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A.H. Hirsch Reserve is the manifestation of the American spirit. This exclusive bottling is the last small batch of A.H. Hirsch Reserve- all that is left to this historic treasure. Available in a humidor commemorative gift set. Widely acclaimed by authorities, A.H. Hirsch Reserve is that complete rarity: a whiskey of such uncompromising quality and individual character that words simply cannot do it justice. A thick-textured whiskey, which coats the mouth. Rich, complex flavors, very spicy, with plenty of mint, evergreen, dried apricots, toffee, and vanilla. Long soothing finish. A.H. Hirsch Reserve is the manifestation of the American Spirit. This extraordinary bourbon had a long, dramatic journey from its inception to this final bottling. In fact, the history behind A.H. Hirsch speaks volumes about why it is not just the finest American bourbon ever made, but indeed a rare national artifact. On the last day before prohibition, the line outside Michter's Distillery stretched 2.5 miles. Customers came on that cold day in 1919 to fill casks, bottles and tin cups and to drink their last rations of legal whiskey. A.H. Hirsch Reserve is a complete rarity- a whiskey of uncompromising quality and individual character. Matured in oak casks for 16 years, this whiskey shows the difference that traditional cask ageing makes. A must-have for any whiskey lover. This is an exquisite, keepsake presentation for the last remaining bottles of the legendary A.H. Reserve 16 year old Bourbon.

ROBERT PARKER 98 POINTS - "Bordelais winemaker Pierre Seillan, who makes these wines for the Kendall-Jackson empire, believes that this micro-terroir has exceptional potential. Not far from Peter Michael, it faces southwest and gets refreshing winds off the Pacific through the Petaluma Wind Gap. These are relatively big wines, but every year that I have tasted them, Seillan has fine-tuned the tannins so that they are abundant but sweeter and much better integrated. For those who keep score, these wines are kept 14-16 months in barrel, with the amount of new oak decreasing every year, and alcohol levels of 14.5-14.8%. There are two cuvées grown at different elevations, but both from southwest vineyards, with the Helena Montana at 950-100 feet, and the Helena Dakota at 650 feet or so."

"The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota displays more blackberry, blueberry and graphite, with some flowers such as violets, notes of pen ink, a full-bodied, concentrated, succulent and fleshy mouthfeel, and a long, long finish. This is another 25- to 30-year wine."

ANTONIO GALLONI 94 POINTS - "Arietta's 2014 Merlot Hudson Vineyards is gorgeous. Surprisingly, it is also richer, deeper and more pedigreed than the Quartet and Cabernet Sauvignon in this vintage. Exquisitely layered and supple, the 2014 possesses striking depth to match its creamy, inviting personality. Layers of plum, black cherry and mocha built into the supple, inviting finish. Naturally, the 2014 is quite young. It can be enjoyed today, but readers who appreciate the complexity that develops only in bottle will have to be patient."

Last year we attended the inaugural Sonoma County Barrel Auction. This was an event where wineries from throughout Sonoma County gathered to showcase wines that they have not bottled before, and to keep their wines unique, they don't plan on bottling them again! Last week we showcased the unique Pinot Noir from Patz & Hall, perhaps the best Pinot Noir they have ever made. This time, it's an amazing Syrah & Cabernet Sauvignon blend from one of our favorite Sonoma County producers...Arrowood!

Arrowood Winery is pure Sonoma. The winery's influence in the region endures since the first wines were made three decades ago. Created exclusively for the Sonoma County Barrel Auction, Winemaker Kristina Weerner selected the top lots from the vintage to craft a unique blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Syrah comes from the Russian River Valley's acclaimed Saralee's vineyard. It is not uncommon for Arrowood's Syrah from this vineyard to score in the "outstanding" range with famed critic Robert Parker, and the Syrah for this blend was co-fermented with Viognier, which actually makes the wine darker and gives it more aromatics and texture. With that, they blended in 30% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Smothers-Remick Ridge Vineyard, a phenomenal property that sits roughly 600 feet above the valley floor in the northern Sonoma Mountains. It features 18 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon divided into 11 distinctive blocks that mirror the terroir. Known for its small, flavorful berries, this mountain site produced balanced wines with refined tannins. In the end, Kristina decided the best wine was blended of 70% Syrah and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon...and that's what we have here!

Only 10 cases were bottled, and you can't get this wine at the winery, even if you're a member of their wine club! This is a gorgeous red blend, and it displays a lovely ruby/garnet color with aromas of freshly crushed cherry, raspberry, red currant, strawberry shortcake, vanilla, and hints of oak. After a short bit of time to breathe, aromas of smoke, Asian spices, and grilled meat begin to emerge. On the palate, the subtle hints of spice continues, along with black fruit, black cherry, a briary quality, cured meat, and plum. The finish is fairly long, with pronounced tannins that give a nice frame to the wine. Absolutely delectable, this is a wine that can easily be enjoyed now, but will continue to develop nicely in the cellar for another 7-10 years!

VINOUS 93 - 95 POINTS - "Brilliant purple. Powerful, mineral-tinged cherry and blackberry scents, along with notes of bacon fat, licorice, potpourri and pungent flowers. Pure, concentrated and energetic on the palate, offering deeply concentrated black and blue fruit flavors that gain weight and become sweeter with air. Closes extremely long, sappy and sweet, juicy acidity adding lift and cut to the blue-fruit-dominated, youthfully tannic finish."

WINE SPECTATOR 95 POINTS - "Solidly packed, with a bramble-edged core of dark plum, bitter cherry and black currant fruit, inlaid with bay leaf and savory notes. The serious chalky grip through the finish will need some time to stretch out. Shows terrific interplay between the grip and fruit."

WINE ADVOCATE 100 POINTS - "The 2005 Ausone is a perfect wine of the vintage. It displays crushed rock, spring flowers, blueberry and blackberry fruit, a full-bodied mouthfeel, stunning purity and richness, and perfect harmony among all of its component parts (acidity, tannin, wood, alcohol and extract). Still youthful, but oh, so promising, this wine should be set aside for another decade and drunk over the following 50-75 years. Drink 2025-2100."

If you have ever thought about venturing into Oregon Pinot Noirs, now is your time! And if you are an Oregon Pinot Noir zealot, now is your time! 2015 is going down in the record books as one of the best vintages in the history of the state, with warm weather throughout most of the growing season, and the sun shining bright during harvest. The wines are forward, inviting, complex, and nuanced. Located in the Ribbon Ridge sub-region of the Willamette Valley, Beaux Freres is planted on steep, contiguous southward facing hillsides of Willakenzie soils, comprised of old marine sediment. With a focus on biodynamic farming, the vines are planted at high density and some vines on the property are 30 years old, with several being own rooted!

WINE SPECTATOR 95 POINTS - "Offers impressive presence and polish, with a multilayered, complex core wrapped in rich, expressive blueberry and cherry flavors, accented by savory spice and espresso details. Builds depth as this dances toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2025. 2,700 cases made."

ANTONIO GALLONI 95+ POINTS - "The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Mythicus, Blankiet's 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, is another strong wine. Restrained and polished, but with plenty of supporting tannin, the 2014 is shaping up to be another strong wine. Today, the Mythicus is not as different from the Proprietary Red, but it is also tightly wound following its recent bottling. I expect the 2014 will blossom with time in bottle."

ROBERT PARKER 94+ POINTS - "A limited production cuvee (175 cases), the 2014 Mythicus is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, rich and silky, with soft tannins but, surprisingly, not the depth of the Proprietary Red, this is still an outstanding wine, made in an elegant style with plenty of silky tannins as well as lots of blackcurrants, licorice, cedar and spice box. This medium to full-bodied wine should drink nicely for the next 15 or more years."

ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "Medium garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Prince of Hearts Paradise Hills Vineyard (a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc) features exuberant red and black currant notes with a very sexy undercurrent of potpourri, violets, cedar chest and cinnamon stick. The open, inviting medium-bodied palate features approachably soft tannins and is packed with vibrant red and black fruit flavors, finishing on a spicy note."

ANTONIO GALLONI 92 POINTS - "Blankiet's 2015 Prince of Hearts is bright, floral and very nicely lifted for the year. Succulent yet very much medium in body, the 2015 is a gorgeous wine to drink now and over the next handful of years. Prince of Hearts remains one of the very finest values in artisan Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon."

Palo Cortado is a very special wine, both elegant and unique, which comes from certain Jerez wines which are particular for their fermentation and ageing in oak barrels where their atypical characteristics were developed: elegant in the nose and full in the mouth. One of the classic Palo Cortado from that time is that which we find in our Palo Cortado Tradici

ANTONIO GALLONI 96 POINTS - "As it often is, the 2014 St. Eden is a showy, racy wine. A rush of dark red cherry, plum, mocha, espresso and grilled herbs gives the wine its opulent, flamboyant feel. Even so the St. Eden shows the natural restraint and mid-weight structure of the year."

ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 96 POINTS - "Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2014 St. Eden offers up expressive cr

ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 98+ POINTS - "The 2014 Vecina displays a deep garnet-purple color and has a broody, baked blueberries, cassis and anise-laced nose with suggestions of garrigue, dusty earth and bay leaves. Full-bodied, rich, spicy and powerful in the mouth, it offers a lot of latent layers and promises great, great things to come with an incredibly long, layered finish. It needs a bit of time but should cellar beautifully for a good 25 years+."

ANTONIO GALLONI 97 POINTS - "One of the most expressive wines in this range, the 2014 Vecina is powerful, dense and explosive. Despite its obvious intensity, the 2014 has quite a bit of detail and nuance. Time in the glass unleashes the wine's natural intensity, volume and power. The huge, savory and mineral-drenched finish only adds to the wine's immeasurable beauty."

ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 96+ POINTS - "Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Melbury is profoundly scented of crushed plums, black cherries and cassis with hints of dark chocolate, black pepper, black soil and licorice plus a hint of iron ore. Full-bodied, rich and earthy in the mouth, it has a lovely fine-grained but firm backbone with plenty of freshness, finishing long and peppery."

ANTONIO GALLONI 95 POINTS - "The 2014 Melbury is bright, perfumed and wonderfully lifted in the glass. Soft, silky tannins add to the wine's considerable appeal. Medium in body and gracious, the 2014 is absolutely exquisite today. Sweet red cherry, plum, rose petal and mint grace the supple finish. This is a super-refined wine from BOND."

ANTONIO GALLONI 96+ POINTS - "The 2014 Quella is showing beautifully. Floral and savory overtones give the wine its energy and tension. The 2014 has really come along over the last six months. Today it is vibrant and full of life, with an understated sense of power that is compelling. The 2014 has developed very nicely since I last tasted it, but it still has room to grow."

ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 96 POINTS - "Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Quella is scented of blackberry preserves, fruitcake and crushed rocks with hints of cigar box, dried Provence herbs and Indian spices. Medium to full-bodied, it has a firm backbone of grainy tannins and great freshness lifting the black fruit and earth layers, finishing on a lingering mineral note."

ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 97+ POINTS - "Very deep purple-black colored, the 2014 Pluribus offers up notions of crushed black plums, black currant cordial and pencil shavings over a meaty core of chargrill and beef drippings plus hints of Chinese five spice and underbrush. Full-bodied and firmly framed with chewy tannins and a lively backbone, it features plenty of earthy and savory layers, finishing long and minerally."

ANTONIO GALLONI 97 POINTS - "The 2014 Pluribus is stellar. Once again, I am deeply impressed with the Pluribus. Inky blue/purplish fruit, lavender, mint, plum and licorice infuse this super-expressive, resonant Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. Pluribus is the most improved Bond wine. This flight of 2014 makes that quite evident."

ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 96 POINTS - "Produced from 100% Grenache with 6 months' extra time in barrel, the 2015 Ripper Ext "22" has a pale to medium ruby-purple color and gregarious nose of spice cake, potpourri, Chinese five spice and licorice with a kirsch, red currant jelly and rose hip tea nose, plus a waft of dusty earth. Full-bodied, concentrated and packed with savory and expressive spice flavors, it has a velvety structure and plenty of freshness, finishing long and multilayered."

JEB DUNNUCK 95-97 POINTS - "Still in barrel, the Cabernet Sauvignon dominated 2016 My Favorite Neighbor offers smokin' notes of creme de cassis, lead pencil shavings, licorice, smoke tobacco, and hints of violets. With full-bodied r still fresh, chalky, moderately tannic, elegant and lengthy red."

This superior Junmai Daiginjo is carefully aged for 5 years at -8 degrees Celsius. The extraordinary aroma and deep flavor is remarkable. A true gem that represents the very best in the world of Japanese sake, this sake is said to be a favorite of the Imperial family in Japan.

Sake Rice: Yamadanishiki
Region: Fukui Prefecture
Polishing Ratio: 20%
SMV: +2
Acidity: 1.7
Alc.: 17%

BURGHOUND 93-95 POINTS: "A discreet hint of wood allows the slightly riper and definitely spicier aromas of earth, humus, dark berries and soft sauvage notes to shine. There is excellent power to the muscular and broad-shouldered flavors that also brim with structure-buffering dry extract that coats the palate on the mineral-driven, punchy and seriously persistent finish. This is a Beze of power and finesse though note that unlike many 2012s this is clearly built for the long haul."