Fine Wine > 92-95 Pts

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"The 2001 Imperial Gran Reserva has a more complex, better defined nose than the 2000, with black cherries, spice and Seville orange marmalade. The palate is medium-bodied, with fine tannins cloaked in sweet dark cherry, bitter orange and strawberry fruit. It is lighter on its feet than the 2000,..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"A candidate for wine of the vintage, the 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape (a tank-aged blend of 90% Grenache and the rest Mourvedre, Syrah and Cinsault from 80+ year old vines) is a naked expression of Chateauneuf du Pape that is pure fruit and complexity. Its dense purple color is followed by aromas of..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"I can’t say enough about how beautifully classic, racy, and gracious the wines of Brane Cantenac have become over the last decade. The stunningly elegant 2006 exhibits a sweet, subtle smoke note intermixed with creme de cassis in its medium-bodied style with superb nobility, concentration, and..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"The 2008 Barolo Vigna Marenca boasts a center of bright red berries that is surprisingly supple and elegant. Sweet red cherries, freshly cut flowers, spices and mint take shape in the glass as the 2008 shows off a refined, high-toned register that is rarely found in this wine. The 2008 boasts..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
[This] sensational Chateauneuf du Pape has fabulous fruit concentration. Full-bodied, pure and certainly a star of the vintage [it] is a brilliant achievement in 2009, and I kept going back to the glass for another whiff of the kirsch and black raspberry notes.

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"Firmly structured, dark-fruited wine, very solid and dense. It has weight along with black currant fruits and acidity. It’s a wine that is rich but seriously structured for aging. "

Cellar/Tasting Notes
“The 2004 Castille Ygay Gran Reserva Especial has a delightful bouquet with scents of leather, mocha, freshly ground coffee beans and red berry fruit. It has a perfume that encapsulates everything there is to love about classic Rioja. The palate is a little viscous on the entry with hints of dried..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
“Focused and fresh, with violet and blackberry aromas and vanilla undertones. Full-bodied, with very pretty berry fruit character, fine tannins and a long, caressing finish. Refined ...”

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"The 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Origines (1,500 cases produced) is a blend of 50% Grenache, a whopping 30% Mourvedre and 20% Syrah with the latter two components spending time in new oak barrels. All of the fruit comes from vines that are nearly 70 years of age. A great wine with an opaque..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"This lovely wine shows the soft tannins and herbaceousness you often find in Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignons. That dried herb taste accompanies blackberry and black currant fruit. It's classic Silver Oak, dry and elegant."