Staff Favorites

77% Merlot / 18% Cabernet Franc / 5% Cabernet Sauvignon - “Supple and utterly charming, with a juicy core, fine tannins and chalky edges. This is quite reserved still, not showing its full width but I love the detail and... Read More

The folks at Brady sure love their Petite Sirah… adding 12% to the blend here. Here, the PS adds tannic structure to the equation. Ripe fruit, of course… but where this baby differs from the pack is the acidity.... Read More

This is the wine I am most excited about, as I just adore Petite Sirah! Like Zinfandel, Petite Sirah is a California original with a murky history and ancestry. Some of the “Petite Sirah” is, in fact, Peloursin. It... Read More

“The secret of Bandol reds is the perfect marriage of the Mourvedre grape, which combines a Cabernet-like elegance with a rustic charm, the warm Mediterranean sun, and low yields from poor, rocky soil. The result is long-lived... Read More

“We are thrilled with the performance of this wine, as it is already beginning to show explosive, complex aromatics (red, blue and black fruits, spices and meats), lovely texture with vibrant, layered red, blue and purple... Read More

#10 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2024

David Ramey is a legend in California Chardonnay. His children Alan and Claire now run the family winery and continue the tradition of their father’s terrific single-vineyard expressions... Read More

Fresh nectarine, Meyer lemon and pear on the highly perfumed, mineral-tinged nose. Shows very good depth and sharp delineation to its intense citrus and orchard fruit flavors and picks up floral and iodine nuances as the wine... Read More

57% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Petit Verdot “The second wine of this estate is the 2020 Blason D'Issan, and it's a pure, fruit-forward, impressive barrel sample. Lots of sweet cassis and darker cherry... Read More

The finest wine I've tasted from this estate, the 2020 Chateau Bellefont-Belcier is an incredibly gorgeous blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep ruby/purple-hued, it offers a great nose of... Read More

This is Cahors. It’s a small town of around 23,000 people situated on this striking u-bend on the Lot river, 100 miles east of Bordeaux. If you look closely at the picture (click on it to get a high-res version), you can... Read More

Bodegas Muga is arguably the most famous and important winery in Rioja, if not all of Spain. The Muga family strives to maintain the traditional winemaking process of Rioja – every aspect of production is still carried out... Read More

The nose of the red 2020 Aalto comes blasting with tons of toasted oak, spice, smoke and more toast, ripe berries and a luxurious creaminess like the finest modern wines from the turn of the century. This is predictable but exactly... Read More

Unlike most Southern Cotes du Rhone we see, this is 80% Syrah, with the balance old-vine Cinsault and Grenache. Compared to Grenache-based bottlings, this has got more Syrah black-and-blue fruit profile, all dark and smoky and... Read More

#46 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2024

One of the most elegant and refined wines from northeastern Spain. From vineyards in San Martin de Unx, now owned by Raul Perez, on limestone soils. This is a blend of the five highest plots (up to 800m) which explain the wine's... Read More

This is the most exciting discovery of the year!

Actually, I discovered the wine years ago vacationing in Spain. I was blown away… then saddened to find out there was no distribution in the US.

That changed a year ago…... Read More

Before he was awarded multiple Winemaker of the Year awards, Raul Perez was a young winemaker working for his family’s winery, Castro Ventosa. Founded in 1752, the winery is the largest owner of vineyards in Bierzo, a small... Read More

Coming from across the whole property and pouring a medium ruby/magenta color, the 2022 Pinot Noir Estate is fragrant and perfumed with lovely notes of black raspberries, fresh violets, and stony earth. Medium-bodied, with ripe... Read More

#33 Wine Spectator Top 100 2024

Elegant, with an appealing, creamy nappe to the texture as it carries notes of ripe pear, peach skin, blood orange peel, green almond and orchard blossoms. A tangy streak of salinity and lively... Read More

#49 Wine Spectator Top 100 2024

A balanced, supple version, with a smoky undertone to the black cherry and blackberry fruit. Graphite and rosemary accents join the long finish. Drink now through 2027.... Read More

From winemaker par excellence Raul Perez comes this stunning white. A blend of Godello and Dona Blanca sources from vineyards planted in 1925 and 1940. The grapes are pressed then fermented in 500 and 700 liter barrels, remaining... Read More

No doubt in my mind, this rates out higher than the barrel sample. This is stunningly delicious! So why haven't you heard of the winery before now? As a reminder, the winery only started producing under this label in 2011,... Read More

#65 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2024

Bursting with peach, apple, lemon and flint aromas and flavors, this expressive and supple white is harmonious and ready to enjoy yet should develop well over the next five to seven years. Excellent... Read More

#69 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2024

A rich version, bordering on creamy, this peach-, apple- and stone-inflected white is complex and long, with fine balance and a long aftertaste that resonates with fruit and mineral notes. Drink... Read More

Clear breeding and ambition. Damson, pencil lead and wet stones on the nose, full extraction, more so than many others but without losing a sense of vibrancy and grip. This is excellent within the context of the vintage, a real... Read More

Beautiful, isn't it? This is Cap de Creus, a peninsula in northeastern Spain. I fell in love when I first visited in 2014. Staying in the fishing village of Port de la Selva, my family explored an old monastery, hiked in the... Read More

A fruity nose with redcurrants, cranberries, peaches and some herbs. The medium-bodied palate has a creamy texture and volume. Round and generous with lots of succulent berries and a precise finish. From biodynamically grown grapes... Read More

Tasted twice and showing incredibly well both times, the 2018 Château Malescot Saint-Exupery comes from a 28-hectare vineyard in the heart of Margaux and is a rough blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and the balance... Read More

100% Pinot Noir sourced from Verzenay & Verzy; dosage 7gr/l ; 30% reserve wine; 3 years minimum ageing on the lees. 40% primary fermentation in barrel. Big fruity red berry fruits with hints of toast. Great complexity earthy,... Read More