Forjas Del Salnes Goliardo Tinto
$46.99
In the 1970s, most vintners in Rías Baixas were pulling up their old red grapevines to make way for the more productive, more en vogue, Albariño. Thankfully, the Méndez family was doing the exact opposite, planting more traditional vines, such as Caiño, Espadiero and Loureiro Tinto, in a successful attempt to preserve and revive this central element of Galician heritage.
This mission of preservation was kick-started in earnest during the early years of the 21st Century when Rodrigo Méndez and respected winemaker Raúl Pérez joined forces to produce not just some of the most astonishing Albariño available, but also the rare Galician reds that just a century beforehand were the pride of the region. Using traditional methods learnt over generations, Forjas del Salnés was born in a garage winery in 2005 and named after the ironworks set up by his grandfather, Francisco Méndez. Here they work the fruits from just 7.5 hectares of vines, grown in the villages of Meaño, Sanxenxo and Barro.
No amount of words can adequately describe the wines from Forjas del Salnés. To taste them is to taste true examples of Galician history, with the slight bite of Atlantic salinity reminding you of the coastlands from which they originate.
San Leonardo 2018
$137.99
For more than 1000 years San Leornardo was a monastery, but for over three centuries now San Leonardo has served as the residence of the Marchesi Guerrieri Gonzaga family, its proud custodians. Today, the San Leonardo estate is a garden of vineyards and roses, protected by the massive barrier of the Alps, which blunt the force of the cold northern winds. The valley floor benefits from, and in turn releases, warmth from nearby Lake Garda. The tenuta remains an antique world, in which winemaking practices, still uncompromisingly artisanal, yield wines that are true gems of Italy’s wine tradition, marked by freshness, harmony, and an innate elegance.
Marchand Tawse Beaune Tuvilains
$136.99
The story of the Maison Marchand-Tawse in Burgundy begins with the extraordinary story of Pascal Marchand, the French Canadian boy wonder, who in 1985 at 22 years old, took the reins of the Clos des Epeneaux in Pommard. He became an overnight sensation, and in the process pretty much defined modern Burgundy. The collaboration of Pascal with another French Canadian, Moray Tawse of the Tawse Winery in Niagara, one of Canada’s most recognized wineries, gave birth to the new Maison Marchand-Tawse in 2011. This domaine has reached the quality level in Burgundy where you can rely on every wine they make to be exceptional, even in difficult vintages.
Brumont Chateau Montus Madrian
$41.99
Chateau Montus is one of two estates led by Alain Brumont, one of the leading vignerons in Madiran. Alain Brumont bought Château Montus in 1980, on the basis of the terroir's reputation in the 18th century. With its large reddish pebbles, this terroir is one of the last traces of the beginning of the Pyrenees, dating back 40 million years. Today's Pyrenees deposit large black pebbles marbled with white in our rivers. Montus comes from steep slopes (20-40%) fully south-facing, intense sunshine, covered with large pebbles on yellow and red clay subsoil.
Felsina Fontalloro
$104.99
Felsina is one of Italy's best Chianti producers and Fontalloro is a special wine that gets classified as IDT Toscana simply because the two vineyards - which are adjacent - fall into different Chianti zones, the dividing line literally runs through the middle of their vineyard. As such it's always been considered a Super-Tuscan despite being made with 100% Sangiovese. Regardless, it's a stunner.
DuMol Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir
$161.99
Dumol produces top-drawer wines in both Sonoma and Napa Valleys although the winery is in Sonoma. They own vineyards and source fruit from some of the most desirable sites in northern California, the bulk of which is located in the Green Valley AVA. Winemaker/Co-owner Andy Smith made a name for himself at Littorai and Paul Hobbs and has become a star in the California wine realm.
Ochoa Gran Reserva Magnum
$91.99
Ochoa speaks for itself. A generational production that focuses on respecting every element of nature surrounding it. Today, Ochoa lies in the hands of the fifth and sixth generation of the Ochoa Family, Javier, Marivi, Adriana and Beatriz, who work together to continue the winery's legacy. This Gran Reserva is a product created by Javier Ochoa, a wine that is only produced in the best of years. It is a Tempranillo-focused blend, with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, that shows a powerful yet elegant character. Full of red fruits, wood spice and earth. It's big and rich with abundant black fruit, drinking well now but will continue to improve for another five years or so.
Faury Cote Rotie Les 3 Brunes
$107.99
Along the steep, narrow valley that traces the northern Rhône, the appellations of Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu and Saint-Joseph take their place among the great wines of France, and Domaine Faury is one of the region’s most artisanal producers. When Philippe Faury took over the domaine in 1979, the family was selling wine, peaches and cherries, and the bulk of their clientele was local. Over the years, Philippe expanded their holdings to over eleven hectares.
Chateau Lynch Bages 2010
$524.99
This wine received near-perfect scores in every wine publication, here's the Robert Parker review: "Still a saturated ruby-black in hue, the 2010 Lynch-Bages offers up aromas of rich cassis fruit mingled with hints of pencil shavings, loamy soil and cigar wrapper. Full-bodied, deep and muscular, it's rich and layered, with a concentrated core of fruit that's framed by firm, powdery tannins and lively acids. The most brooding, backward Lynch-Bages of the decade and one of the real successes of the vintage, this is a vibrant, tightly wound wine that is still an infant at age 10. Readers with bottles in their cellars might try one now out of curiosity, but this 2010 won't begin to hit its stride until age 20" 97 points, Feb 28/2022.