Zinio Street Art Collection 2020
Rioja, Spain
95% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano
Retail Price: P 1,000
Valenstine’s Week Price: P 850(From February 14-18, 2024 only)
Tasting Notes
Exuberantly introduces itself with fresh red fruit, black cherry, dark chocolate, dried hillside herbs, and licorice. Dark berry and floral notes combine with the essence of limestone soils. Smooth and fruity on the palate, with notes of cocoa butter, roasted fennel bulb, and lavender, all gliding on soft and feathery tannins and great structure through a bright and long finish.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Chorizo in red wine
Winemaker Info
Zinio is a cooperative founded in 1986 by 200 families of winegrowers who have made their land available for both viti- and viniculture. It is the economic and social engine of Uruñuela, proud symbol of the village of 967 inhabitants located in the heart of Rioja Alta. Its aim is to promote the model of sustainable viticulture and to generate social value for the families who are part of it.
Staglin Salus Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Napa Valley, California
99% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc
Retail Price: P 6,850
Valenstine’s Week Price: P 5,822(From February 14-18, 2024 only)
Tasting Notes
Dynamic interplay of dark berries and stone fruit, floral and herbaceous notes, rosemary sprig, and light spice. Punctuating notes of lavender, chocolate ganache, rosemary, and light vanilla coat a lush concentration with underlying dried porcini, gunpowder dust, tilled earth, graphite, and cigar paper, drawing a grippy yet long and deep silken trail that confirms long and beautiful drinking now and in more years to come.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Grilled steak, roast lamb, mushroom risotto, aged cheeses
Winemaker Info
Salus is the Roman goddess of health and well-being. 100% of the proceeds of Salus go toward fundraising for brain and mental health. Staglin Family Vineyard is a California wine producer located in Rutherford, Napa Valley. It is most famous for its premium wines produced from Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Sangiovese.
Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella 2019
Veneto, Italy
85% Corvina, 10% Rondinella, and 5% Oseleta
Retail Price: P 2,200
Valenstine’s Week Price: P 1,870(From February 14-18, 2024 only)
James Suckling, 93/100
Robert Parker, 91/100
Tasting Notes
Juicy cranberry, blackberry, black currant, orange peel, red licorice. Dark and brooding on the palate with spicy cedar, sun-dried cherry, stewed plum, mocha, pepper, eucalyptus, a hint of leather, and quarried slate. Full and round, viscous and silky in texture with fine, well-integrated tannins and zippy acidity, tapering off with a balsamic flourish and good length.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Excellent companion to game dishes, grilled meat and roasts, salami and aged cheeses. Pair this wine with risotto, beef negimaki, and ragu.
Winemaker Info
As soon as the dried grapes for Zenato Amarone are fermented, selected batches of Valpolicella wine are “re-passed” over Amarone marc, thus starting a second fermentation that slightly increases the alcohol content and gives the wine deeper color and more complex aromas.
Mollydooker Carnival of Love 2021
McLaren Vale, Australia
Shiraz
Retail Price: P 4,800
Valenstine’s Week Price: P 4,080(From February 14-18, 2024 only)
Tasting Notes
Dense and aromatic, bursting with dark berries, plum, chai tea, Turkish delight, walnut liqueur, sandalwood, and chocolate. Unfurling in the palate are sweet dark fruit, kirsch, creamy mocha, oak, black pepper, and spice. The rich and generous texture displays layers of complexity laced with vanilla, spice, and cigar box on a lingering finish.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Hearty dishes, red meat, lamb and game
Winemaker Info
Winery founders Sarah and Sparky Marquis are both left-handed, hence the choice of the name Mollydooker, which roughly translates to the 19th century Australian colloquialism for left-handed pugilist. It reflects the founders’ quirky and unique approach to winemaking while also paying homage to their Australian heritage.
Mollydooker Enchanted Path Blend 2021
McLaren Vale, Australia
Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
Retail Price: P 4,800
Valenstine’s Week Price: P 4,080(From February 14-18, 2024 only)
Tasting Notes
Greeting with fragrant cherries, strawberries, wild berries, and fresh plum, with hints of cinnamon and dark chocolate. Vanilla, liquorice, mocha, and cigar box emerge with silky tannins, creamy depth, and concentration swathing the palate, making for a long, lush finish.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Roast leg of lamb, hard cheeses
Winemaker Info
The wine is named after the enchanting pathway that runs through the Mollydooker vineyards.
Marcel Lapierre Morgon 2022
Beaujolais, Burgundy, France
100% Gamay
Retail Price: P 2,000
Aromas of braised cherries, raspberries, violets, dried herbs, tea leaves, and licorice. Mouthwatering acidity and dusty, fine-grained tannins create wonderful balance and structure. The finish is long and lingering, with a touch of minerality.
Arpepe Rosso di Valtellina 2020
Lombardy, Italy
100% Nebbiolo
Retail Price: P 2,100
Vibrant floral notes, raspberries, sour cherries, pine needles, eucalyptus, peppery spice, possessing a distinct minerality. Medium-bodied, held together by a backbone of lithe tannins holding until the finish. A scrumptious young drinking wine in the style of Burgundy Pinot Noirs.
Launay-Horiot Pommard Les Perrières 1902 2020
Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France
100% Pinot Noir
Retail Price: P 4,300
Tim Atkin, 91/100
Crunchy, ripe red fruit, intense with high acidity and dry tannins, profound concentration, with an aromatic and mineral mid-palate leading to a persistent and textured finish
Kosta Browne Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2021
Sebastopol, California, USA
100% Pinot Noir
Retail Price: P 7,300
Robert Parker, 94/100
Lavender, licorice, eucalyptus, forest floor, and dark fruit. Medium-bodied concentrated fruit complemented by well-integrated oak spice, with grainy tannins, lively acidity and a long, generous finish.
Paul Hobbs Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Retail Price: P 8,750
Robert Parker, 94/100
James Suckling, 94/100
Tasting Notes
Attractive aromas of Morello cherries, blue fruit, cassis, lilacs, cinnamon, dried herbs, lavender, and mocha, evolving to generous layers of red currant, black fig, sage, mint, tobacco, and leather. Fresh acidity wraps around fine tannins of a medium-bodied palate, holding tension and a crushed rock minerality towards a delicately fruit-suffused finish.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Roast beef, duck, tomato-based pasta
Winemaker’s Notes
Named in honor of the founder of Napa, the Coombsville vineyard is known for its volcanic soils, and as a cooler site for Cabernet Sauvignon that reveals cassis, mocha and black olive with an intensely structured palate of earth and dark chocolate, possessing bold, chewy tannins that fill the mouth.
Paul Hobbs Nathan Coombs Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Retail Price: P 34,500
Robert Parker, 97/100
Vinous, 97/100
Tasting Notes
Evoking black forest cake, blackcurrant cordial and blueberry compote with touches of baking spices, dark chocolate, tobacco leaf and wild thyme, developing on to sage, lavender, smoke, crushed rocks, menthol , and cherry jam. Its intensely structured full-bodied palate with firm tannins and balanced acidity expresses an intense saline minerality, staying alive and fresh on a long finish.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Barbecue, beef, game, lamb
Winemaker’s Notes
The crushed rock minerality of this wine expresses the vineyard site’s inherent rocky volcanic soils.
Paul Hobbs Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Retail Price: P 39,000
Robert Parker, 98/100
James Suckling, 98/100
Tasting Notes
Opening on soft strains of ripe, dark plums, crème de cassis, raspberries, and blackberries, building up to an orchestra of sweet tobacco, dried flowers, smoked pepper, and cedar. Full-bodied, with an enveloping plush and chewy texture, supple tannins, and mineral acidity, trailing-off on a long, lingering, and scented finish with persistent grip and tension.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Braised beef, lamb, aged cheeses
Winemaker’s Notes
One of the strongest expressions of this site and unique terroir in Oakville.
Domaine Du Pegau Cuvée Da Capo 2016
Southern Rhône, France
Varietal : Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre
Retail Price: P 27,000
Jeb Dunnuck, 100 points
Robert Parker, 99 points
Tasting Notes
Sensational notes of cured meats, crème de cassis, crushed violets, ground pepper, tapenade, truffle, and sweet herbes de Provence all soar from the glass and it hits the palate with a massive, full-bodied style that stays seamless, weightless, and as pure as they come.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Rib eye and other grilled steaks, game dishes, and chocolate-based dishes
Kent Rassmusen Pinot Noir 2020
Napa Valley, California, USA
100% Pinot Noir
Price: P 3,400
J. Lohr Carol's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
Napa Valley, California, USA
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Price: P 4,000
Ratings
Jeb Dunnuck, 100 points
Robert Parker, 99 points
Tasting Notes
Sensational notes of cured meats, crème de cassis, crushed violets, ground pepper, tapenade, truffle, and sweet herbes de Provence all soar from the glass and it hits the palate with a massive, full-bodied style that stays seamless, weightless, and as pure as they come.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Rib eye and other grilled steaks, game dishes, and-chocolate based dishes
Paul Hobbs Crossbarn Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
Napa Valley, California, USA
81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc
Price: P 4,450
Ratings
JAMES SUCKLING, 94/100
DECANTER, 94/100
ROBERT PARKER, 91/100
Black cherry, red and black currants, black peppercorn, toasted sage, hint of vanilla. Full-bodied, a graphite backbone and integrated tannins lead to an extroverted energy persistent to the finish
Pair with rare lamb or beef
Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2021
Sonoma County, California, USA
100% Pinot Noir
Price: P 7,300
Ratings
JEB DUNNUCK, 96/100
ROBERT PARKER, 93/100
Allspice, brown sugar, cranberry, tea leaves and incense. Medium-bodied, fantastic balance, fresh with a long, spicy finish
Chateau Siran Margaux 2014
Varietals : Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot
Price: P 4,000
Ratings
ROBERT PARKER, 90-92/100 Points
VINOUS, 92/100 Points
WINE ENTHUSIAST, 92/100 Points
JAMES SUCKLING, 92/100 Points
Tasting Notes
Round and complex with fleshy blackberry and red fruits, spice, fennel, sage and mint herbs, balsam wood. Medium-bodied, linear in style, fine-tannined, persistently fresh, silkily textured, and with keen acidity. Delivers a structured and pleasant finish.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Beef, lamb, duck, roast chicken, oily fish, herby main dishes, cheese
Chateau Siran Margaux 2011
Varietals : Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc
Price: P 3,300
Ratings
ROBERT PARKER, 90-92/100 Points
Tasting Notes
Clearly-defined bouquet of strawberries, red currants, lovely floral notes, hints of bergamot, cedar on the nose. Open, permeating with leather, earth, singed wood, offering a sinewy feel and firm tannins. Medium-bodied with great balance of fruit, acidity, and minerality all the way to crisp, fresh and elegant finish.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Roasted, braised, and grilled meats, Asian dishes, fish. Dishes with herbs, mushrooms and truffle. Pasta, cheese.
Chateau Sociando-Mallet La Demoiselle 2018
Varietals : Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
Price: P 2,400
Ratings
ROBERT PARKER, 97/100 Points
WINE ENTHUSIAST, 97/100 Points
Tasting Notes
Light and elegant, showing freshness and pronounced fruitiness on nose and palate, with pleasant currant and cedar notes. Complex, fine tannined with a linear drive at the finish. This wine can be enjoyed young.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Veal, grilled meat, fish and shellfish
Seigneurs d'Aiguilhe Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 2020
Varietals : Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Price: P 1,600
Tasting Notes
Intense blackberry and black currant trailed by crushed violets and spice on the nose. A core of lightly mulled plum and cherry fruit plays on a tense but elegant palate with fine tannins lingering on a long finish. Characteristic of the terroir’s strong personality, this wine combines power and freshness.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Braised beef and stews, venison, sauced meats, mature cheeses
Chateau D'Aiguilhe Castillon Côtes De Bordeaux 2018
Varietals : Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Price: P 2,800
Ratings
JAMES SUCKLING, 93/100 Points
VINOUS, 92/100 Points
DECANTER, 92/100 Points
WINE ENTHUSIAST, 92/100 Points
Tasting Notes
Scents of ripe raspberries, cherries, red currant, dry herbs and flowers, with direct, fresh acidity, and a voluptuous mid-palate of black fruit jam, exotic spices, tobacco and autumn mulch. Medium-bodied with fine tannins, the solid core of fruit carries through to a long, satisfying finish.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Red meat, charcuterie, hard cheeses
Amarone della Valpolicella DOC 2017
Varietal Composition: 60% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 10% Oseleta, and 10% Croatina
Alcohol: 16%
Price: P 29,000
Ratings
JAMES SUCKLING, 98/100 Points
A tour de force, despite the sheer morass of palate-staining fruit. The malty oak is evident, but acts as a welcome addition to tame and compress the tangle of coffee grounds, beef stock, mint, leather varnish and saturated dark cherry liqueur in a cloak of tension and power. The grapes are dried for 70-80 days. This may seem obvious at first glance, but when you work it out in the glass and on the inner gums, the many layers become apparent. A wine that changes shape and beguiles as it wrestles with the senses. Excellent.
VINOUS, 97/100 Points
This wine is dark, sultry and almost animalic. Crushed autumn leaves and earth tones open the experience, giving way to masses of macerated black cherries, cedar chips, spiced biscuits and a refreshing hint of camphor. It floods the palate with a velvety texture while maintaining a fantastic energy as the bracing acidity adds unexpected vibrancy and the tart wild berries slowly saturate. The tannins are structured yet sweet and the wine remains remarkably fresh, almost crisp, as hints of inner rose and balsamic herbs slowly fade. Honestly, I can’t believe the 2017 was made at 16% alcohol because it’s just so drinkable and charming.
DECANTER, 96/100 Points
No-one else matches the Dal Forno wines for their sheer power and intensity, and even Romano himself seems reluctant to estimate how long his Amarone might last. His 2017 Amarone is a typical time capsule, showing no age whatsoever but all the elements – a bottomless depth of rich and intense but still juicy fruit, coursing acidity and mouth-puckering tannins – are there in abundance and somehow maintain an astonishing harmony.
WINE SPECTATOR, 95/100 Points
A dark, brooding red that effortlessly combines a beautiful array of aromas of cherry, blackberry pulp, dried mint and eucalyptus with fine, chiselled tannins and a rich hint of minerality – lots of smoke, fresh earth and iron. It shows concentration and power, revealing even more detail and expression as it opens in the glass, but at the same time it’s an exercise in balance and restraint.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Dark meat, grilled meat, well-matured cheese, strong game dishes
Amarone della Valpolicella 2015 DOCG
Varietal Composition: 60% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 10% Oseleta, and 10% Croatina
Alcohol: 16.5%
Price: P 22,000
Ratings
ROBERT PARKER, 97/100 Points
The ultimate statement wine from northern Italy is the 2015 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta. The Dal Forno family skipped over the 2014 vintage, and this sunny vintage is worth the wait. Monte Lodoletta is always incredibly high in terms of fruit weight and tannins, but this edition from 2015 appears more integrated in terms of concentration and softer in terms of structure; it’s not that the wine is more accessible. It will hold the line for years and decades to come and promises to age gracefully. This vintage is instead more fleshed out and open-knit. The bouquet peels back with thick layers of black fruit, spice, campfire embers and toasted coffee bean. It’s an expensive bottle for collectors, but you get lots of bang for your buck. – Monica Larner
JAMES SUCKLING, 100/100 Points
This is black as pitch in the glass and, yes, there’s a light, tarry edge to the super-concentrated prune, date and currant fruit. But even more interesting are the complex notes of bitter-orange liqueur, aged balsamic, fresh roasting herbs, cinnamon, roasted chestnuts, black tea and licorice. The more you decant in advance, the more nuances will emerge. It’s full-bodied with huge concentration and lots of chewy tannin that is managing to hold the fruit back for now. This needs plenty of time to develop in the bottle. Just superb. One of the greatest Dal Forno’s ever.
VINOUS, 98/100 Points
The 2015 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta is deep and rich in the glass, slowly opening with autumnal spices, crushed violets, cocoa and custard. While dark and inward on the nose, it’s wonderfully open and finessed on the palate, with a pure mix of red berries and savory spices under an air of rosy inner florals. Through it all, tension builds as tannins saturate, leaving the palate drenched in primary concentration. The 2015 is incredibly long and in need of many years in the cellar to fully evolve. The balance of ripeness, structure and acid here creates a totally harmonious and classic expression. Do not pass up on this sleeping giant of an Amarone. In 2015, production was down by 45% due to hail, and the final wine finished at only one gram of residual sugar per liter.
Amarone della Valpolicella 2006 DOC
Varietal Composition: 60% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 10% Oseleta, and 10% Croatina
Alcohol: 17%
Price: P 28,000
Ratings
ROBERT PARKER, 97/100 Points
This expression opens to an inky dark appearance and heavy aromas of dried fruit, pressed blackberries and sun-dried prunes. There is a slightly sweeter side to this vintage (the residual sugar is up to ten grams per liter), and the mouthfeel offers enormous volume and richness. You get some jammy and raisiny fruit at the back. Like the 1990 vintage also tastes in this retrospective, this bottle from the 2006 vintage was slow to open and felt a bit closed initially. In fact, I gave it 94 points at that time. However, I recently opened a bottle of this same wine that I had in my cellar, and it was just stunning. It showed none of the shyness that I described above. Inspired by that second magical bottle, I went back and adjusted the drinking window and my score to the one you see here. Drink Date 2019-2040. – Monica Larner
JAMES SUCKLING, 98/100 Points
This is very lifted and intense with treacle tart, licorice, light asphalt, chili and chocolate. Full body with very intense dried fruits like raisins, sultanas and prunes, but there’s a nutmeg and clove undertone to it. Very chewy and intense on the finish. Big wine but racy and fresh. Stunning Amarone.
Amarone della Valpolicella 2008 DOC
Varietal Composition: 60% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 10% Croatina, 10% Oseleta
Alcohol: 16.5%
Price: P 32,000
Ratings
ROBERT PARKER, 96 /100Points
this wine is balanced and elegant with fruit that is still crunchy and very much alive. The tannins are firm and nicely integrated into the wine’s thick, fleshy consistency. This vintage is characterized by a very elegant and graceful approach, which must be taken into context given the enormity of a wine of this caliber. Happily, there is no doubt that this vintage should still evolve steadily over time. Drink Date: 2019-2040. – Monica Larner
VINOUS, 98/100 Points
The 2008 Amarone della Valpolicella is compelling. With a little air, the tannins begin to soften, releasing a myriad of intense dark aromas and flavors. Bittersweet chocolate, cloves, violets, plums and blackberry jam cover every inch of the palate in a stunning, headspinning Amarone that captures all of the best qualities of the year. When Romano Dal Forno’s wines are on, there is nothing quite like them, and that is certainly the case here. – Antonio Galloni
JAMES SUCKLING, 97/100 Points
Wonderful aromas of rose petal, blackberry, sugared walnut and hints of sea salt. Full body, ultra-fine tannins and a warm, enticing palate with dried fruits, blackberry, black olive and freshly cracked slate. Fabulous Amarone.
JANCIS ROBINSON, 18/20 Points
Impenetrable dark lustrous ruby. Chalky dense fruit and succulent acidity. Muscular tannins. Long, intense and wonderfully composed at the same time in spite of its 16.5% (!).
Food Pairing Suggestions
Dark meat, grilled meat, well-matured cheese, strong game dishes
Amarone della Valpolicella 2009 DOC
Varietal Composition: 60% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 10% Croatina, 10% Oseleta
Alcohol: 16.5%
Price: not available as individual bottle (sold in Dal Forno Historical Box 2008/2009*)
Ratings
ROBERT PARKER 99/100 Points
The 2009 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta is a full and generous expression that delivers thick lines and robust flavors of dried blackberry, camphor ash, exotic cedar wood, licorice and tarry road pavement. This is one of the most complete and comprehensive vintages produced at Dal Forno, and it gives us an ample 360-degree view onto the might, brawn and potential of this icon wine from the Veneto. Its evolutionary track shows no sign of slowing down. Drink date: 2019-2045. – Monica Larner
JAMES SUCKLING, 98/100 Points
This is powerful and very rich with blueberries, flowers and hints of spices. Full body with velvety tannins and ripe fruits. Very beautiful and generous but not overdone. Superb.
JANCIS ROBINSON, 17++/20 Points
Almost impenetrably deep, purple ruby. Intensely brooding, savory fruit. Richly concentrated and intense, but not overpoweringly so. Richly tannic while all falls into place on the finish. Long, balanced, and endless, really. Drink 2020 – 2032. – Walter Speller
Food Pairing Suggestions
Dark meat, grilled meat, well-matured cheese, strong game dishes
*DAL FORNO CASSETTA STORICO MONTE LODOLETTA Amarone della Valpolicella DOC 2008 | 2009
Contents: 1 Dal Forno Amarone della Valpolicella DOC 2009, 2 Dal Forno Amarone della Valpolicella DOC 2008
Price: P 85,000
Occasionally, Dal Forno releases a selection of choice top vintages that have been held back for many years and have been able to continue maturing carefully in the bottle, under the name, Cassetta Storico Monte Lodoletta.
Dal Forno Romano Valpolicella Superiore DOC 2017
Varietal Composition: 70% Corvina and Corvina Grossa, 20% Rondinella, 5% Croatina,
5% Oseleta
Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: P 8,700
Ratings
VINOUS, 95/100 Points
Taking this in reminds me of all of the desserts, spices and confections experienced on Christmas day. An array of medicinal cherries, plum sauce, ginger cookies, cloves, cinnamon and dried roses captivate. There’s tremendous depth here, but it maintains fantastic freshness. This is wildly spicy and intense, yet deep, with brilliant acidity, which enlivens the crunchy red fruits and pretty florals within. The 2017 finishes dramatically long and perfumed, with sour blackberries, currants and a bitter hint of cocoa. It far exceeds expectations for a Valpolicella, with the power and flavors of an Amarone, but with a vibrancy that allows it to hold its own at the dinner table.
JAMES SUCKLING, 95/100 Points
Pungent nose of violets, amarena cherries, dried figs and lightly charred oak. Some toffee notes emerge with air, together with more pressed flowers. Not so much full-bodied as full-flavored, with silky, fine and polished tannins. Very young and powerful at the moment. Shows exceptional quality. To be tasted from 2024.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Dark meat and poultry, grilled meat, well-matured cheese, pizza, pasta, casseroles, and mild game dishes.
Elodie Roy Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Rouge 2021
Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, Burgundy, France
Varietal : 100% Pinot Noir
Price: P 2,500
Tasting Notes
Hallmark Pinot Noir aromas of raspberry, ripe cherry and a hint of clove release with a lovely, juicy energy. Medium-bodied, it is ample and fleshy on the palate with lifting acidity and mellow tannins.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Great on its own or as an aperitif, and will complement poultry, like aromatic roast chicken, or grilled swordfish, and red meats.
Winemaker Notes
Elodie Roy left a career in banking to retrace her steps back home in Burgundy and work for 11 years at Domaine Ann Gros, before taking over 24 acres of family vineyards in Côte de Nuits. Domaine Elodie Roy debuted in 2018, and 2021 is its fourth vintage.
J. Lohr Wildflower Valdiguié 2021
Wine Enthusiast 91 points
Varietal : Valdiguié
Price: P P 1,200
Tasting Notes
Raspberry, tart strawberry, pomegranate and hisbiscus aromas lead to a palate of red currant, purple flower, and mild white pepper flavors. Light-bodied, zesty, crisp and refreshing, with mid-palate acidity and a juicy, mouth-watering, fresh-fruit finish.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Served slightly chilled with grilled meat and barbecues, slow-cooked ribs, and seared vegetables. Great with roast duck and plum sauce, and with dried fruit and cheese.
Winemaker Notes
The Lohr family have been leaders in California winegrowing. Honored with the 2020 Green Medal Leader Award for the company’s decades-long commitment to sustainability, J. Lohr helped write the book on sustainable winegrowing on the California Central Coast as early as 1986.
Pedro Parra Imaginador 2021
Guarilihue, Itata, Chile
Robert Parker: 94 points
Varietal : 100% Cinsault
Price: P 1,550
Tasting Notes
The pronounced nose is perfumed with cherry notes, wild raspberries, purple flowers and crushed rock, giving way to a smooth and refined palate of delicious, mouth-watering freshness and juiciness. The tannins are unnoticeable and rich with dark fruits like pomegranate and plum. Medium-bodied, full of energy, and very drinkable.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Sensational with roast lamb or roast chicken
Winemaker Notes
Renowned wine producers Jean-Marc Roulot (Meursault), Liger Belair (Vosne-Romanée), Marco Marengo (Barolo), Altos las Hormigas (Mendoza), Comando G (Gredos), and Chapter 24 (Oregon), have worked with Pedro Parra, PhD in Terroir, Paris Center of Agriculture.
Viña Cobos Felino Malbec 2021
Mendoza, Argentina
James Suckling 92 pts
Varietal : 100% Malbec
Price: P 1,200
Tasting Notes
Blackberries, ripe red cherries, roses, and blueberries on both the nose and palate. A whiff of cut tobacco and ground nutmeg. Medium-bodied, with good concentration, juicy tannins, staying round and smooth to the finish.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Meat immediately comes to mind – grilled / a la brasa, seasoned, braised or stewed. Would definitely go well with charcuterie and aged cheese, stuffed and herby-sauced pasta, roasted capsicum and aromatic vegetables.
Winemaker Notes
With its inaugural vintage in 1999, Paul Hobb’s Viña Cobos marked a milestone in Malbec viticulture, challenging existing standards, resulting in Argentinian Malbec’s firm position in the international wine scene.
Cruse & Co. Monkey Jacket 2020
California, USA
Robert Parker 92 pts
Varietals: 65% Valdiguié, 12% Carignan, 14% Petite Sirah
Price: P 1,850
Tasting Notes
Incredibly drinkable, this can truly be your everyday table wine. Opening with raspberries, rhubarb, and crushed strawberries, then first flush tea and early spring flowers, picking up on strains of grilled meat and leather. Medium-bodied with vibrant acidity and straightforward tannins, raspberry and confit of fruits carry through to a juicy, mouthwatering finish.
Food Pairing Suggestions
This can be your everyday table wine and will pair nicely with anything light and bright like a green salad or blue cheese or even chocolate!
Winemaker Notes
Cruse is all-organic, biodynamic and natural, and gives great opportunity for wine drinkers to become more familiar with the largely under-radar varietals of Valdiguié, Tannat, and St Laurent.
Viña Aquitania Carmenere 2021
Maipo Valley, Chile
Varietals : 85% Carmenere, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
Price: P 1,200
Tasting Notes
Generous play on the nose of raspberry, ripe cherry, toffee, and soft notes of Carmenere’s paprika signature, blending discreetly well with toasted French oak. Well-structured with ripe and soft tannins, finishing on a smooth and long chord.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Great complement to dishes with lean and spicy red meat, poultry or pork.
Winemaker Notes
Viña Aquitania is a Chilean-French collaboration. French roots are from Bordeaux and Champagne. The second generation of the founders have since taken the reins in the winery.
