Vino e Vivo

Campania, Italy 100% Aglianico Wine Spectator - 94 points "A tightly knit and concentrated red, with firm yet creamy tannins supporting a layered range of creamed black cherry, raspberry coulis and chocolate pudding, plus details of iron and graphite, spice box and tobacco. Fresh and supple on the palate, with fine-grained tannins framing the finish." Wine Advocate - 93 points

Mosel, Germany 100% Riesling James Suckling - 95 points "This smells like walking into a high-class store, where a huge basket of peaches and nectarines is standing on the counter. Super-elegant and precise with a spot on balance of racy acidity, wet stone minerality and delicate fruit. Very long and pristine finish."

Tuscany, Italy 100% Sangoiovese Grosso Wine Spectator - 94 points "A complex red, with dark, savory notes of licorice, eucalyptus and tobacco aligned with cherry and berry flavors. Succulent, showing light viscosity to the texture, with wild herb and iron elements creeping in on the long finish. Power meets grace. " Wine Advocate - 96 points "A special single-vineyard wine with origins in one of the more remote, wild and beautiful corners of Montalcino, this is one of the true treats of the appellation. The Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso opens to a medium-rich appearance and vibrant color saturation. Sangiovese can lose its color quickly, but it remains beautifully intact here. Sweet cherry, redcurrant, spice, blue flower, balsam herb and orange peel are neatly woven together to create this balanced wine."

Tuscany, Italy Wine Spectator - 95 points and #1 of Top 100 wines of 2023 "Rose, strawberry and cherry aromas and flavors are the main themes in this red, along with wild herb, mineral and cut hay accents. Racy and full of energy, with a long, saturated finish." Wine Advocate - 93 points

Napa Valley, California 100% Cabernet Sauvignon From Schrader Cellars, a producer of highly regarded (and highly priced) Napa Valley Caber ent Sauvignons and their winemaker, Thomas Rivers Browne. This wine has not been rated but the 2019 was Wine Spectator's number 1 wine in 2022 and the winery has this to say about the 2021. "The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon stands to outshine the award-winning 2019 vintage with even deeper concentration and complexity. On the nose, the wine leaps from the glass with ripe blackberry, cassis, black cherry, and red plum, with a lovely herbaceous undertone. The palate expresses juicy red and black fruits with hints of black tea, damp earth, vanilla bean, lavender, and just a touch of flint. With fine-grained tannins and mouthwatering acidity that lingers through the long finish, this wine is ready to drink upon release but will cellar well for years to come."

Piedmont, Italy 100% Nebbiolo Wine Spectator - 95 points "The delicate aromas and flavors of rose, strawberry and cherry are backed by a layer of dense tannins, with iron, tobacco and eucalyptus notes adding depth as this cruises to a long, expansive finish. Impressive now, this should only improve with age."

Piedmont, Italy 100% Nebbiolo Wine Spectator - 95 points "A rich, succulent style of Barolo, boasting fresh cherry, strawberry, rose, iron, tobacco and black pepper flavors. Firms up, with fine tannins that leave a chalky sensation on the saline mineral finish, showing terrific balance and length." Wine Advocate - 97+ "With fruit from 60- to 65-year-old vines in Serralunga d'Alba, the Massolino 2019 Barolo Parafada is vibrant and bright with very pretty aromas of wild cherry, blue flower, iron ore and rusty nail. The wine displays very pretty intensity but remains balanced all the while. There is a lot of precision and definition in this well-structured Nebbiolo. Be patient with this wine."

Piedmont, Italy 100% Nebbiolo Wine Spectator - 94 points "This pure red exudes rose, strawberry, cherry, iron and eucalyptus flavors. Linear, with a firm spine of tannins and lively acidity for support, this shows excellent balance and length." Wine Advocate - 95 points "The Massolino 2019 Barolo Parussi (with 9,000 bottles made) has dark fruit and savory spice that make for a very firm and compact wine. This is an upfront and quite muscular expression with fruit from one of the northernmost sites in Castiglione Falletto. There is some firmness to the tannins that will require more aging time."

Tuscany, Italy Wine Spectator - 96 points Number 5 in Top 100 list of 2022. "A supple, elegant red highlighted by bright cherry, black currant, violet, tobacco, iron and oak spice aromas and flavors. Though fluid and seemingly approachable now, this is well-structured and shows the balance to age. Fine length." Wine Advocate - 96 points "The Marchesi Antinori 2019 Tignanello was born in a classic growing season that saw some cooling summer rains and relatively stress-free conditions. This is an elegant and extremely polished wine made with mostly Sangiovese and smaller parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Here too, the small blending element of Cabernet Franc has been slowly increasing in recent years. The 2019 vintage was born with a good amount of power and tannic structure, and maceration times were slightly reduced as a result.

Vinho Verde, Portugal WE-90 This rich, concentrated wine is packed with intense apple and pear flavors that are pierced through with vibrant acidity. It is full in feel, densely textured and finely balanced.

Campania, Italy 100% Aglianico Wine Spectator - 94 points "A tightly knit and concentrated red, with firm yet creamy tannins supporting a layered range of creamed black cherry, raspberry coulis and chocolate pudding, plus details of iron and graphite, spice box and tobacco. Fresh and supple on the palate, with fine-grained tannins framing the finish." Wine Advocate - 93 points

Napa Valley, California 100% Cabernet Sauvignon From Schrader Cellars, a producer of highly regarded (and highly priced) Napa Valley Caber ent Sauvignons and their winemaker, Thomas Rivers Browne. This wine has not been rated but the 2019 was Wine Spectator's number 1 wine in 2022 and the winery has this to say about the 2021. "The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon stands to outshine the award-winning 2019 vintage with even deeper concentration and complexity. On the nose, the wine leaps from the glass with ripe blackberry, cassis, black cherry, and red plum, with a lovely herbaceous undertone. The palate expresses juicy red and black fruits with hints of black tea, damp earth, vanilla bean, lavender, and just a touch of flint. With fine-grained tannins and mouthwatering acidity that lingers through the long finish, this wine is ready to drink upon release but will cellar well for years to come."

Red Mountain AVA, Washington 100% Lemberger JS-91 WA-88 A delightfully scented wine, the 2019 Lemberger offers notions of dusty cherry skin, dried herbs and vanilla. Medium-bodied, the palate is lively and balanced, offering a fresh frame of dark red fruit and then a subtle rusticity across the mid-palate with fine-grained, silky tannins. The Lemberger concludes with notions of high-toned, red fruit flavors over the lingering finish.

Tuscany, Italy 100% Sangoiovese Grosso Wine Spectator - 94 points "A complex red, with dark, savory notes of licorice, eucalyptus and tobacco aligned with cherry and berry flavors. Succulent, showing light viscosity to the texture, with wild herb and iron elements creeping in on the long finish. Power meets grace. " Wine Advocate - 96 points "A special single-vineyard wine with origins in one of the more remote, wild and beautiful corners of Montalcino, this is one of the true treats of the appellation. The Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso opens to a medium-rich appearance and vibrant color saturation. Sangiovese can lose its color quickly, but it remains beautifully intact here. Sweet cherry, redcurrant, spice, blue flower, balsam herb and orange peel are neatly woven together to create this balanced wine."

Tuscany, Italy Wine Spectator - 95 points and #1 of Top 100 wines of 2023 "Rose, strawberry and cherry aromas and flavors are the main themes in this red, along with wild herb, mineral and cut hay accents. Racy and full of energy, with a long, saturated finish." Wine Advocate - 93 points

Tuscany, Italy Wine Spectator - 96 points Number 5 in Top 100 list of 2022. "A supple, elegant red highlighted by bright cherry, black currant, violet, tobacco, iron and oak spice aromas and flavors. Though fluid and seemingly approachable now, this is well-structured and shows the balance to age. Fine length." Wine Advocate - 96 points "The Marchesi Antinori 2019 Tignanello was born in a classic growing season that saw some cooling summer rains and relatively stress-free conditions. This is an elegant and extremely polished wine made with mostly Sangiovese and smaller parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Here too, the small blending element of Cabernet Franc has been slowly increasing in recent years. The 2019 vintage was born with a good amount of power and tannic structure, and maceration times were slightly reduced as a result.

Veneto, Italy Dal Forno is a legend among winemakers in the Veneto. This wine is a blend of 70% Corvina and Corvina Grossa, 20% Rondinella, 5% Croatina and 5% Oseleta. It is a blockbuster. WA-94 The 2007 Valpolicella Superiore from the celebrated Monte Lodoletta vineyard is rock-tight with a midnight black appearance and aromas that emerge with fierce determination. The fascinating aromatic medley includes dark spice, prune, Spanish cedar, tar, black licorice, balsam herb and blackberry tart. The mouthfeel is plush and rich with super-tight tannins that grip nervously to the finish. It has only started its bottle evolution and requires more time to soften and develop. Drink 2017-2035. WS-91 Rich and smoky in flavor, yet graceful in form, with supple tannins and muscle structuring the flavors of dried cherry, bresaola, grilled marjoram, date and mesquite smoke, followed by a long, chewy finish.

California 14.5% abv Ozeki Nigori is a cloudy sake that appears milky-white. Nigori—unfiltered sake retains some of the rice sediment in the bottle. to create an amazing creamy, rich sake flavor. The texture is velvety smooth and soft, and has tropical flavor that is similar to coconut milk. Serve well chilled and shake before pouring.

Bordeaux, France Second label of Chateau D'Yquem Haut Charmes is a very special Sauternes bottling, made from the younger vines of one of the region's most legendary château. Its location in the Ciron Valley exposes the Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon fruit to conditions perfect for the development of botrytis. Charming, elegant and an exceptional value for what's in the bottle.

Andalucia, Spain RP-95 An absolutely amazing, decadent, luxurious sweet wine, made from 100% Moscatel de Alexandria, the 2014 Botani Victoria #2 comes from the estate's oldest 50-year-old vines and, according to Jorge Ordoñez, it takes 17 pounds of grapes to make one 375-milliliter bottle of this elixir. Truly great stuff, it has loads of honeysuckle, caramelized tropical fruits, hints of maple syrup and brown sugar. The wine is rich, fragrant with plenty of flowery notes intermixed with wet pebble-like minerality. It is full-bodied and unctuously textured, but has enough acidity to balance the sweet, rich texture.

Rhone Valley, France The wines have the distinctive Muscat flavors of flowers, tropical fruit and honey.

Porto, Portugal JS - 95-96 This shows first class structure and length. It’s full-bodied and lightly sweet with fabulous length and power. It starts off slowly and builds on the palate with great blackberry, mineral and slate character. WS-93 This is starting to open up, featuring singed alder and ganache notes that meld into the core of crushed plum, fig and blackberry compote flavors. Flickers of tobacco and espresso fill in through the finish, with the alder accent lingering. WA-93 The 2012 Guimaraens Vintage Port was bottled in 2014. Surprisingly powerful, this opens as a brooding Port. Laced with rhubarbs and herbs, it seems a bit on the drier side, relatively speaking, and shows that occasional warmth on the finish.

Bordeaux, France Second label of Chateau D'Yquem Haut Charmes is a very special Sauternes bottling, made from the younger vines of one of the region's most legendary château. Its location in the Ciron Valley exposes the Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon fruit to conditions perfect for the development of botrytis. Charming, elegant and an exceptional value for what's in the bottle.

Hyogo Prefecture, Japan Made with rice polished to at least 50%. The taste is dry, crisp, fruity, floral

Size: 7 3/8" This crystal glass is a perfect size and shape for full-bodied white wines (more than 12 percent alcohol) with good extract and moderate acidity. When served from this crystal glass, the wine has a perfect balance of fruit and acidity. Recommended for: Albario, Barsac, Bordeaux (white), Burgundy (white), Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Condrieu, Hermitage Blanc, Marsanne, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Sauternes, Sauvignon Blanc (Barrique), Viognier.

Size: H: 8-5/8" Cap: 8-1/8oz. The magic of this glass is its ability to highlight the full spectrum of aromas and flavors offered by fine champagnes and sparkling wines while preserving their elegant effervescence. Bubbles pose a challenge. How do you keep the sparkle in sparkling wine? The solution lies at the bottom of each Vinum Prestige Cuvée Flute. Etched into each is a small dot, the purpose of which is to provide a slightly abraded surface that serves to generate a continuous stream of bubbles and prevent the champagne from going flat in the glass. Designed to highlight the bouquet of champagne, this light and well-balanced glass accentuates the complexity and richness of vintage champagnes and prestige cuvées. Recommended for: Prestige Cuvée, Rosé Champagne, Vintage Champagne, Vintage sparkling wine.

Size: H: 9-1/4" Cap: 21-1/2oz. Non lead, machine made. All Riedel glasses are dishwasher safe. Recommended for: Bordeaux (red), Brunello di Montalcino, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Rioja, Sangiovese, Sangiovese Grosso, Tempranillo

Set of four Riedel Veritas glasses: Cabernet/Merlot Old World Pinot Noir Riesling/Zinfandel Oaked Chardonnay Makes a great gift!

Piedmont, Italy Wine Spectator - 95 points "Spicy, displaying white pepper, cumin, fennel seed and mineral notes that frame a core of macerated plum and cherry. Dense, viscous and lively, this is balanced and expressive. Ends with excellent length and power. " Wine Advocate - 94 points