Legend has it that the name Recougne came in “recognition” of the quality of its wines by King Henri IV in the early 17th century, and while wine has been made on the site for 400 years, the estate is perhaps more relevant today than ever. As Bordeaux recalibrates towards producing wines of freshness and balance, Recougne stands as an example of a pure, fresh style that has remained steadfast for over half a century. The wines have concentration and energy, with pure red and black fruits and a complex earthiness. Amazingly, examples of Recougne from the 1950s and 1960s are still drinking gorgeously

Today the wines are made by one of the young stars of the right bank, the fourth generation of his family to make wine at Recougne, Marc Milhade. Marc’s philosophy and energy are guided towards more work in the vineyard, and less intervention (in this case, continuing less intervention) in the cellar.

Château Tour Bayard is a recent addition to the Milhade portfolio, coming into the family through marriage. This 25 acre property in the St.-Émilion Satellite Montagne-St.-Émilion has been run by the Richard family since 1956, and is now regarded as one of the top estates in the appellation.

Purchased in 1996, the Milhade family have invested enormously in the vineyards and facilities at Boutisse and, above all, with their energy. Today Boutisse is no longer a surprise – dynamic young winemaker Marc Milhade has transformed this estate into an outstanding Saint-Emilion, with ripe, structured and engaging character.

Huge investments have been made into the vineyards since 1996, with several parcels of vines being completely replanted. When the soil was ripped and prepared for planting, large chunks of the recherché limestone were visible under the chalky clay topsoil. The vineyards enjoy an excellent southern exposure.

The world of rosé has expanded at extraordinary speed in recent years. That development is wonderful, as it has brought wine to the porch, the pool and the table in ways never before seen in the United States. And it’s great for rosé to be direct and refreshing, that’s a wonderful quality. We do believe a quality line needs to be drawn, however, and this rosato is a great demarcation. It is a fresh, completely delightful, and extremely affordable wine; but it is also a product with a historical context and culture, with a grape – Montepulciano d’Abruzzo – that is perfectly adapted to the climate and soils to create quality rosé.  Abruzzo is one of the few regions in Italy to have an appellation entirely dedicated to rosé, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, with examples that can last many years. This rosato is simpler, but has substance below the surface.

Just as Masciarelli made a name for Abruzzo’s Montepulciano grape, they also elevated the quality and reputation of the Trebbiano grape. The particular Trebbiano in Abruzzo is a relative of the grape planted in many other areas of Italy, but in the climate and soils of Abruzzo when farmed for quality it produces a wine with fantastically expressive fruit and a gorgeous balance of round concentration and mineral freshness.

Perhaps the finest rosé production area in Italy, and one of the few appellations dedicated only to rosé, Cerasuolo has a long history of producing serious rosé, and showcasing how well the Montepulciano grape is adapted to rosé. Masciarelli first produced this wine in 1986, only 5 years after the winery was founded. With deep fruit and structure but no shortage of pleasure, it is a rosé you can take to the dinner table.

Villa Gemma is the wine that announced Abruzzo to the world, showcasing what the region and grapes of Abruzzo could produce. Villa Gemma Montepulciano Riserva is the only Italian wine with 14 consecutive Tre Bicchieri awards and, more importantly, was the wine that established Abruzzo as capable of making truly distinct, extraordinary wines. Villa Gemma Montepulciano Riserva is a powerfully – almost undeniably – intense wine of character and complexity.

Givry is one of the smallest but most famous of the 5 villages in the heart of the Côte Chalonnaise, in the southern part of Burgundy. Whole bunch maceration really helps this wine to deliver. It brings structure, matter and a touch of spiciness and freshness.

James Healy and Ivan Sutherland will tell you that it’s hard for them to grow much Chardonnay at the extremely high quality level they want for this wine. As with their Section 94 and Pinot Noir, the wine is distinctive due to extraordinary vineyard holdings, intense vineyard management geared towards low yields and hand-picked fruit, and long, low touch winemaking. The effect this work has on the Chardonnay, by nature the least expressive of these three grape varieties, is wild – the wine is intensely expressive, with loads of fruit, leesy character, and chalky minerality that is almost textural. As with all the wines they produce, it is considered a national standard bearer of a different shade.

Dog Point’s Pinot Noir is a head-turner because of the immense reputation they have as a Sauvignon Blanc producer. Their Pinot is not just good – it’s one of the very best in New Zealand, and truly world class. The intensive vineyard work they carry out to produce distinctive Sauvignon Blanc results in fantastically complex Pinot fruit when carried out in clay hillsides of Marlborough. And, in turn, their use of wild yeasts and long aging gives the wine a generosity and integration that provide both easy and intellectual pleasure.

Masciarelli is such an extraordinary story because, as few producers have managed to do, they have succeeded at the very top in creating a global icon, while also creating something special for the everyday consumer, a wine so much better than it needs to be, an ambassador for the region.  This wine for so many people is their introduction to the Montepulciano grape and the Abruzzo region, and the quality and care shown in producing this 100% estate but widely available wine result in an enormously positive impression.

The Trebbiano Riserva Marina Cvetic represents the ultimate expression for the estate of one of the historical vines of Abruzzo.  Like Montepulciano, Trebbiano was once thought to be a workhorse grape without the potential to produce great wine. The interpretation of this wine is original and has a character. Marina Cvetic wines have full body and are elegant and are a “lone voice” for the most demanding and technical experts.

N° 14 is the third opus from the “COLLECTION AYALA,” a set of cuvees produced in limited quantities, unveiled only as they approach their peak level of drinkability. This ephemeral cuvee is 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir — including Grand Cru Aÿ red wine.

Thanks to its extended ageing in the cellar and a low dosage of 5.3 grams/liter, N° 14 expertise, the ephemeral cuvée N°14 is composed of the five emblematic Grands Crus that form the backbone of the House’s blends. Caroline Latrive wanted to work the crus in equal proportions, exclusively from the 2014 vintage and for the first time in a rosé version.

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. 

The word “Nacional” refers to the fact that the vines are Portuguese vines growing in Portuguese soil with no foreign root stock and are therefore “attached to the soil of the Nation.” When Noval’s vineyards were devastated by phylloxera in the late 19th century, the owner decided to replant a tiny parcel of the vineyard with ungrafted vines. These 6 acres of Nacional vines lie in an area indistinguishable from and surrounded by the other Noval vines.

Studied thoroughly by agronomists and scientists, the survival of the tiny parcel of legendary ungrafted vines is a mystery and the National is a unique and extraordinary phenomenon that does not necessarily follow the same rhythm as the rest of the Quinta do Noval. In some years a great Nacional is produced when Noval does not even declare the Quinta do Noval Vintage. In others, Quinta do Noval makes a great Vintage Port but the Nacional does not perform. 

Tasting a bottle from the minute production of Nacional is every port lover’s fantasy and Nacional is every port lover’s fantasy and this great wine is a source of pride to the people of Portugal and at its best the finest expression of the extraordinary terroir of Quinta do Noval.

Up close, it becomes apparent that the Nacional vines are slightly less vigorous, with smaller trunks and less foliage, and with leaves that are slightly less vibrant green. The berries are smaller, giving a higher ratio of skin to juice. The grapes are picked in one day and trodden in only the smallest lagares but otherwise are treated with the same meticulous care as the other Quinta do Noval wines.

“This wine is a mysterious phenomenon, a magical wine produced in extremely limited quantities and only in a few years each decade. It is the expression of a terroir and confirms something that is for me a deeply held belief. The Nacional is great because of the grapes and where they come from, not because of anything particular that we do. It has a unique personality, an extraordinary intensity and, even after many years of ageing, retains an astonishing youthfulness.” Christian Seely

Bòggina “A” is made in amphora as a historical testament to Tuscany; terracotta has always played a key role in the region, and since the early Etruscan period, the art of creating and using vases of terracotta has evolved over the centuries in the small village of Impruneta near the Petrolo estate. The Etruscan connection to the Petrolo estate runs deep, as the Petrolo hill was an Etruscan settlement and fortification.

The Guigal family lives and works just 45 minutes north of Saint-Joseph, but it was circumstance in 1999 that brought them to several extraordinary sites in Saint-Joseph they eventually purchased. They are not only converts, but among the most vocal advocates about the extraordinary depth and complexity that wines from the great sites of Saint-Joseph can display. The wines can share some of the same smoldering black fruit and spice character as their neighbors across the river in Hermitage, but they are less brooding, more composed when young, and in general wines of finesse rather than power.

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.

Intense and concentrated, with fine tannic structure, Touriga Nacional is distinguished by its delicacy, a characteristic of the Quinta do Noval style. It is the product of a strict selection from the best lots produced by the Quinta in any given year.