Featured Wines - July 2022

In the hands of two highly skilled women, Analía Lazaneo and Valentina Gatti, Artesana’s unique 2017 Tannat Merlot Zinfandel combines Tannat’s power with the panache and rich flavors of Merlot and Zinfandel. The 2017 Artesana Tannat Merlot Zinfandel exhibits a deep purple nearly opaque color that foreshadows the wine’s extraction and primary grape varietal More impressive still is the wine’s heady bouquet of ripe black fruits, fig, dark chocolate...

The youthful 2021 Colpaola Verdicchio di Matelica cuts a fine figure in a glass with its brilliant sun-struck color, including Verdicchio’s telltale flash of green. Subtle scents of spring flowers, orchard fruits, dried fruit, and raw almonds waft from the glass to greet the nose. In the mouth, the wine’s fresh fruit flavors mingle with subtle floral tones, an uplifting minerality, and a purity born of organic grapes that leaves the palate fresh and energized...

Deep ruby with purple highlights, the 2020 Masserie Pizari Primitivo cuts a fine figure from the moment it is poured, while the wine’s fresh, fruity aroma quickly offers an equally appealing invitation. Savory scents of blueberry, dark cherry, violet, and plum grace the nose. In the mouth, the wine spreads its warmth as well as its pure fruit and subtle herbal tones. Nicely balanced with low acidity and soft tannins, the 2020 Masserie Pizari Primitivo finishes gracefully...

The Mâitres Vignerons de la Vidaubanaise have once again fashioned a delicious Le Provencal Côtes de Provence Rosé. This elegant rose tinted wine conjures images of the sun-drenched Provençal countryside along with the region’s rarified air and illuminated landscapes, which shimmer beside the sparkling Mediterranean Sea. Unique in appearance, Le Provençal is bottled in the traditional “flute à corset,” the distinctive bottle of the Provence...

The youthful 2020 Rustenberg John X. Merriman over delivers in every way. A superlative Meritage or Bordeaux blend based on Cabernet Sauvignon, it offers an enticing aroma of blackberry, black cherry, and plum along with hints of espresso and cedar (that latter the classic cigar box scent so often associated with the best red wines of Bordeaux). Rich and rewarding in the mouth, the 2020 Rustenberg John X. Merriman offers a smorgasbord of flavors (think cassis and plum...

The 2019 Miner Napa Valley Chardonnay provides further testimony to Miner’s great acumen and longtime success with Chardonnay. Sourced from select low-yielding vineyards in Napa Valley, it offers everything one could ask for in Napa Valley Chardonnay. It provides an enticing aroma and lively ripe flavors replete with ripe golden apple, pear, and zesty citrus, all gently balanced by deft touches of vanilla and French oak. In addition, Miner’s veteran...

The 2020 Domaine de Cabasse Gigondas is a delicious, sensual, and complex wine. A traditional blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre, this exceptional Gigondas from the picture perfect 2020 vintage appears deceptively light in color, but the deception ends there. Sensual, savory, and superbly textured Domaine de Cabasse’s seductive 2020 Gigondas is hard to resist. Wild strawberry, rose hips, and an alluring cachet of scented herbs...

In what many, including Forbes Magazine, have called a “stellar” vintage, Château Bellevue Claribes has again fashioned an exceptional Prestige Bordeaux Supérieur in 2020 to rival nearby Saint-Emilion’s more expensive Grand Crus. The 2020 Château Bellevue Claribes Prestige Bordeaux Supérieur hails from 100% old-vines, which average more than 40 years of age. There is no wimp in these low yielding old vines as the 2020 Château Bellevue Claribes Prestige aptly...