Liquor

Pianoalto Barbera d'Asti Superiore Nizza 2014 by Bava 🇮🇹 I love Barbera 🍇 Color's deep crimson Aromas of tar, mocha & exuberant cherry Palate of spiced cherry, black pepper, raspberry, charred oak, soft leather, high acidity w/ clove & tobacco leaf. Firm tannins cross paths w/ black cherry, sensuous complexity; this is a wine that will reel you in and keep you wanting more. Needs a serious decant, numerous hours. More pepper, rustic rich cherry, blackberry & balsamic unfold as time goes on 4.2🌟 --Demalbray

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“The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve is fabulous. Inky, rich and explosive, the 2018 is a fine addition to the lineage of one of Napa Valley's most historic wines. Inky red fruit, chocolate, leather and licorice all open in the glass. Aeration brings out floral top notes, raspberry and a hint of blood orange. There is plenty of depth, but the tannins are finer than they were a few years ago. Shorter time on the skins and a reduction in barrel fermentations really allow the pedigree of these Rutherford sites to come through. The 2018 is sensational.” - Antonio Galloni, March 2021

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96 points James Suckling This is so aromatic with redcurrants, flowers and crushed stones. Some bark and rose stem, too. Full-bodied, yet so refined and textured with a lovely finish of fruit and hints of berry and light chocolate. So delicious now, but will develop nicely in the bottle.

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As usual, ripe Grenache fruit is highlighted in this bottling with fresh strawberry, cranberry, dark cherry, and a touch of milk chocolate aromatics. The mouth is filled with more strawberry, raspberry, and cherry flavors with a touch of vanilla on the finish. A cool vintage brought this Grenache some high acidity which carries the fruit flavors on the long finish. Combining great texture and structure, the 2019 should age beautifully for the next 10+ years.

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92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. Made from 50-year-old vines!"...the medium ruby colored 2017 Zinfandel Esola Vineyard has a bright nose of nectarine, sour cherries, desiccated rose petals, tree bark and autumn leaves with nuances of citrus peel and dried flowers—lifted and fresh. The palate is medium-bodied and fruity on entry, segueing to spicy layers, with a firm frame of lightly chewy tannins and great freshness, finishing long, peachy and fresh. (EB) Inner quote mark

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Wine Spectator: "Brooding but not a bruiser. Finesse combines with power, offering fervent blackberry, fruitcake spice, ground pepper and orange zest accents that build intensity toward big but polished tannins. Zinfandel, Carignan, Mataro, Syrah and Alicante Bouschet. Drink now through 2026. 750 cases made."

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94 points Vinous (Galloni)"... the 2017 Evangelho Heritage Wine is a stunner. Fresh, vibrant and nuanced, it conveys a compelling sense of translucence, and retains elegance and finesse even with its distinctly super-ripe, racy feel. This is the first vintage in which Bedrock had complete control of farming during the entire year, and it shows in the positively brilliant 2017. Sadly, Bedrock lost 30% of the Carignan in 2017, so the blend is a bit different than in the past. (AG)"

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Great old world style cab from CA. Graphite nose with blackberry, blueberry, baking spice and mint Flavors start out interestingly earth driven with graphite, spice and soil then lead to fruit notes of blueberry and blackberry. Short length dry finish. --Seth Ransom

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Final surplus bottle from BF S4. A genius selection from Giles Hannam and a special wine I'll remember for a long time. When not tasting blind I'm getting much more enjoyment. The spicy lees complexity + stoney mineral complexity combined w citrus, floral + white peach make for a profound combination. Alsation-like contrast between weight/texture + long, pointed, acid-boosted shape. Class in a glass. Scoring up from 4.1 earlier in the year.

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Benito Santos Description Benito Santos is a central figure in the modern history of Albariño and the Rías Baixas D.O. He began working in his grandfather’s vineyards in the 1930s and made wine for serving in his bar – wines that repeatedly won prizes in the annual Fiesta de Albariño in Cambados. He was instrumental in the creation of the Rías Baixas D.O. in the 1980s. The current owners now farm three vineyards in the Val do Salnés subzone of Rías Baixas, each of which is next to and named after an ancient church: Saiar, Bemil, and Xoan. All of the vineyards are now certified organic – a rarity in rainy, mildew-prone Rías Baixas – and winemaking uses only native yeasts and minimal sulfur. Benito Santos wines are salty, mineral, and structured, with ample fruit but none of the overly tropical flavors of many industrially-produced Albariños. Wine Notes: From a vineyard in Salnés; vinified in tank with minimal sulfur. The wine spends a few months on the lees before bottling.

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DESCRIPTION With each vintage of the acclaimed Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, the Beringer Winemaker chooses the best lots from our reserve vineyards in the Napa Valley, each of which demonstrate remarkable expression of terroir. Beringer’s extraordinary collection of vineyards is the result of a significant and decades-long relationship between viticulture and winemaking. VINOUS “The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve is fabulous. As always, the Private Reserve is built on a core of Howell Mountain fruit. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, grilled herb, spice and licorice all flesh out in the glass. The Private Reserve packs a serious punch, but like all the 2018s shows a more refined expression of tannin that really elevates it.” - Antonio Galloni, March 2021   JAMESSUCKLING.COM “Wild blackberry, cassis, dark chocolate, tobacco and dark spice on the nose. Dried violets, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, powdery tannins and a creamy texture. Intense, yet restrained and refined, with a solid core of dark berries and bitter chocolate. Really focused and crafted with exemplary Napa cabernet character.” - James Suckling, January 2021

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