California
California is one of the most renowned wine regions in the world, known for producing exceptional wines that reflect the unique character of the region.
One of the most famous vineyards in California is the Napa Valley's Robert Mondavi Winery, which produces a range of high-quality red and white wines, including the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, the Fumé Blanc Reserve, and the Chardonnay Reserve. The estate is committed to sustainable farming practices and is known for its focus on traditional winemaking techniques.
In California, there is also a strong focus on producing organic and biodynamic wines, with vineyards such as the Frog's Leap Winery and the Benziger Family Winery using these practices to produce exceptional wines that reflect the unique terroir of the region.
Overall, California is a region known for producing exceptional wines, with famous vineyards such as Harlan Estate, Dominus, Opus One, Screaming Eagle, Robert Mondavi and many others. With a focus on sustainable and organic farming practices, and a commitment to traditional winemaking techniques, wines from California are gaining increasing recognition and popularity among wine enthusiasts worldwide.
California
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Immerse yourself in the opulence of Christian Moueix Ulysses 2019, a testament to the charm Napa Valley wines boast. Crafted by renowned wine connoisseur Christian Moueix, this wine reflects his meticulous attention to detail. French-born Moueix showcases his decades-old expertise, previously revealed through his Bordeaux estates, now radiating through this Californian creation. Full-bodied, this wine continues Ulysses Vineyard's legacy of producing vibrant, textural wines in the mesmerising Oakville AVA. Hand-harvested and meticulously selected, the grapes undergo traditional vinification, maturing in French oak barriques to enhance backbone and complexity. The result? A wine featuring refined tannins with an exquisite melange of black fruits, cherries, and a hint of truffle. Marvel at the sophistication of Christian Moueix Ulysses 2019. A balanced, powerful testament to classic winemaking techniques fused with New World panache, truly a collector's pride and a hedonist's delight.
HK$8,590.00 -
Wine Advocate (93)
One of the best-run and now superstar wineries in all of Napa is Cliff Lede. Starting with their 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap, a beautiful example of this AVA, the wine has a dense ruby/purple color, floral notes intermixed with crème de cassis , graphite and forest floor. It is full bodied, but with the elegance, finesse and lightness of being, despite its intensity. The wood is pushed to the background, and the wine is beautifully pure and long. Drink it over the next 20 years.HK$8,285.00 -
Vinous (91)
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic Cliff Lede wine with rich fruit, tons of intensity and plenty of medium-term appeal. Savory notes add an attractive upper register, but the tannins are a touch firm, so readers will be best off cellaring the 2014 for at least a few years. This is a solid mid-tier offering from Cliff Lede.HK$9,130.00 -
Unveiling the aristocracy of beverages, the Clos Solene Paso Robles Hommage A Nos Pairs Reserve 2018 marries the artistry of the craft and refinement of exceptional terroir. This French-inspired gem, produced by the esteemed Paso Robles winery in the Central Coast of California, promises a memorable encounter with its perfectly proportioned palate. It showcases an opulent blend of Syrah, synonymous with the estate's reputation.
Painstakingly aged for 24 months in French oak, the Hommage A Nos Pairs Reserve 2018 strikes an exquisite balance of dark fruit flavours, leathery tannins, and nuanced floral accents. The temperate Paso Robles climate lends intensity and longevity to the wine, reflected in its rich, dark ruby hue. Taking us back to the visionary expertise of Guillaume Fabre, who mastered the art of vintages, the Clos Solene Paso Robles Hommage A Nos Pairs Reserve 2018 truly gives life to the intricate harmony of superior vineyard character and winemaking finesse.
HK$4,315.00 -
Indulge in the luscious grandeur of the Col Solare Proprietary Red 2018, a peerless embodiment of Washington's celebrated Red Mountain AVA anniversary release. A fusion of importer Marchesi Antinori's Tuscan expertise and Chateau Ste. Michelle's local love, this stellar collaboration berefts a harmonious blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Syrah. This sublime wine was made utilising organic farming methods in the terroir-rich soils of Red Mountain Vineyard. Its robust structure, astounding complexity, tantalising fruit density, and espresso-infused finish result from 22 months' maturation in French oak barrels. A vibrant ruby hue mirrors its notes of black fruit, plum and violet, evoking a palate of spiced dark cherry, black tea, and oak, rounded off by supple tannins and delightful acidity. A versatile choice, the Col Solare Proprietary Red 2018 yearns to accompany a juicy steak or aged cheese. Experience the luxurious sophistication of this unique vintage from one of the most acclaimed wine producers.
HK$4,825.00 -
Wine Advocate (100)
The 2010 Proprietary Red Cariad reveals great intensity along with abundant notes of unsmoked tobacco leaf interwoven with blueberry, blackberry and cassis fruit, charcoal and coffee bean nuances as well as a Pauillac-like lead pencil shaving character. This blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot and 14% Cabernet Franc is one of the finest wines I tasted over the 12 days I spent tasting in Napa Valley in late August and early September. This remarkable 2010 should drink beautifully for 20 or more years.HK$16,420.00 -
Vinous (98)
The 2013 Cariad is fabulous. Pliant, expressive and nuanced in the glass. Here, the tannins are suave and supple, which makes the wine unusually accessible today. There is plenty of delineation in the dark, mineral-laced flavors, but the 2013 impresses for most of its superb textural depth. Cariad is made mostly from fruit sourced from David Abreu's Madrona Ranch vineyard in St. Helena.HK$12,305.00 -
Vinous (98+)
The highlight among these 2015s, the Cariad is a total knock-out. Dark, vibrant and powerful in the glass, the 2015 offers notable energy to balance the bold flavors of the year. In this vintage, the Cariad has quite a bit more Franc than is typically the case, a decision that has paid off beautifully. I very much like the sense of energy here.HK$13,670.00 -
Vinous (100)
The highlight in this range today, the 2016 Cariad is utterly magnificent. Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot give the wine soaring aromatic intensity and striking savoriness to play off the racy, forward fruit. Time in barrel has done wonders to meld all the elements together. Today, the Cariad is dense, explosive and super-expressive. And yet my sense is that the 2016 still has quite a bit of room to grow. Even at this early stage, the 2016 is a total stunner. The symbiosis of David Abreu fruit and Allision Tauziet's winemaking makes for an electric, unforgettable 2016. Don't miss it.HK$14,635.00 -
Vinous (100)
What a thrill it is to taste the 2018 Cariad again. Last year the 2018 was magnificent. It is all that this year too. Powerful and explosive, the 2018 is captivating from the very first taste. Healthy dollops of Cabernet Franc and Merlot add layers to this deep, wonderfully vibrant Napa Valley red. In a big morning tasting at Colgin spanning more than a dozen wines, the 2018 Cariad was a stand out. Superb.HK$29,730.00 -
Wine Advocate (96)
The dense purple-hued 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard exhibits classic notes of creme de cassis, charcoal/creosote, chocolate, and subtle toasty oak along with beautiful ripeness, sweet tannin, and a full-bodied mouthfeel. It is significantly, as well as atypically, more accessible and fleshy than the 2005, a rarity for these two vintages.HK$10,275.00 -
Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (93-96)
Bright medium ruby. Perfumed aromas of cassis, blueberry, bitter chocolate, menthol, violet and wild mint. Not quite as dense yet as the 2006 but boasts terrific thrust and energy to its flavors of black fruits, licorice and minerals. The big, sweet tannins arrive quite late, allowing this wonderfully suave and minerally wine to open and build on the back.HK$12,855.00 -
Wine Advocate (100)
The 2010 IX Estate is another perfect wine. Its opaque purple color is accompanied by copious aromas of blueberries, cassis, pen ink, asphalt, licorice and subtle oak. Full-bodied and rich but light on its feet, this spectacular effort was created from a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot. Enjoy this profound wine over the next 25+ years.HK$14,135.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
An absolute beast of a wine, the 2013 Ix Estate checks in as a mix of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot that’s all from the estate located at the top of Pritchard Hill. Still a primordial wine that reminds me of a barrel sample, its vivid, saturated purple color is followed by an incredible bouquet of black and blue fruits, graphite, spring flowers, and scorched earth. With a deep, full-bodied, massive mid-palate, background oak, and beautiful purity and freshness, it’s a tour de force and may be the most massive yet perfectly balanced wine I’ve ever tasted. It’s incredible today in an academic sort of way, but it won’t start to hit maturity for at least another decade. Hats off to superstar winemaker Allison Tauziet who, in this critic’s opinion, fashions some of the most profound and captivating wines on the planet!HK$15,670.00 -
The Wine Independent (99)
The 2014 IX Estate is deep garnet-black in color. Scents of creme de cassis, plum preserves, and blackberry pie jump from the glass, followed by suggestions of incense, iron ore, and camphor with a waft of dark chocolate and Morello cherries coming through after a few moments. The medium to full-bodied palate is vibrant and refreshing, thrumming with mineral-sparked energy and supported by firm, grainy tannins, finishing very long and earthy.HK$12,385.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
Another perfect wine from this estate is the 2015 IX Estate which is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot. This inky purple-colored beauty has everything: incredible aromatics, huge richness, insane purity, and a singular character that needs to be tasted to be believed. Crème de cassis, blueberries, violets, flowers, and lead pencil shaving-like notes all soar from the glass and it hits the palate with a youthful, full-bodied, beautifully concentrated style that builds incrementally, has fine tannin, and integrated acidity. It needs 4-5 years of bottle age but will keep for 3-4 decades.HK$18,000.00 -
Wine Advocate (100)
The 2016 IX Proprietary Red Estate is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple, it comes strutting out of the glass with flamboyant Black Forest cake, blueberry compote and plum pudding notions plus hints of spice cake, unsmoked cigars, menthol, licorice and dusty soil and accented by wafts of tar and black tea. The palate is full-bodied yet incredibly poised and vibrant with amazing freshness and very fine-grained, very firm tannins. It possesses the most provocative earthy sparks, providing arresting depth to the very long, beautifully perfumed finish. Stunning.HK$14,135.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (98)
Blackcurrants, tobacco, gravelly earth, and lead pencil notes emerge from the 2017 IX Estate, which has a Chateau Latour-like austerity and class. Coming from vines around the estate, high up on Pritchard Hill, it builds beautifully on the palate and is full-bodied and massively concentrated, yet has stunning balance as well as polished, silky tannins. Enough can’t be said about the quality coming from this estate, and this is another magical wine that will stand up to the greatest Cabernets in the world. Hide bottles for 5-7 years (if you have more patience than I do) and enjoy over the following 40-50 years.HK$11,400.00 -
The Wine Independent (100)
The 2018 IX Estate is deep purple-black in color. It gives up crushed blueberries, fresh blackcurrants, and black cherry preserves with an evocative undercurrent of licorice, sandalwood, clove oil, and cumin seed plus a waft of iron ore. The full-bodied palate is firm, tightly wound, and so, so intense, featuring exquisitely ripe, fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and opulent.HK$13,540.00 -
James Suckling (100)
Ripe cherries, plums and flowers on the nose. Orange peel, too, together with hints of thyme, bay leaf and sage. Medium-to full-bodied, incredibly deep and fresh, with fine tannins that carry you deep down into the finish. It tells you its great, but makes you spend time in order to understand it. Reminds me of the 1990 Latour. Try after 2027.HK$7,475.00 -
James Suckling (100)
Ripe cherries, plums and flowers on the nose. Orange peel, too, together with hints of thyme, bay leaf and sage. Medium-to full-bodied, incredibly deep and fresh, with fine tannins that carry you deep down into the finish. It tells you its great, but makes you spend time in order to understand it. Reminds me of the 1990 Latour. Try after 2027.HK$13,885.00 -
Vinous (94)
(16% alcohol due to the tiny, concentrated berries, but balanced by 6.2 grams/liter total acidity): Saturated dark ruby! Brooding black fruits, black olive, lavender and flinty, smoky minerality on the nose. Dense, superconcentrated, rather wild flavors of saline olive tapenade, dark berries and smoked meat. Displays superb thickness and chewy depth but still needs time to gain in complexity and open. The tannins are dusty but not dry, and the finish is very long and spicy.HK$7,955.00 -
Vinous (96)
We started with three wines from Napa Valley, as I wanted to open with wines that presented a sense of familiarity. Did they ever. The Araujo and Colgin Syrahs had something in common in that they were first and foremost wines of place. Along similar lines, 2009 Colgin's Syrah from IX Estate on Pritchard Hill, was very much defined by a hillside sense of structure.HK$7,955.00 -
Wine Advocate (100)
The 2010 IX Estate Syrah is one of the most compelling Syrahs ever made in California. It ranks alongside some of the perfect Syrahs from Sine Qua Non in Santa Ynez and the Santa Rita Hills. Tasting like liquified steak au poive with blackberry and blueberry sauce, this amazing wine reveals staggering aromas of flowers, bouquet garni, melted asphalt, licorice, pepper and meaty notes. It should drink well for 15+ years assuming you have that much patience.HK$11,875.00 -
Vinous (98)
The 2015 Syrah is a total knock-out. Super-ripe red cherry, plum, rose petal and mint are some of the notes that race out of the glass, but here, too, it is the wine's stunning textural richness that stands out most. Full-throttle and intense in every dimension, the 2015 captivates all the senses with its magnificent, towering beauty. I would prefer to cellar the 2015 for at least a few years, but even today, in its primary stage, the 2015 is phenomenal.HK$9,310.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
Lastly, the 2016 Syrah IX Estate reminds me of the otherworldly 2010 and is as profound as Syrah gets. Tasting like Guigal’s Côte Rôtie La Mouline (maybe on steroids) with its huge notes of bacon fat, spring flowers, blue fruits, barbecued meats, and incense, it’s full-bodied and massive yet also thrillingly pure, seamless, elegant, and weightless. It’s certainly approachable today yet is going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and keep for two decades.HK$9,920.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (99)
Lastly, and all destemmed aged 18 months in roughly 70% new French oak, the 2017 Syrah IX Estate needs to be tasted to be believed. It’s hard to understand how this incredible wine was produced in a vintage like 2017. Revealing a deep purple color as well as a monster bouquet of blackberries, orange blossom, smoked meat, bacon fat, and spring flower, it's deep, full-bodied, and beautifully pure on the palate, with silky tannins and a singular, exotic character. It’s not easy to find, but unquestionably worth the effort!HK$12,415.00 -
Vinous (96)
(15.6% alcohol): Bright, dark red. Lovely complex, subtle perfume of black raspberry, mulberry, currant, nutty oak and sexy brown spices. Wonderfully pliant and fresh in the mouth, showing some very ripe qualities but also outstanding detail and finesse to its flavors of black raspberry and deep wet-stone minerality. Offers compelling sweetness while retaining a firm shape, finishing long and aromatic, with very suave, harmonious tannins. I found this wine a bit liqueur-like upon release but today it's a knockout.HK$12,745.00 -
Vinous (96)
A deep, dense, powerful wine, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill exudes pure richness. The flavors are dark and boldly sketched throughout, with gorgeous savory and mineral notes that add shades of nuance to the dark, inky fruit. Even with all of its obvious intensity, the 2013 is remarkably balanced for such a young wine. The 2013 should drink well with just a few more years in bottle. As always, the Tychson Hill is the most open and forthcoming of the Colgin wines.HK$19,975.00 -
Vinous (96+)
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill is beautifully layered throughout, with striking aromatics and tons of nuance. There is no shortage of intensity, but, somewhat uncharacteristically, the Tychson Hill is the least opulent of these four wines. The 2014 has closed down considerably after bottling. From barrel, it was nuanced, classy and super-polished. I suspect it will be all of those things again in a number of years. Dollops of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot round out the blend.HK$23,300.00
