Reds**************************************************

Black Slate Priorat Gratallops 2015, Spain, $23.99
"The Black Slate series wines are produced by different producers from different villages of Priorat for US importer Eric Solomon, as is the case of the 2015 Black Slate Gratallops from Celler Cecilio. They want to show the character of the Priorat grapes in the different villages. It's a blend of Cariñena, Garnacha and Syrah from (guess what?) slate soils that fermented separately with indigenous yeasts and with 20% of the volume being raised in oak barrels for some eight or nine months. I noticed the Syrah here, combined with classical Gratallops sweet Garnacha and a pinch of spices. The palate is medium-bodied, with the fine slate texture, generous, warm and showy, but without excess, with the graphite holding it together." 90pts WA

Isole e Olena Cepparello 2013, Tuscany, Italy, $88.99
"Hands down beautiful, The 2013 Cepparello is a creation of stunning elegance and balance. A pure expression of Sangiovese, this wine undergoes a sophisticated oak regime that sees ageing in various barrel sizes and barrique of various ages. It lives 18 months of its life in French and 3% American oak before being released. This vintage (that is cooler compared to 2012 and 2011) delivers an exceptionally soft and mellow bouquet with slightly sweet sensations of ripe cherry and fragrant blue flower. Soft tones of spice and cinnamon bring up the rear. The wine is medium to full in terms of body weight, and the finish is driven by cool tones of balsam and menthol herb. The 2013 Cepparello is one of my favorite wines of the vintage." 97pts WA

Costers del Priorat "Pissarres" 2014, Spain, $31.99
"Traditional Priorat made from Grenache and Carignan aged 12 months in mixed larger oak barrels. Some of you may have tried its little brother "Petit Pissares" with us a few weeks back. With this step up you start to get more of the soil characteristics coming through, namely graphite and slate. A firm mix of tangy dark berry fruit opens up for a diverse mix of herb and mineral notes. This is bold and structured and a relative bargain for this quality of Priorat." DM

Mendel Malbec 2014, Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina, $26.99
"The 2014 Malbec is produced with grapes grown in their Mayor Drummond vineyard in Luján de Cuyo, a vineyard that was planted in 1928 with a massale selection of vines in a classical zone of Mendoza. The grapes fermented in stainless steel with selected yeasts for a total of 25 days followed by malolactic in tank and one year in barrels, one-third new, one-third second use and one-third were third use. The wine here is juicy and aromatic, very clean and with nicely integrated oak, with just a touch of roast aromas. It's fresh, with upfront fruit, perhaps less concentrated than in the past, which makes it more accessible and easy to drink. It ends very tasty. 5,250 cases produced." 92pts WA