406 products
Bonterra Vineyards Pinot Noir Organic Mendocino 2023 750ml
Bonterra Vineyards · Mendocino County · 2023
Bonterra believes great wine begins with healthy, living soil. The vineyards are farmed organically and sustainably, with native flowers, beneficial insects, songbirds, chickens, and sheep all part of a thoughtful approach to working the land. Sourced from Mendocino County vineyards with varied microclimates and soils, this Pinot Noir is bright, complex, and fruit-forward.
Hand-harvested fruit is gently de-stemmed and cold-soaked for three days before fermentation, then aged for ten months in 100% French oak. Strawberry, raspberry, and Bing cherry meet vanilla, oak spice, crushed herbs, earth, and mineral, while soft tannins carry the wine into a long, graceful finish.
Wine Enthusiast: 90 points — Tonya Pitts
“Warm, simmering spices permeate the aromas of Bing cherry preserve, dark strawberry, and crushed herbs on the nose. Flavors on the palate bring together orange segments, raspberry-rhubarb, sagebrush, earth, and mineral on the finish.” (Vintage 2023).
- Producer: Bonterra Vineyards
- Farming: Certified organic and sustainably farmed
- Varietal: Pinot Noir
- Region: Mendocino County, California
- Vintage: 2023
- Winemaking: Hand-harvested, three-day cold soak, aged ten months in 100% French oak
- Tasting notes: Strawberry, raspberry, Bing cherry, vanilla, oak spice, crushed herbs, earth, and mineral
- Pair with: Roasted salmon, duck breast, mushroom risotto, earthy pasta, roast chicken, soft cheeses, or charcuterie
- Size: 750ml
A bright, organic California Pinot Noir with 90-point pedigree, silky texture, and savory Mendocino character.
Chateau Le Bergey Bordeaux Rouge Biodynamic Organic 2023 750ml
Château Le Bergey Bordeaux Rouge Biodynamic Organic — Bordeaux 2023
Château Le Bergey is a certified biodynamic and organic estate on the Right Bank of Bordeaux, farming with a commitment to the land that goes well beyond the minimum requirements of either certification. Biodynamic viticulture treats the vineyard as a living ecosystem — no synthetic inputs, farming in harmony with lunar cycles, and a focus on soil health that produces grapes of genuine character and terroir expression. At under $15, this is one of the most compelling arguments for what conscientious Bordeaux farming can deliver at an everyday price. The 2023 vintage produced a wine of real substance: medium-bodied, structured, and dry, with the classic Right Bank profile of dark fruit, earth, and graphite.
The nose opens with blackberry, black cherry, and raspberry, layered with oak, bramble, and earthy graphite notes. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied with firm tannins, good structure, and a dry, focused finish. Classic Bordeaux character — honest, food-friendly, and built to drink well at the table.
- Producer: Château Le Bergey, Bordeaux, France
- Vintage: 2023
- Appellation: Bordeaux Rouge AOC
- Farming: Certified Biodynamic & Organic
- Size: 750ml
- Tasting Notes: Blackberry, black cherry, raspberry, oak, bramble, earth, graphite
- Best Paired With: Grilled lamb, roast beef, duck, hard cheeses, charcuterie
Certified biodynamic and organic Bordeaux at an everyday price — Château Le Bergey is the Right Bank red that punches well above its weight.
Icardi Barolo Parej Organic 2019 750ml
Producer Notes
Icardi is a certified organic estate in Piedmont’s Barolo zone — The Parej is their single-vineyard Barolo, made from 100% Nebbiolo grown on the estate’s organic vineyards. Roasted cherries, warmed clove, star anise, and dried floral hints rise from the glass as the wine opens. Mouthfilling on the palate with wild berries — fresh, dried, and preserved — combined with oak spice and superfine tannins. Dense and compact with plum, cherry, leather, forest floor, and tar. Well-balanced with a lingering finish. Best from 2027 through 2042.
Expert Reviews — Vintage 2019
- Wine Enthusiast 91 pts | Roasted cherries, warmed clove, and star anise with dried floral hints and wild thyme. Mouthfilling with wild berries, oak spice, and superfine tannins. Drink now–2040. — Jeff Porter
- Wine Spectator 91 pts | Dense and compact with plum, cherry, leather, forest floor, and tar. Well-balanced with a lingering finish and chalky tannins. Best from 2027–2042. — Bruce Sanderson
Food Pairings
- Braised beef short ribs or osso buco
- Truffle pasta or mushroom risotto
- Aged Parmigiano-Reggiano or Castelmagno
- Roasted lamb or wild boar
Bodegas Pinord Mas Blanc +7 Priorat DOQ Organic 2018 750ml
Winemaker Description
Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, Syrah. Deep red in colour which lingers in the glass. The ageing in oak is noticeable, well blended with fruity aromas which give it finesse and complexity.
Mouth-filling and complex, smooth and well balanced on the palate. This is a wine which shows slightly smoked red fruit.
Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot 2019 750ml
Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019
Sample 2 Smoky reduction on the nose. Real density on the palate with chocolate and fruit cake, liquorice and spice. Fine and firm prominent tannins but with fantastic fruit concentration.
Do Ferreiro Albarino Val do Salnes Rias Baixas 2024 750ml
Do Ferreiro Albariño 2024 — Rías Baixas, Spain
Do Ferreiro is one of Galicia's most respected producers, crafting profound, terroir-driven Albariño from more than 175 tiny plots in the Salnés Valley. The 2024 vintage shows remarkable purity and balance, with vibrant acidity, freshness, and a distinctly mineral character shaped by the region's decomposed granite soils.
Produced with organically farmed grapes and native yeast fermentation, this is a serious yet graceful white wine. It is fresh and precise on the palate, with a sapid, stony finish and the structure to develop beautifully in bottle.
Expert Description - Vintage 2024
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: 94 Points | The 2024 Albariño shows harmony and balance, with purity, elegance, freshness, and textbook balance between ripeness and acidity. The palate captures the character of the Salnés Valley and its granite soils.
Producer Details
- Producer: Do Ferreiro
- Vintage: 2024
- Appellation: Rías Baixas, Salnés Valley
- Varietal: Albariño
- Farming: Organic practices
- Fermentation: Native yeast
- Aging: Six to nine months on the lees in stainless steel
- Filtration: Unfiltered, lightly fined with bentonite
- Size: 750ml
Tasting Notes
White flowers, laurel, wet stone, lemongrass, green apple, vibrant acidity, and a clean, almost salty mineral finish.
Best Paired With
Oysters and shellfish, grilled fish, ceviche, fresh salads, and soft or tangy cheeses.
A benchmark Salnés Valley Albariño, combining Atlantic freshness, granite-driven minerality, and the depth to reward time in the bottle.
Quintessa Napa Valley Red Biodynamic 2018 750ml
Expert Reviews - Vintage 2018
James Suckling 99 Points writes | This is beautifully polished with firm, dusty tannins to the blue fruit, as well as chocolate and cedar character. Some much earthier character, too, from mushrooms to bark. Forest flowers. Perfumed. It’s full-bodied with round tannins and a soft, creamy finish. Some iron and iodine to this. So attractive at the finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Better after 2023. (2018).
Decanter Georgina Hindle 96 Points writes | A less traditional style of wine in Napa Valley, this is lifted and charming with poise, powdery tannins and a chalky finish. Richly perfumed and wonderfully evocative on the nose, it’s seductive and inviting with black cherries, raspberries and blueberries alongside savoury notes of dried herbs. The flavours open and evolve on the palate bringing cocoa, tobacco and pencil lead into play underpinned by supple tannins. It’s powerful but on the leaner side, refined and elegant with a good sense of diretion and drive - everything feels well placed and well defined. Tasted twice and both times were highly enjoyable. A blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot, 2% Carmenére and 1% Petit Verdot. Wines are aged for 20 months in oak, 100% French, 62% new. Biodynamically grown and certified organic. Winemaker Rebekah Wineburg and estate director Rodrigo Soto.
Robert Parker Joe Czerwinski 94+ Points writes | The dense, purple-hued 2018 Proprietary Red Wine seemed just a bit closed at this tasting, with pronounced cedary notes overshadowing the black cherry fruit. It's medium to full-bodied, with a lush mouthfeel, silky-textured tannins and cocoa powder-like nuances on the lingering finish. (2018).
Vinous Antonio Galloni 93 Points writes | The 2018 Red Wine is a powerful, driving Napa Valley wine. Scorched earth, iron, chocolate, and leather give the red cherry/plum fruit distinctly savory accents. This is an especially tight wine in a vintage that yielded generally more supple, open-knit reds. Quintessa is one of the first Napa Valley estates I visited, many years ago. Since then, the property has undergone several stylistic phases. It will be interesting to see where things go over the next handful of years here. Drinking 2023 - 2038
Jancis Robinson 18.5 Points writes | Youthful purplish crimson. Vibrant nose with a suggestion of a creamy texture. Dense and savoury and beautifully balanced. Lovely and pure with a great future and tannins almost hidden by the fruit. Attractive savoury note. You could drink this now but it would be a pity. (2018).
Jancis Robinson Richard Hemming MW 17.5 Points writes Luxuriously rich and velvety, opulent but with enough herbal contrast to keep freshness on the nose. Lots of oak and dark chocolate on the palate. Such soft tannins! Really ready to drink. The oak is predominant on the finish. For Napa, this is reasonably restrained, and I'm sure it will develop well. (2018).
92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot, 2% Carménѐre
Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Quintessa is a wine of perfect harmony, with deep flavors and elegant layers that are apparent even from a young age. Intense aromas of cassis, black cherry, and raspberry intermingle with savory notes of sage and thyme; the 2018 Quintessa continues to unfold as notes of dark chocolate, graphite and fresh tobacco mingle with the fresh fruit. Precise and dense, the wine shows supple tannin that play with flavors of black cherry, dark chocolate, and crushed rocks. The 2018 Quintessa has a perfect balance of fresh acidity followed by bright fruit and minerality at the finish that portends unparalleled aging potential.
Gramona Imperial 2018 Corpinnat 750ml
Gramona Imperial — Corpinnat, Catalonia 2018
Gramona is the crown jewel of Corpinnat — the prestigious breakaway appellation of the Penèdes committed to the highest standards of traditional-method sparkling wine production in Spain. Founded in 1881 and farming biodynamically for decades, Gramona produces wines of extraordinary depth, precision, and longevity that stand comfortably alongside the finest Champagnes in the world. The Imperial is Gramona's flagship expression: a vintage-dated Brut aged on the lees for a minimum of five years, crafted from a blend of the great indigenous Catalan varieties led by Xarel·lo. The 2018 vintage is particularly notable — a cooler, wetter year that produced a wine of exceptional freshness and fine-boned structure, with the kind of calibrated acidity that will reward further cellaring.
The bouquet is elegant and complex after 60 months on the lees: lime and lemon pie lead, complemented by a delicate array of fine herbs, brioche, and a subtle autolytic creaminess. On the palate, it is dry and creamy with an ethereal, flowing texture enlivened by calibrated acidity. Refreshing and joyful, with a long, mineral-driven finish — this is sparkling wine of genuine distinction.
🏆 Vinous 91 Points — "The bouquet features aromas of lime and lemon pie, complemented by a delicate array of fine herbs. Dry and creamy on the palate, the ethereal flow is enlivened by calibrated acidity. Refreshing and joyful, this sparkling wine is a delight."
- Producer: Gramona, Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, Penèdes, Catalonia, Spain
- Vintage: 2018
- Appellation: Corpinnat
- Method: Mètode Tradicional (Traditional Method)
- Blend: 56% Xarel·lo, 30% Macabeo, 10% Parellada, 4% Chardonnay
- Aging: 60 months on the lees
- Style: Brut
- Size: 750ml
- Vintage Note: Cooler, wetter year — exceptional freshness and fine-boned structure
- Tasting Notes: Lime, lemon pie, fine herbs, brioche, creamy texture, calibrated acidity, mineral finish
- Drink: Now through 2030
- Best Paired With: Grilled monkfish, scallops, lobster, roast poultry, Ibérico ham, mature Manchego, Comté
Five years on the lees, one of Spain's greatest sparkling wine houses — Gramona Imperial 2018 is a Corpinnat benchmark of rare elegance and freshness.
Biokult Gruner Veltliner Biodynamic 2024 750ml
Biokult Grüner Veltliner Biodynamic 2024
Biokult is a collective of passionate organic and biodynamic winegrowers in Austria, united by a shared philosophy: that the vitality of the vineyard is the foundation of great wine. Working in Niederösterreich, the growers focus on biodiversity in flora and fauna, maintaining microorganisms in the soil, using natural fertilizers, and avoiding synthetic interventions — creating what they call a “winegarden” rather than a monotonous monoculture. The result is wines that are bursting with life, honest, and deeply expressive of their origins.
The Grüner Veltliner is biodynamic, vegan, and sealed with a screw cap for freshness — a modern, characterful expression of Austria’s signature white grape that delivers serious quality at a remarkable price. Bracing, mineral, and food-friendly, it’s the kind of wine that makes you reach for a second glass.
Aromatics of crunchy apple, green pear, tarragon, and catnip. On the palate, bracing acidity and lime zest give way to white pepper, tarragon, and scallion, with a chalky, mineral, saline finish that lingers. Classic Grüner character — precise, fresh, and alive.
Food Pairings
Asian fare, sashimi, sushi, spiced Thai dishes, grilled shrimp, crustaceans, oysters on the half shell, white meats, egg dishes, and light cheeses. One of the most food-friendly whites you’ll find at this price.
Varietal: Grüner Veltliner
Appellation: Niederösterreich, Austria
Vintage: 2024
Farming: Biodynamic | Vegan
Closure: Screw cap
Format: 750ml
Weingut Straka Mash Organic 2021 750ml
Winemaker Description
Straka's Mash skin-fermented white is a blend of Straka's specialty, Welschriesling, with a bit of Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay. It spends 20 days on the skins followed by 10 months in large, neutral oak. The result is a wine that is both aromatic and tertiary, lending intriguing savory notes making it a perfect accompaniment to food.
Straka, which means Magpie, is a small family estate located in the Eisenberg district of Burgenland, Austria. It has been run by Tom Straka since 2008. Tom farms organically and practices minimal intervention in the cellar. Located on the last foothill of the Alps, in Rechnitz, his primary focus is Welschriesling, the main indigenous grape of the area. His best vineyard site is Pratner (he farms all but 4 rows of it) which is very densely planted old vines dating from 1932.
Since taking over the family winery, Tom has slowly expanded their vineyard holdings from 3-7 hectares and converted to organic farming. The estate was established by his family in the 18th century when they moved to the area from Bohemia. In the 1950s they were the first family in the area to start a Heuriger or Buschenschank (wine tavern) so that people could come and eat while sampling their wines. It proved a very successful model for them and today, their Buschenschank remains a staple of the area while most others have closed. It remains a great way for many people to try their wines.
Tom is huge advocate of Welschriesling which he says can pair with anything if grown properly. Welschriesling is an old indigenous grape perfectly suited to the geography of this rare geological area. Rechnitz sits 360 m above sea level on the slopes of the Geschriebenstein, the highest mountain in the Burgenland. The vineyards climb as high as 500m and are known for their unique geological soils -- a combination of crystalline schist and magmatic deposits that can only be found in 3 other places in the world. It is a very windy and dry area which cools off considerably at night. This results in very few pests, no need for herbicide or any other treatments and crisp clear mineral-driven wines. The parentage of Welschriesling is not known (it is not related to Rhine Riesling) and is thought to be a most closely related to Elbling, originating in Northern Italy and Croatia along the Danube and typically shows good acidity and fruit with notes of lemon, salt and green apple.
For one and a half decades Thomas Straka has been working with organic waste and cattle manure, but very little compost. "I apply some phosphor from time to time as fertilizer, and also a little chalk, because without it the vines would suffer malnutrition. But all in all I don't have to interfere much in the vineyards." Green cover like vetch between the rows contribute nitrogen to the soil. He lets them grow rather high. "Because we do little work with tractors and most by hand, our soils are nearly uncompressed and rich in humus. And as our soils are meagre and constantly wind-blown, we have almost no problems with fungal diseases." The biggest threat in Rechnitz is and always has been drought. "Today the only things I do in the cellar are a clarification with bentonite and addition of neutral yeasts if necessary."
Channing Daughters Winery Research Bianco 2019 Orange 750ml
Winemaker Notes
Our 2019 Research Bianco is a skin-fermented white wine blend in which the proportions and varieties change with each vintage. A good friend supplied the grapes from a "research" vineyard on the East End. All the grapes were grown together (a field blend), hand-picked, de-stemmed, crushed by foot and punched down by hand.
Umani Ronchi Verdicchio Classico Superiore Casal di Serra Organic 2024 750ml
Umani Ronchi | Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore DOC, Marche, Italy | Organic | 2024
Created in the 1980s from a single selection of the finest grapes in the Montecarotto vineyard, Casal di Serra has grown into one of Italy's benchmark expressions of Verdicchio — the great indigenous white grape of the Marche. Now certified organic, the wine is fermented and aged on its own natural yeasts, a process that builds richness and personality while preserving the variety's signature balance and elegance. The result is a white of genuine depth: velvety, saline, and persistently fruity.
Grape: Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi
Farming: Certified organic
Fermentation: Native yeasts
Drink: Now–2029
Tasting Notes
- Wild flowers, peach, apricot, and golden apple on the nose
- Rich and velvety palate with bright freshness and sapidity
- Dry, persistent finish | Intensely fruity | Fine mineral balance
Pairings: Grilled sea bass, roasted turbot, seafood brodetto, roast chicken, fresh pecorino, pasta with pesto
BioKult Zweigelt and Pinot Noir BIODYNAMIC VEGAN 2023 750ml RED Ac
Our Professional Review
Rand Sieger of 67wino.shop | Deep ruby color. Earthy crushed raspberry and pencil shaving aromas follow through on a soft, satiny entry to a dry-yet-fruity medium body with a delicate touch of spice and crabapple. Finishes in lingering spiced poached apple, mineral, and wet cedar fade with lightly pithy tannins.
Winemaker Description
Zippy raspberries lead the palate, minerality becomes present after. It finishes with smooth tannins that coat your tongue so softly you barely notice them. Light to medium bodied.
Nose of black fruit and spices and wood. Little tannin, light-med delicate body, lots of cheery and raspberry and finishes spicy and woody with a bit of acid that matches perfectly with the fatty carnitas.
Memo Food Pairing Suggestion
Food Pairings
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Casual: Ideal for picnics, pizza nights, or a hearty tuna salad.
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Main Course: Pairs beautifully with roasted vegetables, mushroom-based dishes, or grilled poultry.
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Specialty: Since it's from Austria, it is a classic match for Wiener Schnitzel or mild German sausages.
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Paitin di Pasquaro Elia Barbaresco Riserva Sori' Paitin Vecchie Vigne 2006 750ml
Expert Rating
Vinous Stephen Tanzer writes 93 Points | (from 63-year-old vines in the center of the vineyard; aged in a combination of old barriques and new larger casks) Sweet aromas of redcurrant, cherry, smoke and mint, all lifted by high notes of orange peel, rose petal and minerals. Concentrated, vibrant and gripping, with a silky quality and noteworthy precision to the flavors of red fruits, spices and minerals. Harmonious acidity gives a juicy, sappy quality and real elegance to this densely packed Barbaresco. Here the tannins are considerably finer than those of the normale, and the long, juicy, gripping finish leaves behind a captivating floral perfume. A beauty.
This is from a massale selection, including a bit of the lighter, floral rose clone of nebbiolo while the rest of the vineyard features five different clones.
Peay Vineyards Pinot Noir AMA ESTATE Sonoma Coast 2021 750ml
Winemaker Description
Peay Vineyards is a first-generation family winery. Husband and wife, Nick Peay & Vanessa Wong, grow and make the wine and brother, Andy Peay, and his wife Ami, sell the wine and run the business.
All wines are made from grapes grown on our 53-acre estate vineyard located above a river gorge in the far northwestern corner of the Sonoma Coast, 4 miles from the Pacific Ocean at Sea Ranch. We sit in the chilly inversion layer with fog and wind from the Ocean maintaining cool temperatures with plenty of sunlight.
Winemaker Vanessa Wong left her position as winemaker at Peter Michael Winery in 2001 to launch Peay Vineyards. Formerly she worked at Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Domaine Jean Gros and Hirsch Winery.
We farm organically and maintain our licenses for fish friendly farming and integrated pest management. The health of our vineyard dictates these approaches to farming and making wine. We also run on bio-diesel at the vineyard and solar power at both the vineyard and winery.
Expert Ratings - Vintage 2021
Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points | The 2021 Pinot Noir Ama is dark ruby, with notes of red cherry and apple skin. The palate is full-bodied and has great structure, with a broad texture, ripe tannins and notes of dark cherry, tea leaf, and forest earth. It’s long on the palate and has a good finish. (2021).
Robert Parker 94 Points | The 2021 Estate Pinot Noir Ama is powerful and perfumed this vintage. It offers aromas broody aromas of red and black cherries and aniseed with top notes of saline and citrus peel. The medium-bodied palate is chalky and refreshing with generous berry fruit and floral accents, and it has a long, spicy finish. (2021).
Kolfok Intra! The Wild Orange Wine 2022 750ml
Kolfok · Mittelburgenland, Austria · 2022
Stefan Wellanschitz of Kolfok wanted to make an orange wine that broke the mold — one with the structure and texture of skin contact, but none of the heavy tannins or oxidative roughness that can make the style feel difficult. His answer was intracellular fermentation: whole, uncrushed grapes rested in a closed vessel, where native yeasts slowly began working inside the berries themselves, drawing color and character from the skins with extraordinary gentleness before the fruit was pressed off into massive 1,100 and 1,500-liter used oak barrels to finish.
The result is Intra! — pale amber in the glass, bone dry, smooth, and mineral. The nose lifts with apple, grapefruit, melon, white flowers, and a subtle yeast breadth. The palate is simultaneously tropical and structured, with a fistful-of-blossoms quality that lingers long after the sip. A blend of Grüner Veltliner, Welschriesling, and Chardonnay from organically farmed Burgenland fruit. Vegan. No added sulfites.
“An innovative skin-contact wine that showcases the distinctive character of the grapes and the winery’s commitment to experimentation and creativity. Elegant, not just tannic and out-there.” — Kolfok Winery
- Producer: Kolfok
- Winemaker: Stefan Wellanschitz
- Vintage: 2022
- Appellation: Mittelburgenland, Burgenland, Austria
- Varietal: Grüner Veltliner, Welschriesling, Chardonnay
- Style: Orange Wine (Intracellular / Skin Contact)
- Farming: Organic | Vegan | No Added Sulfites
- Vinification: Intracellular fermentation in closed vessel; pressed to large used oak barrels
- Size: 750ml
- Tasting Notes: Apple, grapefruit, melon, white flowers, yeast, mineral
- Food Pairings: Charcuterie, aged cheeses, roasted vegetables, grilled fish, Thai cuisine
Proof that orange wine can be both wild and elegant — this is Burgenland at its most inventive.
Villa di Capezzana Ghiaie della Furba Toscana 2017 750ml
Winemaker Description
This wine is intense ruby red in colour with youthful highlights. On the nose, there are notes of almonds, violets and oranges which are intertwined with aromas of coffee and vanilla. It is a full-bodied wine with well-balanced acidity.
The rounded tannins from the Sangiovese are lifted by the cassis concentration of the Cabernet on the long, concentrated finish.
Expert Reviews - Vintage 2017
James Suckling 93 Points | Blueberries and blackcurrants with bark and licorice. Full body and round, chewy tannins. This is very fresh and bright with some sage and stone character. From organically grown grapes. Needs time to soften. Drink after 2023.
Vinous 92 Points | The 2017 Ghiaie della Furba opens to a bouquet of minty herbs, camphor and smoke before deepening further to display dusty red currant and spice box. This is velvety and fleshy in feel, with stimulating acidity that enlivens its spicy black fruit and building mineral tones. It tapers off with persistence, power and grippy tannin, the perfect mix for a long evolution. The Ghiaie della Furba is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah and 20% Merlot that refines in barrique, half new and half second pass. It's important to note that production was down by 40% in 2017 due to trost.
Tenuta Rapitala Nero d'Avola Alto Reale Organic Sicily 2024 750ml
Expert Reviews — Vintage 2024
Wine Enthusiast — 91 Points
"The nose opens umami, sanguine and earthy, with damp soil, pepper and mixed wild herbs, then presents sweet, tiny wild berries crushed underfoot. The palate first leans into the fruit, with sweet, ripe blackberries and blueberries, before finishing off with earth and pepper."
Best Buy
Winemaker Description
Hints of ripe fruit, cinnamon, and licorice and an intense and harmonious taste allow for a fresher wine, with delicate tannins and easy to drink style.

Product Details
- Producer: Tenuta Rapitalà
- Region: Terre Siciliane IGT, Sicily, Italy
- Grape: Nero d’Avola
- Farming: Certified Organic
- Vintage: 2023
- Style: Medium-bodied, fresh, high-altitude Sicilian red
- Format: 750ml
Domaine Huet "Clos Du Bourg Demi Sec" Vouvray 750ml
Wine Spectator | This voluptuous, full-bodied, off-dry white shows a lot of power, offering round pear, mango and honeycomb flavors that take a salty turn on the palate, with brine, crushed flint and bitter almond skin, backed by a subtle hint of brioche on the finish. Opening up in the glass, this gorgeous wine offers loads of immediate charm, but should have a long life ahead in the cellar as well.
Taking its roots deep into the chalk soils of Vouvray, this off-dry wine resonates beautifully in the mouth. Its natural sugar and refreshing acidity blend harmoniously. Aerial and complex, this fruity wine is to be appreciated young, but can reveal itself graciously to the ones who wait. Winemaker Description.
Domaine Arlaud Morey Saint Denis Biodynamic 2021 750ml
Neal Martin writes: The 2021 Morey-Saint-Denis Village is quite backward on the nose, blackberry and bilberry at the moment, a distinct marine element surface with time. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit tinged with orange rind and brown spices. Fine structure towards the finish although here, I would just like a little more finesse to develop. - Drinking 2024 to 2032. - Vinous
William Kelley writes: The 2021 Morey-Saint-Denis Village is a blend of En Sevrey and Clos Solon. Delivering aromas of smoky red berries, raw cocoa and forest floor, it's medium-bodied, supple and perfumed, with melting tannins and a charming middle-weight style. - Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Allen Meadows writes: Here too there is enough reduction to suppress the underlying fruit. The palate impression though of the more substantial flavors is vibrant and well-detailed, particularly on the lengthier and better-balanced finale. This could use more depth but that should reasonably occur with time. - Burghound
White Walnut Estate Chardonnay Worden Hill Road Dundee Hills Biodynamic 2019 750ml
Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019
Year’s Best US Chardonnay - Wine & Spirits Magazine
James Suckling 94 Points | Grilled pineapple, apricot, hawthorn, burnt lime and flint on the nose. It’s medium-bodied with bright acidity and a sleek, creamy texture. Balanced, fresh and long. Beautiful expression. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink now or hold.
Winemaker Description
The 2019 'Dundee Hills Chardonnay' is a regional blend showcasing the best of the Dundee Hills AVA. Refined aromas of nectarines, honeysuckle, and bee pollen ascend from the glass, coalescing with notes of citrus peel. Layers upon layers of richness extend across the palate and crescendo to a seamless, persistent finish with lingering notes of lemon drop candy.
This wine has the energy and drive to drink young or over the next decade. This wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered showing our commitment to minimal intervention winemaking. Winemaker Description.
Castello di Bossi Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Organic 2020 750ml
Castello di Bossi | Chianti Classico Gran Selezione | Organic | 2020
Gran Selezione is the apex of the Chianti Classico pyramid — a single-vineyard or best-barrel selection aged a minimum of 30 months before release. Castello di Bossi's 2020 version is a textbook example of why this category matters. Sourced from the estate's southern Gaiole in Chianti holdings and certified organic, it spent 24 months in large 40–50HL casks — a deliberate choice that preserves Sangiovese's aromatic lift while building structure without over-oaking. The 2020 vintage delivered warm, even ripening across Tuscany, and Bossi channeled that richness into a wine of explosive intensity and remarkable finesse. Deep ruby with garnet lights, it opens with black cherry, plum, cedar, sweet spice, dark chocolate, and a whisper of saddle leather. The palate is fleshy and dense, yet balanced, with a very pronounced, lingering finish. Drink now with confidence, or cellar through 2034.
- Appellation: Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG, Tuscany, Italy
- Varietal: Sangiovese
- Vintage: 2020
- Format: 750ml
- Aging: 24 months in 40–50HL large casks
- Certification: Certified Organic
- Drink Window: Now – 2034
Critical Acclaim — Vintage 2020
Vinous — Antonio Galloni | 92 Points: Gorgeous. Floral, lifted and quite expressive, the 2020 has a lot to offer. It marries the richness of this southern district with lovely aromatic presence and a good bit of brightness. A complete, deeply satisfying wine to drink now and over the next decade or so. Drink 2024–2034.
Pairing Suggestions
- Classic Tuscan: Bistecca alla Fiorentina, wild boar ragù, or pappardelle with meat sauce.
- Meat: Roasted lamb rack, braised short ribs, or aged beef tagliata.
- Cheese: Aged Pecorino Toscano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, or a firm sheep’s milk cheese.
Castello di Volpaia Balifico Organic Biodynamic 2020 750ml
Expert Reviews
Wine Advocate 90 Points | The organic Volpaia 2020 Balifico is an IGT blend of 65% Sangiovese and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet Sauvignon is impossible to miss, as this wine is very driven by aromas of blackberry, bitter chocolate and garden herb that are linked to that varietal. This is a medium to full-bodied red blend that also delivers the dusty crushed stone aromas that I associate with Chianti Classico.
James Suckling 93 Points | Very pretty and floral aromas with orange blossom and currant character. Very attractive purity of fruit. It’s medium-bodied with polished and fine tannins and a fresh and clean finish. Tangy acidity. From organically grown grapes. Give it a year or two more but already gorgeous. Drink or hold.
Wine Spectator 92 Points | Loaded with black cherry, blackberry and floral aromas and flavors, this red is also firmly structured. Shows persistent fruit through the lingering aftertaste, where elements of earth and Tuscan scrub emerge. Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2033.
Podere Castorani Cadetto Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Organic 2022 750ml
Podere Castorani · Cadetto · Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC · Abruzzo · Italy · 2022
Podere Castorani is one of Abruzzo’s most compelling estates — a historic family winery in Alanno co-owned by former Formula One driver Jarno Trulli, who brought a racing driver’s obsession with precision and detail to his family’s winemaking heritage. The estate farms organically, without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, letting the terroir of Abruzzo speak clearly in every bottle. Cadetto — meaning “Cadet” — is the estate’s entry-level expression of Montepulciano: pure fruit, freshness, and organic integrity at an exceptional price point.
The 2022 pours a deep ruby with violet notes. The nose is intense and inviting — red fruit, dark cherry, plum, and light hints of spice and chocolate. On the palate, it is full-bodied with mature, smooth tannins, refreshing acidity, and a finish that lingers with spice and cocoa. Approachable now and versatile at the table.
- Producer: Podere Castorani (Jarno Trulli), Alanno, Abruzzo, Italy
- Vintage: 2022
- Appellation: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC
- Varietal: 100% Montepulciano
- Farming: Certified Organic
- Style: Dry red — full-bodied, fruit-forward, smooth tannins
- Size: 750ml
- Tasting Notes: Dark cherry, red plum, spice, chocolate, mature tannins, refreshing acidity
- Pairings: Grilled chicken, light beef dishes, veal, pasta with tomato or meat sauce, pizza
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC — certified organic, estate-bottled, and co-owned by an F1 champion. Pure Abruzzo character at an unbeatable price.
Brendel Cabernet Sauvignon Cooper's Reed Napa Valley 2021 750ml
The Secret Ingredient Is Dirt — Brendel’s Multi-Vineyard Napa Cabernet
Brendel sources from some of Napa Valley’s most coveted sites — the eastern side of Rutherford, the highest elevations of Howell Mountain, two diverse plots in St. Helena, and a steep parcel in Oak Knoll. Their philosophy is simple: great wine starts with great dirt. The 2021 Cooper’s Reed Cabernet Sauvignon is a fresh, vibrant expression of Napa’s famed grape — harvested under moonlight, fermented cool, and aged 9 months in upright oak casks to preserve bright red and black fruit character.
The Wine Advocate 90 Points | Made by the Heitz team led by winemaker Brittany Sherwood, Brendel's 2021 Cooper's Reed Cabernet Sauvignon now includes a sufficient amount of Sonoma fruit to carry a North Coast AVA on the label—this vintage is approximately two-thirds Napa and one-third Sonoma, and the blend includes 5% Petite Sirah and 1% Merlot. Still made in old oak vats to avoid overt wood influence and just medium-bodied, it's something of a throwback stylistically. Although the fruit is quite obvious upfront, combining black cherries and blackberries, the wine is streamlined and somewhat restrained on the palate, finishing with ample length, hints of star anise and a silky texture. (Vintage 2021).
As Featured In
San Francisco Chronicle — “Their range of wines are made from some of the best sites in Napa’s most renowned regions. Each vineyard is chosen for its quality and unique aptitude, with soil types ranging from volcanic to clay to bring out the best in each grape. It’s, as they put it, good dirt.”
Winemaker Notes
Brendel Cabernet Sauvignon Cooper’s Reed Napa Valley 2021 750ml
Harvested under moonlight and crushed at cool temperatures, this Cab is thoughtfully monitored throughout fermentation. After 7–10 days, it’s gently pressed to upright oak casks for 9 months of maturation. Fruit sourced from prized Napa and Sonoma vineyards delivers mouthwatering structure with bright red and black fruit throughout.
— Brittany Sherwood, Director of Winemaking
Vineyard & Provenance
- Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
- Appellation: Napa Valley, California
- Key Sites: Rutherford, Howell Mountain, St. Helena, Oak Knoll
- Producer: Brendel
- Vintage: 2021
- Size: 750ml
Food Pairings
A natural Napa Cab pairing — excellent with grilled ribeye, roasted lamb, mushroom risotto, aged gouda, and hearty pasta.
Domaine Leflaive Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru En Vigneraie Biodynamic 2023 750ml
Experience the Elegance of Domaine Leflaive
Experience the elegance of Domaine Leflaive Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru En Vigneraie Biodynamic 2023, a rare gem from one of Burgundy's most legendary estates. This exceptional 1er Cru Chardonnay marks a new chapter for Domaine Leflaive in Pouilly-Fuissé, showcasing the same commitment to terroir and purity that defines their iconic Côte de Beaune bottlings. Sourced from the prestigious En Vigneraie vineyard and farmed biodynamically, this wine captures the elegance and depth of southern Burgundy.
Premier Cru En Vigneraie Vineyard
The En Vigneraie vineyard is a very precocious terroir situated below the Roche de Solutré, facing due south. The 0.234-hectare parcel features clay-limestone soil with very shallow depth, creating a gentle slope that produces grapes of exceptional quality. This unique terroir, combined with Domaine Leflaive's biodynamic farming practices, results in wines that are both precise and powerful.
Tasting Profile
This wine showcases a beautiful pale gold hue that entices the senses. The 2023 vintage is both precise and powerful, revealing notes of white peach, citrus zest, and crushed stones, wrapped in a fine mineral structure. Layers of stone fruit, citrus, and subtle floral hints are complemented by a minerality that speaks to the unique clay-limestone soil composition. Vibrant acidity and excellent balance create a rich experience with elegance and depth. A beautifully balanced wine that offers complexity in every sip.
Biodynamic Winemaking Excellence
Domaine Leflaive's commitment to biodynamic farming sets it apart as a leader in sustainable viticulture. This holistic approach focuses on the relationship between soil health, vineyard growth, and ecological balance. The winery employs natural preparations and follows lunar cycles to enhance the vitality of the grapes. Harvesting is entirely manual, and after decanting, the musts are transported daily to Puligny-Montrachet for fermentation and aging under the watchful eye of Domaine Leflaive's technical team.
Winemaking Process
- Pressing: Long, gentle pneumatic pressing, 24-hour decanting, followed by settling and racking
- Fermentation: 100% in oak barrels
- Aging: 12 months in barrel, followed by 6 months in vats for preparation before bottling (15-16 months total)
- Vinification: Takes place in vats with meticulous attention to detail
Food Pairing Suggestions
The excellent balance and vibrant acidity make this wine an ideal accompaniment to:
- Fresh seafood and shellfish
- Roasted or grilled poultry
- Creamy fish dishes
- Aged cheeses like Comté or Gruyère
- Rich vegetable preparations
Domaine Leflaive Legacy
Domaine Leflaive is an iconic name celebrated for exceptional winemaking techniques and commitment to biodynamic practices. Established in the renowned Burgundy region, this estate has earned a reputation for producing some of the finest Chardonnay wines available globally. By choosing this Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru, you are not only indulging in an exquisite wine but also supporting environmentally responsible viticulture that honors both tradition and innovation, preserving the environment while enriching wine quality.
Brick House Chardonnay Cascadia Organic Biodynamic 2021 750ml
Expert Reviews — Vintage 2021
Wine Advocate 94 Points: Pretty aromas of honey, allspice and roasted almonds complement a core of peach and quince fruit. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and expansive with a dynamic interplay of textural breadth and energetic acidity, offering layered flavors on the finish.
Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points: Refined and elegant, with notes of pure white flowers, lemon curd, and white peach. Medium to full-bodied with a silky mouthfeel driven by citrus — tangerine, orange sherbet — with great texture and a long, decadent finish.
Wine Spectator 91 Points: Polished and sleekly layered, with honeydew, pear and spice flavors that build structure toward the handsome finish. Drink now through 2026. 220 cases made.
Winemaker Description
Brick House Chardonnay Cascadia Organic Biodynamic 2021 750ml
Brick House’s “Cascadia” is the winery’s reserve-level Chardonnay — a highly regarded, estate-grown wine from Oregon’s Ribbon Ridge AVA. Hand-crafted on a 40-acre farm that has been at the forefront of sustainable viticulture for decades, it is made with an Old World sensibility: organic and biodynamic farming, minimal intervention, and an unwavering focus on terroir expression. One of Oregon’s benchmark Chardonnays.
Pairing Suggestions
- Rich Seafood: Scallops in brown butter, roasted salmon, or halibut with lemon-cream sauce.
- Poultry: Roast chicken with herbes de Provence or pheasant.
- Earthy Dishes: Mushroom risotto, truffle pasta, or roasted root vegetables.
Domaine Lafond Roc-Epine Lirac Rhone Organic 2023 750ml
Domaine Lafond Roc-Épine · Lirac · 2023
From the Rhône’s Lirac appellation, this red from Pascal Lafond’s family estate brings dark fruit and spice to the table. The estate describes its farming as practicing organic. A generous, structured wine for roast meats or a slow-cooked supper.
Winemaker Description
A powerful and well built wine, a deep ruby colour with violet tints. Complex nose of vanilla, fruits and griotte-cherries.
The attack is rich and firm; the mouth expresses long lasting nuances of vanilla and pepper. This is a smooth and rich wine with a very good length.
Domaine Lafond · Winemaker Description
Expert Review · 2023 Vintage
A blend of two-thirds Grenache Noir and one-third Syrah, the 2023 Lirac from Domaine Lafond Roc-Épine is a superb effort. It opens with a deep, complex bouquet of dark wild berries, black cherries, violet and licorice, complemented by subtle spice and a discreet touch of oak. Medium- to full-bodied, it’s rich and enveloping, with a fleshy core of fruit, layered textures and a harmonious mid-palate. Framed by velvety tannins, it concludes with a long, spicy and ethereal finish. This is a serious Lirac that will reward cellaring over the next decade or more.
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate · 92 points
About the Estate
Pascal Lafond’s family-run estate is based in Tavel and makes wines from Tavel, Lirac and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Its Lirac reds emphasize concentration and structure while retaining balance.
At a Glance
- Producer: Domaine Lafond Roc-Épine
- Vintage: 2023
- Appellation: Lirac, Rhône Valley, France
- Blend: Grenache Noir and Syrah, according to the 2023 Wine Advocate review
- Farming: Practicing organic
- Size: 750ml
Feudo di Santa Tresa Rina Russa Frappato Organic Sicilia 2024 750ml
Expert Reviews — Vintage 2024
James Suckling 89 Points: Bright, citrusy nose with hints of sour cherries and dried flowers. Vivid and fruity, with medium body and juicy acidity, finishing bright and zesty. Pleasant and attractive. From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Sustainable.
Winemaker Description
"Rina Russa" means "red sand" in Sicilian dialect — a name that speaks to the ancient terroir from which this wine is born. The Frappato grapes come from estate-grown ancient clones, yielding a beautiful light cherry color with a fresh and vibrant bouquet reminiscent of wild strawberries. The palate is silky and smooth with a real freshness running through it and a surprisingly long finish.
Certifications: Organic | Vegan | Sustainable
Pairing Suggestions
- Seafood: Grilled branzino, swordfish alla Siciliana, or seafood pasta.
- Meat: Charcuterie, roasted rabbit, or light pork dishes.
- Cheese: Fresh Pecorino Siciliano or mild ricotta salata.
Littorai Pinot Noir SONOMA COAST 2025 750ml
Littorai · Pinot Noir · Sonoma Coast · 2025
This juicy and aromatic Pinot Noir is loaded with flavors of red fruit, meaty cherries, tree bark, and sweet baking spice. It's a blend of de-classified barrels and press wine from the Littorai Sonoma Coast vineyards, including Hirsch, Pivot, Mays Canyon, Thieriot and The Haven, primarily on Gold Ridge loam soils, farmed using organic and biodynamic methods.
Littorai: Wines of Place
The Littorai path flows from a dedication to producing wines of place, wines which reflect the genius of an individual site. There are no substitutes for low yields and careful site and vine selection. Winegrowing is a wonderful word, for it implies that the object is not to produce the most beautiful vine or grape cluster but to produce the finest wine. Such wine should be a reflection of the vineyard and not the cellar. Littorai believes that additives such as cultured yeasts, cultured bacteria, acidification, and enzymes are not appropriate to the greatest expression of terroir; rather than looking to technology, the focus stays on hands-on farming and working with Mother Nature.
Wine is a reflection of the culture from which it springs. Littorai believes in a culture less boisterous and more gracious, making wines not for competitions, ratings, or trends, and holding that elegance and finesse are wholly compatible with concentration and complexity. The Littorai aesthetic is one of finesse, balance, and length.
Heidi & Ted Lemon
Ted is a lifelong winemaker who began his career with an Enology degree from the Université de Dijon in 1981. He was the first American ever hired as winemaker and vineyard manager of an estate in Burgundy, Domaine Guy Roulot in Meursault, where he resided until 1984, and went on to work at Domaine Georges Roumier, Domaine Bruno Clair, Domaine Parent, Domaine De Villaine, Domaine Delorme, and Domaine Dujac.
Upon returning to the United States, Ted worked as a winemaker in Napa Valley and became a consultant to a number of prominent wineries in California, Oregon, and New Zealand.
Heidi worked at several estates in Napa prior to founding Littorai: Domaine Chandon, Robert Pecota Winery, Robert Long Vineyards, and Stag's Leap Wine Cellars.
Specs
- Producer: Littorai (Heidi & Ted Lemon)
- Vintage: 2025
- Appellation: Sonoma Coast, California
- Varietal: Pinot Noir
- Vineyard Sources: Hirsch, Pivot, Mays Canyon, Thieriot, The Haven
- Farming: Organic & Biodynamic
- Size: 750ml
Renieri Rosso di Montalcino Organic Tuscany 2024 750ml
Renieri Rosso di Montalcino — Montalcino, Tuscany 2024
Renieri is one of Montalcino's most respected organic estates, and this Rosso di Montalcino is the clearest expression of why. Sourced from certified organic vineyards in the heart of Tuscany and crafted from Sangiovese Grosso — the same noble grape as Brunello di Montalcino — the 2024 delivers uncommon depth and precision for a Rosso. Vinous awarded it 92 points, noting it displays "significantly more depth than expected."
The wine opens with a mentholated freshness and a classic bouquet of cherries, prunes, and floral aromas that open to more sophisticated notes of slate. On the palate, it is complex and vibrant with cooling acidity, crisp wild berry fruits, violet pastille nuances, and gentle, fine tannins. A touch of tartness is accompanied by a succulent, balanced body and an exciting finish with returning hints of ripe fruit and fantastic length.
"The 2024 Rosso di Montalcino opens with a mentholated freshness and floral aromas. This displays significantly more depth than expected, with cooling acidity and crisp wild berry fruits. Violet pastille nuances swirl over gentle, fine tannins as the 2024 tapers off with fantastic length." — Eric Guido, Vinous, 92 Points (Vintage 2024)
- Producer: Renieri, Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy
- Vintage: 2024
- Appellation: Rosso di Montalcino DOC
- Varietal: Sangiovese Grosso (Brunello clone)
- Style: Medium-to-full-bodied, elegant, mineral-driven Tuscan red
- Farming: Certified Organic
- Size: 750ml
- Tasting Notes: Cherries, prunes, wild berries, violet, slate, mentholated freshness, fine tannins
- Cellar Potential: Drink now through 2030
- Best Paired With: Bistecca alla Fiorentina, roast lamb, wild boar ragù, aged pecorino, truffle pasta
A 92-point organic Rosso di Montalcino at an honest price — Renieri is the benchmark for what Montalcino can deliver before Brunello.
Podere Grattamacco Bolgheri Superiore 2021 750ml
Podere Grattamacco's Bolgheri Superiore is one of the coast's most compelling expressions — a Cabernet Sauvignon-led blend with Merlot and Sangiovese, grown on the mineral-rich soils of the Bolgheri DOC. Deeply aromatic and structured, it opens with ripe red fruits, balsamic and Mediterranean herb notes, and a distinctive mineral thread that carries through to a long, persistent finish. Built for the cellar, yet captivating now.
Pairs beautifully with game, wild boar, roasted and braised red meats, and medium-aged cheeses.
Expert Reviews — Vintage 2021
James Suckling 97 Points | At a different level, with blackcurrants, blueberries and Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary and sage. Also tobacco and coffee bean. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and a persistent finish. Sophisticated and thought-provoking. A new quality with this wine.
Wine Spectator 96 Points | Blueberry, black currant and pomegranate flavors accented by oak spice, graphite and rosemary notes. Fresh and long, with terrific balance and a fine-grained band of tannins lining the finish.
Laurent Cazottes Goutte de MAUZAC ROSE Eau de Vie 375ml
Producer Description
Laurent makes four eaux-de-vie: – two from rare, almost extinct grape varieties: Prunelard and Mauzac Rose – a Pear Williams – a Greengage Each eau-de-vie is made from organic fruits, harvested ripe then dried on mats to concentrate sugars/flavors. The dried fruits are then pealed one by one, cut in half, the pit/seeds/stalk are removed as to keep only the flesh of the ripe fruit. Only then are they crushed into a juice and fermented. On average the wine obtained is about 11% alc./ vol.
This wine is distilled in a pot still to 66% alc./vol. Laurent bottles each eau-de-vie at 45% alc./vol after reducing the proof slowly by adjunction of demineralized water.
An indigenous grape to the Tarn region of Southwest France, the Laurent Cazottes Goutte de Mauzac Rose Eau-de-vie is one of Laurent Cazottes’ true passions. This is not a fine nor a marc, but the wine and the pomace are left together during the distillation.
Hence, this is an Eau de Vie de Raisin. Laurent Cazottes is committed to reviving these heritage varietals and the resulting spirits are pure expressions of the fruit from which they are made. Biodynamic and organic viticulture are practiced.
Domaine des Tourelles Cinsault Bekaa Valley Lebanon 2021 ORGANIC
Winemaker Description
GRAPES: Cinsault (100%).
Cinsault has been farmed in the Bekaa Valley since the mid-19th century before ceding the way to new imported varieties. In 2014, Domaine des Tourelles decided to revive this grape by searching out very old Cinsault vines, over 50 years of age, and fermenting the wines in concrete tanks using wild yeasts and nothing else to offer the purest expression of that grape. The result is a supple wine that beautifully reflects the terroir of the Bekaa Valley, with an aging potential of several years.
Published by Jancis Robinson
There is not much I can say about Bekaa-born Faouzi Issa co-owner and winemaker of Domaine des Tourelles in the Bekaa Valley, that has not already been said by Jancis and Tam but in a week in which Lebanon has again been in the news because of death and destruction, I wanted to celebrate the life that continues to be created every year at Domaine des Tourelles in the most challenging circumstances imaginable. (See Michael Karam’s Lessons in wine-region survival.)
Issa told me on Wednesday that the nearest pager explosion to them was 1 km away from the winery.
In 2018, the year Domaine des Tourelles celebrated its 150th anniversary, Jancis’s articles Lebanon and the new Serge Hochar? and Lebanon’s oldest winery told of Issa’s journey into wine, via Bordeaux’s Château Margaux and René Rostaing in the Rhône, as well as giving a brief history of Domaine des Tourelles, Lebanese wine more generally and the arrival of Cinsault in the country in the 19th century along with Carignan and Grenache.
Tam continued the story in 2022 in more personal terms in Old-vine wines – part 1 Lebanon, describing Issa as ‘that mesmeric combination of scientist, engineer and romantic’, at the same time highlighting Issa’s commitment to old vines.
The first vintage of this wine was 2014, which was when Issa realised that the old vines offered something special and deserved to be bottled separately (they now have four wines in their Old Vine Collection). He explains, ‘Cinsault has been farmed in the Bekaa Valley since the mid 19th century before ceding the way to new imported varieties.’ For many a year, it was the most widely planted variety in the country but it is now much less popular than it once was.
Memo Serving Suggestions
Food Pairings: The perfect match for Levantine and Mediterranean cuisine. It pairs excellently with lamb chops, beef tagine, grilled vegetables (ratatouille), or a classic Mezze platter.
La Spinetta Barbera d'Asti Superiore Ca' di Pian Organic 2023 750ml
La Spinetta Barbera d’Asti Superiore Ca’ di Pian Organic — Piedmont 2023
La Spinetta is one of Piedmont’s most celebrated estates, founded by Giorgio Rivetti in Castagnole delle Lanze. Rivetti is widely credited with modernizing Barbera d’Asti — bringing precision viticulture, organic farming, and meticulous cellar work to a variety long underestimated in the region. Ca’ di Pian, sourced from Castagnole delle Lanze and Costigliole d’Asti, is La Spinetta’s entry-level Barbera — yet it consistently punches well above its price, earning critical acclaim vintage after vintage. The estate farms entirely without synthetic pesticides or herbicides, expressing the purest possible fruit from its Piedmontese terroir.
The 2023 is soft, supple, and immediately captivating. A burst of blueberry, black cherry, morello cherry, spice, lavender, menthol, and chocolate gives the wine tremendous appeal and versatility. Fresh, fruit-forward, and beautifully balanced — an especially fine edition of this beloved cuvée.
“A terrific value… tons of immediacy and sheer appeal.” — Vinous, 90 Points
- Producer: La Spinetta, Castagnole delle Lanze, Piedmont, Italy
- Vintage: 2023
- Appellation: Barbera d’Asti Superiore DOC
- Vineyard: Ca’ di Pian (Castagnole delle Lanze & Costigliole d’Asti)
- Varietal: 100% Barbera
- Farming: Certified Organic
- Size: 750ml
- Tasting Notes: Blueberry, black cherry, morello cherry, spice, lavender, menthol, chocolate
- Best Paired With: Cured meats, soft cheeses, Piedmontese agnolotti, roast veal, grilled meats, mushroom dishes
Giorgio Rivetti’s benchmark Barbera — organic, expressive, and one of Piedmont’s great values under $30.
Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Biodynamic 2020 750ml
Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020
Wine Advocate 95 Points | The 2020 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru is no less impressive. Exhibiting aromas of plums, red berries and cassis mingled with orange rind, cinnamon, vanilla pod and spices, it's full-bodied, deep and layered, with a concentrated core of fruit, lively acids and a long, rose-inflected finish.
Barrel Sample: 95-97 Burghound 94 Points | This is aromatically similar to the Clos St. Denis but even more floral. Here too there is a wonderfully attractive mouthfeel on the powerful, muscular and dense broad-shouldered flavors that are also blessed with an abundance of dry extract that buffers the massively persistent finale. This terrific effort is a blend of power and refinement and a wine that should age accordingly. A "wow" wine and on the better wines of the vintage.
Barrel Sample: 94-97Decanter 97 Points | Complex and aromatically nuanced, showing well-developed plummy fruit, with accents of earth, leather, smoke and spice. The initial feel on the palate is tannic and concentrated, but the wine is still approachable and supple, with a lovely, long line to the lingering finish. Superb wine. Dujac owns nearly 2ha here, scattered across six parcels and five of the different lieux-dits, including the original Clos de la Roche, Les Froichots, Les Fremières, Monts Luisants and Les Chabiots, giving a balanced view of this grand cru.