Search results for "joseph phelps cabernet sauvignon"

Winemaker Notes The grapes for this vintage were magnificent and fermentation took place quickly. The wines immediately showed plenty of color and a complete array of very intense aromas ranging from red and black fruit to spice and incense.The tannins are generally very well-rounded, dense and seamlessly smooth. After blending, the wines still have the same aromatic intensity and complex, full-bodied structures which barrel-maturing should further enhance. About Winery Chateau Mouton Rothschild, a Premier Cru Classé from the Bordeaux region and one of the world's greatest wines, is owned by Baroness Philippine de Rothschild. The estate includes 205 acres of vines at Pauillac planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (77%), Merlot (11%), Cabernet Franc (10%) and Petit Verdot (2%). In 1853, Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild bought Chateau Brane-Mouton. In 1922, his great-grandson Baron Philippe de Rothschild (1902-1988) decided to take the future of the estate into his own hands. His 65 years at Mouton bear witness to the strength of his personality, his spirit of enterprise and his sense of innovation. In 1922, he was the first to introduce chateau bottling. In 1926, he built the famous Grand Chai, the majestic 100-meter first year cellar, which has become a major attraction for visitors to Mouton. 1945 marked the start of a fascinating collection of works of art, created every year for the Mouton label by famous painters. In 1973, after a twenty-year battle, Baron Philippe obtained a revision of the 1855 classification and Mouton was officially recognized as a First Growth. In 1988, Baroness Philippine de Rothschild succeeded her father Baron Philippe. She has become the guarantor of the quality of an illustrious wine whose motto proudly proclaims, "First I am, second I was, I Mouton do not change."

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2018 | WE 97 This dark garnet-colored wine has a nose of black currant, raspberry and milk chocolate. Deep fruit flavors of cassis and dark plums fill the mouth, joined by notes of cocoa powder, tobacco leaf and espresso bean. Fleecy tannins dissipate into a lingering, fruit-filled finish. Drink now   About Winery Vega Sicilia is one of Spain’s most iconic and prestigious wineries, with a rich history dating back to 1864. Here's a brief overview: Founded by Don Eloy Lecanda y Chaves, a Spanish winemaker trained in Bordeaux, who brought with him French grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. He planted these alongside the native Tempranillo (then called Tinto del País) in the Ribera del Duero region. The winery gained fame in the 20th century for producing some of Spain’s most celebrated wines, especially its flagship wine, Único, known for its complexity and extraordinary aging potential. In 1982, the Álvarez family acquired Vega Sicilia, marking a new era of modernization and expansion. Under Pablo Álvarez’s leadership, the winery has maintained its legendary status while also expanding into other regions like Toro (with Pintia) and Rioja. Despite its name, Vega Sicilia has no connection to the island of Sicily. “Vega” refers to fertile river plains, and “Sicilia” is believed to reference Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music.  

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2020 | V 94 The 2020 Chardonnay (Napa Valley) is exquisite. That's all there is to it. Creamy and rich, yet not at all heavy, the Napa Valley Chardonnay is perhaps a bit understated, but also avoids the edginess of so many other wines in this vintage. Orchard fruit, mint, lemon confit and tangerine oil open first. Pretty floral and tropical accents grace the finish in this classy, polished Chardonnay from John and Alex Kongsgaard.  2021 | V 97 The 2021 Chardonnay (Napa Valley) is stellar. Wonderfully refined and airy, the 2021 impresses with its total harmony. It is especially elegant. Whether that is due to the vintage, a tendency to pick on the earlier side these days, or the combination of sites, the 2021 is magnificent, if a bit less showy than it used to be. (AG) 2022 | V 93 The 2022 Chardonnay (Napa Valley) is typically a blend of Hyde, Hudson, Arcadia and a few others. In 2022, Hudson was not in the blend. Dried lemon peel, tangerine oil, hazelnut and chamomile unfurl in the glass. The drought conditions of the year produced a wine of considerable intensity. Its weight and viscous intensity make it a sort of mini-Judge. The 2022 is very dense and phenolic.  2023 | V 96 The 2023 Chardonnay (Napa Valley) is a total stunner. Lemon confit, white flowers, tangerine peel, baked apple tart and lightly honeyed notes fill out the layers effortlessly. This large-scale, layered Chardonnay is exceptionally elegant and polished. Readers will find a Chardonnay of tremendous textural breadth and pedigree.   Winemaker Notes The 2021 Kongsgaard Chardonnay is described as a stellar, refined, and elegant wine. It showcases a harmonious blend of citrus and honeyed aromas with a vibrant, saline, and mineral finish. The wine exhibits a full-bodied and creamy texture with a long, lingering finish, featuring notes of lemon oil and wet stone. It is characterized by a bright acidity that balances the rich fruit flavors.  Kongsgaard Winery Kongsgaard Winery is a boutique, family-owned winery located in the heart of Napa Valley, California. Known for producing small amounts of highly acclaimed, world-class wines, the winery has gained a reputation for its exceptional Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignon, which reflect the rich terroir of Napa Valley.

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Winemaker Notes The 2014 Paloma Merlot from Spring Mountain features a deep ruby color and a youthful nose with aromas of raspberry, red plum, currants, coffee, and anise. It offers a lush, silky mouthfeel with a solid backbone of fruit from its mountain origin, balanced by long, sweet, fine-grained tannins and a velvety finish. The 100% varietal Merlot is an age-worthy wine that would pair well with dishes like rack of lamb, boeuf bourguignon, or herb-crusted poultry.  About Winery Paloma Vineyard was founded in 1983 by Jim and Barbara Richards, who purchased land on Napa Valley's Spring Mountain and planted Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. They initially sold their grapes but began making their own wine on-site in 2000 after building a winery. Now, their son Sheldon Richards and grandson Caston Richards carry on the family legacy of estate-grown, hands-on winemaking, with Merlot being the heart of their operation. 

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Winemaker Notes The 2023 Cakebread Two Creeks Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley, Mendocino, California, USA) opens with bright aromas of fresh raspberries, blackberries, dark cherries, violets, and subtle floral notes. On the palate, it is medium-bodied and vibrant, showing flavors of strawberries, black cherries, and crisp red berries layered with hints of spice and sweet toasty oak. Balanced acidity integrates smoothly with silky tannins, giving the wine lift and elegance, while the finish lingers with rounded berry tones and a touch of bramble complexity. About Winery  Cakebread Cellars was founded in 1973 by Jack and Dolores Cakebread in Rutherford, Napa Valley, California. Their journey began when Jack, originally a photographer, visited Napa to shoot images for a wine book and ended up purchasing a small ranch. From those modest beginnings, the family built a winery that quickly gained recognition for its Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, later expanding into Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and other varietals. Over the decades, Cakebread Cellars has grown into one of Napa Valley’s most respected family-owned wineries, known for its commitment to quality, sustainability, and hospitality, with wines now distributed internationally.

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PRE-ORDER About Winery Clos Fourtet is a story of terroir and legacy, a narrative woven through generations of viticulture and winemaking. Its history stretches back to the Middle Ages, when the site was a defensive settlement, and its wines were known as "Camp Fourtet," guarding Saint-Emilion. The estate's reputation grew under the Rulleau and De Carles families, Lords of Figeac, and later the Lurton family, who increased the Merlot ratio and modernized the winery. In 2001, Philippe Cuvelier purchased the property, further investing in its potential and elevating the wines to new heights. Today, Clos Fourtet, managed by the heirs of Vincent Cuvelier, continues to refine its traditional and modern techniques to produce exceptional vintages, embodying the refinement and elegance of Saint-Emilion. 

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Winemaker Notes The small clusters of the 2022 vintage allowed us to make Chardonnays with appealing intensity, balance, and nuance. Our Sonoma Coast Chardonnay showcases three of the top vineyards in the region – Sangiacomo, Durell, and Gap’s Crown – with the goal of creating a cuvée that illustrates the varietal’s exceptional character across the region. We picked and fermented each component of this blend separately and aged them all for 11 months in 30% new French oak barrels. The resulting blend offers compelling new world aromas with fresh acidity and focus, reminiscent of the old world. About Winery Sojourn Cellars was founded in 2001 by two tennis friends, Craig Haserot and Erich Bradley, who shared a passion for great wine and tennis. They started with small bottlings of Cabernet Sauvignon from exceptional vineyard sources. Over the years, Sojourn Cellars has grown into a boutique winery producing highly acclaimed Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Their hands-off winemaking style allows the character of the vineyard sites to shine through in the wines.

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2016 | WA 98 The 2016 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia is a wine of extreme complexity and precision. It offers monumental depth with profound layers of black fruit, coffee, licorice and baking chocolate. I tasted this 2016 vintage beside the less-impactful 2015 vintage (which was reviewed last year). These two editions are very different when compared side to side, and this 2016 release is clearly superior in terms of the quality, clarity and intensity of its offerings. This Ornellaia delivers glossy shine and a polished texture that segues to important richness, concentration and textural fiber. It wraps thickly over the palate, imparting waves of sweet dark fruit and dark spice that linger for many long minutes.  2019 | JS 97 The aromas of blackcurrants, fresh basil and thyme, as well as cedar and sandalwood are so attractive. It’s full-bodied and very linear with tight tannins that draw you down the length of this young wine. Wet-earth and cool-stone undertones. It’s solid and so structured. A classic Ornellaia for the cellar.   About Winery In 1981, Marchese Lodovico Antinori breathed new life into Tenuta dell' Ornellaia, an estate whose potential had been ignored for decades. With the help of Andre Tchelistcheff, the famous agronomist, Antinori planted the first French vines in Bolgheri, which lies in the heart of Tuscany's coastal region, Maremma. The estate yields some of the finest Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc in Tuscany. In 2002, Marchesi de' Frescobaldi and Robert Mondavi became owners of Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, which is now owned exclusively by Marchesi de' Frescobaldi. Ornellaia has established itself among the iconic wine estates in Italy (and beyond). The estate is dedicated to producing charming and opulent wines, full of Mediterranean character and finesse, reflecting the estate’s unique terroir in Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast. The combination of Bolgheri’s unique soils and growing conditions, and what can only be characterized as a total obsession with excellence, result in the world-class wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc that so many wine lovers across the world have come to cherish. Ornellaia employs a full time team of 80 people whose passion and motivation make Ornellaia what it is today. No shortcuts in the part of the production are allowed and the details literally come down to a grape by grape basis. Wines are intently crafted to capture the character of each vintage, in all its complexity and facets. In fact, the character and intricacies of each individual vintage are so important to the estate that since vintage 2006, Winemaker and Estate Director Axel Heinz has identified a single word that captures the character of each vintage, and that word is interpreted by a contemporary artist who produces special labels and a site-specific work of art that remains part of the estate’s permanent collection. In addition to its place among Italy’s iconic wines, Ornellaia is also an ambassador for the Bolgheri region, leading it to be recognized as one of Italy’s greatest winegrowing regions. It is their belief, and it is hard to argue, that Bogheri’s mild maritime climate and diversity of soils create wines as distinct, complex and pleasurable as any in the world.  

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PRE-ORDER About Winery Established as a Second Growth in the 1855 classification, Chateau Montrose enjoys an exceptional geographical situation in Saint-Estèphe, facing the Gironde estuary. Its 95-hectare (235-acre) vineyard thus benefits from the moderating influence of the vast water mass nearby during very hot summers and harsh winters. The vineyard is in a single sweep, a rare and priceless advantage in the region. The soil, consisting of deep gravel over clay, favours natural drainage and ensures that the vines benefit from a slow and regular water supply from the water reserves in the subsoil.An extensive renovation program with very strict environmental objectives has been carried out at the estate since it was acquired by Martin and Olivier Bouygues in 2006, reflecting the new owners’ determination to perpetuate the quality of the wine and make Chateau Montrose a model of skilled winemaking and sustainable development. Under the direction of Hervé Berland since 2012, the estate has 68 employees in the vineyard and winery, all of whom share the same philosophy: respect for the terroir and a constant quest for excellence. That philosophy is manifested in meticulous vineyard practices, very precise parcel selection and use of only the best grapes to make the premium wine, Chateau Montrose.

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Winemaker Notes Our 2016 bottling of the Gap’s Crown Vineyard Pinot noir continues to affirm this vineyard as one of the brightest stars in California. After the 2014’s #35 ranking on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 wines of 2016, and the 2015’s 95-point score from Robert Parker, the 2016 follows strongly with robust flavors and excellent structure. Much of this wine’s concentration derives from the site’s steep slopes and rocky soils, complemented by severe drought conditions and the tiny berries that resulted. The wine’s signature dark cherry aroma is enhanced by 10% whole cluster fermentation, adding depth and texture for a long complex finish. About Winery Sojourn Cellars was founded in 2001 by two tennis friends, Craig Haserot and Erich Bradley, who shared a passion for great wine and tennis. They started with small bottlings of Cabernet Sauvignon from exceptional vineyard sources. Over the years, Sojourn Cellars has grown into a boutique winery producing highly acclaimed Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Their hands-off winemaking style allows the character of the vineyard sites to shine through in the wines.

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Winemaker Notes The 2018 Del Dotto Cinghiale Vineyard Pinot Noir is an elegant, red-fruit-forward California wine originating from the Sonoma Coast and Fort Ross-Seaview  About Winery Although the Del Dotto story begins on our Rutherford Estate, it has expanded to include seven other specially selected appellations. Currently our footprint consists of 437 acres with 121 acres planted of varietals including chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot noir, syrah, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot and sangiovese. It took 18 years to find the ideal sites to cultivate each individually selected grape clone and to maximize the terroir flavors in the wines. Each vineyard is organically farmed, with no chemical sprays or fertilizers, and all weeding performed by hand. The plants are meticulously cared for by professional vineyard workers in order to maintain the quality of the crop that defines the Del Dotto reputation.

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2019 | JS 92 PRE-ORDER A fine, firm red with berries, currants and light chocolate. Hints of walnuts and hazelnuts. It’s medium-bodied with juicy fruit. Lightly austere, but in a nice way. 2021 | WE 93 There is a high percentage of Merlot in this blend, giving softness with ripe blackberry fruits and a succulent character. The wine is pure black fruits and fresh acidity.   About Winery Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou is named after the beautiful, large stones found in its unique wine-growing terroir. This exceptional ecosystem produces fine, elegant, tasty wines with a long finish - in short, archetypical Saint-Julien wines. Perched on an exceptional site with incomparable views over the Gironde estuary, in the center of a hundred-year-old park, Ducru-Beaucaillou is a majestic, Victorian-style castle, which has, over time, become one of the great symbols of the Médoc. Unusual for Bordeaux, it is built directly above the barrel cellars, enveloping its owners, who have lived here for over sixty years. Today, the estate is managed by the company Jean Eugène Borie SA, which is owned by Mrs Borie, her daughter Sabine Coiffe and her son Bruno-Eugène, CEO since 2003, the third generation of the Borie family to head the estate. There are very close links between this estate and the five families who have been its successive owners.

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