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Expert Reviews | Vintage 2020 

96 Points James Suckling | This Spatlese beams you up to Cloud 9, from where you have a wonderful view over the beautiful Mosel Valley. In spite of the considerable concentration, this is super-delicate and precise on the barely medium-bodied palate. Enormously long finish, where you barely feel the natural grape sweetness. Drink or hold. 

95 Points Wine Advocate | The 2020 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spätlese is pure, clear and flinty on the concentrated nose that is reminiscent of a fresh fruit salad served on a slate plate on an early summer morning. Light, lush and highly finessed but seriously structured on the palate, this is a savory, very clear and elegant Sonnenuhr Spätlese with great precision and finesse and highly stimulating salinity and mouth-watering grip on the finish. Rating: 95+ 

Winemaker Description 

The 2022 Slander delivers a medium ruby core with a lucid rim that's almost translucent. Aromatically, bing cherry, briar fruit and some raspberry give way to ripe strawberry and associated red fruits. Bright and enveloping on the entry, notes of fresh strawberry, watermelon, thyme and a hint of funk come through. Spicy on the finish, the wine closes with a flash of blue fruits and lift.

There’s a soul to this business and that soul isn’t just from the people who make wine, it’s from everyone who loves wines that make them feel something.” Dave Phinney

A 99-Point Masterpiece from the Heights of Mendoza

El Enemigo has redefined Argentine fine wine with their Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard Gualtallary, and the 2020 vintage is the pinnacle of that achievement. Sourced from high-altitude vineyards in Gualtallary — one of the Uco Valley’s most extreme and celebrated terroirs — this Cabernet Franc-led blend is ethereal, powerful, and built for the long haul. Fermented in concrete with indigenous yeasts and partial whole clusters, it is a wine of rare precision and inner energy.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020

• The Wine Advocate — 99 pts: “Nothing but phenomenal. Very fresh and balanced... subtle and ethereal within the powerful and exuberant character from Gualtallary. Intense and powerful, but something makes it feel light on its feet with great inner power.”
• James Suckling — 96 pts: “Ink and licorice with blackberry and black olive aromas. Round, fine tannins that are crunchy and refined. Juicy undertone and a savory finish.”
• Vinous — 95 pts: “Intense bouquet of grapefruit, violet and wild herbs. Natural fruit flavors highlighted by blackberry hints and a chalky texture, culminating in a long, fruit-driven finish.”
• Wine Spectator — 93 pts: “Fresh rosemary, graphite and tobacco accents meld with an elegant raspberry and plum core. Drink now through 2040.”

Winemaker Notes

El Enemigo Cabernet Franc Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard Gualtallary 2020

Deep purple with red highlights. Intense and elegant aromas of sweet spices, black pepper, eucalyptus, and thyme from the Cabernet Franc, with ripe blackberries and black cherries from the Malbec. Complex on the palate with structured tannins, a touch of chocolate and vanilla from oak aging, and a very long, persistent finish.

Vineyard & Provenance

• Blend: Cabernet Franc, Malbec
• Appellation: Gualtallary, Mendoza, Argentina
• Producer: El Enemigo / Achaval Ferrer
• Vintage: 2020
• Fermentation: Concrete, indigenous yeasts, partial whole clusters
• Size: 750ml

Food Pairings

A natural match for the finest cuts — excellent with grilled meats, aged cheeses, lamb, and hearty braised dishes.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022

Jeb Dunnuck writes 97-100 Points |  I was blown away by the 2022 Château Léoville Poyferré, which is a classic blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Harvest spanned from the 8th to the 28th of September, the vinification is in tronconique tanks (parcel by parcel), and the élevage will span 18-20 months in 80% new barrels. This inky hued beauty offers that rare mix of power and elegance and offers ample cassis and assorted blue fruits, full-bodied richness, an opulent, concentrated, yet flawlessly balanced mouthfeel, velvety tannins, and plenty of classic Saint-Julien violets, espresso roast, and crushed stone-like minerality. Despite its incredible concentration and depth, it stays beautifully balanced. In a region that seems to only talk about finesse and elegance, it's a relief to still have producers such as this producing powerful, intense, singular wines. Hats off to the Cuvelier family and their team.

James Suckling 96-97 Points | A very solid LP with black berry, blackcurrant, crushed stone and lavender character. Full and really well structured with a linear length to it. Focused and so polished. Thoughtful. 58% cabernet sauvignon, 34% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot.

Neal Martin of Vinous 95-97 Points | The 2022 Léoville Poyferré was picked 8 to 28 September at 33.4hL/ha and matured in 80% new oak. It has a high IPT of 93 and 14.4% alcohol (half a degree less than the 2018). It is quintessentially LP on the nose, with those extravagant and sensual black and blueberry fruit, intermingling with crushed violet and iris. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very harmonious and focused, perhaps more linear than expected with a velvety-smooth finish. This is a very classy, sophisticated Saint-Julien that may well rest at the top of my banded score once in bottle.

Winemaker Description 

The Renvivas bottling is from another very old vineyard of Rufete, planted in 1930. These are also bush vines sitting at six hundred and fifty meters of elevation, with a due south exposition on a base of schist, limestone and sand, with the vines having been farmed without any chemicals for their entire lifetimes.

The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel and aged in older French casks prior to bottling. The 2018 Renvivas offers up a lovely bouquet of dark berries, chicory, woodsmoke, a hint of tree bark and a fine, complex base of soil.

On the palate the wine is bright, pure and full-bodied, with excellent transparency and core, fine-grained tannins and a long, tangy and complex finish. This is first class juice and impressively light on its feet. 2020-2040+.  

Expert Review - Vintage 2018

93 Points View from the Cellar-John Gilman of The Wine Advocate | The 2018 Renvivas is a 0.5-hectare vineyard planted 80 years ago with Rufete and a little Rufete Blanco in the middle of a chestnut tree forest. The destemmed grapes fermented with some added stems with indigenous yeasts in open-top vats at low temperature, and the wine matured in second and third use Stockinger barrels. There is a little more ripeness here, a mixture of red and black fruit, some herbs and spices and an earthy touch. The palate is medium-bodied, with a soft texture, fine tannins and integrated acidity. Only 850 bottles were filled in August 2019. 

Midleton Meets Málaga

The 5th installment in the famed Redbreast Iberian Series sees Master Blender David McCabe travel to the sun-drenched hills of Málaga, Spain, to source Moscatel wine casks for finishing Redbreast’s signature Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey. Spanish Moscatel is celebrated for its floral aromas and notes of pineapple, peach, and honey — characteristics that weave beautifully into Redbreast’s rich pot still character.

The Moscatel wine is aged in American Oak for 24 months before the casks are emptied and transferred to Midleton Distillery, where Redbreast’s Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey has been maturing in these casks since June 2024.

About the Iberian Series

Redbreast’s Iberian Series celebrates Gilbey’s storied history of importing fortified wines and sherry from the Iberian Peninsula since the late 1800s. Master Blender David McCabe has traveled from the bodegas of Spain to the quintas of Portugal to explore and expand the sherried flavors that define Redbreast — combining Ireland’s traditional Single Pot Still process with the tastes and aromas of the Mediterranean.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: A fresh and floral balance of zesty fruits with dustings of nutmeg and rich vanilla oak
• Taste: Vibrant fruits combined with textured layers of toffee and honeycomb, subtle undertones of dried herbs, with consistent oak presence throughout
• Finish: Pot still spices and wine-seasoned oak lingering until the very end

Product Details

• Producer: Redbreast (Midleton Distillery)
• Region: County Cork, Ireland
• Style: Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
• Cask Finish: Moscatel wine casks from Málaga, Spain
• Series: Iberian Series (5th Edition)
• Format: 750ml