Addy Bassin's MacArthur Beverages - Fine Wine and Spirits Since 1957

"The 2004 Aalto has a far different personality than the 2003. More deeply colored, it is also significantly more expressive aromatically. It reveals pain grille, pencil lead, wild blueberry, black raspberry, and blackberry liqueur notes. Opulent on the palate, it has layer upon layer of ripe fruit, and superb length but is still an infant developmentally. Give this top-flight effort 6-8 years to further evolve and drink it through 2032." Jay Miller
- Wine Advocate

"Hard to resist this lush, modern red, with its mouthwatering blackberry and boysenberry fruit and lavish toasty vanilla oak. But has plenty of structure, with ripe tannins and fresh acidity, so give it time to develop. Drink now through 2015. 450 cases imported." Thomas Matthews
- Wine Spectator

" 100% Tempranillo cuvee, the 1999 El Campanario is elegant with blue, red, and black fruits, a heady bouquet, medium body, a juicy attack, and an attractive, plush mid-palate as well as finish. This outstanding effort is best consumed over the next 6-7 years. " Robert Parker
- Wine Advocate

"While 2002 was a lesser vintage, you would never know it from tasting the 2002 Alion. Saturated purple in color, it offers up an exotic nose of coconut, espresso, herbs, black currants and cherries. Rich and complex on the palate with lots of glycerin and layers of black fruit flavors, it has a pure, long finish that goes on and on." Jay Miller
- Wine Advocate

"Purple/black-colored, the 2005 Alonso del Yerro has a brooding nose of earth, mineral, blackberry, and blueberry compote. This is followed by a smooth-textured, opulent wine with tons of flavor. It has a long, pure finish and several years of aging potential. It is an excellent value for a Ribera del Duero of this quality. Vinedos Alonso del Yerro was purchased in 2002 and Stephane Derenoncourt was hired on as consultant. Malolactic fermentation was in new French oak followed by aging sur-lie for 12 months with batonnage" Jay Miller
- Wine Advocate

"The 2005 Alto Moncayo Veraton is 100% Garnacha aged in new French and American oak for 17 months. Dark ruby-colored, it exhibits an alluring nose of toasty new oak, mineral, spice box, black cherry, and black raspberry. This leads to a wine bordering on opulence, with layers of fruit, some structure, and a long, pure finish. Drink it over the next 8-10 years" Jay Miller
- Wine Advocate

"2004 was a superb vintage in Priorat and the three entries from Alvaro Palacios are stunning. If I were a young wine enthusiast with limited discretionary income, I would surely buy a case of the 2004 Les Terrasses. It is a blend of 60% Carignan, 30% Grenache, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for one year in a combination of used French and American oak. It is opaque purple in color with a knockout nose of kirsch, blueberry, licorice and minerals. On the palate there are layers of sweet, ripe black fruits, a supple texture, and light, soft tannins to support several more years of bottle aging. This juicy effort will drink well for 6-8 years thereafter. " Jay Miller
- Wine Advocate

"The 2005 Les Terrasses is sourced from a biodynamically farmed vineyard. This purple-hued wine offers an already complex bouquet of mineral, pencil lead, scorched earth, leather, and black cherry. This is followed by a full-flavored wine with layers of ripe fruit, silky tannins, and a smooth palate-feel. Although it can be enjoyed now, it has enough stuffing to evolve for several years and drink well through 2017. It is also a great value in Priorat, a rarity these days" Jay Miller
- Wine Advocate

"The 2005 Vinas de Gain is produced from 100% Tempranillo with vines ranging from 40-60 years of age. The wine is aged for 12-14 months in French oak, 40% new. 2005 is a very fine vintage throughout Rioja and this entry-level wine from the superstar Bodegas Artadi is an awesome value as well as mind-boggling in quality. Purple/black in color, it offers up a killer perfume that is super-sexy. Among its elements are truffles, pencil lead, vanilla, cherry, and black raspberry jam. Full-bodied, the wine is opulent yet elegant, concentrated, and superbly balanced. There is enough structure to ensure 6-8 years of positive evolution and it should drink well through 2032. Kudos to Bodegas Artadi for this tour de force! " Jay Miller
- Wine Advocate

"This vibrant, modern-style red is assertive yet graceful, with fresh cherry and raspberry flavors supported by firm tannins and crisp acidity and balanced by vanilla notes from oak. It offers an almost weightless intensity. Drink now through 2008. 800 cases imported. " Thomas Matthews
- Wine Spectator

"Bright ruby. Ripe cherry and dark berry aromas are given depth and a brooding character by tobacco and espresso. Shows fresher red fruits on the palate but this is essentially a square-shouldered, youthfully stern wine. Loosens up with air, offering good finishing energy and fresh cherry/berry flavors. Definitely give this some air. " Josh Raynolds
- Stephen Tanzer

"Bodegas Borsao consistently delivers great bang for the buck. Several of their value-priced wines are listed on the Best Buy chart at the end of this report. If I had to select just one Spanish wine that consistently over-delivers year after year, it would be Tres Picos. The 2006 Tres Picos Garnacha has an enticing bouquet of wild cherry, spice box, and floral notes that leaps from the glass. Remarkably rich, balanced, and intensely flavored, this wine can be best described as cherry pie in a glass. It is for hedonists only. As always, it is an awesome value" Jay Miller
- Wine Advocate

"The 2006 Joven saw no oak. Dark ruby-colored, it offers an expressive bouquet of mineral, blue fruits, and black cherry. Smooth, seamless, and elegant, this is a superb introduction to the Mencia grape as well as an exceptional value" Jay Miller
- Wine Advocate

"This modern red is rich and plush, coating the mouth with ripe tannins that carry coffee, chocolate, plum and cassis flavors. Big but balanced. Stays harmonious through the floral finish. Best from 2007 through 2013. " Thomas Matthews
- Wine Spectator

"The 2004 Solanera is a blend of 65% Monastrell, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Tintorera raised in French oak. More complex than its siblings, this purple-colored wine offers fragrant aromas of spice box, smoke, blueberry pie and blackberry liqueur. Full-bodied, the wine is plush and full-flavored with enough structure to support several years of additional bottle age. It should drink well for 8-10 years." Jay Miller
- Wine Advocate

"The 2006 Can Blau is one of the finest values in the marketplace. Composed of 40% Carinena, 40% Syrah, and 20% Garnacha, this purple-colored wine has great aromatics for the price point. It offers up smoke, pain grille, pencil lead, scorched earth, blueberry, black cherry, and blackberry. Balanced, round, and ripe on the palate, the wine already reveals some complexity and enough structure to blossom for another 2-3 years. Drink this lengthy effort over the next 6-8 years." Jay Miller
- Wine Advocate

"The 2004 Cervoles Tinto is 40% Tempranillo, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Garnacha and 10% Merlot aged for 12 months in French oak, 50% new. Inky-colored, it offers an expressive bouquet of pain grille, smoke, kirsch, and blackberry. This is followed by a forward, medium to full-bodied wine that is oh so easy to drink. Sweet and ripe, with no hard edges, this wine can be enjoyed now and over the next 6-8 years" Jay Miller
- Wine Advocate

"The 2001 Classic is a blend of 85% Carignan (from 60-100 year old vines) and 15% Grenache. Notes of bay leaves, thyme, spice box, graphite, black currants, and cherries are present in this vibrant, cooler climate-styled Priorat. With medium to full body, excellent density, and firm tannin, it should be at its apogee between 2007-2014. It is a stunning wine. " Robert Parker
- Wine Advocate

"The entry level 2004 Atauta comes from 60- to 150-year-old, biodynamically farmed, mostly ungrafted Tempranillo bush vines. The wine is aged in 100% French oak of which 20% is new. Dark ruby/purple in color, it has an expressive nose of spice box, coffee, black cherry and blackberry. Made in a racy style, with good acidity, this wine admirably combines ripe, sweet fruit with elegance. Drink it over the next 6-8 years. Kudos to Dominio Atauta!" Jay Miller
- Wine Advocate

"Like a Ferrari with a teenager behind the wheel, this red shows extraordinary power and class, but youth undermines its focus and control. Its ripe black fruit flavors are enriched by mocha-scented oak and coat the palate, supported by muscular yet well-integrated tannins. It's impressive now, but needs a year or two of seasoning to show its true character. Best after 2005. 100 cases made." James Molesworth
- Wine Spectator

"The 2005 Finca Sandoval is 76% Syrah, 13% Mourvedre, and 11% Bobal fermented with native yeasts followed by malolactic fermentation in barrel with lees stirring, followed by aging from 11-13 months in French and American oak, a mix of new and seasoned 225 and 300-liter barrels. Purple-colored, the wine offers up an alluring nose of toasty oak, mineral, floral notes, blueberry, and blackberry. This leads to a full-bodied, ripe, layered wine with superb integration of oak, tannin, and acidity. There is enough structure to support 3-5 years of evolution in the cellar. This outstanding effort should be at its best between 2012 and 2025." Jay Miller
- Wine Advocate

"Regarding Hacienda Monasterio, all you really need to know is that the wine is made by Peter Sisseck, the man behind Pingus. The vineyards are located half way between Pesquera del Duero (Pesquera) and Valbuena (Vega Sicilia). The 2004 Crianza is 80% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. Purple-colored, the wine has an open and expressive nose of violets, lilies, spice box, black currant, and blackberry liqueur which leaps from the glass. It has an intense entry with layers of concentrated sweet fruit, excellent balance, and a sense of elegance. It is lacking only in complexity which is sure to follow with more time in the bottle. Drink this hedonistic effort now and over the next 20 years" Jay Miller
- Wine Advocate

"The seriously endowed, tannic, and oaky 2003 Mibal Seleccion exhibits impressive purity, a brawny, big-boned structure, outstanding depth, and fine ripeness. It requires another 1-3 years of bottle age, but whether it develops the charm of its less expensive sibling remains to be seen. It will be drinkable for at least a decade. " Robert Parker
- Wine Advocate

"The 2000 Reserva Vina Alberdi is a blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Mazuela (Carignan). Medium ruby in color, it exhibits a nicely developed and expressive nose of cedar, spice, and red currants. Light to medium-bodied, seamless, elegant, and ripe, drink this wine now and over the next 3-4 years." Jay Miller
- Wine Advocate

"The 2005 Las Rocas Vinyas Viejas comes from high altitude, low yielding, 100+-year-old Grenache vines and is aged in French and American oak. More aromatic than its sibling, it has a splendid perfume of spice box, lavender, kirsch, and blueberry. It is also a bit richer and longer in the finish. While it may evolve for 1-2 years, who could resist it now?" Jay Miller
- Wine Advocate

"The 2005 Astrales Christina (of which there are a mere 150 cases) is also 100% Tinto Fino sourced from the estate’s oldest vineyard, planted with 85-year-old vines. It was aged for 21 months in new French oak. Opaque purple/black, it reveals a superb perfume of pain grille, pencil lead, leather, spice box, floral notes, licorice, and blackberry liqueur. Massively constructed, powerful, but brooding, this full-bodied, intensely flavored, complex effort has a 60+ second finish. However, it demands a minimum of a decade of cellaring and will still be providing pleasure in 2045. It is a true vin de garde." Jay Miller
- Wine Advocate

"The 2004 Costers de Vinas Viejas is 50% Carinena, 48% Garnacha, and 2% Merlot aged for 16 months in new French oak. Deep purple, the aromas are other-worldly with truffle, tar, graphite, kirsch, and wild blueberry among the array of scents leaping from the glass. Flamboyant and opulent, the wine has remarkable richness and depth of flavor leading to a 60-second finish. Drink this hedonistic effort over the next 10-12 years." Dr. Jay Miller
- Wine Advocate

"This trio of superb wines starts with the 2004 Martinet Bru from a great vintage in Priorat. It is composed of 30% Garnacha, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 10% Syrah. Purple-colored, it has a splendid nose of mineral, pencil lead, toast, vanilla, blueberry and black currants. Full-bodied and layered, it has gobs of black fruit flavors, ripe tannin, and superb focus and concentration leading to a long finish. Give this strapping wine several additional years in bottle and then drink it through 2020." Jay Miller
- Wine Advocate

"Seamless and seductive. Blueberry, blackberry, cocoa and coffee flavors mingle in this elegant red. Firm, focused and fresh, with its harmony disguising impressive concentration. Drink now through 2016. 12,500 cases made." Thomas Matthews
- Wine Spectator

"7 Golfo is a joint venture between 7 winemakers, showcasing 7 regions, and 7 varieties. Fifty percent of the wine is a blend in equal proportion of each of the varieties while the other 50% is composed of a blend assembled and voted upon by all of the contributing winemakers. Proceeds of the sale of the wine are contributed to the construction of a winery in Mozambique. The inaugural 2004 vintage is composed of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Graciano. A total of 155 cases were produced. Although the project sounds like a huge gimmick, amazingly the participants have pulled it off and the wine is awesome. Dark ruby/purple-colored, the nose is already complex with scents of cinnamon, vanilla, pencil lead, mineral, black cherry, black currant, and blackberry. Supple on the palate with loads of extract, the wine is full-flavored and rich yet remarkably elegant. It can be enjoyed now but has the potential for 6-8 years of further evolution. Drink this hedonistically-styled wine through 2020." Jay Miller
- Wine Advocate

"The 2005 Tinto is 100% Tempranillo which spent 6 months in used American and French oak. Medium ruby-colored, it offers pleasant aromas of Asian spice, cranberry, and red currants. There is good material here with plenty of fruit, light tannin, and good grip. There is also a sense of elegance to this wine’s personality. It is a terrific introduction to what Rioja is all about as well as an excellent value,." Jay Miller
- Wine Advocate

"Deep loamy and gamy flavors wrap around cherry and kirsch fruit in this dense red. Sun-baked and solid, with well-integrated tannins and fresh acidity. A traditional style. Monastrell (Mourvèdre), Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo and Merlot. Drink now through 2015." Thomas Matthews
- Wine Spectator

"The 2005 Cyclo is 100% Tempranillo sourced from two vineyards, one with 85-year-old vines and the other with 150-year-old vines. The grapes were fermented with native yeasts and the wine spent 18 months in new barriques. Purple/black in color, the wine has a superb perfume of wood smoke, toast, vanilla, floral notes, mineral, blackberry, and licorice. Sumptuous on the palate, the wine is large-scaled, powerful, ripe, and structured. Give it 5-7 years in the cellar for additional complexity to emerge. It will drink well through 2030" Jay Miller
- Wine Advocate

"Plush in texture, elegant in structure, this red offers smoky berry, lead pencil and tobacco flavors, balanced and clean, with spices and berries on the finish. Not a blockbuster, but graceful. Drink now through 2010." Thomas Matthews
- Wine Spectator