2016 North America

From Columbia Valley, this wine is a classic Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. It is a very juicy, accessible style with red and black fruits displayed alongside notes of liquorice, clove and a touch of smoke. The wine’s chewy tannin profile calls for red meat.
Fiona Hayes, Wine Buyer

Andrew Will is a Bordeaux blend specialist, which is seen here in the use of the classic Old World wine region’s signature white grape varieties: Sauvignon Blanc (85 percent) and Semillon (15 percent). Grassy, citrus aromatics are combined with a slight vanilla spice and toast that comes from some oak ageing. The acidity is searing and the Semillon provides a glycerol breadth that brings concentration and complexity.
Fiona Hayes, Wine Buyer

This is a cleverly-made, naturally cloudy “Pétulant” Pétillant Naturel from the innovative Birichino. Based on their Malvasia Bianca, some of the juice is held back from the vinification process and then added back to a proportion before bottling it with a little added yeast, sparking a secondary fermentation in bottle – producing the all-important bubbles. The contact of the wine with its lees in bottle brings an added dimension to the flavour profile, adding light floral undertones and a hint of biscuit to the generous fruit profile of lime, green apple and yellow plum. Wonderful as an aperitif, it will prove an interesting match for lightly spiced dishes.
Oliver Barton, Wine Buyer

With an average age of 81 years, when it says “old vine”, Bedrock means it! The fruit comes mainly from the Bedrock vineyard, as well as Teldeschi Ranch, Sodini Ranch, Nervo Ranch, Katushas, Evangelho, Esola, Casa Santinamaria and Story vineyard. This wine’s inherent quality is thanks to the quality of the fruit at source, while the various terroirs add to the complexity. The great concentration and structure displayed here will ensure this Zinfandel ages beautifully.
Fiona Hayes, Wine Buyer

Named after two Georges – Jr and the late Sr – with whom Birichino have worked for over 20 years, this Pinot Noir is made with fruit from various sites. The site owned and farmed by George Jr today (and originally planted for Josh Jensen at Calera) adds a botanical spicy element, while grapes from southern Monterey add a fleshy, juicy note. A touch of fruit from their Lilo site adds – in winemaker John’s words – “class”, and some Antel fruit “for a bit of guts”. Together they make a delicious Pinot – an “honest” wine, as John describes it. With a bright, red-berry fruit profile, the wine has classic New World Pinot perfume. It’s floral and spicy, but with a restraint that is typical of Volnay.
Fiona Hayes, Wine Buyer

Morgan and Chris call this their “unicorn vineyard”. Planted in 1890 on its own roots, the vines are planted on the deep sand banks of the Sacremento River Delta in Contra Costa County. The field-blended blocks are co-fermented and likely to contain 60 percent Zinfandel (with 35 percent Mataro, some Carignan, Palomino and some “odds and ends”). 
Classic Zinfandel aromas of dried red berry fruits and black tea are supported by liquorice spice and almost garrigue-like herbs. There is lively acidity, and a density and concentration that can only be attributed to the old vines from which the grapes are sourced.
Fiona Hayes, Wine Buyer