2021
2021
Judith Beck 2021 Blaufränkisch
Austrian Red
Black fruit, ink and graphite sit in a firm profile with fine-grained tannins. The dry red also shows spice, soft texture, velvety tannins and lively acidity. Blaufränkisch undergoes three weeks of maceration and ages for ten months in used barrels. It is neither fined nor filtered, receives little sulphur at bottling and carries 12.5 percent alcohol.
Wesbert 2021 Merlot
Canadian Red
Raspberry, cassis and spice form a compact, pure-fruited profile. Bright acidity keeps the wine juicy and fresh through the finish. Medium body, smooth texture and balance give it an easygoing character, while plum, cherry, blackberry, herbs and cedar add further detail. It is ready to enjoy and works naturally with sausage pizza, beef tacos or a casual barbecue.
Pindarie 2021 The Risk Taker Tempranillo
Australian Red
Black cherry, liquorice and dark plum are joined by scorched earth, dried herbs and spice. The palate is rich and generous, with black fruit, savoury tones and a sturdy tannin structure that brings a slightly chewy texture. Ten months in French oak barrels are part of the maturation, and the finish is long, ripe and savoury.
Montalbera 2021 La Tradizione Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG
Italian Red
Ruchè gives a bright red colour with violet reflections. Rose, red fruit and pepper shape the aromatic profile. The palate is rich in fruit, soft and structured, with a long, characterful finish. The wine is made entirely from Ruchè and matured in stainless steel before controlled-temperature bottle ageing. Fruit comes from Castagnole Monferrato and Montemagno in Piedmont.
Carmen 2021 DO Matorral Chileno Mezcla Tinta
Chilean Red
A vivid violet colour accompanies fresh floral character, red fruit and spice. The palate is soft and round, with rich texture, dark fruit, raspberry coulis, balsamic notes and a long finish. The blend is sixty-five percent Carignan, twenty-five percent Grenache and ten percent Pais. Its eighty-year-old, head-trained Melozal vineyard lies on an east-facing slope over granitic soils containing twelve to twenty-three percent clay.
Keenan & Zoë 2021 Macerated Field Blend
Canadian Red
Organic grapes are the starting point for a natural red made without additions, fining or filtration. The two winemakers are based in Summerland, in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, and also work at the family's Sage Hills estate. Their cuvées and labels change from vintage to vintage. Skin maceration distinguishes this release from the directly pressed field blend made in the same year.
Argiolas 2021 Costera Cannonau di Sardegna
Italian Red
Dark ruby colour shows garnet nuances. Ripe cherry, blueberry, blackcurrant and red plum appear with delicate spice, myrtle and Mediterranean herbs. Ripe, juicy fruit and velvety tannins lead to a soft, fruity finish. The blend combines ninety percent Cannonau with five percent Bovale and five percent Carignano. Fermentation and maceration take place at controlled temperature for ten to twelve days.
Provenance 2021 Dead Eye Chardonnay
American White
Ripe pineapple, white peach, crushed white pepper, honeysuckle and pineapple rind form the aromatic profile. Baked apple and brioche add further detail. The medium-bodied palate includes peaches, Asian pear and cantaloupe, with a sumptuous mouthfeel and a long finish. The fruit comes from Monterey County on California's Central Coast. This dry white is made from Chardonnay.
Julien Pineau 2021 Parce Que
French Red
Black cherry, cassis, nuts and cassis-jam character are present. Tannins are also present, with astringency in the finish. Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Cabernet Sauvignon are macerated separately before fermentation and maturation. The organically farmed fruit comes from several French growers. Sulphur totals fifteen milligrams per litre, alcohol is thirteen percent, and the wine is classified as a French red.
Adriano Marco e Vittorio 2021 Lice Freisa Langhe
Italian Red
Cherry, strawberry, raspberry and rose meet a fresh, vinous character. The palate has moderate body, present tannins and an easy flow. Freisa comes from the family's first planting of the variety, a parcel once belonging to an uncle named Felice. Fermentation is spontaneous in stainless steel, with no wood used. The wine is classified as organic and matures in steel and bottle.
Izadi 2021 Rioja Blanco
Spanish White
Straw yellow with bright green hues, the wine combines dried apple, lemon, stone and honeysuckle. The medium-bodied palate is firm and fresh, with chalk undertones and a flavorful finish. Viura, Malvasía, Garnacha Blanca, Tempranillo Blanco, Maturana Blanca and Turruntés form the blend. Fruit is harvested by hand, and the wine matures for six months in barrel.
Domaine Maby 2021 La Fermade Blanc Lirac
French White
Bright light-yellow with green reflections, the wine combines yellow plum, spring flowers and a chalky note. The palate is silky, rounded and clean, with lively freshness. The blend is forty percent Clairette, thirty-five percent Grenache Blanc and twenty-five percent Picpoul. Vines average thirty-nine years old. Fermentation lasts five weeks in tank, and maturation takes place in stainless steel.
Natte Valleij 2021 Coastal Cinsault
South African Red
Earthy wild strawberry, red fruit and dusty rose meet floral, potpourri and spicy freshness. The palate is medium-bodied and fleshy, with mineral tension and a soft finish. Cinsault comes from five dryland bush-vine parcels ranging from fourteen to fifty years old. The wine is wild fermented, matured in concrete eggs and foudres, bottled unfiltered and classified as vegan.
Quinta do Vale Meão 2021 Meandro Branco
Portuguese White
Very pale yellow-green with silver reflections, the wine combines meadow herbs, white apple, pear, mango and lime zest. Ripe stone fruit and fine acidity meet a mineral-salty finish. Rabigato and Arinto form the blend. The wine is dry and matures on its lees in stainless steel without oak. Its profile is crisp and textured, with basil also present.
La Miraja 2021 Grignolino d’Asti DOC
Italian Red
Light in colour, the wine combines raspberry, dried cranberry and cherry with baking spice, forest-floor and mushroom notes. Its fruit concentration sits within a savoury profile. Grignolino's numerous seeds give the variety pronounced tannin. This bottling also has an acidic backbone, a tannic finish and 12.5 percent alcohol. The winemaker recommends serving it chilled, in the manner of a white wine.
House of Brown 2021 Red Blend
American Red
Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir form an eighty-to-twenty blend. The translucent ruby wine combines hibiscus, tea rose, pomegranate and maraschino cherry with cinnamon, clove and lavender. Its light-bodied profile brings crisp acidity, fruit, spice and a lingering finish. Fruit comes from Lodi and the Cosumnes River area, and the finished wine is identified as sustainably produced and vegan.
A Sunday in August 2021 Pinot Blanc Pétillant Naturel
Canadian Sparkling
Organic Pinot Blanc is destemmed, then kept as whole berries for five days of semi-carbonic maceration. Fermentation begins with ambient yeast, and the wine is bottled before primary fermentation finishes. Five months on the lees precede disgorgement. No fining or filtration is used, and sulfur is limited to twenty parts per million. Tangerine-creamsicle fruit sits within a bright, structured profile.
Dlúhé Grefty 2021 Rufus
Czech Red
The wine comes from Mutěnice in the Czech Republic. The family farms one and a half hectares of organic vines across eight small plots of clay and loess. Relatives help in the vineyard and cellar, while the children inspire the label artwork. The plantings include several central European varieties, and every bottle is closed under crown cap.
Pierre Amadieu 2021 Les Hautes Rives Cairanne
French Red
Hand-picked Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah come from hillside vines rooted in light marl and pebbles above the Aygues. Fermentation lasts fourteen days in stainless steel vats and concrete tanks, with unballasting and pumping over. Ageing takes place entirely in tank. The red wine is full-flavoured and smooth, with balance and freshness, and its stated cellar potential is five years.
Stoller Family Estate 2021 Dundee Hills Chardonnay
American White
Chardonnay opens with wet stone and lemon tart. Persimmon and starfruit appear with firm vibrancy and tension. The finish is clean and taut, with plusher fruit flavours lingering. Fruit comes from south-facing Dundee Hills sections planted on well-drained red Jory soil. Fermentation and ageing use stainless steel, concrete and neutral French oak, followed by three months together in tank.
Thorn & Burrow 2021 One Day Gewürztraminer
Canadian White
Gewürztraminer forms this natural white wine from British Columbia. Alex Thornley built the project around low-intervention winemaking and organically grown fruit sourced from sites across the province. The wines are made in small batches rather than from an estate vineyard. Each release follows the available fruit and the conditions of its vintage, and the labels are bold, graphic and unconventional.
Banshee 2021 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
American White
Chardonnay has aromas of honey, rice cake, ripe Bosc pear, butterscotch and lemon. Apple pie, lemon tart and caramel appear with moderate weight and depth of flavour. The wine is round and delicate, with bright acidity and a creamy finish. Maturation lasted eight months, with twenty-two percent new French oak and a portion held in stainless steel.
Bodegas Viñátigo 2021 Listán Blanco de Canarias
Spanish White
Listán Blanco, also known as Palomino, comes from ungrafted vines on Tenerife's volcanic slopes, 500 to 900 metres above sea level. Grapes are harvested by hand and fermented with indigenous yeast in stainless steel. Lemon, green apple, kiwi and grapefruit appear with fennel, salt and stone. The palate has fresh citrus, herbs, vibrant acidity, concentration, medium weight and length.
Averill Creek Vineyard 2021 Somenos Traminer
Canadian White
Gewürztraminer comes from an exposed, sloping area near the top of the estate vineyard. The site combines alluvial Royston-Qualicum soil with sandy loam and is dry-farmed using permacultural and regenerative practices. The vineyard lies on the mid-slope of Mount Prevost in the Cowichan Valley. Its elevation ranges from 118 to 240 metres within Vancouver Island's dry-summer climate.
Laberinto 2021 Cenizas Mezcla Tinta
Chilean Red
Ripe black cherry, blackberry, blueberry and cassis appear with eucalyptus, violets and subtle oak. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon come from a hand-harvested, organically farmed vineyard in Colbún with volcanic soil. Native-yeast fermentation follows a three-day cold maceration, with twenty-two days of total maceration. The wine spends fourteen months in used French barrels and is bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Domaine Cazottes 2021 Champêtre Blanc
French White
Fresh apple and pear accompany a lively profile with slight roundness and no residual sugar. Mauzac Blanc comes from organic vines on clay-limestone slopes near Cahuzac-sur-Vère. Whole clusters are pressed into tank for a cool overnight settling, then racked to tank for fermentation and maturation. The wine is lightly filtered before bottling with a judicious addition of sulphur dioxide. The vineyards receive biodynamic treatments.
Château Rives-Blanques 2021 Odyssée Limoux Chardonnay
French White
Creamy lees accompany roasted pineapple, spice, mineral character and citrus fruit. The palate is tactile and medium to full in body, with fresh, balanced acidity. Chardonnay forms the entire wine and the grapes are organically grown. The estate specializes in white wines. Its vineyards lie around 350 metres in a protected ecological area where Mediterranean and Atlantic influences meet.
Giramundo 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon
Argentinian Red
Blackberry, dark cherry and cassis accompany mint leaf, black pepper and cocoa nib. Concentrated black fruit appears with dark chocolate, vanilla and a herbaceous note. The finish is firm and lingering, with smooth tannins, mint and dark fruit. The grapes come from Eugenio Bustos in Mendoza's Uco Valley, and the wine is made entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon.
Lornano 2021 Chianti Classico
Italian Red
Tangerine peel and citrus blossom accompany cherry, strawberry, graphite, pencil shavings and pepper. Cherry returns on the palate with peppery earthiness, warming acidity and firm, taut tannins. The wine is made from Sangiovese. Temperature-controlled fermentation takes place in stainless steel with fifteen to eighteen days on skins, followed by malolactic fermentation in French oak and twelve months of oak maturation.
Hewitson 2021 Ned & Henry’s Shiraz
Australian Red
Deep crimson with a purple hue, this Barossa Shiraz offers red and black forest berries with French-oak spice. Nearly all berries remain whole, and the wine matures for eighteen months in seasoned French oak barriques. The Steingarten Road Vineyard sits at 280 metres, with thirty-year-old vines on ancient oxidised ferrous soil over limestone. The palate has explosive red berries and velvety soft tannins, with fresh acidity on the finish.