Wine & Spirits

The fruit for the 2021 Kin Grenache was grown on young bush vines (planted 2016) in schist-based soils across two blocks in the vineyard. Approximately 60% whole bunches went into the ferment. It was then fermented and matured in the same vessel—concrete tulips. In the mouth, the wine is very fine, stalky and pure, with freshening almost pulverized tannins; they’re like a clap of chalk—they’re everywhere. They’re structuring and they’re shapely and chewy in an excellent way, and the fruit is bright but not sweet. This is elegant and thrilling. Gorgeous. It is polarizing due to its febrile, nervous nature—but stylistically modern and forward thinking. Terroir-based wine here. There are notes of delicate orange blossom, green raspberries, rhubarb acidity, strawberry top and green apples threaded through the palate." Robert Parker 92 Points

Read more less

TASTING NOTES Sourced from multiple estates throughout the rolling hills of the appellation, intoxicatingly aromatic waves of brooding black cherries, Turkish tobacco, wet rock and vanilla cream crash into the glass with unbridled force, leading into an opulent and smooth palate of grilled plums, crushed gravel, cigar box and spice. A plush mid-palate is framed by dusty, yet formidable tannins that linger on the finish, dragging your palate into the fathoms below as you beg for another sip.

Read more less

TASTING NOTE: Even a cool vintage does little to nudge Roll Ranch Syrah away from a lavish expression of fruit. This 2019 bottling is all about it. Still, there’s lots of cool-climate intrigue and freshness to this big Syrah. Rich aromas of ripe red plum and black cherry dominate, but brighter beams of apricot poke through and there are pretty botanical qualities of jasmine tea, fenugreek and sage-y herbs. Lots of that is on the palate too, which gives luscious stone fruits before turning toward mouthwatering berry notes with spiciness and roasted herbs in the finish. The tannins are fine but plentiful—pair it with fatty meat dishes like carnitas, ribeye or cassoulet in the meantime. Not a meat-eater? The big fruit of this wine is a tasty counter to the bitter edge of crispy roasted vegetables. VINTAGE & WINEMAKING: 2019, like its sister vintage 2018, will go down as one of our favorite vintages. The cool Spring led to a later start for the vines, then onshore coastal weather dominated throughout veraison. We obtained perfectly healthy fruit throughout a long, staggered harvest that stretched into the end of October. This Syrah was harvested in the wee hours of the morning on September 16th. We loaded the tank with 71% whole-clusters, including a bit of Viognier. Then added our house-cultured yeast (derived from fruit picked while sampling) and gently pumped over the juice twice a day until the wine became dry. It was then aged in French oak barrels (21% new) for 20 months, with just one racking before bottling. Like almost all our reds, it was bottled unfiltered and unfined with minimal effective sulfur.

Read more less

Winemaker Notes On the nose, echoes of healthy and mature red fruit in after a perfect maturation. Floral and balsamic notes add freshness, all together in harmony with subtle toasted notes from its time in barrel. In the mouth, fine and subtle with nice tannins and perfect acidity that make it a persistent wine with a long finish. Critical Acclaim James Suckling Black cherries with cedar and dried flowers, as well as dusty earth. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm tannins that are long and polished. Lots of structure. Very typical and focused. Drinkable now, but better in 2024. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate I tasted two vintages of the estate red that represents the blend and the character of the place. The 2018 Reserva comes from a cooler year and is a blend of 86% Tempranillo, 6% Mazuelo, 6% Graciano and 2% Garnacha with 14.12% alcohol and a pH of 3.48. The grapes ripened thoroughly and the wine is tasty but has a vibrant palate with freshness and depth. It has a classical nose and is complex and spicy with an earthy touch, a little developed and with fine-grained tannins. Very tasty. It spent 18 months in oak barrels, 90% of them French and 10% American; they are reducing the amount of American oak in this wine.

Read more less

TASTING NOTES A medley of apple, banana, and melon lead the aromas and carry through on the palate. Saltwater taffy salinity notes add a touch of sweetness and minerality. Intense throughout with a crisp, clean finish.

Read more less

This perennial gold medal-winning Daiginjo has clean and fresh aromas, with notes of anise. Peppery on the palate with juicy ripe melon and good acidity and length. Pure, clean perfumes of rich melon, pear, cotton candy with slight green notes. Luscious and full on the palate with a velvety texture. The elegant flavors progressively spread, culminating in an explosion of fruit with a mineral finish. Deep, elegant, and complex. 

Read more less

The third whisky to come out of Shizuoka distillery, Contact S is made with a combination of whisky from its ex-Karuizawa pot still and its wood-fired pot still, and matured for three years in first-fill bourbon and quarter casks. Aromas of apple juice, ripe mangoes, cream, caramel and buttered toast fill the nose, complemented by notes of rich tea biscuits, stewed apples, croissants, caramel, sea salt, dark chocolate and black tea throughout the palate.

Read more less

Winemaker Notes Deep red with purple hue. This Cabernet is abundant with aromas of black cherry, mocha, with subtle hints of mint and floral. This Cabernet is graceful and elegant with black cherry flavors on the entry. On the palate, this wine is luscious in the midpalate, while the tannin structure and finish are supple and round. Critical Acclaim James Suckling A creamy, succulent red with aromas of mulberries, raspberries, walnut cream and sweet spices. Full-bodied with firm, velvety tannins. Plush, flavorful finish. Delicious already but better after 2023. Decanter Winemaker and general manager Elizabeth Vianna first began working at Chimney Rock as a harvest intern in 1999, and has served as president of the Stags Leap District Winegrowers Association. Here she's crafted an elegant expression of the AVA, with plenty of power and drive. Lifted aromas of bright red and black berry, graphite and a sweet minty herbaceousness continue on the palate, alongside sandalwood, lavender and cassis.

Read more less

Happy Bordeaux Sunday everyone! Not sure what Vita in Vinum had in mind this week, but I went with a St-Julien left bank beauty, off the menu at the golf club. Château Beychevelle is Grand Cru, a fourth growth producer. This is a blend of Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot (54, 38, 5 and 3%). From the fabulous 2010 vintage. Very floral, with licorice, graphite, red and blue berries, and earthy notes. --Mike Benson Every parameter is on high level, acidity and tannins are strong enough to support this wine to develop in the following two or three decades. Very impressive to me, before swirl it in glass, giving nose of cedar, forest floor and tea leaves, when swirl it, fruity aromas energetically pop up, with currants and cherries. Like a mystery lady opening her heart but still hide a lot to make you guess. --Olivine Hou

Read more less

Winemaker Notes The 2014 Maya, a blend of our finest Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, is dark, dense, muscular, and refined. While still distinctively focused, the wine is all about fruit intensity, with a rush of red fruit and exotic spice aromas rising from the glass—fresh bing cherry, dried currant, cardamom, fenugreek, cocoa and cinnamon. Mainly one is struck by the sheer purity of the wine, its seamless impression from start to finish. The tannins are highly structured but finely polished, and while there is plenty of girth and scaffolding to help the wine age for a very long time, the length is very impressive, carrying the shiny velvet sensation on for quite a while. This vintage of Maya will easily age for two decades or more. Critical Acclaim Robert Parker's Wine Advocate It is excellent, but not one of the great efforts from this iconic winery situated on the eastern Vaca hillsides above the Oakville corridor. That said, the 2014 Maya Proprietary Red may not be as perfect as the 2013 was, but it is a fabulous effort. Finishing at 14.6% alcohol, this wine (generally a blend of about 60% Cabernet Franc and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon) has incredibly gorgeous aromatics of black and blue fruits, forest floor, violets, and an almost Graves-like, scorched earth, gravelly nuance. The wine hits the palate with a full-bodied richness and terrific harmony among its structural elements such as alcohol, acidity, tannin and wood, with moderately sweet tannins in the finish. It is a good 30- to 35-year wine, as most Mayas have tended to be, and is impressive and surprisingly structured for a 2014. Forget it for 3-4 years and drink it over the following 35-40 years.

Read more less

Critical Acclaim Jeb Dunnuck All from the Fortuna Vineyard in Oakville and bottled unfiltered after spending 22 months in French oak, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Prado sports a deep purple color to go with killer notes of blueberry and cassis fruit, awesome purity, a serious, plump, sexy texture, and loads of white chocolate, graphite, lead pencil, and cedar nuances. It shows the forward style of the vintage, yet has ample mid-palate depth and sweet tannin, all suggesting it will keep for 15-20 years. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Prado, which also hails from the Oakville appellation, is 100% unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 21 months in French oak. This is an enhanced, richer version of the previous wine, similar in style, with loads of crème de cassis, blackberry and floral notes, slightly more concentration and spice box, some licorice and graphite. The velvety tannins and opulence of this beauty suggest drinking it over the next 15-20 years.

Read more less