New Shipment from DeMuller Vermouths!

Earlier this month, we received a shipment from Spain that included DeMuller Vermouths, an award-winner producer in Catalonia. Flavored with a secret recipe that includes over 150 botanicals, these fortified wines can be enjoyed neat, over ice, or in cocktails. 

DeMuller Vermouths have been made using the same recipe since their founding, almost 70 years ago. Over 150 botanicals are used, many of which are native to the winery’s Mediterranean setting. Today, their winemaker is Gemma Martinez. 

The winery is located in Reus, near the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in Catalonia. Reus is considered the epicenter of Spanish vermouth and DeMuller is historically regarded as one of the top producers in the area. Their wines are made with a base of white wine, infused with 150 botanicals. Highly guarded, the recipe includes cinnamon, orange peel, chamomile, rosemary, ginger, oregano & vanilla. The wine is then fortified with Melazas, a liquor made from molasses, and lightly sweetened.

While delicious in a mixed drink, DeMuller Vermouths are traditionally enjoyed neat, on ice or with soda. Depending on the type of wine, they are customarily served either with an orange slice, lemon twist or olive for garnish.

Price Reduction for Marchiori and Barraud Cuartel Dos!

We recently received a container from Argentina that included the 2017 Marchiori and Barraud’s “Cuartel Dos”, a small production Malbec that has been praised by critics and received scores in the 90s on multiple occasions. Because it is grown on vines that are over 50 years old, the wine’s terroir is seamlessly balanced. Only 200 cases were made of this renowned wine, but its price has now dropped by 25%!

Driven by sweet, jammy aromas of blueberry and cassis, the Cuartel Dos has a rich, plump, and soft palate. Its flavors of prune, baked berries and cassis end in a chewy, warm finish that is pleasantly balanced.

New Vintage from Fernando Dupont

Today we are announcing the release of Pasacana and Punta Corral - two red wine blends from Fernando Dupont that are grown in some of the highest vineyards in the world. At over 8200 ft in Argentina's Jujuy region, the dramatic shift in temperature between day and night yields intense grapes with deep concentration of flavor.

Bodega Dupont winery and vineyards is located at more than 8200 ft altitude in Paraje San Pedrito, at the heart of the Humahuaca Creek, an UNESCO Natural Heritage site.

They are privileged to be the first winery at the foothills of the breathtaking Paleta del Pintor Mountain. The amount of days of sun is amongst the highest in the world, and the high altitude desertic climate provide a large temperature difference between day and night.

Thanks to the scarce rainfall and the long and cool fall season the grapes reach optimum ripeness with high concentration of flavors and aromas while keeping their freshness. The exquisitely pure underground water that we use to irrigate our vineyards provide the right amount of minerals to the austere soils. We proudly apply natural cultivation techniques honoring the ancestral philosophy and respect for the environment and its energy cycles.

PUNTA CORRAL 2016. Jujuy.
Blend: 40% Malbec, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah
Aging: 8 months in French Oak barrels
Vineyard: Maimara Vineyard. 8206 ft in altitude.

PASACANA 2015. Jujuy.
Blend: 70% Malbec, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah
Aging: 18 months in New French Oak
Vineyard: Maimara Vineyard. 8206 ft in altitude.

New Chardonnay from Marchiori & Barraud

It is with great pleasure that we introduce a new wine from Argentina's legendary Gualtallary region. The Marchiori and Barraud Chardonnay provides unique expressions of its vineyard's terroir while classically representing traditional winemaking styles. Known for its freshness and balance, this subregion of the Uco Valley is producing some of the most intriguing wines in Argentina. 

Both Andrea Marchiori and Luis Barraud come from families with long winemaking traditions in Argentina. They met each other while studying winemaking in Mendoza. Together they pursued advanced studies at UC Davis and worked in California before returning to Argentina. 

Their grapes are organically grown and are hand-harvested. In the winery, spontaneous fermentation takes place with native yeasts and no winemaking additives are used. Finally, the wines are very lightly fined or filtered and the final sulfite levels are 50mg/L.

New Vintages from Domaine Philippe Garrey

Today, we are proud to announce the release of Domaine Philippe Garrey's 2017 vintage of Demeter-certified biodynamic Pinot Noir. This 6th generation winemaking family farms vines that are up to 100 years old, ensuring its terroir is equally unique and superb.

Philippe wants his wines to be an honest expression of his family home. Through laborious, attentive work, he achieves this goal, producing aromatic wines of minerality, purity and finesse. For more information, follow the link at the bottom of the page.

Domaine de Bertier Rosé now in stock!

Just in time for the good weather, we are excited to have in stock this gorgeous rose-petal color rosé. Crisp and elegant, it has a lovely freshness with delicate aromas of citrus and forest fruits.

A 50/50 blend of Grenache and Syrah. The vineyards stretch across a line of hills facing south in Beziers, at the foothills of Montblanc. The Estate also has 2 Has of olive groves, an oak forest with bee hives which serve for the pollination of the crops and grazing livestock such as goats, sheep and horses.

100% of the Estate is in Organic Conversion.

New addition to our Portfolio!

Our vineyards are located in the Lima Valley in the North of Portugal, bordering to the north with Galicia, Spain, and to the west with the Atlantic Ocean. Our region is often associated with the green of its landscape. It is a region of deep valleys crossed by clear waters streams and a rugged terrain of enormous beauty and biodiversity. The cooling influence of the Atlantic Ocean and the granitic soils produce elegant wines with delicate aromas and freshness. Winemaker, José Oliveira has been working in the region for more than 20 years.

Lindeza is 100% Loureiro and unoaked.

James Suckling gives 90 Points to Maisulan Rioja Alavesa 2016!

Great Reviews from Tim Atkin MW for Las Compuertas Project

2018 Durigutti Proyecto Las Compuertas Criolla Parral 92 Points

2017 Durigutti Proyecto Las Compuertas Malbec 1914 95 Points

2017 Durigutti Proyecto Las Compuertas Malbec 5 Suelos 95 Points

2018 Durigutti Proyecto Las Compuertas Malbec 5 Suelos 95 Points

2018 Durigutti Proyecto Las Compuertas Cabernet Franc 94 Points

2018 Durigutti Proyecto Las Compuertas Charbono 91 Points

Introducing Atla and Beccaris from Veneto

We are very pleased to introduce Atla and Beccaris - two Italian wineries in the Veneto. Both wineries prioritize sustainable winemaking and are uniquely-concentrated expressions of the region's terroir.

View from the winery

ATLA

The Atla vineyards are located on the hills surrounding Castelnuovo di Garda, a few kilometers south-east of Garda Lake. They are located on the edge of the Dolomites, where ancient glaciers formed the beautiful alpine region. The particularly mild micro-climate allows the growth of some Mediterranean climate plants like vines, olive trees or even citrus, which are extremely rare at this latitude (46° North).

At Atla, they have embraced the principles of sustainability in the management of their vineyards. Spontaneous grassing is used in all vineyards, allowing the creation of a habitat rich in biodiversity of both plants and animals; techniques such as the alternate mowing of the rows allow the development of wildlife in the vineyard.

BECCARIS

The Beccaris vineyards are located on the hills surrounding Custoza, a few kilometers south-east of Garda Lake. Similar to Atla, they are located on the edge of the Dolomites, where ancient glaciers eroded and formed the region.

The morainic landscape that characterizes the region is marked by a dense series of hills formed by deposits left by the glaciers that formed the nearby Lake Garda, interspersed with large gravel plains. The particularly mild micro-climate allows the growth of some Mediterranean climate crops like vines, olive trees or even citrus, which are extremely rare at this latitude (46° North).

Happy Halloween!

Ennak the cat says: Happy Hallowine to all!

Ennak hails from Celler Jordi Miro in Terra Alta, Spain.

Introducing the Rufete Grape

Today's spotlight is on Vinas del Cambrico. This winery in Salamanca has worked hard to revive abandoned vineyards, some of them > 100 years old, planted with the native Rufete grape. The vines are all organic and dry farmed. Because of the terrain, all the work is manual. Cheers to Vinas Del Cambrico for all your hard work! Enjoy their video!

www.cambrico.com

L'Arpenty Chinon 2016 gets 90-94 Points from Decanter and a "Highly Recommended" Review!

Marchiori & Barraud receives 90 Points From Wine Enthusiast!

We are so pleased to announce that Michael Schachner from Wine Enthusiast Magazine has given our Marchiori & Barraud Cabernet Sauvignon 90 points.

...deep palate that’s loaded with...wild berry and plum flavors...

Andrea Marchiori and Luis Barraud come from families with long winemaking traditions in Argentina. Together they make a small amount of wine in pursuit of expressing the best of the terroir for each varietal. Their grapes are organically grown and hand harvested. In the winery, spontaneous fermentation takes place with native yeasts and no winemaking additives are used. Learn more about their Cabernet Sauvignon here!

FOUR 90 Points & Higher Ratings for Eco Terreno From Wine Advocate!

We are so excited to announce that four wines from Eco Terreno received ratings of 90 or higher in the June issue of Wine Advocate:

 

Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vine Lyon Vineyard 2016 - 91 points

Chardonnay 2016 - 90 points

Red Blend Los Cuatro Lyon Vineyard 2016 - 90+ points

Cabernet Sauvignon Artisanal Selections 2015 - 90 points

Eco Terreno is a certified biodynamic estate winery laid out on the rolling hills of the Alexander Valley in Sonoma. The winery staunchly believes that to become successful farmers and winemakers, they must first create a healthy native ecosystem for their vineyards.

Owner and winemaker, Mark Lyon received great acclaim during his 37 year tenure at Sebastiani. This legacy includes three wines that were made in part or entirely from grapes grown at the Eco Terreno Estate and rated 95-98+ points by Wine Advocate. 

More Love for Las Compuertas Project!

We are so happy to announce that in the June 2018 edition of Wine Advocate, our Las Compuertas Project 'Malbec 5 Suelos' 2016 received 91 points! 

“...floral, expressive and aromatic, fruit-driven and juicy, with pure Malbec fruit.”

— 91 points, Luis Gutiérrez - Wine Advocate

'Proyecto las Compuertas' (The Compuertas Project) began in 2007, when brothers Pablo and Hector Durigutti purchased 5 Ha of old vine Malbec in Las Compuertas, Mendoza, steps from their winery. At the outset of The Compuertas Project, Pablo and Hector had a precise analysis done of their vineyards, identifying 5 distinct soil types. They have carefully adjusted their care of the vines accordingly, coaxing the best grapes out of the 104 year old vines. Their 'Malbec 5 Suelos' is made from the grapes of each parcel being vinified separately in concrete eggs with native yeasts, before a final cut is made. You can learn more about 'Malbec 5 Suelos' and all of the Las Compuertas Project wines here.

91 Points to Mehofer's Organic "Alter Weingarten" Gemischter Satz!

We are very pleased that Wine Enthusiast will give Mehofer's "Alter Weingarten" Gemischter Satz 91 points in their upcoming September issue. 

The Mehofer family has lived and worked on their estate for 10 generations, over 300 years. In 1992, they became one of the first wineries in the area to convert to organic farming methods.

'Gemischter Satz' is a traditional style of wine, made with a blend of at least 3 varietals of white grape varieties, planted and vinified together. Vigneron Andreas Mehofer includes 8 varietals in his 'Alter Wiengarten'. The vines are dry farmed, grapes are hand harvested. Fermentation occurs with native yeasts and the winemaking process is entirely vegan. 

Tim Atkin Loves Our Argentinians!

We are very pleased to announce that Tim Atkin has given high marks to wines from Las Compuertas Project and Marchiori & Barraud in his May 2018 Argentina Report. Las Compuertas Project's Malbec 5 Suelos 2016 and Cordisco 2017 were awarded 95 and 92 points, respectively, while Marchiori & Barraud's Malbec "Cuartel Dos" 2015 and Malbec 2016 received 95 and 91 points. 

las compuertas project

MALBEC 5 SUELOS - 95 POINTS

5 separate parcels of centennial vines are cared for based on their soil type as identified by extensive testing and vinified separately in cement eggs before a final cut is made. 

CORDISCO 2017 - 92 POINTS

First Mendoza wine made from this varietal native to Abruzzo (Italy). Fermented in cement eggs with native yeasts.

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Marchiori & Barraud

MALBEC 2016 - 95 POINTS

MALBEC 'CUARTEL 2' 2015 - 91 POINTS

Andrea Marchiori & Luis Barraud come from families with long winemaking traditions in Argentina. Their grapes are grown organically and hand harvested. In the winery, spontaneous fermentation takes place with native yeasts and no winemaking additives are used. 

W&S Gives Anella Crianza 2014 92 Points!

This month, our Anella Crianza 2014 from Ribera del Duero received 92 points from Wine & Spirits Magazine! 

“It’s a vibrant crianza wine, focused on refreshing red-fruit flavors...that throbs with energy...radiant and fresh...”

— Wine & Spirits Magazine

Anella is a family owned winery located in Fuentelcesped at 2,800 feet altitude. Their limestone rich soils provide excellent growing conditions for their Tempranillo vines, 30% of which are old vines, including some ungrafted pre-phylloxera plots (the oldest is from 1865). The winery practices biodynamic farming, the grapes are hand-harvested and fermentation takes place with native yeasts. Learn more about Anella here.

More Love for Marchiori & Barraud - 90 Points From Wine Enthusiast!

We are so pleased to announce that Michael Schachner from Wine Enthusiast Magazine has given our Marchiori & Barraud Cabernet Sauvignon 90 points. 

“...deep palate that’s loaded with...wild berry and plum flavors...”

Andrea Marchiori and Luis Barraud come from families with long winemaking traditions in Argentina. Together they make a small amount of wine in pursuit of expressing the best of the terroir for each varietal. Their grapes are organically grown and hand harvested. In the winery, spontaneous fermentation takes place with native yeasts and no winemaking additives are used. Learn more about their Cabernet Sauvignon here!