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Wine Blog from The International Wine of the Month Club

A wine blog written by the experts from The International Wine of the Month Club

What to Expect in November 2023

November 10, 2023 by Don Lahey

Sherwood Estate Waipara Valley Pinot Noir 2020 bottleIn November, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series is delighted to offer four illustrious wines, beginning with Dayne and Jill Sherwood’s beautiful 2020 Sherwood Estate Waipara Valley Pinot Noir. Hailing from another splendid vintage on New Zealand’s South Island, it is every bit as compelling as their expressive, highly touted 2019 Waipara Pinot Noir as it continues to outshine many Burgundy and New World Pinot Noirs selling for twice the price. The succulent 2020 Sherwood Waipara Valley Pinot Noir offers delicious aromatics, beginning with beguiling scents of ripe cherries, strawberries and crushed cranberries. Charming, simply elegant, and so easy to drink, this medium-bodied Pinot Noir follows on the palate, delivering a delightful mélange of fruit, exotic spices, and a welcome vinosity. The 2020 Sherwood Waipara Valley Pinot Noir provides all the attributes one can expect from well-made, cool weather Pinot Noir: a floral bouquet, a cache of aromatic spices, and crunchy acidity, which leaves the palate refreshed and ready for more. Enjoy!

Chateau La Genestiere Les Petits Cailloux Viognier Pays dOc 2022 bottleOur next feature this month hails from France, the 2022 Chateâu la Genestière Les Petits Cailloux Viognier Pays d’Oc. This enchanted Viognier had us on the first sniff. “What a gorgeous nose!” uttered one tasting panel member. “This wine smells so good it’s almost a shame to drink it,” commented another. In true Viognier fashion, the aroma alone of the 2022 Les Petits Cailloux Viognier is worth the price of admission. Pure juicy peach and apricot aromas waft from the glass. Add a spray of spring flowers and the bouquet on this wine is nothing short of mildly intoxicating. In the mouth, the wine’s fruit and floral tones meld with fresh acidity and gentle mineral tones, delivering considerable palate pleasing pleasure. Stylish and utterly charming, the Chateâu la Genestière 2022 Les Petits Cailloux Viognier exits with grace, leaving all of us begging for more. Textured and pleasantly dry, it’s hard to ask more of this lovely Viognier.

Schwarz The Butcher Blaufrankisch Burgenland 2020 bottleThis month’s next venture is the delicious and utterly fascinating 2020 Schwarz The Butcher Blaufränkisch. Just as one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, the same can be said for a wine’s label. The label on Schwarz’s 2020 The Butcher Blaufränkisch elicits all kinds of reactions, everything from the ridiculous to the sublime. The wine on the other hand is nothing short of masterful. The 2020 Schwarz The Butcher woos the nose with juicy scents of crushed blackberries and currants laced with hints of sandalwood. In the mouth, the wine’s delicious fruit, spice, and herbal flavors fill the mouth and flow across the tongue, offering wonderful texture and energy. As one tasting panel member stated with a smile, “This wine drinks like Pinot Noir on steroids.” Perhaps, that isn’t how most tasters would put it, but the medium-bodied, boldly flavored 2020 Schwarz The Butcher Blaufränkisch has the juice and complexity of a good Pinot Noir but with more stuffing and a flavor profile of its own. Enjoy!

Gruber Roschitz By Nature Sparkling Gruner Veltliner NV bottleRounding out this month’s Premier Series is the exuberant NV Gruber Röschitz By Nature Sparkling Grüner Veltliner. This Austrian beauty shines like the sun and brings a smile to every occasion. Not only does this sparkling wine have eye appeal, it offers an enticing aroma of freshly picked mountain apples, hints of citrus, ripe pears and more. A delicate mousse carries the wine’s lovely aroma through to the palate, offering a mélange of exotic fruits and deft touches of spice before exiting with a satisfying flourish. Enjoy the delightful NV Gruber Röschitz By Nature Sparkling Grüner Veltliner well chilled (37º-40º F) before imbibing. Prost!

Arzuaga Ribera del Duero Crianza 2020 bottleThe International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is proud to offer three exceptional wines from three of the planet’s finest appellations and producers. This month’s odyssey begins with the 2020 Arzuaga Ribera del Duero Crianza, a superlative offering from an excellent vintage as well as multiple 92+ Point ratings from James Suckling and European critics. The 2020 Arzuaga Ribera del Duero Crianza opens with heady aromatics. A deep draught of red and black fruits, roasted chestnuts, herbs, and aromatic wood smoke greet the nose. In the mouth, Arzuaga’s 2020 Ribera del Duero Crianza is deep and harmonious, offering plenty of rich fruit, dark chocolate, and coffee tones. Moreover, all of these flavors come wrapped in a firm core of well integrated tannins, which should afford those savvy enough to cellar a few bottles of Arzuaga’s Crianza a decade or more of drinking pleasure. Enjoy!

Camille Braun Cremant dAlsace Brut NV bottleNext up is the delightful, highly rated (92 Points – Wine Enthusiast) NV Camille Braun Crémant d’Alsace Brut. Camille Braun’s Crémant delights the senses with its lively persistent mousse and expressive nose and flavor. Delicate hints of ripe autumn apples, freshly baked shortbread, and spring flowers delight the nose. In the mouth, the wine’s beautiful aromas re-emerge and expand on the palate. A delight to sip and savor or drink with abandon, Camille Braun’s Crémant d’Alsace Brut NV is subtle, pleasantly round, and delightfully balanced. From the first sip until the very last drop, Camille Braun’s Crémant d’Alsace Brut NV presents itself as a true crowd pleaser. Elegance, purity, and a delightfully graceful finish make Camille Braun’s organically grown Crémant d’Alsace Brut a welcome anytime companion. Salut!

Quinta Nova Reserva Terroir Blend Douro DOC 2020 bottleCompleting this month’s Collectors Series is the knockout 2020 Quinta Nova Reserva Terroir Blend (95 Points – Decanter). Purity and sophistication mark the regally robed 2020 Quinta Nova Reserva Terroir Blend. The wine’s brilliant ruby/purple robe first captures the eye before seducing the nose with dazzling aromatics. A bouquet of cherries, raspberries, roses, and violets along with the sensuous scent of rain washed woodlands immediately greets the nose. Ample and expansive on the palate, the 2020 Quinta Nova Reserva Terroir Blend reveals juicy berry flavors, delicate spice tones, and a delightful hint of forest floor. Sensuous and elegant, yet fully endowed, the 2020 Quinta Nova Reserva Terroir Blend combines the best of Old World Douro with today’s penchant for charm and complexity, while ripe tannins carry all this goodness to a smashing finish. Juicy, intense, crystalline, and complex, the 2020 Quinta Nova Reserva Terroir Blend is a stunning expression of the Douro and Portugal’s indigenous grape varieties. Enjoy!

Posted in: Featured Selections, Notes from the Panel

What’s Coming in September 2023

September 6, 2023 by Don Lahey

In September, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series is proud to offer four superlative wines from France and Spain. The first in this superb series is the highly aromatic 2020 Castell del Remei Gotim Bru. The 2020 Castell del Remei Gotim Bru is fresh, juicy, and redolent with the scents of raspberry and black cherry as well garrigue, the entrancing floral and herbal scents of the wild natural countryside of Catalonia and nearby Provence. Medium to full bodied and silky smooth in the mouth, this artful Spanish blend displays fleshy berry fruit flavors along with intriguing hints of cedar, thyme, and fragrant incense. Elegant and finely tuned, yet immensely flavorful, the 2020 Castell del Remei Gotim Bru finishes long and vibrant, thanks to the wine’s ripe tannins and juicy acidity. Enjoy!

Our next September Premier Series offering is the 2021 Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence Blanc, a vivacious white wine made from traditional Provencal grapes. In this rare Provencal white, one can almost taste the Provencal sun, feel the cool sea breeze wafting from the Mediterranean Sea, and smell the scented fragrance of Provence’s magical landscape. It offers an inviting bouquet of citrus, mango, orchard fruits, and pear. In the mouth, the wine’s lovely fruit aromas re-emerge enlivened by crisp acidity and a gentle minerality. Add a touch of salinity from the sea and the 2021 Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence Blanc finishes with pinpoint precision and mouth-watering vivacity. No smoke or mirrors, oak or butter tones, just one fresh white wine from Provence’s Clairette and Rolle grape varieties. Enjoy!

Our Premier Series continues with the robust and deeply colored 2017 Terramagna Rayen Black Edition Vino de la Tierra de Castilla. This wine captivates the eye with its saturated purple robe from the moment the cork exits the bottle and the wine splashes joyfully into a glass. Once in the glass, ripe black fruits mixed with incense and balsamic notes greet the nose. In the mouth, concentrated blackberry, plum, and anise flavors meld with a touch of vanilla to caress the palate. Concentrated and expansive on the palate, yet quite smooth and with nary an edge, the 2017 Rayen Black Edition provides ample testimony to the glory of Tempranillo and other prime grape varieties throughout ancient Castilla. A tasty blend of equal parts Tempranillo, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Garnacha, the 2017 Rayen Black Edition provides fine drinking. Enjoy!

Rounding out this month’s Premier Series offering is the highly acclaimed 2021 Coco i Fito Aloja Blanc DO Terra Alta, a youthful and fresh white wine that typifies the vivacious mineral-driven style of white wine for which Terra Alta and Montsant are renowned. Made primarily from old vines of Grenache Blanc (30-60 years of age) and a touch of mature Macabeo with considerable lees contact to provide flavor and texture, the 2021 Aloja Blanc DO Terra Alta offers a subtle, yet intriguing bouquet of floral, mineral, and herb tones. In the mouth, the 2021 Aloja Blanc truly expresses its vivacity with acacia flower, green apple, and citrus flavors wed to the region’s racy, thirst quenching minerality. Enjoy!

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is proud to offer three exceptional wines in September, beginning with the delicious, intense, and wonderfully intriguing 2018 Castell del Remei 1780, a wine that merges the best of Spain, Bordeaux, and Napa Valley into one elegant, flavorful, power-packed wine. Black currant and dark cherry aromas meld with spicy notes and a hint of incense to tantalize the nose. Initially intense in the mouth, Castell del Remei’s 1780 opens surreptitiously, revealing concentrated berry fruit flavors and deep spicy tones. With a bit of aeration and a few gentle swirls, the wine’s depth of flavor wells up in the mouth, revealing elderberry, clove, and dark chocolate. Elegance and complexity merge with the wine’s power leading to an explosive finish, ripe with textured tannins. Enjoy the special, still youthful 2018 Castell del Remei 1780 now and over the next decade. Enjoy!

Our next September Collectors Series offering emanates from Chablis and the venerable house of Chartron et Trébuchet. Lively, fresh, and sporting Chablis’ luminous glint, the 2022 Chartron et Trébuchet Chablis presents itself as the quintessential Chablis. Sensuous and intriguing scents of citrus, pear, white flowers, oyster shell, lemon zest, and a faint but beckoning scent of the sea greet the nose. Balanced and precise, Chartron et Trébuchet’s 2022 Chablis fills the mouth with a myriad of flavors drawn from the soil as well as the sea: one can taste the limestone-rich terroir of Chablis poke through the wine’s lively Chardonnay fruit and citrus twists to enliven the mouth. Note the absence of oak! This is authentic Chardonnay, unadorned and reflective of its place of origin, devoid of the preponderance of butter and oak. Moreover, it finishes with a satisfying flourish. Enjoy!

Completing this month’s Collectors Series is the Chariol family’s 2018 Château de Lescours Saint-Émilion Grand Cru. Born of another splendid vintage in Bordeaux, the Chariol family’s 2018 Château de Lescours Saint-Émilion Grand Cru offers a beautiful purple and garnet tinged robe, enticing aromatics, and layers of black currant and berry fruit. Opulent, yet elegant, the concentrated 2018 Château de Lescours Saint-Émilion Grand Cru fills the mouth with juicy plush fruit, underlined with deft touches of dark chocolate, coffee, and forest floor – all of which come nicely cloaked in rich, ripe tannins. This is classic Saint-Émilion; complex, full-bodied, and ready to drink, yet capable of ageing gracefully for up to a decade or more. Enjoy!

Posted in: Featured Selections

What’s Coming July 2023

July 6, 2023 by Don Lahey

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series is pleased to offer four exceptional wines in July from three countries.  Leading this month’s features is the 2021 J. Bouchon Canto Sur, which emanates from old dry farmed vines from Chile’s Maule Valley.  Brilliant in color with violet notes the 2021 J. Bouchon Canto Sur dazzles the eye and beckons the taster to dive right in.  And one draught of this fresh vivacious wine is all one needs to know that this is no ordinary, bland varietal offering.  Savory scents of red and black fruits, hints of black pepper, and dried herbs grace the nose.  Blackberry, raspberry, and wild cherry flavors infused with a cachet of wild herbs fill the mouth and glide gleefully down the throat on a bed of ripe gentle tannins.  J. Bouchon’s 2021 Canto Sur is a wine for all seasons to enjoy with abandon or to linger over as it reveals gratifying hints of exotica.  Enjoy!

Our next Premier Series feature is the lovely 2022 Graffito Mendoza Riesling.  Jimena Lopez’s 2022 Graffito Riesling bears little or no resemblance to those sugary German Rieslings of yesteryear.  For starters, the 2022 Graffito Riesling is bone dry, fresh, and hauntingly aromatic with ethereal scents of white peach, apricot, and citrus.  In the mouth, the wine’s ethereal fruit flavors burst in the mouth and are carried with laser like precision on juicy, mouthwatering acidity.  Fresh, clean, and explosive, the strapping young 2022 Graffito Riesling finishes with a bang.  Although primal and nowhere near its apogee Jimena Lopez’s tribute to the late, great winemaker Esther Knewitz is a joy to drink now, and it will pay dividends for years to come.

Next in this month’s quartet is the 2020 Mendel Lujan de Cuyo Mendoza Cabernet Sauvignon.  Harvested from the estate’s premier vineyards and matured in 100% oak barrels for 12 months, the 2020 Mendel Lujan de Cuyo Mendoza Cabernet Sauvignon rocks from the moment it’s poured.  Bold and beautiful in flavor, yet impeccably balanced, the 2020 Mendel Cabernet Sauvignon may be the finest quality and value Cabernet Sauvignon in the market today, as it easily puts to shame most Cabernets costing two and three times its price.  Sporting a deep purple color, amplifying aromatics ripe with blackberry, cassis, and dark chocolate, and a boatload of flavors, which are carried on ripe sensuous tannins, the 2020 Mendel Cabernet Sauvignon is nothing short of delicious.  Add beautiful mineral notes, a deft touch of spice, and well-integrated oak tones that flow harmoniously in the wine’s long satisfying finish and the 2020 Mendel Cabernet Sauvignon more than earns its keep.  Enjoy!

Rounding out July’s Premier Series portfolio is the 2016 Wildberry Estate Reserve Margaret River Chardonnay.  Aged to perfection and approaching its zenith the hand harvested 2016 Wildberry Estate Reserve Margaret River Chardonnay offers a brilliant golden glow, enticing aromas, and the complexity of the finest white Burgundy wines – no coincidence considering Wildberry’s Estate Chardonnay is barrel fermented with 100% natural yeast in French oak barrels.  A beguiling aroma of stone fruits, brioche, lemon curd, and spicy vanilla tones greet the nose.  Rich, textured, and constantly changing in the mouth, Wildberry’s 2016 Estate Reserve Chardonnay delights the palate with pear, melon, white peach, and a citrus twist.  Long on the finish and impeccably balanced this is a serious world-class Chardonnay.

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collector Series is proud to offer three exceptional wines in July, beginning with Ernesto Catena’s 2018 Tikal Júbilo, a classic Bordeaux blend from Argentina’s Uco Valley of Malbec (60%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (40%), which integrates the best characteristics of each grape variety, resulting in a seamless, bold flavored red that puts many high-priced red Bordeaux and New World varietal bottlings of Cabernet and Malbec to shame.  The 2018 Tikal Júbilo offers an enticing bouquet redolent with the savory scents of blackberry, dark cherry, and plum interlaced with hints of cacao and vanilla.  In the mouth, the wine’s deep berry fruit, cacao, and woodland flavors unfold delightfully in a stream of polished tannins that add depth and structure with nary an edge.  Rich in flavor, yet beautifully balanced, Tikal’s Júbilo is truly a joy to drink.  Enjoy!

Our next July Collector Series offering is Jamek’s 2021 Stein am Rain Grüner Veltliner Federspiel.  Wines express not only the personality of the vineyard, they also reveal the character of the winemaker, which is certainly true of Josef Jamek’s 2021 Stein am Rain Grüner Veltliner Federspiel.  The handiwork of a great winemaker and the extraordinary 2021 vintage, the 2021 Josef Jamek offers crystalline intensity and laser-like precision.  Lightly fruity with green apple, pear, and lemon zest Josef Jamek’s Stein am Rain Grüner Veltliner Federspiel is racy, delightfully fresh, and increasingly complex.  Great minerality adds additional vivacity and an explosive finish.  Intense and long in the mouth Jamek’s youthful 2021 Stein am Rain Grüner Veltliner Federspiel is a joy to drink now, yet it will continue to mature and evolve in bottle for several more years.  Enjoy!

Completing this month’s Collector Series is the certified organic 2020 Emile Beyer Eguisheim Pinot Noir, the scion of 40-50-year-old estate vines.  Aromatic and hauntingly beautiful, the deep ruby red 2020 Eguisheim Pinot Noir offers up savory scents of red and black cherry fruit, cranberry, and rose petal.  Fresh and vibrant in the mouth Beyer’s 2020 Eguisheim Pinot Noir graces the palate with pure red and black cherry, cranberry, and currant flavors along with touches of sandalwood, wood smoke, and crushed stones.  Vibrant and layered with racy acidity, which adds lift and longevity, the 2020 Emile Beyer Eguisheim Pinot Noir pleases from start to finish.  Burgundy, look out!

Posted in: Featured Selections

What’s Coming In June 2023

June 6, 2023 by Don Lahey

In June, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series is delighted to offer four outstanding wines from four continents, beginning with the highly acclaimed 2019 Casas del Bosque Valle del Maipo Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon (91 Points – Vinous). The decadent, highly polished 2019 Casas del Bosque Valle del Maipo Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon sports a deep purple color and entices with the redolent savory scents of blackberry, strawberry, and raspberry, all nicely imbued with dark chocolate and mint. The ebullient 2019 Casas del Bosque Valle del Maipo Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon had us at the first sniff. In the mouth, the wine reveals elegance as well as concentration with a delicious mélange of berry fruit, red pepper, dark chocolate, and spice. Ripe, well integrated tannins provide backbone and structure on which this balanced and complex Cabernet Sauvignon flows to a long vibrant finish. Although drinking beautifully now, the 2019 Casas del Bosque Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon will continue to improve in bottle and provide superb drinking pleasure for many years. Enjoy!

Our next Premier Series feature is the exuberant Ca’ di Prata Brut Prosecco DOC, a wine that embodies all that is magical about spring, an awakening land, and the ephemeral blossoms that will soon bear fruit. The Ca’ di Prata Brut Prosecco offers delicate scents of apple, pear, and white peach within its fine crystalline stream of bubbles. In the mouth, it is lively and spritely with delicate fruit flavors and a lithe elegance. Although dry and refreshing on the palate, Ca’ di Prata’s Brut Prosecco never slips into austerity, nor does it pretend to be champagne or chardonnay or anything else but Prosecco, an elegant countess of conviviality. Enjoy!

Our next offering this month hails from South Africa. It is the ever delicious 2021 Black Pearl The Mischief Maker, simply the latest in a string of excellent Shiraz-based wines from Mary-Lou Nash and Black Pearl Vineyards. The eye-catching 2021 The Mischief Maker offers a saturated purple color, and within minutes of being poured black currant, mulberry, and a cache of exotic spices emerge to charm the nose. However, it is in the mouth where this wine truly shows itself. Layers of fruit infused with sizzling bacon, deft touches of sandalwood, and a subtle smokiness tantalize the palate. The 2021 Mischief Maker embodies energy and purity along with a disarming charm thanks to Mary-Lou Nash’s commitment to the land and the wine she brings forth from the good earth of South Africa’s Western Cape. Cheers!

Completing June’s Premier Series offerings is the much lauded 2022 Rieslingfreak No. 44 Eden Valley Riesling (93+ Points – Erin Larkin of The Wine Advocate) from Australia’s fabled Eden Valley vineyards, allowing the No. 22 Riesling to express the beauty of dry Riesling from the valley’s slate soil. At the onset, a pale crystalline robe catches the eye, but it hardly prepares the taster for the wine’s bouquet, a symphony of white flowers, orange blossoms, sweet basil, and exotic spices. In the mouth, Rieslingfreak’s 2022 No. 44 Eden Valley Riesling reveals elegance and vivacity with a lovely texture and plenty of citrus and orchard fruit flavors to complement the wine’s dry flinty finish. Although this young Riesling will likely fill out and gain further complexity with another year in the bottle, it is an absolute pleasure to drink now, so we see no reason to wait. Dive right in and enjoy!

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is thrilled offer our members this month three truly exceptional wines from around the world, beginning with the 2019 Oliverhill Jimmy Section McLaren Vale Shiraz (93 points – Vinous – Josh Raynolds). Bottled un-fined and unfiltered, the single vineyard 2019 Oliverhill Jimmy Section Shiraz hails from a tiny 5-acre block of 49-year-old vines from the most hallowed terroir of McLaren Vale. Oliverhill’s 2019 Jimmy Section Shiraz highlights McLaren Vale’s unique terroir, yielding a wine with a saturated purple color, a flamboyant bouquet, voluptuous flavors, and exceptional length. Rich, racy, and utterly seductive, the 2019 Oliverhill Jimmy Section McLaren Vale Shiraz exudes savory scents and flavors of crushed blackberry, mulberry, exotic spices, sandalwood, violets, and much more. Bold-flavored, yet elegant and beautifully textured, Oliverhill’s basket-pressed 2019 Jimmy Section Shiraz is smooth and impeccably balanced, revealing layers of intriguing flavors with each and every sip. With four years of aging under its cap, the recently released 2019 Oliverhill Jimmy Section Shiraz is just beginning to hit its stride, and it will continue to improve in bottle, becoming even more luscious with each additional year for the remainder of the decade. However, there is no need to wait: the 2019 Jimmy Section Shiraz had us at the first sip. Taste and see!

Our next June Collectors Series offering hails from Burgundy, France: the 2020 Vignerons Réunis de Buxy Montagny Premier Cru. Crisp, racy, and subtly complex, the 2020 Vignerons Réunis de Buxy Montagny Premier Cru highlights the true character of Chardonnay as well as Montagny’s superb terroir. The bright sun-splashed 2020 Vignerons Réunis de Buxy Montagny Premier Cru regales with finesse and purity, leading with a pleasing bouquet of spring flowers, forsythia, and freshly picked mountain apples. In the mouth, the wine’s subtly seductive bouquet re-emerges, offering pure Chardonnay fruit flavors, superb texture, and a refreshing mineral-driven finish. Although the Vignerons Réunis de Buxy always manages to fashion a crowd pleasing Montagny Premier Cru, the 2020 Montagny Premier Cru appears to be the finest example to date and a candidate for further ageing, as this youthful Chardonnay is just beginning to reveal all that is has to offer. Enjoy!

Completing June’s Collectors Series is the highly allocated 2018 Quinta S. Sebastião Vinho Regional Lisboa Reserva (93 Points – Wine Enthusiast). S. Sebastião’s 2018 Vinho Regional Lisboa Reserva offers a brilliant ruby robe along with plenty of bright red and black fruit aromas, which make a formidable first impression. Savory scents of black cherry and cranberry infused with a subtle cache of exotic spices immediately engage the nose and expand gracefully in the mouth. Complex and finely textured, the 2018 S. Sebastião Vinho Regional Lisboa Reserva woos the palate with a potpourri of fruit flavors imbued with deft touches of chocolate and vanilla spice all nicely balanced by fine grained tannins and juicy acidity. Santé!

Posted in: Featured Selections

What’s Coming in May

May 6, 2023 by Don Lahey

In May, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series is pleased to offer four exciting and unique wines from Portugal and South Africa, beginning with the thoroughly gratifying 2020 S. Sebastião Vinho Regional Lisboa Syrah/Touriga Nacional Reserva. This exciting blend of Syrah and Portugal’s special variety Touriga Nacional offers an inviting, deeply colored robe, an engaging set of aromatics, and plenty of smooth, satisfying red and black fruit flavors. Black cherry and woodland berry flavors infused with hints of exotic spices and a refreshing minerality delight the nose and palate. Smooth, polished tannins hold this tasty red blend in perfect stead from start to finish. In fact, the 2020 S. Sebastião Syrah/Touriga Nacional Reserva slips ever so gracefully down the throat to the point that you may find yourself consuming it with abandon. Enjoy!

Our next Premier Series feature is the beautiful 2022 Protea Chenin Blanc from the Anthonij Rupert Wyne estate on South Africa’s Western Cape. As any serious wine drinker knows, one can’t drink a label, nor should one purchase wine based on the attractiveness of a label. With that said, the label on Protea’s 2022 Chenin Blanc may be the world’s most attractive, as it captures the pure beauty of South Africa’s national flower as well as South Africa’s gorgeous wine lands. Moreover, the 2022 Protea Chenin Blanc is pure, beautiful Chenin Blanc, offering a fresh, in-your-face, fruit-driven nose, with a delightful mélange of apricot, nectarine, and quince, all of which made us want to dive right in. In the mouth, the wine’s aromatic fruit flavors re-emerge with added touches of grapefruit and lime. A hint of dried honey lends texture to the wine’s succulent fruit, while vibrant acidity makes the dry 2022 Protea Chenin Blanc dazzle straight through to the finish. So refreshing and fun to drink, we found it hard to put this wine down.

May’s next exceptional offering is the delicious 2020 Protea Cabernet Sauvignon. Like its paler sibling, Chenin Blanc, it also wears what is arguably the wine world’s most attractive label, but one can’t drink a label. Fortunately, what is inside the package is equally pleasing. Deep in color and resplendent in aroma and flavor, the 2020 Protea Cabernet Sauvignon offers instant gratification. Savory dark fruits in the form of black currant, cherry, and plum, which are deftly infused with hints of Christmas spices and wood smoke, greet the nose and grace the palate. Big in flavor but supple in texture, Protea’s 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon comes across as both succulent and beautifully framed as the wine’s tannins provide plenty of backbone without a tannic bite.

Completing May’s Premier Series offerings is the much heralded 2021 Rustenberg Stellenbosch Chardonnay (94 Points – International Wine & Spirits Competition, 92 Points – Decanter World Wine Awards, and more). This meticulously crafted Chardonnay combines the best of the Old World and New World to form a racy, complex, world-class Chardonnay. This balanced and nuanced Chardonnay sports a brilliant sun-struck color and offers enticing aromas of yellow apple, apricot, coconut, and orange peel, all imbued with a hint of spicy oak. In the mouth, Rustenberg’s 2021 Chardonnay is equally gratifying as it expands on the palate to satisfy the senses with a delicious mélange of fruit, spice, and minerals, which are carried on racy, refreshing acidity. Balanced, refined, and full of flavor, this classic Chardonnay makes many big name New World Chardonnays look awkward and flabby and an equal number of French white burgundies seem insipid and underendowed. The classic 2021 Rustenberg Stellenbosch Chardonnay deserves the many accolades it has received. Enjoy!

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is thrilled to offer in May three world-class wines from around the world, beginning with the exceptional 2019 Obsidian Ridge Estate Red Hills Cabernet Sauvignon (93 Points – Wine Enthusiast). Although drought can be a curse to farmers, it can also be a boon to the quality of a wine as drought has the propensity to limit the quantity but raise the quality. Such was the case in 2019 in Northern California as the concentrated and bold-flavored 2019 Obsidian Ridge Estate Red Hills Cabernet Sauvignon aptly attests. From this deep purple potion springs entrancing aromas of blackberry, black currant, mulberry, and a trove of spices – cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla. In the mouth, a deep draught of black fruits, dark chocolate, graphite, and exotic spices explodes in the mouth, thoroughly captivating the palate. Brimming with flavor as well as firm, ripe tannins, the 2019 Obsidian Ridge Estate Cabernet Sauvignon reveals its class as well as its power, all of which make for delicious drinking now and for years to come. Enjoy!

Our next May Collectors Series offering hails from France’s Alsace, Emile Beyer’s 2020 Grand Cru Eichberg Riesling. Emile Beyer’s 2020 Grand Cru Eichberg Alsace is a dry, bold, mouthwatering wine with a captivating bouquet of orchard fruits, rich deep-down fruit flavors, and laser-like minerality, which completely captivate the nose and palate. In the mouth, bracing acidity gives way to a rich mid palate of pineapple and exotic fruit flavors before finishing with a flourish. The youthful 2020 Emile Beyer Grand Cru Eichberg Riesling is a joy to drink now, but it is no wilting flower. Additional time in the bottle will only increase its depth and breadth, but there is no need to wait: this is Riesling at its finest. Enjoy!

Rounding out this month’s Collectors Series is the highly regarded 2019 Herdade Aldeia de Cima Serra do Mendro Alentejo Reserva Tinto (92 Points – Wine Enthusiast) from Portugal’s Alentejo. Superbly crafted from four traditional Portuguese varietals, the 2019 Herdade Aldeia de Cima Serra do Mendro Alentejo Reserva Tinto cuts a fine figure with its brilliant deep ruby and purple color, heavenly aromatics, and pure silky flavors. Scents of ripe summer cherries and deep forest berries infused with vanilla oak waft from the glass. In the mouth, Herdade Aldeia de Cima’s 2019 Serra do Mendro Alentejo Reserva Tinto caresses the palate with pure fruit flavors imbued with deft touches of vanilla and aromatic spices, all of which are carried on silky smooth tannins, lending a creaminess to this medium-bodied wine as it makes its exit. Elegant, flavor-filled, and utterly distinguished, the youthful 2019 Herdade Aldeia de Cima Reserva Tinto exudes class and a real sense of purpose on the part of the winery. Santé!

Posted in: Featured Selections, Notes from the Panel

What’s Coming In April 2023

April 6, 2023 by Don Lahey

In April, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series is pleased to offer our members four outstanding wines from three continents, beginning with the 2020 Shofer Vayots Dzor Areni Dry Red Wine from 120-year old un-grafted vines. Sporting a radiant red and violet robe and offering an enticing aroma of freshly picked strawberries, cherries, and plums, the 2020 Shofer Vayots Dzor Areni Dry Red Wine had us at first sight and sip. Smooth and charming on the palate, the wine’s beautiful fruit flavors re-emerge in the mouth, interwoven with a fine, graceful texture from Vayots Dzor’s ancient volcanic soil… all beautifully rendered on a bed of soft, succulent tannins. Shofer’s 2020 Vayots Dzor Dry Red Wine from 100% Areni grapes is pure delight. It is neither big nor brawny, yet it packs plenty of flavor and charm into its medium body, not unlike a fine Cru Beaujolais from Saint Amour or Fleurie. Enjoy this unique, very satisfying red wine now and often over the next few years at cool room temperature (58°-62° F). For a special treat, consider pairing Shofer’s Vayots Areni Dry Red with Braised Harissa Chicken, a recipe designed to accompany Shofer’s Areni Dry Red Wine and Dry White Wine by Alex Gatter of the Ruffled Apron: https://www.ruffledapronblog.com//braised-harissa-chicken/. Enjoy!

Our next Premier Series feature is the vivacious and utterly satisfying 2021 Fournier Sauvignon Blanc Val de Loire, another great success from this iconic Sancerre producer and arguably the best bargain in French Sauvignon Blanc on the market today. It easily rivals many expensive Sancerres from well-known estates. The 2021 Fournier Sauvignon Blanc Val de Loire offers up a heady aroma of gooseberry, mineral, melon, and herb. It delights the palate with a combination of mouth-watering Sauvignon Blanc fruit, laser-like precision, and pinpoint minerality to assure a crisp, vivacious finish. The 2021 Fournier Sauvignon Blanc Val de Loire imparts a freshness and purity rarely seen at this level and plenty of palate pleasing pleasure, too. Accessible and gratifying all at the same time, it’s hard to imagine a more classic Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc than Fournier’s 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Val de Loire. Santé!  

April’s next exceptional offering is the delicious 2019 Nugan Estate Scruffy’s Shiraz Single Vineyard Riverina, a wine that is anything but scruffy and with nary an edge. Named for Nugan’s Shiraz vineyard manager, the 2019 Scruffy’s Shiraz offers dense black fruit flavors and a delightfully big mouthful of wine. This is a deep purple potion that offers spicy blackberry, cherry, and plum aromas infused with hints of violet flowers and chocolate. The wine’s beautiful olfactory carries through on the palate, where it offers a mélange of succulent blackberry and plum flavors, dried flowers, and subtle spice tones. Plush in the mouth but never flabby, this Shiraz exhibits just the right amount of ripe tannins to carry its prodigious fruit and spice flavors. The 2019 Scruffy’s Shiraz over-delivers in every respect, offering the class and style one normally associates with the more expensive Shiraz/Syrah offerings from Australia’s Barossa or France’s Rhône Valley. Cheers!

Completing April’s Premier Series offerings is another Armenian classic, the 2020 Shofer Vayots Dzor Voskehat Dry White Wine, which is sourced from a century-old high elevation vineyard of un-grafted vines. The 2020 Shofer Vayots Dzor Voskehat Dry White Wine emits a heavenly perfume resplendent with the enticing scents of spring flowers, pear, melon, and chamomile. Delicate and elegant on the palate, Shofer’s 2020 Voskehat elicits a soft, sensuous appeal as the wine’s ethereal fruit and floral flavors waft gently over the tongue and ingratiate themselves to the mouth and thirsty throat. A gentle twist of acidity freshens the palate as the wine gracefully exits with charm and precision. No smoke, no mirrors, no oak, just a rare and unique natural tasting white wine to make you wonder why more wines aren’t as pure and natural tasting as Shofer’s 2020 Vayots Dzor Voskehat Dry White Wine. For a special treat, consider pairing Shofer’s Voskehat with Braised Harissa Chicken, a recipe designed to accompany Shofer’s Areni Dry Red Wine and Voskehat Dry White Wine by Alex Gatter of the Ruffled Apron: https://www.ruffledapronblog.com//braised-harissa-chicken/. Enjoy!

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is thrilled to offer three special collectable wines in April, beginning with the rare and exceptional 2019 Taboadella Reserva Jaen Dão, a delightfully dense, full-bodied red wine that pays testimony to the quality and uniqueness of the Jaen grape as well the Amorim family’s Midas touch with this indigenous variety. Taboadella’s 2019 Reserva Jaen sports a deep purple color and offers an intoxicating perfume of savory dark fruits. Endowed with layers of black fruits, forest berries, and allspice, the 2019 Taboadella Reserva Jaen explodes in the mouth. The wine’s spicy, rich fruit and understated earth tones are carried on rich, heady tannins, assuring a long and mouthwatering finish as well a decade or more of drinking pleasure. This rare and unique offering is not to be missed. Enjoy!

Our next April Collectors Series offering is Herdade Aldeia de Cima’s 2020 Serra do Mendro Alentejo Reserva Branco. There is nothing ordinary about this wine nor its deliciously fruity tropical flavors, which immediately greet the nose. Think lime and pineapple with hints of mango and apricot. In the mouth, the 2020 Herdade Aldeia de Cima 2020 Serra do Mendro Alentejo Reserva Branco truly bursts with flavor. Gorgeous fruit carried with laser-like precision on a bed of fresh juicy acidity enlivens the palate and titillates the taste buds. Fresh, yet subtly complex from a touch of oak from a short stay in barrel, this Branco exhibits elegance, precision, plenty of flavor, and a long thirst quenching finish. The Herdade Aldeia de Cima 2020 Serra do Mendro Alentejo Reserva Branco is a match for the finest white wines made anywhere in Portugal, and it emanates from three of Portugal’s finest and most important white grape varieties. Enjoy!

Rounding out this month’s Collectors Series is the 2019 Château Sainte Eulalie Minervois La Livinière La Cantilène, a sophisticated mouth-filling Cru de Languedoc. From the moment it exits the bottle, the wine’s deep impenetrable color beckons the taster. Seductive aromatics grace the nose, while savory flavors of blackberry, cherry, ripe plums, and vanilla ingratiate themselves to the eager palate. However, the best is yet to come, as the 2019 Château Sainte Eulalie La Cantilène will unfold over time in the glass, almost surreptitiously, revealing hints of dark chocolate, forest berries, and wild herbs on a flow of rich tannins. Bold but not brazen, the Coustals’ 2019 La Cantilène is already seductive in its youth, yet it will continue to develop further in the bottle for those patient enough to lay a bottle or two down. Santé!

Posted in: Featured Selections, Notes from the Panel

What’s Coming in February 2023

February 1, 2023 by Don Lahey

David Finlayson CAB et al 2020 bottleIn February, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series is excited to feature four exciting world-class wines from around the world, beginning with the 2020 David Finlayson CAB et al. This delicious red pays tribute to the preeminence of Cabernet Sauvignon in the finest Left Bank wines of Bordeaux’s fabled Médoc. A plush blend of Stellenbosch and Paarl grapes, the 2020 CAB et al. seamlessly combines Cabernet Sauvignon with Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, resulting in a riot of aromas and flavors. Juicy blackberry flavors meld with cassis, red currant, graphite, and a welcome hint of forest floor, much to the delight of the nose and palate. David Finlayson set out to create the ultimate South African Cabernet blend, and he has succeeded admirably. In this wine, he has also fashioned a superb Left Bank Bordeaux blend, often known as a Meritage. No smoke or mirrors here, just one very flavorful, easy-drinking Cabernet blend from low yields, superior vinicultural practices, and maturation in a combination of 95% French oak and 5% American oak in the hands of “The King of South African Cabernet.” Enjoy!

Emile Beyer Les Traditions Pinot Blanc 2021 bottleOur next feature this month is the racy, pure 2021 Emile Beyer 2021 Les Traditions Pinot Blanc, a wine that pays tribute to Alsace’s traditional white grape and the region’s unique terroir. As a consummate producer of Alsace Pinot Blanc, Christian Beyer utilizes two of the appellation’s traditional grape varieties (Auxerrois and Pinot Blanc) for his Les Traditions Pinot Blanc. Curious as this may sound, in Alsace a blend of both permitted varieties is often simply labeled as Pinot Blanc. The 2021 vintage embodies the classic characteristics of Pinot Blanc as Beyer’s 2021 Les Traditions Pinot Blanc opens with an enticing aroma, redolent with the scents of orchard fruits: apple, apricot, white peach, and pear grace the nose along with a refreshing underlying minerality. In the mouth, a succulent mélange of orchard fruits flows on a vein of juicy acidity to enliven the palate. Not surprisingly, Christian Beyer’s organically certified 2021 Les Traditions Pinot Blanc stands head and shoulders above the competition as Beyer treats his Les Traditions with the same careful attention that he affords his Grand Cru offerings. Enjoy!

Artesana Devocion 2020 bottleThis month’s next red feature is the rare and highly allocated 2020 Artesana Devoción. A blend of Tannat, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, it is Artesana’s premier offering and an International Wine of the Month Club exclusive. Analía Lazaneo and Valentina Gatti, Artesana’s two highly skilled winemakers, have fashioned a truly exceptional wine in the 2020 Devoción. Deep purple and nearly impenetrable in color, one could easily expect a robust offering, but there is so much more to this wine than power. The 2020 Devoción is imbued with a deep, complex aroma and dark berry flavors. Blueberry, black cherry, and pomegranate greet the nose. The wine’s pronounced black fruits re-emerge in the mouth displaying hints of cedar, thyme, mint, and bergamot. While the palate is intense, the 2020 Devoción is also impeccably balanced and refreshing, with great volume and a long lingering aftertaste. Enjoy!

Domaine Dyckerhoff Reuilly Petit Gris 2021 bottleRounding out this month’s Premier Series is another rare, highly allocated wine in the 2021 Domaine Dyckerhoff Reuilly Petit Gris. This very traditional Vin Gris emanates from a tiny 1.25-acre parcel. Although it is a white grape, Pinot Gris is the rare white grape variety with a slight gray or pink hue to its skin; hence, the moniker Vin Gris. And, in Reuilly, Pinot Gris must by law exhibit a slight hint of rose as does Domaine Dyckerhoff’s eye-catching 2021 Reuilly Petit Gris. Imbued with the palest salmon or rose hue, Christian Dyckerhoff’s 2021 Petit Gris not only delights the eye, it also ingratiates the nose and palate with its high-toned aromatics. Soft scents of wild strawberries, white peaches, and apple blossoms greet the nose and become suffused in the flavor profile of this wine. Textured, yet bright and energetic, the wine’s enchanting fruit components complement Reuilly’s natural acidity and mineral-rich terroir. Enjoy!

Chateau La Reverence Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2019 bottleThe International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is again proud to offer three exceptional wines from three world-renowned estates and appellations, beginning with the stylish, superbly crafted, and highly rated 2019 Château La Révérence Saint-Émilion Grand Cru (94 Points: James Suckling & 93 Points: Wine Enthusiast). This exceptional offering hails from a tiny 7-acre vineyard just north of the village of Saint-Émilion. It is a young, full-bodied Saint Émilion Grand Cru from 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot that already shows its class and promises even more over the long haul. It offers layers of dark berries and black fruits, hints of fennel, and plenty of firm ripe tannins, which will serve it well for a decade or more. Elegant and complex, too, the 2019 Château La Révérence Saint-Émilion Grand Cru graces the palate with fresh blackberry, blueberry, currant, and plum flavors infused with deft touches of cinnamon and exotic spices for added complexity. Beautifully textured and bursting with energy on the finish with fresh black pepper and heady tannins, the 2019 Château La Révérence Saint-Émilion Grand Cru makes a bold, beautiful statement.

Domaine Francine Bachelier Fourchaume Premier Cru Chablis 2019 bottleNext up is the superlative 2019 Francine Bachelier Fourchaume Premier Cru Chablis, which highlights Fourchaume’s renowned terroir and Francine Bachelier’s acumen in fashioning exceptional Premier Cru Chablis. The scion of a warmer than average vintage, Bachelier’s 2019 Fourchaume Premier Cru seamlessly weds pure ripe fruit with Chablis’s telltale flint and chalky minerality. In the mouth, this racy, crowd-pleasing Premier Cru Chablis is both subtly complex and quietly seductive, offering a fine layer of acacia and orchard fruit flavors infused with a satiny texture and a ribbon of fresh minerality, which left our palates begging for more. Bachelier’s 2019 Fourchaume Premier Cru Chablis is a wine that you will not want to put down and will want to drink often now and over the next several years. Although it goes down easily, taking time to sip and savor this superb Premier Cru Chablis will handsomely reward the patient partaker. Enjoy!

Quinta do Noval Cedro do Noval Tinto Vinho Regional Duriense 2018 bottleCompleting this month’s Collectors Series is the ripe, expansive, and juicy 2018 Quinta do Noval Cedro do Noval Tinto, a wine that beckons with each sip. Deeper and more complex than in previous vintages, the 2018 Cedro do Noval Tinto offers a delicious combination of red and black fruits, vanilla, spice, and black pepper. Blackberry, blueberry, cherry, and plum all make their appearance in this Tinto’s aroma and flavor. In the mouth, the wine’s savory spice notes come to fore, melding with the wine’s fruit and tea-like tannins. Provide the flavorful 2018 Cedro do Noval Tinto 20 minutes or more of aeration and enjoy how it expands in the glass, its tannins smooth, and a warm pleasant finish has you begging for more.

Posted in: Featured Selections, Notes from the Panel

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