Decanter Magazine (DM)

Tasting Notes: This Cabernet Sauvignon truly expresses its Rutherford AVA sourcing with tremendous saturation of color, aromas and flavors. The nose is ripe with fresh dark blackberry, black cherry and cassis notes alongside nuances of floral violet and sweet oak spices. On the palate, there are darker fruit notes supported by hints of dark chocolate and anise seed. The structured “Rutherford dust” tannins are fine grained and more rustic in style for this vintage, showcasing the signature...

VINEYARDS: A classic blend of mountain and valley fruit yields both structure and richness. The tufa-rich Bancroft Ranch and volcanic Steinhauer Ranch vineyards atop Howell Mountain provide the foundation (62%) for the 2015 blend. A significant portion also comes from the iron-rich Home and Chabot vineyards (28%) in the St. Helena AVA. Spring Mountain’s Marston Ranch and Mt. Veeder’s Derr Family vineyards (10%) round out the final blend. Harvest occurred between September 10th and October...

Winemaking Notes: A gorgeous bouquet of violets, rose petals and fresh currant on the nose. e wine is quite lush and round on the attack, featuring lovely blackberry and boysenberry jam, with hints of mocha, toffee and Saigon cinnamon. Our 2014 is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon and rounded out with 10% Cabernet Franc, 7 % Malbec and 6% Petit Verdot all from our rugged, picturesque Brandlin Estate Vineyard on Mount Veeder. - Steve Rogstad Blend: 77% Cabernet Sauvignon10% Cabernet Franc7% Malbec6%...

Description: Grown on sunny slopes and harvested at the peak of ripeness, Syrah and Grenache grapes give the wine its deep ruby color. Extraordinary care during extraction accounts for its unctuous quality and rich mix of sunbaked black fruits. Astute élevage (aging, fining, filtering, and blending) yields a round wine with soft ripe tannins and long finishes. Estate: The Les Dauphins brand is inspired by the early 1920s, a time when Paris was enjoying a glorious period of post-war decadence...

Grape varieties: 75% Merlot 24% Cabernet-Franc 1% Cabernet-Sauvignon Average age of the vines: 38 years old Terroir: Siliceous-clay over iron deposits and ancient sands over clay Number of vines planted: Between 6 000 and 8 000 / hectare Vine growing methods: ploughing or a grass cover crop without any use of weedkillers. From 1996 the vines were grown according to integrated and sustainable farming principles (with AFAQAFNOR certification since 2005) as part of a sustainable economy approach...

Product information:Perched at 1,312 feet, Bricco delle Viole overlooks the rolling landscape of Barolo. The altitude and the white calcareous marl soils force the vines to struggle – this in combination with the long growing season, produces wines of complexity and elegance. Fruit harvested from the oldest vines in the parcel was fermented for 30-40 days before aging in large Slavonian oak casks for 42-48 months.Elegant and subtle notes of orange, violet and dark berries precede a richly...

Vintage Notes: Following a relatively warm winter, the 2015 growing season at Inglenook began early, staying 14 to 21 days ahead of average from budbreak to harvest. Variable weather during flowering in May, and limited precipitation for the fourth consecutive year, led to relatively low yields. Merlot, the first Bordeaux varietal to reach maturity, was picked on August 22nd, followed nine days later by the first lot of Cabernet Sauvignon. The dry, warm weather during September resulted in...

BACKGROUND:Icon is the flagship of Nobilo Wines, one of New Zealand’s pioneer estates, established by the Nobilo family in 1943.From Five Special Vineyards:We sourced the fruit for this wine from some of Nobilo’s finest Sauvignon Blanc vineyards located throughout the Marlborough growing region.Pickering – Central WairauJones – RapauraTrueman – Upper WairauHay – WaihopaiCastle Cliffs – AwatereThe Awatere vineyards provide flinty minerality and herbal notes, while our Wairau vineyards produce a...

VINTAGE 2010: The 2010 vintage will be long remembered as a uniquely demanding year. Mother Nature was capricious and challenging in presenting us with tremendous variability – unseasonably cold days, untimely rain fall, and surprisingly sunny and hot days. While colder than normal, the leaves were able to produce the needed sugar, while the grape berries developed lovely and complex flavor and aroma components. Bud break and flowering were eight days later than the 5-year average....

In 1844, Christopher Rawson Penfold planted vines on the slopes of Magill to produce fortified wines. Now the historic bluestone cellars are home to a tradition of fortified winemaking dating back over 150 years. In 1915, an oak cask containing a blend of the finest tawnies was set aside for the exclusive use of the Penfold family. This became known as 'The Grandfather' due to the great age of the oldest tawnies in the blend. Penfolds Grandfather Rare Tawny, a blend of the finest old tawnies...

ESTATE: Today, Luce goes so much further than was originally envisioned when started as a project over 20 years ago. The estate now has some of the most exceptional vineyards in Montalcino and, as of 2018, a state of the art winery to nurture every step of the winemaking process. The original vision, however, remains the same: to produce a bold and ambitious Super Tuscan that reflects the culture of Montalcino. WINE: Luce is a singular and irresistible expression of Montalcino, a Super Tuscan...

TASTING NOTES:Intense, concentrated and deep ruby-colored, this wine offers elegant, complex aromas of red fruit. In the mouth it is rich and dense, yet harmonious, with sweet, balanced tannins. The wine has a long finish with a depth and structure that ensure its extraordinary longevity.REGION: Italy / Tuscany / BolgheriSassicaia means “the place of many stones,” and refers to the region’s gravel soil. The original vineyards have a southwest exposure with extensive sun and maritime breezes...