Orin Swift Mannequin 2021
A blinding white gold and a chartreuse shimmer in the glass, the 2021 Mannequin opens with opulent, beguiling aromatics. Ripe golden apple, concentrated jasmine, citrus notes and a touch of cream and fresh brioche emerge. The entry is bright yet with a bit of weight; similar aromatic notes come through on the palate supplemented by rich honeydew and green apple. Tempered by a prominent vein of acidity, the wine closes at length with a seamless silk-like quality, finishing with pleasing minerality.
BLEND: Chardonnay
MATURATION: Aged in French Oak sur lie for 8 months, 23% New
*Receive a complimentary pack of drop stoppers with any order of Orin Swift wines above $150. While stocks last.
Chateau Malartic Lagraviere Blanc 2017
The white wines present exceptional quality. The cool August produced superbly balanced grapes, highlighting their aromatic profiles.
For the whites, the aromatic profiles are superb; the wines show a crisp line of acidity, good tightness and a pleasant sappiness, with plenty of fruit and a good quality framework.
80% Sauvignon, 20% Sémillon
“Attractive, fresh-lemon and grassy nuances with wild herbs and slightly flinty elements, too. The palate has such intense and fresh acidity. Fine lemons and limes and a thrillingly dry, long finish. ” – Janvier at James Suckling
Coup de Foudre Les Bouquinistes 2020
Les Bouquinistes 2020 is a field blend composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc from our Calistoga, Napa Valley vineyards.
We produced just shy of 500 cases of this vintage.
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc
"Aromas of currants, orange peel, dark plums and hints of vanilla. Some bark. Medium-bodied with juicy flavors and a light bark and stem undertone. 24% petite sirah, 20% merlot, 20% cabernet franc, 18% syrah, 10% malbec, and 8% cabernet sauvignon. Delicious for early drinking. Drink now." - James Sucking, 91 points
We are excited about this offer; and the amazing story told by our featured author will move you to your core. Our goal is to produce a stunning Napa Valley wine while promoting the missions of our esteemed authors and generating much-needed awareness and funding for worthy charities throughout the world. Each vintage celebrates an author who exemplifies unwavering commitment to social justice. Past vintages have featured a wide range of scribes, including Nicolas Kristoff of The New York Times, Pulitzer-prize winner Tracy Kidder, Jacqueline Novogratz and Patricia McCormick. These collaborations have raised more than $100,000 to benefit charities in Cambodia, Africa, Nepal and other developing countries.
I AM A GIRL FROM AFRICA
We are excited about this offer; and the amazing story told by our featured author will move you to your core. Our goal is to produce a stunning Napa Valley wine while promoting the missions of our esteemed authors and generating much-needed awareness and funding for worthy charities throughout the world. Each vintage celebrates an author who exemplifies unwavering commitment to social justice. Past vintages have featured a wide range of scribes, including Nicolas Kristoff of The New York Times, Pulitzer-prize winner Tracy Kidder, Jacqueline Novogratz and Patricia McCormick. These collaborations have raised more than $100,000 to benefit charities in Cambodia, Africa, Nepal and other developing countries.
Read more...
Les Bouquinistes 2020 Chapter Six features Elizabeth Nyamayaro’s I Am A Girl From Africa. It is a remarkable story of what is possible when girls are given an equal right to quality education. When Elizabeth was only eight years old a severe drought decimated the crops in her agricultural village in Zimbabwe. After months of hunger and malnourishment, she found herself alone, face down under a tree in a parched field, too weak to move. Incredibly, a UN aid worker found her, gave her food, and saved her life. This was a transformative moment for Elizabeth; it inspired her to dedicate her life to uplifting her community, her continent and now the world. As Elizabeth grew into a teenager and then a young adult, attending school intermittently when she wasn’t needed to help “find money,” she never lost sight of this goal. She was grounded by the African concept of Ubuntu: I am because we are. And because we are, you are! With the support of her community — and exceptional drive and perseverance — Elizabeth overcame crushing obstacles and eventually served as a senior advisor to the United Nations where she launched HeForShe, one of the world’s largest global solidarity movements for gender equality. She has chosen that the proceeds from the sale of this wine will benefit globalgirlsglow.org. Global G.L.O.W. is an organization that mentors girls to advocate for themselves and make their communities stronger. Their after-school programs in 23 countries, including the United States, seek to ignite the power of girls as a force for global transformation. Your contributions will continue to deliver the important message of hope, community support and interdependence to girls and women all over the world.
Amuse Bouche Prêt à Boire Rosé 2021
Made in the southern French style, the 2021 Prêt à Boire Rosé is a Grenache and Syrah blend. Pale salmon pink in color, it offers beautiful aromas of potpourri, raspberry tart and fresh cherries, with hints of baking spices and cracked black pepper. It remains the only rosé produced in the US that garners 90+ point ratings from all the top wine critics.
Some of you may not be aware that the world lost George Rodrigue on December 14, 2013. He was 69 years old. George, and his wife Wendy, have been dear friends of ours since 2005 when we initially commissioned George to paint a "blue dog" for our 2006 Amuse Bouche release. A native of Louisiana, George launched his painting career in the 1960s. He was not only a magnificent artist; George was a true community leader, philanthropist and advocate of arts education, inspiring a new generation of artists through the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts.
"Cherry-colored rosé with aromas of plum stones, raspberries, watermelon, sweet spices and dried flowers. Medium-to full-bodied with bright acidity and just a hint of tannin texture. Dry. Grenache and syrah. Drink now."
- James Suckling, October 2021
Dictador Rima I American Oak Cask Vintage 1997
Dictador Rima is a sequent edition of a limited series of a collection of vintages aged under the supervision of Hernan Parra. Dictador’s Master Blender continues his masterpiece in splendorous creation of rums aged in American Oak casks finish.
Rima in Spanish means ‘Rime’ and just like in a poem one can find perfect symbiosis of words, in the bottles of Dictador Rima, you will find a perfect synergy of flavours and a unique tasting experience.
Nose: Freshly vanished oak flooring, with a decadent note of dark chocolate and cinnamon spice over the top. Rich honey and some earthy notes of high-grade maple syrup, too.
Palate: Bold with lots of fresh coffee notes, some ginger snaps and an element of honeycomb dipped in rich milk chocolate. Cherries, too.
Finish: Lightly spiced with a hint of cinnamon balls and vanilla.
Age: 21 Years
Cask: American Oak
Cask Released Total Bottles: 307
Dictador Parrafo I Fino Vintage 2007
Dictador Párrafo is a limited edition of vintages personally chosen and created by Dictador’s Master Blender Hernan Parra. This piece of many years’ works bore fruits in the form of a collection of excellent rums aged in American Oak with Sherry and Port casks finish.
The superbness of the rums in this series is proof of the craftsmanship of the Parra family and their multi-generational experience.
Nose: Maple syrup on the nose, with hints of freshly baked French pastries, and some apple compote. A back note of strawberries and cream.
Palate: Soft and delicate, this has some grape notes to it which give a natural fruity sweetness, followed by some earthy and spicy notes of cinnamon and cardamom. A hint of rhubarb on the end.
Finish: Light spices, some notes of vanilla and a hit of maple syrup from the start of the nose.
Age: 15 Years
Cask: Sherry
Cask Released Total Bottles: 290
Louis M. Martini Lot 1 2018
Winemaker Notes
Our concept of small-lot winemaking dates back to 1948 when Louis M. Martini began ranking his most exceptional Cabernet lots to use for a special selection blend. We honor this attention to detail with every vintage we make, fermenting Lot No. 1 in small open-top tanks, which allow for a high level of precision when extracting color and flavor. All lots were alternately punched down and pumped over up to four times daily to build the desired foundation for the wine’s mouthfeel. Our barrel program for Lot No. 1 is also unique, with the primary component being 36-month air dried French oak. This longer drying time encourages rich tannin structure throughout the duration of the wine’s 19 months in barrel (83% new).
Nose: The 2018 Lot No. 1 vintage showcases enticing aromas of wild blackberries, cocoa and toasted oak supported by notes of brown spice and humidor.
Palate: The rich, plush palate boasts flavors of shaved chocolate and reduced blackberry compote with hints of cinnamon. The long finish reveals classic oak character and plush tannins.
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
"This has a frankly toasty note overlaying rich cassis, plum and boysenberry compote flavors, while licorice root, loam and roasted mesquite notes fill in on the finish. Not shy in the muscular approach. For fans of the style. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 2,149 cases made." - 94 points, James Molesworth, Senior Editor and Special Projects Director at Wine Spectator
Veramonte Chardonnay 2022
CHARDONNAY | 2022
CASABLANCA VALLEY
BRIGHT • LUSCIOUS • SMOOTH
Fresh and expressive aromas of pear, quince, and lemon curd, interwoven with toasty oak notes. On the palate, vibrant purity of the fruit, with a beautiful texture and depth that leads to a memorable long finish. A very expressive and elegant wine.
This vintage in Casablanca presented good conditions starting in spring, setting us up for excellent flowering and fruit set. Harvest began the last week of February, which was slightly delayed from what we had planned. However, things sped up and we had a very good ripening curve, especially at the end of the season. This year, the first varieties to be harvested were Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, having received very good temperatures from October onwards.
This Chardonnay is silky and mineral and is without a doubt an elegant and expressive wine.
Recommended Serving Temperature: 12ºC
Food Pairing: Seafood, Chicken Salad
"A pure chardonnay here with some wet stones, green pineapples and lime. Nice texture on the crisp, linear palate. A nice attack of fresh acidity and an alkaline, chalky finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink now." - 90 points, James Suckling
Beronia Verdejo Rueda 2021
Colour: Bright, pale yellow colour with hints of green
Aroma: Intensely aromatic, the wine displays notes of citrus and white fruit, together with herbaceous aromas such as fennel.
Palate: Crisp and fresh, a chilled glass of our Verdejo is always a great choice. Elegantly textured with ripe, white peach and melon with threads of fresh, fennel herbs.
Varietals: 100% Verdejo
Food Pairing: Fish, White Meat, Pasta, Rice Dishes, Cheese
"Attractive white almonds, lemon zest and chalky stones on the nose, followed by a fresh, bone-dry palate with some stony lemon fruit in a chalky texture. A very well-made verdejo that will have gastronomic appeal. Vegan. Chill it and drink now. Screw cap." - 91 points, James Suckling 
Starward Fortis Miniature
Fortis meaning ‘brave, bold’, is a full bodied, full flavoured whisky that celebrates local Australian ingredients. Bottled at a higher ABV of 50% and non-chill filtered, this whisky
is fully matured in 100% American oak red wine barrels, predominately sourced from the Barossa Valley.
These barrels, which previously held big Australian bold reds like cabernet and shiraz, offer a fuller and richer mouthfeel to this single malt whisky. Starward Fortis is blended in batches, meaning each batch will be unique but will maintain the core flavour profile and intensity.
Nose: Very forward aromas of Madagascan vanilla pods, rich toasted American oak, blackberry jam, raisins, caramelised fig, raw sugar and over ripe plums.
Palate: Rich and full bodied, upfront vanillin, quince paste, Muscadelle raisins, chocolate ganache, cinnamon and baked banana bread.
Finish: Viscous and long. It really captures the whole palate and balances well with a finish of baking spices from the oak and ripe figs and raisins.