Please note that our reviews are based on a variety of sources: samples sent to our team, those we purchase in store, tasting events, those tasted in restaurants and while traveling domestically and internationally.
Red Wine
Tierra De Cubas Dux Imperial 2015, Cariñena D.O.P., Spain: Tierra de Cubas Dux Imperial Gran Reserva from Cariñena is a powerful, medium to full-bodied red offering aromas of wild bramble, sun-dried fig, and hints of warm baking spices. It's dry with firm, polished tannins and concentrated fruit. Serve it slightly below room temperature with grilled lamb chops as the wine's robust structure and mineral depth will enhance the meat's savory richness beautifully, or pair it with aged Manchego cheese where the wine's layered complexity and lengthy finish will complement the cheese's crystalline, nutty character perfectly. The winemaking team at Bodegas Tierra de Cubas, part of the Bodegas San Valero group, crafts this wine from vines planted in 1958 grown on loose, well-aerated detrital soils studded with jagged stones at 662 meters elevation. The winery takes its name from the enormous wooden vats (cubas) historically used in Cariñena since ancient times, and sits near the remains of the 15th-century Convento de Santa Catalina in a location where Iberian and Roman settlements once thrived thanks to its strategic position between the Ebro Valley and Levante. Enjoy now or cellar for 5-8 years. Food pairings: grilled lamb chops, aged Manchego cheese, beef stew with root vegetables. Drink: 2026 - 2034 44779 14% XD 750 mL $16.95 Score: 90/100. February 2026. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
White Wine
Kasteelberg Chenin Blanc 2025, Swartland W.O., South Africa: Kasteelberg Chenin Blanc from Swartland is a rich, medium-bodied white offering aromas of candied tangerine, ripe papaya, and hints of toasted vanilla. It's off-dry with lively acidity and a luxurious texture. Serve it well chilled with grilled prawns as the wine's tropical character and silky mouthfeel will enhance the seafood's sweetness beautifully, or pair it with roasted chicken and herbs where the wine's depth and oak-influenced complexity will complement the savory flavors perfectly. Head winemaker Alecia Boshoff, who leads production at Riebeek Valley Wine Co. (formerly Riebeek Cellars), crafts this wine from hand-selected grapes grown on the foothills of the majestic Kasteelberg Mountain, which stands as sentinel over the fertile Riebeek Valley. Established in 1941, the cooperative brings together 22 families of third- and fourth-generation grape growers who farm dry-land vineyards planted on distinctive prehistoric sandstone and shale soils, and the winery ages this wine partially in oak barrels to add depth and textured richness. Enjoy now or cellar for 2-4 years. Chenin Blanc food pairings: grilled prawns, roasted chicken with herbs, creamy pasta carbonara. Drink: 2026 - 2030 48110 12.5% XD 750 mL $16.95 Score: 90/100. February 2026. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart