Wines

93-95 Points! The 2021 Sansonnet is once again a stand out. Blackberry jam, crème de cassis, chocolate, new leather, licorice and espresso give this large-scaled Saint-Émilion tons of depth. As always, Sansonnet is an extrovert, but in 2021 it benefits from a kick of acidity that balances things out nicely. It was impressive both times I tasted it. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

94 Points! Excellent freshness and depth here with ripe but very vibrant berries. Spices, cigar box, black chocolate and incense, too. Quite juicy and bright on the medium- to full-bodied palate. Tannins are fresh and polished. Long and expressive finish. There is a “modern” touch here that gives a sense of restrained plushness to the vibrancy. Better from 2024. - JamesSuckling.com

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

95 Points! A modern and dense St.-Emilion with rich, glossy fresh fruit. Plums, dark chocolate, fine spices and a hint of olives on the nose. Juicy, with some nicely tart berries and dusty tannins on the full-bodied palate. Concentrated and tight in the finish, but polished. Very well executed. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! A blend of 92% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Château Sansonnet is gorgeous stuff, offering cassis, crushed stone, graphite, and truffly aromatics. Beautifully pure and medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has integrated acidity, a fresh, focused style, and ripe tannins. Balanced and seamless, it shows the terroir’s freshness and precision while still bringing concentration and texture. Aged for 18 months in 70% new oak barrels, this should drink well for 20+ years. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! The 2022 Sansonnet is a full-throttle, opulent Saint-Emilion. Blackberry jam, mocha, gravel, incense, licorice and bittersweet chocolate are all dialed up. Sansonnet is always a potent wine. In 2022, everything is dialed up to the maximum. This is not a shy wine. That much is obvious. Tasted three times. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

97 Points! Fabulous nose of red fruits, summer flowers and licorice. The very complex interplay of huge fine tannins and richness reminds me of Grand Cru Burgundy, but this has a southerly personality. Great velvety finish that goes on and on. Doesn't want to stop. 80% grenache, 10% mourvedre and 10% cinsault. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drinkable now, but best from 2025. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! Great red fruit aromas, but also wet earth and tar. Rich, concentrated and very suave on the full-bodied palate, this Chateauneuf has extremely fine tannins and terrific balance. Extremely long, velvety finish with great spicy complexity. A vineyard on sandy soil planted mainly with grenache plus small amounts of mourvedre and counoise. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink from release. - JamesSuckling.com

94+ Points! Crafted from 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre and 10% Counoise, planted on safre soils in the commune of Courthézon, the 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Saintes Vierges exhales a delicate, refined bouquet of peony, rose, flowers, dark cherries and fresh thyme. Medium to full-bodied, elegant and tense with a textured, fine mid-palate, it possesses fresh, bright acids. This wine exudes a lot of vertical energy. It is best kept in the cellar for the next decade and will be enjoyable for the following 15–20 years. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

94 Points! The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Saintes Vierges is another beautiful wine. Ripe cherries, blueberries, rose petals, spice, and hints of spring flowers all emerge on the nose, and it shines on the palate for its beautiful elegance and purity. Medium to full-bodied, with ripe, polished tannins and notable freshness, it's going to evolve for 15 years with no issues. - Jeb Dunnuck

92 Points! Offers a seductive, refined nose of potpourri, currant and fresh plum notes. Finely grained tannins encase the smooth palate, firmly grounded with bolts of iron. Heady incense and perfume notes carry through the medium palate, tightly packed with mouthwatering acidity and smoke. - Wine Spectator

92 Points!  Floral notes redolent of iris and violet mingled with peony preface the 2023 Vacqueyras from Domaine Santa Duc, a moderately weighted, tense and straight wine with a lot of energy, a juicy texture and a long, ethereal, tangy and endless finish. With time in the cellar, this wine promises to develop greater complexity, revealing its full potential. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

Great Cabernet value from our neighbors in Baja California, Mexico!

Ciliegiolo (which means “cherry-like”) is used primarily as a blending grape in Chianti Classico for its aromatic character. In the volcanic hills of the Maremma in south-west Tuscany, it comes to the fore as a major independent varietal in the hands of Carla and Edoardo Ventimiglia. At their Sassotondo winery, they have been using biodynamic farming techniques since 2007 to develop the full potential of this unique varietal.

94 Points! Like the 2019 vintage also reviewed here, the Sassotondo 2017 Maremma Toscana Ciliegiolo San Lorenzo boasts dark color saturation and concentrated fruit, but in the case of this wine, you get softer, more open-knit tannins. Ciliegiolo can famously live up to the hot vintages, especially when the variety is planted in cooler volcanic soils like the kind found in this vineyard cru. The slightly evolved bouquet shows cherry liqueur, almond paste, blue flower and crushed stone. There is a lively, almost nervous quality of the fruit that keeps things edgy and fresh. The mid-weight finish is silky and long. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

From the winery: The fruit for this wine comes from two vineyard blocks located in the western slopes of Sonoma Valley, within the appellation's overlap with the Sonoma Coast AVA. The sites are distinguished by their extremely rocky soils - stones from which were used in the mid-1800's to construct the miles of stone walls that ribbon the region. The site's coastal influences and rocky, well drained soils produce moderate yields of very concentrated Zinfandel.

96+ Points! No wimpy wine, the 2006 Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard (76% Syrah, 18% Mourvedre, and 6% Grenache) has over 16% alcohol. It possesses phenomenal texture, stunning purity, and remarkable freshness, which, again, is attributable to the limestone soils as well as the proprietor’s brilliant hands-off winemaking philosophy. A complex perfume of roasted meats, black fruits, spring flowers, charcoal, and spice is followed by a wine of enormous richness (yet it is neither overweight nor heavy). Beautiful freshness permeates the wine’s black fruit flavors and full-bodied power and length. The finish lasts for nearly a minute. This 2006 should evolve for 12-15+ years. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com

From the importer: “Pipinot” is Lara and Mattia’s flagship wine, produced from four vineyards around Lauzacco of dolomitic limestone origin with soils varying in proportions of loamy clay, gravel, and sand. In homage to the traditional ramato style of vinification wherein Pinot Grigio’s notable pink skins contribute color and texture, the 2023 “Pipinot” macerated for 30 hours before fermenting via indigenous yeasts in the pied de cuve method, aging for eight months in a combination of equal parts stainless-steel tank and 20-hectoliter Slavonian oak botti before being bottled without filtration. Pouring a lovely light gold with glimmers of pink, this texturally layered wine offers notes of melon rind, white cherries, and licorice on a generous but focused frame, with notable but non-intrusive grip and persistence. Aside from the obvious linguistic connection to its constituent grape variety, “Pipinot” in Friulian dialect refers to a rambunctious child—perhaps one who has ambitious ideas about making big changes at the family winery (!)… The 2023 underwent partial malolactic fermentation and contains 13.68% natural alcohol.

Sourced from 2.2 hectares in different vineyards in Serralunga d’Alba, at altitudes of 370-400m. The oldest vines date back to 1965, while the youngest were planted in 2006.

97 Points! A dense, layered white with sliced apple, pear and crushed stone that follow through to a full body, yet it’s linear and fresh at the end. Very flinty and steely. Wonderful finish. It goes on for minutes. A new wine from here and a blend of chardonnay and a dash of friulano. Single vineyard and made in 25-hectoliter tanks. April 2022 release. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! Pear, lemon, lime and matchstick aromas. Plenty of sauvignon blanc character, but it’s not overdone. Full-bodied with a very dense palate and plenty of exotic fruit, but it’s tight and focused at the end. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

'Junior' Schiopetto? Yeah, kinda. Sourced from the younger vines on the property, this label is meant to be a bit easier access early on, a fabulous intro to the Schiopetto style...

91 Points! Plump, tangy and fresh, this offers a core of green apple, peach and meadow blossoms, with a squeeze of lemon. A deliciously drinkable Riesling, with great harmony, showing notes of herbs and chamomile. Finishes dry but not austere. Drink now through 2031. - Wine Spectator