Featured Wines - August 2016

Grapes for the 2013 Franklin Tate Estates Alexanders Vineyard Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon were sourced from a single block of low yielding Cabernet Sauvignon, crushed in a small open fermenter, hand plunged and, when fermentation was nearly complete, basket pressed. It was then placed in a combination of new, one year old, and two year old French oak barriques. The wine was allowed to mature in oak for 18 months with frequent racking...

Dog Point is widely touted as New Zealand’s premier producer of Sauvignon Blanc and for good reason. Healy and Sutherland spare no pains in fashioning their wines, especially the vineyard’s premier offering, Section 94. The Dog Point 2013 Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc readily affirms the estate’s acumen with Sauvignon Blanc: it garnered 96 Points from Bob Campbell MW, New Zealand’s wine specialist, and 93 Points from Wine Spectator. The 2013...

Ernesto Catena’s sophisticated 2012 Tikal Júbilo is an artful blend of Malbec (60%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (40%). For our money and palate, high-end Bordeaux-style blends such as Júbilo from top Argentine producers represent Argentina’s finest oenological endeavors. And apparently we are not alone: Wine Spectator awarded the 2012 Tikal Júbilo 94 Points. Whereas Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon on their own offer dark, robust mouthfuls of wine...

Mâitres Vignerons de la Vidaubanaise’s 2015 Le Provençal Côtes de Provence Rosé captures the warmth of the sun-drenched Provençal countryside along with the region’s rarified air and illuminated landscapes, all of which shimmer beside the sparkling Mediterranean Sea. Le Provençal is bottled in the traditional “flute à corset,” the distinctive bottle of the Provence region, that recalls charming flower-bedecked villages, colorful outdoor cafés...

The 2013 Mayu Valle de Elqui La Compañia Vineyard Carmenère-Syrah offers a unique blend of two of Chile’s finest red varietals as well as exceptional drinking pleasure. Made in the finest Old World tradition, Mayu’s 2013 Carmenère-Syrah sports a deep purple color and exudes juicy blackberry and plum aromas and flavors. Add perfect balance and hints of exotic spices from the Syrah, which blend harmoniously with Carmenère’s racy fruit and...

Grown in one of the highest vineyards on earth at an altitude of 6,320 feet, the 2015 Mayu Valle de Elqui Huanta Vineyard Pedro Ximénez offers an intriguing mineral-driven aroma and an abundance of citrus and orchard fruit flavors to please both the nose and the palate, and at the same time slake the thirst. Unlike most of its Spanish and Australian cousins, the 2015 Mayu Valle de Elqui Pedro Ximénez possesses crisp acidity and laser-like...

The Santa Lucia Highlands enjoy an enviable reputation for fashioning fleshy, full-bodied Pinot Noirs with excellent ageing potential. The cool, extended 2010 vintage in the Santa Lucia Highlands rendered the 2010 Paraiso Vineyards West Terrace Pinot Noir especially fine, highly aromatic and packed with flavor. It also imparted an elegance and suavity typically reserved for fine red Burgundy. A seductive bouquet of freshly picked strawberries...