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$25.95
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RP 94
RR 93
France
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Rhone
-
Other
In stock, 12+ available
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94 points Robert Parker: "Alary’s top cuvee, the 2010 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Cairanne Font d’Estevanas is a blend of equal parts old vine Grenache and Syrah, the latter planted in 1961, grown in the clay/limestone hillsides. Aged in older barriques and demi-muids, it is a fabulous unfiltered wine offering abundant notes of licorice, truffles, camphor, black currants, kirsch, raspberries and hints of white chocolate and dusty, loamy, earthy soils. It should drink well for a decade or more. (Oct 2012)"
93 points Rhone Report: "A smoking good Cairanne that's all from the lieu-dit La Font d'Estevenas, the 2010 Domaine Daniel et Denis Alary Cotes du Rhone Villages Cairanne La Font d'Estevenas. An even split of Grenache and Syrah that is aged all in neutral wood, it sports a dense, opaque ruby color to go with fantastic aromatics of blackberry and black raspberry, new leather, licorice, roasted herbs, and hints of flowers on the nose. This flows to a medium to full-bodied, rich, and layered wine that has a silky, polished texture, beautiful mid-palate depth, and impressive underlying tannin structure. It is superb now, yet should easily evolve gracefully for 10-12 years. (Sep 2012)"
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$27.95
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RR 95
RP 94
France
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Rhone
-
Other
In stock, 12+ available
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95 points Rhone Report: "Profound stuff that will stand toe to toe with anything coming out of the Rhône valley, the 2010 Domaine les Aphillanthes Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau 1921 is a blend of close to 95% Grenache that comes from incredibly low yields of 7 hl/ha and ancient vines planted in 1921. Easily the greatest wine I have tasted from this estate, it delivers a knockout bouquet of ganache-covered blackberry and cassis styled fruit that is intermixed with notions of hot stones, leather, graphite, licorice, and roasted herbs. Gorgeously rich and decadent, with a full-bodied, powerful mouth feel that stays light, elegant, and fresh, this blockbuster Rasteau is beautifully concentration, structured, and has a heady, very long finish. It should be given 2-3 years of bottle age, and then consumed over the following decade or more. (Sep 2012)"
94 points Robert Parker: "A blockbuster offering is the 2010 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Rasteau 1921, which was made from yields of 17 hectoliters per hectare and aged in both concrete tanks and 600-liter demi-muids. Composed of 90% Grenache and the rest a kitchen sink blend, it exhibits an opaque purple color along with abundant floral notes intermixed with notions of white chocolate, charcoal, scorched earth, blackberries and black currants. It reveals a superb, full-bodied, layered, broad, expansive mouthfeel, terrific intensity and a heady finish. Drink this beauty over the next 10-15+ years. (Oct 2012)"
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$28.95
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RR 92
RP 90
WS 90
France
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Rhone
-
Other
In stock, 12+ available
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List $34.00
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92 points Rhone Report: "Just bottled at the time of tasting, the 2010 Château de Beaucastel Côtes du Rhône Coudoulet de Beaucastel is a great Coudoulet. A blend of 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre, 20% Syrah, and 20% Cinsault from 30-year-old vines, it delivers on all fronts with loads of garrigue, leather, bing cherry, and spice-box aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, deep, and structured, yet with a seamless, elegant feel, this is approachable now, yet will also evolve gracefully. It should hit full maturity around age 10 or so. (Sep 2012)"
90 points Robert Parker: "The real steal, however, is the 2010 Cotes du Rhone Coudoulet red (an identical blend), which has really put on some weight and intensity since I tasted it last year. The wine displays oodles of licorice, black currant and black cherry liqueur with hints of damp forest floor and truffle. Sweet tannin, decent acidity and nice, attractive density make for an outstanding Cotes du Rhone to drink over the next 7-8 years. (Oct 2012)"
90 points Wine Spectator: "[$34 list] This is juicy and still a bit compact, with a mix of blackberry, plum and blueberry notes laced with licorice snap and backed by a long, spice-infused finish. A tarry hint lurks as well. Should stretch out after brief cellaring. Drink now through 2018. (10/31/12)"
90 points Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar): "(made from a blend of marsanne, bourboulenc and viognier, with a bit of clairette): Pale, green-tinged yellow. Fresh, assertively perfumed aromas of orange, pear and minerals, with a sexy floral quality adding complexity. Bright and focused yet silky on the palate, offering sappy citrus and orchard fruit flavors. Closes bright and nervy, with very good persistence to the orange zest and jasmine nuances. (May 2012)"
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$29.95
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WS 91
France
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Rhone
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Other
In stock, 12+ available
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91 points Wine Spectator: "Inviting, boasting aromas and flavors of Lapsang souchong tea, warm fig sauce and crushed plum and currant fruit are all supported by a racy prominent graphite note. Lightly firm, but with the flesh and concentration to offset that. Drink now through 2013. 1,666 cases made. (10/15/10)"
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$26.95
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RP 90
IWC 90
France
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Rhone
-
Other
In stock, 12+ available
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List $35.00
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90 points Robert Parker: "[$35 list] One of the finest examples of this cuvee Chave has yet made, the 2009 St.-Joseph Offerus is performing fabulously well from bottle. Produced from purchased grapes grown on the hillsides behind the village of Mauves as well as from further north on the hillsides above Tournon and St.-Jean de Muzols, this St.-Joseph reveals copious aromas of licorice, bay leaf, bouquet garni, roasted meats, black cherries and raspberries. It possesses an attractive texture as well as lots of fleshy, fat flavors, and good acidity and freshness. It, too, should drink nicely for a decade. (Dec 2011)"
90 points Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar): "Opaque purple. Classic syrah aromas of cassis, cherry pit, olive and violet, with smoke and cracked pepper accents. Juicy and sharply focused, with deep but vivacious dark berry and bitter cherry flavors. Clings impressively on the finish, leaving behind notes of candied flowers and spices. As usual, this is a great introduction to Jean-Louis Chave's winemaking style at an easy price. (Mar/Apr 2012)"
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$29.95
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France
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Rhone
-
Other
In stock,
11
available
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Warm, earthy scents of red berry, black pepper, earth and minerals. Similar flavors heightened by excellent balance.
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$31.95
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WS 93
France
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Rhone
-
Other
In stock, 12+ available
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93 points Wine Spectator: "Dense but caressing, with polished black currant, cassis and pastis notes that flow along, while tobacco, tar and violet notes chime in throughout. The long, sleek finish has nice buried minerality. Drink now through 2019. 500 cases made. (10/15/11)"
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$31.95
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WS 93
France
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Rhone
-
Other
In stock, 12+ available
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List $44.00
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93 points Wine Spectator: "[$44 list] Very nicely defined, with mouthwatering acidity driving the anise, plum sauce and bitter cherry flavors, while dark tobacco, bay and olive notes flitter through the background. Pure and very racy on the finish. Best from 2013 through 2023. 500 cases made (11/15/12)"
Importer notes: "100% Syrah. Concentrated nose of stone fruits. The mouth is full with soft but tight tannins. This wine is very generous and long-lasting with a fresh finish. Accompaniment advice: Red meat, meat casseroles, grilled meat, game, cheeses. Total production: 4,000 bottles."
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$27.95
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WS 92
RP 90
France
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Rhone
-
Other
In stock, 12+ available
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List $40.00
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92 points Wine Spectator: "[$40 list] This is still slightly reticent, with a pronounced iron minerality holding sway over the supple cherry and black currant fruit. The lovely violet and black tea aromas fill in the background, and the finish is long and sleek. Let this open with modest cellaring. Best from 2012 through 2017. 1,800 cases made. (10/15/11)"
90 points Robert Parker: "[$40 list] The outstanding 2009 St.-Joseph Les Coteaux boasts elegant strawberry and black cherry fruit notes intermixed with hints of charcoal, licorice, bay leaf and lead pencil shavings. This dense ruby/purple-colored, medium to full-bodied, seductive 2009 is ideal for drinking over the next decade. (Dec 2011)"
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$31.95
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France
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Rhone
-
Other
In stock,
7
available
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If you need a reason to get over your anti-boxed-wine bias, here it is: a round, fruity, earthy Côtes du Rhône from a mini-cooperative known for practicing sustainable agriculture. "From the Tank" is a newly released collaboration between the Estézargues co-op in the southern Rhône and Jenny & François Selections, an importer specializing in so-called natural wines, made largely without chemical manipulation. Before settling on a medium-bodied blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan for their inaugural vintage, "we tasted a bunch of tanks," says Jenny & François’ Jenny Lefcourt, who also chose the utilitarian name and helped design the three-liter cardboard box, which compactly houses the equivalent of four bottles.
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$33.95
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RR 94
France
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Rhone
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Other
In stock, 12+ available
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94 points Rhone Report: "The best vintage of this cuvee to date, the stunning 2010 Domaine de la Mordorée Lirac Cuvée de la Reine des Bois is a blend of equal parts Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre that was aged 70% in stainless steel, and 30% in oak casks. Incredibly elegant and poised, yet with lavish richness, concentration and depth, this full-bodied effort possesses classy, complex aromas of dark fruits, licorice, spice-box, and assorted crushed flower characteristics. Quite possibly the greatest Lirac I have tasted, this beauty needs 2-3 years of bottle age, and will have upwards of a decade of total longevity. (Sep 2012)"
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$49.95
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WS 93
IWC 91
France
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Rhone
-
Other
In stock,
10
available
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List $63.00
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93 points Wine Spectator: "[$63 list] A very fresh, pure style, with a strong violet note leading the way for almost brisk blackberry, black currant and black cherry fruit, pushed by sweet tobacco and tapenade notes on the sleek finish. Drink now through 2022. 200 cases imported. (8/29/12)"
91 points Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar): "Inky purple. Pungent dark fruit and floral aromas are complemented by smoke, olive and black pepper nuances. Lush and creamy in texture, offering sweet cassis and blueberry flavors, along with candied violet and licorice notes. Fine-grained tannins add shape to the long, penetrating finish. (Mar/Apr 2012)"
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$28.95
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France
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Rhone
-
Other
In stock, 12+ available
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This 2005 is now entering its drinking window and should stay there for the next 3 to 5 years. The nose reveals notes of cherry soaked in eau de vie, crushed strawberry and roasted herbs. The palate is long and elegant and exhibits sweet peppery black cherry, loamy earthy notes with leather, spice box, and Asian soy-like characteristics.
Robert Parker (Wines of the Rhône Valley): "From his small Gigondas estate, Etienne de Menthon, an intelligent, articulate man, produces one of the most impressive wines of the appellation... The wine is traditionally made, although a relatively high percentage of Syrah is included in the blend, giving the wine a deeper color and an unmistakable black-fruit character... Château Redortier's Gigondas is usually delicious when released, but it is so well endowed, concentrated, and powerful that it will easily last for a decade or more, particularly in top vintages."
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$31.95
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IWC 90–92
France
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Rhone
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Other
In stock, 12+ available
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90-92 points Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar): "(a 60/40 blend of grenache and syrah; raised completely in concrete) Deep ruby. Smoky cherry and raspberry aromas are complicated by Indian spices, anise and dried rose. Deep, musky and gently sweet, with energetic red fruit flavors and good back-end lift. The sweetness extends through the long, spicy finish, which features fine-grained, nicely integrated tannins and a hint of white pepper. (Jan 2011)"
Robert Parker (Wines of the Rhône Valley): "From his small Gigondas estate, Etienne de Menthon, an intelligent, articulate man, produces one of the most impressive wines of the appellation... The wine is traditionally made, although a relatively high percentage of Syrah is included in the blend, giving the wine a deeper color and an unmistakable black-fruit character... Château Redortier's Gigondas is usually delicious when released, but it is so well endowed, concentrated, and powerful that it will easily last for a decade or more, particularly in top vintages."
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$29.95
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RR 93
RP 91–93
IWC 92
France
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Rhone
-
Other
In stock, 12+ available
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93 points Rhone Report: "From a terraced, hillside plot call La Louisiane, the 2009 Domaine Saint-Damien Gigondas La Louisiane is a blend of 80% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre, and the balance Cinsault and Syrah. Aged for 12 months in foudre, it displays a pretty, gorgeously perfumed bouquet of spiced raspberries, spice box, rolled stone, and crushed flowers. Complex and not holding anything back on the nose, it's medium to full-bodied on the palate and beautifully polished and put together, possessing good acidity, a rich, full texture, and notable freshness. More perfumed and upfront than the Les Souteyrades, this should be approachable earlier, but still drink well for 10-12 or more years. (Sep 2011)"
91-93+ points Robert Parker: "The 2009 Gigondas La Louisiane, which is the most powerful of these wines at 15.3% alcohol, comes from 60-year-old vines and is a blend of 80% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre, and the rest tiny percentages of Cinsault and Syrah. Deep ruby/purple with a sensational nose of crushed rock/wet steel interwoven with blueberry liqueur, sweet black currants and black cherries, incense, and forest flora, it seems to be both powerful and elegant at the same time, with stunning purity, texture, and length, but it never comes across as heavy despite the rather lofty alcohol. This wine should drink beautifully for 10-15 years. Proprietor Joel Saurel, backed up by the inimitable Philippe Cambie as his consultant, has transformed this estate into one of the greatest in Gigondas, rivaling the two top producers, Yves Gras’ Santa Duc and Louis Barruol’s Saint Cosme. This estate made mind-boggling 2007s, and has followed that up with top-flight 2009s. (Oct 2010)"
92 points Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar): "(80% grenache and the rest mourvedre, cinsault and syrah): Bright ruby. Intensely perfumed aromas of red berry preserves, smoky minerals and dried violet, with a touch of blood orange. Spicy, focused and alluringly sweet, offering energetic, vaguely warm raspberry and cherry flavors and a seamless texture. Finishes with lingering sweetness, impressive clarity and a late jolt of candied raspberry that doesn't let up. (Jan/Feb 2012)"
91 points Wine Spectator: "Plump and fleshy, with delicious plum, fig and blackberry flavors mixed together, coated gently with spice and black tea notes. The long, licorice edge on the finish has a nice firmness. Drink now through 2016. 75 cases imported. (10/31/11)"
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$29.95
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RR 96
RP 93
IWC 93
France
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Rhone
-
Other
In stock, 12+ available
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List $42.00
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96 points Rhone Report: "Always the most elegant of the three Gigondas cuvees, the 2010 Domaine Saint-Damien Gigondas La Louisiane (80% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre, and the balance a mix of Cinsault and Syrah) boasts perfumed floral, rolled stone minerality, and violet characteristics intermixed with notes of garrigue, mint, and ripe Grenache-driven fruit on the nose. This full-bodied, structured, and mouth filling 2010 has a seamless, poised texture, brilliant concentration, and a firm, tannic core. It should be cellared for a handful of years, and will be long lived. (Sep 2012)"
93 points Robert Parker: "[$42 list] The 2010 Gigondas La Louisiane is a 525-case offering fashioned from 65-year-old vines grown in decomposed red clay and gravel. It is also a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Mourvedre aged in foudre for 14 months prior to being bottled without fining or filtration. It offers sensational notes of blueberry liqueur intermixed with kirsch, mulberries, licorice and lavender. Full-bodied and sexy with good acidity as well as sweet, well-integrated tannins, this beautiful, virginal (because of the biodynamic farming and lack of any new oak aging) red should drink nicely for 10-15 years. (Oct 2012)"
93 points Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar): "Saturated ruby. Exotic aromas of black and blue fruits, incense and potpourri, with a spicy topnote. Juicy and expansive on the palate, offering intense cassis and cherry compote flavors and bracing acidity. Rich, vivacious, finishing sweet, silky and very long. (Jan/Feb 2013)"
92 points Wine Spectator: "An inviting, perfumy style, with linzer torte and blackberry confiture aromas and flavors lined with notes of black tea, pastis-soaked plum and violet. There's ample grip, but it's fine-grained and well-embedded through the finish. Best from 2013 through 2023. 200 cases imported. (10/15/12)"
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$34.95
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RR 98
RP 94
IWC 93
France
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Rhone
-
Other
In stock, 12+ available
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List $45.00
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98 points Rhone Report: "My favorite of the Gigondas lineup, the blockbuster 2010 Domaine Saint-Damien Gigondas Les Souteyrades (80% Grenache and 20% Mourvedre aged all in tank) is wildly perfumed and aromatic, as well as incredibly full-bodied, rich, and concentrated. Showing thrilling notes of wild herbs, orange peel, garrigue, exotic flowers, and layers of ripe fruit, this hedonistic, yet gorgeously proportioned 2010 has massive fruit, awesome freshness and focus, and a firm, tannic core. No doubt it is a superb drink now, but it will be even better in 2-3 years, and evolve gracefully for two decades. (Sep 2012)"
94 points Robert Parker: "[$45 list] A 1,000-case offering from gray clay soils, the 2010 Gigondas Les Souteyrades is also made from 80% Grenache and 20% Mourvedre from 65-year-old vines. It represents what Saurel believes is his finest parcel of old vines. This cuvee is always the richest and fullest of this trio of Gigondas, and it can also contain more truffle, herbs, tannin and structure. A complex, intricate Gigondas, it offers a terrific perfume of truffles, forest floor, acacia flowers, and lots of black and red fruits. It hits the palate with a deep, expansive, round, full-bodied mouthfeel, and finishes long. This 2010 is capable of drinking well for 12-15+ years. Bravo! (Oct 2012)"
93 points Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar): "Vivid ruby. An exotically perfumed bouquet evokes candied blackberry and cherry, with a suave floral element gaining power in the glass. Deeply concentrated but lively, with excellent clarity to its sappy dark fruit flavors. Bright acidity adds lift and cut to a long, floral-dominated finish. (Jan/Feb 2013)"
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$29.95
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WS 90
France
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Rhone
-
Other
In stock,
8
available
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90 points Wine Spectator: "Solid, with ample briary grip carrying the dark currant, plum skin and mulled blackberry notes, while singed spice and cassis bush hints check in on the finish. Drink now through 2018. 1,108 cases made. (10/31/12)"
This pure Syrah comes from a blend of different parcels averaging 20 years old. Well-drained sols give the wine a precision and minerality. A delight for the first vintage of this label.
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$29.95
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WS 91
France
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Rhone
-
Other
In stock, 12+ available
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91 points Wine Spectator: "This bold, creamy style displays lots of mango and peach notes, liberally laced with toasted hazelnut, buttered brioche and dried pineapple flavors. The long, creamy finish is very tropical. Drink now. 841 cases made. (10/31/12)"
100% Marsanne from 20-year-old vines in the village of Saint Péray. Barrel fermentation (25% new) at low temperature for 6 months with bâtonnage once a week. Indigenous yeasts. Aged in barrels for 10 months.
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