2021 Stolpman Vineyards Syrah Estate $28.99 (Wine Advocate 94 points)
The 2021 Syrah Estate is bright and approachable. Tarry touches give way to blackberry, blueberry, violet and bitter chocolate aromas. The palate is full-bodied and powerful with a youthfully dense core of fruit, finely grained tannins and bursts of acidity to refresh the floral finish. 2,500 cases were produced.
2022 Txomin Etxaniz Getariako Txakolina $19.99 (Wine Enthusiast 91 points)
In this wine, aromas of pink grapefruit, yuzu and sage leaf waft from the glass. A soft dried Mediterranean herb characteristic underlies flavors of mango, cantaloupe and ripe summer peach that culminate in a floral-strewn finish.
2019 Phelan Segur $45.99 (Wine Advocate 94+ points)
Is this the most over-performing estate in the Médoc? Director Véronique Dausse would surely riposte that it’s simply performing at the level to which its well-situated vineyards and detail-oriented team entitle it; but in any case, the 2019 Phélan Ségur is a brilliant wine. Offering up aromas of cassis, sweet wild berries, rose petals, violets, licorice and spices, it’s medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with tangy acids, powdery tannins and a long, penetrating finish. This is another 2019 that en primeur purchasers can feel very pleased with.
2018 Muga Selección Especial $42.99 (Wine Advocate 95 points)
2018 was a cooler vintage, with a fairly long maturation, which made the wines somewhat fresher and less alcoholic, as showcased by the 2018 Selección Especial, a classical blend of the four red varieties from Rioja, Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano with contained ripeness (14.05% alcohol) and good freshness. It fermented in oak casks with indigenous yeasts and matured in French oak barrels, 40% of them new, for 26 months. They were not very happy with the vintage and had to sort and discard, but as they didn’t produce Prado Enea, Torre Muga or Haro, those grapes went into this wine. They are reluctant about 2018, but I think it was a vintage capable of the best and the worst, and this 2018 is floral, expressive and elegant. It’s medium to full- bodied, with very fine, chalky tannins, combining power and elegance. Amazing! 187,200 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2021.