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Wine Scores
Below is a listing of the wine review scores we frequently reference in our notes. While these sources remain an excellent source of information, we always recommend that you trust your own palate. Scores in these publications often represent the personal taste of an individual critic, which may not always coincide with your own. We have a huge team of excellent wine professionals that can match wines you've had in the past with new arrivals that meet your flavor profile.
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Staff Favorites - Jim Chanteloup
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Reviews
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2009 Pyramid Valley Vineyards "Howell Family" Cabernet Franc Hawkes Bay New Zealand
Review Date: 5-8-2013
Loir Valley comes to New Zealand? Although a bit riper and more generous in body, the PVV "Howell" vineyard Cabernet Franc shows notes of iron, sweet beets, dark red fruits, and a hint of bell pepper that is classic to many a Loir Valley Cabernet Franc. On the palate there is good structure with supporting acidity and very good length. Tradition meets the modern world.
Price: $28.99
2009 Pyramid Valley Vineyards "Calvert" Pinot Noir Central Otago New Zealand
Review Date: 5-8-2013
The "Calvert" vineyard Pinot from PVV shows a bit more deeper fruit profile and broader shoulders typical of the Bannockburn sub-region in Central Otago compared to the Cowley in Marlborough. There's a lovely bouquet of smokey dark plum, Asian spice, flat cola,a hint if anise and dried tangerine peel. On the palate the wine is seamless in its balance with juicey acidity, velvety supple tannis and a dusting of coco powder. Everything come together in perfect order with a long persistent and complex finish. Gorgeous.
Price: $34.99
2009 Pyramid Valley Vineyards "Cowley Vineyard" Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand
Review Date: 5-8-2013
The Cowley Pinot from PVV "sings" with black cherry, raspberry, clove, cedar, sandlewood, dried orange peel, earth, forest floor and a light meaty note.On the palate the wine is deftly balanced with ripe fine tannins and a fine length. If you haven't had the Pinot Noirs from Pyramid Valley Vineyards, this is a great introduction to their style.
Price: $29.99
2010 Fromm "Clayvin Vineyard" Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand
Review Date: 5-6-2013
The Clayvin shows great depth and concentration with a bouquet of dark plum, black cherry, earth ,mineral a hint of mocha and baking spices. On the palate there is a cloak of fine ripe tannins that drape the core of fruit with good structure that will reward cellar time.Very impressive.
Price: $40.99
2008 Three Rings Shiraz Barossa Valley South Australia
Review Date: 5-6-2013
The 2008 Three Rings Shiraz has a bouquet that offers notes of briary black raspberry, dark Cherry, bittersweet chocolate, roasted coffee and earth. On the palate, darker fruits emerge that while rich and ripe are supported by good acidity and framed by soft silky tannins.There is a hint of cool mint in the ample finish. This is one for your mixed grill selections this summer and a fine value.
Price: $12.99
2012 Te Whare Ra (TWR) Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough New Zealand
Review Date: 4-24-2013
The wines from Te Whare Ra have have really struck a chord with our staff and customers alike and we are pleased to present the new vintage of Sauvignon Blanc from Anna and Jason Flowerday.The fruit for this wine came mainly fron the sub-region of Awatere Valley with warmer days and cooler nights and known for a more restrained style. The 2012 vintage was problematic in terms of yield(many down 30%-50%)but have created some exceptional wines. The nose shows grapefruit, passion fruit,kumquat, a light red bell pepper note and tomatoe leaf. On the palate, the intensity and concentration of the vintage comes through with great mid-palate mouthfeel and complixity that lead to a long refreshing finish.
Price: $18.99
2012 Te Mata Gamay Noir Hawkes Bay New Zealand
Review Date: 4-24-2013
New Zealand has become well known for world class Pinot Noir, so why not the other red grape of Burgundy, Gamay. This wine is made in the traditional style with 66% of the grapes starting fermentation with the technique of carbonic maceration to emphasize fruit and floral character. The bouquet shows dark plum, cranberry, earth, a floral lift and a hint of white pepper spice.On the palate the wine is fresh and vibrant with supple tannins and good length.
Price: $16.99
2011 Te Mata "Cape Crest" Sauvignon Blanc Hawkes Bay New Zealand
Review Date: 4-24-2013
If you're a fan of white Bordeaux, this is a must try for you. The Cape Crest is a blend of 85% Sauvignon Blanc, 11% Semillon and 4% Sauvignon Gris that is barrel fermented in new and seasoned French oak that matured in barrel for 8 months with a regular stirring of the lees before being bottled. The nose shows a light toast and nutty note with pear, lime blossom, lanolin, jasmine flower and a hint of tangerine peel. On the palate there is great texture with a creamy mid-palate supported by fine acidity and length. I don't usually talk about ageing Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, but this is an exception in the mold of an upscale white Bordeaux. Gorgeous.
Price: $19.99
2010 Fromm Winery "La Strada" Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand
Review Date: 4-23-2013
Wow! What a lovely wine. Many of you would have had the 2008 vintage of this wine that we sold a boat load of. Well, while brighter and more elegant, the wine actualy shows more concentration and purity of fruit with terrific definition, poise and balance. The bouquet is lifted with notes of raspberry,plum, strawberry and cherry along with hints of earth and spice. On the palate, there is good mid-palate fruit weight along with accents of mocha and graham craker crust. This is all framed by silky fine tannins supported by juicy acidity that leads to a long persistent finish. Organic and biodynamic in production, this is traditional winemaking in the modern world. Great now and will reward time in the celar. Bravo to winemakers Willi Hoare and Hatch Kalberer!
Price: $21.99
2009 Fromm "Brancott Valley" Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand
Review Date: 4-23-2013
This wine is much more brooding, dense, dark and concentrated than the La Strada. The nose offers aromas of dark plum, black cherry, earth, Asian spices, dried orange peel and bittersweet chocolate. On the palate there is great depth of flavor and intensity with a long layered finish that reminds me of the classic Burgundian description of the "peacocks tail" that unfolds to a technicolor fan of flavor and taste. If I were to draw a comparison to a commune in Burgundy, I'd lean towards Vosne-Romanée. Organic and biodynamic in production, this is traditional winemaking in the modern world. Bravo.
Price: $29.99
2012 A.A. Badenhorst "Secateurs" Chenin Blanc Swartland
Review Date: 4-15-2013
This is a great value, and a wonderful introduction to South African Chenin Blanc.The fruit comes from bushvines planted in the 1960's and a some amount sees a little time in neutral oak for texture. The nose has notes of jasmine flower, honeysuckle, apricot, kumquat and honey. On the palate the wine is medium bodied with a round creamy texture and moderate "lemony" acidity that has a persistent finsih.
Price: $13.99
2010 Pyramid Valley Vineyards "Angel Flower" Pinot Noir North Canterbury New Zealand
Review Date: 3-26-2013
The Angel Flower is an even smaller production from the PVV home blocks with 180 cases made and cropped at 1.1 tons to the acre. Compared to the Earth Smoke, the wine is more lacy and ethereal. The nose shows some damp earth, lavender, thyme, plum, raspberry and spice. On the palate with time, the wine becomes more and more complex and layered in the mid-palate and in its finish. Lovely.
Price: $49.99
2010 Pyramid Valley Vineyards "Earth Smoke" Pinot Noir North Canterbury New Zealand
Review Date: 3-26-2013
Only 250 cases were made of this wine from the PVV home blocks and cropped at an incredible 1.4 ton to the acre.The bouquet offers black raspberry, dark plum, light Earl Grey tea, dried orange peel and in general, a darker edge to the fruit along with more earth tones than its sibling, the Angel Flower. On the palate the wine is concentrated with energy and drive with good texture that is balanced with a fine persistent finish. 13.2ABV.
Price: $49.99
2009 Glenelly "Lady May" Cabernet Sauvignon Stellenbosch South Africa
Review Date: 3-26-2013
May-Eliane de Lencquesaing was the owner of Ch. Pichon Lalande for over 30 years and brought her passion and pedigree to South Africa to create the Glenelly label. The grapes were hand harvested with crop levels at about 2 tons per acre and went through natural fermentation. The wine then matured for 2 years in new French oak. The bouquet shows notes of violets , dark cherry, black currant,earth and a hint of pencil lead. On the palate, richer blackberry fruit comes into play with accents of bittersweet chocolate, fine balance and supple refined tannins with a layered long finish.
Price: $38.99
2009 Leeuwin "Art Series" Chardonnay Margaret River Western Australia
Review Date: 2-13-2013
Leeuwin was one the pioneers in the Margaret River region in Western Australia and has remained one of the top producers ever since with their Chardonnay considered an icon of Australian wines. These are wines that are built to reward time in the cellar as evidenced by the fact that they converted two decades of library wines to the stelvin closure to avoid cork taint issues. The 2009 is focused, tightly coiled and more linear at this point in its life. The bouquet shows notes of pear,peach, jasmine, ginger, honeysuckle and a light nutty character. On the palate the wine has fine structure with tangy crisp acidity that adds a nice tension leading to a long persistant finish.
Price: $69.99
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