Wine in Black Ultra Premium-Paket

Wine in Black

Dass wir heute in den Genuss dieses herausragenden Pinot Noir aus Südafrika kommen, haben wir Peter Finlayson zu verdanken. Denn er gilt als Pinot-Pionier am Kap. Und wie der Name bereits vermuten lässt, vereint der 'Tête de Cuvée' das Beste, das seine Weinberge zu bieten haben. Längst nicht jedes Jahr kommt der Wein auf die Flasche. Wenn die Fässer jedoch den gestrengen Qualitätsansprüchen genügen, kann man sich auf spektakuläres Wein-Kino gefasst machen. 2019 war es mal wieder soweit. Und das, obwohl kurz vor der Lese verheerende Brände das Hemel-en-Aarde-Tal heimsuchten. Die Weinberge von Bouchard Finlayson blieben hiervon jedoch glücklicherweise verschont und so konnten perfekt gereifte Trauben eingebracht werden. Nur sechs Fässer fanden letztendlich ihren Weg in die Prestige-Cuvée, die Menge ist also extrem limitiert. Im Bouquet verweben sich frische Cranberry- und saftige Pflaumenaromen mit pikanten exotischen Gewürzen. Angetrieben von geschmeidigen und gut definierten Tanninen, gleitet der Wein elegant über die Zunge. Ein fein strukturierter Kern von erdiger Salzigkeit führt zu einem anhaltenden Abgang. Wildgeflügel, Steinpilzrisotto oder auch Ente harmonieren hiermit perfekt.

Wine in Black

Absolut beeindruckend was die Pioniere der Familie Yllera zusammen mit Wein-Papst Jean-Claude Berrouet aus diesem Tempranillo herausgeholt haben. Die perfekte Balance zwischen samtiger Eleganz und lebhafter Frische!

Tim Atkin

Robert Parker

The eponymous 2016 Vivaltus was really impressive. I was already amazed at the unbottled sample, and the finished wine seems even better! It's a blend of Tempranillo with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, mostly from old vines. It fermented in stainless steel with neutral yeasts and aged for around 12 months in French barriques, 20% of them new. But there's no oak in the nose, which is ethereal and perfumed, elegant and nuanced, with notes of violets, wild berries and herbs. The palate shows ultra-refined tannins and comes through as beautifully textured, with a fine, chalky minerality, very good precision, clean and focused flavors and a long, tasty finish. This is really amazing.

Guía Peñín

Colour: bright cherry, garnet rim; Aroma: complex, expressive, spicy, mineral, fruit expression, ripe fruit, earthy notes; Flavour: elegant, full-bodied, long, great length

Wine in Black

Es gibt eigentlich nicht mehr zu sagen als „Wow“: Einfach unglaublich, was die Truppen von Château Cheval Blanc und Terrazas de los Andes im Rahmen ihrer Kooperation in Argentinien auf die Beine stellen. So schmeckt Weltklasse!

Tim Atkin

The 2019 Cheval des Andes had a more reductive vinification and élevage, making the wine a bit shy and in need of time to open up, as one of their objectives was to make it more age-worthy. Another objective is to get to a 50/50 blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, which they achieved in this vintage for the first time, going back to the initial character of the wine that was the idea of Argentinean winemaker Roberto de la Mota; so, they are closing the circle and going back to the initial idea, with more implication from the Cheval Blanc team. This is the first vintage fully under the charge of the new French winemaker, Gerald Gabillet, who fermented by plot, isolating some specific parts of the vineyard, like the borders where you tend to get higher yields because of the irrigation. It matured in 225- and 400-liter oak barrels and in oak vats. They used more barrels and vats from Stockinger, which they like and rotate; the wine spends an average of 13 to 14 months in oak, but some lots get 11 months and others get 16. 2019 was a mild vintage, cooler than 2017 and warmer than 2018, with rain at the right time, which helped to avoid hydric stress, and without extremes (which they had in 2020 with three weeks of extreme heat). The wine is young and tender and a bit oaky, which Gerald attributed to the reductiveness; it's ripe without excess, with around 14.2% alcohol, mellow acidity and velvety tannins.

Robert Parker

The 2019 Cheval des Andes had a more reductive vinification and élevage, making the wine a bit shy and in need of time to open up, as one of their objectives was to make it more age-worthy. Another objective is to get to a 50/50 blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, which they achieved in this vintage for the first time, going back to the initial character of the wine that was the idea of Argentinean winemaker Roberto de la Mota; so, they are closing the circle and going back to the initial idea, with more implication from the Cheval Blanc team. This is the first vintage fully under the charge of the new French winemaker, Gerald Gabillet, who fermented by plot, isolating some specific parts of the vineyard, like the borders where you tend to get higher yields because of the irrigation. It matured in 225- and 400-liter oak barrels and in oak vats. They used more barrels and vats from Stockinger, which they like and rotate; the wine spends an average of 13 to 14 months in oak, but some lots get 11 months and others get 16. 2019 was a mild vintage, cooler than 2017 and warmer than 2018, with rain at the right time, which helped to avoid hydric stress, and without extremes (which they had in 2020 with three weeks of extreme heat). The wine is young and tender and a bit oaky, which Gerald attributed to the reductiveness; it's ripe without excess, with around 14.2% alcohol, mellow acidity and velvety tannins. There's more Cabernet here, so the aromatic expression can be something between 2017 and 2018, but Cabernet marks the palate a lot and makes the wine more age-worthy, as it provides the structure and length that the Malbec lacks.

James Suckling

A refined but spicy Cheval, showing charcoal, blueberries, wild herbs, lavender and hints of bacon and cedar. Medium to full body with extremely fine tannins that get dialed into the fruit with violet, spices and sweet blue fruit at the end. Long and subtle.

Wine in Black

Annie Favia und Andy Erickson sind privat und beruflich ein Traumpaar: Gemeinsam und natürlich mit dem Zutun der kalifornischen Sonne schaffen sie Wein-Monumente wie den 2019er ‚Cerro Sur‘, der von James Suckling mit fantastischen 97 Punkten und von Vinous mit sensationellen 98 Punkten bewertet wurde. Der nur minimal intervenierende Stil der beiden bringt das Besondere im Zusammenspiel zwischen Reben und Terroir zum Vorschein. „Die Trauben sprechen mehr als das Winemaking“, staunt man bei Decanter. Unglaubliche 100 Punkte sind der verdiente Lohn!

Decanter

A new addition to the Place de Bordeaux this year - the eponymous project of husband and wife duo; viticulturist Annie Favia and winemaker Andy Erickson. A beautifully scented nose full of rose and violet touches, the Cabernet Franc nuances leap from the glass - fresh and minty, full of herbal sun-kissed ripe fruit but pristinely delivered. Smooth and driving on the palate, crunchy, crisp flavours give a real bite to the palate - red berries, blackcurrants and raisins, all nicely integrated and balanced. This doesn't feel super worked and polished, instead it gives crystalline iron-minerality, lifted acidity and fragrance throughout - real signatures of the terroir and the minimal interventionist winemaking style - the grapes speak more than the winemaking. I just love the sense of wildness, a smoked touch with blue fruits, Asian spices and slightly angular tannins but with ripe fruit giving the body and cool acidity giving the freshness. A stunning wine and welcome addition to the Place. Ageing in French oak barrels (50% new).

James Suckling

This mostly cabernet franc shows intriguing character of tar, graphite, ink and black berries, following through to a medium to full body with layered and slightly dusty tannins and a succulent finish.

Wine in Black

Luca Sanjust produziert den ‚Val d’Arno di Sopra Galatrona‘ seit 1994 – ein unglaublich samtiger Merlot und Petrolos Top-Wein, der regelmäßig Punkte-Ovationen von Kritikergrößen erhält. Und so „punktete“ auch die 2020er Edition bei Robert Parkers Wine Advocate und James Suckling! All das ist gar nicht verwunderlich, hat sich das toskanische Gut, gelegen zwischen Florenz, Arezzo und Siena, doch auf biologischen Weinbau und klassische, elegante Weine mit sagenhafter Länge spezialisiert.

James Suckling

Subtle yet intense aromas of black fruit and violets. Extremely perfumed. Crushed stones. Medium-bodied with ultra-fine tannins that give a mouth-feel of velvet that goes on for minutes. Refined and fresh. Al-dente fruit. From organically grown grapes.

Robert Parker

The Petrolo 2020 Galatrona is a pure expression of organic Merlot and the estate's headline wine. It was first created in 1994 when Luca Sanjust's second child, Lucia, was born. Despite the summer heat that became a challenge for winemakers in many corners of Tuscany, Galatrona shows terrific results in 2020. The vineyard is located in a cool and thickly forested position almost exactly between Florence, Arezzo and Siena. The vintage has a classic quality with a subtle bouquet that grows in intensity as the wine opens in the glass. Aromas of cherry, toasted almond and dried mint fuel a long and very elegant finish. The oak tannins are soft and sweet, and the wine boasts long-lasting flavors.

Wine in Black

Zweifellos ein außergewöhnlicher Wein: Die sorgfältige Vinifikation auf dem Strohlager verleiht ihm eine bemerkenswerte Konzentration und Tiefe. Die perfekte Balance zwischen Süße und Säure zeugt von meisterhaftem Handwerk. Dieser Wein ist ein wunderbares Beispiel für das Können von Michel Chapoutier und zeigt eindrucksvoll, warum er als einer der besten Winzer in der Region gilt.

Wine Spectator

This gives all the caramel, dried apricot, date, marzipan and lemon crème flavors you expect from a great German TBA, along with a burnished leather, mineral and matchstick underpinning that sets it apart. An amazing wine.