Old Bridge Highlights for 2023
Greg Norman Estates 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon (Knights Valley)
92 pts Editors’ Choice | This layered and well-structured wine wraps powerful fruit flavors in assertive oak spices and firm tannins. The wine is enjoyable now if decanted and poured with a grilled lamb chop, but will gain more complexity with time. Best from 2026–2032. —J.G.
Greg Norman Estates 2021 Chardonnay (Russian River Valley)
89 pts Best Buy. | Quite fruity in flavor and viscous in texture, this wine should appeal even to non-wine drinkers. Full and soft, it offers honeydew melon, baked apple and vanilla flavors on a full body. —J.G.
Chapter 24 2021 Last Chapter Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley)
92 pts | This wine’s saline seabreeze and campfire-smoke aromas, matched by dark plums, will place you squarely on the nearest beach. Expect elevated acidity to light up the palate, with flavors like tart red cherries, ginger and black tea with honey. Pair with s’mores and “The Endless Summer” soundtrack LP. —M.A.
Maison L’Envoyé 2021 Chateau Vivier Gamay Noir (Fleurie)
92 pts | Editors’ Choice
This Fleurie has a distinctive aroma silhouette that immediately communicates something good is about to happen in your glass. Black raspberry leaps out on the nose followed by black plum, black tea, forest floor, red cherry and rosehip. On the palate well-integrated black fruit is in lockstep with ripe tannins.
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Maison L’Envoyé 2021 Gamay Noir (Morgon Côte du Py)
92 pts Editors’ Choice | A perfumed nose of rhubarb, apricot, raspberry, strawberry and Bing cherry gives life to this ruby-colored Morgon. Grippy tannins kick in on the midpalate and lend robustness and depth to the 40-year-old vines that gave birth to this wine. This Côte du Py Morgon shows the seriousness of Grand Cru Beaujolais.—R.S.
Maison L’Envoyé 2021 Terre De Thé Gamay Noir (Moulin-à-Vent)
91 pts | Restraint can be alluring and this Moulin-à-Vent embodies that. This wine has a nose of black raspberry, leather, dried mushroom and red currant with hints of apricot. Reserved black fruit dominates the midpalate, completing with a lingering finish. Old Bridge Cellars. —R.S.
John Duval Wines 2019 Annexus Grenache (Barossa)
93 pts | This is a perfumed, lucid and characterful Grenache that wafts blueberry, violets and savory, earthy spice. The medium- to full-figured palate shows power and lift, with chewy yet fine tannins, succulent fruit and a satiny texture. This is a classy bottling for sipping now and over the next decade. Old Bridge Cellars. —C.P.
John Duval Wines 2018 Integro Cabernet Sauvignon (Barossa)
93 pts | This former Penfolds Grange winemaker’s reds are always big, characterful, old school and precise, and the 2018 Cab, from prized old vineyards in the Eden Valley, lives up. Heady aromas of cherry preserves and savory spice are framed in toasty oak, followed by roast veg and petrichor nuances. The palate comes with lifted acidity and an earthy, beetroot tang. Tannins are ultra fine and powdery, weaving a tight web amidst the red and black fruit. Drink 2026-2038. Old Bridge Cellars. Cellar Selection. —C.P.
John Duval Wines 2022 Concilio Grenache (Barossa Valley)
91 pts | Heady, fruit-driven and highly likable aromas of blueberry and strawberry compote, with violet and white pepper undertones, flow to a palate that’s midweight with a silky texture and succulent fruit. This crowd-pleasing Aussie Grenache is perfect for the in-between seasons. —C.P.
Innocent Bystander 2022 Pink Moscato Rosé (Victoria)
BEST BUY | Peach-colored and intensely aromatic, this bursts with confected fruit aromas like watermelon Jolly Rancher and strawberry popsicle, with a hint of florals. The palate is sweet but, thanks to a good level of acidity, never sickly or syrupy. Drink ice cold with a summery dessert. —C.P.
About Old Bridge Cellars
Old Bridge Cellars imports, produces and markets wines from a handful of independent wineries in the world’s leading wine regions. Our portfolio boasts 200 different wines from 26 applauded winemaking regions across the globe.