2020 Alexander Valley Vineyards Merlot (750ml) | ||
Merlot from Alexander Valley, California | ||
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2020 Pedroncelli Merlot Bench Vineyards (750ml) | ||
Merlot from Dry Creek, California | ||
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2015 Chateau Clos Lunelles (750ml) | ||
Merlot from Côtes de Castillon, Bordeaux, France | ||
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2021 Oberon Merlot (750ml) | ||
Merlot from Napa, California | ||
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2020 Chateau Clos Lunelles (750ml) | ||
Merlot from Côtes de Castillon, Bordeaux, France | ||
B-21 Top Recommendation
Read More A newly arriving container filled with top rated Bordeaux, these 2020 Bordeaux selections boast outstanding quality across the board at unparalleled value pricing, from a vintage of “brilliant wines” according to the Wine Advocate’s William Kelley and described by Vinous critic Antonio Galloni as “a year brimming with phenomenal wines at all levels, from the big names down to bottles the average consumer can still afford to purchase by the case.” Although there were no significant heat spikes throughout the growing season, 2020 was a warm growing season overall in Bordeaux, with generally well-timed rain in the Spring followed by extremely dry summer weather that prevented the development of mildew. While summer drought conditions led to smaller berries and yields for Cabernet Sauvignon, mid-August rains on the Right Bank plumped up Merlot and cool September evenings during the last phase of ripening preserved freshness in the wines. Inside Bordeaux’s Jane Anson noted that “clay-limestone soils did brilliantly against the heat of the summer, favoring the St Emilion plateau” with an impressive array of wines also coming from the gravel soils of Pauillac and St Julien. Describing the white wines of 2020, Anson declares there are “plenty of delicious bottles,” the earlier harvest delivering “exotic fruit flavors with grip and personality.” Describing 2020 as “an incredibly exciting vintage for Bordeaux,” Antonio Galloni of Vinous finds remarkable quality in each of the Left Bank appellations, while calling Saint Emilion “one of the sweet spots of 2020” and noting “readers will find a bevy of compelling wines from satellite appellations” including Haut-Medoc and Fronsac. Called “an incredible classic vintage” by Jeb Dunnuck producing “a solid swath of cellar-worthy buys in the $65-and-under range” according to the Wine Spectator’s James Molesworth, critic James Suckling summed up the vintage well, declaring “if you buy or drink a bottle of top-rated 2020 Bordeaux, you are going to be more than happy. In fact, you most likely will be elated” and noting “many of the wines give pleasure for a young wine but the best will age for decades ahead.” Summing it up as “a great modern-day Bordeaux vintage,” Antonio Galloni notes the wines are “less extracted, more vibrant and, frankly, much more fun to drink,” this well priced, wide-ranging offer a terrific opportunity to stock up on an array of age worthy Bordeaux from an exceptional 2020 vintage that according to Neal Martin of Vinous “delivers the goods.” | ||
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2021 Santa Ema Merlot Reserve (750ml) | ||
Merlot from Maipo Valley, Central Valley, Chile | ||
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2019 Clos Apalta (750ml) | ||
Carmenere from Apalta Vineyard, Colchagua Valley, Chile | ||
6 B-21 Top Recommendation
Read More “There’s no doubt that Clos Apalta is one of the world’s greatest red wines.” James Suckling The powerful 99pt 2019 Clos Apalta from Chile’s Casa Lapostolle is a stunner, an elegantly crafted Bordeaux-style blend offering layers of dark plush fruit with rippling, juicy tannins on a lengthy finish, a perennial B-21 favorite that’s guaranteed to sell out quickly at our best on the market pricing. Arriving in the Colchagua Valley in 1994, French Grand Marnier heiress Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her husband Cyril de Bournet were inspired by the exceptional Chilean terroir to craft a world class wine, tapping into the winemaking expertise of renowned French oenologist Michel Rolland to lead the restoration of the century old vineyards and construction of a new state of the art winery. Releasing this 22nd vintage now under the direction of their son Charles-Henri de Bournet, Clos Apalta is the only South American wine ever to garner the coveted #1 spot on the Wine Spectator’s Top 100, named an astounding five times to the list and regularly earning “classic” ratings of 95 pts. and above. Sourced mainly from two blocks of old vines planted in a myriad of granitic soils in the 1920’s, the biodynamically farmed Clos Apalta vineyards are in the shadow of the towering coastal Cordillera Mountains, protected from the searing sun while enjoying a cool maritime mist most mornings that creates optimal conditions for ripening Carmenere while maintaining its freshness and acidity. Blending mostly Carmenere with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and a little Petit Verdot, winemaker Jacques Begarie aged the 99 pt. 2019 Clos Apalta for 24 months in 90% new French oak barrels before bottling without filtering or fining, yielding lush complexity and hedonistic richness with age-worthy structure placing it among the world’s greatest wines. Celebrating the estate’s decades of success on its 20th anniversary, Clos Apalta’s Charles-Henri de Bournet declared “this is no time for complacency” – reflecting the estate’s never-ending drive for perfection, the outstanding 99 pt. 2019 Clos Apalta is equally appealing to those who already know it well and any lover of bold reds looking to explore the top tier of Chilean wines at an outstanding value. | ||
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2021 Frei Brothers Reserve Merlot (750ml) | ||
Merlot from Dry Creek, California | ||
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2020 Luke Merlot (750ml) | ||
Merlot from Wahluke Slope, Washington State | ||
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2021 Angels & Cowboys Proprietary Red (750ml) | ||
Zinfandel from Sonoma County, California | ||
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2021 Swanson Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (750ml) | ||
Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa, California | ||
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2018 Clos Apalta (375ml) | ||
Carmenere from Apalta Vineyard, Colchagua Valley, Chile | ||
12 B-21 Top Recommendation
Read More Powerful, intense, concentrated and breathtaking – these are the words critics use again and again to describe the mighty Clos Apalta, a singular wine from over 100-year-old vines from world-class producer Casa Lapostolle. The legendary Carmenere-based Bordeaux style blend, first released in 1997, has gone on to garner the top praise of critics across the board, including three 100pt ratings in the last five vintages. Wine critic James Suckling summarizes it best, "There’s no doubt that Clos Apalta is one of the world’s greatest red wines." This release of the exceptional 2018 Clos Apalta is the opportunity to secure your allocation of this iconic wine, at the best price available anywhere for a limited time. With a vision of producing a premium quality wine using a blend of French expertise and Chilean terroir, French Grand Marnier heiress Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her husband Cyril de Bournet tapped renowned French oenologist Michel Rolland to exclusively lead the winemaking team (Rolland was contractually prevented from working for any other Chilean winery), setting the now eponymous Chilean winery and its signature blend on the fast track to success. Sourced primarily from two blocks of old vine Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon dating to the 1920s planted on granitic soils, the unique microclimate created by the surrounding Cordillera (or Coastal Mountains) creates a shadow yielding less sunshine overall paired with frequent morning mist, optimal conditions for ripening Carmenere yet maintaining its freshness. Now under the direction of their son Charles-Henri de Bournet, the 2018 Clos Apalta exhibits the signature aromatics of spice, chocolate and roasted pepper, with plush dark plum fruit and juicy tannins, and rippling layers of complexity on the lingering finish. With past vintages named five times to the Wine Spectator Top 100 (including being the only South American wine ever to garner the coveted #1), the 2018 Clos Apalta indeed stands shoulder to shoulder with the world's greatest red wines. | ||
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