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
Anthonij Rupert Optima 2021, Western Cape W.O., South Africa: Anthonij Rupert Optima from the Western Cape is a dry, full-bodied Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot, a wine of quiet authority and impressive depth, with a nose of sun-dried fig, warm saddle leather, roasted coffee bean, dried lavender and a dusting of cinnamon that draws you in before the palate delivers waves of concentrated, velvety fruit bound by firm, grainy tannins and a long, satisfying finish. Head Winemaker Dawie Botha, who has shaped the red wine program since the winery's founding in 2005, aged this wine for 20 months in French oak barrels with 30% new wood before an additional two years of bottle aging, releasing it only when it is truly ready to drink. The Optima is a deeply personal tribute to the late Anthonij Rupert, whose lifelong dream was to produce a Cape wine capable of standing alongside the greatest Bordeaux in the world, and the estate's 17th-century Huguenot farm L'Ormarins in Franschhoek remains the spiritual home of that ambition. Serve it slightly below room temperature alongside a grilled New York strip steak with a herb butter finish, where the wine's intensity and structure find an ideal partner; it is equally at home with a slow-roasted short rib glazed with red wine and shallots, the wine's complexity deepening with every bite. Cellar through 2036. Food pairings: grilled New York striploin steak, gourmet burgers, long ribs, cheese. Drink: 2026 - 2036 455915 14.3% XD 750 mL $34.95 Score: 95/100. April 2026. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
White Wine
Inviniti Sauvignon Blanc 2025, Marlborough, New Zealand: Inviniti Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand is a zesty, light-bodied white crafted from sustainably grown grapes that captures everything lovers of this iconic regional style adore, arriving at just 12.5% alcohol for a nimble, refreshing vitality that makes it endlessly sippable. The nose bursts with an exuberant bouquet of crushed kiwi, elderflower, and sun-ripened honeydew, while the palate delivers a juicy, mouth-filling wave of white cherry, tangy yuzu, and freshly snapped snap pea, all framed by a vibrant, cutting acidity and a cool wet-slate minerality that keeps the finish clean and invigorating. Marlborough's Wairau Valley, where this wine originates, sits at the northern tip of New Zealand's South Island and benefits from an exceptional combination of intense sunshine and cool nights that produces Sauvignon Blanc of extraordinary aromatic intensity and natural freshness. Best served well chilled and drinking beautifully from now through 2027, this is a wine built for immediate pleasure and effortless pairing at the table. Enjoy it alongside a vibrant chickpea and roasted bell pepper salad dressed with lemon tahini, where the wine's citrusy snap and herbal energy brighten every forkful, or serve it with a creamy Camembert and honey on a rustic charcuterie board, where its crisp acidity slices through the richness of the cheese with effortless grace. Sauvignon Blanc food pairings: chickpea and bell pepper salads, Camembert cheese, grilled asparagus, artichoke galette. Drink: 2025 - 2027 36907 12.5% XD 750 mL $18.95 Score: 90/100. April 2026. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart