Beaune Beyond Portfolio

Andre Clouet Silver NV. A beautiful example of a zero dosage Champagne. With 100% Pinot noir this wine has great structure and richness. Fresh cut strawberries, stone fruits and hints of brioche present on the nose.
On the palate a racey and and fresh acidity is complimented by red berry fruits, pink lady apple and peach with fine creamy bubbles. Brioche and a nutty aftertaste persist long after the wine has left your mouth. A brut natural worth sharing. BILLY PWS

Jean-Francois Clouet's zero-dosage ideal is realised with magnificent clarity here.  Such is the concentration and richness of his pinot noir that it has absolutely no need for any sweetness.  The bouquet is delightfully fresh, lifted, pure and expressive, with lemon zest, yellow mirabelle plums and red apple fruits.  The palate follows impeccably, showcasing the concentration of Bouzy with exceptional purity and focus.  Its barrel work blends impeccably contributing nuances of nougat, brioche and honey.  Succulent yellow summer fruits pull seamlessly into a crunchy finish of red apple and lemon zest, concluding long and refined, with refreshingly taut acidity and soft, chalky minerality.  Classic Bouzy of the finest order.  TYSON STELZER, The Champagne Guide

Incredible value for a blanc de noirs (100% Pinot Noir) grower Champagne from the grand cru vineyards of Bouzy. It shows gorgeous aromas of stone fruit, citrus and strawberry, with complex brioche nuances, remarkable balance, ongoing elegance and a rich, refined, persistent finish. DECANTER

Release after release, year after year, I have always marvelled at the lemon blossom freshness that Clouet manages to capture in pinot noir from two of Champagne's most powerful terroirs.  Here it is again, in a captivating interplay of fleshy mirabelle plums, white peaches, crunchy golden delicious apples, and even a hint of pepper.  Wild honey and mixed spice join the maelstrom along the way, gliding obediently into a well-defined finish of soft minerality and integrated dosage.  TYSON STELZER, The Champagne Guide

The NV Brut Grande Reserve offers up layers of mineral-infused red fruits on a silky, mid-weight frame, with gorgeous length and a refined, subtle mousse. This impeccable, elegant wine shows terrific overall balance as well as complexity. I loved it. ANTONIO GALLONI

The effusive nose of candied citrus, ripe pear and brioche pulls you into this fresh and creamy champagne that hits all the pleasure buttons for a non-vintage Brut. Then the chalky freshness at the finish pulls you back for another sip. Excellent balance! 100% pinot noir. JAMES SUCKLING

The NV Brut Grand Réserve Grand Cru is a pure Pinot Noir from Bouzy. It's pure, fresh, fine and aromatic on the nose and round and delicate on the palate. The fruit-intense finish is chalky-mineral and stimulatingly fresh in its salty finesse and elegant yeastiness. Nice lemon juice flavors give an extra kick of refreshment. This is a picture-book NV Brut. STEPHAN REINHARDT, Wine Advocate

The latest release of André Clouet's NV Brut Grand Réserve Grand Cru is showing well, exhibiting a nicely integrated bouquet of red apple, ripe citrus fruit, honeycomb and blanched almonds, followed by a medium to full-bodied, enveloping palate with a fine mousse, ripe but racy acids and an elegant, understated profile, concluding with a well-defined finish. This is a stylish, harmonious wine WILLIAM KELLEY

The NV Brut Rosé Cuvée Rubis is absolutely gorgeous. Fresh, vibrant and pulsing with energy, the Rubis has much to offer. Cranberry, white pepper and chalk add to the wine's tense, nervous personality. As always, the Rubis is a Champagne of precision and feminine grace. ANTONIO GALLONI

100% Bouzy and Ambonnay pinot noir; 2012 base vintage
Jean-Francois 'Clouet No 3' was inspired by Coco Chanel, the number introduced for the first time this year to denote the style, recognising that the colour is different each year, and with the number 3 representing a light,  elegant aperitif style.  Elegance and freshness are his goals for rose, avoiding what he describes as the 'full, rustic and heavy" styles of the past.

Clouet's rose epitomises elegance and focus, while flamboyantly celebrating the generous red cherry, strawberry, watermelon and pink pepper fruit of Bouzy.  It encapsulates that wonderful talent of pinot noir to build and rise on the finish, all the while retaining graceful precision as delicate as rose petal perfume.  Structure is fine and elegant, driven both by chalk minerality of the village and a very finely executed tannin presence.  It finishes with great length and poise of exquisite red cherry fruit.  A pristine and enticingly priced rose. Older disgorgements have taken on savoury suggestions of tamarillo, while upholding their primary integrity.  TYSON STELZER

 

Third generation vignerons, the Pinons have 25 hectares in Vernou-sur-Brenne. 50% of their production is sparkling and 50% still wine with nothing sold off to the négoce.

We have long loved the wines of Damien Pinon and when we first tried this little number we were pretty stoked. Great sparkling Loire is such a treat. It captures all that zingy, racy, pure goodness of chenin blanc while bringing the added dimension of bubbles into the equation. They seem like a perfect partnership and we absolutely love this wine.

Quince and granny smith, talcum powder, quartyz spice and a gently honeysuckle, floral element that floats deliciously around in the background. Its pure and precise but fills out across the palate with each sip. Sometimes, Loire Sparkling is a little too lean  but this deliver plenty of fruit at the same time to balance of the fine, minerally acidity.

Idlewild's 2015 Arneis Fox Hill Vineyard is another deep, expressive wine. Varietal aromatics open up first, followed by generous orchard fruit, white peach and floral notes. Drink this inviting Arneis over the next few years. ANTONIO GALLONI

Jean-Francois describes pinot noir as entering a phase he dubs 'The Whirlwind' in its sixth year of maturation. The rest of his inspiration is impossible to put into words, but clicking on 'Cuvee Design Specification' on his website will put you on the right trajectory. For the exuberance of Bouzy pinot noir and not inconsiderable age, the freshness packed into this cuvee is something to behold. Grapefruit tang meets crunchy red apple fruit, contrasting the generosity and spice of the village and the tension of zero dosage. Get on board. Tyson Stelzer

Proprietor Sam Bilbro has spent virtually a lifetime around wine. His family owns Marietta, while brothers Jake and Scot are behind the reborn Limerick Lane. At Idlewild, Sam Bilbro focuses on Italian and other less well-known varieties. In addition to these wines, I also tasted the, Arneis Fox Hill Vineyard, Vin Gris Dry Creek Valley and Grenache Gris Gibson Ranch. The best wines in this range are compelling, and point to a bright future. ANTONIO GALLONI, www.vinousmedia.com

Having had a relationship with the Bilbro family as importers of the Marietta wines some years ago we were delighted to find youngest son, Sam, was behind this new venture, Idlewild. In many ways the wines are the anitpathy of what so many believe Californian wines are supposed to be. Hunting out heritage stands of Italian and Rhone varietals (mostly in Mendocino County) Bilbro makes extremely interesting wines characterised by texture, savouriness and subtlety. Skin contact is a part of the wines as is a relatively non-interventionist approach; both indicative of the preferences of the younger brigade of Calfornia producers. PWS

The 2017 White The Bee Flora & Fauna, is a classy, polished wine to drink now and over the next few years. Green pear, mint, white flowers and light tropical overtones all grace this very pretty, expressive wine. The Muscat in particular adds an attractive aromatic flair. ANTONIO GALLONI

The 2017 Arneis Fox Hill Vineyard is very pretty. Aromatic and pliant, with lovely orchard fruit, chamomile, almond and dried flower notes, the 2017 has a lot to offer. There is a lovely element of softness that emerges with time in the glass and adds quite a bit of character. ANTONIO GALLONI

A fresh, pure and layered nose consists of liqueur-like dark berry fruit, plum, violet, earth and touches of spice. There is excellent richness to the slightly more refined medium weight flavors that coat the palate with dry extract where the supporting structure arrives all at once on the grippy and mildly drying finish. I suspect that this will round into form once the sulfur addition is more completely integrated. BURGHOUND

I haven't always been the biggest fan of Nicolas' version of Chaignots - although I love the vineyard with its the nod to the "silk" of Vosne a nice counterpoint to the rusticity of Nuits. This year this is a beautiful example and the best I've seen from him. MICHAEL McNAMARA

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

100% pinot noir from Clouet's 10 best plots, dubbed by Jean-Francois 'the golden square of Bouzy'; 50% 2006 fermented in Sauternes barriques; 50% solera of reserve wines; full malolactic fermentation; a symbolic production of just 1911 bottles; 6g/L dosage.

Clouet’s flagship is a radiant, golden silk-satin ballgown of ravishing complexity and breathtaking grace, a delicate high-heeled balancing act of refreshing poise in the midst of profound concentration. Its richness ventures to champagne’s outer limits of succulent white fruits of all kinds, grilled pineapple, honey and great complexity of brioche, nougat and butter. Celebrating a generous 50% reserve from solera, its rumbling maturity is proclaimed in hints of butterscotch, coffee beans and smouldering hearth. Just when you fear it’s all too much to behold, the vibrant energy of its 2002 base swoops into a finish defined by well-poised acidity and softly mineral, fine chalk texture. It holds its posture of tall, slender magnificence for minutes without ever dropping its determined gaze. TYSON STELZER, Champagne Guide

The NV Un jour de 1911... is another 100% Bouzy Pinot Noir with an ancient label design. The shining golden-colored cuvée combines ripeness, complexity and finesse with intensity and elegance on both the nose and palate. It's a powerful and rich yet very fine and balanced Champagne with great freshness and complex length. It is juicy and intense but also highly delicate, and its mineral tension and persistent finish make it a first-class wine for elaborate dishes. A great Champagne, with a label that doesn't give any more detailed information regarding vintages or disgorgement date, but we know it's always a 50/50 blend of three vintages (including one great millésime at least 10 years old) and reserve wines from a solera system. I tasted the wine as a Brut with Clouet's German importer in Bremen. You shouldn't drink it too early, as it would be a waste of its talents. STEPHEN REINHARDT, www.robertparker.com

Siren song aromatics of strawberries and cream, a little tarragon and mineral and maybe a little vanilla lead you head first into the glass. So enticing and welcoming and it continues on the palate with the same ebullient fruit held within a soft and pillowy mousse creating an almost sensual decadent impression. Alongside that though is real energy and vigour elevating the fruit and spice (and a little sage) element in the wine. It's so beuatiuflly put together this wine and would leave a number of it's Champagne cousins for dead and ashamed of their pricing. Gorgeous sparkling. MICHAEL MCNAMARA   


One of the crew called this “soft and mellow” I can see where that comes from, it certainly has a lovely mouth filling quality and all those billowing soft bubbles provide such a sensual cushioning effect, but the wine lacks nothing for racy energy either. I don't think its soft, I think it's lush!
Also, I love the fine chalkiness that punctuates the fruit. Like its BdB sibling the lights are flashing and the sirens are cranked up, they don’t shy away from the winemaking and let’s be honest, that’s what makes Champa… sparkling wines like this so exciting. Even with that distinct autolytic creaminess the wines overall impression is one of flirtatious elegance. It is my pick of the two, but only just, and it pips its sibling on refinement if not substance. ROSCOE

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

The soil is made up of expandable clay rocks very rich in limestone. The vineyard, situated at 420 metres of altitude with a slope of 25%, is cultivated with a cordon spur training system and has a density of 5.000 plants per hectar. Vigna Quintodecimo is a fine balance of small fruits, floreal notes and spices. Seductive class and aromatic intensity is complemented by savory tannins and well expressed in a profound and refined style. It is a wine of extraordinary richness and elegance that reaches its peak within the first twenty years and still retains its character for many years after. LUIGI MOIO, quintodecimo

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

Based in Rilly-la-Montagne in Montagne de Reims this high-class Champagne is made from 80% chardonnay and 20% pinot noir from premier cru sites at 60 year old vine age. It sees 10 months in oak and 70 months age in bottle before release. No malo and 7 g/l dosage. PWS

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

The P & A wines are from our friend and Burgundy madman Nicolas Potel. These are the wines that epitomise the term vin-de-soif. These are absolutely gluggable, definitely chillable and straight-up delicious fair from the southern reached of France where Nicolas, via is network of winemaking legends sources fruit from top growers.

This little beauty is crafted by Potel's partner in crime Stephane Aviron who brings his consdiderable talents to the table. there is an elegance and purity to the wine with underlying terroir drive that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who tried Nicola or Stephane's wines.

Wafts of raspberries, black plums and sweet spices lure you in. The core is a vibrant and buoyant mass of black and red berries, wrapped in an elegant framework. Subtle notes of rosemary come from a thoughtful use of whole bunch. This overdelivers hands down on its humble price point, no need to second guess here. GABRIELLE POY

This bottling of Le P'tit Chardo is a straightforward, easy-drinking, and plump Chardonnay from one of Bruno’s best partner producers. Peach, pineapple, and citrus fruits give a round impression on the palate, finishing with a crisp edge, along with hints of nuttiness adding complexity and texture and therefore proving versatile with a wide array of foods.

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

… is as fresh and crisp as snow melt flooding a mountain stream. Prickly boysenberry and smoked salmon aromas blend into flavors like raspberry lemonade laced with black tea. Citrusy acidity meets silky tannins on Pike Road. MICHAEL ALBERTY, wineenthusiast.com

A seductive nose of spiced black and dark red cherries, berry compote and subtle earthy scents of moss lure you in. The nose excites for what's to come. A mesh of flesh and spice is corralled by silty tannins with raspberry licorice accents. There's a velvety richness to the texture which ignites the senses. This captures the cool fruited aspects, spice and ebullient side of premium Oregon pinot at an affordable price point. It tastes and feels luxurious. GABRIELLE POY

The 2022 is 45% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Lolonis Vineyard (certified organic) in Redwood Valley, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon from Campovida in Hopland (certified organic), 14% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Martorana Vineyard in Dry Creek Valley (certified organic), 8% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Shamwary Vineyard in Sonoma Valley (certified organic), 5% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Prior Vineyard in Sonoma Valley (certified organic), 4% Merlot from the Gibson Vineyard in Hopland (certified organic), and 4% Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from the Morrison Vineyard in Sonoma Valley (certified organic).  All lots were fermented in stainless steel with a minimal 1-2 punchdowns or pumpovers per day and aged in neutral French oak barrels.

The grapes for this wine come about 82% from our own block in Mitch Patin’s Lloyd Vineyard on West Soda Rock Road planted in 1998 towards the southern end of Alexander Valley on the banks of the Russian River. 11% comes from the Larrick Vineyard that we farm, and the remaining 7% is Malbec from J. Rickard in Cloverdale.

As always, this wine was produced more like a Pinot more than a Cab. Fermented in open-tops with native yeasts, punched down by hand, and racked to barrels before being aged in 2nd fill French oak barrels for 15 months.

This is the second vintage that Grenache has dominated the P&L blend. The 2022 is a blend of Grenache from Mangels Ranch in Suisun Valley, Cedar Lane in Arroyo Seco, and Waddington Ranch in Mendocino, Carignane from Lolonis, Maria Martinson, and Castañon all in Mendocino, and Syrah from Vecino in Potter Valley. There is a good amount of whole cluster and carbonic maceration through the lots keeping everything fresh and fun. As always, the blend was made immediately after harvest and the wine was aged in a combination of French oak foudres and stainless steel tanks.

Oh yum! This is such a joy to drink. A cracking drop here from the legend that is Kenny likitprakong of Hobo. He was telling us that this was his house wine. The one that he has cases of to rip the corks off when mates come round, the BBQ fires up and a long warm weekend is about a kick off and we can see why. This is hard to put down once it's in your glass.

It's all about the red fruits here with fresh picked red cherry and raspberry all vying for position at the front of the pack. Some pretty violet notes swirl around and as this opens up some savoury whole black peppercorn and foresty bits make themselves heard. Its lithe and fresh bursting onto the palate with that core of red berry fruit. Clean and pure just sizzling with energy. A joy to drink and would happily take a brief chill if you were so inclined.

This really is one of the most fascinating, inspiring, and singular estates of Italy. An incredible history that spans centuries and that in just over a quarter century has become a benchmark producer for some of the rarest wines in the world. A noble and impressive feat.

The property with its steep terraces surrounded by chestnut, oak and wild cherry trees dates back to the Paiarchte of Aquiuleia and the Republic of Venice. Unusually, it sits in an Alpine valley that runs east-to-west rather than north-to-south 35 km’s from the sea and 35 km’s from the mountains which see harvest start a full two weeks later than anywhere else in Friuli while rarely exceeding alcohols of 12.5%

Fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, preceded by two days' maceration on the skins; native yeasts; natural static decation. Ageing on lees for at least three months with frequent batonage. 25 - 30 year old vines.

The 2019 Barolo Capalot offers quite a bit more depth than the straight bottling, Macerated cherry, spice mocha and dried leather are all laced together in this potent, somber La Morra Barolo. Give this a few years to come into its own. ANTONIO GALLONI

Pack contains one bottle each of 2018 - Cotie Rotie from:
Fongeant
Montmain
Leyat
La Vialliere
Bertholon
LA Champon
Cognet
Cote Bodin
But de Mont

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

70% Grenache - 15% Mourvèdre - 15% Syrah
Red and blue fruits, violet and lavender lift, some tapenade elements. Beautiful lilting aromatics. The palate is supple, plush and slippery couching raspberry and black cherry alongside some licorice and mineral. Open and charming across the palate but also cinched in by a thread of acidity and balancing quite fine (for the region) tannins. Pure and built for joy. MICHAEL MCNAMARA

A touch of fresh crushed raspberry, some black cherry, and a wild earthen note pocked with meadow herbs. It's all turned up a notch with an extra level of concentration and broad, sweeping fruit and flavour that envelopes the palate then slowly melts away leaving earthy, charred herbs and a little wild note on the close. A bit of rustic charm dare we use the phrase here but in all the right ways and a lovely layering of savoury and sweet throughout. JAMES SUCKLING

An intense and animal nose with dark cherries, smoke, grilled meat, game, wet earth, bark and loads of cloves. The palate is medium-bodied with silky texture and fine tannins. It’s restrained and juicy with control and elegance that contrasts with the intense nose. Crunchy finish with bright acidity. From organically grown grapes. Drink now. JAMES SUCKLING

Tasted blind. Youthful and primary with a delicate sweet violet and crushed blackberry nose. A soft palate with moderate fruit concentration – spice, violet, zesty acid and attractive fruit. Lightweight and easy early drinking. JANCISROBINSON.COM

Dark purple core and hue. Generous nose offering some new oak, smoked meat, fresh blackberry, raspberry, sage and mint. Medium towards full palate, a slightly cooler and restrained style but well balanced with digest dark fruit, a garrigue-like spiciness, rounded extract and digest young fruit flavours leading to a long and fresh finish…ANDREAS LARSSON, Best Sommelier of the World 2007

Smoked meats, violets and vanilla spice on the nose. The framework of tannins envelopes the medium bodied fruit, there’s lovely definition and great clarity to the fruit this vintage - vines of nearly 50 years of age grown organically from the lieux-dits Beaumes and Peleat. It’s a finer styling, heady on spices and freshness, gliding tannins round out the wine. GABRIELLE POY

XAVIER WEISSKOPF

The 2021 Montlouis-sur-Loire Le Grand Clos has generosity and a come-hither side to its personality. However, the natural acidity of this later-ripening, clay-based parcel, 91-year-old vines and the 2021 vintage means that there's a vivid line of acidity that trips through the wine, providing direction and energy. Fully dry, it leaves the drinker with a sense of uprightness. It has some richness from barrel-aging (500-liter barrels, 30% new), which lends a sweet, creamy aspect. REBECCA GIBB MW, Vinous


Xavier Weisskopf, the wunderkind of the Loire, has quickly emerged as one of the region’s most exciting talents. After a meteoric rise to Chef de Cave at Château de Saint Cosme in Gigondas, Xavier struck out on his own with Rocher de Viollettes, reviving a historic property in Montlouis. Since arriving, he has focused on restoring and converting the old vineyards to organic practices, preserving pre-WWII plantings while expanding the estate to over 17 hectares. Today, Xavier crafts wines that showcase both the Loire’s underappreciated terroirs and the remarkable potential of its old vines.

I’d like to introduce you to one of the future stars of French viticulture: Xavier Weisskopf. JACQUELINE FREIDRICH, Guide to the Loire.

A lovely lift of red cherries, pomegranate and white nectarines leads into a fleshy and textured core. Subtle herbal tones of fennel and dried thyme and wild strawberries join in the chorus too. There's presence and intensity thanks to the riper 2022 vintage, balanced by a spine of chalky acidity. Pleasing phenolics on the finish add a tantalising chew, like biting through peach skins. A hint of white pepper to finish adds a twist (reminds me of adding pepper to strawberries, shouldn't work but it does!). Keep this delightful thirst slaker on hand this summer. GABRIELLE POY, PWS

Damien Pinon is the third generation of his family to naturally farm Chenin Blanc in the chalky soils of Vernou-sur-Brenne in the appellation of Vouvray. His vines are old, creating lush, expressive white wines.

Ah Tuffo! This wine seems to never fail us. Not only is it a wonderful example of classic Vouvray it always delivers that little x-factor and bit of pizzaz we like. That lovely clay/waxed citrus and quince fruit comes at you straight off-the-bat with that slaty chalky thin that chenin does in the Loire so well. Some apple and pear drop generosity on the palate is cut by crunchy acidity and a little hit of phenolic grip that stick all those beautiful flavours to your mouth. There is a little floral flourish in the middle and spritz of mixed sweet spice on the finish. A cracker!

STAFF PICKS 2024 - GAB POY

This is the perfect wine to pair with cheese after lunch. In fact this year I'm keeping the menu so simple that I've replaced a meat course for a spread of cheese and this beauty. It's a sweet wine but not unctuously so.

A heady mix of honeysuckle, quince blossom and sweetly spiced oranges leads into a sweet and vibrant core tinged with saffron and minerally tones. It bursts onto the palate with great vibrancy and signs off with some please bitter marmalade-like phenolics. With seven years under its belt, its honeyed texture glides across the palate; the perfect wine to serve with cheese. GAB

Ronchi di Cialla is a small family led winery in the pristine valley of Ciall in Friuli. Prized for its biodiversity and unique insects, it's a paradise for life and living.

Wonderfully exotic yet incredibly fresh, the 2017 Verduzzo lifts from the glass with a bouquet of exotic florals, young peach and green melon. This opens with a balanced inner sweetness complicated by salty minerals giving way to tropical citrus and ripe orchard fruits, as confectionary spices cascade throughout. The 2017 finishes vibrant and clean, leaving the palate perfectly reset for another indulgent sip. I would never guess that this finishes at 30 grams of residual sugar per liter. The harmony within is something to behold. Eric Guido, Vinous

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

The Dirupi 2019 Valtellina Superiore is generous and balanced, with a 360-degree approach to the palate underlined by dark fruit, plum jam, bluebells and other mountain wildflowers. You smell alpine slopes, cool weather and glacier-like aromas. The palate shows some dried herb and lightly powdery tannins. Fruit comes from a two-hectare site that is divided into nine parcels with mostly sandy soils. Production is 9,915 bottles. MONICA LARNER, The Wine Advocate

The 2019 Valtellina Superiore is super-expressive right out of the gate. Spice, cedar, leather and tobacco meld into a core of bright red Nebbiolo fruit, with dusty tannins that wrap it all together. I suppose there could be a bit more finesse here (especially in the tannins) but all things considered, this is nicely done. ANTONIO GALLONI

The Dirupi 2018 Valtellina Superiore Riserva Grumello Vigna Dossi Salati offers a special view into the Nebbiolo grape, with cassis, wild berry, crushed stone and wet slate. There is a note of wild sage and bramble that turns to bright fruit and sweetness on the mid-palate. This wine has more tannic structure that works well across the 14.5% alcohol content for a bigger overall approach and good aging potential. Only 2,942 bottles were made. MONICA LARNER

The 2017 Schioppettino di Cialla is wildly spicy and fresh, with an intense burst of peppery rose and smokey raspberry offset by a dusting of savory spice. This is silky-smooth and sapid with masses of mineral-tinged dark red fruits offset by zesty acidity. It finishes potent with a staining of primary concentration and a coating of sweet tannins. What a beauty, and with the potential for a very long life. In 2017, Ronchi di Cialla lost 30% of their production due to frost at the end of April. Eric Guido, Vinous

The 2014 Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso di Cialla is a darkly alluring and rich red, with brown spice, smoked meats and ground coffee giving way to woodland berries. Savory red fruits and exotic spice offset a lovely inner sweetness, all enriched by a touch of hazelnut. Soft tannins, ginger and sour citrus are left lingering as the 2014 tapers off almost juicy in feel. This is a unique style of the Refosco, courtesy of the difficult 2014 vintage, but one that any fan of Ronchi di Cialla should not be without. Eric Guido, Vinous 2023

An exquisite wine, Le Cinciole's 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Aluigi Campo ai Peri is immediately seductive. More than anything else, I admire the purity and delineation here. Sweet pipe tobacco, cedar, mint, rose petal and dried herbs are finely cut in this chiseled, vibrant Gran Selezione. Le Cinciole sets the standard. What a gorgeous wine this is. The 2019 spent two years in 25hL cask and a year in cement. (96) ANTONIO GALLONI

Soaring aromatics of dried oily herbs, fresh roasted spices, wilting flowers, fresh rubbed erinmore  tobacco and a lively mix of mostly red fruits but dried meat comes subtly in to play. There's some lift to the nose which really highlights the fresher elements.
Snappy and bordering on tart. There's a river of mineral tension here. It's hugely invigorating and super long. It's a wild card. While Petresco needs to unleash its potential Alluigi needs to calm itself and fill out a little. In a five to ten year span this wine is going to blossom.
With further air something unfurls, no, uncoils, inner tension. A mid palate pull in of character. This is going to sound odd but it's something I associate with the best wines from a couple of communes in barolo or the best of Gevrey or Vosne. It's hard to explain, like a central pressure built around the various components that feel compressed but with an overt structural, tannic, mineral assertion. At no stage am I comparing this wine to any of the former, it's uniquely and undeniably Tuscan, just that "thing" when I see it in a wine, it excites the hell out of me. I would love to see this in a decade but no bottle would last a day in my house. ROSCOE

The 2019 Petresco picks up where the 2018 left off, although it is perhaps a bit more reserved at this stage than its older sibling was. Deceptive in its mid-weight structure, the 2019 possesses notable depth and intensity. Time in the glass brings out shades of red/purplish Sangiovese fruit mixed with suggestions of new leather, spice and menthol. The 2019 spent two years in wood (equal parts cask and barrique) followed by a year in cement. (97) ANTONIO GALLONI

Generosity of fruit with a slick and well-manicured bed of dark, soft berry fruit is overlain with some really snazzy wood influence. It plumps out to fill the mid palate before tightening up on the energetic and gravel laden finish. You think soft because of the luxuriating profile but the wine itself says "no, I'm here for the long haul" with an inner tension and rocky mineral drive. It's a serious wine, no doubt, but I drank it after being opened all day and it's more sultry, suave characters pulled ahead. Lovely. This is genuinely fantastic. ROSCOE

JEROME COURSODON

Pear, apple, a white flower perfume, something a little like hay, and almonds. It’s a glossy wine but has a balanced attack of acidity, a slight lemon zest and almond bitterness, a pleasant and appropriate level of chalky grip, with a juicy finish of good length. Good. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front

Small tweaks and incremental changes in vinification and winemaking have seen the wines improve every year. The quality across the board has always been top of their class and further cements this outstanding estate as one of the pre-eminent producers in the region. It would certainly be no stretch to call them a leading light in the heart and hearts of Roero.

This is another great rendition. A hint of tropical fruit that lends an almost riesling like element to the wine, along with a floral hint. There is a some lovely depth to the fruit and that bit of extra flesh show so nicely on this wine. Still fresh and zippy on the finish with a little phenolic grip that carries the orchard fruits into a long, gentle close. Yum!