Bodega Aleanna El Enemigo Cabernet Franc 2011

Adrianna Catena - Alejandro Vigil

Two romantics, a winemaker (Alejandro Vigil), and a historian (Adrianna Catena) - go back in time to capture an era when European immigrants recently settled in Argentina, sought to make wines as fine, and finer than those of their Homelands.

Bodega Aleanna London, September 18, 2009 - Alejandro Vigil and Adrianna Catena walked back from the Argentine Embassy in London, where Nicolas Catena had just received the Decanter Man of the Year Award among a group of dear friends from around the world.  The Thames was covered in mist as Adrianna began to tell Alejandro about the Great Fire of 1666, stories from another September night in London. Adrianna is an historian who recently completed her Ph.D. in History at Oxford University. Alejandro, a soils engineer, has been chief winemaker at Catena Zapata since 2002. They share a mutual fascination with the writers Dostoyevsky and Cortázar, a passion for the Hellenic Philosophers (and heirloom tomatoes), a love of used books, live music, and long meals with old friends, and a deep, obsessive dedication to their young families - Adrianna's son Antonio and Alejandro's daughter Maria Giuliana Francesca are the same age.  On that walk, Alejandro and Adrianna decided to make a wine together, a wine that would represent their deep respect for history and tradition, and their complete irreverence towards the status quo.

El Enemigo Cabernet Franc 2011 The 2011 El Enemigo Cabernet Franc is a little bit of the reverse blend of the Malbec, as it packs 92% Cabernet Franc and 8% Malbec also from Gualtallary in Tupungato in the Uco Valley. However, this is sourced from plots planted with 10,000 plants per hectare on schist soils. Very little SO2 was used in the production of this wine. It has some notes of black fruit and violets, but remains closed, austere, lineal and straight with very high acidity. It is very much about the soil, not much about the fruit, but its youth is revealed in the notes of the elevage that are still there: that is cedar wood, peat and graphite. Summarizing, this is an austere, serious, long, tight red that has great potential to age. Drink 2015-2020.  Aleanna is a combination of the names Alejandro Vigil and Adrianna Catena, (winemaker and youngest daughter) of Nicolas Catena and is the name given to their small joint venture. El Enemigo (The Enemy) is the name of the wines produced here, some of which are almost experimental and offered in limited quantities. All the wines were initially fermented in oldbarriques and old wood vats to avoid excessive influence of the oak in the wines, but they are now moving toward cement vats without epoxy lining and aging in used 225-liter barrels and in 4,000-liter, 100-year-old foudres. eRobertParker.com #212 Rating: 92 Drink: 2015-2020 .

Glen Moray Elgin Classic Port Cask Finish

GLEN MORAY DISTILLERY    Our single malt whisky has been distilled on the banks of the River Loissie since 1897, just outside Elgin, one of Scotland's oldest towns. In its long history, the award winning Glen Moray has been distilled in time honored fashion, by hand. Never rushed or forced, always in balance, steady and with care, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This constancy and dedication is truly characterized by Glen Moray's people. In its lifetime, the distillery has known only 5 distillery managers. Know-how, myths and trade secrets passed through the generations to ensure every drop has the same light character as the last. IT'S ALL IN OUR Refined Craft The locally malted barley and pure waters of the River Lossie combine to produce this delicate well-balanced whisky. At the Glen Moray distillery you can discover the reality of malt whisky distilling. The delight of Glen Moray is that your tour guide could be one of the distillery craftsmen themselves. The great advantage of this is the authenticity of the introduction - each guide knows the process of whisky making like the back of their hand. So, at Glen Moray, you will gain an unforgettable insight into how water and barley are transformed into 'the water of life'.

Glen Moray Elgin Classic Port Cask Finish   An excellent value, this Speyside spirit offers fresh apple and tropical fruit aromatics. It's relatively sweet up front, showing maple and vanilla, though a citrusy note unfolds mid-palate and it finishes crisp and bracing, with a faint puff of smoke. Ideal for Whisky Highballs. 91 Points Wine Enthusiast Magazine . .

Glen Moray Elgin Classic Whisky Highball Pour whisky into a highball  glass over ice cubes.  Fill with carbonated water and stir. Add the twist of lemon or peel and serve.

Ridge Three Valleys Red 2013

Ridge Monte Bello Vineyard

Ridge Winery The history of Ridge Vineyards begins in 1885, when Osea Perrone, a doctor who became a prominent member of San Francisco's Italian community, bought 180 acres near the top of Monte Bello Ridge. He terraced the slopes and planted vineyards; using native limestone, he constructed the Monte Bello Winery, producing the first vintage under that name in 1892. This unique cellar, built into the mountainside on three levels, is Ridge's production facility. At 2600 feet a.s.l., it is surrounded by the "upper vineyard." Ridge Sonoma County Three Valleys began with the release of the 2001. The wine contains grapes from a number of Sonoma vineyards - this year, six. We take great care in selecting the fruit, which is hand-harvested, then crushed and fermented at both Monte Bello and Lytton Springs. Unlike our single-vineyard wines, which reflect the distinctive character of each site, Three Valleys represents the blending of vineyards - winemaking - at its finest. Zinfandel determines the wine's varietal character; old-vine carignane contributes bright fruit and acidity; petite sirah spice, depth of color, and firm tannins.

Ridge Three Valleys Red 2013    Appellation: Dry Creek, Alexander, and Russian River Valleys A blend of 80% Zinfandel, 11% Carignan, 8% Petite Sirah and a splash of Alicante Bouschet, the 2013 Three Valleys has lots of berry fruits, bramble, spice-box and licorice in its medium-bodied, supple, nicely textured and delicious profile. It doesn't have the structure or depth of the Lytton Spring, but it's a full-flavored, delicious wine to drink over the coming 7-8 years. eRobertParker.com #221 Rating: 91 Drink: 2015-2023

Chateau La Vieille Cure 2004

La Vieille Cure Chateau and Vineyards

With its 20 hectares (50 acres) in one single plot, Château La Vieille Cure appears on a famous map of the Guyenne region, known as the Belleyme map, dated 1780. Parish records show grapes were grown there in the 17th Century. The vines occupy a privileged location on plateaus and slopes that are oriented to the southeast. The estate runs along the River Isle at an elevation of 65 meters, where it soaks up the sun, while enjoying perfect drainage. This situation favors the growth of grapes that ripen generously and under ideal physical conditions. The property has been greatly renovated since 1986 when it was bought by American friends: Bordeaux lovers who recognized the exceptional potential of the estate. Parts of the vineyard were extended and replanted, without of course touching the very old vines, some of which go back over 75 years. A new winery was built, housing the latest equipment, and aging in oak casks was begun. The overall objective of these investments was to make high quality wines worthy of worldwide distribution. "Château La Vieille Cure may well be the reference point for Fronsac given its performance over the last decade. Consistently one of the top two or three wines of the appellation." Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate - April, 2012

Chateau La Vieille Cure 2004    Appellation: FronsacOrigin: France Land: A plateau of limestone; bordering slopes with chalk and clay soils. Grape Varietals: Merlot 74%; Cabernet Franc 22%; Cabernet Sauvignon 4% As was the 2003, this is another big time sleeper of the vintage. The dense ruby/purple-tinged 2004 offers a sweet perfume of framboise, black cherry liqueur, cedar, and spice. Supple-textured, medium to full-bodied, expansive, and savory with superb purity and texture, it can be drunk now and over the next 10-12 years. This property has been on a qualitative roll and still remains one of Bordeaux's finest values. eRobertParker.com #171 Rating: 90 Drink: 2007 - 2019

Fattoria di Felsina Chianti Classico Berardenga 2013

The Cellar at Fattoira di Felsina

Fattoria di Felsina   It was 1966 when Domenico Poggiali Fèlsina took the courageous leap and bought the estate at a time when Italian viticulture was struggling. He chose to invest in the quality of the wine and the expertise of a young team. Their passion for wine united with the skills of businessmen, and under their guidance, they injected modernity into their business plan, without however, abandoning the spirit of tradition. In the space of a few years, the vineyards grew to more than forty hectares, and the soul and organization of the company changed, as well. In the second half of the 1970s Giuseppe Mazzocolin entered the family business with the task of commercial development. His studies in the Humanities, his wealth of contacts, his elevated work ethic and his respect for Tuscan and Italian culture constitute the foundation for the growth of the Fèlsina winery, paving the way for the beginnings of their international recognition. Their friendship with Luigi Veronelli and collaboration with oenologist Franco Bernabei shaped a developmental strategy that has proven itself extremely coherent starting with the wines of 1983, the first year of Fontalloro and of Rancia, up to the present day. With Domenico and Giuseppe Poggiali at the helm, an extraordinary development began which, since 1990, also includes Giovanni Poggiali, the oldest of Giuseppe's three sons.

Fattoria di Felsina Chianti Classico Berardenga 2013  Varietals: 100% Sangiovese The 2013 Chianti Classico Berardenga is one of the richest, darkest versions of this wine I can remember tasting. Black cherries, game, smoke, tar, leather and soy are some of the notes that take shape in the glass. The 2013 is wild, savory and surprisingly dense, raw and unformed for an entry-level wine. Accordingly, the 2013 is going to require more patience than is the norm, but it also has the potential to overachieve over the near and medium term. All the house signatures are very much alive here. Vinous 91 Points

Domaine Jean Vullien et Fils, Roussette de Savoie 2014

Jean Vullien Winery

Domaine Jean Vullien et Fils   While this alpine area of eastern France may be better known for skiing than viticulture, a cadre of Savoyard vignerons are producing excellent wines here. The region's best come from a boomerang-shaped string of six hillside crusbetween Grenoble and Albertville (site of 1992 Winter Olympics) called the Combe de Savoie (Combe is a word of Celtic origin meaning a sharp, deep valley). Jean Vullien and his two sons, David and Olivier, tend 69 acres on the Combe with prime parcels in four of the six crus. The domaine's holdings include all of the region's indigenous grape varieties, as well as strategically-placed parcels of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (the boys both graduated from La Viti in Beaune). While the Vulliens have been making wine for 36 years, the family is perhaps best known as a leader in another segment of the wine industry. Since 1890, Vullien Pépinière Viticole (vine nursery) has been supplying young vines to growers throughout France. In fact, they are responsible for 25% of the Chardonnay planted in Chablis today.

Domaine Jean Vullien et Fils Roussette de Savoie 2014    Varietals: 100% Roussette (Altesse in Savoie) Appellation: Savoie Soil: Dark Jurassic limestone and black marl base with pebbly topsoil layer of scree (degraded limestone fragments that have accumulated over time from Massif des Bauges slopes above) Viticulture: Manual harvest with strict selection in both vineyard and on sorting table before crush Vinification Methods: Total destemming. Allfermentation and majority of élevage takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Malo-lactic fermentation carried out on to round out natural acidity.  Tasting Notes: Aromas of orange zest, nutmeg, and toasted hazelnuts leads to a juicy and refreshing palate. Bright notes of lemon, citrus zest, and moderately ripe pit fruit flavors in the finish.

Roussette - Altesse Grape Cluster Roussette - Altesse    Altesse or Roussette is a white French wine grape variety found primarily in the Savoy wine region of France. It yields small harvests and ripens late but is resistant to grey rot. Wines made from Altesse have exotic aromas, often together with citrus and herbs, and have good acidity. They are considered to age well. In the vineyard, Altesse is said to be very similar to the Furmint variety of Hungary. The origin of Altesse is subject to various claims, including an origin in Cyprus, but a French origin seems more probable.

Herradura Tequila

Casa Herradura

Legend has it that lightning struck an agave plant and the resulting hot agave juice became tequila. Instead of waiting for lightning, Casa Herradura maintains over 25 million agaves at every stage of maturity that are harvested and baked to make the best sip-grade tequila. Each agave plant can grow up to 7 ft. in each direction. Its leaves are sharp and poisonous and burn when they pierce the skin. Upon maturation, the agave is cut down to its core.  As the early sun rises, a group of men known as jimadors, JIMADORS CAN DISTINGUISH WHEN AGAVE IS AT ITS PEAK SIMPLY BY LOOKING AT IT, trained by those who came before them, head out into the fields surrounding Casa Herradura with one single tool: the coa. A SHARP, CURVED MACHETE-LIKE KNIFE. The coa is what these men use to tame the agave into nicely rounded piñas that make Herradura tequila. A curved, sharpened blade at the end of a long handle, the coa requires both skill and strength to be used properly. After the piñas are harvested, they're brought back to the Casa in order to be baked and crushed. GIANT OVENS MADE OF BRICK AND STONE LINE AN AREA OF THE CASA. EACH DAY, WORKERS CRAWL THROUGH THE OVENS' DOORS AND CAREFULLY HAND-STACK THE HARVESTED AGAVE TO FILL EACH OVEN. THE OVENS CAN HOLD UP TO 45 TONS OF AGAVE. THE PIÑAS ARE COOKED FOR UP TO 26 HOURS. The resulting agave is extremely sweet and rich and ready to be crushed to make mosto-the pre-fermented juice that makes tequila. Casa Herradura lets fermentation happen naturally, without human intervention-the way its been done since the beginning. The agave, trees, and other plants on the Casa's grounds naturally produce the yeast that ferments Herradura's tequila. Each plant adds its own unique piece to the un-replicable signature the valley's flora leaves on the tequila. The Casa's fermentation tanks are not covered so that they are exposed to the open air through the honeycomb lattice surrounding them. After fermenting, the mosto (agave juice) is heated at lower temperatures than modern production dictates. This allows it to reach a lower proof so that the complex flavor elements of the juice are preserved. Natural compounds are selectively recovered during distillation, adding flowery and spicy nuances to the tequila. The mosto is distilled twice reducing it to a point where only the best alcohol is preserved. Each batch of tequila is tasted and carefully reviewed by a panel of tequila experts to ensure the quality of Casa Herradura's tequila. Upon approval, the tequila is then prepared to be barreled for aging. Each of Herradura's tequilas are aged longer than the industry standards require to create smoother and more robust flavor for each expression.

Herradura Anejo Tequila    Herradura Añejo is made from 100% Tequilana Weber Blue Agaves. With an aging process of 25 months, this tequila is a nice surprise for the best tasters of the world. Herradura Añejo has been compared to best whiskies of the world by the most demanding of palates. This Tequila recreates the beauty of Hacienda San José del Refugio's old distillery. Tequila Herradura Añejo achieves its smooth taste through its long aging period in white oak barrels. The crystal appearance reveals its purity and careful development process. .

Herradura Reposado Tequila    A pleasant fresh agave note rises first from the glass to make for a soft and smooth introduction to this spirit. Buttered popcorn and a hint of pepper follow.  The freshness of the initial aromascarry through to the characteristics of this spirit on the tongue which is initially pleasingly light and full of that buttered popcorn evident on the nose.  The oak soon starts to show itself with smooth vanilla and a peppery element that continues through onto the finish of moderate length. Plenty of caramel combines with a faintest hint of smoked paprika and a healthy dose of agave to add to the excellently rounded and full-flavored palate.  A very enjoyable Tequila.

Herradura Silver Tequila    Herradura Silver tequila is very lightly aged for one month in white oak barrels, providing the true taste of the agave.  Smooth, refreshing and flavorful, the Herradua Silver Tequila is a better tequila than Patron, but for about half the price.  .

Paolo Scavino Langhe Nebbiolo 2013

Paolo Scavino Paolo Scavino is an historical winery in the Barolo region. It was founded in 1921 in Castiglione Falletto from Lorenzo Scavino and his son Paolo. Farming has always been a family tradition and passion. Enrico Scavino together with the daughters Enrica and Elisa, fourth generation, run the family Estate. He started to work full time in the winery in 1951 when he was 10 years old. A young winemaker who inherited the passion and devotion for the land he belongs to. Through over 60 years of experience his focus has been to invest on important cru of Nebbiolo to show the uniqueness of each terroir. Their work is inspired by the love and respect they have for their territory and they pursued purity of expression, complexity and elegance for their wines from the three local grapes Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo.

Paolo Scavino Langhe Nebbiolo 2013 Langhe Nebbiolo is 100% Nebbiolo grapes coming from sites which enhance the more ethereal Nebbiolo aromatics and structure. "Scavino's 2013 Langhe Nebbiolo is a juicy, fruit-forward wine to drink for supple personality and overall near-term appeal. Hints of tobacco, dried cherry and wild flowers add shades of nuance on the close." Vinous Rating: 88 Drink: 2015 - 2017 The Gotham Wine Team

IWAI MARS WHISKY

MARS SHINSHU DISTILLERY Nagano, Japan The Hombo family have been distilling spirits for more than a century, and they added whiskey to their repertoire in 1949 in Kogoshima. This was the southernmost Whiskey made in Japan until 1984, when all the production was moved to the current location in Nagano. Situated between the north and south Japanese Alps, Mars Shinshu is Japan's highest whiskey distillery, at nearly 800 meters.

IWAI MARS WHISKY   Dedicated to Kiichiro Iwai, a pioneer of the Japanese Whisky Industry; IWAI was inspired by the great whiskies of America, with the majority of it being made from corn and aged in ex bourbon barrels. Ideal for sipping, or in cocktails such as a mint julep or an old fashioned. TASTING NOTES Dark caramel color, with aromas of sweet fruit flavors like pear, quince and hints of red fruits and vanilla. Rich and mellow on the palate. The Gotham Wine Team