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[ Home > Wines Rated 95+ (Any Publication) ]

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 |  |  | Solaia, which means the 'sunny one' in Italian, is a 10 hectares (25 acres) southwest-facing vineyard planted 351-396 metres (1,150-1,300 feet) above sea-level on stony calcareous soil of marl and friable albarese rock. It is located at Santa Cristina, contiguous to the Tignanello vineyard, which is on the same property, in the Mercatale Val di Pesa zone of Chianti Classico. Antinori first produced a single-vineyard wine from these vines with the 1978 vintage (which was a limited release only in Italy); the initial blend was 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc, which was repeated in 1979. During following vintages, 20% Sangiovese was introduced and small adjustments were made (according to vintage) to the proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc used, to arrive at today's blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 20% Sangiovese.
|  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  | The Bettina Bryant Proprietary Red Wine is a gorgeous blend of Bordeaux varietals sourced from three of David Abreu’s own exceptional estate vineyards – Madrona, Thorevilos, and Lucia Howell Mountain. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, and made with the same attention to detail as Bryant, this wine is beautifully layered and complex.
|  |  |  |  | Bryant Family Vineyard
Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon made from a 13-acre estate vineyard atop Pritchard Hill, overlooking Lake Hennessey. This First Growth vineyard is meticulously farmed by David Abreu, with whom Bryant has worked closely for over 12 years. This wine is a beautiful expression of our unique terroir and a testament to the dedication of Bryant's winemaking and vineyard team to produce the finest possible wine from this site.
|  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  | A very consistent vineyard, which always has very dark colour and black plum fruit with a gamey, leathery background. This has more to do with Cornas or Hermitage.
|  |  |  |  | Situated in a natural ampitheatre with 360 degree aspects, this vineyard is dry grown and produces small crops of deeply concentrated Syrah with high tannin levels.
The yield here rarely exceeds two tonnes/acre and is often much lower.
This old gone ungrafted Syrah vineyard has a unique character which I describe as 'the full meal followed by the cigar'!
This wine is made in the same manner as all the Syrah vineyards and shows it's individuality purely due to vineyard influences.
This wine develops slowly and positively for a most complete tasting experience.
|  |  |  |  | Dominus 2005 is dark red, almost deep crimson in color. The nose is dense and compact, filled with dark berries, blond tobacco, black cherries and cacao. The entry is both powerful and supple, spherical in quality. Perfectly ripe, the enveloped tannins are firm, round and elegant. Black fruit and licorice linger throughout the evolution in mouth, well-balanced and harmonious. A superb vintage.
The 2005 blend consists of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. No Merlot was used in the blend this year. This wine clearly has tremendous aging potential. It is recommended decanting the wine prior to serving, to allow it to develop its full potential. This is especially important when serving young Dominus wines.
|  |  |  |  | Founded in 1984, Harlan Estate is a winegrowing estate in the western hills of Oakville, California – in the heart of the Napa Valley. Consisting of 240 acres of natural splendor set above the fabled Oakville benchlands, the property rises in elevation from 225 to 1225 feet above sea level. Forty acres (17 ha) under vine, planted to cabernet sauvignon (70%), merlot (20%), cabernet franc (8%), and petit verdot (2%). All hillside siting, on both volcanic and sedimentary bedrock; a combination of terraced vineyards and closely spaced vines on spare soils over fractured rock; vertical trellis with shoot positioning, 360º of exposition.
|  |  |  |  | This is a Port with an indication of its average age, aged in oak casks and taking on characteristics of walnuts, dried fruits and spices, showing increasing intensity of colour, complexity, concentration and depth of flavour.
Truth vive tawny color. It is the youngest of the Noval tawnies with age indication. In its complex aroma, the vibrant young fruit lovely blends with the attractive and characteristic dry fruits aromas like nuts. Rich and smooth on the palate it as an elegant structure and a long finish. It can be served slightly chilled as an aperitif, as a digestive at the end of a meal, or in any occasion during the day on its own.
|  |  |  |  | Sassicaia has an intense, concentrated and deep ruby color. The elegant aroma is complex with notes of red fruits. The flavor is powerful concentrated and has great depth with sweet and balanced tannins. In the mouth it is rich and dense, yet harmonious and elegant. The wine has a decisively long finish with significant organoleptic depth and a polyphenolic structure which ensures this wine’s extraordinary longevity.
|  |  |  |  | The Wurtele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon has been sourced from the same part of the estate vineyard since 1996. At the top of the estate lies a north facing slope with shallow rocky volcanic soils. The vines on this part of the vineyard produce intensely concentrated fruit with deep color and structure. This 100% cabernet sauvignon is aged in 50% new French oak and has the structure to age gracefully for up to 20 years.
The 30-acre Wurtele Vineyard planted in 1990 by Raymond family was purchased by Angus and Margaret Wurtele in 1995. The vineyard, which sits at elevations between 600 to1000 feet, exudes variations of slope, aspect, and soil. Much like a compass rose, the vineyard is comprised of multiple exposure points that span a full 360 degrees around a central knoll. Though planted exclusively to clone 7 Cabernet Sauvignon, these exposures yield variety in vine orientation and tannin intensity, all of which lend to the unique characteristics of the wine.
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