Grape Escape
A Benefit For
The Museum Center at 5ive Points
2023 Live Auction Items
Tennessee Wine Train
Private Dinner
for 24 Persons
All Aboardeaux! Your Table is Departing...
Celebrate the adventures of yesteryear as you wine and dine aboard the TN Wine Train. The two-hour dining excursion includes a three course dinner with specially selected wines from Advanced Sommelier, John McCune.
For this excursion, your group of twenty-four friends will “own” the dining car. From 6:30pm to 9:00pm you’ll travel through parts of urban Chattanooga, as well as art and historic districts.
This dining adventure includes a three-course dining experience with wine pairings on-board a restored 1924 dining car. All dining choices are selected in advance from menu offerings. You will select your entrees two-weeks prior to your departure.
This excursion will be coordinated with you on a Thursday evening, between April – September, 2023. All excursions depart from, and return to, the depot at 4119 Cromwell Road, Chattanooga 37421
2019 Volunteer Napa Chardonnay
2019 Titan Nancy’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
12-bottle mixed case, 6 bottles each – 750ml each
For Tennesseans, this mixed case screams “Pick Me!”
2019 Volunteer Napa Chardonnay
Miller Family Wines has created at treat right in time for Spring and Summer. Enticing aromas of citrus and citrus blossom dominate, with lemon-lime custard and some tropical aromas as the wine breathes and opens up: passionfruit, guava and even a hint of cinnamon. As the wine aerates, it gains a good amount of richness and impact. Decanting this wine from 2021-2025 is recommended. In the mouth there is a great deal of balance in the liveliness, elegance and extract. Napa muscle in a svelt, ballerina body, with a pretty finish laden with mineral complexity. Bright enough for sushi and the raw bar, rich enough for fried chicken with mashed potatoes and savory gravy. Spinach salad with grilled salmon, squeeze of fresh lemon and a miso-vinaigrette.
2019 Titan Nancy’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
With their 2019 "Nancy's Vineyard" Cabernet Sauvignon, Titan Wine Company demonstrates the depth of Oak Knoll District fruit through thoughtful harvest, fermenting, and aging techniques that preserve a sense of place. This rich, smooth red contains a mixed berry galette aroma, silky tannins, and a lingering finish
2017 BV Tapestry Napa Reserve Red
12-bottle 375ml Case
93 points – James Suckling
"Nice fruit definition to this wine with blueberry and blackberry aromas and some toasted oak. Medium-to full-bodied, creamy and balanced with chocolate and hazelnuts. Bright and vivid with just a touch of alcohol. Drinkable now, but better in a year or two.”
This is a wine that shows the artistry of blending five Bordeaux-heritage grape varieties, which contributed layer-upon-layer of flavor complexity. Cabernet Sauvignon gave the wine its generous core of briary blackberry and cassis expression, while we increased the amount of Merlot this year to tame the tannins and add plush mid-palate texture. Malbec contributed deep plum notes, while Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot completed the blend with nuances of rose, forest loam and graphite.
2019 Castello di Fonterutoli Siepi IGT
3000ml with OWC
99pts – Antonio Galloni
“The 2019 Siepi continues a trend towards greater finesse and nuance in this wine. Crème de cassis, lavender, spice, licorice and plum meld together effortlessly in the glass. Dense and layered, with striking detail, the 2019 is so impressive. The flavors are bright, bold and punchy. An exceptionally beautiful and riveting wine, the 2019 is rich and concentrated, but not at all heavy. What a total knock-out.”
This vintage is sold-out at the winery. A rare find for your cellar. "One of the 50 wines that changed Italy wine style" (Gambero Rosso). Siepi, owned by Mazzei family since 1435, has always been a model farm, still managed today with the same kind of respect. A unique location, a special microclimate, the foresight in the early 1980s to plant Merlot as the ideal grape to complement Sangiovese in a very particular "terroir" produce a wine which is perfectly balanced between elegance, power and complexity.
Friends of Grape Escape 12-bottle Mixed Case
This mixed case represents the diversity and range of personalities ever-present at Grape Escape for the past 19 years. This is how Grape Escape actually began…friends offering choice selections from their personal collections. More recently, these selections have been brought together in a mixed case of astounding quality fetching bids over $1,000.
2016 Corazon Del Sol Gran Reserva Malbec
Donated by Jim and Jean Sanko
2011 Clarendon Hills Moritz Syrah
Donated by Coldwell Banker Kinard Realty
2013 Failla Napa, Hudson Vineyard Syrah
Donated by Lynn DeVault and Glo Ghegan
2019 Seghesia, Sonoma, Montafi Ranch Vineyard, Zinfandel
Donated by Phil and Kathy Quinett
2019 Nickel & Nickel, Vaca Vista Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon
Donated by Franklin and Jennifer Chancey
2011 R. Cat, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon
Donated by Jay and Christy Goza
2011 Quilceda Creek, Columbia Valley, Palengat
Donated by Shannon and Christy Ritzhaupt
2019 Saint Veeder, Napa Crouse Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon
Donated by Carl and Kathy Rohsenberger
2009 Crocker & Starr, St. Helena, Napa Valley, Cabernet Franc
Donated by Don Ritzhaupt and Rachel Savage
2016 Rodney Strong Rockaway Cabernet Sauvignon
Donated by Brian and Jennie Hobbs
2019 Shafer Red Shoulder Ranch Napa Valley Chardonnay
Donated by Ken Cagle and Ben Keyser
R. Pouillon Champagne Brut Reserve
Donated by Jo Benjamin
2018 Pym-Rae Cabernet Sauvignon
Mount Veeder Napa Valley
3 bottles in the original wooden case, 750 ml
99 Points
“The 2018 Pym-Rae can be thought of as a hypothetical mix of the 2016 and 2017, with more sexiness and opulence than the 2017 and a touch more elegance and precision than the 2016. Wonderful cassis, violets, tobacco, lead pencil, and chocolate notes define this beauty, and it's full-bodied, with a gorgeous sense of elegance and purity, perfect tannins, and an incredible finish. This stunningly majestic, flawlessly balanced Mountain Cabernet already offers pleasure yet will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age, and it should be a 50-year wine. Bravo!” - Jeb Dunnuck
2014 - 2018 Bale’s Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley
750 ml
5-bottle flight
The 5-bottle collection of Bale’s Creek Estate Cabernet Sauvignon vintages offers the rare opportunity to enjoy a Spring Mountain District vertical tasting any time. This format makes it easier to discover a style typical of their wines while comparing and contrasting vintage variations. Expand your palate by starting with 2014 to taste softer wines that progress toward bolder, more tannic ones, or sample 2018 first and work backward to the mature, complex character of older bottles.
2014 – Near perfect weather conditions leading up to Spring Mountain’s 2014 harvest resulted in grapes of exceptional balance, with Cabernet Sauvignon proving especially promising.
2015 – Drought and heat stressed the vines this year and led to a challenging harvest for many Spring Mountain growers. Lower yields of outstanding quality fruit resulted in wines of superb concentration.
2016 – As picking concluded, Spring Mountain producers had high expectations from a growing season that initially seemed underwhelming, with descriptions like “spectacular” and “easy harvest” defining the vintage.
2017 – Uncharacteristic warmer weather leading up to and during harvest proved difficult for growers in 2017, though some yields were up from the previous year. Cabernet Sauvignon was picked throughout all of October.
2018 – Ideal weather, low vine pressure, and grapes with complex flavor development offered a high-yielding harvest of beautiful fruit that translated into magnificent wines.
2018 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron Pauillac
2nd Cru Classe - 750 ml - 2 bottles
100 Points
“The 2018 Pichon-Longueville Baron is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot, aged for 18 months in barriques, 80% new and 20% one year old. Production of the grand vin represents 50% of the harvest this year. Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose bursts from the glass with flamboyant scents of stewed black plums, crème de cassis and Black Forest cake, plus suggestions of Indian spices, unsmoked cigars, pencil shavings and espresso. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers impactful black fruit preserves and exotic spice layers, framed by plush tannin's and a lively backbone, finishing long and spicy.” – Wine Advocate
Pauillac, a Médoc appellation, is located approximately 40 kilometres to the north of Bordeaux, on the left bank of the Gironde River.
The land, which features quaternary gravel deposits and the large pebbles and sand which are typical of the appellation, is a winemaking paradise. The subsoil composition allows the retention of water to feed the roots, while the undulating relief of the gravel soils is ideal for drainage.
This exceptional terroir has a maritime climate; its proximity to the Gironde estuary lends it an increased mildness. All the right conditions come together to make the Pauillac appellation the most prestigious of Bordeaux wines.
2006 Hundred Acre Ancient Way
Shiraz
Barossa Valley Australia
3 bottles - 750 ml
95 Points
The Ancient Way vineyard is in the heart of the Barossa Valley, overlooking Greenock Creek’s winery, composed of iron-rich terra rossa soils. The vines currently planted here were originally established by a former employee of Penfolds, who is said to have used a selection of some of the best-performing Shiraz vines from Penfold’s best vineyards as the basis for the planting material. The first vintage produced by the Hundred Acre team was 2004, and although this is a great vintage for South Australia, yields were minuscule and selection was ruthless, equating to just 0.8 tons per acre. The wines are aged for two years or more in new French oak.
All Hundred Acre wines are made by sorting the fruit berry by berry, fermenting in small,
French oak fermenters, and long aging in the nest barriques. The secret to Hundred Acre
is no compromise and no detail overlooked, ever.
Aged for a minimum of 30 months in the nest, center cut French oak barrique. The stave
wood is hand-selected for ultra-tight grain, then air dried for three years before being made
into barrels.
2015 Montrose 2021 Ex-Chateau Release
3000ml with OWC
98pts - James Suckling
“Intensity and clarity of fruit is so insane. Blackberries, spices such as cloves, blueberries, sandalwood and dried lavender. Full body and such a beautiful, dense center palate with perfectly polished tannins. Extremely long and beautiful. One of the best young Montroses in a long, long time. Drink in 2024.”
2015 started with a colder winter than in previous years. The start of the season, mild and quite sunny, favoured early bud burst. Quick and uniform flowering took place at the start of June thanks to the exceptional climatic conditions. June and July were dry, marked by water stress leading to a clear slow-down in the development of the vine. Véraison took place early and in a very uniform way between 21 July and 10 August. The showers in September gave us the measure, once again, of the qualities of our terroir: drainage was perfect, and the Cabernet Sauvignon on the plateau bordering the estuary benefited from a very beneficial drying wind. Harvest started from 15 September with an increased team of pickers and continued at a sustained pace until 8 October when picking finished. The grapes were of very good quality, and we further strengthened our ultra-precise plot selection, which sometimes involved several passes through a plot in the search for optimum ripeness. In the cellar, the reception line allowed for precision work: 3 sorting tables for bunches preceded double sorting of the berries, optical then by hand. The vinification, respectful of the identity of our terroir, was tailor-made in tanks of sizes adapted to each of the 55 batches that make up our blending palette. To these were added 7 batches resulting from the precision work carried out at the press. At the time of blending, the richness of the batches allowed us to be extremely precise in the selection for the grand vin, the most drastic in 15 years. The first tastings put this vintage among the great years of Château Montrose. 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc
2022 Live Auction Items
The Setting Inn, Willamette Valley
Wine Tastings, Lunch, Chauffeur, 3-Night Weekday Stay for 2
This Experience Includes:
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3-night weekday stay at The Setting Inn, Willamette Valley for 2
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Wine tasting, chauffeur, and lunch
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Winspire booking & concierge service
Perched on a gently sloping hillside with commanding views of the Willamette Valley’s working farms and vineyards, The Setting Inn is the ultimate Oregon Wine Country retreat. The Setting Inn is perfectly situated just minutes from the top wineries and vineyards of Newberg, Dayton, Carlton, and Dundee, Oregon; the heart of the Willamette Valley wine scene. Whether you are wine tasting, visiting for a wine country wedding, enjoying a luxury spa treatment in Newberg, or exploring the local restaurants in downtown McMinnville, the central location makes the hotel one of the best places to stay in the Willamette Valley.
The Setting Inn Willamette Valley (Newberg, Oregon)
Enjoy a 3-night weekday (Sunday - Thursday) stay for 2 in a standard king guest room at The Setting Inn. From the moment you arrive, you are invited to make yourself at home. The boutique hotel experience provides all the charm and convenience of the best inns with the amenities of a luxury resort. Recently renovated, The Setting Inn Willamette Valley is a landmark that ushers in a new standard of modern luxury for Oregon Wine Country accommodations.
For meal options, start your day off with the Europe-meets-Oregon-inspired rustic continental breakfast delivered to your door daily, included with your reservation. Experience the craftsmanship of local Oregonian and Northwest cured meats, cheese, pastries, and even a sparkling mimosa each day all from the comfort of your guest retreat. Additionally, many fine-dining restaurants in the Newberg area offer pick-up and delivery which may be enjoyed in-room, on your private terrace, or in The Event Barn, the signature social gathering space for hotel guests.
Serene and natural northwest landscaping around the ten-acre property includes calming lavender, Cyprus trees, fruit trees, and a boutique vineyard for you to take that perfect selfie. Outdoor fire pits, inviting courtyard, heated terrace, bocce ball court, stunningly modernized event barn, and a variety of retro yard games create a charming ambiance to disconnect from your routine and discover the beauty of your setting. Whether you are looking for things to do in Wine Country or prefer secluded relaxation, you are invited to customize your getaway.
Available dates: January - June 2022; October 2022 - March 2023
Blackout dates: Jan 16-17, Feb 13-14, 20, 21; Apr 17-18; May 29-30; Nov 20-24, Dec 25-26 and Jan 1, 2023. Other blackout dates may apply.
2015 Sena Red Table Wine
Bordeaux Blend - 3L
Chili – Aconcagua Valley
100 Points
Stunning aromas of blackcurrant, stone, blueberry and licorice. Also iodine. Floral. Perfumed. Full body, fantastic density of fruit and ripe tannins. It goes on for minutes on the palate with such energy and focus. Touch of chewiness on the finish. A complex and complete wine that delivers a generosity with firmness.
57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Carmenere, 12% Malbec, 7% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, with now 12% of the wine matured in new Stockinger oak foudres and the rest in barrique for some 22 months. 2015 might have been a slightly warmer year, but the resulting wine is lower in alcohol and higher in acidity, which provide for a more vibrant mouthfeel and a more focused expression of the character of the place. This vintage has half a degree less alcohol, and the acidity is a little more pungent; and, the amount of wine in foudre seems to help the oak to show better integrated.
Drink now through 2023
2018 Tua Rita Syrah Per Sempre
Syrah - 1500ML
Italy – Tuscany
98 Points
The Tua Rita 2018 Syrah Per Sempre is another monumental achievement from this iconic Tuscan estate. Stefano Frascolla and his team have slouched into a very cozy and comfortable relationship with the Syrah grape, and this wine registers marked exuberance, generosity and quality with each vintage that I taste. I had previewed a sample of this 3,500-bottle release earlier in the year but did not give the wine a definitive score. Now on the market, Per Sempre boasts solid footing, rich density, ample fruitiness and pretty notes of spice and charred meat, thanks to 17 months in new French oak. The tannins are especially well managed, soft and integrated.
The 2018 Per Sempre is one of the best examples of this wine I have tasted. The combination of freshness and elegance of the 2018 vintage combined with the powerful expression of Tua Rita's Syrah has created something magical: it has a dense, complex nose with liquorice, blackberry, flint, smoke and roasted meat notes. Big, bold flavours of blackberries, wood smoke and liquorice lead to a juicy, bright, savoury finish. It's concentrated but still manages to be light on its feet.
Tua Rita’s single-variety Syrah demonstrates just how much potential this grape has on the estate’s Suvereto terrain. A markedly Mediterranean character puts this Syrah among the variety’s most successful expressions in Italy, or indeed anywhere else. The wine ages 20-22 months in new French oak barrels and then several months in bottle.
Tua Rita’s vineyards are located in the Cornia valley near Suvereto in the High Tuscan Maremma, in an area known as Metalliferous Hills. The soil composition of pebbles and stones as well as clay, silt and sand, with a generous helping of mineral trace elements, leaves a distinctive mark on Tua Rita’s wines, imparting unique iron-like nuances to the aromatics and lending the palate a delicious hint of saltiness.
2019 Realm The Bard
Proprietary Blend - 1500ML
California – Napa
99 Points
This is a cult cab from one of the hottest names in Napa right now.
The 2019 The Bard checks in as 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, and it’s another dense, rich, powerful wine from this team that readers are going to absolutely love. Coming from throughout the valley (it’s always a great representation of the vintage), it offers up a brilliant nose of crème de cassis, ripe plums, graphite, scorched earth, and chocolate. About as seamless as they come on the palate, it’s full-bodied and has a thrilling texture, building tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It’s one of those wines where I feel like I’m overusing adjectives, but it’s warranted.
The 2019 The Bard is classy and elegant from start to finish. Inky blueberry jam, lavender, spice, rose petal and blood orange lend brightness to this beautifully layered, expressive Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend from Realm. Silky and creamy, The Bard is a winner in 2019. Core vineyard sources are Blair, Houyi and Upper Range for the Cabernet Sauvignon, Farella and Orchard for Merlot and Dr. Crane for Petit Verdot, spread across a total of about 20 separate lots.
Mixed Case of Wine Donated from
Friends of Grape Escape
2014 Buena Vista Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Donated by Lynn Devault and Glo Geghan
2015 Charles Krugg - Ten Clones Cabernet Sauvignon
Donated by Jim and Jean Sanko
2015 Charles Krugg - Voltz Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Donated by Jim and Jean Sanko
2015 Charles Krugg - Cold Springs Cabernet Sauvignon Donated by Jim and Jean Sanko
2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Donated by Carl and Kathy Rohsenberger
2015 Raymond, Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Donated by Phil and Kathy Quinnett
2017 Edna Valley Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc
Donated by Richard and Amy Banks
2015 Castello di Amorosa, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Donated by Stu and Lucy Rymer
Veuve Clicquot Brut
Donated by Jo Benjamin
2017 Paul Hobbs Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Donated by Ken Cagle and Ben Keyser
2008 Amerone della Valpolicella Classico
Donated by Steve and Lucy Ratterman
2015 Silver Oak - Napa Valley
Donated by Coldwell Banker Kinard Realty
2017 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select
Cabernet Sauvignon - 1.5L
California – Napa – Stag’s Leap
98+ Points
Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select displays a deep garnet-purple color, bursting from the glass with scents of blueberry pie, crème de cassis, black cherry compote and chocolate box plus nuances of cedar chest, clove oil, lavender and menthol. The richly fruited, full-bodied palate has a lively skip in its step, featuring gorgeous ripe, velvety tannins and fantastic freshness to support all the spicy black fruit layers, finishing long and perfumed. An absolute triumph!
Wild blackberries and brambleberries on the nose with raw cocoa, cloves and crushed gravel. Violets and orange peel, too. It’s medium-bodied with wonderful purity and depth of fruit, interlaced with dark-chocolate flavors. Firm, well-integrated tannins. Complex and refined with fantastic energy. One of the finest Hillside Selects I have had. Better from 2024
In the running for the wine of the vintage, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is an incredible success and offers more depth, opulence, and purity than just about every other wine out there. Revealing a dense purple color as well as a killer nose of blueberries, chocolate-covered cherries, scorched earth, tobacco, violets, and exotic spices, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a seamless, pure, incredibly layered mouthfeel, building tannins, and a great, great finish. As with most top 2017s, it stays tight and compact on the palate, with notable structure and impressive concentration. It has some up-front appeal given its purity of fruit and balance, yet it's going to take 7-8 years to hit prime time and will be a long-lived bottle of Napa Cabernet. Hats off to Doug Shafer and the team for yet another magical Cabernet Sauvignon!
2016 Beausejour (Duffau Lagarrosse) Bordeaux Blend
Bordeaux Blend - 3L
France – Bordeaux -Saint Emilion
100 Points
Cassis, crushed rocks, graphite, and liquid violet notes all emerge from the 2016 Château Beauséjour, one of the magical wines in this great, great vintage. Possessing full-bodied richness, building tannin, world-class purity of fruit, and an incredible finish, it’s one of those “iron fist in a velvet glove” wines that carries awesome richness and depth, yet just glides over the palate with no sensation of weight or heaviness. This legendary Saint-Emilion needs 6-7 years of cellaring and will keep for 3-4 decades. Don’t miss this wine!
Deep dark in color, this wine is all about the spirit of fresh picked flowers, stony minerals and black cherry. Full bodied and penetrating, the wine has a beautiful sense of purity, lift and finesse. There is intensity, concentration and layers of sweetly saturated, energetic, dark fruits, licorice and boysenberry that just keep going long after the last sip.
Try after 2024
2018 Penfolds Bin 149 Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon - 750ML (6) in Individual Gift Boxes
97 Points
California – Napa
A grade' cabernet, 85.1% from Napa Valley, 4.9% from Barossa, Coonawarra and McLaren Vale. Matured 16 months in 80/20% French/American new oak barrels. While assembling the best cabernet he could put together with his team in the Napa, Peter Gago declared, 'it's all arms and legs, and we can't just throw it together!' He had some Grange and Bin 707 parcels with him for benchmarking and suggested throwing a little in. 'I was more than astonished that this proportion brought it together.' 14.9% Australian looks suspiciously like an attempt to keep it over the threshold of 85% Californian material, but Gago refutes this suggestion. 'We tried 20%, but 14.9% was correct.' The result has been dubbed, 'Wine of the World,' a deep and powerful cabernet of full purple hue that speaks of the density and magnitude that is Penfolds, intricately interwoven with the the sweet fruit lusciousness and ripeness of California. Deep, sweeping strokes of blackcurrant, cassis, black licorice, coal steam and long-lingering satsuma plum all coat the palate. It's wrapped in a confident wave of Penfolds tannins, firm, fine and instilled with great endurance, framed in dark chocolate and coffee bean oak. A grand spectacle with monumental presence and impressive line and length.
Lots of blackberry, currant, light chocolate and hazelnut. This is rather dense and plush, but shows impressive layers of tannins that have a rough-velvet texture. Juicy and intense fruit. The grapes come from the AVAs of Rutherford, Calistoga, Oakville and then spread across Napa. 14.9% comes from South Australia. A global wine. In the end, it’s nicely toned and curated. Needs three or four years to come together. Try after 2025
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 149 is a blend of fruit from Rutherford, Calistoga and Oakville plus 15% South Australia Cabernet. Inky, deep and unctuous, the 2018 is a total knock-out. Although quite opulent and rich in feel, the 2018 also has tons of backing structure to balance things out. All the elements come together effortlessly. It was aged in 100% new oak, 80% French and 20% American.
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2018 Larcis-Ducasse Bordeaux Blend
Bordeaux Blend - 3L
France – Bordeaux -Saint Emilion
100 Points
The 2018 Château Larcis Ducasse comes from a gorgeous hillside terroir on the Côte Pavie, located between Château Pavie and Château Bellefont-Belcier. Aged 18 months in 60% new barrels, it offers a truly sensational bouquet of ripe blackcurrants, espresso roast, scorched earth, bloody meat, chocolate, iron, and bouquet garni. A massive, super-rich Saint-Emilion with a dense, concentrated, layered mouthfeel, it has building yet sweet tannins and incredible purity of fruit. Reminding me of the 2005 shortly after release, this heavenly juice offers astonishing richness and depth while staying flawlessly balanced and elegant. Sadly, there are less than 3,000 cases produced, but this monumental, legendary wine won't hit maturity for a good 8-10 years and will have 40-50 years of longevity if well stored. Hats off to Nicolas Thienpont and consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt for producing one of the wines of the vintage as well as one of the greatest young Bordeaux I've ever tasted.
With a good depth of color the wine serves up its blend of roasted cherries, licorice, smoke, flowers, plum liqueur, espresso, kirsch and black raspberries with zero effort. The wine is dense, full-bodied and concentrated. Yet with all its weight and richness, everything is in balance. Texturally, all the fruit is drenched in velvet, rocks and stones. The seamless finish sticks with you for at least 50 seconds. The wine blends 89% Merlot with 11% Cabernet Franc
Mini Flight La Gaffeliere Bordeaux Blend
2015 La Gaffeliere Bordeaux Blend
Bordeaux Blend - 750ML (2)
France – Bordeaux -Saint Emilion
97 Points
The 2015 La Gaffelière is a wine of total finesse. Much less obvious and overt than most Saint-Émilions in this vintage, La Gaffelière makes its case on harmony and grace above all else. Bright, lifted Cabernet Franc–infused aromatics give the 2015 striking freshness and aromatic presence. The flavors are bright and nuanced to the core, with plenty of red cherry, espresso and floral notes. But back to the basics. In 2015 La Gaffelière is a wine that stands out because of its impeccable balance and sense of proportion. I loved it.
2016 La Gaffeliere Bordeaux Blend
Bordeaux Blend - 750ML (2)
France – Bordeaux -Saint Emilion
97 Points
A warm wine rich in tannins and with succulent berry fruits, this is both powerful and elegant. Its density doesn't detract from the fruitiness that shines out of the wine and balances with the structured aging potential. Drink the wine from 2025.
This is really decadent and rich with great aromas of earth, spice, frost flowers and fresh mushrooms that follow through to a full body, firm and chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Very, very serious from here. A blend of 70 per cent merlot and 30 per cent cabernet franc
2005 Gruaud Larose
2021 Ex-Chateau Release
1500 ml
98pts
Needs coaxing out of the glass, as is true with so many 2005s even at 16 years old, but straight off the first nose you get the most beautiful nuance and turmeric-strewn spice. It's exotic if subtle, with a creamy texture, grilled oak, black chocolate shavings, cassis and raspberry, all with the most beautiful sense of tiptoing through the palate, holding the line. Exceptionally well balanced, slate and smoked earth, giving signature St Julien finesse. You have really had to be patient for this wine, but it is utterly spellbinding, and starting to show its potential. Harvest September 20 to October 10. This one really does benefit from being carafed, because it keeps so much of itself hidden (I tasted it once in a carafe and once straight from the bottle). Brilliant, full of flavour.
