Only grower-producers who belong to the "Club Trésors de Champagne" can produce a "Special Club" bottling, which is submitted to and critiqued by other members of the club to determine if the quality is of sufficiently high standards to bear the "Special Club" seal.  Production is tiny and each Champagne is very unique. 

"The fragrance is pure Pinot Noir; blueberry and grape-hyacinth; a chewy, vinous being, huckleberry; density and solidity, a highly specific, wine-like Champagne, as far from the commercial as you can imagine."

Terry Thiese, catalogue 2011

The synergy of these grapes produces a bright and fruit forward wine, with lovely honeydew melon, pineapple and buttery notes, backed by fine minerality. The finish is quite long, with a lingering tangy, citrus note.  

 "The 2007 Barolo Castiglione deftly balances the open, radiant personality of the vintage with considerable underlying structure. Warm, dense and full-bodied, the 2007 Barolo Castiglione flows effortlessly across the palate with generous fruit and fabulous overall balance. The wine was even better when I tasted it from bottle a few months later. It is another overachieving wine from Vietti and a bottle that is exceedingly fairly priced. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2027."
93 points, Wine Advocate, February 2011 

"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, Wine Advocate, October 2009  

"Medium red.  High-pitched aromas of raspberry, blood orange, minerals, mocha and cocoa powder:  I was reminded of Burgundy.  Wonderfully tight and perfumed in the mouth, with superb youthful definition to the raspberry and floral flavours.  Perfumed and light on its feet.  Finishes sharply delineated, firmly tannic and impressively long.  With three full days in the recorked bottle, this wine became denser and more minerallly, offering a leathery hint and terrific sexy breadth."
94 points, International Wine Cellar, July/August 2011

"Amazing aromas of freshly picked flowers and black cherries. Full to medium bodied, with medium tannins and a fruity finish. Coffee and cigar box undertones. More forward and ready to drink than some. Why wait?"

92 points, JamesSuckling.com 

While the 2009s hit the market, we were lucky to secure another parcel of the 2007, which was also a lovely vintage for a wine best enjoyed after a few years of cellaring.  Jasmin's wines are particularly feminine and elegant compared to the more masculine wines from the Côtes-Brune et -Blonde. 

"I drank this last week in Montreal at the private restaurant 357; some people say it's the best restaurant in city. I had it with tempura soft-shell crabs. Fun combination. It showed subtle aromas of dried meat and game with dried raspberries. It was tight at first, but it opened beautifully. Full and velvety with a berry finish. Bright acidity at the finish. Better in 2015."

93 points, JamesSuckling.com, May 19, 2011  

"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, January/February 2010 

Domaine Brusset was established in 1947, 24 years before the Gigondas AC was even in existence.  Below the jagged outcropping of rock called Les Dentelles, Les Hauts is farmed on terraced slopes, much like in the Douro.  The abundant sunshine in the southern Rhône and poor soils produce thick skinned, richly flavoured grapes and a hands-off traditional approach to winemaking guides the grapes to bottle.

Consistently one of the finest Gigondas wines made, Les Hauts de Montmirail is a dark and complex wine that pushes quality to the the upper-limits of the appellation.  If you are a Châteauneuf-du-Pape enthusiast, then you'll love this wine.

"The luxury cuvee, which can often age for 15 years or longer, is the Gigondas Les Hauts de Montmirail. The 2009 is composed of 50% Grenache, 25% Syrah and 25% Mourvedre. The Grenache is aged in tank and the Syrah and Mourvedre are kept in small barrels, of which one-fifth are new. This is a large-scaled, full-bodied, big, dense wine with an inky/purple colour as well as notes of graphite, blackberries, blueberries, charcoal and incense, and beautifully integrated tannins, acidity and alcohol. One of the superstars of the appellation in 2009, it should evolve for 10-15 years."
91-93 points, Wine Advocate, October 2010 

"Vivid ruby.  Sexy aromas of pungent cherry, spicecake and fresh rose, with an almost liqueur-like suggestion of raspberry compote.  Suave, silky and densely packed, with intense minerality giving the primary but complex red fruit and floral flavours terrific definition and cut.  Impressively balanced pinot with the spine to age slowly and gracefully.  The endless finish features harmonious tannins that are broad and very fine."
94 points, International Wine Cellar, May/June 2011

 

What a vintage and what a wine!  Sean Capiaux has coaxed from the tiny grapes he grows on Mt. Veeder an absolute beauty!  We've only worked with O'Shaughnessy for a little under a year, but we have been floored by the quality coming out of this tiny boutique property near Angwin. 

"A staggering wine of exceptional concentration, flavour dimension, and texture, the opaque blue/purple-tinged 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder boasts copious notes of smoked meats, subtle barbecue smoke, creme de cassis, charcoal, licorice, and background mountain flora. With terrific intensity as well as full-bodied power, this is a brilliant Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon to drink over the next 25-30 years."
96 points, Wine Advocate, December 2009 

"The 2008 Lytton Springs Proprietary Red, a blend of 74% Zinfandel, 21% Petite Sirah, and 5% Carignane, possesses a deep ruby/purple colour and good acidity, and a more closed style than the Geyserville, with a firmer, more restrained overall personality. It should drink well for 7-8 years."

91-93 points, Wine Advocate,  February 2010

"Saturated ruby.  Dark berries, cherry, sassafras and smoky Indian spices on the nose, with an intense vanilla quality and a hint of dried violet.  Opulent, palate-coating blackberry and mulberry flavours show a spicy, oaky quality, with gentle acidity providing lift.  Dusty tannins add grip to the vanilla-tinged finish, which clings impressively.  I have no doubt that this wine will absorb its oak with a few years or so of bottle age."

92 points, International Wine Cellar,  May/June 2011