In December, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series will feature a rare exceptional red wine from Provence, the 2016 Domaine du Vieux Lazaret Ventoux. This Provençal classic entices with its heady aroma; the seductive scents of red berries, mostly in the form of raspberries and redcurrants, immediately greet the nose. Add touches of wild Mediterranean herbs and garrigue, the scented brush of Provence, and an intoxicating concoction is in store to delight the nose. Silky smooth in the mouth and bursting with fresh fruit and pleasant racy spice tones, it is hard to resist this seductive, medium-bodied red wine that goes down ever so easily and accompanies with aplomb a wide range of holiday fare.

Our accompanying white Premier Series feature is the 2017 La Giustiniana Lugarara Gavi del Commune di Gavi DOCG, an exceptional Gavi from Stefano Massone. This single vineyard Gavi embodies all of the Cortese grape’s finest attributes: charm, elegance, finesse, and laser-like precision. The 2017 La Giustiniana Lugarara Gavi offers a beautiful straw-colored robe and a delicate perfume resplendent with the scents of pure freshly squeezed grapes, acacia and citrus blossoms as well as plenty of juicy acidity in the form of lemon zest. Add a soft but refreshing mid palate and impeccable texture and balance that complements the wine’s racy finish and we bet you will find this wine truly hard to resist.

Next in this month’s exceptional quartet is the much coveted 2016 Dominio Basconcillos Seis Meses Ribera del Duero, a wine that received 94 Points from Decanter and seriously raises the bar for all Ribera del Duero. This certified organic offering emanates from selected lots of grapes grown on a mixture of gravel and clay soils, which provide superb drainage and impart complexity as well as a diversity of flavors to an already impeccably balanced, fruit and spice packed wine. The 2016 Basconcillos Seis Meses Ribera del Duero reflects the estate’s pre-eminence in crafting traditional Ribera del Duero, as it offers a deep red color, superb concentration, and plenty of polish to complement its ample ripe tannins. Heady aromas of blackberry, dark cherry, sassafras, sage and violet flowers delight the nose. Happily, this youthful Ribera del Duero follows through in the mouth, too, offering plenty of smooth robust fruit and spice flavors backed by just the right amount of healthy tannins to assure a long illustrious life and many years of pleasurable drinking.

Completing this month’s Premier Series offerings is the delicious and eminently drinkable 2017 Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence Blanc. In this rare white wine made from traditional Provençal grapes, one can almost taste the Provençal sun, feel the cool breeze wafting from the Mediterranean Sea, and smell the scented fragrance of Provence’s magical landscape. Light, fresh, yet full of flavor and pinpoint precision, the 2017 Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence Blanc offers an intoxicating aroma of citrus, mango and white peach. In the mouth, the wine’s crisp orange peel and spice flavors appear on a sea of delicate acidity, making the wine’s delightful finish both round and refreshing. Domaine Houchart’s delicious 2017 Côtes de Provence Blanc brought a host of smiles to our tasting panel and made us all beg for more. No smoke and mirrors, oak, or butter tones here, just one fresh, unique white wine that embodies the best of Provence.

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is thrilled to offer three exceptional and unique wines in December from Italy and France, beginning with the much heralded 2013 Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, an aromatic, elegant wine of bold flavor and impeccable balance. The recipient of multiple 90+ ratings including 91+ Points from Wine Advocate, the 2013 Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano reveals its class and noble upbringing from the moment it exits the bottle. Dressed in a regal robe of purple with deep ruby highlights, this graceful yet flavorful Tuscan red leads with an enticing aroma redolent of black cherry, forest woodlands, violets, and spice along with a pleasing hint of mineral born of Tuscan earth – all of which intimate the ultimate complexity of the aristocratic 2013 Avignonesi Vino Nobile. On the palate, the 2013 Avignonesi Vino Nobile expands to reveal a mélange of complex flavors that well up from a vibrant core replete with ripe dusty tannins, which will inevitably hold this Vino Nobile in perfect condition for a decade or more. With aeration, hints of dark chocolate and fine Florentine leather also emerge to meld with the wine’s polished fruit and spice tones.

Our next December Collectors Series offering is one of the rarest of French wines, the 2016 Domaine Chaley & Fille Les Larets Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Pinot Gris dit Beurot. Only in select areas of Burgundy where Pinot Beurot is indigenous, such as in the tiny village of Curtil-Vergy, is the grape allowed to be grown and its wine sold as Burgundy. A white mutation of Pinot Noir, Chaley’s Les Larets Pinot Beurot from Curtil-Vergy sports a dark pinkish skin, which adds a rich, slightly golden color to the 2016 Domaine Chaley & Fille Les Larets Pinot Beurot. The wine’s aroma is attractive and its flavor quietly seductive. Unlike Hautes-Côtes de Nuits wines made from Chardonnay, oak doesn’t play a significant role in this wine, so that Les Larets’ pure fruit flavors, gentle spice, and refreshing minerality all come front and center in one harmonious package from the first sip until the last.

Completing this month’s Collectors Series is the 2016 Domaine Chaley & Fille Les Rousselots Hautes-Côtes de Nuits. The Hautes-Côtes de Nuits produces some very fine red Burgundies, especially in splendid vintages such as 2016 when the weather shines favorably upon the undulating rows of Pinot Noir vines that cover the hills, but rarely does a Hautes-Côtes de Nuits match the quality of the 2016 Domaine Chaley & Fille Les Rousselots. Chaley’s 2016 Les Rousselots could easily be mistaken for a village wine from nearby Vosne-Romanée, the most hallowed ground in Burgundy, where dirt determines destiny. Chaley’s 2016 Les Rousselots wears a deep red robe that aptly foreshadows its strength and structure. This is no wimpy translucent Burgundian Pinot Noir, but a traditional age-worthy red Burgundy that reveals its intoxicating bouquet of cherries, woodland berries and exotic spices slowly, almost surreptitiously. Similarly, the wine’s rich deep fruit flavors, floral tones, and complex blend of bergamot, black tea, and vanilla emerge at a snail’s pace, but slow and steady wins the race. This is a wine built for the long haul. Enjoy!

In September, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series is proud to offer four exceptional wines from around the world. The first wine in this series is the 2016 The Princess & The Peasant Mendocino Pinot Noir from renowned winemaker Roger Scommegna. Scommegna’s 2016 Princess & The Peasant Pinot Noir from Signal Ridge Vineyard marries several of the finest Pinot Noir clones (Dijon 115, Wadenswil 2A, and Mariafeld 23) into a sophisticated, intense Burgundian style wine. Hauntingly aromatic with the savory scents of mountain berries, lavender and violets, the bouquet alone of this Pinot Noir is worth the price of admission. In the mouth, the wine’s bold aromatics explode on the palate, offering rich dark fruit flavors, floral notes, mineral and spice all carried on the silkiest of tannins. Balanced, beautiful and well-endowed, the 2016 Princess & The Peasant Signal Ridge Pinot Noir is made to please.

Our next Premier Series feature is the 2016 Boccadigabbia Pecorino from Italy’s Marche. The product of the rare Pecorino grape, which is indigenous to Italy’s Marche, Boccadigabbia’s 2016 Pecorino cuts a splendid figure in the glass, with a bright sparkling color and pronounced aromatics. It is even more intriguing on the palate where it unleashes a multitude of flavors, backed by bright acidity and an elegant, delectable tang that sets it apart from white wines from more common grape varieties. In fact, nothing about Boccadigabbia or the Marche’s beloved Pecorino comes across as ordinary. Dry, crisp, and refreshing as an afternoon sea breeze, the 2016 Boccadigabbia Pecorino offers up savory citrus scents and flavors that mingle with fruit and floral tones as well as hints of caraway and the nearby sea. Energetic and fresh, this medium-bodied white wine drinks well now, yet promises several more years of delightful drinking.

Next in this month’s quartet is the outstanding 2015 Black Pearl Oro from South Africa’s Western Cape. A blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon and 42% Shiraz, the 2015 Black Pearl Oro emanates from a pristine vineyard located in the most beautiful wine country on earth. Deep in color, concentrated in flavor and beautifully structured, Oro is indeed liquid gold. Proprietor Mary Lou Nash picks the grapes by hand for Oro, ferments them in an open tank, gently basket presses them, and then ages her precious gem in barrel for one year. Scents of blackberry and mulberry, subtle earth tones, and hints of aromatic herbs waft from the glass before seeping into the marrow of this brooding red to delight the palate. Although bold-flavored and well-structured, the 2015 Black Pearl Oro also exhibits plenty of charm, making it easy to drink and just as easy to forget that it contains 15% alcohol by volume. Pure, bold, and extremely focused, the 2015 Black Pearl Oro reflects the energy, disarming charm, and total commitment of Mary-Lou Nash, Black Pearl’s co-owner, winemaker, viticulturist and one woman marketing group.

Rounding out this month’s diverse offerings is the 2016 Downes Family Vineyards Sanctuary Peak Sauvignon Blanc, which is no ordinary Sauvignon Blanc. Similar to the finest white Bordeaux, it contains no less than seven different blocks of Sauvignon Blanc planted on soils rich in mineral quartz crystals, as well as 10% Semillon that is fermented with wild yeasts and aged three months in new French oak. The result is a brightly colored wine that shows tremendous complexity to complement its pungent fruit and herb flavors. Citrus and melon flavors make their appearance, too, along with a hint of capsicum. A fresh bit of acidity provides refreshment and adds to the wine’s long, lingering finish.

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is proud to offer three superlative wines in September beginning with the 2015 Domaine Pierre Usseglio Lirac, a tour de force in winemaking from the ancient Lirac appellation across the Rhône River from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Deep and rich in aroma, color, and flavor, Pierre Usseglio’s 2015 Lirac offers up an enticing bouquet of ripe black cherries, kirsch, garrigue and fine-grained leather. In the mouth, the wine’s heady aromas coalesce on the palate in a seamless blend of fruit, earth, and spice that keeps on giving long after the wine has slipped down the throat. Balanced and fresh with ripe tannins, Pierre Usseglio’s 2015 Lirac offers everything most Châteauneuf-du-Papes have to offer and more.

Our next September Collectors Series offering, the 2016 Luca G Lot Tupengato Chardonnay, is a Chardonnay that could easily be mistaken for a top-notch Premier Cru white Burgundy from Meursault or Puligny-Montrachet. Grown in well-drained limestone rich soil at 4,900 feet in the isolated Gualtallary (hence the name G Lot) district of Mendoza’s Uco Valley, Luca’s G Lot Chardonnay possesses the purity, panache, and precision one craves in great Chardonnay, beginning with a bright straw color and an entrancing bouquet. Lemon cream, tropical fruits, spiced pear and a racy minerality tantalize the nose. In the mouth, white peach, pear, baking spices and deft hints of hazelnut emerge to delight the palate. The elegant, medium-bodied 2016 G Lot fills the mouth and enlivens the senses with a delightful mélange of succulent Chardonnay fruit as well as an intriguing cornucopia of mineral and spice flavors. Elegant, flavorful and endowed with impeccable balance, G Lot’s bright acidity and understated oak tones ideally frame the wine yet never dominate. Luca’s G Lot Chardonnay truly underscores Laura Catena’s commitment to quality and Argentina’s ability to fashion world-class white wine as well as red wine.

Completing this month’s Collectors Series is the critically acclaimed 2015 Pierre Usseglio Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Garnering 92 points from Wine Advocate and 93 points from James Suckling, Pierre Usseglio’s 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape emanates from the outstanding 2015 vintage in the Southern Rhône Valley and offers everything one hopes to find in classic Châteauneuf-du-Pape: color, aroma, depth of flavor, power, warmth and rustic charm. One can also expect more than a bit of polish and freshness in this wine. Ripe raspberry and dark cherry fruit aromas entertain the nose, while deep berry flavors, crushed herbs, garrigue, and hints of spice and wood smoke fill the mouth and permeate the senses. Ripe, round tannins and a pleasant freshness carry the wine’s fruit and mineral elements to a long, pleasing conclusion. Enjoy!

In August, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series is proud to offer four exceptional wines, beginning with the 2015 Graffito Mendoza Malbec (92 Points – James Suckling). Jimena Lopez has fashioned a rich, flavorful wine in her 2015 Graffito Mendoza Malbec. Perhaps, even more impressive is how she has imbued her Malbec with as much charm and grace as she has flavor and structure. Made from 100 year old vines emanating from Mendoza’s famed Uco Valley, the 2015 Graffito Malbec displays an enviable cachet the likes of well-made Bordeaux: a deep inviting color, aromas of ripe fresh blackberries infused with hints of rose petal, incense and spice, along with juicy berry flavors imbued with dark chocolate and espresso tones. Medium-bodied but full of flavor, there is everything to like about Jimena Lopez’s 2015 Graffito Malbec.

Our next Premier Series feature is the 2017 Areyna Valle de Cafayate Torrontes, a wine that marks a new chapter for the award winning Casarena winery and sheds a whole new light on the Torrontes varietal. Sporting a snappy golden color with fresh green highlights as well as a wickedly aromatic bouquet, it is obvious that Casarena’s young and innovative winemaker Mariano Quiroga Adamo has mastered the Torrontes varietal. Fresh intoxicating scents of spring flowers, lychee fruit, and citrus waft from the glass to set the stage for the wine’s marvelous, almost explosive flavors, which emerge on the palate. Energetic and invigorating in the mouth, Aryena’s 2017 Valle de Cafayate Torrontes not only transfers its highly charged aromatics onto the palate to great appeal, it balances the wine’s floral and fruit tones with refreshing acidity and delightful tension.

Next in this month’s exciting quartet is a wine made from an heirloom grape varietal known as Mission or Pais. J. Bouchon’s 2017 Pais Viejo (92 Points – Descorchado) emanates from 100 year old dry farmed vines from Chile’s Maule Valley. These head-trained Pais vines were 100% naturally-vinified using century-old winemaking techniques, including the use of the zaranda (a structure made of sticks to destem the grape clusters). All of the grapes were hand harvested and fermented with native yeasts in concrete tanks to preserve the wine’s fruit and an authentic expression of terroir. One whiff of this light fresh wine is all one needs to know that this is no ordinary, cookie cutter varietal from the shelf of a big box store. Aromas of ripe fresh strawberry, raspberry, and wild cherry mingled with the first scent of spring flowers quickly greet the nose and alert the palate that something good and very different is about to happen. In the mouth, juicy berry flavors fill the mouth and glide gleefully down the throat on a bed of soft tannins with just the right amount of refreshing acidity. Bouchon’s Pais Viejo is a wine to enjoy with abandon or simply linger over as it slowly reveals charming hints of exotica.

Completing this month’s Premier Series portfolio is the 2016 Green Eyes Grüner Veltliner, a white wine from Austria that is “Light, lovely, and ohhh so drinkable.” Light in color, crisp and refreshing, Hermann Moser’s 2016 Green Eyes Grüner Veltliner leads with an appealing bouquet of freshly picked pears mingled with a hint of spice for which Grüner Veltliner is renowned. Appetizing and lively in the mouth, Moser’s Green Eyes goes down easily but not before treating the taste buds to an appetizing burst of citrus and clean mineral flavors that leave the mouth begging for more. Dry and engaging, Herman Moser’s dry Green Eyes Grüner Veltliner is just plain fun to drink from start to finish. Prost!

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is proud to offer in August three exceptional wines from three continents. Beginning this month’s Collectors Series is the 2012 Penny’s Hill Footprint McLaren Vale Shiraz (93 Points – Stephen Tanzer), which proudly comes across as the estate’s ultimate luxury offering. Rich, powerful and highly aromatic, the still youthful 2012 Footprint offers a heady bouquet that fills a room with its breath. Pure blackberry fruit along with a complex mélange of cocoa, spice, vanilla and a touch of eucalyptus thoroughly captivate the nose. In the mouth, this “Footprint” leaves an even greater impression. Rich, bold and beautiful, the 2012 Penny’s Hill Footprint graces the palate with juicy fruit, dark chocolate and spice tones, textured tannins, and impressive structure. Yet, with all of this wine’s flavor and power (14.9% alcohol), it retains great length and a polished patina.

Our next August Collectors Series offering is the 2016 Amayna Leyda Valley Sauvignon Blanc, a wine that convinced us of just how far Leyda Valley has come in producing world-class wine. Although it sparkles and cuts a fine figure in the glass with flashes of sunshine and a gentle green glint, it is this wine’s intense aromatic profile and bright snappy flavors that sealed the deal for us. Mango, pineapple and passionfruit scents and flavors mingle with touches of citrus, ginger, and well-integrated minerals, all of which add complexity and a delicious mouthwatering snap to this wine, making it hard to beat, with or without food.

Completing this month’s Collectors Series is an exceptional Provençal classic in the 2015 Château Margüi Côteaux Varois Rouge. Elegance and purity wed to power characterize this certified organic offering. From the moment the wine is poured, it tantalizes the senses. The wine’s brilliant ruby/purple robe captivates the eye, while an enchanting bouquet of floral scents, dark cherries, exotic spices, and well-integrated oak tones entertain the nose. Moreover, the wine’s pleasing aromas have happily seeped into the marrow of the wine, filling the mouth with an explosion of black cherry fruit, spice and racy tannins. The wine’s polished tannins lend structure to the wine, promising a long illustrious life and even greater rewards to come. Enjoy!

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!