Wine Alert: New Arrivals at NapaCabs.com: February 2011

D'Arenberg 2008 Shiraz McLaren Vale The Stump Jump

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 90Pts - #82 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2009 - Tasting Notes - According to the Wine Spectator; Ripe and open-textured, this is impressive for the way it packs in the cherry, blackberry and raspberry flavors and doesn’t take the foot off the gas pedal until the mineral-inflected finish has played through. Drink now through 2018.

Castello D'Albola 2007 Chianti Classico

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 90pts. - #47 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2010 - According to the Wine Spectator: This is what Chianti should taste like, with plenty of dark cherry and floral aromas and flavors that say Sangiovese. Fresh and fruity. Drink now.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 90pts. - According to the Wine Spectator: Polished, round and generous, offering a plush mouthful of blackberry, cherry and mint flavors that ride easily over bfine tannins through the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2015. Winemaker Notes - The Indian Wells Cabernet is our warm climate ripe, jammy "New World" style of Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine really typifies the Wahluke Slope region with up front, dark fruit aromas and flavors with hints of vanilla. Vineyards in the area are more than a decade old now and showing character and complexity.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 90pts. - According to the Wine Spectator: Dark and rich, this is smoothly packed with blueberry, plum and currant fruit that picks up white pepper and floral notes on the finish. Lingering easily, this should hold nicely. Drink now through 2014.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 90pts. - According to the Wine Spectator: An enticing red, bursting with juicy blackberry, black currant and spice flavors, accented by violet and mineral, with a vibrant structure that provides focus and persistence. Drink now through 2012.

Dona Paula 2009 Estate Malbec Mendoza

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 90 Pts. - Winemaker's Notes - Our Dona Paula Estate Malbec presents an intense violet color, plums, black cherries, licorice and dried herbs aromas in the nose. Sweet, round and ample in the mouth with a lingering finish.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 91 Pts - According to Wine Spectator - "Supple, ripe and inviting, featuring licorice and pepper overtones to the dark berries at the core, finishing with tight structure and an expressive range of flavors. Best from 2011 through 2015. 900 cases made." - The 2007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is crimson-colored with an attractive perfume of cigar box, incense, olives, sage, black currant, and blackberry. Medium-bodied, easy-going, and spicy, it is likely to evolve for 1-2 years and will drink well through 2019.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 90pts. - #90 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2010 - According to the Wine Spectator: Very ripe and primal still, delivering a large core of velvety textured raspberry, fig and boysenberry fruit that is liberally laced with dark toast, pastis and roasted vanilla. Should settle in nicely with modest cellaring, as the structure is dense, but polished and integrated. Drink now through 2011.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 91pts. - According to the Wine Spectator: Shows Indian spices and ripe berries on the nose. Opens up beautifully. Full-bodied, yet refined and very polished. A long, lovely red. Best after 2010. 5,100 cases made. Winemaker Notes - Deep black plum, ripe blackberry and rose petal aromas fill the nose of this wine. The mouth shows abundant fresh fruit, with loads of red cherry, blackberry and plummy flavors, hints of mocha, and smooth, firm tannins.

Aia Vecchia 2007 Lagone Toscana

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 90pts Winemaker Notes - Lagone has a warm deep red colour close to purple. Delicate aromas of Mediterranean wood and vanilla emphasize the structured and elegant taste with intense notes of wild berries, ripe juicy sour cherries and hints of sweet spices that leave the palate satisfied and pleasantly sweet and dry. Tibor Gál has been able to create a blend marked by the Italian "terroir" together with the "finesse" of a great French red wine. The wine is well structured with a strong and mellow texture. In short, a modern red wine of the best quality.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 90pts. - According to the Wine Spectator: An elegant red, with an interesting hint of juniper and savory herb to the red fruit flavors. Well-structured and balanced, with a succulent finish. Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache. Drink now through 2014.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 90pts. - According to the Wine Spectator: Starts off with a blast of dark berry and spice, then expands into nuances of wet earth, crushed stone and coffee, the fruit rejoining the chorus on the finish. This has a sense of refinement. Best from 2012 through 2018. Winemaker Notes - A spicy Shiraz from the vineyards of Central Victoria brightens with a boost of Viognier for aroma and balance, as often practiced in France’s most highly regarded appellation of the Northern Rhone Valley, Cote Rotie. The grapes grown in this Austrialian vineyard where planted on 19th century French rootstocks, another nod to the French tradition & influence in this new world wine. This wine is a collaborative effort between two renowned wine families; Chapoutier from the Rhone Valley in France, and Terlato family of Napa Valley in California.

Ruffino 2007 Il Ducale Toscana

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 90pts. - According to the Wine Spectator: A little lean, but there's plenty of ripe fruit, offering berry and blueberry aromas and flavors, with hints of light toasty oak. This should soften with bottle age. Best after 2011.

Castello Di Bossi 2006 Chianti Classico

Today, 3:27 PM

WA 90pts. - WS 90pts. - According to the Wine Advocate: The 2006 Chianti Classico (100% Sangiovese) is truly beautiful as it opens up in the glass, revealing tons of fruit in the powerful, ripe style that is typical of Castelnuovo. The wine possesses tons of stuffing and richness yet maintains notable clarity. Not only is this Chianti Classico a superb value, it can also challenge wines costing twice as much. Needless to say, it is highly recommended. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2016. This is a superb set of wines from Castello di Bossi and proprietor Marco Bacci. The estate is located in Castelnuovo Berardenga, the warmest and most southerly of the Chianti Classico villages, and the wines are loaded with Castelnuovo character.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 90pts - Ripe and flashy, with a showy layer of mocha leading the way for spice cake, raspberry and boysenberry fruit flavors laid over a lush, creamy finish. Dense but lithe, with the fruit echoing through the finish.

Massolino 2009 Dolcetto D'Alba

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 90pts - According to the Wine Spectator - Beautifully focused cherry aromas and flavors are augmented by a kiss of oak in this vibrant, detailed red, which is well-integrated, complex and long for the category. Drink now through 2013. 600 cases imported. –BS

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 91pts. - #61 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2010 - According to the Wine Spectator: Fresh and vibrant, this is medium-weight and juicily focused to show its blackberry, black plum and white pepper flavors, lingering with hints of white chocolate on the harmonious finish. Drink now through 2018. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 8,000 cases made.

Montes Alpha 2008 Syrah Apalta Vineyard

Today, 3:27 PM

WA 91pts. - WS 90pts. - According to the Wine Advocate: The 2008 Alpha Syrah is purple/black in color with an alluring nose of smoke, game, mineral, underbrush, and blueberry. Medium- to full-bodied, succulent and chewy on the palate, this lengthy effort is likely to evolve for 1-2 years but can be approached now. According to the Wine Spectator: A ripe, up-front style, displaying lots of briar, anise, plum cake and fig flavors that push through the juicy, full-bodied finish. Very solid. Drink now.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 90pts. - WE 90pts. - According to the Wine Spectator: Rock-solid, with nicely integrated structure for the vintage, allowing the full-bodied core of loam, blackberry, fig sauce and raspberry to stretch out, with lingering mint and cocoa notes on the plush, fleshy finish. Drink now through 2011. According to the Wine Enthusiast: Stands out for its fruit quality, balance and structure. The nose is strong and piercing with charred notes, black fruit aromas and depth. Ripe and clean in the mouth, with elevated blackberry flavors and a chewy, meaty mouthfeel. Toasty and tasting of blacke licorice on the finish. A serious, well-made Chilean Cab to drink now through 2012.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 90pts. - W&S 90pts. - According to the Wine Spectator: A nice plush style, with weighty black currant and fig fruit layered over notes of loam, coffee and sage, followed by a long finish that's tinged with cocoa. There's ample grip for the vintage. This also contains Cabernet Franc and Syrah. Drink now through 2011. 3,400 cases imported. Winemaker Notes - A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon 19% Carménère 9% Cabernet franc and 7% Syrah. Lively, spicy in the nose has a different and intense character of Upper Maipo Valley. Nice, elegant style. This wine is well balanced with a succulent length presenting black fruits blended with cassis and cigar notes in the palate. Drink now until 2013.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 91pts. - According to the Wine Spectator: An ambitious style, with very bold licorice, fruitcake and spice aromas giving way to richly layered blackberry, raspberry ganache and linzer torte notes. The long, toasty finish has plenty of fruit in reserve. Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2011. 600 cases imported.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 91pts. - According to the Wine Spectator: Polished and very focused, with a terrific beam of red and black currant fruit, fig cake and melted licorice notes that glide over seamless structure. A tangy iron hint and fresh acidity lengthen the finish. Drink now through 2013. 550 cases imported.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 91pts. - WA 90pts. - #65 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2010 - According to the Wine Spectator: A burly Rufina, offering dried dark fruits and chewy tannins, with an aftertaste of dark chocolate and mineral. Full and satisfying, with fresh acidity on the back palate. A go-to Chianti. Drink now. 121,000 cases made. According to the Wine Advocate: The 2007 Chianti Rufina Riserva shows the open, opulent personality that makes this vintage so alluring. Ripe, silky tannins frame a core of red fruits, flowers and spices, all of which come together with unsual grace. Though medium in body, there is wonderful generosity to the fruit, not to mention fabulous overall balance. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2015.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 91pts - Tasting Notes - Distinctive, with a strong, racy graphite underpinning carrying the raspberry ganache, spice, incense and sweet olive notes through a long, fine-grained finish. Really enticing. Drink now through 2013. 500 cases imported. Winemaker Notes - Bertrand’s top cuvee is Les Pensees de Pallus. While making less expensive wines for the French market, he selects his oldest and best vines to produce Les Pensees.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 90pts. - According to the Wine Spectator: This modern red shows toasty oak flavors of mocha and smoke, with luscious blackberry and black cherry fruit supported by ripe tannins. Balanced and lively. Drink now through 2014.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 90pts. - Black cherry, wood smoke and bacon notes mingle in this firm, fresh red. Balanced and lively, not muscular but focused. A bit austere now, but should evolve well. Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Drink now through 2015.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 92pts. - Winemaker Notes - Blackberry, cherry and plum fruit aromas and flavors are accented by vanilla, allspice and cocoa. The richly textured mid-palate is balanced by medium tannins and a lengthy finish.

Achaval-Ferrer 2009 Malbec Mendoza

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 91pts. - According to the Wine Spectator: A nice minerally spine drives this, with the core of damson plum, raspberry ganache and blackberry fruit staying sweet but racy and defined. Violet and graphite hints add length on the mouthwatering finish. Drink now. 12,000 cases made.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 90pts - According to the Wine Spectator - Black cherry fruit is ripe yet crisp in this focused red, framed by smoky oak and balanced by tobacco and mineral notes. Medium-bodied, with good drive and intensity. Drink now through 2014.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 90pts. - According to the Wine Spectator: Offers good richness, density and complexity of flavors, which are layered and built around wild berry, huckleberry, fresh earth and floral scents. Full-bodied, ending with a long, persistent finish. Drink now through 2015. 13,500 cases made. Winemaker Notes - While Domaine Chandon is best known as one of America's top sparkling wine houses, we also produce limited quantities of still wines from estate grown vineyards. We craft these wines by drawing on our experience with the traditional champagne varieties and by showcasing select parcels from our Carneros ranch, where we were among the pioneering growers of this appellation. The Carneros terrain is of well-drained rolling hills and a cool climate due to the influence of nearby San Pablo Bay. This is perfect Pinot Noir country from which Domaine Chandon has been crafting small quantities of this varietal since 1996. As one of the most challenging yet rewarding grape varieties...

Mas Gabinele 2004 Faugeres

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 90pts. - According to the Wine Spectator: There's impressive minerality to the dark fruit flavors and smoke notes that fill this ripe red to the brim. The powerfully tannic finish features intense baker's chocolate notes. Best from 2010 through 2014. 400 cases made. Importer Notes - Faugeres is located in northern Languedoc and the vineyards are planted on steep, south-facing slopes. The spine, fruit and structure all take a back seat to the seamless texture. This blend of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvedre stands powerfully and gracefully. I'm not sure of the exact cepage but I would figure that Syrah is probably about half the blend with Mourvedre and Grenache adding suppleness. There is a bit of Christmas spice indicating some moderate oak use. The tannins are refined but present and perfectly encase the boysenberry, black cherry richness that caresses and then slowly dissipates as the acidity and cocoa notes lend a final dash of goodness to this treat.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 91pts , WA 90pts - According to the Wine Spectator - Lithe and distinctive for its orange peel accented black cherry and licorice flavors, lingering harmoniously on the fine-grained finish. Drink now through 2012. 550 cases imported. –HS

Querceto 2005 Chianti Classico Riserva

Today, 3:27 PM

WA 91pts. - WS 90pts. - According to the Wine Advocate: The 2005 Chianti Classico Riserva is an intense, weighty wine loaded with black cherries, minerals, violets and grilled herbs. The wine reveals good length and balance in a medium to full-bodied style that will require some patience for the tannins to soften a bit. The finish and overall balance are those of a first-class wine. This is a delicious Chianti that should offer very fine drinking over the coming years. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2021. According to the Wine Spectator: Tight and superclean, delivering crushed blackberry, prune, oak and slate on the nose and palate. Medium- to full-bodied, with firm, mineral-coated tannins and a long, sturdy finish. Layered. Wait for this one. Best from 2009 through 2012. 9,000 cases made.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 91pts. - WE 91pts. - #66 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2010 - According to the Wine Enthusiast: Lush and rich, but not overbearing. Fig paste, crushed plum and dark blueberry fruit mingles with extra licorice snap and dark chocolate notes, with nicely embedded acidity carrying the finish. Drink now through 2011.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 91pts. - According to the Wine Spectator: Dense and jammy, with blackberry and black olive aromas that lead to zesty, complex huckleberry, licorice and black pepper flavors. Drink now through 2015. 1,300 cases made. (Special Order Item - May require an additional 3 to 5 business days. Please contact us to check availability. support@napacabs.com 800.410.6004)

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 91pts. - According to the Wine Spectator: Polished, focused and enticing for its floral, white pepper–accented currant and blackberry flavors, playing against a mild grip of fine tannins as the finish lingers. Drink now through 2016. Winemaker Notes - A rich, dark, focused, and balanced Pinot Noir, this is a very nice introduction for 2008. Perfectly colored red-purple-black, this well-extracted wine carries gobs of fruit, good structure, and a nice, long finish. Exotic aromas and flavors of clove, cardamom, pepper spice, mineral, orange marmalade, green tea, and plum as well as herbal and brown forest-floor characters make this wine complex and always evolving. It is still tightly wound at release, with great acid and a moderate weight that will plump even more with age. We wish we were able to make more of this wine.

Artezin 2006 Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 90pts - According to the Wine Spectator - A real spice bomb, loaded with black cherry and caramel notes and jammy, appealingly complex huckleberry, toasty licorice and loamy sage flavors. Drink now through 2014. 2,750 cases made.

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 93pts. - #38 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2010 - According to the Wine Spectator: This red shows focus and depth, with admirable purity to its black cherry, mineral, tobacco and tar notes. Offers an excellent balance of firm, well-integrated tannins and clean acidity. Not showy, but rock-solid. Drink now through 2016. 10,000 cases made.

Today, 3:27 PM

WA 91pts. - WS 90pts. - According to the Wine Advocate: The 2006 Gran Malbec is more substantial. A saturated purple color, it has a superb aromatic display of wood smoke, spice box, violets, mineral, and black cherry. Layered, bordering on opulent on the palate, it has gobs of spicy black cherry flavors with notes of chocolate and espresso also emerging. The wine has enough stuffing to improve for another 2-3 years and will be at its best from 2010 to 2018. Paul Hobbs, with 20 years of experience working in Argentina, is the winemaking consultant at Riglos. According to the Wine Spectator: This is high-toned up front, with vanilla, cherry and red currant fruit that carries through on the polished palate. Round and easy through the finish, with the fruit showing a dark hint of plum near the end. Drink now through 2009. 828 cases made.

Piccini 2004 Sasso al Poggio Toscana

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 90pts - According to the Wine Spectator - Very jammy for the vintage, with plum and raspberry character. Full and very soft, with round tannins and a long caressing finish. Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet. Best after 2009. 25,000 cases made. –JS

Today, 3:27 PM

WS 90pts. - Winemaker Notes - On this austere site, planted with much-sought-after Primitivo clone of Zinfandel, vines struggle but manage to maintain a naturally perfect balance between foliage and clusters. The resulting wine displays a marked sophistication often lacking in Zinfandel. rich, spicy flavors and deep intense pigmentation are a sure sign of fully ripened fruit. Classically structured.

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Monday, February 28, 2011

New Wines: Cambria Julia, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd

90 Plus Red Wines Under $20