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Singani 63 · Tarija, Bolivia · NV

Singani 63 is made exclusively from Muscat of Alexandria grapes grown in vineyards averaging 6,000 feet in elevation or higher. Picked at optimal ripeness and meticulously distilled to preserve their intense aromatic authenticity, the spirit is intensely floral, with notes of vine flowers, jasmine, orange blossom, and honeysuckle. It has a beautiful texture and clean flavors, finishing remarkably smooth with lingering acidity that will leave you wanting more.

For seven years, filmmaker Steven Soderbergh fought tirelessly to get this clear, mixable, one-of-a-kind Bolivian spirit imported into the US after first tasting it while shooting the movie Che in Bolivia. Good things come to those who wait, and Singani 63 is now a superb stand-alone spirit as well as a versatile mixer.

Expert Review

"The Tasting Panel 94 Points | Made from Muscat of Alexandria. Silky and aromatic with rich texture and spicy floral notes; fresh, bright and smooth with enticing depth and finesse; balanced, tangy and long."

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy Singani 63 neat or chilled to appreciate its floral aromatics, or mix it into a classic Chuflay (Singani, ginger ale, and lime) for a refreshing, easy-drinking cocktail.

Details

• Producer: Singani 63
• Country: Bolivia
• Region: Tarija
• Grape: Muscat of Alexandria
• Style: Bolivian Singani brandy
• Vineyard elevation: 6,000+ feet

Producer Description

Our Armagnacs are aged in barrels crafted by our local coopers and made from Gascon oak, which comes from the nearby Southwestern forests. With this experiment, we desired to enhance the remarkable aromas typical of Gascon oak with a double maturation in new barrels.

Distillation: single distilled in a traditional Armagnacais column still to 58% vol.
Maturation: Aged a minimum of 4 years in two maturations, earning the name “Double Oaked.” The first aging is done in heavily toasted new Gascon oak; the second in new Gascon oak with a special toasting level.

Tasting Notes: The palate is rich with toasted bread, cacao, spices, and roasted flavors.

Enjoy: neat, paired with dessert, or in an Old Fashioned Cocktail.

Memo Summary Notes

The Dartigalongue Double-Oaked Bas-Armagnac is an innovative expression from the oldest house in the Bas-Armagnac region (founded in 1838). This specific bottling is widely considered a "bridge" spirit, specifically designed to appeal to bourbon drinkers through its unique aging process and high-toast profile.

The "Double-Oaked" Process:  

Stage 1: Aged for at least 3 years in heavily toasted new Gascon oak barrels. This provides the "char" and deep color typical of American bourbon.

Stage 2: Transferred to a second new Gascon oak barrel with a lighter, custom toast level to refine the texture and add layers of spice.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2021

The Wine Advocate 99 Points | Colgin's 2021 IX Estate is a rich, opulent example, with layers of ripe black cherries and dark chocolate punctuated by hints of sage and bay leaf, plus some vaguely floral notes (violets?). Full-bodied, concentrated, velvety and long, it's another terrific wine that showcases the potential of Pritchard Hill, the investment by the owners and the talent of the winemaking team.

James Suckling 99 Points | Red currant, lead pencil and terra cotta aromas with some bay leaf and sage. Full-bodied with tight, firm tannins that are polished and very fine. Turns to graphite. Extremely long, refined, polished and exquisite. Best after 2028.

98+ Points Jeb Dunnuck | I’d wager a Napa Valley legend in the making, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon IX Estate comes from the estate vineyard on Pritchard Hill, and if there was ever a classification of terroirs in the valley, this would check in near the top of the list. Deep purple-hued, with awesome aromatics of pure cassis, graphite, crushed stone, and subtle floral hints, this has that rare mix of power and elegance that defines so many great wines. Full-bodied, concentrated, and flawlessly balanced, it has no shortage of structure and is going to need 7-8 years, if not a decade, to hit full maturity, where it will hold for 2-3 decade.

98 Points Vinous | The 2021 IX Estate is such an elegant wine. Sleek, aromatic and refined, the 2021 is one of the most polished young wines I have tasted from this site. Red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal and mint abound. Silky and delineated, the 2021 is exceptionally beautiful and balanced. Clean saline notes and veins of tannin extend the explosive, sublime finish. 

Winemaker Description 

One of the "cult" producers to crop up in the early 1990s, Colgin Cellars' first vintage was in 1992, with fruit purchased from the Herb Lamb Vineyard, located on the lower slopes of Howell Mountain, just low enough not to be part of the Howell Mountain AVA. Colgin would later go on to buy land and develop vineyards at Tychson Hill (westside Saint Helena, purchased 1996) and IX Estate (Pritchard Hill, purchased in 1998). In 2017, Ann Colgin and her husband, Joe Wender, sold a controlling interest in Colgin Cellars to LVMH but remain active in the business.

Today, Colgin owns six acres of vines at Tychson Hill and 20 acres of vines at IX Estate, with 11 more acres there currently being developed. Cariad comes primarily from the Abreu-farmed Madrona Ranch, on the western side of Saint Helena. Director of Winemaking Allison Tauziet has been with Colgin since 2005, when she joined as assistant winemaker, so she is nearing 20 years of experience with these wines.

To put the new-release 2021s in perspective, Colgin, Wender and Tauziet presented three vintages each of the four wines reviewed this issue—2016, 2018 and 2021. I guess it will surprise no one that these are all gorgeous wines, given the positive press and numerous accolades bestowed on previous vintages, but it is encouraging to see that success and age hasn't slowed down the Colgin team's pursuit of excellence. I've included my ratings and reviews of the older vintages so readers can compare my impressions to those of my predecessor. Like many other producers, Colgin bottled no wines in 2020. 

Producer Description 

Originally created by Maestro Mezcalero Lucio Moralesbas a gift to his wife, Agustina, “Zacate” is produced by the Morales family using the same traditional process as their classic “white tape” espadín, with one important twist:

Freshly cut lemongrass is added to the stills before the second distillation, and a bit more is macerated in the finished product for an extra touch of aromatics and
color.

The result is a bright and lively expression of espadín that makes a great highball, brings an interesting twist to classic mezcal cocktails, or works as a fun plug-and-
play substitute for gin.

Warehouse stored item - please allow two to five business days to fulfill.

Notes of acacia flowers, apple, lemon peel and grapefruit are balanced by refreshing and bright acidity.Produced using the Charmat, or tank method, the wine is a bright, straw yellow and presents a delicate and persistent bead.Produced using the Charmat, or tank method, the wine is a bright, straw yellow and presents a delicate and persistent bead.

Contratto Vermouth Bianco 750ml

Discover Contratto Vermouth Bianco, an exceptional Italian vermouth crafted by one of Italy's oldest and most prestigious vermouth producers. Established in 1867 in Canelli, Piedmont, Contratto has been creating premium vermouths using traditional methods and the finest ingredients for over 150 years. This Vermouth Bianco showcases the artistry of Italian vermouth-making, offering a unique bouquet and taste created through the gentle infusion of aromatic herbs and spices. Perfect for classic and contemporary mixology or enjoyed on its own, Contratto Vermouth Bianco represents authentic Italian craftsmanship.

Historic Italian Heritage

Contratto, founded in 1867, is one of Italy's oldest and most respected vermouth and sparkling wine producers. Located in Canelli, in the heart of Piedmont's wine country, Contratto has maintained its commitment to traditional production methods while creating innovative, high-quality products. The company's rich heritage and dedication to excellence have made it a benchmark for premium Italian vermouth.

Vermouth Bianco Style

Vermouth Bianco (white vermouth) is a sweet, aromatic fortified wine characterized by its pale color and complex botanical profile. This style of vermouth is lighter and more delicate than red vermouth, with a balance of sweetness, herbal notes, and subtle bitterness. Contratto's Bianco showcases the finest expression of this classic Italian style.

Aromatic Botanical Blend

The aromatic blend of herbs and spices gently infuses the wine to create a unique bouquet and taste. Contratto uses carefully selected botanicals including herbs, roots, flowers, and spices that are traditional to Piedmont vermouth production. This meticulous selection and gentle infusion process creates layers of complexity and a distinctive flavor profile.

Tasting Profile

Appearance: Pale straw to light gold with brilliant clarity
Aroma: Complex bouquet of aromatic herbs, vanilla, citrus peel, chamomile, elderflower, and subtle spices. Floral and botanical notes
Palate: Balanced sweetness with herbal complexity. Flavors of vanilla, honey, citrus, alpine herbs, and gentle spice. Medium-bodied with smooth texture. Subtle bitterness balances the sweetness
Finish: Long, elegant finish with lingering herbal and citrus notes

Traditional Production Methods

Contratto employs traditional vermouth-making techniques passed down through generations. The base wine is carefully selected, then infused with a proprietary blend of botanicals. The gentle infusion process allows the herbs and spices to impart their flavors without overwhelming the wine's natural character, resulting in a harmonious and refined vermouth.

Versatile Serving Options

Contratto Vermouth Bianco is delicious served in multiple ways:

• Neat: Serve chilled on its own to appreciate the full complexity
• With a twist: Add a twist of lemon peel to enhance citrus notes
• On the rocks: Pour over ice for a refreshing aperitif
• With soda: Top with sparkling water for a light spritz

Perfect for Classic Cocktails

Contratto Vermouth Bianco is the perfect vermouth for classic and contemporary mixology:

• Martini: Classic gin or vodka martini
• Negroni Bianco: White Negroni variation
• Americano: With Campari and soda
• Spritz: With prosecco and soda
• Manhattan variations: White Manhattan
• Contemporary cocktails: Craft cocktail creations

Aperitif Excellence

As a traditional Italian aperitif, Contratto Vermouth Bianco is perfect for stimulating the appetite before meals. Serve chilled with light appetizers, olives, or nuts for an authentic Italian aperitivo experience. The balanced sweetness and herbal complexity make it an ideal pre-dinner drink.

Food Pairing Suggestions

When served as an aperitif, pair with:

• Italian antipasti and charcuterie
• Olives and marinated vegetables
• Aged cheeses
• Nuts and dried fruits
• Light seafood appetizers
• Bruschetta and crostini

Serving Suggestions

Serve well-chilled at 40-45°F (4-7°C) to appreciate the vermouth's aromatic complexity and balanced flavor. Store in the refrigerator after opening and consume within a few months for optimal freshness. The botanicals are best appreciated when the vermouth is properly chilled.

Premium Italian Craftsmanship

Contratto Vermouth Bianco represents the pinnacle of Italian vermouth production. Every bottle reflects over 150 years of expertise, traditional methods, and commitment to quality. From the careful selection of base wines to the proprietary botanical blend, each element is chosen to create a vermouth of exceptional character and refinement.

Ideal for Home Bars & Entertaining

A must-have for any well-stocked home bar, Contratto Vermouth Bianco is essential for:

• Classic cocktail enthusiasts
• Aperitif service and entertaining
• Craft cocktail creation
• Italian-style aperitivo hours
• Gift giving for spirits lovers
• Building a premium vermouth collection

Authentic Italian Vermouth Experience

Contratto Vermouth Bianco offers an authentic taste of Italian vermouth tradition. Whether enjoyed neat with a twist of lemon, mixed into classic cocktails, or served as part of an aperitivo spread, this vermouth delivers the quality, complexity, and elegance that has made Contratto a respected name in Italian spirits for over a century and a half.

Rosé Aperitif | Podensac, Bordeaux / France
Size: 750ml  |  ABV: 17%  |  90+ Rated

Lillet has been crafting iconic French aperitifs in Podensac, Bordeaux since 1872. Their Rosé is the newest expression from the house — a delicate, aromatic blend of Bordeaux wines and macerated fruit liquèurs, with a beautiful blush color and a fresh, fruit-forward character that feels made for warm-weather sipping. Endlessly versatile, effortlessly elegant.

Juicy peach nectar and wild strawberry lead the nose, with vibrant acidity and a floral flicker on the finish. The rosy hue practically calls out for bubbles or gin. Sip it chilled over ice with a slice of grapefruit, mix with tonic and fresh mint, or use it as the base of a classic Lillet Spritz or a Vesper Martini.

“Juicy peach nectar and wild strawberry meet vibrant acidity and a floral flicker on the exit. Even the rosy hue is just calling out for mixing with bubbles or gin. Sip or mix.”
— Wine Enthusiast, 93 Points

Base: Bordeaux wines + macerated fruit liquèurs
Serve: Chilled over ice with grapefruit · Lillet Spritz · Vesper Martini · Tonic & mint

Winemaker Description 

This Prosecco, boasts a flavor profile guaranteed to delight your palate. With notes of white peach and ripe apple, as well as dog roses and other florals, this white wine is perfectly balanced.

Memo Summary Notes

Fasol Menin "Leonte" Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Dry is the most classic and representative version from this artisanal winery in Valdobbiadene. It is a Prosecco that focuses entirely on the balance between the typical softness of the residual sugar (Extra Dry) and the mineral freshness of the Treviso hills.

Food pairing: It pairs beautifully with finger food, shellfish, legume soups (such as the typical Venetian pasta and bean soup in a lighter version), and fresh cheeses. It's also surprisingly good with not-too-spicy Asian cuisine (sushi and sashimi).

Pierre Ferrand · 1840 Original Formula Cognac · France

Created by Maison Ferrand, Pierre Ferrand 1840 Original Formula pays homage to a fuller-bodied 19th-century Cognac style. The listing identifies it as Ugni Blanc Cognac from Charentes, France.

The profile opens with pear and orchard fruit, moving into vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and oak. Candied orange and spice carry a warm, silky palate to a smooth, lingering finish.

Tasting Profile
This cognac is heavier and weightier with a marked presence, featuring intense notes of pear and tree fruits on the nose, beautifully balanced with vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and oak. The palate delivers a lovely warm, almost enrobing mouthfeel that is heavy, silky, and weighty on the tongue. Flavors of candied orange and spices unfold with delightful complexity, leading to a smooth and warm finish that lingers pleasantly.

• Producer: Maison Ferrand
• Expression: Pierre Ferrand 1840 Original Formula
• Spirit: Cognac
• Region: Cognac, Charentes, France
• Grape: Ugni Blanc
• Style: Fuller-bodied, warm and spice-led
• Size: 750ml
• Serve: Neat or in a Sidecar, French 75 or Cognac Old Fashioned
• Glassware: Tulip glass to concentrate aromas

A richer, spice-laced Cognac with the weight for slow sipping and the character for classic cocktails.

High West Double Rye is the flagship expression from Park City, Utah's celebrated High West Distillery — a pioneer of American craft whiskey and the art of blending. A harmonious marriage of column-still and pot-still rye whiskies, aged a minimum of two years, Double Rye is built to showcase the bold, spice-forward character of high-rye whiskey alongside an unexpected botanical brightness that sets it apart from the crowd.

The nose is complex and inviting: mint, clove, cinnamon, licorice root, pine nuts, and dark chocolate, with a surprising gin-like herbal quality woven throughout. On the palate, rye spice leads the charge — assertive and warming — before giving way to menthol, eucalyptus, wildflower honey, and allspice. The finish is long and satisfying, with cinnamon and mint gradually sweetening into a lingering hint of anise. Bold, layered, and endlessly sippable at 92 proof.

High West's approach to blending — sourcing and marrying whiskies of different ages, mash bills, and distillation methods — is rooted in the tradition of the great Scotch blenders, applied with a distinctly American spirit. Double Rye is the result: a whiskey greater than the sum of its parts.

Outstanding neat, with a splash of water, or on the rocks. A natural fit for Manhattans, Old Fashioneds, and Whiskey Sours. Equally at home by a campfire or at the bar.

Producer Description 

Ten To One is proud to introduce its new Five Origin Select, the latest addition to its portfolio of award- winning pan Caribbean rums. The Five Origin Select is an exceptional blend of rums aged up to 15 Years, highlighted by the inclusion of a truly remarkable, 11- 15 year old Guyanese rum distilled on the famed Port Mourant Double Wooden Pot Still - the only one of its kind still in operation.

Brought together masterfully alongside signature rums from Trinidad, Barbados, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica, and bottled at 92 proof, this expression produces a bold and memorable sipping experience.

100% Rum. No added sugar, coloring, or flavoring.

Savor the exquisite notes of our rum, featuring Crème Brûlée, Hazelnut, Baking Spice, Orange Zest, and Stewed Stone Fruits. The well-structured composition unfolds Cacao, Vanilla, Peppercorn, Rich Toffee, Hazelnut, Ginger, and Crisp Apple. This rum has mild acidity, a medium body, and a long, clean finish.

We recommend savoring our Five Origin Select rum either on its own or over ice for an exceptional tasting experience.

Winemaker Description 

Golden yellow. Honey on the nose. Sweet honey, almond and stoney fruit flavors with nice acidity. On the rocks, with club soda, gin or in your favorite tea. 

Warehouse stored item - please allow two to five business days to fulfill.

This wine displays a pale straw colour with brilliant green edge. On the nose the wine
opens with crisp green apple and lime blossom. This evolves to incorporate a complex
melange of lemongrass, petrichor and subtle blackcurrant leaf. The palate is bright
and refreshing with a focussed tension that suggests longevity and a characteristic
oyster shell salinity.

Food pairing: Best served cold and drunk as an aperitif or with fresh summer oysters,
fresh grilled yellowtail with salsa verde or salmon roses with kewpie mayo and caviar.

Hermann J. Wiemer · Semi-Dry Riesling · Seneca Lake, Finger Lakes · 2024

Hermann J. Wiemer is the founding father of Finger Lakes Riesling. A German-born viticulturist who trained in the Mosel before planting vines on the western shore of Seneca Lake in 1979, Wiemer proved that New York could produce world-class Riesling — and the estate he built continues to set the standard decades later. Their Semi-Dry Riesling is the wine that converts skeptics: sourced from early picks in vineyard blocks surrounding Seneca Lake, it carries residual sugar with the grace and balance that only great Riesling terroir can deliver. Certified Sustainable. JS:92. At $24.99, it’s one of the most versatile and crowd-pleasing bottles in the Finger Lakes canon — the wine you bring when you’re not sure what everyone drinks, and it always wins.

The 2024 opens with aromas of wildflower honey, ripe Bosch pear, peach, apricot, and sweet florals. On the palate: succulent and fruit-forward with a refreshing lightness — the residual sugar is perfectly balanced by bright acidity, finishing juicy and barely dry with fantastic vitality. Drink now through 2029.

“Rippling with peach, apricot and sweet floral aromas… succulent but also very fresh in the juicy, barely dry finish. Fantastic balance and vitality at the end. Sustainable.”
— James Suckling, 92 Points (Vintage 2024). 

• Producer: Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard (est. 1979)
• Vintage: 2024
• Appellation: Seneca Lake, Finger Lakes, New York
• Varietal: 100% Riesling
• Style: Semi-Dry (off-dry)
• Certification: Certified Sustainable
• Size: 750ml
• Tasting Notes: Wildflower honey, Bosch pear, peach, apricot, sweet florals, bright acidity, juicy barely-dry finish
• Cellar Potential: Drink now through 2029
• Food Pairings: Spicy Thai, Vietnamese pho, sushi, soft-ripened cheese, fruit tarts, light charcuterie

JS:92 · Certified Sustainable — Finger Lakes Riesling from the man who started it all.

Winemaker Description 

Inspired by Helen of Troy’s beauty, this is a decadent elixir with the power to launch one thousand ships. With every sip, a symphony of roses blooms in perfect harmony with sparkling wine and botanical gin, adding an epicurean twist to the classic French masterpiece.

The spoils of war never tasted so good.