Winemaker Notes
Dark, dense ruby color. Nose with concentrated ripe cherry fruit. On the palate, dense and opulent, beautiful sweetness, slightly oriental spice, very noticeable acidity, fine tannins. Has bite and pressure, good finish.
About Winery
Chateau Gracia is produces garage-style (aka "vins de garage") St-Emilion wines from a 4.4-acre vineyard with microscopic yields of 18-22 hectoliters per hectare (400-550 cases). Michel Gracia the proprietor is good friends with Ausone’s Alain Vauthier, produces wines that have much in common with the lushness and concentration of Ausone. Founded in 1997, Michel is a first-generation immigrant, originating from Spain. After less then a decade since his first crush, Michel was already recognized by Robert Parker as one of the twenty best wine estates in France in 2006. Vineyards Vines cover just 1.9-hectares of clayey/limestone soil, planted with 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and an average age of vine at just under thirty years. Yields are kept low, down to a paltry 21hl/ha. There is another 1.26- hectares parcel on more sandy soil planted with 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc which is the source of "Les Angelots de Gracia".
PRE-ORDER
About Winery
Chateau Leoville Las Cases is one of the largest and oldest classified growths in the Medoc region of France. Originally the other two Leovilles, Leoville Poyferre and Leoville Barton were part of the large estate. Today Leoville Las Cases comprises over 209 acres and has been run since 1950 by the Delon Family. Currently, the estate is run by the well-known Michel Delon.
The estate stretches from Chateau Beychevelle down to Chateau Latour, and the main estate is a picturesque, enclosed 100 acre vineyard depicted on the label. The winery is established as a Second Growth. vineyard.
2013 | JS 100
Aromas of blackcurrant, blueberry, violet, and dark chocolate with a long, elegant finish.
2016 | JS 99
The 2016 growing season in Napa Valley was described as near-perfect, resulting in ripe fruit with balanced acidity.
2017 | WA 95
The wine is known for being more savory and elegant than opulent, featuring bright fruit, tobacco, and cocoa notes.
2018 | JS 99
Profuse aromas of blackberry, cassis, and black cherry, with notes of violet, white pepper, and rose petals.
2019 | WA 99
It was aged for 19 months in new French oak, exhibiting aromas of blackcurrant, violets, rose petals, and graphite, with a creamy, structured, and long finish.
2023 | JD 98 - Arriving Q1’27
Another absolute gorgeous wine from this team, the 2023 Opus One offers up cassis, black raspberries, spicy wood, flowers, and graphite in a beautifully layered, complex, nuanced bouquet. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a pure, layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and integrated acidity, this ultra-classic, elegant Opus One will keep for 30-40 years. It's at the same level as the 2010, 2016, and 2021. Drink 2025-2065.
About Winery
Rising gracefully from the vineyards, Opus One winery stands in subtle celebration of the land and the open space that surrounds the estate. It remains an ongoing testament to the founders’ vision of a singular wine that transcends generations.
The estate vineyards of Opus One, comprised of four parcels, sit in the western portion of the famed Oakville AVA in Napa Valley. Two parcels, totaling 100 acres, are within the renowned To Kalon Vineyard. These are complemented by the combined 70 acres of the Ballestra and River parcels, which envelop the winery. In the vineyards, hand-harvesting and other traditional approaches are taken wherever they work best. When modern techniques benefit the winegrowing process, they are researched, evaluated and integrated into practice.
Winemaker Notes
"Pink with amber highlights. A lively, intense bouquet of red fruits (wild strawberry, raspberry, cherry), floral nuances of rose with a slight hint of pepper. On the palate, the juicy, persistent intensity of berries with the fleshiness and firmness of peach. The freshness of a subtle note of menthol."
About Winery
Moët & Chandon, based in the so-called "Champagne capital" of Épernay, is easily the most famous house in the Champagne region. It is one of the largest too, comprising 1150 hectares (2850 acres) of estate vineyards plus more from growers, 28km (17 miles) of cellars and a production capacity of 60 million bottles a year.
The house was founded by Claude Moët in 1743. However, his grandson, Jean-Remy Moët, is credited with having brought Champagne to a wider audience and, by the 19th Century, the house was recognized both domestically and internationally.
In the 1970s and '80s, Moët & Chandon expanded its empire beyond Champagne, partnering first with Cognac house Hennessy and then with fashion giant Louis Vuitton, forming the well-known luxury conglomerate Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy –often referred to simply as LVMH.
Today, the group owns several other famous wine brands, including Krug and Veuve Clicquot in Champagne, Château Cheval Blanc in Bordeaux, and Cloudy Bay in New Zealand and Cape Mentelle in Western Australia.
Moët's house style is fresh and fruit-forward, and the non-vintage Brut is dominated by Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, with a smaller amount of Chardonnay. Grapes are drawn from 800 different parcels from 230 of the villages in Champagne.
This wide range of terroirs to draw from means that blenders have more control over the finished wine, and despite the massive output every year, Moët's wines are remarkably consistent. The majority of processes in the winery are controlled by machine – unsurprising given the scale of production.
Moët & Chandon's range is straightforward, comprising of non vintage brut, rosé and demi sec, as well as vintage brut and rosé offerings. Their prestige cuvée is the iconic Dom Pérignon, although over time this has come to be seen as a separate entity, in much the same spirit as Napa Valley icon Opus One.
The house has expanded far outside of Champagne, and is currently making sparkling wines in California, Argentina, Brazil and Australia under the Chandon label. Most recently, Moët & Chandon has acquired vineyards in India and China, where they are also finding new markets.
Winemaker Notes
The nose blends fruity (black plum, blueberry, blackcurrant) and floral (dried rose petals) fragrances with a subtle minerality. The lively and creamy palate reveals a subtle acidity as well as very fine tannins. Throughout the tasting experience, the palate exudes aromas of black fruits, fresh herbs, espresso and cocoa. The finish is persistent and seductive due to its dark chocolate aromas.
About Winery
Rising gracefully from the vineyards, Opus One winery stands in subtle celebration of the land and the open space that surrounds the estate. It remains an ongoing testament to the founders’ vision of a singular wine that transcends generations.
The estate vineyards of Opus One, comprised of four parcels, sit in the western portion of the famed Oakville AVA in Napa Valley. Two parcels, totaling 100 acres, are within the renowned To Kalon Vineyard. These are complemented by the combined 70 acres of the Ballestra and River parcels, which envelop the winery. In the vineyards, hand-harvesting and other traditional approaches are taken wherever they work best. When modern techniques benefit the winegrowing process, they are researched, evaluated and integrated into practice.
PRE-ORDER
About Winery
Chateau Cos d'Estournel is a Grand Cru vineyard located in St. Estephe. Its oriental facade is adorned with three pagoda turrets, all cast in a soft golden sandstone. Chateau Cos d'Estournel today covers 170 acres separated from Chateau Lafite, along the southern edge, by the stream between St. Estephe and Pauillac.
The gravelly soil, over a flint, limestone and silicate subsoil low in nitrogen, has eroded over centuries to form steep ridges which perfectly drain the vineyards. The vineyards are planted 60 percent in Cabernet Sauvignon vines, 2 percent of Cabernet Franc, and 38 percent in Merlot. Naturally, the percentage of Cabernet or Merlot in the composition of each vintage depends on the climate which favors one grape variety or the other.
Winemaker Notes
A masterfully blend from the very best vineyards in our portolio, including Beckstoffer To Kalon, Las Piedras, Weitz and Coliseum Block this wine shows a strikingly dark hue and the nose emits a show stopping rush of fruits. The first taste is an attack on the senses, while the underlying minerality and significant structure result in a muscular but well-balanced Cabernet. A full-bodied mid-palate reveals the finely integrated tannins that lift the overall back bone of the wine ending with an opulent finish.
About Winery
The origins of Carter Cellars began in the mid 1980's when the historic Carter House Victorian was built. When this small bed and breakfast became too popular for the crowd from the cities up and down the west coast the Hotel Carter was added and a restaurant (the highly regarded Restaurant 301) was needed for the guests. For the guests at the restaurant Mark Carter began compiling what has become (since 1998) a Wine Spectator Grand Award winning wine list. He began sourcing the best wines the world had to offer from first growth Bordeaux to the top Napa Cabernet and even the high quality, little-known gems that helped the wine list stand out. Because of the great recognition of the restaurant and its wine list Mark was able to host winemaker dinners with the likes of Dan Duckhorn and Nils Venge.
Mark and Nils became fast friends at these dinners while sharing their all encompassing passion for great wines. Mark wanted to expand his love of wines and start a new age wine label devoid of a brick and mortar facility but sourcing only the best fruit from the most renowned vineyard in Napa. His goal was to create the best Napa Cabernet that could be made. Nils Venge, the superstar winemaker responsible for receiving the first "perfect score" on a domestic wine from Robert M. Parker Jr. while at Groth in 1985, seemed like the perfect match on this quest for perfection.
Carter Cellars first vintage was in 1998 sourcing grapes from the steeply terraced Coliseum Block of the Hossfeld Vineyard. In continuing to source wine from top Napa vineyards Mark and Nils made a svelte Fortuna Block Cabernet from the ancient red volcanic soils of the Fortuna Vineyard in 1999. In 2000 Carter Cellars began a long and deeply rewarding relationship with the most iconic vineyard in the western hemisphere: the Beckstoffer portion of the original To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville. Thus began the rise of the famed and highly rated Carter Cellars Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet, a wine that to this day continues to receive top scores from critics worldwide.
In 2001 Carter Cellars deviated from solely making large and powerful Cabernet when they acquired Merlot fruit from the Truchard Vineyard in Carneros. This vineyard has varied soils and a marine-influenced climate which makes the ripe and rounded fruit which goes into our lush and ultra-premium Merlot. In 2004 Carter Cellars expanded again when they began sourcing Cabernet fruit from the Revilo Vineyard in St Helena right next door to some of the highest rated Napa Cabernet and farmed by Reg Oliver of El Molino. The Revilo Vineyard fruit makes for large and austere Cabernet with incredibly smooth tannins which benefit from some bottle age and will greatly reward those with the patience for fine wines.
Mark and Nils began looking for a permanent home for Carter Cellars and for a small Napa Winery at which they could produce wines from estate grown fruit. In 2006 they founded Envy Winery on Tubbs Lane in Calistoga. This 17 acre property would specialize in Estate grown Merlot, Cabernet and Petite Sirah and would become the new home of Carter Cellars.
In 2006 Carter Cellars expanded again. Still with an extremely small case production they made the Hossfeld Red Blend also from the Hossfeld Vineyard in Soda Canyon. This Predominately Merlot blend contains Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Verdot and is modeled on one of Mark's Favorites: Chateau Petrus with a uniquely Californian side.
In 2012 Carter Cellars added two additional exciting Cabernets vineyards to the portofilo: the Weitz Vineyard and Beckstofffer Las Piedras Vineyard. Long considered one of the gems of Turnbull Wine Cellars vineyard holdings, the Weitz Vineyard, also known as the Leopoldina Vineyard, sits on 62 glorious acres high on the Oakville Bench. The fruit from the vineyard is renowned for its profound structure, elegant rich texture and lingering acidity and minerality. The Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard is a historic vineyard in the St. Helena AVA. Roughly translated to the stones or little pebbles, the vineyard sits at the base of Sulfur Creek on the southwest outskirts of St. Helena. Riddled with rocks, the soil is porous and provides ideal support for the vines and when matched with excellent farming techniques, the result is remarkable dense and concentrated fruit.
PRE-ORDER
2014 | WE 97
The 2014 vintage shows great freshness and complexity, with a "muscular, youthful fruit" profile, offering a mix of blackberry, blackcurrant, and savory notes, balanced by firm, silky tannins.
2016 | WA 100
Notes of crème de cassis, blackberry, tobacco, exotic spices (sandalwood, incense), and graphite.
2018 | WA 98
A"backwards, tannic powerhouse" featuring intense crème de cassis, cedar, violets, and earthy notes.
2021 | WE 96
The wine offers aromas of blackcurrant, dark berries, pencil shavings, cedar, and spices (menthol, licorice).
About Winery
Chateau Cos d'Estournel is a Grand Cru vineyard located in St. Estephe. Its oriental facade is adorned with three pagoda turrets, all cast in a soft golden sandstone. Chateau Cos d'Estournel today covers 170 acres separated from Chateau Lafite, along the southern edge, by the stream between St. Estephe and Pauillac.
The gravelly soil, over a flint, limestone and silicate subsoil low in nitrogen, has eroded over centuries to form steep ridges which perfectly drain the vineyards. The vineyards are planted 60 percent in Cabernet Sauvignon vines, 2 percent of Cabernet Franc, and 38 percent in Merlot. Naturally, the percentage of Cabernet or Merlot in the composition of each vintage depends on the climate which favors one grape variety or the other.
Winemaker Notes
2018 vintage began late, due to a cool and dry winter – conditions that persisted through the entirety of the growing season. The moderate heat throughout the summer and early fall provided optimal conditions for the steady ripening of the key color, tannin, and flavor compounds. A long hangtime was possible this year because there were none of the major heat spikes we have become accustomed to in recent decades. This provided optimal maturity of the essential phenolics while Brix accumulated slowly, and yielded perfectly healthy, fresh grapes at harvest. In the cellar, our grapes were treated gently, given extended maceration times to extract the lovely flavors and texture present in the grapes, and we incorporated a large percentage of native fermentations this year. The resulting wines made from this vintage are extraordinarily refined, exuding aromatic and textural depth that is immediately apparent in the glass.
About Winery
Skipstone is tucked between two stunning hillsides in the mountains above Alexander Valley. We aspire to perfection in every aspect of our wine growing and estate farming, drawing inspiration from the unparalleled potential and promise of the earth. Uncompromising in our standards of sustainability and treatment of the land, we are committed to nurturing the precious resource that is our 200 acre estate. Blessed by nature, we listen intently to the terroir of our vineyards, and in turn, our wines speak eloquently of their origin.
PRE-ORDER
2015 | WE 94
Rich red and black fruits, chocolate, tobacco, and forest floor, featuring a "fleshy and tight" texture
2016 | JS 96
Beautiful aromas of flowers and berries, intermingled in fresh and brambly mode with a cedary edge. This is very fresh. The tannins carve an exceptionally deep, long line through the dark berries and cassis and deliver a very powerful, unwavering finish. This is in great form. Very powerful and focused.
2017 | WA 93
The 2017 vintage is characterized as savory and traditional, featuring notes of dark berries, graphite, and cedarwood. It is well-structured with fine tannins, leading to a long, polished finish.
About Winery
Chateau Branaire-Ducru's 120 acres is located in the St. Julien region of France and has such famous neighbors as Cheateau Gruaud-Larose, Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou and Chateau Beychevelle.The name, given by the former owner Monsieur Ducru, means "beautiful pebbles". One of the main features of the vineyard is its richness in pebbles which contribute to the greatness of so many wines of the Medoc.
Just before the war, the vineyard became run down and many Bordeaux critics felt it no longer deserved its rank as a Second Growth. During the Medoc Classification of 1855, the Chateau was rated as a Fourth Growth. In 1942 the Borie family purchased the vineyard completely revamped the vineyard and it began receiving top ratings amongst the Second Growths. Successive generations of the Borie family oversee all winemaking operations.
Winemaker Notes
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 The Matriarch rocks up with forthright notions of crushed blackcurrants, black cherries and mulberries plus hints of crushed rocks, dried herbs, iron ore and black soil plus a touch of Ceylon tea. Medium to full-bodied, the palate reveals impressive intensity with a firm texture of grainy tannins and bags of freshness, finishing with an herbal lift.
About Winery
Sourced from select hillside estates, the Cabernet Sauvignon wines of BOND vividly demonstrate the range of Napa Valley's finest terroirs. From the more than eighty vineyards we have worked with over the past quarter century, we have slowly and vigilantly selected five sites. BOND became our covenant and shared commitment to produce only the best expression of the land. By way of this valuable experience, we had the opportunity to identify select properties that we felt had the potential to define the ‘Grand Crus’ of Napa Valley. These small hillside Cabernet vineyards, ranging in size from 7 to 11 acres, became the basis for the wines of BOND.
Winemaker Notes
Another off-the-chart offering from the the Three Kings section of the Beckstoffer To Kalon vineyard, this wine throws off an amazingly deep ruby color tinged with an elecrtic purple hue. Revealing superb balance and concentration, it is a successful expression of both the richness and power of clone 7 from the world class vineyard. With its fruit forward profile, the wine opens up immediately with floral aromatics mixed with dark currants, spices and blue/black fruit.
About Winery
The origins of Carter Cellars began in the mid 1980's when the historic Carter House Victorian was built. When this small bed and breakfast became too popular for the crowd from the cities up and down the west coast the Hotel Carter was added and a restaurant (the highly regarded Restaurant 301) was needed for the guests. For the guests at the restaurant Mark Carter began compiling what has become (since 1998) a Wine Spectator Grand Award winning wine list. He began sourcing the best wines the world had to offer from first growth Bordeaux to the top Napa Cabernet and even the high quality, little-known gems that helped the wine list stand out. Because of the great recognition of the restaurant and its wine list Mark was able to host winemaker dinners with the likes of Dan Duckhorn and Nils Venge.
Mark and Nils became fast friends at these dinners while sharing their all encompassing passion for great wines. Mark wanted to expand his love of wines and start a new age wine label devoid of a brick and mortar facility but sourcing only the best fruit from the most renowned vineyard in Napa. His goal was to create the best Napa Cabernet that could be made. Nils Venge, the superstar winemaker responsible for receiving the first "perfect score" on a domestic wine from Robert M. Parker Jr. while at Groth in 1985, seemed like the perfect match on this quest for perfection.
Carter Cellars first vintage was in 1998 sourcing grapes from the steeply terraced Coliseum Block of the Hossfeld Vineyard. In continuing to source wine from top Napa vineyards Mark and Nils made a svelte Fortuna Block Cabernet from the ancient red volcanic soils of the Fortuna Vineyard in 1999. In 2000 Carter Cellars began a long and deeply rewarding relationship with the most iconic vineyard in the western hemisphere: the Beckstoffer portion of the original To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville. Thus began the rise of the famed and highly rated Carter Cellars Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet, a wine that to this day continues to receive top scores from critics worldwide.
In 2001 Carter Cellars deviated from solely making large and powerful Cabernet when they acquired Merlot fruit from the Truchard Vineyard in Carneros. This vineyard has varied soils and a marine-influenced climate which makes the ripe and rounded fruit which goes into our lush and ultra-premium Merlot. In 2004 Carter Cellars expanded again when they began sourcing Cabernet fruit from the Revilo Vineyard in St Helena right next door to some of the highest rated Napa Cabernet and farmed by Reg Oliver of El Molino. The Revilo Vineyard fruit makes for large and austere Cabernet with incredibly smooth tannins which benefit from some bottle age and will greatly reward those with the patience for fine wines.
Mark and Nils began looking for a permanent home for Carter Cellars and for a small Napa Winery at which they could produce wines from estate grown fruit. In 2006 they founded Envy Winery on Tubbs Lane in Calistoga. This 17 acre property would specialize in Estate grown Merlot, Cabernet and Petite Sirah and would become the new home of Carter Cellars.
In 2006 Carter Cellars expanded again. Still with an extremely small case production they made the Hossfeld Red Blend also from the Hossfeld Vineyard in Soda Canyon. This Predominately Merlot blend contains Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Verdot and is modeled on one of Mark's Favorites: Chateau Petrus with a uniquely Californian side.
In 2012 Carter Cellars added two additional exciting Cabernets vineyards to the portofilo: the Weitz Vineyard and Beckstofffer Las Piedras Vineyard. Long considered one of the gems of Turnbull Wine Cellars vineyard holdings, the Weitz Vineyard, also known as the Leopoldina Vineyard, sits on 62 glorious acres high on the Oakville Bench. The fruit from the vineyard is renowned for its profound structure, elegant rich texture and lingering acidity and minerality. The Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard is a historic vineyard in the St. Helena AVA. Roughly translated to the stones or little pebbles, the vineyard sits at the base of Sulfur Creek on the southwest outskirts of St. Helena. Riddled with rocks, the soil is porous and provides ideal support for the vines and when matched with excellent farming techniques, the result is remarkable dense and concentrated fruit.
