Varietal: Red Blend | Location: Spain - Castilla y León - Toro
WS 91
WE 92
WA 93
The 2008 Numanthia spent 18 months in new French oak. It sports an inviting nose of pain grille, graphite, Asian spices, licorice, lavender, and blackberry. In the glass it reveals its voluptuous proportions, savory flavors, and outstanding volume. Give this lengthy Toro 5-7 years of cellaring and enjoy it from 2017 to 2028.
Varietal: Red Blend | Location: Spain - Castilla y León - Toro
WS 91
This expressive red offers blackberry, chocolate, toast and mineral notes, with firm, well-integrated tannins supporting a plush texture. Ripe yet focused, in the modern style. Drink now through 2017.
Varietal: Red Blend | Location: Spain - Catalunya - Priorat
WA 90
The unoaked 2009 Onix Classic is a blend of 50% Carinena and 50% Garnacha sourced from vines over 60 years of age. Tempting aromas of liquid minerality, Asian spices, incense, black cherry, and black plum inform the nose of this savory, smooth, intensely flavored effort from an excellent vintage. Layered, spicy, and long, it finishes with no hard edges. Drink this outstanding value over the next 4-5 years.
Vinicola del Priorat is a cooperative with 45 growers that produces 18,000 cases annually at an exceptionally high level of quality. For a good many years the Onix Classic has been many Spanish wine enthusiast's introduction to Priorat.
Importer: The Artisan Collection, Brooklyn, NY; tel. (718) 596-0722The unoaked 2009 Onix Classic is a blend of 50% Carinena and 50% Garnacha sourced from vines over 60 years of age. Tempting aromas of liquid minerality, Asian spices, incense, black cherry, and black plum inform the nose of this savory, smooth, intensely flavored effort from an excellent vintage. Layered, spicy, and long, it finishes with no hard edges. Drink this outstanding value over the next 4-5 years.
Vinicola del Priorat is a cooperative with 45 growers that produces 18,000 cases annually at an exceptionally high level of quality. For a good many years the Onix Classic has been many Spanish wine enthusiast's introduction to Priorat. -- Jay Miller
Varietal: Red Blend | Location: United States - California - Napa
Dark red, almost garnet hue with bright red on the rim. Ripe cherry and cedar on the nose with hints of dried rose petal and sweet oak. Lovely entry that leads into a fat and savory mid palate. Ripe fig and black currant dominate the finish with a breadth of soft, well integrated tannins.
Varietal: Red Blend | Location: Australia - South Australia
Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet is very much a reflection of the Penfolds winemaking style and philosophy. Sourced from premium vineyards across South Australia, the wine is known for its full-flavoured style with excellent Shiraz and Cabernet fruit, firm yet well-rounded structure and balanced oak. Made as a traditional 'Australian blend', the Shiraz component provides fleshy fruit flavour while Cabernet provides a frame of fine grained tannins.
Varietal: Red Blend | Location: Australia - South Australia - Barossa Valley
WS 90
"This smooth, inviting red shows vivid plum and spice flavors that cascade into the tight, peppery finish. Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Drink now through 2016. Smart Buy"
Varietal: Red Blend | Location: United States - California - Madera
Why do we call our "port" Starboard? Because it is not port. Genuine port comes from a region in Portugal, the Douro River Valley. Starboard - the nautical term for right (as opposed to port - left) is unique to our place.
How is Starboard different? We use the same grape varieties and similar methods as in the Douro, but our climate is warmer and the soils different. Instead of 140 proof fortifying brandy, we use a neutral grape spirit, 190 proof, for fortifying. We use 60 gallon barrels instead of 140 gallon pipes used in Portugal. Starboard matures earlier and has a riper more voluptuous flavor.
Starboard Batch 88 - The grapes in Batch 88 are primarily Tinta Roriz from the Madera area. The vineyard is managed to give loose bunches and a small crop. The blend is smooth and soft with a chocolate raisin character. Several different vintages are used in the blend which has an average age of about 5 years. In the port business this type of blend is called "Vintage Character."