The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series is pleased to offer four exceptional wines in July from three continents. Leading this month’s features is the 2017 Barista Pinotage, a premium South African specialty. Named after the coffee machine and the attendant who brews and dispenses espresso and lattes, Val de Vie’s 2017 Barista Pinotage is uniquely delicious with its bold smoky aromas and flavors that waft from the glass the moment it is poured. Roasted coffee, dark chocolate and deep dark fruit flavors explode in the mouth. Hints of mulberry and pomegranate join a smorgasbord of savory sizzling bacon scents and slow roasted barbeque flavors to delight the palate. Long, dry and profound on the finish, the 2017 Barista Pinotage flows gracefully down the throat on a stream of fine grained tannins. Taste and see why Pinotage is now all the rage.

Our next Premier Series feature is the strikingly beautiful 2017 Domaine des Blaïs Côtes de Provence Rosé, a wine that truly captures the beauty, scent, and warmth of the sun-drenched Provençal countryside and elicits memories of the region’s rarified air and illuminated landscapes, all of which shimmer beside the sparkling Mediterranean Sea. That it is bottled in a strikingly elegant flute bottle known as a “flute à corset,” a distinctive sensual Provençal bottle that recalls the region’s fecundity, colorful outdoor cafés, and fun in the sun, only adds to the wine’s attraction. Delicate in color, much like old-fashioned pink roses, the 2017 Domaine des Blaïs Rosé enchants the eye as well as the nose and palate. Delicate scents of cherry blossom, rose petal, and apricot delight the nose before seeping surreptitiously into the wine’s sensual core. Domaine des Blaïs is a dry, scented, savory rosé whose delicacy and evanescence render it unabashedly attractive. Not unlike the Provençal countryside, there is a fleeting, yet timeless quality about this rosé.

Next in this month’s exciting quartet is the 2016 La Posta Pizzella Family Mendoza Malbec, which captivates with rich berry aromas, refined complex flavors, and silky smooth tannins – attributes rarely seen in the vast majority of lesser Malbecs. If one is accustomed to brawny simplistic Malbec, La Posta’s Pizzella Malbec will come as a revelation. This Pizzella Family Malbec delights the palate with cherry, dark berry, and plum flavors infused with savory notes of chocolate, sandalwood, tea, and violets. Medium to full-bodied, this textured Malbec delivers its largesse with precision and polish before finishing with charm and verve.

Rounding out July’s Premier Series portfolio is the 2016 Domaine Vigneau-Chevreau Vouvray Sec, a dry Chenin Blanc from France’s lovely Loire Valley. It first captures the eye with its sun-kissed color and follows with a heady bouquet that offers seductive scents of acacia flower, pineapple, and quince. Although from the aroma one may think that this Vouvray is sweet, Domaine Vigneau-Chevreau’s 2016 Vouvray Sec (sec means dry) actually retains little residual sugar. It does, however, offer wonderfully ripe tropical fruit flavors on a bed of minerals and balanced acidity, which play nicely off of the wine’s floral tones and physiological ripeness. In the mouth, delicate hints of papaya, pineapple and quince take up residence with a touch of dried honey and a nice dash of crisp acidity that allows the wine to finish refreshingly dry.

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is proud to offer three exceptional wines again in July, beginning with the 2014 Wildberry Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine scored 95 points from James Halliday and 92 points from Wine Advocate and will convince any wine lover of Margaret River’s supremacy as Australia’s top viticultural region. Not surprisingly, scientists and viticulturists have identified Margaret River as the finest place on earth to grow grapes. Wildberry’s Reserve Cabernet adds further testament to that finding. The 2014 Wildberry Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is elegant, ripe, lush and beautifully arrayed in a purple robe. Enticing blackberry and cassis aromas infused with cedar and oak waft from the glass. In the mouth, bold fruit and herb flavors flow across the tongue to caress the palate. Medium to full-bodied with smooth, polished tannins, the 2014 Wildberry Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon provides superb concentration and length without hard, mouth-searing tannins.

Our next July Collectors Series offering is the 2013 Robertson Constitution Road Chardonnay, Robertson’s flagship white wine. From the moment this sun-kissed wine flowed into our glasses, it captivated the entire tasting panel. This world class Chardonnay offers an enchanting set of aromatics, full round flavors, impeccable balance, and a long satisfying finish. According to Jacques Roux, specialty winemaker at Robertson Winery, the 2013 Robertson Constitution Road Chardonnay is “deliciously rounded and deeply satisfying… it has so many dimensions and layers from apricot, peach and pineapple to some nuttiness, a hint of vanilla from the wood and a whiff of coffee.” All true! Simply put, this Chardonnay has it all.

Completing this month’s Collectors Series is the exceptional, deeply colored 2015 Casarena Owen’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Garnering 94 points from Luis Gutierrez and Wine Advocate, the 2015 Owen’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon hails from old vines, which imbue it with New World vivacity and Old World charm. A striking aroma redolent with the savory scents of currants, dark cherries, cedar and coffee makes for a striking first impression. In the mouth, this young Cabernet Sauvignon doesn’t disappoint, either, offering up a complex blend of berry fruit, tobacco leaf and subtle spices, all of which are carried on a stream of balanced, well-integrated tannins. Casarena’s 2015 Owen’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon finishes with considerable authority and length, further confirming favorable first impressions. Enjoy!

In June, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series is pleased to offer four more exciting wines, beginning with the 2016 Diaz Bayo Ribera del Duero Roble from Spain’s iconic Tempranillo D.O. Produced from 100% Tempranillo vines from a single 30 year old parcel of vines, which lies high above the mighty Duero River, Diaz Bayo’s 2016 Roble offers seductive aromas of cherry and mulberry mingled with hints of spice and a gentle infusion of mineral for added complexity. Expansive on the palate, the 2016 Diaz Bayo Roble unfolds to reveal rich fruit flavors, subtle spice tones and light tannins that accentuate the wine’s lovely fruit and seductive texture. Although traditional in style and capable of ageing for several more years, the youthful 2016 Diaz Bayo Roble drinks beautifully from the moment it splashes into the glass.

Our next Premier Series feature is the lively fresh 2017 Rustenberg Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc. Rustenberg’s 2017 Chenin Blanc marks this estate’s maiden vintage with Chenin Blanc. Sourced from 4 individual bush vine blocks, 20-35 years of age, the 2017 Rustenberg Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc is Rustenberg’s take on South Africa’s premier grape variety, and it is a very good take indeed. Blessed with a bright sunlit color and a lively bouquet of pineapple, pear and citrus oil, this wine intrigued us from the moment we poured it. Crisp fresh fruit and mineral flavors pervade the wine’s flavor profile and allow the wine to slip surreptitiously down the eager gullet, prompting a number of our tasting panel members to beg for more. There’s nothing weighty or complex about Rustenberg’s youthful 2017 Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc, but this initial offering from Rustenberg possesses superb balance, wonderful flavor, and all the ingredients it needs to mature in bottle for at least another 5 years.

Next in this month’s exciting quartet is the sensual, seductive 2015 Tierra Y Mar La Riviere Russian River Pinot Noir, a wine that combines the best attributes of the New and Old Worlds. In deference to Burgundy, the 2015 Tierra Y Mar La Riviere offers up juicy scents of raspberry and strawberry that evoke memories of the savory Pinots of Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune. From California’s Russian River AVA, Tierra Y Mar La Riviere’s Pinot Noir inherits a clean, well-toned body and flavorful hints of cinnamon and Christmas spices. Exuding elegance, flavor, and a suavity usually found in much pricier Pinot Noirs, the 2015 Tierra Y Mar La Riviere Pinot Noir is not only a bargain, it’s delicious.

Rounding out this month’s Premier Series portfolio is the 2016 Maison Gilles Noblet Mâcon-Fuissé, the progeny of another excellent vintage in Burgundy. It is ripe, round, and in possession of the elegance and mineral driven precision that Noblet always seems to impart to his wines. From its bright sun-splashed robe, which recalls the rows of golden clusters of Chardonnay grapes that mature slowly under the Mâconnais sun, to light savory notes of acacia flowers, sliced apples, white peaches, and freshly baked bread that waft from the glass, the 2016 Maison Gilles Noblet Mâcon-Fuissé is a real crowd pleaser. Fresh, nuanced and eminently drinkable, Maison Gilles Noblet’s 2016 Mâcon-Fuissé delights but will continue to develop in bottle and offer exceptional drinking pleasure through 2019 and beyond.

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is proud to offer three exceptional wines again in June. Leading this month’s portfolio is the sophisticated 2013 Tikal Júbilo, an artful blend of Malbec (60%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (40%) that integrates the best characteristics of each of the wine’s grape varieties into a delicious seamless red that puts many high-priced red Bordeaux and New World varietal bottlings of Cabernet and Malbec to shame. Moreover, it aptly represents Argentina’s finest oenological endeavor: the successful marriage of two of the world’s most revered red grape varieties, resulting in a wine greater and more sophisticated than the sum of its parts. The 2013 Júbilo offers an enchanting bouquet redolent with the savory scents of blackberry, red currant, and plum. On the palate, layers of blackberry, currant, cherry liqueur, black tea, and woodland flavors unfold slowly, bolstered by fresh, vibrant tannins that add structure and depth. Bold, rich flavors wedded to a firm medium body ensure pleasurable drinking now and for years to come.

Our next June Collectors Series offering is the 2014 Garofoli Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Podium (90 points Wine Spectator), which has been called “elegant, creamy, and a profound example of Verdicchio.” We found the 2014 Podium to be all that and more, but make no mistake, Verdicchio is a delicate grape whose charm is born of elegance, minerality and pinpoint precision. No butter, no oak, no tropical fruit flavors are to be found in the 2014 Podium. Instead, this sleek mouthwatering Podium offers clean fruit aromas, gentle minerality, and faint hints of exotic spices. In the mouth, Podium’s gentle citrus and pear fruit flavors mingle with touches of almond and ginger, all of which are held together with sleek acidity. Long and lovely on the finish, we would be hard pressed to find a better example of Verdicchio than Garofoli’s luxurious Podium.

Completing this month’s Collectors Series is the exceptional, highly allocated 2015 Mendel Malbec (93 points Tim Atkins, 93 points James Suckling), which testifies to winemaker Robert de la Mota’s deft hand with Malbec. Wearing a deep purple, nearly opaque, robe as good Malbec should and exhibiting an aroma redolent with dark cherry, currant, and plum, Mendel’s 2015 Malbec begins to sing from the glass the moment it is poured. Full-bodied and densely packed, this Malbec fills the mouth with concentrated kirsch and plum fruit flavors mingled with hints of dark chocolate, cedar and mint. Known as the “Godfather of Malbec,” Robert de la Mota has imbued the 2015 Mendel Malbec with plenty of energy, flavor and backbone to provide pleasurable drinking now through 2022 and beyond.