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News and Reviews November 2008
Further
to our announcement in September that Alliance Wine has been
appointed the UK agency for Paul Hobbs, Cobos and Odfjell
wines, we recently carried out a 2 day press and customer PR blitz
in London and Edinburgh with Paul Hobbs himself. So it's not
surprising to see a flurry of articles and reviews in
the press about the man and his wines.
Reviews
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Paul Hobbs, California
The White House called the winery to request some Paul Hobbs
2006, Russian River Valley Chardonnay to serve at a dinner for world
leaders during the November Economic Summit.
The Scotsman Magazine, 15 November 2008
"From Little Acorns", Rose Murray Brown
Crossbarn Chardonnay 2005
Citrusy, slick, minerally, crisp, good balance and subtle oak. 14/20
Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir 2006
Cherry, forest fruit, herby notes, quite pure polished refreshing style. 15/20
Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Earthy, cedary, cassis, lovely texture - could take on a top Bordeaux. 17/20
Tom Cannavan, www.wine-pages.com
Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir 2006
... the
palate has a good, deep, glossy blackcurrant character and a bite of
bittersweet plum and cherry. Quite chocolately tannins, big,
voluptuous but lovely. 92/100
Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
...
on the palate this has a very pure, grippy, tight fruit quality with
blueberry and blackberry skin roughening texture. Nice weight and
length, the tannins rich and supple and good length. 92/100
Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr Crane Vineyard 2005
... it seems built for the longer haul, with the fruit and tannins both
lean, supple but plentiful and a fine, long finish with balanced
acidity. 94/100
Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard 2005
...
the palate too has a certain linear restraint, with a herbal and spicy
edge to very lean, savoury fruit, with unfolding layers of structure and
depth. The palate is very juicy, with lovely life and zest and
terrific grippy structure. 95/100
Scotland on Sunday, 16 November 2008
"Rich Pickings", Will Lyons
"If
you have liquid assets and want to put your money where your mouth is,
you could worse than invest in this dirty-rich dozen... Price aside
(bearing in mind that luxury does not come cheap) there has never been
a better time to explore the top end of the market."
2006 Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir, Lindsay Estate, Russian River Valley
The
pinot noir really impressed with notes of dark cherries, red berries and
sandalwood. Light on the palate it proved the potential of California
pinot.
Decanter Magazine
December 2008
"Paul Hobbs' Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet 2006 represents Oakville's answer to Mouton Rothschild or Latour" Robert Parker
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Viña Cobos, Argentina
Wine Spectator Insider, 12 November 2008
Chardonnay Mendoza Bramare Marchiori Vineyard 2007- 91 points
Rich and showy, but nicely detailed, with
grilled hazelnut and brioche notes weaving through the plump apple,
pear and fig flavours. Long and juicy on the finish. Drink
now.
Imbibe Magazine, November/December 2008
"Let Icons be Icons", Sarah-Jane Evans, MW
Viña Cobos is no. 5 in The red hot top 10 of Argentina's icons
Viña Cobos Malbec 2005
A Wine Spectator favourite;
one for any restaurant with a serious American clientele. Minty, creamy,
red fruit aroma; intense. Great fruit, great oak and loads of it
but it is restrained. Long, persistent finish.
The Scotsman Magazine, 15 November 2008
"From Little Acorns", Rose Murray Brown
Felino Chardonnay 2007 - BEST BUY
Subtle aroma, light citrus, crisp, subtle oak, good length. 13/20
Bramare Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Deep blackcurrant, rich, smooth, succulent, well-integrated tannins, lovely length. 14/20
Bramare Malbec Marchiori Vineyard 2005
My favourite: intense liquorice, cedary, blackberry aromas, deep
concentrated fruits, spicy, intense, beautiful length - drink in five
years. 18/20
Tom Cannavan, www.wine-pages.com
Viña Cobos Bramare Malbec 2006
... the palate has a silky depth too, with a lovely ripe character and coffee and
chocolate balanced by tight tannins and good acidity. Long. 92/100
Viña Cobos Bramare Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
... the palate has
a fine, clean but very ripe black fruit sweetness, but there's a nice
bittersweet black chocolate and firm tannins that keep this focused and pure
into the finish. 91/100
Viña Cobos Bramare Malbec Marchiori 2005
This has delightful floral
and pencil-shaving notes that immediately suggest light and shade. The fruit is
very fine. The palate has a real juicy life and energy which I love. 94/100
Viña Cobos Bramare Cabernet Sauvignon Marchiori 2005
... the palate is powerful and very linear,
with a great focus and ripeness, and a long, balanced finish. 93/100
Viña Cobos Malbec 2005
... this wine is all about
laser-like, focused fruit character, with great length and refinement. 95/100
Viña Cobos uNico 2005
63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Malbec. The fruit is extremely
tight and glossy, but it retains that sinew and muscle, the taut, glossy, but
rich black fruit and well-integrated oak playing against fine, supple tannins
and very good acidity into a long finish. 94/100
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Wall Street Journal, 21 November 2008
Wine Notes Column
"Wall Street Trading for Raats"
The
spotlight fell on the young wines from South Africa, Chile and New
Zealand with Raats coming out tops as the panel's favourite. The 2008
Raats Original Chenin Blanc impressed with its "bold, confident,
earthy-melon tastes and leaping acidity" when the panel was expecting
the fresh and fruit fun indicative fo such a young wine. The bolder
character of this white wine wowed with its kiwi, mango and papaya
flavours, while the complexity bowled the panel over.
"This is
absolutely awesome. The Wall Street Journal is one of the biggest
international daily newspapers and is available around the globe.
The Friday Tastings column has gained an enormous following and
for these writers to be so complimentary of my wine is a great
honour," Bruwer Raats.
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At the recent US 2008 World Value Wine Challenge, Redtree scooped some awards
Redtree 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon - Best Cabernet Sauvignon in its Price Category
Redtree 2006 Chardonnay - Highly Recommended
Redtree 2007 Pinot Grigio - Recommended
and
from Domaine de Grand Montmirail, the Muscat de Beaumes de Venice
was a silver medal winner at the Muscat of the World competiton.
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James Halliday Wine Companion 2009 Edition
Shelmerdine 2006 Yarra Valley Chardonnay
A fragrant, complex bouquet offering barrel ferment notes and nectarine
and melon fruit which flows onto the palate; has a long, tangy but
bone-dry finish. 94/100
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The Sydney Morning Herald, 18 November 2008
Huan Hooke Tastings - Wine of the Week
Majella Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Winning
trophies is almost expected of Majella these days ... this wine has
sumptuous, exuberant fruit first and foremost but also has serious
depth and structure. The flavours are bright and clearly defined;
there is no doubting it is a cabernet, swimming against the tide of
fashionably overripe cabernets. 95/100
Taste Food and Wine 2009
Tyson Steltzer and Matthew Jukes
2006 Majella Shiraz
...
we place a priority of approachability on all the wines we include in
our book but this is one which you must pop into your cellar
because it is too good to miss - and it will be sold out before our
book is released next year.
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Imbibe Magazine
November/December 2008
Feudo Montoni Nero d'Avola 2006, Sicily
Deep colour and a lovely resinuous herbs-and-spices nose, majoring on
liquorice, cloves and nutmeg, with a faintly bitter black-cherry
finish. Supple yet savoury, this is a brilliantly balanced
mid-weight food wine.
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Decanter Magazine
December 2008
'10 Great Modern Riojas', Margaret Rand
Luis Cañas Reserva 2001 * * * *
Deep coloured and silky; a complex, spicy wine of great confidence. 2008 -2012.
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Decanter Magazine
December 2008
'10 Great Modern Riojas', Margaret Rand
Remelluri Coleccion Jaime Rodríguez 2002 * * * *
Aromatic
- all pepper and coffee, bright, supple and deep. There's plenty of new
oak but it's well integrated. Very good length. 2008 - 2010.
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Steven Tanzer reviews Domaene Wachau wines
Riesling Smaragd, Singerriedel 2007
Yellow apple and lemon zest aromas are backed by delicate
blossom honey and mineral nuances. Quite elegant in the mouth, displaying a
juicy texture and refreshing peach fruit. A subtle honeyed element is
harmoniously integrated by the wine's fine acid structure. Great finesse and
the cool Spitz terroir are expressed in marvelous harmony here. Already offers
abundant drinking pleasure, but will continue to gain in complexity over the
next 10 to 12 years. 94
Gruner Veltliner Smaragd Achtleiten 2007
Flinty minerals back yellow apple and pineapple on the
nose, all laced with blossom honey. Juicy on the palate, with complex flavors
of apricot, apple and minerals exhibiting good intensity all the way through to
the finish. Remains elegant in spite of its considerable power. This
multifaceted, already-expressive wine offers a good decade of aging potential. 92
Riesling Smaragd Terrassen 2007
Intense peach and passion fruit with lime zest on the nose. Juicy
vineyard peach and a touch of lichee are pierced by a racy acid structure.
Finishes fruity and long. This harmonious wine already offers tremendous
drinking pleasure. 91
Gruner Veltliner Smaragd Terrassen 2007
Veru clear fruit aromas of mango and apricot are backed by subtle
tobacco spice. Juicy and squeaky-clean in the mouth, with a
clearlyu defined flavour of sweet yellow plum supprted elegantly by
streamlined acidity. Crushed pepper lingers ont he finish of this
harmonious and versatile wine. Drink now to 2013. 91
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