Wines

From the importer: The Bronca Sisters' best vineyard is called Particella 68, as is their reserve wine obtained from that vineyard. The site is perhaps 500 yards from the edge of the Cartizze boundary, the most prized growing area in the Prosecco zone; the wine is made from Prosecco grapes with very small amounts of the other traditional indigenous varieties (Verdisio, Bianchetta, and Perera). In my opinion this wine compares very favorably with the best Cartizze in style and in quality, although it is less expensive.

The vinification is unusual for Prosecco; instead of two seperate fermentations, (grape juice to still wine, then still wine to sparkling wine), the Bronca Sister’s Prosecco grapes are pressed and the juice is held at very low temperatures until it is ready to be made into sparkling wine (done periodically throughout the year to maintain the freshest possible stock) upon which time the must is put into a special fermenter and fermented directly to sparkling wine. This more costly single fermentation process retains more of the classic pear aroma that makes Prosecco distinctive, and the excellent acidity of the site balances very well with the Extra Dry level of sweetness. No sugar is added, all of the sweetness comes from the must. 

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

97+ Points! The 2022 Château Soutard Cadet is an exceptional Saint-Emilion and, along with the 2019, the finest wine I’ve tasted from this exceptional terroir. Its deep purple hue is followed by a serious, powerful nose of liquid minerals, smoked cherries, truffle, and graphite. Full-bodied and massive on the palate, with gorgeous tannins and perfectly integrated structure, this is an incredibly impressive, layered 2022 that should be snatched up by readers. Aged for 16 months in 80% new oak barrels, it will evolve for 30+ years. Total production: 333 cases. - Jeb Dunnuck

92 Points! A fragrant red with notes of dried raspberries, strawberries, earth and dried flowers. Medium body with silky tannins and fresh acidity. Crunchy, with plenty of redcurrants in the finish. Not quite complex, but tasty, laid-back and easy to drink. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. - Eric Guido, Vinous

93 Points! This supple but structured wine is sourced from various parts of the valley, yet still has the gentle power of the Stags Leap District. Suave oak spices, rich dark fruit and a full body give a generous, broad feel that is nicely freshened by fine-grained tannins. Drink now or hold. - James Suckling

93 Points! A consistently good value, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Artemis is 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Malbec and Merlot. Its deep purple hue is followed by a gorgeous perfume of crème de cassis, spicy oak, and flowers. This carries to a medium to full-bodied, pure, balanced, silky 2021 that has the vintage's pure, focused, elegant style, good mid-palate depth, and a great finish. - Jeb Dunnuck

92 Points! The only one of these releases to contain purchased fruit, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Artemis draws from such diverse sources as Atlas Peak, Calistoga, Coombsville, Saint Helena and Wooden Valley. It's rather fresh and primary, with almost grapey notes, black cherries and cassis. In the mouth, it's full-bodied and plush, with a soft, velvety finish. A nice step up in quality over the 2020 version, it should drink well for up to a decade. - Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

91 Points! The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is a gorgeous, entry-level wine for the estate. Dark cherry, plum, mocha, licorice, spice and gravel are all pushed forward. This is an unusually forward wine although there is plenty of the typical savory/graphite notes that are so typical of this site. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

90 Points! The bold and oaky 2021 The Ball Buster ripples with fleshy sweet and inviting chocolate blackberry aromas. Coconut oak with generously ripened cherry jam flavors provide upfront impact before settling into a supple, crowd pleasing style punctuated by light tannins. - Angus Hughson, Vinous Media

91+ Points! Based on the same blend as the Brut Réserve with an addition of red wine, the NV Brut Prestige Rosé reveals a delicate, perfumed bouquet of strawberries, red berries, herbs, blood orange and guava. Medium to full-bodied, elegantly vinous and perfectly balanced, it has a pinpoint mousse and a long, ethereal finish. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

93 Points! The 2023 Chardonnay Cuvée Tan Fruit opens with saline and flint aromas that give way to quince, beeswax and chamomile. The light-bodied palate opens to more expansive, peachy flavors and honeyed accents. It has a luxurious, silky texture, vibrant acidity and a long, energetic finish. It will benefit from time in a decanter. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

97 Points! Very dynamic and complex, with nervy acidity and a sleek, textured profile. Steely and mineral-driven in a Chablis-like style, this offers crushed lemons, white peaches and cracked stones, with fresh acidity and a refined, linear structure. The finish is long, focused and full of energy. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

From 100+ year-old Grenache vines in Bas de La Crau...

97 Points! The 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvee Speciale is on another level, with a blockbuster perfume of ripe black cherries, melted licorice, jus de viande, lavender, and roasted garrigue. A rich, opulent style of Châteauneuf du Pape, it brings full-bodied richness while staying graceful, weightless, and flawlessly balanced, with ripe tannins and incredible length. This tour de force 2022 should be snatched up by savvy readers and enjoyed over the coming 15 years or so. - Jeb Dunnuck

90 Points! Aromatic nose with baked lemons, spiced apples, dried herbs, dried leaves and mild spices. Medium body with texture and volume on the mid-palate. Ripe lemons and a positive bitterness dominate in the finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink now. - James Suckling

92 Points! From the early-picked grapes from the single vineyards, Mittelbach’s 2019 Riesling Smaragd Bergdistel offers a pure, fresh, elegant and slightly flinty bouquet of white stone fruits and crushed stones. Round and almost creamy on the palate, this is a juicy, fleshy, textured and mild Riesling with a well-structured, stimulatingly grippy finish and very fine tannins. Good length. 13% alcohol. Tasted at the domain in June 2021. - Stephamn Reinhardt, robertparker.com

99 Points! One of the few 2022 Tuscan wines where you can really see that this will benefit from a few years in bottle, right now it is, hovering on the edge of something delicious, vibrating over the tannic architecture, feathered, campfire smoke, fennel, blackberry, liquorice and crushed peonies, and the bitter fennel and slate scrape, dense, contrast of textures and flavours like only truly great wines can do, a reflection of skilful construction. A gorgeous wine, slowly stretching out in the palate, 65% new oak for ageing.- Jane Anson

97 Points! Tasted a few months after it was bottled, the Ornellaia 2022 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia will be coming to market in March 2025. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot. The wine sees 18 months of aging with up to 70% new oak, but the trick, proprietor Lamberto Frescobaldi tells me, is drawing from a large group of coopers with different toast levels and forests. "I don't want to make a wine of any one tonnellerie," he says. The oak element is crucial to the identity of this wine that reveals dark fruit, blackberry, sweet spice and cinnamon. Most of the vines were planted in the 1980s, and the average age of the plants is over 20 years old. Fruit comes from many parcels, including Bellaria, Bellaria Nuova, Bellaria Alta, Pero, Fosso, Vigna Vecchia and Stallina. Indeed, some 80 wines are made before final blending. The 2022 vintage will be remembered for its full-bodied appeal, concentrated fruit and generous oak renderings. Petit Verdot plays a slightly larger role in this vintage and was one of the surprise hits of 2022. It serves to elongate the wine and adds to its length. The wine's abundant fruit weight cedes to elegantly integrated tannins. This vintage will appeal to die-hard Ornellaia enthusiasts. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

99 Points! One of the few 2022 Tuscan wines where you can really see that this will benefit from a few years in bottle, right now it is, hovering on the edge of something delicious, vibrating over the tannic architecture, feathered, campfire smoke, fennel, blackberry, liquorice and crushed peonies, and the bitter fennel and slate scrape, dense, contrast of textures and flavours like only truly great wines can do, a reflection of skilful construction. A gorgeous wine, slowly stretching out in the palate, 65% new oak for ageing.- Jane Anson

97 Points! Tasted a few months after it was bottled, the Ornellaia 2022 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia will be coming to market in March 2025. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot. The wine sees 18 months of aging with up to 70% new oak, but the trick, proprietor Lamberto Frescobaldi tells me, is drawing from a large group of coopers with different toast levels and forests. "I don't want to make a wine of any one tonnellerie," he says. The oak element is crucial to the identity of this wine that reveals dark fruit, blackberry, sweet spice and cinnamon. Most of the vines were planted in the 1980s, and the average age of the plants is over 20 years old. Fruit comes from many parcels, including Bellaria, Bellaria Nuova, Bellaria Alta, Pero, Fosso, Vigna Vecchia and Stallina. Indeed, some 80 wines are made before final blending. The 2022 vintage will be remembered for its full-bodied appeal, concentrated fruit and generous oak renderings. Petit Verdot plays a slightly larger role in this vintage and was one of the surprise hits of 2022. It serves to elongate the wine and adds to its length. The wine's abundant fruit weight cedes to elegantly integrated tannins. This vintage will appeal to die-hard Ornellaia enthusiasts. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

96 Points! This vintage shows a remarkable aromatic profile of Mediterranean herbs, cassis, black cherries, leather and earth with a kind of gamey depth. Full-bodied, it shows velvety, slightly sandy tannins with a firm structure, refreshing integrated acidity and a savory cedar finish. Drinkable now, but best in one or two years. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! The 2022 Le Difese is plump, juicy and expressive, all of which make it a fine choice for drinking now and over the next handful of years. Crushed flowers, succulent red cherry fruit, mint, spice and blood orange all race across the palate. This exuberant yet mid-weight coastal Tuscan red is a total pleasure bomb. The 2022 is an especially fine edition. It benefits from a warm year - which can be a positive for entry-level wines - earlier bottling and selection. Le Difese is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (both estate and non-estate sites) and Sangiovese, all purchased. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

92 Points! Le Difese 2022 is a blend of 55% Sangiovese and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, the former brought in from long-standing partners based in Chianti and Chianti Rufina – ‘In Bolgheri it's not easy to find Sangiovese,’ third-generation Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta explained. 2022 saw slightly lower production than 2021 due to a warm spring and a rainy autumn. Macerations were shorter than previous years, and the wine retains the same blend as last year as part of the estate's continuing plans to make Le Difese approachable almost immediately and give it its own Tuscan identity. Bright red and purple scents with a creamy backdrop and herbal touches lead to a soft and textured palate full of fresh, tangy cherry and dark hedgerow berries. Ripe, precise and sapid with a long, breezy, balsamic finish, Le Difese should be enjoyed over the next decade. - Decanter Magazine

97 Points! 70% Pinot Blanc, 25% Chardonnay, 5% Sauvignon Blanc A joyous sotto voce nose of spring meadow flowers sprinkled over the unbridled purity of ripe pineapple, Meyer lemon and green apple fruit. Saline elements infuse the structure and acidity and proceed towards the lengthy finish. - Decanter World Wine Awards

96 Points! Elegant and vibrant with white pepper and flinty minerality, lemon peel and white flowers. Full-bodied, it shows tension and crisp acidity combined with citrus flavors and a tight-knit structure full of savory notes. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

92+ Points! The 2019 Terroir Históric is charming, approachable, round, open and expressive, with good ripeness and 14% alcohol, a juicy palate with a soft mouthfeel and round tannins. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com