Wine
Wine
Michael David Winery 2017 Sloth Zinfandel
American Red
Cherry, fig, vanilla and clove accompany bright cherry fruit, toasted marshmallow and nutmeg. Spice and tannin detail also appear. The blend contains Zinfandel and Petite Sirah from Mendocino County. Fruit comes from the Larramendy vineyard, planted in the 1950s on gravelly loam, and the wine matures for sixteen months in new French and American oak.
Rhys Alesia 2018 Anderson Valley Chardonnay
American White
Gold colour accompanies honeysuckle, white blossom and honeyed orchard fruit, together with apple and white flowers. The medium-bodied wine has finesse, tangy acidity, chalky minerality, lemon curd and crushed citrus, with a long mineral finish. Chardonnay fruit comes from Anderson Valley in California. Bosc pear, red apple, stone, honeycomb and baker's yeast add further detail.
Famille Hugel 2009 Riesling Jubilee
French White
Straw-yellow colour accompanies ripe, bright fruit with mint, herbs and mineral-earthy notes. The wine has a soft aromatic character, a touch of toast and refreshing herbal flavour, together with minerality and a long, complex finish. Riesling comes from thirty-year-old vines in the Schoenenbourg vineyard at Riquewihr, where marl and clay lie over gypsum-rich subsoil. Alcohol is 13.55 percent.
Orlando Abrigo 2015 Barbaresco Riserva Rongalio
Italian Red
Ruby colour accompanies violets, plum, cherry, cinnamon, pepper, liquorice, balsamic notes and mint. The dry wine is balanced, dense, velvety, elegant and harmonious, with a persistent finish. Made entirely from Nebbiolo in Piedmont, the Riserva comes from old vines in the Meruzzano vineyard and matures for twenty to twenty-two months in large Slavonian oak vats.
Domaine de Marcoux 2014 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc
French White
Melon, cured ham and citrus accompany salty mineral notes in this medium-bodied, textured white. The wine also shows lively citrus, floral and herb details with lime, green apple and tangerine. Roussanne and Bourboulenc are gently pressed. Most of the wine remains in stainless steel on fine lees, while a small portion of Roussanne matures in barrel.
Mount Veeder Winery 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
American Red
Black plum, blackberry, fig and ripe cherry appear with toasted oak, caramel, dried herbs and floral notes. The wine is concentrated, rich and full-bodied, with integrated tannins, sweet fruit, acidity, leather and wet stone. Dark berry, baking spice and mocha also appear, and the finish is lengthy. This Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Napa Valley in California, within the United States.
Two Paddocks 2022 The Fusilier Bannockburn Vineyard Pinot Noir
New Zealand Red
Light red fruit, gentle spice, smoky oak and a steely note appear with ripe dark cherry, plum pit, savoury detail, wild herbs and a mineral undertone. Medium youthful tannins, ripe acidity and a noticeable touch of new oak accompany a long finish. Pinot Noir fruit comes from a single vineyard in Bannockburn, within New Zealand's Central Otago region.
Ponzi 2021 Laurelwood District Pinot Noir
American Red
Black pepper, nutmeg, mesquite, lavender and dried rose petal appear on the nose beside blueberry, raspberry and blackberry bramble. The palate brings maple, black-cherry reduction, dried sage, chocolate nibs, malt and cinnamon, with juicy acidity and long, dusty tannins. This Pinot Noir comes from the Laurelwood District within Oregon's Willamette Valley in the United States.
Robert Weil 2021 Kiedrich Turmberg Riesling Trocken VDP.Erste Lage
German White
Grapefruit, lemon zest, peach skin and wild herbs accompany ripe yellow fruit. The dry Riesling is tight and crisp, with mineral character, a delicate bitter note, elegance and an extended finish. Fruit comes from the Kiedrich Turmberg site in Germany's Rheingau region. The wine carries the VDP Erste Lage classification and was matured in large wooden casks.
Domaine Fumey-Chatelain 2022 Arbois Chardonnay
French White
Yellow-fleshed fruit, white flowers and anise sit alongside minerality, tension and freshness. Chardonnay grows on clay-limestone soil. Fermentation and maturation both take place in barrel for a year and a half, using indigenous yeasts. The vineyard site is in Montigny-lès-Arsures, within France's Jura region. The producer places this Chardonnay among its white wines known as vins ouillés.
Rippon 2016 Mature Vine Pinot Noir
New Zealand Red
Pale yet saturated in colour, with a fine perfume of game, dry berries and cherry. Savoury, dry tannins accompany mouthwatering, meaty and herbal character. Raspberry, Asian five-spice, delicate herbs, crushed stone and firm, ripe tannins also appear. Medium- to full-bodied, the wine has a long finish and a slightly chewy texture. The Pinot Noir comes from biodynamically farmed vines in Central Otago, New Zealand.
Scopone 2020 Brunello di Montalcino
Italian Red
Ruby red colour with slight brightening at the rim accompanies plum and walnut. Mint, fresh thyme, refreshing acidity and somewhat coarse-grained tannins appear in the wine, together with a medium-long finish. Made entirely from Sangiovese, this Tuscan red comes from Brunello di Montalcino. Black cherry and slate appear alongside medium body, juicy tannins and a savoury finish.
La Visciola 2022 Vicinale Cesanese del Piglio
Italian Red
Blueberry, tobacco, leather, dark fruit, earth and mushroom appear in this red. Made entirely from Cesanese, it draws on several plots of forty-five- to sixty-year-old vines growing on red clay between 340 and 400 metres. The wine is made in stainless steel, remains there for at least one year before bottling, and is unfined and unfiltered.
Domaine de la Mordorée 2021 La Dame Voyageuse Châteauneuf-du-Pape
French Red
Cherry, raspberry and strawberry shape this Grenache-led Rhône red. The wine is medium- to full-bodied, taut and crisp, with silky tannins at the finish. Grenache accounts for 90% of the blend. It comes from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, an appellation in the Rhône region of southern France. Its fruit profile is somewhat redder than usual for this cuvée.
Dievole 2019 Vigna di Sessina Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
Italian Red
Red berries, dried cherry and sage meet plum, herbs and darker fruit. The palate is juicy, polished, fresh and elegant, with a long finish and rich extract. Made entirely from Sangiovese, the wine comes from a south-facing vineyard on sandstone crossed by limestone. It matures for seventeen months in large oak barrels and is organically farmed.
Riecine 2020 Bianco di Riecine Trebbiano
Italian White
Intense orange colour carries flint reflections. Apricot, strawberry, glue and resin appear on the nose, followed by a fresh, medium-weight palate with slight tannin and a medicinal aftertaste. Made entirely from Trebbiano, the wine ferments in cocciopesto amphorae. Most stays on its skins, while a smaller portion ages without skins in new 500-litre tonneaux before blending.
Viñátigo 2018 Elaboraciones Ancestrales Tinto
Spanish Red
Cherry and red fruit appear with spice in this Tenerife red, which has a long, refined finish. The blend divides equally between Tintilla and Baboso Negro from ungrafted vines. After a cool maceration, each variety ferments separately with stems in open wooden vats. The two wines then mature together for one year in a foudre before bottling.
Piper-Heidsieck NV Cuvée Brut Pride Edition Champagne
French Sparkling
Pear, white peach, citrus and orange blossom accompany toasted bread, fresh almonds and mint. The Champagne wine combines a crisp sensation with creamy texture, concentration and salinity. Its blend is 50% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Meunier and 20% Chardonnay, drawn from more than one hundred Champagne crus. The house classifies the cuvée as multi-vintage Brut.
Perticaia 2015 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG
Italian Red
Blackberry, plum and black cherry appear with dried violet, blueberry, tobacco, cocoa, juniper, cinnamon, leather, liquorice, undergrowth, vanilla and menthol. Made entirely from Sagrantino, this Umbrian red has an intense ruby colour with garnet hues. The wine is full and persistent, with silky, balanced tannin and marked acidity. It matures twenty-four months in oak, then three months in steel and twelve months in bottle.
Domaine Desvignes 2021 Givry Rouge
French Red
Dark berries, clove and exotic spice appear in this Pinot Noir from Burgundy. The wine is medium- to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with powdery tannins and succulent acidity. Produced in Givry within Burgundy's Côte Chalonnaise, this red draws on several village parcels with clay-limestone soils. The overall profile is deeper and brooding, with concentrated character.
Rocca di Frassinello 2019 Maremma Toscana DOC
Italian Red
Intense ruby with garnet hints, combining strength, intensity and elegance. The wine has soft tannins, a round mouthfeel, fruit and spice notes, depth and lively balance. The blend is 60% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot. Fermentation takes place in steel, followed by malolactic fermentation, fourteen months in barriques—80% new—and another eleven months in bottle.
Cascina Penna-Currado 2022 Carrà Barbera d’Alba
Italian Red
Deep ruby in colour, with plum, blueberry, spice and balsamic notes. The wine has full body, crisp minerality, fine velvety tannins and an extended finish. It is made entirely from Barbera grown in two southwest-facing San Sebastiano vineyards planted twenty-five and seventy years ago. After cold maceration and fermentation, it matures for about one year in large barrels.
Roagna 2018 Langhe Rosso
Italian Red
Dried red cherry, mint, spice, tobacco, dried leaves and worn leather shape this wine, made entirely from Nebbiolo. Fruit comes from young vines in Barolo- and Barbaresco-designated vineyards. Fermentation begins in wooden vats with an indigenous pied de cuve, followed by submerged-cap maceration. The wine then spends about five years in neutral oak and concrete. This red comes from Piedmont in Italy.
Catena Zapata 2020 Malbec Argentino
Argentinian Red
Made entirely from Malbec, with 20% whole clusters and 80% whole berries, the fruit is hand-loaded into new French-oak barrels. Fermentation lasts seventeen to twenty-eight days with wild yeast, low temperatures and manual cap management. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation take place in barrel, followed by twelve to eighteen months in French oak. Fruit comes from Nicasia and Angélica vineyards.
Montalto 2015 Merricks Block Pinot Noir
Australian Red
A hyper-fragrant bouquet brings fruit and forest notes. Earth, smoke, pickled cherry, clove-studded ham and autumn leaves accompany demerara and mocha oak. The Pinot Noir also shows rosewater, sappy cherry, char, youthful acidity, roast orange and grilled nuts. Made from the MV6 clone on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, it has red fruit, plum, acidity and oak, with a long finish.
Elian Da Ros 2022 Coucou Blanc
French White
Floral, taut and enveloping, with grapefruit and stone-fruit notes. The blend combines Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris and Sémillon. Vines are farmed biodynamically on clay and gravel above blue marl. Cellar details include slow pressing, cold settling, fermentation and ageing in foudres and concrete. The wine comes from the Côtes du Marmandais in the southwest of France.
Ashes & Diamonds 2016 Blanc No. 2
American White
Fully ripe and textured, this bright and zesty Napa Valley white wine combines Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Its mineral notes sit beside details of dried citrus and herbs. Fruit comes from two organically farmed sites: one in Oak Knoll District and the other in Yountville. Both districts lie within Napa Valley in California, United States.
Fairview Cellars 2012 Premier Series Cabernet Franc
Canadian Red
Plum and spice define the nose of this Canadian Cabernet Franc from British Columbia's Okanagan Valley. The wine is dry and carries medium-plus acidity together with substantial tannin. At a contemporary cellar tasting, the bottle remained quite closed but was already described as very tasty. Its tannic scale was recorded between medium-plus and high at that visit.
Whitehall Lane 2013 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
American Red
Ripe red and black fruit, juicy fruit, plum and dried berry appear beside terracotta. The wine is full and concentrated, with velvety tannins and a refined, lasting finish. Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for 86% of the blend. Merlot contributes 8%, while Malbec and Petit Verdot each contribute 3%. This Napa Valley red was made in the United States.
Piro Wine Company 2018 Runway Vineyard Pinot Noir
American Red
Dark berries, slight reduction, dark red fruit and sweet elderberry appear in a bold yet delicate profile. The wine is made entirely from Pinot Noir, and every bunch is fully destemmed. Fermentation takes place in an open-top vessel, with fourteen days on skins. Barrel ageing lasts twenty-one months across new, neutral and once-used French oak.