In July 2023, I had the pleasure to spend time with the crew at Château des Laurets. After an early morning drive across the river and over the right-banks gentle rolling hills to the winery, I had the opportunity to visit the vineyards used in crafting this wine.

If you’re looking for a special French red to save for a special occasion, you won’t do much better than a beautiful St Emilion Grand Cru like this, from the oldest winemaking region in Bordeaux. Made from the best fruit on select plots of Alexandre’s Chateau Armens estate.

The Estate wines honor our vineyard and property, which have been home to Viña Errázuriz for six generations. These Reserva wines reflect the character of the variety, which, combined with their six-month aging in French oak barrels, stand out with their freshness, fruitiness, and good balance. Medium-bodied, smooth, with fine-grained tannins and refreshing acidity.

Castellare Chianti Classico Riserva 2021 is a distinguished and age-worthy expression of Sangiovese, representing the pinnacle of quality and tradition from the heart of the Chianti Classico DOCG in Tuscany, Italy.

The grapes are hand-picked and carefully selected, put in small plastic crates and dried in ventilated rooms for about three months. When they reach the perfect grade of dryness they are destemmed, pressed and fermented in stainless steel tanks. The fermentation lasts for about 30 days.

While kings and queens want to be seen drinking the glorious Barolo and Barbaresco, they sip on something else behind closed doors. The rumor is that the royals speak highly of nebbiolo but in the royal chambers they choose Barbera for delicious company. Barbera wines don’t have the prestige of the nebbiolo wines. And they’ve gone in and out of fashion through the years.

Pian Di Nova is the entry-level wine from Il Borro Winery. It is produced using 25% Sangiovese grapes and 75% Syrah grapes balancing the traditional variety with an international one. The vineyards from which Pian Di Nova is produced have a density of 4.700 plants per hectare and are located at 200 meters above sea level.

Château Fourcas Dupré is a vineyard in the Listrac-Médoc appellation located 35 km. northwest of the center of Bordeaux, in the wider Médoc region on the left bank of the Gironde estuary. The estate produces a range of red and white wines and has occasionally released a rosé.

TASTING NOTES
Colour: Deep, vibrant ruby‑violet hue. 

Aroma: Juicy black cherry, ripe plum, and blackberry, accented by delicate violet floral notes and a touch of dark chocolate, espresso, and cedar from 12 months of French oak aging. 

Palate: On the palate, this wine offers a full-bodied, plush experience.

Château Duhart-Milon, the only Fourth Growth in Pauillac, is closely linked to its renowned sister property, Château Lafite Rothschild, sharing the same winemaking team and ownership under the Domains de Barons de Rothschild. The estate boasts exceptional terroir with gravel, limestone, and clay soils.

The Rothschild family has been producing wine in Bordeaux since 1868 and know this beautiful landscape and understand the unique traits of the vines from each appellation. The family was inspired to create a new wine series, where each wine would be the epitome of the appellation it came from.

TASTING NOTES:
Colour: Fine intense colour.

Nose: Very complex aromatic bouquet of fresh and cooked fruit, undergrowth, garrigue, pepper and fresh vegetal notes.

Palate: Generous expression of fruit, the balance is harmonious and full-bodied, supported by fine tannins which bring a pleasant freshness.

Domaine d'Aussières is nestled in steep hills, slightly inland from the Mediterranean coast near Narbonne in the south of France. Altan is named after a wind that blows in from the sea.

TASTING NOTES
Colour: Deep, inky red with violet highlights.

Aroma: A pure, sunlit bouquet featuring flint, graphite, and classic garrigue herbs—thyme, sage, laurel—with hints of black truffle, liquorice, and eucalyptus. Underlying notes include mineral slate and subtle dark fruit compote.

The story of El Enemigo begins with a historian and a winemaker. In 2009 historian Adrianna Catena, who is also Nicolas Catena’s youngest daughter, and Catena Zapata’s chief winemaker Alejandro Vigil decided to make their very own wines that would shake up Argentina’s wine scene and challenge the traditional ways of doing things.

Montepolli 2019 represents the first vintage of a new wine. It is a wine produced in the clos style, with the grapes coming from a small vineyard with a specific clayey-limestone subsoil and therefore the wine is only produced in small quantities.

Tenuta Licinia sits at the foothills of the Tuscan Apennines near the beautiful medieval village of Lucignano on the border between the province of Siena and Arezzo. The property consists of 60 hectares of woods, 5.5 ha. of vines, and 3 Ha of Olive groves.

TASTING NOTES
Colour: Bright deep purple to dark ruby color, often with violet hues.

Aroma: Blackberry, cassis, plum, and occasionally cherry are layered over spice notes such as gray pepper, vanilla, toasted oak, cardamom, and gentle liquorice.

TASTING NOTES
Color: Clear, brilliant ruby red with red and blue fruit reflections

Nose: Intense aromas of red & black plums, cherries, and raspberries, accompanied by warm spice notes like cedar, clove, and gentle vanilla/peppery oak.

TASTING NOTES
Colour: Ruby red with subtle purple reflections—bright and inviting.

Aroma: Rich aromas of ripe red fruits—think juicy cherries, plums, and raspberries. Soft oak or spice undertones may subtly emerge depending on vintage.

TASTING NOTES
Colour: Ruby-red core with subtle pale purplish highlights, signaling freshness and vibrancy.

Aroma: Full and intense, with a pronounced bouquet of fresh cherries. Underlying spicy hints—likely from its oak aging—emerge as the wine opens.

TASTING NOTES
Colour: Deep purplish to bright ruby‑red color—visually striking.

Aroma: On the nose, it offers aromas of ripe red fruits like cherries and plums, along with hints of cocoa, vanilla, and subtle spice.

TASTING NOTES
Appearance: Pale green‑tinged straw yellow—bright and clear, projecting youthful energy.

Aroma: Lifted notes of citrus fruits (lemon, grapefruit), green apple, and white flowers, complemented by fresh-cut grass, elderflower, and a distinctive gun‑flint minerality.

Wente Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon – A Bold and Elegant Californian Red Wine

Wente Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon is a distinguished Californian red wine that exemplifies the rich flavors and robust character of this iconic varietal.