CALIFORNIA

Opus One Case

"The 2019 Cabernets are big, bold wines that show the extroverted side of Napa Valley... the best 2019s are positively thrilling. Those big tannins take the place of acid in giving the wines energy."

Antonio Galloni, Vinous

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*** RELEASED ***


Opus One

Regarded as a Californian First Growth, Opus One stands out for its refinement and silkiness, marrying Napa fruit with the elegance of Bordeaux, and wide drinking window.  A blue chip wine that enjoys widespread popularity across the major markets of Europe, US, and Japan and throughout Asia.  Overture is the delicious second wine of Opus One, a multi-vintage blend made for earlier drinking.

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2019Opus One, Mondavi & Rothschild6x75cl6-£1,620CS(6)[Add to shopping basket]98 JA

 "The purity of fruit is really something else here, with currants and fresh flowers, such as violets and roses. Flower stems as well. Fantastic length and structure to the wine, with tightness and focus. Wonderful fruit. Graceful. A blend of 78% cabernet sauvignon, 8% merlot, 7% petit verdot, 6% cabernet franc and 1% malbec."

 99 | James Suckling


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0000Overture By Opus One, Mondavi & Rothschild (2022 Release)6x75cl--£680CS(6)[Add to shopping basket]93 JA

"Gorgeous plum colour, sumptuous and ready to dive into. The aromatics are deliciously open, with crunchy raspberry and blueberry fruits, balanced and well put together."

93 | Jane Anson

 


Beaulieu Vineyard

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2019Georges De Latour Private Reserve, Beaulieu Vineyard6x75cl--£690CS(6)[Add to shopping basket]100 JS

 "Wow! The aromas to this are really exceptional, with a tangerine edge to the blackcurrants, graphite, lead pencil, flowers and wet earth. It changes all the time. So expressive and refined. Full-bodied with great intensity and depth of fruit. The ultra-fine tannins display millions of layers. The texture on the palate is superb and lasts for minutes. This is the new 1974 George de Latour, which was a legend. Real Napa Valley red here. Drinkable now, to understand it, but truly great in five to six years and onwards. Benchmark."

 100 | James Suckling

 


Inglenook

In 1975, using the profits he made from the Godfather I and II films, Francis Ford Coppola purchased the grand Inglenook property in Napa, one of the oldest and most picturesque wine estates in the valley.  Today, Inglenook makes elegant Napa Cabernet, inspired by old-style California and Bordeaux, thanks to the influence of Philippe Bascaules, Estate Director of Inglenook since 2011 (who divides his time between Napa and his other role as Managing Director of Chateau Margaux).  The flagship Rubicon is made from the estate's best plots of Cabernet Sauvignon and is highly sought after.

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PerActionsScore
2019Cabernet Sauvignon, Inglenook6x75cl--£366CS(6)[Add to shopping basket]95 JS

 "The purity of fruit is really something else here, with currants and fresh flowers, such as violets and roses. Flower stems as well. Fantastic length and structure to the wine, with tightness and focus. Wonderful fruit. Graceful. A blend of 78% cabernet sauvignon, 8% merlot, 7% petit verdot, 6% cabernet franc and 1% malbec."

 95 | James Suckling


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2019Rubicon, Inglenook6x75cl--£858CS(6)[Add to shopping basket]97 JS

 "A storrming, stonking Napa wine, playing at the top of its game in 2019. Somehow takes the power and concentration of Napa but makes it full of texture, life, light and shade. Espresso, liqourice root, cocoa bean, cassis, cranberry, black cherry, cold ash and crayon. Hard not to fall in love with, nothing overdone, everything in its place."

 100 | Jane Anson


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2020Blancaneaux, Inglenook6x75cl2-£276CS(6)[Add to shopping basket]97 JA

 "Spicy and focused white wine, with depth and width to its flavours, strewn with slate, spliced white pear, peach pit and rosemary-studded stone fruit. Grippy and taut, showcasing just how well Rhone blends can work in the Napa climate."

 97 | Jane Anson

 


Joseph Phelps

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PerActionsScore
2019Cabernet Sauvignon, Joseph Phelps6x75cl--£318CS(6)[Add to shopping basket]94 JS

 "Blackberry and light dried fruit with oyster-shell undertones. It’s full-bodied with round, lightly chewy tannins that nicely accentuate the fruit character. Walnuts and wet earth. Delicious now, but better in two or three years."

 94 | James Suckling


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2019Insignia, Joseph Phelps6x75cl--£1,152CS(6)[Add to shopping basket]98 JS

 "A very aromatic Insignia with pencil-shaving and graphite highlights to the dark fruit and blackberries. Full-bodied, yet tensioned and vertical, with very fine tannins that run deep and layered in the wine. Needs time to come together, but fantastic tension and structure. Try after 2027."

 98 | James Suckling

 


L'Aventure

L'Aventure Winery is one of the reference point estates in Paso Robles, Central Coast California. Proprietor Stephan Asseo was originally from Pomerol and was attracted to the Paso Robles region for its soil and microclimate; all of the cuvees are made exclusively from estate grown fruit with no fining or filtration.  The entry level Optimus is a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot; the Cote à Cote is based on Grenache with smaller parts Mouvedre and Syrah, very low yields. The Estate Cuvee is a blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon with a small percentage of Petit Verdot, very low yields of 1.5 to 2 tons per acre.

VintageWineSizeCsBtPrice
PerActionsScore
2020Optimus, L'Aventure6x75cl--£264CS(6)[Add to shopping basket]92 JA

 "The entry level Optimus is always a sure bet, and the 2020 has lots to love, offering plenty of up-front dark fruit, pepper, and graphite notes in a full-bodied, deep, textured style."

 92-94 | Jeb Dunnuck


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2020Cote A Cote, L'Aventure6x75cl--£456CS(6)[Add to shopping basket]94 JA

 "The 2020 Cote a Cotes checks in as 45% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 22% Mourvèdre, with the balance Graciano and Viognier, that was brought up in equal parts barrel, concrete, and amphora. It’s a full-bodied, ripe, sexy wine offering fabulous dark fruits as well as subtle violet and orange blossom aromatics. The balance is spot on, it has terrific purity, and it’s another brilliant wine in the making."

 95-97 | Jeb Dunnuck


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2020Estate Cuvee, L'Aventure6x75cl--£498CS(6)[Add to shopping basket]96-98 JD

 "Lastly, the 2020 Estate Cuvee is based on 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Petit Verdot, all of which is resting in around 85% new French oak. It has a deep purple hue as well as rock star notes of blackberries, ground pepper, chocolate, and chalky minerality. I love its texture, purity, and balance, and this is certainly another beautiful, classic wine from this talented team."

 96-98+ | Jeb Dunnuck

   


*** AWAITING RELEASE ***


Dalla Vale

VintageWineSizeCsBtPrice
PerActionsScore
2019Maya, Dalla Valle6x75cl--£0CS(6)[Add to shopping basket]100 LPB

 "As fans know, Maya comes from a very special section of the estate vineyard, situated in the valley's eastern foothills, below Pritchard Hill and in the above the Oakville floor, overlooking Screaming Eagle. The blend is two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon and one-third Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Maya slowly unfurls to reveal a firework display of redcurrant preserves, kirsch, boysenberries and wild blueberries, followed by iron ore, red roses, cardamom, fallen leaves and crushed rocks, with a waft of pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is stunningly graceful and refined, featuring exhilarating mineral sparks among the red and black fruits, finishing with so much brightness and energy. Breathtaking!"

 100 | Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate