Featured Wines - July 2023

J. Bouchon’s 2021 Canto Sur (95 Points – Decanter; 92 Points – Tim Atkin; 90 Points – Vinous) emanates from old dry-farmed vines in Chile’s Maule Valley. To preserve the wine’s delicious fruit, all of the grapes (a blend of 50% Carmenère, 25% País, 25% Carignan) were hand-harvested and fermented with native yeasts in concrete tanks in this authentic expression of Maule Valley’s unique terroir. Brilliant in color with violet notes, the 2021...

Riesling ranks among the world’s greatest white grapes and its wines are the envy of connoisseurs and critics the world over, yet Riesling remains misunderstood and underrepresented in the United States, due in large part to the sea of cheap sugary renditions and knockoffs that flooded the American market a generation ago. Jimena Lopez’s 2022 Graffito Riesling and all superbly made dry Rieslings of the world bear little or no resemblance...

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 (94 Points – James Suckling) rocks from the moment it’s poured. Bold and beautiful in flavor, yet impeccably balanced, the 2020 Mendel Cabernet Sauvignon may be the finest Cab for quality and value in the market today, as it easily puts to shame most Cabernets costing two and three times its...

Margaret River Chardonnays are renowned for their longevity and complexity, and Wildberry Estate’s 2016 Reserve Margaret River Chardonnay (93 pts – James Halliday; 90 pts – Wine Enthusiast) is no exception. 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...

As a classic Bordeaux blend of Malbec (60%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (40%), the 2018 Tikal Júbilo (94 Points – James Suckling) 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...

Wines express not only the personality of the vineyard, they also reveal the character of the winemaker. This is certainly true of Josef Jamek’s 2021 Stein am Rain Grüner Veltliner Federspiel (93 Points – Wine & Spirits). 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...

Certified organic since 2014, Emile Beyer’s Eguisheim Pinot Noir is 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...