Batar is one of the most unique and memorable white wines made in all of Italy.  Initially, the intent was to produce a Chardonnay that would compete with Batard-Montrachet on a quality level, but after only a few vintages, it was decided that blending equal parts Pinot Bianco with Chardonnay produced a wine that the owner, Giuseppe Castiglioni felt best expressed the terroir of Greve in Chianti and a wine that would define the pinnacle of Tuscan white wine production. 

The winery recommends cellaring Batar for a number of years before drinking, as they feel that it takes that time for the varietals to mesh and produce the unique flavours and aromas that define Batar.  

"The 2008 Batar is rather pointed and focused in this vintage, which also happens to be one of the most elegant I can remember. There is wonderful purity and energy in the ripe peach fruit with subtle undertones of flowers, minerals and French oak that add complexity. The oak seems dialed down in 2008 and what comes through is the exceptional beauty of fruit planted on these high-altitude hillside vineyards. Batar is 50% Pinot Blanc and 50% Chardonnay aged in French oak barrels, 50% new. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2018."

91 points, Robert Parker, October 31, 2010

Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Chardonnay 2008   [750ml/6case]   $62.95

Few wines can claim to be on display at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. but Chateau Montelena can.  It is on display to commemorate the 1976 Paris tasting, won by their 1973 Napa Valley Chardonnay.

Since then 1976, not much has changed in the way this wine is made.  This wine is still estate farmed and is made in the non-interventionist, non-malolactic style that produces what I call "American white Burgundy".    It has a proven track record for maturing for minimally 3-4 years and drinking well for another 4-5 after.  Few Chardonnays have the structure and acidity necessary for that length of maturity.  

"Captivating aromas of apple, pear, fresh herbs, dried spices and flowers. Quite dry and fresh-in fact, almost austere-with a lightly mineral, steely character to the flavours of apple, pear, citrus peel and dried herbs. Boasts very good density of texture and flavour intensity. Hold this for at least a few years before pulling the cork."

90 points, International Wine Cellar, May/June 2010

Gaston Chiquet's wines  are wines of terroir, wines of chalk and fruit.  They are chiseled, articulate and very expressive.  Terry Thiese calls them "precise, careful and thorough" and "anti-varietal", meaning regardless how fantastic Chardonnay grown in Aÿ  is, the wine speaks of Aÿ's soils, not the grape.   

This 2000 is drinking very well now and offers a great opportunity to enjoy some mature Champagne at a very reasonable price, in fact only $1.80 more than the mass-produced, generic Veuve Clicquot "Yellow Label" NV Brut that crowds wine store shelves around the globe.   

"The 2000 Brut Special Club is another beautiful wine from Chiquet. In this vintage, the Special Club is 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir, both from Ay. Warm, radiant fruit caresses the palate from start to finish. The aromatics are a touch forward, which leads me to believe the Special Club won't be terribly long-lived, but there is enough freshness for this to drink very nicely for a number of years.  Anticipated maturity: 2010-2018."

93 points, Robert Parker, December 2010

I've recently had the pleasure to drink this bottle and let me tell you, it is truly something special.  The nose is extremely complex, beyond words for me, and the finish literally vapourizes off the back of your palate.  I've never felt anything like it.

I've included here Robert Parker's review, which is wonderful, but below that is possibly the best tasting note I've ever read and the most accurate one as well, from one of my favourite writers, Terry Thiese.   

"The 2001 Brut Premier Cru Coeur de Cuvee is another pristine, brilliant wine, here made all the more remarkable by the challenging vintage. This is a decidedly rich, structured style for Vilmart, with tons of fruit, phenomenal length and an exceptional, textured finish. Today, the 2001 Coeur de Cuvee is a touch inward, but another year or two in bottle should help the wine come to together. It is yet another superb Champagne from Vilmart and proprietor Laurent Champs."

95 points, Robert Parker, December 2010

"It is miraculously bouyant and soaring, but the legs stretch, the tendons expand in slippery energy, but the feet never leave the ground.
It starts off smelling like new shoes and caramel.  But man the palate is literally unbelievable, it has to be the best wine in Champagne in 2001.  It isn't large, and the finish is more a whisper than a song, but this chrome-brilliant, silvery mid-palate just sizzles in an unfathomable fluorescent buzz, washing into a kind of molten coldness, and with a second sip even the finish swells into a minty grip that actually rises vapourously into the soft palate.  You need to borrow another guy's brain to help you grasp the deep-orange neon silver miasma of this baby."

3/3 stars, Terry Thiese 2010

Fontodi "Vigna del Sorbo" 2007  [750ml/6case]   $71.95

Fontodi's Flaccianello is easily recognized now as one of the world's best wines, after being named in Wine Spectator 's Top 10 in 2004 (#10), 2009 (#8) and 2010 (#8).

Now I think it's time for the Vigna del Sorbo to get its due.  This single vineyard wine sets the bar on how good "Chianti Classico Riserva" can get.  It is released after the Flaccianello as it is denser and more structured than it's famous sibling.    

This wine has  been awarded the following press by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate; in 2003 - 93 points; 2004 - 95 points; 2006 - 95 points;  and 2007 - 95 points.  It was not made in 2005 as the quality was not high enough to bottle separately, so the fruit benefited the regular Chianti Classico.  

"The 2007 Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo is a wine that expresses a contemporary vision of what Chianti Classico can be but without ever fully abandoning its roots. The single-vineyard Vigna del Sorbo adds 10% Cabernet Sauvignon to the Sangiovese. Texturally it is classic Sangiovese with the fine, sweet tannins that are the hallmark of the vintage, while the Cabernet adds a sepia-hued dimension to the fruit and an element of greater richness in the body, but without dominating the aromatic or flavour profile. The radiant warmth of Panzano doesn't hurt either, as the fruit is gloriously ripe and soft in this vintage. Everything is beautifully in balance, including the oak, which is barely perceptible. Today the Vigna del Sorbo is very young. It should start to be expressive around age ten and continue to drink beautifully for another decade-plus. Vigna del Sorbo remains a benchmark for the heights the international style of Chianti Classico can reach. This is another fabulous effort from proprietor Giovanni Manetti. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2032."

95 points, Robert Parker, October 2010

Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco DOCG 2006   

[750ml/6case]   $50.95

Prior to 1894, Nebbiolo grapes grown near Barbaresco were sold to make Barolo wine or simply labeled "Nebbiolo di Barbaresco". But in 1894, Domizio Cavazza, headmaster of the Royal Enological School of Alba and a Barbaresco resident, created the first co-operative, the "Cantine Sociali", by gathering together nine Barbaresco vineyard owners to make wine in the local castle that he owned and in doing so, made the first labeled Barbaresco. 

The "Cantine Sociali" was forced to close in the 1920's because of fascist economic rule, but in 1958, the priest of the village of Barbaresco, recognizing that the only way the small properties could survive was by joining their efforts, gathered together nineteen small growers and founded the Produttori del Barbaresco. The first three vintages were made in the church basement, and then in the winery built across the square from where the Produttori is still located.  

In January 2010, Antonio Galloni, Robert Parker's critic in Italy wrote, "The Produttori have long made delicious, ageworthy Barbarescos, but in the last few years the overall level of quality and consistency has gone up several notches. Best of all, prices have remained exceedingly fair."

"The 2006 Barbaresco is a gorgeous, generous Barbaresco loaded with ripe dark fruit. This is an especially harmonious, refined Barbaresco from the Produttori that is also somewhat unusual for its dark, brooding personality. Licorice, leather and tar linger on the powerful finish. Today the wine is remarkable for its depth and concentration, while the aromatic complexity will develop in bottle. If the regular Barbaresco holds this much power, I can only wonder what the Riservas might have in store. Simply put, this is a marvelous effort.  Anticipated maturity: 2011-2031."

92 points, Robert Parker, October 2009

Patrick Jasmin Côte Rôtie 2007   [750ml/6case]   $72.95

Jasmin's Côte Rôtie is a wine for Burgundy lovers.   Unlike Guigal's famed "La La" Côte Rôties which see liberal aging in new oak barrels, Jasmin's wines are aged in second and third year Burgundy barrels, which impart little flavour and help to micro-oxygenate and "round out" the wine.  It is a silky wine, finessed rather than weighty, with pronounced aromas that only get more complex with age.  

"Bright red. Smoky red berry and cherry scents are complicated by notes of potpourri, minerals, tobacco and cracked pepper. Racy on entry, then gains sweetness in the middle palate to go with its precise raspberry and bitter cherry flavours and note of violet pastille. Lively and focused wine with good finishing lift and mineral-driven persistence."

90 points, International Wine Cellar, Jan/Feb 2010

Caymus "Special Selection" Cabernet Sauvignon 2008  [750ml/6case]  $129.95

Caymus "Special Selection" holds a special place in the history of California wine; it is the only wine to have been awarded Wine Spectator's "Wine of the Year' twice,  once in 1989 and again in 1994; and it is one of the highest score averages of any Cabernet made in Napa Valley averaging 94 points from Wine Spectator over the last decade.

"Beautifully crafted, rich, intense and powerful, yet supple, graceful and polished, offering a generous core of spicy blackberry, black licorice, wild berry and light cedary notes. Full-bodied and expressive, this is both approachable now and sure to improve for several years. Drink now through 2020. 15,618 cases made"

94 points, Wine Spectator, web only 2011

Chateau Montelena "The Montelena Estate"  

Cabernet Sauvignon 2006  [750ml/6case]  $119.95

Chateau Montelena's Estate Cabernet is one of Napa's most "traditionally" styled and long-lived Cabernets.  The source of the fruit is Montelena's estate vineyard in  Calistoga.   

A mix of volcanic, alluvial and loamy soils provides a broad palate of Cabernet from which to blend a balanced, restrained, and graceful wine.  Wine Advocate 's review of this vintage awarded it 91+ points and recommends giving it 4-5 years to come together and drinking it over the next 2o or more years.

"Bright ruby-red. Blackberry, cassis and boysenberry aromas complemented by licorice, violet, menthol and bitter chocolate. Juicy, intensely flavoured and quite fresh but a bit youthfully disjointed, with a firm tannin/acid spine supporting the crushed dark berry and menthol flavours. The wine's substantial tannins will need time to knit, but this wine retains good aromatic freshness."

92 points, International Wine Cellar, May/June 2009

Duckhorn "Monitor Ledge" Cabernet Sauvignon 2006  [750ml/6case]  $99.95   (only 5 bottles available) 

Duckhorn bottles a number of top single-vineyards for their Cabernet Program including Monitor Ledge, Three Palms, Patzimaro and Rector Creek.  We rarely have the chance to distribute these wines, as they make very small volumes, in fact, only 775 cases of this Monitor Ledge were produced.   

The aroma is dominated by raspberry, red currant and cranberry, along with underlying spiced notes of cardamom, nutmeg and orange peel. In turn, the palate is lively and lifted with integrated acidity, flavours of strawberry, red currant, boysenberry, coconut and crème fraîche and soft tannins that lead to a fine-grained finish.

"If arguably a slightly smaller scaled wine than its more opulent mates, this bottling still shows fine fruity depth as well as the polish that seems a Duckhorn signature in 2006. It takes a somewhat more mannerly and elegant tack yet has a fine sense of muscle as well, and, while never a powerful wine, it hangs on and on at the finish. Tag it for drinking in three or four years, but know that its balance and depth will ensure a good ten years of life."

90 points, Connoisseur's Guide to California Wines, August 2010

Peay "Scallop Shelf" Pinot Noir 2008  [750ml/6case]   $79.95

Peay is one of the most exciting small producers in northern California.  Founded in only 1996, they have been named a Wine & Spirits "Winery of the Year" in 2008 and 2009 (with a 2-page feature) and been named the 2009 San Francisco Chronicle Winery of the Year - an award that I feel holds a lot of clout, since the San Fran Chronicle is the "insider's" source for all things new and exciting in California wine.

Given the track record for the Peay wines thus far, their location in the far Sonoma coast where the best Pinot and Chardonnays are being grown, their tiny production volumes and the ever increasing exposure by critics, I think Peay is positioned to soon be recognized a true collectable, "cult" producer.

"Deep red. Expansive bouquet of red and dark berry liqueur, Asian spices, dried violet and minerals. Lush, seductively sweet black raspberry and cherry flavours stain the palate, picking up peppery spice and smoky mineral qualities with aeration. The gripping finish strongly echoes the cherry note and clings tenaciously. Shows surprising vivacity and clarity for its power; this is really promising."

93 (+?) points, International Wine Cellar, May/June 2010

Shafer "Relentless" 2007  [750ml/12case]   $91.95

The Shafer "Relentless" 2007 is an absolute skyscraper of a wine.  An 80/20 blend of Syrah and Petite Sirah, this wine is actually positioned slightly higher in Shafer's portfolio than the "One Point Five" Cabernet.  It is a tribute and a testament to the relentless work that winemaker Elias Fernandez has put into the Shafer winery and wine program.  We receive only 30 cases per year, a great step forward from the 2 cases we started off with in 2002!

Since the 1999 vintage, this wine has averaged 93.4 points from Wine Advocate.  This 2007 has received 95 points and the following Parker review,  "The 2007 Relentless exhibits a dense purple colour as well as notes of grilled herbs, tar, blackberries, cassis, pepper and jus de viande. This full-bodied powerhouse should last at least 15-20 years."  The 2008, to be released in 2011 has already been awarded 95 points by Robert Parker and the 2009 won 93-95 points as a barrel sample.

Compared to Guigal's 2006 "La-La" Cote-Roties (the only vintage available through LCBO), 'Parker points' were very comparable hovering around the 95 point mark, but those wines all retail for $315 per bottle.  For that price you could buy 3 bottles of La-La wines or 10 bottles of Relentless.

"It is no exaggeration to say that the 2007 version may be the best Relentless to date, but even if not, it is a deep and formidable wine by any standard.  Its inky appearance correctly implies a wine of great weight and extract, but, what separates this bottling from its equally well-filled predecessors is its terrific sense of structure and balance.  It is tough to be sure, but it never lets go of its plentiful, peppery, blackberry fruit, and it will not come close to showing its best until at least another decade has passed."

96 points, Connoisseur's Guide to California Wines, March 2011