Wine Legend Blog

The Perrin family, of Chateau Beaucastel, has been working with Jolie and Pitt on blending and strategy at Provence-based Miraval since 2012. French winemaker Marc Perrin of the famed Beaucastel estate produces the pink wine officially known as Jolie-Pitt & Perrin Côte de Provence Rosé Miraval.

“Château Miraval” is recognized as one of Provence’s highest-quality organic wine producers. The domaine has created a name for itself through the efforts of a serious team working over a 15-year period. The Miraval team strives to produce quality wines vintage after vintage, under both the AOC Côtes de Provence and Coteaux Varois en Provence classifications. The domaine has been rewarded with several honors in major competitions and guides. Industry leaders in France and abroad rely on the Miraval label. All production is from grapes grown organically in the Commune of Correns, the first organic village of France.”

Chateau Miraval vineyards have been cultivated organically for many years and are certified organic. However, since the 2012 vintage, they have made the decision not to claim an organic status for the wines for two reasons:

One is that to maximize quality, they need the flexibility to blend the grapes of their Estate with top quality grapes sourced from other vineyards, which are not necessarily certified organic. They use a stabilization method, which is not homologated as organic in Europe, but is in the USA. So the grapes are not 100% estate grown because of their need to source top quality grapes from outside vineyards that they cannot find on the Estate.

MIRAVAL ROSÉ 2014
“A beautiful light pink color, fresh fruits aromas, a refreshing acidity. This is the interpretation Miraval is making about Provence’s terroirs.” Winery Notes.

There are many great things about being in the wine business. We get to meet interesting people, travel and taste great wines with the focus on making them accessible to our customers.

 

Yesterday was one of those great wine days, because we had the opportunity to taste the new releases from the great Tuscan and Piedmont portfolios of importer Neil Empson. Oh, and did I mention as well the lovely sparkling wines from Franciacorta in Lombardy? The focus was on the 2003 Brunello di Montalcino wines, 2004 Barolos, 2005 and 2006 Dolcettos and Barberas.

 

WOW, was all I kept thinking, when the amazingly expressive aromas and beautifully harmonious fruit hit my palate with each and every sip.

 

We also got to briefly chat with a few of the winemakers to get their take on the vintages and their experiences. We started with the Franciacorta sparkling wines from the great producer Bellavista. We spoke with Mattia Vezzola, who is the winemaker. One of the things to which he attributes the greatness of Bellavista sparkling wines is the hands-on approach, which they take, including the hand harvesting of their terroir-driven grapes. He also blends the best wines from different vintages to achieve the final cuvee, which is then bottled and goes through its second fermentation in the bottle.

 

The Bellavista, Franciacorta Brut N/V and the Bellavista, Gran Cuvee Brut, 2003 are terrific, alive and very inviting. We then went on to Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino wines.

 

CONTI COSTANTI, MONTALCINO, ITALY

We chatted with Andrea Conti, wine maker, who noted that he did not produce a Brunello di Montalcino in 2005. However, the Costanti, Brunello di Montalcino, 2003 is rich and spicy with classic tar, cherry and tobacco on the nose and palate. Terrifically balanced with a long lush finish. We recommend grabbing this up since we’ll be waiting quite a long time for the release of another vintage of their Brunello.

 

FUGLINI

This is another terrific Montalcino producer. The wines are made from twelve to thirty year old vines, which is apparent in their concentration on the palate. Both the 2005 Rosso and 2003 Brunello are rich and beautifully balanced.

 

LISSINI

This estate has been in the Lissini-Clementi family since Renaissance days and is comprised of only 44.5 acres, which is relatively small in comparison with other properties. The 2005 Lissini, Rosso di Montalcino is beautifully structured, full- bodied with softly gripping tannins. The 2003 Brunello di Montalcino is also well structured, rich and silky.

 

POGGIO ANTICO

Winemaker Paola Gloder explained the reason why her wines have the exquisite balance and finesse, which were quite apparent when tasting them. Her vineyards are at the highest elevation in Montalcino, and the fact that they receive welcomed coolness at night to develop their acid levels and warmth during the day due to their location north of Montalcino, makes for a perfect balance. Both the Brunello di Montalcino 2003 and the deep, rich Brunello Altero, 2003, are perfectly harmonious. SPECTACULAR!

 

PIEDMONT

CONTERNO FANTINO

The Barbera and Dolcetto’s from this producer are really lovely.

The Barbera, “Vignota” 2006, is classically tart and lively. A good, tasty bang for the buck!

The Barolo “Vigna del Gris,” 2004, is huge and earthy, filled with perfumed violets and finishing with satiny tannins.

The Barolo, “Sori Ginestra” 2004, which is their most historic cru, dating back to the 1800’s, is powerful and yet elegant. Dark fruit and berries mingle with sage and tar, lending themselves to a long and lush finish.

 

EINAUDI

Dogliani is the oldest wine area in Dolcetto country, and the Einaudi’s are combining both tradition and modern technique to achieve the greatness, which they clearly reach with their Dolcetto and Barolo wines.

 

Their Dolcettto Dogliani, 2006 is a pretty wine, with cherry and spicy aromatics. It is well structured and touched by just enough oak to obtain its balance.

The 2006 Dolcetto “Vigna Tecc” is the gutsiest Dolcetto I’ve ever tasted. This wine is made from seventy-year-old vines, which explains its concentrated palate. I’ve had many vintages of this wine and it is always a standout!

All of the Einaudi Barolos were totally WOWING!

The Barolo, 2004 is robust, and everything that classic Barolo exhibits.

The Barolo “Costa Grimaldi” 2004 is huge, violet and tar scented, finishing silky and long. 20% of the grapes in this wine come from forty five year old vines.

The Barolo “Cannubi”, 2004 is a huge and expressive wine, intensely powerful and yet elegant at the same time. The grapes come from vines that are approximately sixty-two years of age.

 

MARCARINI

This is a consistently stellar producer.

Their wines are always remarkable, and these current releases are no exception.

The Dolcetto d’Alba “Fontanazza” 2006 is made in the traditional method, but without oak. It is a huge wine with black cherry and a gripping long finish.

Barbera d’Alba “Ciabot Camarano”, 2005 is an incredibly rich wine with bright fruit entwined in rich earthiness. It is a gorgeous representation of that, which Barbera can do!

Barolo “La Serra,” 2004, has a lovely rose petal and minty nose, and is rich and powerful, yet delicate at the same time. To attain both of these qualities, simply put, is that the balance here is superb.

The Barolo Brunate, 2004, has distinctive hints of licorice and herbs, and a beautiful earthiness. Brunate is just spectacular.

And so now it is up to you to try these for yourselves and give us your opinions!

Enjoy!

 

Wine Legend Team

I hope you read about the Legandary Wine Maker Bruno Giacosa, here are his wines:

Bruno Giacosa Barberesco Asili DOCG
Rated 93 pts by Wine Advocate – August 2005 (Vintage 2001)
“…complex in aroma with notes of resin, smoke, and anisette to accompany the fruit, and a long, forceful, structured palate, rather muscular for a wine of this cru.”

Tasting Notes : Made from 100% Nebbiolo from the prestigious Asili vineyard. Yields are extremely low at 1.2 tons per acre. After fermentation, the wine was aged in French oak for 26 months followed by several more months in bottle. Black cherry, chocolate and cedar dominate the nose. The wine is big, thick, elegant, ripe and fragrant with juicy acidity that is backed up by several layers of rich fruit.

Barberesco Asili DOCG 1998 (750 ml) Price: $132.99 Sale Price: $106.39
Barberesco Asili DOCG 1998 (1.5 Lt) Price: $279.99 Sale Price: $223.99
Barberesco Asili DOCG 1999 (750 ml) Price: $139.99 Sale Price: $111.99
Barberesco Asili DOCG 2001 (750 ml) Price: $184.99 Sale Price: $147.99
Barberesco Asili DOCG 2003 (750 ml) Price: $184.99 Sale Price: $147.99
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Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco DOCG
Rated 93 pts by Wine & Spirits – December 2004 (Vintage 1999)
“…[Appealing] plum, blackberry and cedar character… Full-bodied, with fine, velvety tannins and a long, rich finish. A gorgeous, pretty wine.”

Tasting Notes: Made from 100% Nebbiolo from various vineyards in Barbaresco. The wine was aged in large French oak barrels for 24 months. It was bottled unfiltered and cellared for several more months prior to release from the winery. This Barbaresco exhibits intense ruby red colors that fade to orange toward the rim. Black cherry, chocolate and cedar dominate the nose. The wine is bold and fragrant with several layers of rich fruit complemented with a touch of licorice on the palate.

Barbaresco DOCG 1998 (750 ml) Price: $89.99 Sale Price: $71.99
Barbaresco DOCG 1999 (750 ml) Price: $79.99 Sale Price: $63.99
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Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano DOCG
Tasting Notes: Made from 100% Nebbiolo, the wine is aged 2 years in oak followed by an additional 12 months in bottle prior to release from the winery. It has a rich nose reminiscent of ripe currants and a rich velvety mouth-feel that is ripe and fragrant. Perfect acidity balances the wine. This is a substantial wine with ripe and harmonious tannins. Recommended with roasted and grilled red and white meats. Always delicious with cheese.

Barbaresco Santo Stefano DOCG 1999 (750 ml) Price: $149.99 Sale Price: $119.99
Barbaresco Santo Stefano DOCG 2001 (750 ml) Price: $149.99 Sale Price: $119.99
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Bruno Giacosa Barbera D’alba Doc
Tasting Notes: Made from 100% Barbera d’Alba. The wine was aged in large French oak barrels for 11 months, then fined and filtered prior to bottling. This dry, well-balanced wine recalls spicy flavors of cedar. The wine is ripe and round on the palate with a remarkably long finish.

Barbera D’Alba DOC 2005 (750 ml) Price: $30.99 Sale Price: $24.79
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Bruno Giacosa Barbera D’Alba Falletto (Wine info not in the attached sheet)

Barbera D’Alba Falletto 2005 (750 ml) Price: $69.99 Sale Price: $55.99
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Bruno Giacosa Barolo DOCG
Rated 92 pts by Wine Spectator – October 2005 (Vintage 2001)
“…[Appealing] plum, blackberry and cedar character… Full-bodied, with fine, velvety tannins and a long, rich finish. A gorgeous, pretty wine.”

Tasting Notes: Made from 100% Nebbiolo harvested from the Falletto zone in Serralunga d’Alba. Aged in large, 4-10 year old French oak barrels for a minimum of 3 years. The resulting wine is garnet colored with orange reflections, and spicy aromas of dried fruit flavors are present on the palate. A wine with great aging potential.

Barolo DOCG 2001 (750 ml) Price: $123.99 Sale Price: $99.19
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Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto DOCG
Rated 93-96 pts by International Wine Cellar – Nov/Dec 2004 (Vintage 2001)
“Good full red. Wonderfully scented nose of red berry syrup, rose petal and minerals. Dense, lush and seamless, but with racy, fresh fruit and compelling inner-mouth perfume. Solidly structured, layered and very deep, with a palate-staining, perfumed aftertaste. A great Barolo in the making. Likely to be long-lived…”

Tasting Notes: Especially impressive for firm but elegant tannins. This Barolo is rich in raspberry, leather and anise aromas. Very refined and balanced with abundant flavors of chocolate and tobacco. Big!
Recommended with beef dishes (especially those with a Barolo based sauce) some game and smoked cheeses.

Barolo Falletto DOCG 2001 (750 ml) Price: $174.99 Sale Price: $139.99
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Bruno Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche Del Falletto Docg
Rated 96 pts by Wine Advocate – October 2003 (Vintage 1999)
“Full-throttle…rivals the legendary 1996 Barolo Falletto Riserva”
“Darker and deeper in color, even more potent and penetrating on the nose, explosive on the palate with a medley of sweet fruit, licorice, mint, chocolate, and tar… tightly wound but oh so sumptuous and rich on the finish and aftertaste…”

Tasting Notes: Made from 100% Nebbiolo selected from 4 parcels of the prestigious Falletto vineyard. Aged in large barrels for 30 months, this is a stunning example of Barolo’s potential. Its perfume is intense and elegant and reminiscent of black truffles, sweet tobacco, spices and chocolate. On the palate it is full, warm and extraordinarily velvety, with lively character and personality.

Barolo Le Rocche Del Falletto Docg 2003 (750 ml) Price: $299.99 Sale Price: $239.99
Barolo Le Rocche Del Falletto Docg 2003 (1.5 Lt ) Price: $619.99 Sale Price: $495.99
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Bruno Giacosa Reserva – Red Label
Rated 97 pts by Wine advocate – (Vintage 2001)

Tasting Notes: The Riserva wine is produced only in the best vintages. For 30 months the wine was refined in French oak barrels, followed by three years of bottle aging. Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto presents a typical color with orange reflections. The perfumes are elegant with notes of mature mulberry, licorice and cocoa. The flavor is full and warm, with soft tannins and great structure. A big and impressive wine, it is best served with aged cheeses, roasted meat and game.
Barolo Le Rocche Del Faletto Reserva – Red Label 2000 (1.5 lts)
Price: $659.99 Sale Price: $527.99
Barolo Le Rocche Del Faletto Reserva – Red Label 2001 (750 ml)
Price: $319.99 Sale Price: $255.99
Barolo Le Rocche Del Faletto Reserva – Red Label 2001 (1.5 Lt)
Price: $699.99 Sale Price: $559.99
Barolo Le Rocche Del Faletto Reserva – Red Label 2001 (3 Lt)
Price: $1,319.99 Sale Price: $1,055.99
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Bruno Giacosa Roero Arneis Doc & Sparkling
Rated 93 pts by Wine Advocate – June 2006 (Vintage 2005) BEST BUY
“This offering is slightly above the $20 price required to be considered a “best buy,” but it is such a superb example of Arneis, I had to include it….It possesses remarkable intensity and richness as well as superb purity, wonderful freshness, a gorgeous, persistent texture, and flowery, honeysuckle, white peach, pear, and apple liqueur-like aromas and flavors. One of the most glorious dry whites made in Italy.”

Tasting Notes: Made from 100% Arneis that was vinified in stainless steel. The wine remained in stainless steel tanks for 3 months before bottling. The nose reveals subtle perfumes of apples, pears and peaches. “Arneis” means
difficult or stubborn, which is an apt characteristic of this varietal as its delicate skin makes it a difficult grape to grow well. This is a very refreshing white recommended with a wide variety of foods, especially antipasti and pasta dishes.

Bruno Giacosa Roero Arneis Docg 2006 (750 ml) Price: $27.99 Sale Price: $22.39
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Bruno Giacosa Spumante Brut

Tasting Notes: Made from 100% Pinot Nero grown in the Oltrepo Pavese. The riddling of the bottles was done by hand and the bottles were aged for 24-30 months before being degorged. The finished wine is straw yellow in color with a fine and persistent perlage. The bouquet is refined and elegant with aromas of fruit and yeast. On the palate this sparkling wine is dry and lively with excellent character.

Bruno Giacosa Spumante Brut 2003 (750 ml) Price: $41.99 Sale Price: $33.59
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Bruno Giacosa Nebbiolo D’Alba DOC
Rated 88 pts by Wine & Spirits – December 2005 (Vintage 2003)
“A lively young Nebbiolo, this is fragrant with rose and fresh grape scents. A touch of tar in the tannins gives it the light stucture of a bistro red, for steak frites, Italian-style.”

Tasting Notes: Made from 100% Nebbiolo. Aged in large French casks for 14 months. Ruby red in color with violet and raspberry aromas on the nose. It has a very impressive mouth-feel with well balanced tannins that are firm yet not aggressive.

Nebbiolo D’Alba DOC 2005 (750 ml) Price: $33.99 Sale Price: $27.19
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Bruno Giacosa Dolcetto D’alba Doc
Tasting Notes: Made from 100% Dolcetto whose name translates as “little sweet one” due to the sweetness of the grape at harvest. However, it is usually vinified as a dry wine with minimal residual sugar. Giacosa’s Dolcetto was aged for 8 months after the harvest, two of which were spent in wood. The wine has deep purple colors and a perfumed nose that highlights the fruity characteristics of the grape. The wine is full of rich, ripe fruit flavor through to the spicy finish.

Dolcetto D’Alba DOC 2006 (750 ml) Price: $21.99 Sale Price: $17.59
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Bruno Giacosa Dolcetto D’alba Falletto Doc

Tasting Notes: Made from 100% Dolcetto, the wine is aged for 9 months in large oak barrels. Dolcetto translates to “little sweet one” due to the sweetness of the grape in spite of the fact that it is usually vinified as a dry wine with minimal residual sugar. Deep purple in color with a wonderfully perfumed nose. Full of rich, ripe, fruit flavor and a lingering spicy finish. This wine is meant to be consumed fairly young before the fruit fades.

Dolcetto D’alba Falletto Doc 2006 (750 ml) Price: $24.99 Sale Price: $19.99
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I Hope You Will Enjoy These Wines.

The availability of this 2000 vintage is very limited.
Wine Spectator Rating: 91 Points
Tasting Notes: “Vibrant aromas of crushed berries and licorice. Full-bodied, with super well-integrated tannins and a long caressing finish. Very fine indeed”

Producer: Chateau Martinens
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Category: Red Wine
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
Appellation: Margaux

You can buy this wine at our wine store.
Regular Price: $34.99 | Sale Price: $27.99 (750ml)
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Currently one the fastest selling wines among the pre release wines and also one of the cheapest wines. This 2004 wine is selling for just $7.99 with us.
This wine is sold out of our February arrival. Currently taking orders for delivery in March.

About this wine:
Good blackberry and chocolate aromas and flavors. Full-bodred, with soft, round tannins.Juicy. This is an outstanding new wine from Angeh Merlot, Sangiovese and Canaiolo.
This wine is best after 2007.
7,000 cases made.
Rating: WS-90 (Wine Spectator rated 90 points)

You can buy this wine at our wine store.
Regular Price: $10.99 | Sale Price: $7.99
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Also have a look at the other top low cost wines.

With the score on the 2003 Vinas de Gain (93 RP) and the fact that all the grapes for Grandas Anadas and El Pison have been blended in, this is sure to be a huge winner. Buy this wine on presale before it gets reviewed.

You can buy this wine at our wine store.
Regular Price: $79.99 | Sale Price: $61.99
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This is a presale wine.

You can buy this wine at our wine store.
Regular Price: $64.99 | Sale Price: $51.99
Click here to buy this wine!

 

 

 

This is a presale wine.
About this wine: The 2004 red wind is the next vintage of the Trolley Series. It is called red wind after the hot, dry off-shore winds that blast Los Angeles. It is thick purple to the rim of the glass. The aromas are wild blueberries and violets. It literally explodes in the mouth with blue and black fruit flavors, giving one’s palate the sense of a sweet round center held together by vibrant acidity. Time will tell but this may be the best wine made by Red Car to date. At the least it is a testament to the possibilities of blending. Pure syrah, it is comprised of 8 barrels from Richard Perry Vineyard, 3 barrels from Shadow Canyon Vineyard, 2 barrels from Laetitia Vineyard and 2 barrels from Vivio.

You can buy this wine at our wine store.
Regular Price: $64.99 | Sale Price: $51.99
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This is a presale wine.
About this wine: The 2004 Boxcar Pinot Noir is expensive in taste but not in cost. Delicate and bursting with ripe cherries and plums, its juicy front palate has smooth elegant tannins on the finish. Produced from grapes harvested from eminent Russian River Valley vineyards, this is Red Car’s second select pinot noir. It is balanced with bright acid with an aromatic nose of cinnamon and cloves. Enjoy this affordable jewel now.

You can buy this wine at our wine store.
Regular Price: $28.99 | Sale Price: $23.19
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About this wine: As it has been in previous vintages, the value-priced 2004 The Ball Buster Proprietary Red is a classic Barossa Valley effort in terms of bigness, boldness, and a dramatic display of fruit and intensity. If you want something delicate, restrained, and understated, steer clear of this locomotive that crashes over the palate with a flamboyant display of blackberry and cassis fruit, licorice, tar, and spicy oak. Explosively rich with formidable intensity, this blend of 70% Shiraz, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Merlot is an amazing wine for the price. Readers should be forewarned that it possesses 15.6% alcohol, but carries it well.

Rating: WA 93 Pts (wine advocate 93 points)

You can buy the wine at our wine store.
Regular Price: $16.99 | Sale Price: $13.59
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