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'The 2003 Masseto opens with a huge, expressive super-ripe nose. Ample and expansive on the palate, it displays much opulence in its generous fruit, with awesome concentration, outstanding length and a lovely vein of minerality which provides a level of freshness that is surprising for the vintage. A lingering note of sweetness punctuates the long finish. It should drink well for at least another decade, although it is absolutely irresistible today. It is a stunning wine. Owing to the challenging nature of the vintage, in 2003 Masseto was made only from the central part of the vineyard which is planted with the oldest vines. 93/Anticipated maturity: 2007-2017.' - Wine Advocate

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A completely different nose as here the fruit spectrum runs more to the blue and black side with lovely spice notes that complement well the rich, full and sweet flavors that possess equally good volume but with more depth and length on the velvety finish. This is an excellent villages and worth a look - Allen Meadows, Burghound

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4 cases In Stock

Purely seductive in its personality, this blend of 52% Merlot and 48% Cabernet Sauvignon displays silky tannins and a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, with plenty of wood smoke, creme de cassis, and sweet, foresty notes. It is round, generous and irresistible. Drink it over the next decade - Robert Parker

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1 case In Stock

The 2006 L’Ermita has a pure bouquet of lifted wild strawberry, raspberry and crushed stone aromas and crisp delineation. The palate is full-bodied with saturated tannins and incredibly pure, dark cherry and raspberry fruit laced with orange rind. The challenging growing season means that it does not possess the same harmony and weight on the finish as other vintages, although it demonstrates fine persistency. Drink now-2019 - Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate

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3 cases In Stock

'The medium ruby-colored 2009 Antica Terra proffers an alluring bouquet of smoke, rose petal, cherry, raspberry, and incense. Velvety-textured, ripe, and elegant on the palate, it reveals a laser focus and considerably more grip and concentration than is typical for this vintage. This lengthy effort can be approached now but will evolve for 1-2 years and provide enjoyment through 2019.

In just a few years, Maggie Harrison has managed to place Antica Terra on my short list of Willamette Valley’s finest producers. The estate owns 11 acres of vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA and leases an 8 acre parcel from Shea Vineyards in Yamhill-Carlton.' - Wine Advocate

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19 cases In Transit – Arriving Shortly

'The 2008 Pinot Noir Antica Terra includes some purchased fruit. Dark ruby red in color, it offers up a super-fragrant bouquet of minerals, underbrush, floral notes, spice box, incense, black cherry, and black raspberry. Layered on the palate with dense, concentrated fruit, it manages to remain light on its feet. Elegant, beautifully balanced, and lengthy, it merits 2-3 years of cellaring and will deliver great pleasure from 2013 to 2023. ' - Wine Advocate

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'The 2008 Guado al Tasso is once again fabulous. In fact, it may be Tuscany’s most improved wine over the last few years. Firm, vibrant tannins support expressive layers of dark fruit, plums, cherries, sage, espresso and mocha. The wine shows fabulous detail and nuance in a translucent, totally seductive style, with tons of focus, drive and verve. It is a striking wine that will be a joy to follow over the coming years. The 2008 Guado al Tasso is composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2028.' - Wine Advocate

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34 cases In Stock

'The 2007 Solengo (30% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Petit Verdot, 20% Syrah) is sleek and refined in its blackberries, blueberries, grilled herbs, spices and graphite. The wine reveals gorgeous length and fine balance in a relatively accessible, mid-weight style for this bottling. The 2007 doesn’t appear to have the structure of the 2006 and it should be enjoyed over the next decade, give or take. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2019.' - Wine Advocate

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14 cases In Stock

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4 cases In Stock

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3 cases In Stock

Assembled from all of their five estate vineyards, Bergstrom’s 2010 Pinot Noir Cumberland Reserve, he emphasizes, “is not an ‘I do all of my single vineyards first and whatever’s left goes into a vat’ kind of wine. We’re actually trying to make two really different selections.” Fresh red raspberry and red currant tinged with rose hip and cardamom all entertain the nose, and a palate that displays palpably high extract but polished, silken, texture and levity as well. Mouthwateringly juicy and salt-tinged as well as glycerol-rich, revealing toasty nut oil and meaty pan scraping savor in its long finish, this is going to prove highly versatile and infectious over the next 8-10 years. The Wine Advocate

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12 cases In Stock

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9 cases In Stock

"The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is impeccable and classy. Ripe red fruits, flowers and minerals are some of the nuances that emerge from this fresh, vibrant wine. The fruit remains incredibly youthful and pure all the way through to the finish. This is a surprisingly supple, fruit-driven style of Riserva from Biondi-Santi, and with time in the glass the reluctant bouquet finally emerges. Some of the explosiveness of the best vintages (such as 2001) is missing, but the wine nevertheless impresses for its finesse and impeccable overall balance. The 2004 Riserva looks to have a long life ahead of it, but it is so harmonious that opening a bottle in its youth, while not optimal, is far from infanticide. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2034." - Wine Advocate

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3 cases In Stock

'A more elegant nose of red currant, plum and similar warm earth notes leads to nicely voluminous but well-detailed middle weight flavors that possess an attractive texture plus a touch of minerality on the balanced and lingering finish. The only nit is that there is, at present anyway, limited depth and thus if it can add depth in bottle, my score may be on the conservative side.' - Burghound

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22 cases In Stock

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9 cases In Stock

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1 case In Stock

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79 cases In Stock

The 1991 Vina Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva offers shaved almond, lemon rind, honeysuckle and dandelion on the well-defined nose that demands coaxing. The palate is crisp on the entry with dried honey, dried mango and citrus peel on the entry, fanning out towards a complex, resinous finish with a hint of rosewater on the aftertaste. Drink now-2020+ - Neal Martin, Wine Advocate.

I have adored, indeed occasionally worshiped, the wines of Lopez de Heredia for many years, so I am not ashamed to admit that visiting both their vineyard and their winery was a pilgrimage. Founded by Rafael Lopez de Heredia y Landeta in 1877, it has withstood the tide of corporatization and homogeneity, and epitomizes timeless, artisan winemaking in their own individual, almost solipsistic manner. Technology is noticeable by its absence here. For example, to quote her sister Maria-Jose at a tasting that I subsequently attended in London: “Indigenous yeasts have adapted to high temperatures. To control the temperature during fermentation, we open doors and windows” and “malolactic is the invention of modern winemakers.” I had to check whether this was 2012 or 1912. If you were to award points for charisma, then this producer would be in a league of its own. That would count for nothing if their wines were not distinguished, individual, long-lived and above all, delicious. It is commonly known that if you are seeking bags of fruit and lashings of oak, this is not the place to come. My views and these scores might be irrational to someone with a penchant for lush, voluptuous Rioja. Lopez de Heredia is the apotheosis of traditional, classic wines: taut, fresh, bucolic, utterly charming and amazingly long-lived. I spent two or three hours with winemaker Mercedes Lopez de Heredia, who was celebrating her birthday with, appropriately enough, a bottle of Tondonia Gran Reserva from her year of birth. I urge readers to access the video I took of Mercedes explaining the vineyard in her own breathless style. In the meantime, I will crack on with the wines “Wines should talk by themselves,” Maria-Jose enthused to her enraptured audience at a tasting in London. “My father was a vine maker, not a winemaker. Each wine is a reflection of a different land that my great-grandfather bought. Our wines respond to the history of Rioja.” I would add to her comments that since these are mainly aged wines, a bottle of Lopez de Heredia is an individual and each time you meet, you may see a different side to its personality. So treat these reviews as they are: snapshots at a given moment. We commence with their white wines and indeed, I know of several connoisseurs who rate these even better than their reds and I can sympathize with that view. “The white wines were made as a copy of Graves and were made to be aged,” Marie-Jose continued. “So they are made like reds and are harvested at the same time. They undergo skin contact for one, two or three days to absorb the preservative from the skins and pips. Viura gives complexity as it ages - Neal Martin, Wine Advocate

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6 cases In Stock