Champagne Ayala 106296
Le Blanc de Blancs A/18
Champagne
May 03, 2024
Ayala’s Blanc de Blancs is 100% Chardonnay, produced in small quantities in exceptional years only and fully expresses the superb caliber of great Chardonnay from the best crus of the Côte des Blancs. After six years of aging in Ayala’s cellars, remarkable minerality and low dosage make this an outstanding wine that can accompany a variety of flavorful dishes, including poultry and fish, or be served on its own to celebrate a special occasion.
Champagne Ayala Blanc de Blancs A/18 (93 JS)
James Suckling -May 09, 2024 "This blanc de blancs has excellent balance between citrus, stone fruit and chalky minerality. Yeasty, creamy in texture, with excellent freshness, fine bubbles and a dry finish." -J.S. 5/24
Champagne Ayala
E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône Rouge 2021
Côtes du Rhône
December 24, 2024 - Given that this particular wine can be the introduction to the entire Rhône Valley for a drinker, as well as the position they occupy in the Rhône, it is not enough for the Guigals to make a good Côtes du Rhône. They are relentlessly driven to produce a distinctive and outstanding wine that drives interest in exploring the entirety of the Rhône.
Champagne Ayala
Masciarelli Marina Cvetic Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva 2020
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC
December 24, 2024 - The Montepulciano Marina Cvetic represents an intense and remarkable expression of one of the historical vines of Abruzzo. The 100% Montepulciano comes from eight of the estate's top parcels, across an altitude of 500 to 1,200 feet above sea level, on soils of calcareous clay and lime. In these vineyards, we find not only the traditional Abruzzo pergola vine training, but also Simple Guyot and Spur Cordon as well.
James Suckling -October 17, 2024 "Complex notes of cocoa, rose petals, mulberries and dried mint on the nose, followed by a layered, full-bodied and meaty palate. The tannins are resolving nicely."
Champagne Ayala
Ponzi Vineyards Pinot Noir Reserve 2021
Chehalem Mountains, Willamette Valley, Oregon
December 16, 2024 - Ponzi’s Pinot Noir Reserve comes exclusively from estate fruit, including from some of Oregon’s oldest vines, reaching deep into the volcanic soil. The Pinot Noir Reserve’s brooding dark fruit and exotic spice has rendered it one of the ultimate examples of artisanal, site-expressive Pinot Noir in the United States today, epitomizing a character of restrained power year after year.
James Suckling -December 05, 2024 "Attractive notes of crushed dark berries, blueberries and wild berries with an array of spices, mint, chocolate and dried orange peel. A little earthy. Very refined, with freshness and poise.…
Champagne Ayala
Far Mountain Fission Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Moon Mountain District, Sonoma Valley, California
December 05, 2024 - Fission is a pure mountain wine, with a dark depth of fruit chiseled by the cool elevation of its two vineyard sites. A wine of texture, with the intensity and sappy concentration we associate with old vines, it builds into powerful tannins that remain refined, almost cloaked by the seductiveness of the fruit and the gently building structure. The name "Fission" references the textural and mineral characteristics that the unique volcanic soil brings to this wine.
James Suckling -December 05, 2023 "Lovely fresh thyme, currant and lead pencil. Black berry. Black olive. Pine cone and pine needles. Bay leaf. Medium to full body, with round and firm tannins and not too…
Champagne Ayala
Champagne Ayala Collection N° 16
Champagne
November 21, 2024 - Champagne Ayala’s Collection N°16 is the fourth opus from the "Collection AYALA," a series of unique cuvées created to express the specificity of a vintage and a selection of exceptional crus through the lens of this boutique Maison. Produced in limited quantities and released only upon indication that the elements in this wine are integrated and evolved to a point of perfect harmony.
Wine Enthusiast -November 30, 2023 "Pure mature Chardonnay gives this Champagne richness and a full texture. It is impressive, its crisp character contrasting well with hints of toast and ripe white fruits."
Champagne Ayala
Champagne Bollinger La Grande Année 2015
Champagne
November 20, 2024 - La Grande Année: The Great Year. This Champagne is the embodiment of everything that makes Bollinger the producer that stands apart in Champagne. La Grande Année, or LGA, preserves the traditions of the past and symbolizes the word "hand-crafted" so strongly that an overused word suddenly becomes the only appropriate definition.
Wine Spectator -September 25, 2024 "This expressive Champagne features a rich, well-spiced range of flavors chiseled by well-honed, integrated acidity, which lends a racy feel to the ripe black cherry and mulberry fruit and notes…
Champagne Ayala
Ponzi Vineyards Tavola Pinot Noir 2022
Willamette Valley, Oregon
November 19, 2024 - Tavola is Ponzi's delicious early release Pinot Noir, a fruit-forward wine with soft tannins, made primarily from younger, lower elevations vines. Meant for early consumption, it is an unbeatable value for quality Pinot Noir.
James Suckling -March 15, 2024 “A bright and juicy pinot with cherries, cranberries, citrus fruit, hibiscus and spices. Medium-bodied, fresh and crunchy on the palate with delicious fruit and a zesty undertone at the end.…
Wine Spectator -June 14, 2024 "Plush and generous, with succulent cherry and raspberry flavors highlighted by orange peel and cinnamon notes. Finishes with snappy tannins."
Champagne Ayala
Ponzi Vineyards Laurelwood Pinot Noir 2022
Laurelwood District, Chehalem Mountains, Willamette Valley
November 19, 2024 - Oregon’s first soil-based AVA, the Laurelwood District, is situated along the Northern ridge of the Willamette Valley, where a long contiguous stretch of ancient fractured basalts are layered over a fine, windblown sediment called loess. The character of this soil has defined the Ponzi family's wines and served as a guide for generations of winemakers in the Willamette Valley.
James Suckling -April 15, 2024 "Bright and vibrant nose with strawberries, blood oranges, crushed spices, pine resin and dried herbs. Hints of bergamot. Very fine and tense phenolic structure, almost giving some chalky chewiness to…
Wine Spectator -May 18, 2023 "Shows elegance and a polished structure, with refined flavors of raspberry and cherry accented by rose petal, dusky spice and orange peel notes that sail toward fine-grained tannins."
Ponzi Vineyards 107530
Laurelwood Chardonnay 2021
Laurelwood District, Willamette Valley, Oregon
May 31, 2023
Situated along the Northern ridge of the Chehalem Mountains, the Laurelwood District boasts ancient soils of fractured basalt layered over with a fine, windblown sediment called loess. A decade-long effort by the Ponzis, alongside their neighbors, has resulted in the recognition of Oregon’s first soil-based AVA, the Laurelwood District.
Ponzi Laurelwood Chardonnay 2021 (91 JD)
Jeb Dunnuck -September 21, 2023 "A medium yellow hue, the 2021 Chardonnay Laurelwood District is juicy with notes of melon, wet stone, candied citrus, and a rounded touch of oak spice. Medium-bodied, with fresh energy…
Ponzi Laurelwood Chardonnay 2021 (93 JS)
James Suckling -April 06, 2023 "Showing bright Sicilian lemon, white grapefruit, matchstick, apricots and white tea aromas. Clean and deliciously creamy, with a medium to full body and focused finish." J.S 3/23
Ponzi Vineyards
William Fèvre Chablis Domaine 2022
Chablis
November 18, 2024 - This wine is made from William Fèvre’s organic estate vineyards, with many of the parcels lying adjacent to Premier Cru sites. An attractive, fresh, and classically mineral Chablis.
Wine Spectator -May 30, 2024 “Bursting with peach, apple, lemon and flint aromas and flavors, this expressive and supple white is harmonious and ready to enjoy yet should develop well over the next five to…
Rotem and Mounir Saouma 107901
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Magis 2020
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
June 15, 2023
It makes sense that a producer of great white Burgundy would quickly become enchanted by the possibilities in Pierredon, the heavily limestone-based vineyard in Bedarrides. Only 3% of Châteauneuf is white, and virtually all of it is bottled after six months. Mounir's Châteauneuf is aged 18-24 months and has already been compared to some of the great white Burgundy crus for its depth and minerality.
Rotem and Mounir Saouma Châteauneuf-du-Pape Magis 2020 (96 WS)
Wine Spectator -October 26, 2023 "Powerful and sleek, this shows a glistening beam of yellow apple wrapped in stylish oak, with tremendous underlying concentration. Modern and very well-executed, with a saline streak, this hums with…