Wine
Wine
Taittinger Brut Réserve FIFA World Cup 26 Limited Edition NV
French Sparkling
Fine bubbles accompany delicate fruit and honey aromas. The flavour is balanced, fresh, elegant and refined. The non-vintage blend is forty percent Chardonnay, thirty-five percent Pinot Noir and twenty-five percent Pinot Meunier, sourced from more than forty vineyards and four different vintages. The Chardonnay proportion contributes to the fresh character. The wine contains 12.5 percent alcohol.
CheckMate Artisanal Winery 2021 Queen Taken Chardonnay
Canadian White
Rosewater, ginger and Asian pear appear in the aromas. Grilled pineapple, rosemary and ripe apricot are present on the palate. The wine is tense and textural, with a savoury finish. It comes from the Dekleva Vineyard southwest of Oliver, where Chardonnay vines approach fifty years of age. The vineyard sits beneath Mount Kobau and the Thompson Plateau and includes the distinctive Dekleva clone.
Domaine Vincent & François Jouard 2019 Chassagne-Montrachet Vieilles Vignes
French White
Almond, hazelnut, ripe apple and honey appear in a rich, structured white with fruit, finesse and power. The Chardonnay comes from vines more than fifty years old in rocky clay-limestone soil over white stones. Fermentation takes place in French oak. Maturation lasts twelve months in barrel, with ten percent new oak. The wine contains fifteen percent alcohol.
Domaine Comte Abbatucci 2017 Ministre Impérial
French Red
Small tart redcurrants, mineral and smoky notes appear with fine oak. The palate has depth, sapidity, verticality, breadth, generosity and purity. The blend includes Sciaccarellu, Niellucciu, Morescola, Morescono, Montaneccia, Carcajolu-Neru and Aleatico. Fermentation takes place in wooden vats. Maturation lasts twelve months in foudre and 600-litre demi-muids, followed by several months in stainless steel and at least six months in bottle.
Julien Guillot 2017 Bourgogne Blanc Cuvée Léandre L’Homme Lion
French White
Bright and vivid, with energy. The palate is rich and salty, with a firm backbone, length, intensity, nuance and layers of complexity. The Chardonnay spent forty-three months ageing, and only one barrel was made. No sulphur was added. The wine comes from the Mâconnais in Burgundy and is certified organic. Precise reduction and texture are also present.
Au Pied du Mont Chauve 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet En Pimont
French White
Green herb and toast accompany bright, fresh fruit. White grapefruit and lemon are juicy and mouthwatering, with white pepper and a steely, long finish. The profile is concentrated. This dry white is made entirely from Chardonnay and contains 13.5 percent alcohol. The vineyard has a thin clay-limestone topsoil and was planted in the mid-1970s. Maturation lasts eighteen months on fine lees, including at least ten months in wood.
Vidal-Fleury 2019 Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde
French Red
The colour is red with carmine glints. Aromas include fresh fruit, violet, pepper, smoke and black olive. Blackcurrant, red fruit and curry spice are present on a rich, soft and fresh palate. The blend is ninety-five percent Syrah and five percent Viognier. Traditional maceration lasts three weeks, indigenous yeast conducts fermentation, and maturation on the lees lasts two years in barrels and large oak casks.
Domaine Simon Bize et Fils 2020 Savigny-lès-Beaune
French Red
Black cherry, sweet dark berry, woodsmoke, currant leaf, dark soil and dark chocolate appear together. The wine is deep and full-bodied, with a core of black fruit, ripe firm tannins, tangy acidity, focus and grip. The finish has length, vibrancy and balance. This dry village red is made entirely from Pinot Noir, and production for the vintage totalled 15,000 bottles.
Champagne Girard-Bonnet A Mi-Chemin Grand Cru Extra-Brut
French Sparkling
White flowers accompany minerality and sharp but non-aggressive acidity. The wine is made entirely from Grand Cru Chardonnay, split equally between Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger. Indigenous yeasts are used in tank and barrel, and the wine is aged on its lees. The soils include rendzina and calcareous brown soils over chalk, plus calcareous brown soils on valley-floor colluvium.
Domaine Piguet-Girardin 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Morgeot
French Red
Dark cherry, raspberry, spice, earth and a mineral edge accompany a concentrated Pinot Noir profile. The wine is medium to full in body, with fine tannins and firm grip. The Morgeot parcel lies within Clos Charreau on stony limestone soil with some clay and faces south. Maturation takes place entirely in oak barrels for twelve months, with twenty percent new oak.
Sokol Blosser 2017 Peach Tree Block Pinot Noir
American Red
Clover florals accompany sweet, juicy brambly berry fruit and light, ripened tannins. Cooked bacon, cherry, caramel and spice are also present, with a complex mouthfeel and soft tannins. The finish includes liquorice. This Pinot Noir comes from the Peach Tree Block in Dundee Hills, within Oregon's Willamette Valley. The vineyard includes Pommard and Dijon 777 clones, and the wine contains 13.5 percent alcohol.
Albino Rocca 2022 Barbaresco Cottà DOCG
Italian Red
Garnet colour accompanies violet, red rose, peony, cherry liqueur, bitter cocoa, liquorice, rhubarb, incense and cigar-box notes. Balsamic and spicy details are also present. The palate is fresh and balanced, with savoury tones and velvety tannins. The aftertaste is persistent. The wine is made entirely from Nebbiolo grown at Cottà in Neive. Maturation lasts about twenty months in oak, with further time in bottle.
Champagne Domaine Hélène 2019 Vertus Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Vieilles Vignes
French Sparkling
Fresh and baked green apple, lemon pith, lemon peel, bitter almond and white blossom appear with wet chalk. The profile has a structural frame and a subtle oxidative touch. Old vines in Vertus Premier Cru supply all the Chardonnay. Native fermentation takes place in stainless steel and older wood. Lees ageing lasts four years, and dosage is zero. The finish retains a chalk note.
Hundred Hills 2018 Illustration No. 1 English Sparkling Wine
British Sparkling
Yellow plum, apricot, ripe red apple skin and raspberry appear with salinity and baking spice. Orchard and stone fruit have a juicy character, while pastry notes carry a caramelised aroma and the palate has broad weight. The blend is seventy-two percent Pinot Noir and twenty-eight percent Chardonnay. Partial malolactic fermentation, oak and stainless steel are used, and lees ageing lasts forty months. Dosage is four grams per litre.
Le Chiuse 2020 Brunello di Montalcino
Italian Red
Forest berry, rose, new leather, Mediterranean herb, red cherry, raspberry, citrus, white pepper and anise appear with refined tannins, fresh acidity and energy. This Sangiovese comes from three north-facing vineyards. Fermentation and maceration lasted twenty-two days in temperature-controlled tanks. The wine then spent thirty-six months in Slavonian oak and was reassembled in large concrete tanks before bottling.
Aperture Cellars 2014 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
American Red
Deep purple-black colour accompanies blackcurrant, crushed black cherry, baked plum, Mediterranean herbs and cigar box. The full-bodied profile includes blackberry and liquorice, with supple fruit, firm tannins, cedar and dark chocolate. Dusty gravel and clove are also present, with a juicy mid-palate. This Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Alexander Valley and contains 14.6 percent alcohol.
Champagne Gardet 2015 130 Anniversary Millésime Extra-Brut
French Sparkling
Golden-yellow colour and fine bubbles accompany pear, quince, white peach, jasmine, acacia, sugared almond and roasted hazelnut. The profile is fresh, creamy and full, with lemon, brioche, mineral and citrus-zest notes. The blend is seventy percent Pinot Noir and thirty percent Chardonnay. Bottle ageing on the lees lasted more than eight years, and dosage is four grams per litre.
Allegrini 2011 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Italian Red
Dark cherry, mocha, blue flower and exotic spice appear with raspberry jam, raisin, chocolate and baking spice. The profile is full-bodied and firmly structured, with concentrated fruit and velvety tannins. The blend comprises ninety percent Corvina Veronese, five percent Rondinella and five percent Oseleta. This dry red comes from the Valpolicella Classica area in Veneto.
Castello Banfi 1997 Brunello di Montalcino
Italian Red
Deep red colour with a garnet hue accompanies plum jam, tobacco and liquorice. The profile is powerful yet soft, full and harmonious, with sweet tannins and a persistent finish. This Sangiovese fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel. Maturation lasted two years, split equally between Slavonian oak casks and French oak barriques. The wine contains thirteen percent alcohol.
Lisini 1997 Brunello di Montalcino
Italian Red
Dark garnet colour accompanies plum and cherry fruit, goudron, tobacco, violet, vanilla, fresh porcini, raisin, anise, white pepper, mint and liquorice. The profile has a full body, velvety texture, gauzy tannins and a long finish. This Sangiovese comes from Montalcino. The estate's production method for this wine includes thirty-six months in large Slavonian oak casks.
Force Majeure 2019 Red Mountain Estate Syrah
American Red
Blue fruit, candied violet, chocolate, game, blood and iron appear with ripe tannins and a large finish. The blend is ninety-eight percent Syrah and two percent Viognier, with eighteen percent whole clusters. Fermentation took place in concrete. The wine spent eighteen months in large-format French oak, twenty percent new, and was bottled without fining or filtration. Production totalled 520 cases.
St. Supéry 2013 Élu Napa Valley Red
American Red
Vibrant deep red and purple colour accompanies black plum, blackberry, anise, graphite, dark cocoa, espresso and toasted barrel. Cassis, black pepper and black liquorice are also present, with length and fine-grained tannins. The blend is sixty-five percent Cabernet Sauvignon, twenty-two percent Merlot and nine percent Malbec, with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot making up the balance.
Domaine de Cristia 2019 Renaissance Châteauneuf-du-Pape
French Red
Deep red colour appears with milky black fruit, vanilla and woody notes. The profile has a soft attack, fruit, vanilla, butter and a rich creamy finish. The blend is sixty percent Grenache and forty percent Mourvèdre. Cassis, ripe blackberry, spicy oak, roasted meat, toasted spice and chocolate are also present. Ageing used a combination of demi-muids and new barriques.
Gustave Lorentz 1989 Pinot Gris Sélection de Grains Nobles
French Dessert
Mahogany colour and a deeply candied character accompany balanced sweetness and preserved-fruit notes. The fruit came from the Altenberg de Bergheim vineyard. This sweet white is made from Pinot Gris in Alsace and bears the Sélection de Grains Nobles designation. Successive selections of noble-rot-affected berries are part of the production, and this Pinot Gris style has extreme concentration.
Col Solare 2016 Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
American Red
Black cherry, currant, cinnamon and rose petal appear with vanilla and milk chocolate. Rich refined tannins accompany berry, dried-fruit and cocoa flavours. The blend is ninety-four percent Cabernet Sauvignon and six percent Cabernet Franc. The wine spent twenty-two months in entirely new French oak. Fruit came from three Red Mountain vineyards, and production totalled 5,962 cases.
Château Coutet 2000 Barsac
French Dessert
Golden colour with subtle patina accompanies beeswax, gingerbread, candied fruit, peach liqueur and dried hazelnut. The supple profile includes mineral notes, sweet spice, vanilla and stewed mirabelle, with moderate sweetness and a medium-length finish. The blend is ninety percent Sémillon, nine percent Sauvignon Blanc and one percent Muscadelle. Pronounced acidity is present in this Barsac sweet wine.
Belle Glos 2018 Dairyman Vineyard Pinot Noir Magnum 1.5 L
American Red
Dark ruby colour accompanies boysenberry, dark cherry, mulberry, baking spice, dill, cola, nutmeg and vanilla. Cranberry, ripe plum, cherry and strawberry appear with cocoa powder and sweet fig. The profile has a generous silky mouthfeel and a graceful finish. This Pinot Noir comes from Dairyman Vineyard in the Russian River Valley, and the Magnum format contains 1.5 litres.
Veuve Clicquot 2015 Vintage Brut Champagne
French Sparkling
Bright yellow colour accompanies tension, verticality, minerality and energy. Toast, roasted coffee bean and praline appear with orange, grapefruit, lemon peel, biscuit, brioche, marmalade, dried apricot, date, roasted almond, hazelnut and honey. The blend is fifty percent Pinot Noir, thirty percent Chardonnay and twenty percent Meunier. Ten percent of the wines were produced in oak casks, and dosage is six grams per litre.
Gabrio Bini 2022 Serragghia Zibibbo Bianco
Italian White
An intense golden colour with amber reflections accompanies candied citrus, dried flowers, Mediterranean herbs, resin and oriental spice. The profile is structured and deep, with salinity, freshness and a persistent finish. Zibibbo from Pantelleria underwent extended skin contact and natural vinification in buried amphorae. The vines grow on volcanic and sandy soils of lava origin. Natural agriculture, no chemical treatments and Biodynamic practices are used.
Pecchenino 2016 Barolo Bussia
Italian Red
An intense garnet colour accompanies floral and red-fruit notes, liquorice, spice and tobacco. Ripe red fruit, taut compact tannins and vibrant vertical acidity characterize the profile. The fruit comes from the Bussia MGA, including the Corsini locality, on calcareous-clayey soil with brownish marl and southwest exposure. Fermentation takes place in steel, with maturation in oak casks and cement tanks.