Impromptu Wine Tasting

 

 

1-Champagne Lallier Reflexion R.021 Brut Champagne France
Wine Enthusiast 92 Rating
$39.99 bottle and by the six pack $31.00 bottle
The nose is refined with orchard and citrus fruits intertwined with salty brioche. Effortless on the palate, it offers a lingering palate of patisserie, a touch of lemon curd and soft berries, finishing on a salt and stone. Elegant and approachable, it is delightful on its own right now.

 

2-Sentium 2023 Sauvignon Blanc Mendocino County
Decanter Magazine 96 Rating
$39.99 bottle and by the six pack $30.00 bottle
The 2023 release totals approximately 188 cases. This vintage delivers beautifully luscious fruit, marked by lemon-leaf pithiness and notes of crushed Marcona almonds. There’s excellent tension and grip here, with the wine showing its hallmark medium-bodied richness and silky, satiny fruit character. Laced with vibrant acid tension, it finishes long with flinty minerality, a kiss of tarragon, and a lingering saline edge. Chiara Mondavi set out to find older, organically farmed vines cared for by family growers. Her search led her to Mendocino’s Redwood Valley, where vineyards planted between the 1940s and 1970s provided the perfect fit for her vision of crafting textured, age worthy Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.

 

3-Donum 2022 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Sonoma California
Wine Enthusiast 93 Rating
$39.99 and by the six pack $35.00 bottle
The nose of this Pinot gives dusty black cherry, shiitake and cola spice aromas, while the palate has a dark, brooding intensity with flavors of Bing cherry, black plum, dark cocoa powder and sandalwood in a powerfully structured framework. Drink this with roasted duck or squab or quail.

 

4-Domaine La Barroche 2021 Julien Barrot Chateauneuf du Pape Southern Rhone Valley France
Wine Enthusiast 94 Rating
$59.99 bottle and by the six pack $53.00 bottle
The nose unveils a deep bouquet of rose intertwined with earthy dried Provençal herbs. On the palate, this wine exudes elegance, precision and remarkable freshness. Its rich dark fruit profile is seamlessly supported by firm yet refined tannins, creating an experience that is both intense and ethereal. Captivating and elegantly refined, it invites you to savor the next sip.

 

5-Castello di Bolgheri 2023 Varvara Red Blend Bolgheri Tuscany Italy
Wine Advocate 94 Rating
$59.99 bottle and by the six pack $45.00 bottle
In the bottle with the black label, the Castello di Bolgheri 2023 Bolgheri Rosso Varvàra, a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, offers generous, softly delivered intensity. The vintage feels well measured between dark fruit depth and sweet spice, the two elements working together to build volume, power and phenolic richness without sacrificing approachability.

 

6-Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild & Vega Sicilia 2021 Macan Clasico
Jeb Dunnuck 97 Rating
$69.99 bottle and by the six pack $60.00 bottle
From the sister property of Vega Sicilia in Rioja, a partnership between the Alvarez and Rothschild families, the 2021 Macan Clasico has unrelenting freshness and is gorgeously aromatic. The vintage conditions were perfect and the wines able to achieve exceptional quality. Here, the Tempranillo is joined by 3% Garnacha, which provides additional brightness to juicy layers of red berry, cigar, and dried herb, with a foundation of supple tannins. Medium-bodied, the oak is well-integrated, interweaving the lilting spice and toast notes from a combination of French and American barrels that aged the wine for 14-16 months. With a long, silky, and finessed finish, it’s drinking perfectly now. Continue to enjoy over the next 10-15 years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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