Now we have Sparkling ,White and Red. What a fun!
The Deutz 2013 Amour de Deutz Rosé is certainly among the best rosé Champagnes; it is composed of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir. The wine displays blossom notes and hints of strawberry; it has a medium body and lively effervescence, and is creamy, long, spicy, dense, highly mineral, and elegant. Still somewhat young, the wine shows great potential and would benefit from further bottle aging. 18.8/20 points.
The Emrich-Schönleber 2016 Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Großes Gewächs offers notes of pineapple, exotic fruits, and smoke. It has a medium-to-full body and abundant fruit, and is highly mineral, long, and dense. 18.5/20 points.
The Clemens Busch 2017 Marienburg Riesling Felsterrasse is a wine of distinct character, offering plenty of minerality but little fruit. It has a nearly full body and is highly mineral, spicy, long, and dense. While it needs considerable time to develop, it is already enjoyable to drink. 19/20 points.
The Durney 1983 Carmel Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from California is a genuine surprise. Reminiscent of a classic, high-quality Bordeaux, it features notes of cassis, red bell pepper, and black fruit. It is full-bodied, balanced, dense, and long. The wine has held up sensationally and tastes much younger than its age suggests. 18.8/20 points.
And Australian Shiraz does last: The Fox Creek 1998 Reserve Shiraz is instantly recognizable as an Australian Shiraz, with notes of blueberry, bacon, and eucalyptus. It is full-bodied with fine tannins, balanced, and a long finish. Drink now or within the next three years. 19/20 points.
The Clos des Papes 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is actually far too young and requires many more years of aging. However, we wanted to try a Clos des Papes at such an early stage, especially given its sensational ratings. The wine currently displays pronounced notes of elderberry, red and black fruits, olive, and spice; it is full-bodied and powerful, with fruit sweetness, great density, a long finish, and excellent balance. Currently rated 18.8/20 points, with significant potential.
The Martinelli 2017 Russian River Syrah Vellutini Ranch demonstrates the potential of Syrah in California—proving that it doesn't always have to be Jonata. It offers notes of blueberry, bacon, and powdered sugar, along with a full body, fruit sweetness, and well-integrated alcohol; the finish is long, with a touch of sweetness and great balance. 19/20 points.
The 1990s saw the production of the finest Cabernets here — wines defined by their distinctive, intensely mineral character. The 1992 Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain hails from this era, exhibiting classic notes of powdered sugar, "hippo" (a distinctively earthy/musky nuance), animalistic tones, oyster shells, and cassis. It is full-bodied and balanced, offering a highly mineral profile with a hint of fruit sweetness. 19.8/20 points.
