2015 North America
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Ready, but will keep,
This excellent vintage displays juicy redcurrant fruit as well as an attractive perfume of wild strawberries. Refreshing acidity and fine-grained tannins provide the perfect backbone to this concentrated Pinot Noir. Hints of herbs and spice add layers of complexity and interest. Pairs well with hard cheeses and lamb dishes. Drink now to 2025.
Fiona Hayes, Buyer (September 2019)
Fiona Hayes, Buyer (September 2019)
Ready, but will keep,
Bottles of this product are discounted by 30%. Price shown includes saving.
Founded in 1871, El Molino was one of the first wineries in the Napa Valley and it is still family owned. Unlike most of their neighbours in Rutherford who have planted Cabernet Sauvignon, they grow Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to great effect.
This wine is made with Burgundy clones of Chardonnay, planted in 1978. Barrel-fermented, but with no malolactic fermentation, the wine is vibrant with a mineral core. It spends eight months in bottle before release. Drink now to 2026.
Founded in 1871, El Molino was one of the first wineries in the Napa Valley and it is still family owned. Unlike most of their neighbours in Rutherford who have planted Cabernet Sauvignon, they grow Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to great effect.
This wine is made with Burgundy clones of Chardonnay, planted in 1978. Barrel-fermented, but with no malolactic fermentation, the wine is vibrant with a mineral core. It spends eight months in bottle before release. Drink now to 2026.
Ready, but will improve,
Winemaker John Williams was adopting sustainable and organic practices at Frog’s Leap in the 1980s, long before it was fashionable to do so. The dry farming philosophy and earlier picking style has helped to create more restrained style of wine and this Merlot is very much a nod to its Bordeaux counterparts.
The wine combines juicy, red plums with red liquorice and cherries. There is a concentrated core of sweet spice here that is supported by refreshing acidity. The tannins are generous and ripe but have a grip and tension that persists on the finish. Subtle cedar, dark chocolate and vanilla notes add in layers of complexity.
Fiona Hayes, Wine Buyer (Spring 2019)
The wine combines juicy, red plums with red liquorice and cherries. There is a concentrated core of sweet spice here that is supported by refreshing acidity. The tannins are generous and ripe but have a grip and tension that persists on the finish. Subtle cedar, dark chocolate and vanilla notes add in layers of complexity.
Fiona Hayes, Wine Buyer (Spring 2019)
Ready, but will keep,
The grapes originate from a combination of vineyards within the Willamette Valley region, that includes Salem's Bunker Hill, Dundee's Durand, Yamhill-Carlton, Laubejac (Montmouth) in a mixture of Nekia (volcanic) and Willakenzie (marine, sedimentary) soils. The grapes are picked early to obtain maximum freshness and tension in the wine (aiming for lower alcohol). The grapes are whole-cluster pressed and allowed to settle for 24 hours before being transferred to a combination of 20 percent new 600-litre casks and 80 percent old French barriques, from various coopers, and are left on fine lees for 10 months. The wines are moved to tank (still on their fine lees) for four months prior to bottling.
Fiona Hayes, Wine Buyer
Fiona Hayes, Wine Buyer
Ready, but will keep,
This is distinctively Cabernet on the nose, with an attractive perfume of cassis and dark black berry fruits, as well as a subtle herbal top note. The tannins are powdery and firm, supporting the concentration and density on the palate. The length is extraordinary and the savoury finish delicious, inviting you to pour a second glass. Drink 2020-2035.
Fiona Hayes, Buyer (September 2019)
Fiona Hayes, Buyer (September 2019)
DeSante,
Ready, but will keep,
Bottles of this product are discounted by 30%. Price shown includes saving.
A blend of Alicante Bouschet and Petite Sirah, only one barrel of this wine is produced. The fruit undergoes whole-cluster fermentation, and if the team feels the wine needs more acidity, they add white varieties. The nose offers red fruits and floral aromatics with a blueberry top-note. The tannins are firm and fine-grained, balanced by a juicy fruit core with a long finsih. This wine defines the style of Desante, offering great concentration and complexity as well as restraint and freshness.
Fiona Hayes, Wine Buyer
A blend of Alicante Bouschet and Petite Sirah, only one barrel of this wine is produced. The fruit undergoes whole-cluster fermentation, and if the team feels the wine needs more acidity, they add white varieties. The nose offers red fruits and floral aromatics with a blueberry top-note. The tannins are firm and fine-grained, balanced by a juicy fruit core with a long finsih. This wine defines the style of Desante, offering great concentration and complexity as well as restraint and freshness.
Fiona Hayes, Wine Buyer
Cayuse Vineyards,
For laying down,
The 2015 Grenache God Only Knows Armada Vineyard is superb, wafting from the glass with a bouquet of kaleidoscopic complexity that features aromas of rose hips and peony, ripe cherries and orange rind, mingled with savory bass notes of garrigue, licorice and bay leaf. On the palate, it's full-bodied, layered and expansive, with a deep core of fruit framed by very fine-grained, velvety tannins, concluding with a sapid, even saline finish. Its concentration without weight, as well as its striking aromatic amplitude, mark it out as one of the finest expressions of Grenache to be found in the United States. The 2015 was cropped at 1.2 tons per acre and saw a saignée of 8% to 15%, and it was fermented with 70% to 80% whole cluster, attaining 14.2% alcohol.
Wiliam Kelley - The Wine Advocate 29/06/18
Wiliam Kelley - The Wine Advocate 29/06/18
Ready, but will improve,
Bottles of this product are discounted by 20%. Price shown includes saving.
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon is deep garnet-purple colored with a mind-blowingly gorgeous nose that defies words: warm cassis, red roses, sandalwood, Indian spices, crushed rocks, menthol and iron ore with waft of lilacs and truffles. Medium to full-bodied with a rock-solid frame of super-ripe, grainy tannins and tons of freshness, it finishes incredibly long and remains incredibly provocative.
Robert Parker
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon is deep garnet-purple colored with a mind-blowingly gorgeous nose that defies words: warm cassis, red roses, sandalwood, Indian spices, crushed rocks, menthol and iron ore with waft of lilacs and truffles. Medium to full-bodied with a rock-solid frame of super-ripe, grainy tannins and tons of freshness, it finishes incredibly long and remains incredibly provocative.
Robert Parker
Ready, but will improve,
Bottles of this product are discounted by 30%. Price shown includes saving.
Earthy, with a succulent cherry and Raspberry fragrance, sweet spices as well. Very focussed on the palate with a core of sweet red fruit and fine line of acidity. This is right up there amongst the finest Pinots of the New World. A real beauty. Drink 2019 to 2025+.
Fergus Stewart, Private Account Manager
Earthy, with a succulent cherry and Raspberry fragrance, sweet spices as well. Very focussed on the palate with a core of sweet red fruit and fine line of acidity. This is right up there amongst the finest Pinots of the New World. A real beauty. Drink 2019 to 2025+.
Fergus Stewart, Private Account Manager
Ready, but will improve,
Ready, but will improve,
Sourced from Dry Creek Valley this cuvee is made up of 74% Zinfandel, 16% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignane, 2% Mataro. There is a richness and concentration that showcases itself on the aromatic and textural components of this wine. Rich red berried fruits and spice are supported by a silky density on the core with round but pronounced tannins and a refreshing juicy acid profile. Wild strawberries and pepper continue rather attractively on the length.
Fiona Hayes, Wine Buyer
Fiona Hayes, Wine Buyer
Colgin Cellars,
For laying down,
Smelling this takes my breath away. Cloves, floras, metal shavings, blackberries and smoked meat. Mandarin zest, too. Full body with a perfect balance of ultra-fine tannins and great complexity. Goes on for minutes. Sets a new standard of syrah for California. Don't wait to drink this.
James Suckling - 03/11/18
James Suckling - 03/11/18
Horsepower Vineyards,
For laying down,
Of these three offerings from Horsepower, the 2015 Syrah The Tribe Vineyard will require the most time, as it's the most tight-knit at this early stage, slowly unwinding in the glass with savory aromas of raw cocoa, tapenade, nori and ripe blackberries. On the palate, it's full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a rich chassis of satiny structuring tannins and a layered, umami-laden core of fruit. At 13.6% alcohol, it's also beautifully balanced
The Wine Advocate
The Wine Advocate
Tablas Creek is a driving force in California for its biodynamic and sustainable practices and this attention to detail is evident in all their wines. Patelin – slang for “neighbourhood” – is a Rhône-style blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Counoise, sourced from both their own vineyards and others in their ‘hood, Paso Robles. Bright and energetic, the wine has aromas of violet, blueberry and pepper spice. It has a silky but pronounced tannin profile, with a juicy and generous mid-palate. From the stand-out 2016 vintage, this wine is drinking beautifully now, but has the structure and concentration to keep for a couple of years.
Fiona Hayes, Wine Buyer