Wine Club

Montebuena 2020 Rioja Cuvee KPF

Grape Varietal: 100% Tempranillo
Origin: Rioja, Spain

JAMES SUCKLING 92 POINTS

"A soft and velvety red with berry and cherry character. Chocolate, too. Medium to full body, round tannins and a flavorful finish. Drink now."

Montebuena has been (and will continue to be) one of the best value wines that makes its home along the ramp that leads down to the wine bar and cellar. We've carried it for a long time and consumed and poured it more times than we can remember (not saying we have a problem-- just that we've enjoyed this particular wine for years!). This is a great wine for summer-- parties and barbecues (duck, burgers, sausage pizza, etc.) or just hanging out enjoying life.

The nose is loaded with dark red fruits, blackberry and black raspberry, spice, black pepper, ripe black cherries, earth and a bare hint of anise. The palate continues what the nose started with a bounty of dark berries and fruits that is kept in check with excellent body (light acidity, tannins). The secondary nuances, spices, vanilla and earth, work with the body to keep the wine light on its feet while adding depth and flavor. This is a great summer red-- amazing flavors and scents, affordably priced, not too big for the heat, fantastic with food and friends... this is a Win Win Wine!

Montebuena - which means 'good mountain' - is the name of one of the best quality areas of Labastida in Northern Spain. It is located in the eastern part of the village and covers more than 160 hectares (395 acres).

Labastida's viticultural records go back several centuries, but the best evidence of its winemaking history is its "lagares rupestres" - man-made formations, carved into large rocks in the vineyards, consisting of three holes where the grapes were pressed to obtain the juice prior to fermentation. These were used between the 9th & 18th centuries.

Portia 2020 Roble

Grape Varietal: 100% Tempranillo
Origin: Rioja Oriental, Spain

FARMED ORGANICALLY

DECANTER 97 POINTS

"Beckoning nose of dark fruits, spice and judicious oak. The palate has a silky texture and a firm, dryish finish. This is a stellar young wine with outstanding concentration (for the price) and massive tannins tucked neatly into juicy fruit that will appeal to big red wine lovers. Superb value."

PLATINUM MEDAL - DECANTER 2022 WORLD WINE AWARDS

The nose is simply beautiful. Notes of dark red and black berries intermingle with hints of brambly, hillside brush as floral touches, particularly violets, meander throughout. The scents discovered are reiterated on the palate. The fruit is definitely the star of the show upon tasting with black raspberry, dried plum and Kriek lambic (cherries!) in the foreground as firm tannins and forward acidity keep this wine balanced. This structure is like the yin to the fruit’s yang-- when in harmony together, the wine sings and Portia has quite the voice! The finish brings in a touch of minerality and earth as the fruit flavors flourish one more time. Both a serious bargain and a serious wine. Wow!! Food wine? Yes! Pair and win with grilled meats (from osso bucco to ham, burgers to fatty fish like tuna and cod), mushrooms, grilled potatoes, medium-aged cheeses and berry-based desserts.

Bodega Portia, located in the heart of Ribero del Duero is a display of modern design, winemaking function and artistic detail. The brand offers very small production wines–intense, energetic & balanced. Wine has been produced in the Ribera del Duero region for thousands of years, but viticulture as we know it probably arrived in the area with Benedictine monks from Cluny in the Burgundy region of France in the twelfth century. Ribera del Duero wine making goes back over 2,000 years as evidenced by the 66-meter mosaic of Bacchus, the god of wine that was unearthed relatively recently at Baños de Valdearados. We love finding wines made with modern viticulture techniques that reflect well the traditions, history and terroir from whence they came. This wine is the real deal!

Domaine Anita 2022 Moulin a vent

Grape Varietal: 100% Gamay
Origin: Moulin a Vent, Beaujolais

JAMES SUCKLING 96 POINTS

"This smells and tastes like the essence of Moulin-a-Vent, with stunning red fruit aromas plus delicate spicy and earthy notes. Wonderful freshness and precision for this very hot and dry vintage on the medium- to full-bodied palate. The contours of the tannins are very precise, giving this an astonishing clarity in the very long finish. Two thirds were 100% whole cluster and one third was destemmed. Everything was fermented and maturated in concrete tanks. Drink or hold."

The wines of Domaine Anita are deliciously drinkable and serious wines which show what Beaujolais is capable of. Les Caves is the old vine cuvee which James Suckling gave 96 Points stating, "This smells and tastes like the essence of Moulin-a-Vent, with stunning red fruit aromas plus delicate spicy and earthy notes." We couldn't agree more!

The venerable cru of Moulin a Vent produces wines of deep fruit with some structure yet exhibit finesse at the same time. This wine is ready to go, but can also be enjoyed with some age if that is your desire.

This is a perfect wine to enjoy on a warm spring or summer day or evening. The aromas burst from the glass with notes of wild berries, violets, spice and ripe cherry fruit.

The ongoing renaissance of the Beaujolais has been a joy to behold. As more and more growers have adopted better farming practices, more thoughtful approaches to vinification and an increased emphasis on site-specific bottlings, the immense potential of these bucolic hillsides has been unlocked to an unprecedented extent.

At the forefront of this movement is Anita Kuhnel, a former professional cyclist who launched her eponymous domaine with the 2015 vintage. The winery is located in Chénas and today encompasses 18 hectares spread among the crus of Chénas, Fleurie, Morgon, and Moulin-a-Vent.

Anita's goal from the outset was to produce wines of minimal intervention that express site character with maximal clarity. Her staggeringly dense plantings-10,000 vines per hectare-range from 40 to 100 years old, providing her with enviable raw materials which she treats with utmost care. She even uses a horse to plow her oldest holdings, a nod to the pre-technological era in which these vineyards were first planted.

Amadieu 2022 Cairanne Garrigues

Grape Varietal: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre
Origin: Southern Rhone, France

CERTIFIED ORGANIC/BIODYNAMIC SINCE 2012

Domaine des Amadieu is a beautiful 7-hectare property in Cairanne, a village in the Vaucluse, between the Rhône and Mont Ventoux. The different typical Côtes du Rhône varieties: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan are spread over the different terroirs in the village. From the beginning, we cultivated our vines using Certified Organic Production.

A dark colour. A clear nose full of fruit (ripe pear) on a delicately mineral and spicy background. Relatively full-bodied in mouth, with silky tannins. Beautiful freshness with fruity aromas but above all, persistent spicy notes. The Cairanne Rouge Cuvée des Garrigues is typical of the village's round pebble-covered soil.

Wine Tip

Starting in 2018, Cairanne is one the few villages in the Rhone region that can claim their own AOC (Rasteau, Gigondas etc are example of others).

Hacienda Araucano 2022 Humo Blanco

Grape Varietal: Syrah 90%, Viognier 10%
Origin: Valle de Lolol, Chile

VINOUS 93 POINTS

"The 2022 Syrah-Viognier L'Atelier De Humo Blanco is a 90/10% co-fermented blend. Purple in the glass. The alluring nose offers raspberry and flesh with hints of spice and violet. Velvety with polished tannins. The refreshing flow delivers plenty of fruity flavor right through to the back of the mouth. A delicate, fragrant, easygoing red." - Joaquin Hidalgo

This delicious, easy-drinking red is a great way to chill out this Summer! The Humo Blanco "L'Atelier" comes from the Lolol Valley in Chile, a place that at first glance seems a lot like California's north coast with its warm, dry Summers and cooling fogs (humo blanco means "white smoke"). Inspired by a French technique, this tasty, freshly-styled red is made by letting Syrah ferment together with a dash of Viognier. What distinguishes this one is how emphatically it expresses those varieties, combining exuberantly ripe tones with a mouthwatering sense of freshness and balance! What really seals the deal for us, though, is the outstanding value it offers!

Hacienda Araucano is the Chilean project for François Lurton and his family, who are best known for their collection of wineries in Bordeaux and the South of France. In the Lolol Valley they farm organically, and are even a Demeter-certified biodynamic estate, with farming practices aimed at encouraging a thriving ecosystem. No added sulfites.

Deep purple in the glass, the Humo Blanco Syrah/Viognier is lively and fluid, with a sleek fruit texture and tangy inner acidity. Intensely flavored and aromatically lifted, it's driven by violet floral-drenched blackberry preserves, a hint of juicy stone fruit (like apricot), along with subtle intrigues of forest undergrowth, incense spice and an earthy, resinous tone. It finishes dry, but soft and deliciously fruited, with just a smattering of velvet tannins on the tongue. This is a great wine to cool down to 55-58F and partner with flavorful - even peppery - dishes like meaty tacos, empanadas, grilled squash, stuffed bell peppers or burgers hot off the grill. The only problem might be the bottle disappearing too quickly at your next grill-out!

Friedrich Becker 2021 Pinot Gris

Grape Varietal: 100% Pinot Gris
Origin: Pfalz, Germany

Pinot Gris is grown in Palatinate for a long time, it is also known as Tokaja.

Friedrich Becker produces a range of Pinot Gris, this one is slightly pink because Pinot Gris grape variety is a little bit orange/red. It has been produced with a light maceration, therefore is it what we call a skin contact wine (The berries skins are left in contact with the juice in order to extract, aromas and color)

The wine is distinctly spicy, peppery note and will pair perfectly with a variety of food from grilled chicken to fish with a butter sauce etc.