International Wine Cellar

International Wine Cellar 91"Deep, bright violet. Blackberry, cherry-vanilla and licorice on the oak-spiced nose. Deep, sweet and pliant, but with very good juicy character and spicy lift to its dark fruit preserve and licorice flavors. Finishes velvety and long, with fine-grained tannins, a

International Wine Cellar 92"Good dark ruby. Aromas of dark cherry, blueberry, milk chocolate and pepper are lifted by an intense violet note. Pliant, concentrated and sweet, with luscious red fruit and dark berry flavors. Finishes with strong but well integrated tannins and good acid lift. A

Wine Advocate 92"The 2010 Monastrell comes from 40-year-old vines cropped at 2.5 tons per hectare and aged for 12 months in French oak barrels. It has a clean fresh nose of bilberry and blackberry that is well defined and elegant for a 15% alcohol wine. The palate is medium-bodied with an

International Wine Cellar 91"The 2011 Tres Picos is an Explosive, flamboyant bouquet that exudes blackberry, cherry cola, violet, lavender and cracked pepper, plus a bonus of smokiness that is intense and impressively persistent on the finish."~ST

Rhone Report 91-93+"One of the top barrel samples, the 2011 Pierre Amadieu Vacqueyras La Grangeliére checks in as a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah that is aged 60% in tank, and 40% in 2-year-old barrels. Ripe, textured, and gorgeously rich, it offers up notions of bing cherry, licorice,

International Wine Cellar 91" Vivid ruby-red. Suave oak spices accent cherry and black raspberry on the perfumed nose. Creamy, sweet and silky, with sappy cherry preserve and dark berry flavors joined by persistent cinnamon and mocha notes on the finish. This is delicious right now. " ~ ST

Robert Parker 93"Benjamin Romeo has garnered a few perfect scores from The Wine Advocate in the past. His least expensive offering, the brilliant 2009 Predicador is a blend of 96% Tempranillo, 3% Garnacha and 1% Viura aged 16 months in one-year-old French barrels. It exhibits an opaque purple

International Wine Cellar 90"Pale straw. Focused, highly perfumed aromas of lime, grapefruit and minerals, plus a touch of white pepper. Racy, sharply delineated and pure, offering tangy, spice-accented citrus and green apple flavors and a note of bitter orange pith. The finish is nervy,

Wine Advocate 92"The 2010 Tempestad Godello (100%) was fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel and aged sur lie for 3 months prior to bottling. It offers up an inviting bouquet of quince, melon, mineral, and floral notes. Rich, concentrated, and mouth-filling, it is likely to evolve for

International Wine Cellar 93-96"Good bright red. Noble, airy aromas of piquant pomegranate, smoky minerality, white pepper and leather. Densely packed and folded in on itself; like a black hole in the mouth. Great verve and energy to the saline and crushed stone flavors. Uncoils slowly with

International Wine Cellar 91"Deep ruby. Intense aromas of cherry-cola, woodsmoke and dried flowers, accented by peppery spice. Juicy and focused, with very good clarity to its bitter cherry and blackcurrant flavors. Shows impressive vivacity on the finish, which clings with serious spicy

International Wine Cellar 96"Good full red with a palish rim. Pure, superripe aromas of red cherry, violet, iodine and nutmeg. Superrich, highly concentrated and seamless, with densely packed flavors of raspberry, dark plum and marzipan. Finishes creamy-rich and explosively long, with a pretty

Robert Parker 95 "A candidate for wine of the vintage, the 2009 Châteauneuf-du-Pape (a tank-aged blend of 90% Grenache and the rest Mourvedre, Syrah and Cinsault from 80+ year old vines) is a naked expression of Châteauneuf-du-Pape that is pure fruit and complexity. Its dense purple color is

International Wine Cellar 92"From four different vineyards, each picked at four different times: Good ruby-red. Laid-back aromas of blackberry, musky coffee and licorice, with a violet note emerging with air. Superconcentrated and sweet, but with firm balancing acidity and a mineral pungency

Wine Advocate 94"The 2009 Ampeleia is the most striking wine I have ever tasted from Ampeleia. A blast of rich, dark fruit hits the palate, followed by exotic espresso, sage and sweet spices. There is a wild, unrestrained quality to the 2009 that separates it from most wines being made on the

Wine Advocate 93"The 2005 Altos Las Pizarras takes things to a still higher level. A selection of the best lots was put into 100% new French oak to complete malolactic where it remained until recent bottling. Toasty oak, black fruits and espresso roast aromas are followed by a full-bodied wine

Robert Parker 92"The 2010 Romanico (100% Tinta de Toro aged in 100% new French oak for six months) exhibits a sensational bouquet of licorice, unsmoked cigar tobacco, blackberries and cassis. Full-bodied, smoky, rich, complex, big and dense without being heavy or awkward, this beauty will drink

Rhone Report 93+"A brilliant, serious wine, the 2009 Domaine La Milliere Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes is a blend of 60% very old vine Grenache (planted in 1891 and 1920), with the balance an even split of Mourvedre, Syrah, Cinsault, and Counoise. Aged in both older barrels and foudre, it

Wine Advocate 91"The 2005 Ardiles is composed of 45% Garnacha, 34% Carinena, 18% Syrah, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark ruby-colored, it reveals an alluring bouquet of slate, mineral, cherry, and blueberry. Seamless on the palate, this is a forward Priorat for drinking over the next 8-10 years. It

International Wine Cellar 88"Orange-pink. Spice-accented aromas of redcurrant and cherry, with a hint of anise in the background. At once fleshy and nicely focused, offering sappy red fruit flavors and an enlivening touch of orange zest. Finishes firm and dry, with good grip and lingering

Wine Spectator 93"A rich red, showing fine cut and an overall sense of finesse. This displays a smoky, mineral-tinged undertow, adding density through layered flavors of wild strawberry, black currant, fragrant tobacco, bresaola and ground spice. Fresh finish. Teroldego. Drink now through 2023."

Wine Spectator 91" Broad, supple, ripe and expressive, with a dense texture, this red is deep in flavor, roiling with black currant, mint and licorice flavors. Finishes with intensity. Drink now through 2020." ~ H.SWine Advocate 90+" Deep garnet-purple, the 2010 Avalon Tree Cabernet

International Wine Cellar 90Glass-staining ruby. Aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, smoky minerals and white pepper, with a suggestion of candied rose. Supple on entry, then firmer in the mid-palate, with vibrant flavors of black and blue fruits and floral pastilles. Finishes with powerful blue

International Wine Cellar 91"Light orange-pink. Sexy, mineral-accented aromas and flavors of redcurrant, strawberry, rhubarb and white flowers, with a hint of anise. This dry, precise wine finishes with excellent clarity and cut."~JR"...though I've only tasted it once: the Clos Ste. Magdeleine

International Wine Cellar 92-95"Good full red. Pungent aromas of raspberry, crushed stone and white pepper. Enters with intense raspberry and spices, then turns firm and floral in the middle, showing superb energy and sappiness to the primary red fruit and mineral flavors. With its saline