Chateau Damase is a completely charming wine, planted primarily to Merlot with some of “Bordeaux’s Lost Grape” – Carmenere. The vibrant Merlot along with the lovely spicy touches make Damase somewhat of the classic fresh, Bordeaux bistro red.

Château Tour d’Auron is a small production estate that produces wines with remarkable structure and aging potential. The difference in site from its neighbors owned by Gerard Milhade and his family is striking, as this wine exhibits a much darker fruit and earthy character.

Wine has been produced at Château Lyonnat for centuries, and this property has an absolutely exceptional vineyard of 79 acres, planted on limestone, south facing, and with plots of very old vines. The wines always have a true sense of elegance and refinement.

Amarone Riserva “Ca ‘Florian” is made with selected grapes from one of the oldest vineyards owned by the Tommasi family, with vines averaging 30 years. 

This “Cru” or “Climat,“ as one would say in Burgundy, is characterized by its “simplicity and elegance,” with notes of cherry and typical black cherries of the valley of Marano, but also the sweet spices and greater structure and elegance common to the Valley of Negrar, which give it the ability to age for the long term.

The Ca’ Florian vineyard is a 12 acre parcel that lies on the Pedemonte hills surrouding the winery in San Pietro in Cariano, and has a south-western exposure. It is a terraced vineyard whose vines are trained using the traditional pergola veronese system. The soils are mostly cretaceous and calcareous.

After harvesting and manual selection, the grapes are laid down in boxes of 5 to 6 kg and naturally dried in the fruttaio for 4 months. They are gently pressed the following January and slowly fermented on the skins using indigenous yeasts, a process lasting  about 30 days. The wine is aged first in tonneau for one year and then for 3 years in Slavonian casks. It then sees one additional year of bottle aging.

The 2010 vintage is a blend of 75% Corvina, 15% Corvinone, and 10% Rondinella.

Ayala’s 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 2010 vintage is sourced from 4 Premier and Grand Cru villages on the Côte des Blancs: Chouilly, Oiry, Cremant and Vertus. After 6 years of aging in Ayala’s cellars, remarkable minerality and low dosage make this an outstanding wine that can accompany a variety of flavorful dishes, or stand on its own.

A treasure in the portfolio, Perle d’Ayala is produced only in exceptional years, according to practices that have remained faithful to the Champagne tradition. Composed of a majority of Chardonnay, this wine captures the essence of the Champagne terroir, in the purest respect of the style of the House.

This beautifully refined prestige cuvée is 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir, all from Grand Cru villages.

Chanson’s regional wine, Viré Clessé is one of the best white wines of the region, combining suppleness and minerality. The appellation lies in the heart of the Mâcon appellation in the south of Burgundy. The two villages, Viré and Clessé form a unique terroir on south-east facing slopes. In Viré, the soil is chalky with large layers of clay. In Clessé, the soil structure is slightly different, with a combination of chalk and clay mixed with liasic marls combined with oyster-fossils, giving the wine an underlying minerality. It’s produced from a combination of Chardonnay and Chardonnay Muscaté grapes. 

Don Anselmo is a landmark wine made from 100% Aglianico grapes, the native varietal in Basilicata for which the region is renowned. It is dedicated to the winery’s founder, Anselmo Paternoster, and represents the history, roots, and continued importance of the Paternoster family in the area of production of the wines, Vulture. The grapes come from small and particularly old vineyard parcels in Barile, located at 2000 feet above sea level, with naturally low yields (35- 40 quintals per hectare). The soil is volcanic, with a significant levels of lava and ash.

Langlois Brut Rosé is a refined Crémant de Loire crafted from a blend of Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir. The wine undergoes a meticulous process, with only the first pressed juice used and 18 months of aging on the lees to maintain its freshness and vibrant color. A brief 12-15 hour skin contact gives it its delicate pale pink hue with copper highlights. On the palate, it is fresh, generous, and fruity, with appealing notes of vineyard peach and an airy elegance. Its long finish leaves a lasting impression, showcasing Langlois’ commitment to terroir since 1885.

Lucente is the second wine of Luce, a wine with contemporary style, immediate and great pleasure, and like its elder sibling, an authentic interpretation of Montalcino and the Luce estate.

After the first strict selection of the very best grapes for Luce, the next selection is used for Lucente and is often coming from the younger vineyards planted in the Luce estate. Lucente represents a more approachable expression of the estate’s unique terroir.

Luce is a singular and irresistible expression of Montalcino, a Super Tuscan with an exotic side, and above all full of pleasure. The spectacular estate’s diversity of soils, expositions and biodiversity of olive groves and forests come together in a wine as vibrant and exciting as the landscape.

From the beginning, Luce was a bold proposition. The iconic estate located in the hills of southwest Montalcino was originally identified as a great area by the Marchese Vittorio Frescobaldi in the 1960s, and later launched as the Luce partnership between the Marchese and California wine legend Robert Mondavi. The wine was first produced from an outstanding Sangiovese vineyard along with a surprising experimental planting of Merlot from the 1960s done by a French company based in Bordeaux. Combining the roundness and softness of Merlot with the structure and elegance of Sangiovese might seem an obvious idea today, especially after the last 20 years of Super Tuscan history, but this was a first in Montalcino. That blending approach is still followed today, and what is so attractive about the result is, in fact, the character of Montalcino that shines through: the dark fruit, power and structure, the complexity of floral and spice notes, the chewiness of the tannin. 

The estate’s iconic name and packaging (Luce translates to “light” in Italian) was inspired by the altar at the Santo Spirito church in Florence – a landmark church built on land donated by the Frescobaldi family during the Renaissance.

Coming primarily from the Ornellaia’s younger vineyard sites and made with the same passion and attention to detail as the estate’s flagship wine, Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia combines generosity and depth of flavor with an engaging and vibrant personality. Made to be more approachable, yet delivering the quality experience of Ornellaia, Merlot has a dominant role in this wine in contrast to the Cabernet Sauvignon in Ornellaia. 

Valmaggiore is the product of Luciano’s incredible passion for the Nebbiolo grape variety and the desire to show just how its expression can vary depending on the soil in which it is cultivated. Just 15 miles away from Barolo, in the Roero region, Nebbiolo produces a lighter structure and ripe, smooth tannins that are not unlike those of Pinot Noir. The wine drinks well from about age 6 to 12 but will easily last longer in the best vintages. This is not a “baby Barolo” or a second wine at all – it is a distinct interpretation of a completely different geographic winemaking zone. The wine shows delicious floral elements and red fruits, wrapped around a medium-weight structure with a long, delicious finish and modulated, ripe tannins.

ALESTE is the natural continuity of Luciano’s first wine, the Barolo Cannubi Boschis, which garnered Luciano his early acclaim with the international trade and press. Giving all the experience, knowledge, patience and passion of his many harvests, Luciano pays tribute, with boldness and sensibility, to the next family generation: “ALESTE” is in fact the combination of the names of his grandchildren ALEssia and STEfano.

This single-vineyard wine is typically dense and concentrated but shows incredible harmony and balance. The medium-weight structure shows delightful and seductive notes of berries and cherries, with floral and mineral aspects. In great vintages, properly cellared examples will drink well for 20+ years. The finish is sweet and broad, with moderate, ripe tannins and long length.

1 1/2 oz Noval Black
1 oz Bulliet Bourbon
1/2 oz Averna Amaro
4 dashes Angostura Bitters
1 Orange Wedge (to Muddle)
1 Orange Peel (to Garnish)

Lightly muddle Orange Wedge with the Bitters, add Noval Black, Bulleit Bourbon and Averna to a mixing glass, add ice, stir for 30 seconds.

Strain into a Martini/Coupe Glass or a Rocks Glass with no ice.

Garnish with an Orange Peel.

Sip and enjoy!

By Fred Dexheimer M.S.

1 1/2 oz Noval Black
1 oz Tito’s Vodka
1/2 oz Combier Triple Sec
Juice of Half a Lime
12 Blueberries (8 to Muddle and 4 to Garnish)
2 oz Ginger Beer (use Reeds)
Mint Sprig

Lightly muddle the Blueberries to release the juice, add Noval Black, Tito’s Vodka, Combier Triple Sec and Lime Juice, add ice, shake vigorously.

Double strain into a Highball or Collins glass and top with Ginger Beer.

Garnish with Blueberries and a Mint Sprig.

This one goes down easy but has a nice kick from the Ginger Beer!

By Fred Dexheimer M.S.

2.5 oz Noval BLACK

.5 oz Tattersall Aquavit

.5 oz Blackberry Clementine Syrup

.5 oz Lemon Juice

Combine all ingredients and shake well with ice, strain over fresh ice in a Collins glass and top with tonic.

By Laura Kelton

2 oz. Noval BLACK

1 oz. Laird’s Bonded Apple Brandy

.5 oz. Yellow Chartreuse

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with 3 black olives on a pick.

The spirits accentuate the cidery, earthy quality of Noval BLACK port and the black olives allude to the olive trees that surround the Quinta. The cocktail’s named after the New York City bus terminal you depart from to visit Laird’s.

By Jim Meehan, PDT, New York (poured by Jessica Everett of Bar Vale)

Heartland’s flagship wine is made from the finest selection of Shiraz from each vintage. Directors’ Cut is the most powerful expression of Langhorne Creek – this soft and generous vintage has allowed the wine to display all its beauty.

Directors’ Cut is Heartland’s most powerful expression of Langhorne Creek. The weight of fruit in this wine showcases how much Langhorne Creek Ben can fit into one bottle. An almost impenetrable core of fruit is seasoned with dark spice like licorice, nutmeg and anise.