Contact A Wine Expert: info@brix26.com | 866.427.4926
International
Marqués de Murrieta 2016 "Finca Ygay" Rioja Riserva
$ 27.99
94 Point Rioja
One of Rioja's finest Riservas from Marques de Murrieta.
94 Points James Suckling: "This is very structured and powerful with a dense and rich palate of ripe fruit and hints of toasted oak. Full and layered. Structured. Released February 2020. Needs a few years of bottle age.
94 Points Robert Parker: "I also tasted an unbottled sample of the Marques de Murietta 2016 Rioja Reserva, which should be bottled in a couple of months, before the summer. What I tasted was the final blend, and it represents the year—2016 was a cooler year, and the wine also goes in that direction. 2016 saw a large crop, and the grapes for this cuvée were harvested at the end of September, going toward more finesse and subtleness, combined with the natural power. There was a change in the winery in 2016 that was finalized in 2018 with the new winery. The wine is textured and fine, and it's more elegant than the 2015 I tasted next to it. The detail and texture on the palate is different, and the quality of the tannins is completely different. This should be released in early 2020."
Though it's one of the oldest Rioja bodegas, dating back to the mid-19th century, Marqués de Murrieta has not rested on its laurels. They continue to produce excellent wines that are big hits with their customers and critics alike. They farm all their own grapes on their large, contiguous vineyard just outside of Logroño, which boasts old vines, a variety of soils from chalky clay to very stony parcels, and a climate that particularly favors not only Tempranillo but some of the region's finest Mazuelo.
Marqués de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial Rioja 2011
$ 199.99 $ 229.00
99 Point Rioja
One of Rioja's finest reds from Marques de Murrieta, the Castillo Ygay Grand Reserve Rioja is a beautiful wine - limited.
99 Points James Suckling: "Marvelous aromas of crushed berries, tobacco, cedar and mushrooms. Some dried cheese. Then turns to flowers. Very complex. Full and intense with fantastic depth and power. It goes on for minutes. It is a wine that exudes tradition but gives a sense of modernity with precise winemaking. Two years in oak, one in concrete and three or four in bottle. Drink on release and age onwards."
97 Points Wine Enthusiast "Cellar Selection": "Deep violet-red to the eye, this wine has a nose of raspberry, white chocolate and juniper berry. Still youthful on the palate, it offers ever-present tannins supporting flavors of dark plum, black cherry, caramel and violet that slowly fade into a soft cherry-pie finish. Drink through 2042. Alcohol 14%."
97 Points Robert Parker: "It has greatness and finesse and is a very attractive wine with all the stuffing and balance that is needed for a long (and positive) aging in bottle. This is one of the finest modern day vintages of Castillo Ygay. This is going to develop in the direction of the classical bottlings from yesteryear."
Only the finest vintages from the 741-acre (300-hectare) Ygay Estate are used to make Castillo Ygay. This Gran Reserva Especial is made from Tempranillo and Mazuelo from vineyards located at 500 meters above sea level. Limited in production and sought after all over the world, it is the worthy choice for our emblematic Castillo Ygay label. The Cebrian-Sagarriga family, who in 1983 acquired the Marques de Murrieta winery, established in 1852, has a distinct winemaking philosophy that is founded in the pursuit of quality and excellence through tradition and innovation.
Mastrojanni 2015 Brunello di Montalcino
$ 64.99
97 points
A fantastic buy in Brunello di Montalcino from Mastrojanni. Limited.
First established in 1975, the award winning Mastrojanni has become one of the most well-respected Montalcino producers. 2015 was not only a great year for wine throughout the whole of Europe but is being called the best vintage ever for Brunello di Montalcino!
97 Points James Suckling: "Wow. What a gorgeous Brunello with complex and beautiful aromas and flavors of cherries, flowers, walnuts and berries. It’s full-bodied, yet so polished and refined with soft, creamy tannins that are long and linear at the end. It goes on for minutes. Drinkable now, but better in 2022."
94+ Points Robert Parker: "The Mastrojanni 2015 Brunello di Montalcino has a succulent or meaty quality that adds to the overall intensity of the wine. You get rich fruit, baking spice and even a touch of rum cake. The wine is dark and velvety in appearance, and the mouthfeel is robust and concentrated. I love the full-bodied appeal and power of this wine. It has seamlessly captured the spirit of the vintage. Its approach is immediate, and you can enjoy this wine without waiting too much longer. The mouthfeel is lean, snappy and smooth. Fruit comes from a 14.4-hectare vineyard with south-facing exposures and clay soils with lots of broken rock shards."
94 Points Antonio Galloni: "Mastrojanni's 2015 Brunello di Montalcino presents a complex, dark, and earthy display of ripe black cherries that gives way to dusty, dried florals, spice box, crushed stone and hints of animal musk. On the palate, silky textures and pure Sangiovese fruit collect beneath resonating earth tones, all supported by a web of minerals and tannin. The finish is long and youthfully structured, yet the wine maintains terrific freshness."
Michel Gassier 2010 'Lou Coucardie" Rouge, Rhone
$ 27.99
A fantastic new release from Michel Gassier - limited.
94 Points Robert Parker: "The 2010 Costieres de Nimes Chateau de Nages Lou Coucardie is somewhat of an experimental cuvee launched a few years ago by Michel Gassier and his consultant, Philippe Cambie. It is a selection of very old vines and is a blend of 60% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache and 10% Syrah. The wine is aged in small barrels, of which 50% are new. Its black/purple color is accompanied by notes of mint, blueberry and blackberry liqueur, incense, camphor and charcoal. This amazing tour de force should age nicely for 10+ years."
For four generations, the Gassier family has been working in the Costieres de Nimes, and Michel Gassier and his American wife are the most recent proprietors of these biodynamically farmed vineyards. Gassier has quickly become a reference point for what can be achieved in this area just south of Chateauneuf du Pape. This 175-acre estate also produces some terrific white wines as well as a handful of other reds that I have reviewed previously. They should not be missed!
Nikolaihof 2018 Wachau Grüner Vetliner Hefeabzug, Austria
$ 29.99
90 Points Robert Parker: "The 2018 Grüner Veltliner Hefeabzug opens with a clear, elegant and warm, well-balanced and slightly flinty bouquet of ripe fruits, blossoms and almonds. The attack on the palate is vivacious then round and lush. Bottled with 11.5% alcohol, the 2018 doesn't taste as dry as this wine normally is and reminds me of grape juice but in a more elaborated, refined and mineral way. Tasted from lot 1078719 at the Nikolaihof in September 2019."
Pingus 'Flor de Pingus' 2019 Red, Ribera del Duero
$ 109.99
New from Pingus!
Second wine from Dominio de Pingus who make the legendary Pingus Red. Limited.
Harmonious and elegant, this is a beautiful second wine from the renowned Dominio de Pingus. Dark cherry nose with earthy and coffee nuances; pure, concentrated fruit on the palate. Like those other esteemed names, Pingus has a quality that is often lacking in today's "modern" wines-a sense of utter individuality. There is no other wine in the world, let alone Spain, that is quite like Pingus, and that singularity is one of the fundamental requirements for great wine.
96 Points Robert Parker: "The cask sample of 2019 Flor de Pingus is truly impressive and really shows what Sisseck was talking about: ripeness (more blue fruit), finesse and freshness, with super elegant and round tannins. There is great balance, and it feels very complete. They took the risk to harvest when nobody else was harvesting; I think they made the right decision, but it was not without risk. This is a superb interpretation of the conditions of the 2019 vintage. A mini-Pingus at a very different price."
The 2019 Flor de Pingus is a mosaic of different vineyards in the village of La Horra in Burgos, totaling some 35 hectares. As all these are estate vineyards, they were much better controlled than those used for PSI, and the wine shows it in a challenging vintage like this one. It has a slightly different profile from your average Ribera, with better freshness. The wine had only been in bottle for around one month, and the wine is open and expressive. There are some roasted aromas, black cherries, blackberries and plenty of spices with hints of smoke. It’s also a lighter version of Flor, and whether this will be as long-lived as other vintages, it’s still a question mark, as the extra acidity might give it a longer life than expected. In any case, give it some time in bottle to finish integrating the oak and drink over the next four-five years.
Pio Cesare 2015 "Ornato" Barolo, Italy
$ 159.99
98 Points
One of the top-scoring Barolos of the 2015 vintage! Limited.
This is a very rich Barolo, dense, with supple tannins, full concentrated ripe fruit, elegant and powerful with an extremely long life. It is produced in small quantities and only in excellent vintages. This vintage has extraordinary elegance, complexity and character. Silky and intense bouquet. Full body, great structure, right tannins, incredible ageing potential, precise and classic Nebbiolo style. The wine has sweet and very elegant tannins. It still needs one year in oak for the best maturation. Bravissimo!
98 Points James Suckling: "The aromas are so complex yet subtle with wet earth, mushrooms and dark fruits. Dried flowers as well. Full body, chewy tannins that are ultra-fine and powerful, yet there is a finesse and beauty to them...Classic, great nebbiolo."
2017 Tre Bicchieri winner
Pio Cesare 2016 "Ornato" Barolo, Italy
$ 149.99
98 Points
One of the top-scoring Barolos of the 2015 vintage! Limited.
This is a very rich Barolo, dense, with supple tannins, full concentrated ripe fruit, elegant and powerful with an extremely long life. It is produced in small quantities and only in excellent vintages. This vintage has extraordinary elegance, complexity and character. Silky and intense bouquet. Full body, great structure, right tannins, incredible ageing potential, precise and classic Nebbiolo style. The wine has sweet and very elegant tannins. It still needs one year in oak for the best maturation. Bravissimo!
98 Points James Suckling: "This is amazingly structured with tight and polished tannins that give this wine superb linear length and balance. Full body and bright and focused fruit. Goes on for minutes."
2017 Tre Bicchieri winner
Raul Perez 2019 La Vizcaína La Vitoriana, Bierzo (Spain)
$ 44.99
97+ Points Parker
A fantastic small-production gem from Spain's Bierzo region - limited.
Raúl Pérez Pereira is universally considered to be one of the world’s most visionary winemakers. Since he produced his first vintage for his family’s winery in 1994 at the age 22, he has been in the forefront of the conversation about what has been called “The New Spain”. Do yourself a favor and check his wines out today, we highly recommend.
previous vintage 97 Points Robert Parker: "The La Vizcaína La Vitoriana includes vines that were replanted in 2014/2015 with Bastardo (Merenzao or Trousseau), so the wine is more aromatic, more ethereal, perfumed and elegant, really impressive. This is the most aromatic and impressive; there is a conjunction of everything, the north-facing vineyards. It has impressive depth and expressiveness; it's wild but refined, explosive and more Burgundian than any of the la Vizcaína wines. This has character and attitude, light, power, energy, freshness and symmetry; it has a fine thread, lace-like, really impressive. In my head, Tom Jones started singing his famous song "Sex bomb, sex bomb..." This is an incredible wine at an incredible price point. It was bottled in May 2020, only five weeks before I tasted it, and the wine felt relaxed and expressive. Things can only get better with a little more time in bottle. This could very well be the finest vineyard from the project. It's a small paraje, and there are only six owners (Castro Ventosa, Vinos Valtuille and two or three small grape growers); there is a part that is abandoned, and part of it is also south facing. The whole cru could be between three and four hectares."
In addition to numerous other accolades, Raúl was named “Winemaker of the Year” by German publication Der Feinschmecker in 2014 and “Best Winemaker in the World” for 2015 by the French publication Bettane+Desseauve. In the February 2018 Decanter, Master of Wine Pedro Ballesteros wrote, “Raúl Pérez is the archetype of the intuitive winemaking genius.” A picture of Raúl in that same article is captioned, “Is this the best winemaker in the world?”
Raul Perez 2019 Ultreia Saint Jacques, Bierzo (Spain)
$ 22.00
A fantastic small-production gem from Spain's Bierzo region - limited.
Raúl Pérez Pereira is universally considered to be one of the world’s most visionary winemakers. Since he produced his first vintage for his family’s winery in 1994 at the age 22, he has been in the forefront of the conversation about what has been called “The New Spain”. Do yourself a favor and check his wines out today, we highly recommend.
94 Points Points Robert Parker: "The nose of the 2019 Ultreia Saint Jacques is nothing short of spectacular. It shows the varietal character and the juicy and round style of the Valtuille vineyards. It's harmonious, clean and expressive. They are using more and more stems with long macerations, malolactic in tanks and aging in 30% oak vats (he purchased from Alión) and 70% of the wine in used 225-liter oak barrels for one year. There is only one master blend, which is put into oak vats and bottled by 25,000- to 30,000-bottle lots."
In addition to numerous other accolades, Raúl was named “Winemaker of the Year” by German publication Der Feinschmecker in 2014 and “Best Winemaker in the World” for 2015 by the French publication Bettane+Desseauve. In the February 2018 Decanter, Master of Wine Pedro Ballesteros wrote, “Raúl Pérez is the archetype of the intuitive winemaking genius.” A picture of Raúl in that same article is captioned, “Is this the best winemaker in the world?”
Sena 2019 Red, Aconcagua Valley, Chile
$ 139.99
One of Chile's most sought-after wines. Limited.
A deep, bright ruby red color with purple hues, Seña 2019 shows complexity on the nose with red and black fruits aromas and a distinctive freshness. Several layers of aromatics deliver suggestions of pepper, dill and rosemary alongside coffee beans, pastries and vanilla. On the palate Seña shows blueberry pie and cassis cream notes whilst brimming with fresh-picked red and black fruits. Seña 2019 is a very elegant wine, with great structure, complexity and depth – with notable freshness and polished tannins. Blend: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Malbec, 15% Carmenere, 4% Petit Verdot
98 Points Robert Parker: "The 2019 Seña was produced with a Bordeaux blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Malbec, 15% Carmenere and 4% Petit Verdot with the Chilean character of the high percentage of Carmenere. Most of the volume fermented in stainless steel with some 10% in concrete vats, and the final blend matured for 22 months in French oak barrels, 80% of them new, and 10% in Stockinger vats. It's 13.5% alcohol and has good acidity and freshness, coming through as medium-bodied, elegant and balanced. This is incredibly elegant, subtle and harmonious even at this early stage. It has floral aromas, notes of orange peel, a touch of creamy sweet spices and great freshness. The palate is medium-bodied, seamless and pure, with pungent flavors and a soft texture. It's long, clean, defined and super tasty. I feel this wine is getting better and better by the vintage. The grapes were picked quite early, and that helped to contain the ripeness and seems to have been a great decision. There was also an exception in the Panquehue zone where the Seña vines are, where the summer was cooler than the average, so quite different to many other regions in Chile."
98 Points James Suckling: "Such beautiful aromas of crushed berries, currants, walnuts, allspice and nutmeg follow through to a full body with tight, ultra fine tannins that provide length and intensity. A finish of slightly dried cherries with wet earth, slate and stone. Chewy and fine-grained. A wine with soul and length. Give it time. Drink after 2025."
Sori Della Sorba 2019 Nebbiolo Langhe
$ 59.99
Limited new release
Inaugural release from Giovanna Bagnasco (proprietor of Brandini in Barolo) and Carlo Mondavi (grandson of Robert and proprietor of Raen in Sonoma) - extremely limited.
93+ Points Robert Parker: "The Sori della Sorba 2019 Langhe Nebbiolo is beautifully bright and pure. The wine strikes at the heart of the Nebbiolo grape, offering you a slice of its very essence, completely unadulterated by any outside factors. The bouquet reveals spicy fruit, blueberry and light cassis. Background tones of rusty earth, terracotta and pressed blue flowers also appear. You might recognize crushed white pepper and grilled herb. This biodynamic expression of Nebbiolo captures the most honest and transparent side of this noble Piedmont grape. Production is 3,441 bottles, 40 magnums and three jeroboams. That said, with this inaugural release, you'd be lucky to find one at all."
In a steep, raw territory caught between the breezes of the Mediterranean Sea and fresh air of the Italian Alps is where the story of Sorì della Sorba begins. ‘Sori,’ meaning Cru, or the best vineyard, is the highest, best exposed vineyard, always south facing, where the sun is strongest and where the snow melts first. It is in this apex position that the Sori della Sorba vineyard sits, just 500 meters from the villages of Barolo, centered in the winemaking area of Diano D’Alba. Theirs is a site of great, world-class potential capable of producing wines that sit alongside the world’s finest.
In 2019, Giovanna Bagnasco (proprietor of Brandini in Barolo) and her life partner Carlo Mondavi (grandson of Robert and proprietor of Raen in Sonoma) took the reins at this estate, and set about immediately converting the farming to organic with an eye towards permaculture. The first results, in a word, are stunning. A single-vineyard Langhe Nebbiolo of such elegance and finesse as to make Barolo producers jealous! The Sori della Sorba site gives wine of incredible expression, structure, vibrancy, and elegance and 2019 was a perfect year for a serious wine of finesse and length. The estate’s premier release is fragrant from the moment opened with dried rose petals, crushed cherries, white tea, orange pith, wet rock, fennel seed, truffle and forest earth. All these notes are held together with its incredibly fine grained, lasting tannins. Powerful and energetic in its youth, the 2019 Sori della Sorba will continue to evolve to heightened levels for decades to come.
Valderiz 2017 Ribera del Duero, Spain
$ 33.00
A fantastic value
One of the best buys from Spain we've discovered this year! From Bodegas Valderiz. Highly recommended.
94 points Wine Spectator: “This full-bodied red is generous yet structured, featuring depth and balance. Ripe flavors of plum and currant mingle with cocoa, clove and mineral notes, supported by mouthcoating tannins and balsamic acidity. Harmonious and long. Best from 2022 through 2037."
Bodegas Valderiz is located in Roa, where some of the most complex Tinta del Pais grapes in Spain are produced. In 1980, the head of the family, Tomas Esteban considered his options for making the most of their plots. The vineyard began to take shape over the next 10 years with the efforts and devotion of his sons Juan and Ricardo. The current commercial winery was launched in 1997, and is now one of the most award winning estates in Ribera del Duero. The 2017 is another winning vintage from Valderiz. 70+ year old vines and is blended with 5% Albillo before aged for 20 months in French oak. Red berry fruit, medium-bodied with firm tannins. Blackberry and currant notes mingle with espresso, mineral, licorice and spice accents. This is a top-notch wine that should age with style.
The family is also one of the forerunners in organic agriculture in the Ribera del Duero area, using zero herbicides, pesticides nor fertilizers. This practice has led to some development of biodynamic viticulture and since 2000, a small area of land has been cultivated using biodynamic practices.
© 2022 Brix26 Wines | San Francisco, CA 94103 | (415) 409-4295 | info@brix26.com
Legal Disclaimer
Title to, and ownership of, all wine passes from seller to buyer in the State of California, and buyer takes all responsibility for shipping the wine from California to his or her home state. By placing an order, buyer authorizes seller to act on buyer’s behalf in arranging for transportation of the wine at buyer’s direction. Alternatively, buyer may choose to pick up the wine at seller’s location, or make independent shipping arrangements. For all wine sales, sales tax will be applied based on the selling retailer’s location. Seller makes no representation as to the legal rights of anyone to ship or import any wines, alcoholic beverages or other goods into any state. The buyer is solely responsible for the shipment of wine and other goods purchased and for determining the legality and the tax/duty consequences of having the wine and other goods shipped to the applicable destination.
