Staff Picks February 2018

James Suckling 96 "Sexy, stylish and complex Bierzo with a wealth of dark graphite and stony aromas, pepper, baking spices and dark berries. Succulent palate with a deep and juicy core of pitch-perfect, ripe and spicy black cherries and blackberries. The tannins are immaculate. Long and regal.

Wine Advocate 92 "The 2016 Loureiro, the winery's Classico, is unoaked. It was bottled in early February 2017 and comes in at 11.5% alcohol. Another fine milestone in this winery's history, this tightly-wound Loureiro is precise, focused and penetrating, as always. Pungent and enlivening, this is

James Suckling 92-93 "This is very chewy and structured with lots of ripe tannins and rich fruit. Full and round. A new wine for me. Pure merlot. Check it out."  The 2015 Domaine Simon Blanchard Montagne-St.-Emilion Au Champ de la Fenêtre comes from just a 1.4-acre parcel of pure Merlot. It's

The color is clear gold with sparkling highlights. Nose: the bouquet has elegant hints of flowers, citron and exotic fruit. Palate: a good depth and balance, with persistent aromatic sensations.  Food pairing suitable for numerous matches, with soups, pasta with white sauces, medium ripe cheeses,

Wine Enthusiast 90"Dusty mineral complexities juxtapose luscious melon, peach and Mandarin orange flavors in this dry-style blend of Gewürztraminer and Riesling. Perfumed on the nose and silky on the palate, it's a widely appealing wine with a brisk, composed finish. Drink now through 2020."

" The blend: 40% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 10% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre, 10% Carignan, 5% Rolle, 5% Ugni Blanc. The result is a pale pink color with just a tinge of orange showing at the bottom of the glass; the color alone will bring a smile to your face. This is a very dry rose, strawberry and

“Drinking a Saint Nicolas is not about sniffing aromas. It's more about mouthfeel, vitality, finesse and elegance, as well as mineral tension and the Atlantic breeze you can feel in all of Thierry's wines. They are silky and elegant, and never overly concentrated or too rich.” ~ Stephen Reinhardt

Vinous 92-94 "Deep ruby. Potent scents of candied raspberry and cherry compote are complicated by sexy floral and oak spice flourishes. Seamless, round and appealingly sweet, offering intense red berry liqueur and lavender pastille flavors and hints of spicecake and white pepper on the back half.

Wine Advocate 90 "A red you want to buy by the case, one of those thirst wines is the 2015 Pour Ma Gueule. It is a complex blend from Cauquenes (Maule) and Itata, with some 50% Cinsault and one-third Cariñena, plus small amounts of Syrah, País and Malbec from old, dry-farmed vineyards. The grapes

Wine Spectator 96 WS Top 100 2017 Rank 3  "This shows the vivid, racy side of Barsac, with streaming flavors of pineapple, yellow apple, green plum and white ginger, displaying lovely energy from start to finish. Ends with enough honeysuckle and orange blossom notes to balance the richness. Best