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This Week's Must-Try Wines from Vinous

Welcome to this week's Must-Try Wines from Vinous! Each week we compile a list of wines from the Vinous database that you need to add to your wine wish list. With all the various regions, producers, and grapes, no week will be the same. This week is extra special because we are talking about spirits! All of the spirits listed in this feature are available for purchase on Banquet . This week's must-try spirits are from Antonio Galloni’s article, Spirits: The Tip of the Iceberg . Enjoy an excerpt from this article and reviews below! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “It all started innocently enough. Over the last few years, I have seen a marked increase in spirits made by winemakers. I thought it would be fun to taste them and write them all up. That was the genesis for this report. But then more and more samples arrived, and before I knew it, the article had morphed into a broad survey of spirits of all kinds. This article is clearly not comprehensive to any one category, but rather intended as a collection of spirits I think Vinous readers will enjoy.” --Antonio Galloni, Spirits: The Tip of the Iceberg, December 2022 1. Engine Gin Pure Organic 2. The Rare Wine Co. Historic Series Madeira New York Malmsey Special Reserve 3. The Rare Wine Co. Historic Series Madeira Boston Bual Special Reserve 4. The Rare Wine Co. Historic Series Madeira Charleston Sercial Special Reserve 5. The Rare Wine Co. Historic Series Madeira Baltimore Rainwater Medium Dry 6. Tesseron Cognac Composition 7. Tesseron Cognac Extreme 8. Tesseron Cognac X.O. Perfection Lot No. 53

Cognac Tesseron

X.O Perfection Lot No. 53 Grande Champagne 1er Cru de Cognac Folle Blanche/Ugni Blanc/Colombard

Delectable Wine
9.5

The Cognac X.O. Perfection Lot No. 53 takes things up a level or two. It's a blend of eau de vies that are at least 50+ years old, Ugni Blanc and Colombard, all Grand Champagne. A dark, almost somber Cognac, the Lot. 53 offers up a beguiling mix of dark fruit, spice, leather, game, tobacco, incense and dried herbs. This is an especially virile, almost somber style. There’s real depth and structure here. I especially like the way this builds through the mid-palate and into the finish. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2022)
 — a year ago

Vinhos Barbeito

The Rare Wine Co. Historic Series Boston Madeira Special Reserve Bual

Delectable Wine
9.3

The Madeira Boston Bual Special Reserve is one of the richest and most potent of the Madeiras in the Rare Wine Co.’s Historic Series. A dark, brooding Madeira, the Boston Bual is packed with dark macerated cherry, mocha, spice, worn-in leather, tobacco and dried herbs. It’s a beautiful Madeira to drink at the end of a meal with cheese or bittersweet chocolate, which seems like the most obvious choice. This is an especially large-scaled, dramatic Madeira. L22203. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2022)
 — a year ago

Cognac Tesseron

Extreme Rare Cognac

Delectable Wine
9.8

A remarkable spirit, Tesseron’s Cognac Extreme is blended from eau de vies from 1860 through the early 1900s. It offers up scents of wild cherry, sage, mint, tobacco, cedar and sweet spice, all in a deceptively medium-bodied, refined style. The Extreme is intensely floral but also has quite a bit of depth and tons of character. I admire its graceful, layered almost ethereal personality. It is a contemplative, wonderfully dynamic Cognac to savor at the end of a meal. Terrific. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2022)
 — a year ago

Vinhos Barbeito (Rare Wine Company Historic Series)

Charleston Special Reserve Sercial Madeira

Delectable Wine
9.2

The Madeira Charleston Sercial Special Reserve is a light-bodied, floral Maderia. Dried flowers, mint, cinnamon, pine, cedar and mint are nicely delineated. Vineyards at elevation yield grapes that are harvested late at relatively lower sugars, yielding a Madeira that is especially dry. There’s good complexity here. The Sercial is a fine choice for readers who appreciate the drier style of Madeira. L22136. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2022)
 — a year ago

Engine Fuel The Dream

01 Pure Organic Gin

Delectable Wine
9.3

Pure Organic Gin is intensely savory and pungent. There’s more of a green, herb quality to the botanicals here. The flavor profile is incredibly distinctive, assertive, and yet all the elements are so nicely balanced. Jasmine, grapefruit, juniper berry, sage and lemon peel are all amplified. I prefer this chilled, as the cold temperature suits the flavor profile well and also softens some of the edges nicely. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2022)
 — a year ago

Cognac Tesseron

Composition Fine Champagne Cognac

Delectable Wine
8.9

The Cognac Composition is a very pretty, easygoing introduction to the range of Tesseron Cognacs. Floral and relatively light in body, the Composition offers up hints of charred lemon, sage, chamomile, dried flowers and subtle toast accents. It will do nicely when something simple and light is called for. This is the only Cognac in the Tesseron range that is not X.O. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2022)
 — a year ago

Vinhos Barbeito

Rare Wine Co. Historic Series Baltimore Rainwater Medium Dry Madeira Boal

Delectable Wine
9.4

The Madeira Baltimore Rainwater Medium Dry is one of my absolute favorites in this range from Rare Wine Co. With its expressive citrus peel and nutty flavors, this pale, dry Madeira leans into the realm of sherry. Floral and spice notes lifted by bright acids add to its considerable charms. Readers seeking finesse over size and power will love this. This is a style done with less time in wood, lower acidity and less sweetness inspired by the wines of the early 1800s. L22130. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2022)
 — a year ago

Vinhos Barbeito

The Rare Wine Co. Historic Series Madeira New York Malmsey

Delectable Wine
9.2

The Madeira New York Malmsey Special Reserve is a rich, heady wine. It offers gorgeous depth and layers that open beautifully in the glass. Dried flowers, cloves, fruitcake, leather, chocolate, cedar and tobacco are nicely amplified in this generous, inviting Madeira. All the elements are so well balanced. This is a stand-out. L22209. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2022)
 — a year ago