Featured Wines - Sept 2006

The 2004 Ca dei Frati I Frati Lugana is the finest I Frati Lugana we have ever tasted, and when one considers the quality and consistency of this estate that is no easy task. We attribute this distinction to exemplary winemaking and the blessings of the 2004 vintage; the 2004 vintage produced quintessential white wines throughout northern and central Italy. The 2004 Ca dei Frati I Frati Lugana brings all of the beautiful characteristics of Lugana...

A deep, dark, brooding potion, the 2001 Montellori Dicatum is ample testimony to the fact that appearances are more often than not deceiving. This Tuscan treasure reminds us more of a great young Pomerol, with its heavenly scent and layer upon layer of fleshy fruit, than a Chianti or even a "Super Tuscan" red. Although elegant, the Dicatum is not austere and exhibits none of the typical leanness of Chianti. Like Pomerol, Bordeaux's most decadent ...

As aficionados of Agapito Rico's wines have come to expect, the 2005 Bodegas Agapito Carchelo comes across as a hedonistic fruit bomb, at least initially, offering up copious quantities of black fruits and sandalwood, as well as a luscious vinosity. Although always eminently drinkable and utterly pleasing, the 2005 Carchelo may quite possibly be this estate's finest effort to date. Always deep in color, long on flavor, and smooth as silk in the f...

Taste and see all the goodness of the Maconnais in the rich, vibrant 2004 Domaine Manciat Poncet Les Chênes Macon-Charnay. Endowed with a bright forsythia yellow robe and a heady bouquet of acacia flowers, beeswax, citrus, minerals, and caramel apples, there is no shortage of good things going on in this wine, and we haven't even gotten to the best part – the flavor. Long, mouth filling, and utterly pleasing, the 2004 Domaine Manciat Poncet Macon...

It's hard to imagine any Cabernet Sauvignon being better than the 1999 Rosenthal The Malibu Estate Founder's Reserve. Indeed, it is even difficult to fathom how the 1999 Founder's Reserve can eclipse Rosenthal's excellent regular estate bottling of Cabernet Sauvignon, but Rosenthal's winemaker Christian Rougenet has truly outdone himself with the estate's 1999 Founder's Reserve – The Malibu Estate's finest release to date. To begin with, the 1999...

Tasting Notes:The 2003 Gérard Bertrand Terroir Minervoisis a provocative, deeply colored wine that beautifully conveys all the charm and wealth of flavor for which Minervois is justly renowned. Rich, smooth and enticing, this fabulous Minervois tantalizes the senses with the aromas of black fruits and garrigue – all of which evoke the potpourri of Provence. Softer and richer than most Languedoc offerings, Bertrand's Terroir Minervois is an artful...

Although normally available exclusively at the winery's new tasting room in Malibu and at a hand full of world renowned restaurants, we are pleased to offer our Collector Series members a rare opportunity to taste the unique 2005 Rosenthal The Malibu Estate Chardonnay. Golden hued and finely honed, this youthful Chardonnay captures all the charm, purity, and richness of fruit that one can wish for in California Chardonnay plus the added bonus of ...