This is the Domaine’s newest terroir, and they believe it will be one of the best. When they bought this plot for less than 800€, it had been abandoned since the phylloxera crisis. The clos, surrounded by a dry stone wall nearly two meters high, was originally owned by the Abbey of Cluny. It took nearly ten years to get the land ready for planting: The soil had to be prepared and the vineyard adapted to tractor use, all while ensuring they kept the walls! The replant started in 2011 and in 2015 the vineyard produced the first vintage. It is already as mineral and complex as Les Perrières, and will no doubt be an exceptional wine in years to come. 

This vineyard is east facing, as are all of the vineyards in Cruzille. It is situated mid-slope, with 10,000 plants/hectare, and the soil is Bathonian clayey-limestone. On this rich soil, it is important to rein in the vines in order to let the grapes reach the right maturity. They use the short pruning method en cordon Royat for all the Gamay vines on the estate, to restrain the natural vigorous growth of this grape variety. Grown on the clayey limestone soils of the Mâconnais, this wine has very particular peppery and spicy notes. Beaumont is an emblematic cuvee of the Domaine, a real Gamay with a Burgundy style.  

Situated on the same terroir as the white wine of the same name, the Pinots in the Genièvrières have been planted in three different places: two on quite shallow soil cover, bringing structure to the wine; and the third on terraces that have more soil cover, giving a fruitier side to the wine. The wines from these three areas are blended into one cuvee, Les Genièvrières Rouge. This wine has the elegance and minerality to warrant being aged. 

This vineyard is situated on a slope in Cruzille that was known historically for its reds. La Myotte is quite a cold terroir where the flowering period is often difficult, and the grapes ripen late. This leads to excellent wines in warmer years. La Myotte is on the same terroir as Beaumont (planted with Gamay), but planted with Pinot Noir. It is very interesting to be able to compare the two. 

Guigal produces an intensely concentrated, inviting and complex Châteauneuf-du-Pape that is almost unique to the region today. Their passion for Châteauneuf, the leading appellation of the Southern Rhône, runs as deeply as that for their home sites in the Northern Rhône. The combination of working with top fruit that has perfect ripeness, along with their extraordinary patience in the cellar, results in rich and full, yet savory, spicy, seamless and balanced wines. Wines to enjoy immediately but capable of aging, and, above all, wines that leave you wanting more.

This wine has a vibrant fresh fruit profile on the palate and complemented by violet aromatics and nuanced complexity of well integrated oak contact. 

Featuring 30 year old vines planted over free-draining silt/clay loams, the Heritage Vineyard produces Sauvignon Blancs of typical Marlborough intensity, bolstered by elevated acidity and steely textures.

Some of Settlement’s youngest vines are represented by their eponymous Pinot Noir. Planted in 2009, the fruit already shows a level of depth and soul to be expected from such a unique terrain. With loess and clay soils at steep, north facing slopes, the Settlement Vineyard Pinot Noir displays a dramatic range of flavor woven into a delicate yet confident structure

In assessing the potential of their land and winemaking capabilities, the team at Remírez de Ganuza wisely decided to give special attention to their Viura and Malvasia plantings in dedicated bottlings. Previously used to compliment their reds via the skins, the white wines are given a Burgundian level of attention by their selective vineyard picking and winemaking. Made mostly from Viura (80%), the flagship white wine is aged on the lees in new French oak for 8 months with regular batonnage to increase aromatics and texture.

Reliably produced since 1997, the Fincas line represents elegantly made entry-level bottlings with the same level of attention and care as the flagship line. Crafted from the shoulders of 25-40 year old vines from across their vineyards, the wine sees time in French and American oak to gently meld the Tempranillo and Graciano together.

The flagship of the winery, the Reserva is made mostly from Tempranillo (85%) with splashes of Graciano, Viura and Malvasia. The vines are on average about 60 years of age, and the wine is aged for over two years in new French oak.

This Cabernet Sauvignon is varietally pure with a linear structure and well-integrated benefit of light oak contact with an overall fresh fruit profile. 

B13 stands for ‘Bollinger 2013’ as showcased by the unique logotype that both resembles the letter ‘B’ and the number ‘13’. This limited edition Blanc de Noirs from the 2013 vintage is characterized by its freshness and precision, and is composed of 100% Pinot Noir, predominantly from Bollinger’s ancestral home of Äy.

Ayala’s Le Blanc de Blancs is 100% Chardonnay, produced in small quantities in exceptional years only and fully expresses the superb caliber of great Chardonnay from the best crus of the Côte des Blancs. It is truly a unique vintage offering.

The 2015 vintage is sourced from three Grand Cru villages (Chouilly, Cramant, Le Mesnil sur Oger) and two Premier Cru Villages (Cuis and Vertus). After six years of aging in Ayala’s cellars, remarkable minerality and low dosage (6g/l) make this an outstanding wine that can accompany a variety of flavorful dishes, or stand on its own.

Galatrona is Petrolo’s most acclaimed wine, a Merlot cru made exclusively with grapes from the Galatrona-Feriale vineyard planted in various phases during the 1990s with low vigor Bordeaux clones. The unique microclimate allows the concentration of the noble components of the grapes that are fundamental for the great structure, elegance, balance, and persistence that has made Galatrona one of Italy’s most coveted wines.

Bòggina B is a little bit of Burgundy with a Tuscan twist. The wine is made with 100% Trebbiano Toscano. The clone of the Valdarno has been known for its quality since the 1300s, when it was regularly sent to the popes in Rome and the courts of Florence. Petrolo has been using Trebbiano grapes for its sweet vinsanto for decades, but owner Luca Sanjust decided that the time had come for a tribute to the great whites of Valdarno’s past. 

Torrione marks the beginning of the Petrolo’s quality revolution. It is considered to be the true identity of Petrolo, made with a blend of grapes from all of the estate’s vineyards. With a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Torrione is also in keeping with Tuscan tradition of adding Bordeaux varieties to Sangiovese and instilling a sense of place in the French varieties, lending them a distinctly Tuscan character.

Bòggina is a Sangiovese cru and a testament to the winemaking foresight of Petrolo’s founder, Gastone Bazzocchi, who planted the vineyard in 1952 and saw the great quality potential of the vineyard early on. Over the years, the vineyard has been replanted little by little with a massale selection to preserve the diversity of the original clones. Classico Riserva showcases the great expression of a 100% Sangiovese that Petrolo’s unique terroir and microclimate are capable of producing.

This cuvee is a blend of several old Mâconnais vineyards. The wine is vinified in concrete vats, using indigenous yeasts. Part of the harvest is de-stemmed to bring a bit more finesse and elegance to the cuvee. The limestone terroirs give it its minerality and freshness; the granite terroirs, hints of camphor and dark fruits.

Colheita is a Vintage Tawny Port. Whereas Tawnies with an indication of age show the House style, Vintage Tawnies show the personality of the vintage year. Colheita spends its entire life in barrel until the moment of bottling. On the nose they are fresh, powerful and fruit-forward with balanced acidity. On the palate they have a nutty, oxidized character with a seductively smooth finish.