Press - Page 314 of 396 - Regal Wine Imports

Vintage	Producer	Product Name	Notes	Source	Score	Sell Sheet	Updated
2017	Latour Giraud	Puligny Montrachet 1er cru Champs Canet	(25% new oak): Bright, light yellow. Peach, nut oils and hazelnut on the nose; also conveying a hint of tiredness from a barrel in an oxidative phase. Broad on entry, then rich, thick and concentrated but quite dry in the middle palate. Turns tighter, more linear and more classic on the back end, finishing with resounding flavors of stone fruits, citrus peel and stony minerality. The crop level was 40 hectoliters per hectare, according to Latour.	Vinous	91-93		2019-02-18
2017	Latour Giraud	Meursault 1er Cru Boucheres	Slightly hazy pale yellow. Fresh on the nose but reticent and in need of air, hinting at fresh apricot, spices and menthol. Savory, nicely concentrated wine with an impression of lowish acidity but strong chewy soil tones to its slightly exotic peachy fruit salad flavors. Finishes surprisingly tangy and long, with good mineral grip. Appears to be very successful for this cuvée.	Vinous	90-92		2019-02-18
2017	Latour Giraud	Meursault 1er Cru Poruzots	(Latour has just two 2016 barrels of this juice): Slightly hazy yellow. Aromas of soft citrus fruits, lemon zest, menthol and anise. At once dense and penetrating, with its impression of sucrosité leavened by salty minerality. Tactile, sappy and intense but not yet harmonious. This wine boasts excellent material but is evolving slowly and will need time (in barrel and in bottle) to expand and gain in length.	Vinous	90-92		2019-02-18
2016	Relic	Cabernet Franc "The Prior"	A blend of 76% Cabernet Franc and 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2016 Cabernet Franc The Prior comes from the Frediani Vineyard, which is near Eisele Vineyard off Pickett Road in Calistoga. It's incredibly complex and nuanced, with terrific notes of black raspberries, black cherries, potpourri, spring flowers, and dried earth. As with all these wines, it's seamless, silky, and pure, with beautiful intensity yet no sensation of weight or heaviness.	Jeb Dunnuck	96		2019-02-15
2016	Relic	Pinot Noir "Kashaya" Sonoma Coast	I was also able to taste two Sonoma Coast Pinot Noirs from Mike, both meriting attention. All from the Wayfarer Vineyard, the 2016 Pinot Noir Kashaya comes from three different parcels and saw 30% stems. It offers a beautiful, layered, complex style in its darker cherry, underbrush, forest floor, and savory umami and cured meat notes. It's seamless, silky, and pure, with a great finish.	Jeb Dunnuck	95		2019-02-15
2016	Relic	Cabernet Sauvignon "Artefact"	More classic blue fruits, damp earth, bay leaf, and herbal notes emerge from the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Artefact, which comes all from a single block in the Kenefick Ranch vineyard and spent 22 months in new barrels. With medium to full body, terrific purity, and a layered, elegant style, it has plenty of upfront charm and approachability yet the balance to keep for 20+ years.	Jeb Dunnuck	94		2019-02-15
2016	Relic	Grenache Paras Vineyard Mt Veeder	There's not much Grenache on Mt. Veeder, and the 2016 Grenache Paras Vineyard comes from a high-density planting of 100% Grenache that was destemmed and brought up in neutral oak. It has a medium ruby color as well as a spicy, complex, nuanced style of spiced strawberries, black raspberries, savory herbs, and dried rose petals. It's ripe, sexy, medium to full-bodied, has fine tannins, and will drink beautifully for a decade.	Jeb Dunnuck	93		2019-02-15
2016	Relic	Pinot Noir Putnam Vineyard	The last vintage for this cuvée, the 2016 Pinot Noir Putnam Vineyard comes from a cooler site yet has terrific purity in its blue fruits, mint, violets, spring flowers, and red berries. It's supple, seamless, elegant and forward on the palate, with the hallmark purity of fruit that makes 2016 so special in Sonoma.	Jeb Dunnuck	92		2019-02-15
2016	Behrens Family Winery	Head in the Clouds	Slightly less expensive, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Head in the Clouds (there's 17% Petit Verdot in the blend) is also deeply colored and has an expressive bouquet of blackcurrants, blueberries, scorched earth, graphite, and violets. It's slightly more upfront and approachable compared to the Cemetery release, with juicy, youthful fruit, full-bodied richness, and sweet tannins, and it should drink nicely for 15+ years or more. It's another terrific wine from this estate that's well worth seeking out.	Jeb Dunnuck	94		2019-02-14
2016	Relic	Scarpa Syrah	One of the first wines they named, since the vineyard sources continued to change in the first few years, the 2016 Syrah Scarpa is 100% Syrah sourced from the Phoenix Ranch Vineyard that was fermented with 30% stems and aged in 40% new barrels. Blueberries, spring flowers, bacon fat, and olive notes all flow to a silky, ultra-fine seamless Syrah that has no hard edges, gorgeous purity, and a great finish. Another remarkable wine from winemaker Mike Hirby, it has classic Syrah complexity and nuances with some serious California fruit. Drink it over the coming decade.	Jeb Dunnuck	96		2019-02-14