $2781.00 Your Price: $2502.90NV Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve Champagne 6 LiterPrice: $1500.00 Your Price: $1350.00NV Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve Champagne 3 literPrice: $390.00 Your Price: $351.00NV Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve Champagne MagnumPrice: $151.50 Your Price: $136.35NV Billecart Salmon Le Reserve Brut ChampagnePrice: $73.25 Your Price: $65.93 Quantity in Stock: 16NV Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve Champagne 375mlPrice: $46.25 Your Price: $41.63 Quantity in Stock: 9The Brut Réserve is a light, fine and harmonious champagne. It is made up of a blend of 40% Pinot Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay from three different years and sourced from the best sites in the Champagne region.Reflections of straw yellow, fine slowly rising bubbles and persistent mousse. Intense with radiant freshness. Floral notes with fresh fruits highlighted by light biscuit aromas. Pure with delicate texture, fresh apple and crunchy pears.The ideal partner for every occasion. It is perfect as an aperitif and can be enjoyed with a wide variety of dishes.NV Champagne Billecart Salmon Blanc de Blancs GRAND CRU MAGNUMPrice: $220.50 Your Price: $198.45This Chardonnay cuvee has been elaborated from the five grand cru vineyards of the Cote des Blancs: Avise, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger. It is a blend of two different years revealing the qualities of the Chardonnay grape. It has a lovely gold color and a fine mousse of delicate bubbles accompanied by aromas of almonds, pears and apples. On the palate this wine has power and complexity with a fresh and elegant finish.2013 Billecart Salmon Blanc de Blanc Cuvee Louis Salmon Brut ChampagnePrice: $236.50 Your Price: $212.85 Quantity in Stock: 5(97 Points) The 2013 Brut Blancs de Blancs Louis Salmon is an exceptional follow-up to the 2012. Naturally, the 2013 offers a bit more tension, cut and drive, all signatures of this late-ripening vintage. Chalk, slate, crushed rocks, citrus confit and hazelnut all race across the palate as the 2013 sizzles with tension from start to finish. This is still a baby. Give it time. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. Disgorged: January 2024. (AG) Vinous, Reviewed April 20252012 Billecart Salmon Blanc de Blanc Cuvee Louise Brut Champagne 3 LiterPrice: $1050.00 Your Price: $945.002012 Billecart Salmon Cuvee Louis Salmon Blanc de Blancs Champagne Magnum 1.5 LiterPrice: $605.00 Your Price: $544.50(94 Points) Fresh and appealing, with a refined, lively mousse and good cut to the focused flavors of poached apricot and lemon pound cake that show accents of pickled ginger, vanilla and pastry cream. Long and harmonious, with a well-spiced finish. -Wine Spectator2012 Billecart Salmon Cuvee Nicolas Francois Brut Champagne 3 LiterPrice: $1125.00 Your Price: $1012.502012 Billecart Salmon Cuvee Nicolas Francois Billecart Brut ChampagnePrice: $261.75 Your Price: $235.58 Quantity in Stock: 5This exceptional cuvée was created in 1964 as a tribute to the House's founder. It results from the blending of grands crus from the classified Côte des Blancs vineyards (Chardonnay) and the Montage de Reims (Pinot Noir). Its vinification, partially in traditional casks, underpins the generous character of this fine, elegant and rich wine. The perfect blend of grands crus from which it was made gives it a lovely freshness on the palate, developing a wide range of aromas2008 Billecart Salmon Cuvee Nicolas Francois Brut Champagne Magnum 1.5 LiterPrice: $555.00 Your Price: $499.50(97 Points) A blend of fruit from mainly Grand Cru vineyards, this beautiful Champagne is now fully mature. With toasty characters, touches of fresher fruit and taut acidity, the wine has a little spice from wood fermentation. It is a great Champagne ready to drink. Wine Enthusiast1998 Billecart Salmon Cuvee Nicolas Francois Brut Champagne 3 LiterPrice: $1269.50 Your Price: $1142.551998 Billecart Salmon Cuvee Nicolas Francois Brut Champagne MagnumPrice: $936.00 Your Price: $842.40This exceptional cuvee was created in 1964 as a tribute to the House's founder. It results from the blending of grands crus from the classified Côte des Blancs vineyards (Chardonnay) and the Montage de Reims (Pinot Noir). Its vinification, partially in tradtional casks, underpins the generous character of this fine, elegant and rich wine. The perfect blend of grands crus from which it was made gives it a lovely freshness on the palate, developing a wide range of aromas. Served at cellar temperature, this vintage will enhance the flavour of poultry or white meats. Packaged in an attractive silver presentation box this is an excellent gift idea for those who love first-class champagne.NV Billecart Salmon Rose Brut Champagne 3 LiterPrice: $698.00 Your Price: $628.20 Quantity in Stock: 1NV Billecart Salmon Rose Brut Champagne MAGNUMPrice: $259.50 Your Price: $233.55 Quantity in Stock: 1NV Billecart Salmon Rose Brut ChampagnePrice: $102.00 Your Price: $91.80(93 points) Pale yet intense pink in color the Billecart-Salmon NV Brut Rosé is pure, fresh and intense on the nose, with lovely raspberry aromas, refreshing citrus zest flavors and great definition. On the palate this is a pure, light and vinous rosé with great finesse and a long, well-structured and even juicy finish. This iconic rosé blends 40% Chardonnay with 30% Pinot Meunier from the Vallée de la Marne and the southern slopes of Epernay and 30% Pinot Noir (with a small part added as red wine) from the Montagne de Reims and the Grande Vallée de la Marne. Fabulous. Tasted from lot L 142B804 45564, which is based on the 2015 harvest and 40% reserve wines and was disgorged in February 2018. (SR) (12/2018) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate2015 Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose Vintage, Champagne, France MagnumPrice: $306.00 Your Price: $275.402015 Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose Vintage, Champagne, FrancePrice: $143.25 Your Price: $128.93 Quantity in Stock: 10A beautiful coppery pink hue with delicate salmon reflections. An intense aromatic burst of redcurrant and cherry in syrup, with hints of candied mandarin, coffee, and almond calisson, followed by refreshing notes of menthol and a touch of spice. A vibrant and juicy attack, unfolding with hints of pomelo and peach, stretching into mandarin juice notes that linger. The finish lifts with whispers of ginger, toasted almonds, and a touch of Sichuan pepper.2012 Billecart Salmon Cuvee Elisabeth Salmon Brut Rose 3 LiterPrice: $1072.50 Your Price: $965.252012 Billecart Salmon Cuvee Elisabeth Salmon Rose Brut Champagne Magnum 1.5 LiterPrice: $675.00 Your Price: $607.50 Quantity in Stock: 2(95 Points) Sleek and elegant, with a seamless knit, this is finely textured, with the raw silk–like mousse carrying flavors of peach skin, white cherry and toast point that show hints of white blossoms, pickled ginger and oyster shell through the lasting finish. Wine Spectator2009 Billecart Salmon Brut Champagne Le Clos St HilairePrice: $670.50 Your Price: $603.45(95 Points) Sourced from a walled 0.97-hectare vineyard planted in 1964 and vinified entirely in oak, the 2009 Le Clos Saint-Hilaire remains true to its lineage, offering maturity and richness—more so than most other parcels in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. Released ahead of the 2008 vintage and disgorged in January 2024 with a dosage of two grams per liter, it unfurls from the glass with a deep, concentrated bouquet of ripe orchard fruits, dried apricot, toasted nuts and exotic spices mingling with orange zest. On the palate, it is full-bodied and concentrated, textural and multidimensional, exuding richness and a more muscular personality than any other wine in Billecart’s portfolio. Underpinned by succulent yet racy acidity—enhanced by blocked malolactic fermentation—it concludes with a long finish. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate2007 Billecart Salmon Brut Champagne le Clos St HilairePrice: $695.00 Your Price: $625.50 Quantity in Stock: 2(95 Points) Disgorged in May 2023 with a dosage of two grams per liter, Billecart-Salmon’s 2007 Le Clos Saint-Hilaire continues to perform admirably. It unfurls in the glass with an expressive bouquet of pear, mirabelle plum and cherry, mingled with notes of lemon oil and a subtle accent of timut pepper. Medium- to full-bodied, elegantly muscular and vinous, the wine is both concentrated and ample, underpinned by incisive acidity. The palate culminates in a long, citrus-inflected finish that underscores the cuvée’s non-malolactic style. One should anticipate a profile more tightly knit than that of the warmer-vintage 2006 and 2009. As ever, it is sourced from a walled 0.97-hectare vineyard in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ that was planted in 1964, and it was vinified entirely in oak. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate2005 Billecart Salmon Brut Champagne Le Clos St HilairePrice: $600.00 Your Price: $540.00This unique Blanc de Noirs cuvée bears the name of the Patron Saint of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. This Clos of one hectare meets strict standards: a single, unbroken and enclosed plot with a complete vinification installation in situ. This single varietal of incredible typicity has all the qualities of an exceptional wine of great depth and singularity, to be kept for long-term aging.NV Billecart-Salmon Brut Sous Bois Champagne MagnumPrice: $247.50 Your Price: $222.75NV Billecart-Salmon Brut Sous Bois ChampagnePrice: $117.00 Your Price: $105.30(95 points) Fermented and aged briefly in wood, this is dry, intense and toasty while still giving space for white fruits and some citrus. Richly endowed, spicy, and tangy, its structure and tight texture mark it out as a Champagne for long-term aging. The aftertaste is brisk, packed with acidity and with reminiscences of the oak-aging in the vanilla finish. (RV) (12/2016) Wine EnthusiastNV Champagne Billecart Salmon Demi SecPrice: $69.75 Your Price: $62.78The Demi-Sec has an identical blend to the Brut Réserve. It maintains the same finesse and elegance as this cuvée but with a greater dosage.