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
Bastide Miraflors Syrah Grenache 2023, Côtes Du Roussillon, Roussillon A.O.P., France: Bastide Miraflors Côtes du Roussillon A.O.P. is a medium-bodied, bone-dry blend of 70% Syrah and 30% old-vine Grenache, aged in a combination of concrete tanks and French oak demi-muids to preserve freshness while adding structure. It opens with aromas of dried blackcurrant, cracked pepper, crushed garrigue, and a lick of iron-tinged schist. On the palate it's focused and precise, with boysenberry, bitter espresso, a whisper of dried thyme, and a long, polished finish with supple tannins. Winemaker Jean-Marc Lafage crafts this wine from organically grown vines planted over 50 years ago on the schist and granite hillsides of Saint-Paul de Fenouillet in northern Roussillon, where the old-vine Grenache ripens late and slowly. The Lafage family has been growing grapes in the Roussillon since 1791, making Jean-Marc the first generation to bottle and sell his own wines rather than deliver to the local cooperative. Drink it now through 2030. Pour it alongside roast leg of lamb with herbes de Provence, where the wine's garrigue notes mirror the herbs beautifully, or try it with slow-braised beef brisket where the wine's firm structure holds its own against the richness. Syrah Grenache food pairings: roast leg of lamb, roast duck, slow braised beef brisket. Drink: 2026 - 2030 320499 14.5% XD 750 mL $19.95 Score: 91/100. June 2026. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Sparkling Wine
Lété-Vautrain Champagne 2016, Champagne A.O.C., France: Lété-Vautrain Brut Millésime Champagne A.O.C. is made using the traditional method of second fermentation in the bottle, just as they do throughout the Champagne region. It's light-bodied and extra-dry with a restrained, chalky character, opening with butter and pastry notes, lemon pulp, and a hint of fresh red fruit, with zesty acidity and a taut, polished finish. Serve it well chilled and drink it now. The house ages its vintage wines for a minimum of seven years in the cellar before release, which accounts for the depth and complexity in this 2016. Lété-Vautrain was founded in 1968 in Château-Thierry in the Marne Valley by Robert Lété and his wife Liliane Vautrain, who started with just 0.4 hectares and gradually grew the estate to 7.5 hectares. In 2011 the family passed the house to Sophie and Ignace Baron of the Baron-Fuenté family, who have kept the Lété-Vautrain name and identity intact out of respect for the founders' legacy. Champagne food pairings: grilled scallops with lemon beurre blanc, smoked salmon blinis with crème fraîche, soft ripened cheese with crusty baguette. 48563 12.5% XD 750 mL $69.95 Score: 92/100. June 2026. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart