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[ Home > Wines Rated 95+ (Any Publication) ]
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|  | | The 2005 harvest season for Almaviva was the longest and latest ever, lasting from April 14th to May 17th. Meticulous ripeness controls and triple selection helped to obtain a very fine wine. Winter was warmer than average and marked nearly 30% less rainfall than an average year. The warm temperatures throughout the winter days, together with high temperatures in September, contribute to an early and homogenous budbreak on September 20 for the Cabernet Sauvignon, five days earlier than the average.
Dark ruby red, intense and opaque.
The nose is deep and complex, remarkably rich and concentrated, revealing fresh ripe fruits aromas, wild strawberries, black currant and blackberries nicely associated with mineral notes, spices, tobacco and coffee. The attack is powerful, ample and silky, immediately revealing a well-balanced and harmonious structure. The tannins are ripe and round, nicely enveloped by flavorful hints of vanilla, toasted orange zest, lavender, chocolate, and licorice.
The finish is long, mineral and silky, enhancing the richness of the ripe fruit and the elegance of the tannins.
A superb wine of an exceptional finesse and remarkable expression.
| | |  | | 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.
Black pepper, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, plums and bottled fruit aromas follow each other continually in Solaia 2003. The wine is strikingly elegant with nicely blended tannins supporting the sensation of sweetness and weight. The tasting does not reveal harshness, and the balance shows distinctive sweetness from the riper grapes. Hints of liquorice and coffee return in the impressively long finish.
| | |  | | The Artadi estate was created in 1985 by the dynamic visionary winemaker, Juan Carlos Lopez de la Calle. His objective was to seek and nurture the concept that Tempranillo, when cultivated at high altitude, low-cropped, and from old vines, produces extraordinarily rich and profound wines. This, coupled with specific barrel treatments (with minor American oak influences) produces some of Rioja’s best wines.
| | |  | | | | |  | | A beautiful, solemn appearance, wrapped in bright, luminous Bordeaux-red colour. A very complex aroma, with a perfect combination of fruit, spice and mineral nuances. In its underlying aroma you can find lovely hints of minerals and new leather. On the palate, it has an elegant attack, proud in its evolution and tasty in its lingering aftertaste. A supple, full-bodied, complex wine with a magnificent finish.
| | |  | | Dense black-ruby and purple in color, with aromas of dark fruits, licorice and classic Rutherford black olive and peppercorn. The wine is full-bodied with deep flavors of black currant, anise, sweet vanilla and distinctive minerality. Rich tannins are balanced by medium acidity. Grapes primarily from historic BV 1 and BV 2, planted to UCD clones 4, 6 and 337. A wet spring and cool summer, followed by August rain and heat in September and October, delayed harvest. Extra hangtime allowed Cabernet Sauvignon to reach optimum maturity.
| | |  | | This wine is nearly opaque black-ruby with purple highlights. The aromas show dark fruits, licorice, black pepper and minerals, with Rutherford accents of black olive, peppercorn and dark cherry. Full-bodied in texture, this wine has pronounced, dense and concentrated flavors of black currant, anise, sweet vanilla and distinctive minerality. The rich tannins are balanced by medium acidity providing freshness. Full of character, this vintage will require 7 to 9 years aging to reach maturity, yet tastes fine now; it is an excellent example of the vintage.
| | |  | | Harvest took place in the early days of September after a dry and very hot summer after a superb growing season - long and cold winter followed by a rainy and humid spring.
Exceptional weather conditions for an exceptional vintage.
Full maturation of the grapes and good concentration. Aging in oak cask during 13 months.
Dark ruby colour. Intense aromas of cooked red fruit mixed with toffees and spicy nuances. Subtle vanilla note.
Well-structured, ample, generous. Beautiful aromatic combination. Well-integrated oak and solid tannins. Good persistence.
| | |  | | Colour : Deep purple red.
Nose : Rapsberry, a hint of violet, a touch of olive and "tapenade", of rosemary, with a dominante of spice.
Mouth : Full flavoured, elegant, very well-structured and balanced.
| | |  | | Colour : Very deep garnet, almost black in colour.
Nose : Black fruits with spicy and ink notes.
Mouth : Tannins are not only very powerful but also mellow, smokey notes, pepper, highlights wonderfully the Syrah variety on granite soils.
| | |  | | Colour : Deep red garnet with violet highlights during the first years.
Nose : Ripe fruits during the early years.
Mouth : Powerful tannins, mellow, stewed blackberries, can be kept for a considerable time.
| | |  | | Planted in the early 1930's, the vineyard is about 70 years old. This vineyard is planted with the old clones of Syrah (low yielding) on their own roots, dry grown and yields about two tonnes to the acre.
The soils here are mainly clay, ironstone and gravel facing due east and fairly steep. The vineyard usually ripens early due to the low yields and extensive root systems of these old vines.
The grapes are handpicked and fermented with natural yeasts in open stainless steel tanks at temperatures up to 32 degree Celsius. All the pressings are returned to the 100% new French oak barriques and the maturation lasts for 18 months before bottling without fining or filtration.
This is always the most beautiful wine in the cellar and is the flagship of the Clarendon Hills Syrah Range.
Due to minimal intervention in the winemaking process this wine expresses the vineyard characters as it develops in the bottle for up to 30 years.
| | |  | | This vineyard was planted in 1925 in the conventional bush vine manner with no trellising.
The vineyard is very steep and faces due east, the soils contain high levels of ironstone, rock and quartz.
This is the highest part of the Blewitt Springs Vineyard and also the lowest yielding, about one tonne to the acre. The grapes are handpicked, usually quite early in the season, due to very low crops and the ability of Old Grenache to ripen.
The wine is made like all Clarendon Hills Wines, with natural yeasts and minimal intervention but sees no new oak barrels, usually 2-3 year old barrels of seasoned French barriques.
The resultant wine has a most exotic element to it reminiscent of Naomi Campbell in high heels wearing pink lipstick – wow!
| | |  | | This old vineyard consistently produces very attractive, well balanced wine with no rough edges, just perfume style and elegance. Ages very well. Aristocratic!
| | |  | | 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.
| | |  | | 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.
| | |  | | Lovely, enticing nose, with maturing coffee. This finesse is carried through onto the palate, which has great balance, with a soft, rounded, creamy structure. Some nice concentration here. Coffee-biscuit notes, reflecting the dominant Chardonnay portion. This has excellent style now, but will continue to improve.
| | |  | | This vineyard lies a few steps from Sori Tildin. Purchased by the Gaja family in 1967, it derives its name from the term "costa," the side of the hill that faces the sun, and "Russi," the nickname of the former owner.
The color is dark ruby/purple.
It has a captivating aroma and refined nose with well-integrated aromas of blackberries, violets and roasted coffee beans.
Elegance and crystal purity characterize this extremely complex and densely woven wine with an aging potential of decades.
| | |  | | The term "conteisa" is the Piedmontese word for "quarrel" and refers to the historic dispute between the communes of La Morra and Barolo for possession of the Cerequio land.
Color: Garnet.
Aroma: Expressive floral nose with notes of red berries, plums, licorice and spices.
Taste: The Nebbiolo in Conteisa reflects the essence of the Cerequio terroir: sumptuous texture and a very refined character with perfectly integrated tannins.
| | |  | | The commune of Aloxe-Corton, located above Pernand-Vergelesses at the northern end of the Côte de Beaune, has the unusual distinction of having over half its area covered in grand cru vineyards. These occupy 298 acres divided among 19 climats which take the Corton grand cru appellation for red wines; five among these, totalling 120 acres, take the Corton-Charlemagne grand cru appellation for white wines as well as the Corton grand cru appellation for red wines. Aloxe-Corton's remaining 294 acres include nine premiers crus, covering 72 acres, and 222 acres ranked for village wines. Production of these latter vineyards is over 99 percent in red wines. Total average annual production is 4,320 hectolitres (48,000 cases).
The origin of the name "Aloxe-Corton" indicates how old this village of 200 inhabitants is. "Aloxe" is derived from "Alussa," meaning "the country of Alus," a Gallo-Roman deity. The name "Corton" is less certain: some speculate that it is taken from the Latin "cortis," a rural residence; or that the village was names for Curtis d'Othon, a Roman emperor and close ally of Nero. Vines have been planted in Aloxe since at least 775, when Charlemagne bequeathed his vines to the Abbey of Saulieu in recompense for the pillage of their monastery at the hands of the Saracens. The commune only added the name of its famous Corton vineyard to its own in 1862, becoming Aloxe-Corton.
The grand cru vineyard of Les Pougets is comprised of two parcels covering 24 acres on the upper- and mid- slope directly adjacent to the Le Charlemagne climat. It is among the five vineyards of the commune in which the variegated soils, alternating between chalk and iron-rich marl, produce both Corton-Pougets and Corton- Charlemagne. Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot is proprietor of a superb, due southerly-exposed parcel of 3.71 acres purchased in 1914. This exceptional site yields a wine of sumptuous brilliance and complexity, powerfully structured and richly fruited. The aromatic Pinot Noir bouquet and deep, layered berry and oak flavors culminate in a seductive, persistent finish.
| | |  | | The 21st Anniversary Release commemorates the twenty-first anniversary of production and features small lot fermentations of the best vineyard selections. It's a deep purple color with dark fruit and a prominent spice box, tobacco, leather and toasty oak aroma. The mid-palate is pronounced with a sweet, long finish accompanied by hints of chocolate. This is a full-bodied, rich wine, full of jams and dense blackberry flavors. It's also reminiscent of a crisp autumn day on Howell Mountain when the vineyards become an aromatic mélange of pine needles, oak leaves and volcanic soils.
| | |  | | Estate grown, produced and bottled, Lancaster Estate's 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon has lush ripeness, with deep black cherry and cassis characters, accented by anise, cacao, vanilla and bittersweet chocolate. Supportive tannins and layers of complexity extend over the long finish. Aged 22 months in French oak barrels, the wine was bottled unfiltered to retain purity of expression.
Budbreak began early with warm temperatures in March, followed by rains in spring and early summer. A long, consistent growing season with temperatures warming in October led to clusters that were full and plump, with excellent flavor development and complexity. Yields were larger than average, showing excellent structure, with dense, full flavors.
| | |  | | The wine from Mount Veeder is built to last and this wine is no exception. Powerful blueberry, violet, mineral and coffee characters in the nose and on the palate combine with concentrated tannins and acid to give any wine enthusiast a true flavor experience.
| | |  | | The G.A.M. Shiraz comes from the Chinese Block vineyard which is located in the Willunga district at the southern end of McLaren Vale. The soils, which are heavy grey loam soils over sandstone, intermixed with black Biscay clay, combined with a maritime climate, contribute to an even ripening period and the development of rich fruit flavours and ripe tannins.
Keeping well within the tradition of the GAM style the nose displays masses of ripe plums, spicy aromatic herbs and lifted freshness. The palate is slightly tighter than the previous vintages, reflective of the slow and evening growing season.
| | |  | | 2003 is yet another great vintage in an incredible lineage of Chardonnay from this historic estate. Like a good Burgundy, Mount Eden’s Estate Chardonnay is always backward in its youth. Because of this they release late to allow the acidity to tame and the flavors to evolve. After two and a half years in the bottle this 2003 is ready to be presented to you.
Classic hazelnut, citrus and toast confront the nose. Vibrant full throttle flavors of quince, lemon, mint and palate-coating minerality which build slowly as the wine is aerated. Drinkable now, this wine will be a pleasure to drink for the next ten years, possibly longer.
| | |  | | This full bodied chardonnay displays fine underlying acidity and a long finish, with hints of cardamom, anise and hazelnut which add interest to the fundamental lemon-mineral flavors. Of all Mount Eden’s estate-grown wines, their chardonnay is most in need of further bottle aging at time of release, requiring an additional two to four years to fully reveal its true character. Many vintages are still fresh and enjoyable after fifteen years; this wine is considered one of the longest-lived white wines produced in California.
| | |  | | | | |  | | | | |  | | After a cold and wet beginning, the 2005 vintage developed into a wonderfully moderate growing season that had plenty of sun and some decent hot temperatures, but contained no really aggressive heat spikes. This helped the grapes to mature very evenly and deeply with beautifully ripe flavors and rich, round tannins and allowed us to pick the vineyard calmly over several weeks when each block had reached its peak.
This wine jumps from the glass with an animated nose of flowers, black cherries and ripe plums liberally inflected with aromas of cedar shavings, cigar box, wet river rocks and graphite. It cascades across the palate revealing rich layers of black cherries, Crème de cassis and blueberries intermixed with generous hints of black tea and cardamom, leading to a reverberant exit of spiced plums and kola nuts followed by a lengthy mouth coating finish. While drinking well now, it will benefit from and open up more fully with some additional time in bottle and should continue to develop more weight and complexity over the next 10+ years.
| | |  | | | | |  | | Torbreck's flagship wine, RunRig is structured and muscular with a phenomenal density, a dry vintage port-like concentration, and magnificent notes of smoke, blackberries, cassis, leather and coffee. A hint of viognier's sweet marmalade character comes through as the wine sits in the glass. A true 'Vin de Garde' to reward those with the patience to cellar it. From vines up to 140 years old grown at the Marananga, Moppa, Gomersal, Greenock and Kalimna vineyards in the Barossa. Dry grown Old Shiraz is blended with Viognier, compounding the wine's epic dimensions.
| | |  | | This wine is composed entirely of shiraz, harvested from the oldest, most revered vineyards in the Barossa Valley. It is made in the traditional Torbreck manner. All parcels are vinified seperately. Fermentation takes place in small open vats and "pumped over" twice daily. The wine is then pressed in basket presses and transferred into French oak barriques and hogsheads where malolactic takes place. The wine is racked through a primitive system relying solely on gravity. The Factor is usually bottled after 24 months maturation, dependant on vintage. The individual components of this wine combined, produce an average yield of 1 to 1.5 tons per acre in an area where 6 tons per acres is common. This is world class in every way.
| | |  | | A blend comprised primarily of Cabernet Sauvignon that is articulate and powerful, La Joie expresses the richness and depth of a Pauillac-style wine. It begins with a deep, dense purple color, offering up aromas of black currants, coffee, caramel, spicebox, herbs, and smoke. This is a full-bodied, complex and multi-layered wine with vanilla, chocolate, cassis and black fruits on the mid-palate followed by coffee bean flavors and youthful tannins on an exceptionally long finish.
| | |  | | Benjamin Romeo has devoted his life to making great wine in Rioja. At this moment he owns 20 plots, with the age of his vines between 45-100 years old. He is currently using about 85% of his own grapes, and the rest he buys from other reputable growers. His goal is to use 100% of his own grapes. Benjamin Romeo maintains very low yields and carries out “green harvest”. Grapes are picked manually, choosing only the best matured ones, but not over matured. The grapes are sorted also by hand, then they are put in small open barriques for fermentation.
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