WORLD WINE

The Runcot is a single vineyard and the special project of Elio's son Gianluca. It is only bottled in great vintages and is always made as a Riserva. The specifics of how and how long it is aged varies depending on what Gianluca feels is best for that particular year. The 2010 has amazing complexity and depth and is perfectly balanced. By the way, as the wine is aging in barrell, Gianluca streams classical music in the cellar. This is an additional note of terroir. Of course this is a wine with tremendous aging potential. The Grasso estate is in Monforte d'Alba.

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.

WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "The 2011 Pago Valdebellon, pure Cabernet Sauvignon, has the cassis and herbal aromas so typical from the variety, but in 2011 it ripened perfectly and also reveals showy, dark aromas of graphite, black pepper and smoke. It does have some aromas of dark chocolate and smoke, but the oak is perfectly integrated and makes those aromas of paprika come out and provide freshness. The palate is medium to full-bodied with classical dusty, grainy tannins, good acidity, and very good balance, a big, powerful and ripe Cabernet which really benefitted from the 2011 growing season. This has to be one of the top Cabernet Sauvignons produced in Spain. Drink 2015-2020."

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 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 Selecci

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

WINERY NOTES-"Bosco di Gica is the ancient name of the area where the family's best vineyards are located. A blend of 93-95% Prosecco with 5-7% Chardonnay this bubbly displays a straw yellow hue and a fine gentle mousse. The nose is deep with excellent fruit, along with scents of yellow apple and peach plus notes of wisteria and acacia blossom. Wonderful balance and elegance complement a pleasurably crisp spiciness while while displaying a crisp, savoury mouthfeel. Its generous, lingering flavours nicely mirror the nose and achieve perfect balance."

JAMES SUCKLING - 94 POINTS
A particularly gentle style of Junmai that is an accurate expression of how delicate sake can become as you work your way to the north of Japan. There is a clean and crisp mouth feel to compliment the sake

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 Albari

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.

Appearance: attractive straw color with hints of green in the rim. Clean and brilliant.Nose: very expressive and harmonious nose. Fine notes of white fruit (green apples, pear) and lemony aromas. Hints of herbs (basil) and flower blossom base notes. Surprising aromatic intensity.Palate: Clean and textured. Seductive exotic palate of pineapple and mango intermingled with refreshing citrus flavors amplified by minerally accents. Silky but yet full bodied, with long lingering finish. Round and very tasty.

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 Ros

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

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