WORLD WINE

90% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot and Syrah - The wine is ruby red in color with aromas of ripe red fruit and well amalgamated notes of vanilla and coffee. The palate enjoys a notable support from the acidity, which maintains a pleasurable freshness and persistence of flavor along with soft and sweet tannins which guarantee excellent drinkability.

The color is vibrant red and maroon hues extend from the core of the glass. The nose is sweet vanilla and chocolate aromas are supported by fresh and juicy red berry fruits. The palate is full of flavor, luscious and rich fruit is balanced by layers of vanilla oak. Finishing round and soft with an appeal that consumers find very hard to resist and keep you coming back.

JEB DUNNUCK 95 POINTS - "The 2015 Aalto is a gorgeous wine, and even at the retail price of $50, is a value. Loaded with notions of blackberry and cassis fruits, vanilla, graphite, and high-class oak, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, has beautiful concentration, and ripe, polished tannin. It certainly has a modern slant, yet is balanced, has terrific purity, and a great finish. Give it a few years."

Bodegas y Vinedos Aalto is a partnership between legendary vigneron Mariano Garcia and Javier Zaccagnini, former President of the governing body of the Ribera del Duero DO. Aalto is sourced from 7 different villages on a variety of soils with vineyard age ranging from 40-100 years and was aged for 24 months in French and American oak.

WINE ADVOCATE 93 POINTS - "The single vineyard Tempranillo is the 2012 Pago Negralada, a plot at 760 meters altitude on deep gravel soils covered with sand; it is a relatively warm soil that provides good homogeneous ripeness of the grapes, vintage after vintage. As with all of the single vineyards, it fermented with indigenous yeasts and went through malolactic fermentation in brad new French oak barrels, where it had an upbringing of 18 months before bottling after a clarification with egg whites. I found the character of orange peel that I frequently saw in the Ribera del Duero reds in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with some rusticity and a little dustiness, with character. There are fine-grained tannins, good balance and a dusty texture that fills your mouth. It has very good balance and it will age nicely. 5,700 bottles, 275 magnums and 18 double magnums were filled from the 22 barrels in one single lot on June 17th 2014."

Abadia Retuerta is part of the prestigious 'Golden Mile' (La Milla de Oro) of wineries located along the Duero River in the autonomous community of Castilla y Leon. La Milla de Oro has a special microclimate and is home to some of Spain's most renowned wineries including Vega Sicilia, Dominio de Pingus and Bodegas Mauro.

WINE SPECTATOR 93 POINTS - "This red shows density and structure, with firm, well-integrated tannins and balsamic acidity supporting plum, currant, dark chocolate and mineral flavors. Polished and harmonious. Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Drink now through 2026."

WINE ADVOCATE 92 POINTS - "I tasted the 2014 Selección Especial, a very different vintage from 2013. It was a prolific vintage, so they had to do a severe green harvest to adjust yields, and some rains in September forced the harvest to be a little earlier. The final blend is slightly different each year and in 2014 it was 70% Tempranillo, 17% Syrah and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon. The aging in barrel was slightly shorter, 11 months instead of 13. 2014 was a homogeneous vintage and they didn't need to use any Merlot, which in slightly warmer vintages does not work as nicely as in cooler ones. This wine changed from the 2010 vintage, as before that year they used quite a lot of oak and the wine was very oaky. They have now removed the excess, and the wines show more precision and purity. It's a little riper and concentrated than the 2013, with more clout but perhaps a little more predictability. This has all the ingredients to be a great commercial success. 390,000 bottles, 22,000 magnums and 1,800 double magnums produced and bottled in 23 lots."

This is a serious, well-balanced wine with a rich bouquet and deep fruit flavors. This fantastic red blend is from Sardon de Duero, a wine-growing area in northern Spain west of Ribera del Duero. It is part of the prestigious 'Golden Mile' of wineries located along the Duero River in the community of Castilla y Leon. The Golden Mile has a special microclimate and is home to some of Spain's most renowned wineries including Vega Sicilia, Dominio de Pingus and Bodegas Mauro. The Special Selection is produced from the best grapes from each of Abadia's vineyards. It combines the richness of Tempranillo with the structure of Cabernet Sauvignon with additional complexity from the addition of Syrah. This delicious wine is an outstanding value and over-delivers for the price!

Blood orange complements the ripe red berry fruit, with citrus peel and some exotic spices making this a complex nose. The signature acidity greets the palate upfront, with a whack (in the nicest sense) of fruit weight and grippy but supple tannins on the finish.

WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "The 2007 Finca Mirador was sourced from a 13-acre parcel in Medrano planted in 1921. The yields for this wine were 0.9 tons per acre with the wine aged for 15 months in new French oak. Purple-colored with a superb display of toasty new oak, lilacs, spice box, black cherry, and black raspberry, on the palate it sports an elegant personality, savory flavors, underlying structure, and a lengthy, 45-second finish. It, too, will drink well from 2013 to 2022."

Working organically since his first vintage in 2004, all the grapes are hand-picked. Vinification is traditional (small wooden press), there is a very prudent use of oak 'a good barrel is a barrel you cannot taste' says Albert, it should 'help the wine express itself not actually add its own mark to the juice'. All wines are then bottled without fining or filtration, making them the most exciting and expressive wines we have tasted from this upcoming region.

80% Carignan, 20% Garnacha 10 months in 1-3 year old French oak barrels 40-75 year old vines Primary violets, black cherry, raspberry, herbs & oak, palate has vim & vigour, rich, broad black fruits, fennel, floral, plum and dark chocolate

We recently held a comprehensive tasting of Proseccos for our staff in order to upgrade our selection of this increasingly popular genre. The winner, especially when price was considered, was this delightful “Garbel” bottling by Adami. “Garbel” is a word from arcane Veneto dialect that means a dry, crisp, pleasantly tart wine. All the Prosecco grapes for this fizz were sourced exclusively from preferred hillside vineyards in the Colli Trevigiani district. Garbel’s 13 grams of residual sugar places it between the Brut and Extra Dry styles giving it the versatility to be enjoyed with a wide range of foods including antipasti and mildly spicy Pacific Rim fare.ROBERT PARKER 88 POINTS - The entry-level Non-vintage Prosecco 13 Garbel is pretty and focused in its floral fruit. This delicious Prosecco shows plenty of energy and focus in an easygoing style. Anticipated maturity: 201 2-2015 .

'Bricco Blina' is the name of the vineyard. This wine is a direct, straightforward rendition of the Barbera grape. Fresh acidity and berry flavors are the hallmarks of Barbera, but low yields and old vines give this wine very good depth and concentration, too. Fermentation and aging are completed in stainless steel.
The wine is a bright red color with a violet rim; aroma of red berries and mineral; palate is classic Barbera, bright raspberry/cranberry flavors with a very long finish. A classic that is wonderful with a variey of foods. Pizza, pasta, meats, cheeses....

Bodega Granbazan is located in Tremoedo, in the Salnes sub-zone of Rias Baixas. Owners Manuel Otero and his nephew Jesus Alvarez own 17 hectares of 30-year-old Albarino vines that is supplemented by long-term contract with growers. Grapes are hand-picked, de-stemmed and undergo six to eight hours of cold maceration, while fermentation is undertaken in concrete and steel tanks using both natural and cultured yeast. I adore their evocative, rather old-fashioned labels with their maritime-themed drawings and equally, more importantly, I loved the wines inside. These are pure Rias Baixas Albarinos that brim over with crispness, flavor and authenticity.

Alamos crafts quality wines from Argentina, offering the best of the country's high altitude vineyards at an incredible value. Alamos grapes are grown at the foothills of the Andes Mountains at elevations of 3,000 to 6,000 feet, where intense sunlight, cool evening temperatures and mineral-rich irrigation from mountain snowmelt translate to bright aromatics and rich flavors. Alamos Chardonnay offers flavors of ripe apple, apricot and peach with layers of tropical fruit. Oak aging lent this wine aromas and flavors of brown spice and butterscotch, creating a full mouthfeel and lingering finish.

JAMES SUCKLING 91 POINTS - "A medium-bodied red with firm tannins and a fresh and clean finish. Really intense and flavorful. Lovely balance and finesse. One of the best deals out there."

The purple-colored Malbec Blend contains 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Bonarda. The wine was aged in French and American oak. It offers up a nose of cedar, black cherry, and plum leading to a dense wine with plenty of savory black fruit flavor, a forward personality, and good length.

This organic wine is stored in American and French oak barrels for nine months; a quarter of this time is spent in new oak barrels. Rich dark violet colour. Intense aroma of dark berries and plums. The taste has elegant tones of concentrated fruit, coffee and tannins.

WINE ADVOCATE 92 POINTS - "There is a nice layer of white flowers, sea-infused aromas and some lemon zest freshness. But the minerality and salinity are more obvious in the palate, where the wine showed very tasty and precise, ripe and intense. This is among the finest 2015s I tasted from Galicia."

This winery, founded in 1973, is currently run by Gerardo Mendez. Gerardo owns 5 hectares. Three hectares are over 50 years old and one is 200 years old. The vineyards follow organic guidelines avoiding the use of pesticides and non-organic fertilizers. Utilizing the latest technology, Gerardo blends the traditional with the modern to produce lively, crisp wines true to their origin. There are two wines produced at the property. The first Albariño Do Ferreiro and the second, produced in very in very limited quantities is Ferreiro Cepas Vellas. The Cepas Vellas is from the vineyard that is 200 years old. These vines are planted on a hillside vineyard of mainly sandy composition that predates any other vineyards in Rias Baixas. The Albariño Do Ferreiro is also from a hillside vineyard greatly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean climate.

WINEMAKER NOTES - Vivid straw-yellow green color with a touch of ripe lemon. Bright and slightly sparkling. On the nose it is intense and elegant aroma with hints of fresh herbs, green apples, citric fruits and grapefruit. On the palate it is persistent, rounded and full-bodied, with a light petillance that gives the wine an impressive and vivacious sense of freshness.

A blend of 60% sangiovese and 40% merlot. It presents aromas of dark berries and savory, rustic notes. On the palate, sour cherry, plum, herbs, gentle acidity and tannin.

ANTONIO GALLONI; VINOUS 94 POINTS - "The 2014 Barbaresco Ronchi is austere and tightly wound today, with huge tannins that enshroud the fruit and make the wine hard to read. There is no shortage of intensity, that much is obvious. Whether the 2014 will find a measure of finesse over time is less certain. Today, it is the least available of these five Albino Rocca 2014 Barbarescos. Hints of white pepper, blood orange, star anise and rose petal all grow in the glass as the 2014 gradually starts to unfurl and reveal its personality."

Winemaker's Notes The grapes are hand picked. The whole cluster grapes are directly pressed in a pneumatic press with a long and soft pressing, hence the coral/ light pink salmon color. Cremant Rosé is made by the Champagne Methode. The second fermentation takes place in the bottle. Afterwards it stays on its lees for 9 months follow by the remuage and disgorging.

WINE SPECTATOR 95 POINTS - "Camphor and leather notes introduce this rich red that transitions to cherry, licorice, spice and tobacco flavors. It's firm and intense, with a lingering aftertaste of mineral, licorice and spice. Terrific now, but even better with time. Best from 2021 through 2042." 400 cases made.

WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "The 2013 Barolo Bussia Colonnello is the most ethereal and delicate of the Bussia series of wines. Fruit is sourced from a portion of the Bussia vineyard that is located closer to the village of Barolo (one kilometer away) than it is the village of Monforte d'Alba (five kilometers away). The sandy soils found here make for softer and tamer tannins especially when compared to the other parts of Bussia. The bouquet opens to aromas of blue flowers, spice, wild berry, licorice and white truffle. This is a softly nuanced and finessed Barolo made with fruit from 45-year-old vines."

The Conterno family has been making wine since the 1700’s and Aldo Conterno is regarded as one of the greatest producers of Piedmont. As a young man, Aldo worked with his brother, Giovanni before striking out on his own in 1969. He developed a reputation as an innovator with a focus on quality and attention to detail and passed this dynamism on to his three sons who now run the business.

Aldo’s small property on the hill of Bussia in Monforte D’Alba has grown into a marvelous 25 hectare estate. The Aldo Conterno Barolo’s are intense and concentrated examples of perfectly ripened Nebbiolo grapes from superior terroirs, grown at a gentle altitude that allows for optimum finesse. The three top ‘Crus’ on the famed Bussia slope produce the three flagship Barolos of the estate.

WINE SPECTATOR 95 POINTS - "This is packing some vanilla- and Bourbon-scented oak aromas, with a core of cherry, leather, tar, iron and tobacco flavors. It's solidly built, with dusty tannins clinging to the long finish. A powerful example, this should gain finesse as it ages. Best from 2022 through 2040.." 400 cases made

WINE ADVOCATE 97 POINTS - "The stunning 2013 Barolo Bussia Romirasco represents a stylistic blend between the elegance of Monforte d'Alba and the brooding power of Serralunga d'Alba. These are magnesium-rich soils mixed with limestone and clay. Romirasco is also home to some of the estate's oldest vines at 55-years-old on average. This beautiful wine opens to a dark and rich garnet color that comes from the concentrated fruit produced by these old plants. The bouquet is laced with mineral and iodine-like nuances with rust and iron. It comes across as rich and intense and the mouthfeel is slightly softer, but denser overall. The wine ends with long balsam tones of rosemary and dried ginger."

The Conterno family has been making wine since the 1700

The Conterno family has been making wine since the 1700