Vanessa

9.3

This is a stunning Garnatxa blend from Priorat (Catalonia), Spain!!

It’s comprised of mostly Garnatxa (Grenache), along with Syrah, and, to a lesser extent, Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from three parcels in the sun-soaked village of Gratallops, where Daphne Glorian purchased her first vineyard – Clos Escales – back in 1989 when she founded Clos i Terraces. 🍇

In making this move, she joined equally passionate and pioneering winemakers Álvaro Palacios (L’Ermita) and René Barbier (Clos Mogador) in a rebirth of production practices in the region; as a group (with other similar-minded producers) they altered the trajectory of Priorat’s profile as a source of tip top quality wines rivaling the best on the world stage. 👏🏻

Priorat is one of only two regions carrying the “DOCa” / “DOQ” quality designation (the other is Rioja), subject to various stipulations including regular auditing by a tasting panel. ✅

This particular wine is “Laurel” which is Clos i Terraces’s second wine, next to Clos Erasmus, one of Priorat’s finest and most sought-after wines. Yet it tastes like a flagship wine in and of itself.🫶🏻🫶🏻

It is absolutely beautiful, with a medium ruby hue, medium (+) intensity of ripe and fresh strawberry, red cherry, red plum, violet, black licorice, fennel, clove, baking spice aromas and flavors. It’s dry, with medium(+) acidity, a medium(+) body, high alcohol (14% ABV), and medium tannins that are fine-grained. 😆

This wine vinified and aged in a combination of vessels, including, large oak vats, concrete tanks, second and third fill French oak barrels, and clay amphorae, lending to its texture and complexity.👌🏻👌🏻
— 2 years ago

Rob Brobst III

10

The flagship, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Materium, represents 560 cases and achieved 14.8% alcohol after aging in 90% new Taransaud and Darnajou casks. Remarkably, the wine matches the perfect 2013, with extraordinary fragrance of blueberry, blackberry, forest floor, truffle, spring flowers and background barbecue smoke followed by a thick, unctuously textured, juicy, but incredibly well-balanced, intense wine. This is built like a skyscraper with enormous quantities of blueberry, blackberry and cassis fruit, well-integrated acidity and sweet, gentle tannins. This is an extraordinary effort from Maybach that can be drunk now or cellared for up to 30 or more years. — 5 years ago

Roman Ochocki

9.2

I'm not a fan of rosè, but this flagship(?) is excellent. Fresh and pleasantly dry: "warm", a red fruit, a peach, a citrus finish. From this producer: Hennessy is very good, Möet not necessarily. And "Whispering Angel" whispers to my ears when the sun is killing me. :) — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.7

Had this 2 yrs ago. Mather Teresina, flagship wine of Celler Vinos Piñol, made with grapes grown in high elevation region of Terra Alta. The nearly extinct Morenillo grape is indigenous to the area & makes Mather Teresina a unique wine, a blend of 50% Garnacha, 30% Cariñena & 20% Morenillo. Nice aromas of berries & sweet spice. On the palate cherry flavors with vanilla spice adding pepper notes on fine smooth tannins which opened much quicker. Long ending with sweet fruit tones & bits of earthy floral. — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Tried another bottle of this outstanding gem! Greppicaia is the estate's flagship wine made predominantly from Merlot with the addition of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, aged 18 months in French & American oak barriques. Deep red concentrated aromas of fruit spice & oak. On the palate ripe fruit, plum and sweet cherry with sweet spice and toasty oak. Big round tannins, lingering ending with tobacco and toasty character. Needs more time. — 7 years ago

Bill Bender

9.6

The Pavie flagship may get all the love but this Macquin is extraordinary! This may have the most intriguing sultry nose of any wine I’ve opened this year—crushed violets, burnt cedar chips and granite with a dash of garrigue. My actual nose actually touched the wine and got wet, that’s how drawn I was to the bouquet. But this Bordeaux was a a great deal more than mere aromatics.....dark full viscosity waves mark the sides of the glass, the oak is there but it melds very harmoniously with the black cherry, blackberry compote, stewed fig and damp earth flavor flood. Very lush, undeniably elegant and so smooth and satisfying. I’m enjoying this tonight and I know this is my first post in a while but I’m still alive....I hope to catch up with my @Delectablewine Delectablewine wine fam and post all the wines in my photo queue soon. Cheers 🥂 — 8 years ago

Rubychick

9.0

Golden Honeysuckle flagship Chardonnay. It’s Christmas, so time to drink the wine fridge ❤️ — 2 years ago

with See and Erika

Jamie Lauder

9.4

2010 vintage.
60 % Cabernet Franc, 25 % Merlot, 15 % Cabernet Sauvignon.
Flagship wine of Arcanum.
Raspberry, licorice, tobacco and resin on the nose.
Dry, smooth and savoury with well integrated tannins.
Blackberry, leather, black olive and herbal underbrush.
We grilled rack of lamb and Chorizo sausage on the BBQ with this wine. — 3 years ago

Randy Fillingim

9.5

No wonder this is the flagship Shiraz. Grapes picked from all the best clusters. Still in complete harmony with tannins and fruits -still doing their job after 21 years. One of the better Shiraz I have ever drank.  — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

The one was opened same day.

The Elevation 1147 is their flagship wine.

2106 Elevation is a big step up from all their other reds. The mouthfeel is thick, round, gorgeous. Ripe, lush fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, dark cherries & an array of purple fruits. Tobacco, leather, saddle-wood, light graphite, crushed rock powered, limestone alluvials, beautiful baking spices that need some time to tame, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, vanilla, dark chocolate, mocha, caramel, dry twig, dark rich soil, touch of moist clay, dry top soils, understated sweet tar & black licorice with fresh & withering; dark, red, blue flowers with lavender & violets that follow as it sets. The acidity is round & excellent. The finish is; ruby, lush, round, well balanced & knitted & persistently gorgeous wire to wire.

While many will find it hard to resist now, you would be doing your substantial invest & this 2016 a disservice by opening before 10 years in bottle.

This is a 95 now but, I see it as a 95-98 down the road. — 6 years ago

Daniel Tan

9.1

Still a bit young and tannic. By my estimation it’s 5-10% fruitier than the flagship Ornellaia, and about 10-15% less creamy and less heavy. Noticeable lick of vanilla. Otherwise, quite similar in character. Great value. — 6 years ago

Shay A

9.4

Day 2 of Napa in the books!

This was really good. At close to half the price of their flagship cab, this is a winner. Dark, herbal and even some smoked meat notes here. More savory in style (Bordeaux like) than most Napa cabs. Underbrush, cedar, cassis, plum and tobacco. Great wine. — 7 years ago

Garrett

9.2

Extraordinary. I had the pleasured of touring Inglenook, and they didn’t disappoint. Their flagship Rubicon was amazing. Medium + Body with firm tannins and nice extracted fruit. And winery itself is somewhat legendary. And they are neighbors to this other winery called Scarecrow... No big deal. — 8 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

A rich deep Ruby in colour - right to the rim. Notes of creosote/tar together with blackberry and black currant. You wouldn’t pick its age by looking at it in the glass. The old vine origins giving a great intensity to the palate. This is d’Arenberg’s flagship from their McLaren Vale vineyards - from a warm vintage. I’ll try and have the last one in 2 years if I have the willpower. — 3 years ago

Martinez

9.0

Trinchero’s flagship wine. 100% Barbera from very old vines in Asti, aged for 3-4 years in large, old oak botti. Complex nose. Juicy red fruit, tobacco. Fresh, lively at 16 years old. Good acidity — 4 years ago

Jim McCusker

9.3

From a winery we really miss, this is the flagship cuvee from Delectus. Their daughter did the artwork for their Cuvee Julia bottles, and with rare exceptions (their 2007 Cab Franc being one of them), this meritage is always the star of a given vintage. Classic Napa cab that is still drinking really well. — 5 years ago

with Vanessa

Bob McDonald

9.2

Dense Ruby in colour. Even after 18 years the oak presence is like the aromas of newly sawn wood. Ripe plums with a pruney note. On the palate rich and full bodied with fluid smooth tannins finishing dry. Obviously the product of very old Shiraz vines in the Barossa sourced from growers who the original Peter Lehmann had a marvellous bond with for decades. This is Peter Lehmann’s flagship red from the cool 2002 vintage resulting in a long hang time and great flavours. A Barossa Icon. — 6 years ago

Shay A

9.5

Day 2 of Napa in the books!

Seavey’s flagship offering. This is close to 7yrs young and it’s still so youthful! At this point, it’s a back and forth battle between fruit and secondary/herbal notes. Powerful red fruit to the core with cassis & plum with minerality, new leather, and tobacco. A wonderful Napa example of Bordeaux. Long life. — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

A joint venture of Jorge Ordonez, Bodegas Borsao and Chris Ringland, located in the town of Bulbuente (Zaragoza) Spain. Alto Moncayo is the flagship of the winery. A single-grape variety of Garnacha, from vines between 40 and 70 years old, aged in new barrels for 20 months. Bold aromas of fruit and spice. On the palate black fruit flavors, rich and full-bodied, with complex spice. Fine tannins, savory, good structure ending with a smoky character. Very nice! — 7 years ago

Bryan Daniels

9.0

Flagship estate wine. — 8 years ago