"Importer of the Year"

The more you learn about the Guigal family, the more astounding becomes their story.  Their wines are the benchmarks for every Rhone appellation, and over the last thirty years they have become arguably the most lauded producer in the world.  Year after year the Guigal family produces wines of exceptional quality that in all classes offer exceptional value.

Bollinger is one of the rare Grande Marques that’s still family owned. Known for its rich, elegant and polished style of Champagne, their outstanding wines are the result of rigorous attention to detail and incredibly labor-intensive practices that few houses are willing to undertake. Underscoring its excellence, Bollinger has remained British secret agent James Bond's Champagne of choice since 1973.

Ornellaia has established itself as one of the most iconic producers in Italy (and beyond). The estate is dedicated to producing charming and opulent wines, full of Mediterranean character and finesse, reflecting the estate's unique terroir in Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast.

In 1976 Chateau Montelena put California at the forefront of the wine world. That year a who's-who of the French wine establishment gathered in Paris for a blind tasting of French and American wines. When the scores were tallied, the top-ranking white wine was Chateau Montelena's 1973 Chardonnay. Montelena today continues to be a quality benchmark in Napa Valley, producing some of the finest Cabernet and Chardonnay in California.

Dick and Nancy Ponzi helped put Oregon on the map in the United States and the world. The mantle has been picked up by daughters Maria and Luisa Ponzi, who continue the family history of leadership and innovation in the region and, in the case of Pinot Noir, across the country.

Since its creation in 1946 by Etienne Guigal, the Guigal family has produced a Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The terroirs of Nalys realize a dream spanning three generations to join this leading prestigious and historic appellation. Marcel and Philippe Guigal will bring passion and rigour, their family quality philosophy, and the ambition of waving the flag of Châteauneuf-du-Pape at the very highest level. 

Ayala is one of the most exciting stories in Champagne today, almost the definition of a boutique Champagne producer. Independently owned, a small team of 12 with what must be the youngest head of a producer in Champagne, every step of production from grape reception to labeling tightly controlled in their jewel of a facility, and above all, an incredible precision in crafting Chardonnay-focused wines that deliver immense pleasure, freshness, and elegance.

Over the last 15 years La Fleur-Pétrus has become one of the most fascinating and, from a quality standpoint, extraordinary stories in Bordeaux. A wine borne of a great historic terroir, that through nurture and creativity has become something greater than perhaps could have been imagined, and a bright shining light of Pomerol.

It is difficult to sum up in a few lines the long and splendid history of the estate. It was already known in the 12th century but there were not yet any vines. In the 16th century the estate anticipated the future development of the Médoc which was to start abandoning the cultivation of cereal crops in favor of vines, and Château Margaux became a high place in the art of growing and making wine.

These 3 estates are run by an extended family and represent in both the past and future an extraordinarily exciting story: estates on the right bank of Bordeaux making utterly authentic, soulful wines, led by a dynamic young generation eager to bring its own perspective and energy.

A passionate family together running these 3 high quality estates on the right bank of Bordeaux, each producing individual and charming wines.

Domaine Chanson is one of only six producers in Burgundy still remaining from the 18th century and earlier. Chanson's extensive holdings, and the extraordinary rigor and precision of their approach in the vineyards and cellars, result in wines of individuality and quality.

In two decades of work, Lucien Le Moine has become one of the most talked about Burgundy producers, making some of the most sought after wines from the region.  The approach is extreme – two people, together doing everything by hand, working with a dazzling array of Burgundy’s great terroirs.

This father and son estate produces one utterly perfect wine: a pure and refreshing Chardonnay, from the birthplace of the Chardonnay grape.

Burgundy meets the Rhone.  An utter respect for tradition, and in some ways a total break.  We've watched as Mounir and Rotem Saouma, of Burgundy producer Lucien Le Moine, slowly developed their estate and wines in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and the results today are too extraordinary and distinct to ignore.

Domaine des Baumard has been planted with vines since 1634, and has remained in the same family since then. In the mid-20th century, however, is when the estate started to build a reputation as one of the greatest white wine producers in the Loire Valley, and the world.

Langlois-Chateau has a rich history as one of the leading producers in the Loire Valley. Founded in 1885 by Edouard Langlois and Jeanne Chateau (hence the name), in 1973 the Bollinger family invested in Langlois-Chateau, looking to make world class sparkling wine in the Loire Valley.  They significantly revitalized the vineyards and modernized and, more recently, have made major investments in Sancerre, which has become the other Langlois specialty.

Masseto is one of the world's iconic wines. Coveted by international collectors and fine wine connoisseurs across the globe, Masseto constantly receives the highest accolades from the most prestigious wine critics in the world, and is a fixture in the international fine wine trade indexes.

Le Macchiole can best be defined as the “Boutique Bolgheri.” The winery is known for its spectacular single-varietal wines, and their signature grape varieties are Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc and work is always conducted with the priority being "the expression of the land." The winery continues to evolve in both the vineyards and in the cellar to allow the soil characteristics from this estate property to be the defining identity in the wines.

Today, Luce goes so much further than was originally envisioned when started as a project over 20 years ago. The estate now has some of the most exceptional vineyards in Montalcino and, as of 2018, a state of the art winery to nurture every step of the winemaking process. The original vision, however, remains the same: to produce a bold and ambitious Super Tuscan that reflects the culture of Montalcino.

The Casisano estate is located in the southeastern part of Montalcino between the St. Antimo Abbey and the Val d'Orcia, arguably the most quintessentially picturesque area in all of Tuscany. Casisano wines are the result of 100 years of passion and a deep understanding of Montalcino, its terroir, and the spectacular wines produced there. 

Petrolo is a quintessential cult wine. Located in the center of the triangle made by Florence, Siena and Arezzo, the winery lies in a virtually unknown Tuscan appellation. There are no notable wine estates nearby, but with the romance and poetry that wine brings, Petrolo exemplifies a theme seen more and more in Tuscany: little pockets where extraordinary and singular wines can be made.

Poggio al Tufo is located in Tuscany's coastal Maremma region near Pitigliano, an historical Etruscan city known for its volcanic soils rich in tufo, a specific type of volcanic rock.  Poggio al Tufo encompasses 3 estates in different areas of the Maremma, each with its own unique microclimate, but all sharing the influence of volcanic soil and Mediterranean breezes.

Luciano Sandrone is one of the most iconic producers in Barolo, and his story is an extraordinary one. In the bottle, Sandrone’s wines straddle the modern and traditional styles of the region: elegant, attractive and easy to appreciate right from their first years in bottle, but with no less power and structure over time than traditional Barolos.

Attems is one of the most historic producers in the northern Italian region of Friuli, with a winemaking heritage dating back nearly a millennium. Attems wines have a decidedly Friulian character: fresh, full of flavor and elegant, they respect the singularity of the unique terroir of a region ripe for discovery.

Tommasi has historically been and continues to be a standard bearer of the Amarone appellation. The Tommasi family owns vineyards on the most prestigious hills of the Valpolicella region, and they work only with grapes they grow, an important quality decision and reflection of their deep connection to the Valpolicella soil. Through its commitment to quality and tradition, Tommasi has established itself as one of the principal ambassadors of Amarone in the world.

Founded by Abruzzo native Gianni Masciarelli in 1981, Masciarelli and its wines have become the standard-bearer for the Abruzzo region, and an inspiration to all emerging Italian wine regions. After a summer in Champagne, Gianni Masciarelli became convinced that world-class wines could be produced in Abruzzo, and through tremendous vision and non-stop innovation, Masciarelli became one of the most admired wineries in Italy.

Masseria Surani is located in Manduria, one of the most renowned areas in Puglia for the cultivation of the native Primitivo grape. Manduria was first colonized in 700 BC by the ancient Greeks, and Masseria Surani pays homage to the winemaking heritage of the area by producing high quality wines that respect the terroir and tradition of the land on which they are cultivated.

Volcanic wines are currently a hot topic among wine critics and enthusiasts worldwide, and Paternoster is very much of the moment: it is a volcanic wine in the literal sense of the term and stands on an extinct volcano. Paternoster is located in the relatively unknown southern Italian region of Basilicata, on the slopes surrounding Mount Vulture, and has long been considered one of the region’s most important wineries.

Telmo Rodriguez is one of Spain’s pioneer winemakers, advocating native grape varietals tied to the climates and conditions of their sites, and making world-class wines from undiscovered as well as known regions. While Telmo makes rare and limited wines of astonishing character and quality, his everyday wines have been equally praised, and widely recognized for the tremendous value they offer.

GINRAW is a super-premium gastronomic gin from Barcelona. It's the result of a collaboration between four masters of their craft: a Chef, a Sommelier, a Mixologist and a Master Parfumeur. Together with the founders, this group of experts embarked on a quest for perfection, combining their talents to craft a superior gin with sublime character and a personality reflecting the avant-garde gastronomic spirit and standards of Barcelona.

Ferrer Bobet is about respect. The mutual respect of two friends, Sergi Ferrer-Salat and Raül Bobet, respect for the long traditions of vine-growing and wine-making in Priorat, and above all, respect for the terroir of Priorat.

One of the oldest port houses, Quinta do Noval is also arguably the greatest. It is unique among top port houses in that most of the ports are made from estate-grown fruit and, notably, all of the vintage Noval wines are from the single Quinta do Noval vineyard.

Tokaj is thought to be the first vineyard region in the world to have adopted a classification system and, incredibly, the entire Disznókő estate was classified as a first growth property in 1772 at the time of the initial classification by royal decree.

Errázuriz is recognized as perhaps the single top quality producer of Chilean wines, with in the last year alone Eduardo Chadwick, President, named Decanter Man of the Year 2018, and the winery awarded Best Chilean Winery 2017 by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

Finca Decero has become recognized not only for having one of the highest quality vineyards in all of Mendoza, but also for catapulting into an elite group of the most highly regarded producers in Argentina. The wines all come from the single Finca Decero vineyard, and the winery’s focus is entirely quality focused.

Founder Frank Mitolo drew inspiration from his Italian heritage and especially his horticultural background - he is the 4th generation of a family of agriculturists – in starting the company in 1999. In 2001 acclaimed winemaker Ben Glaetzer became a partner, and together Frank and Ben have shared an uncompromising dedication to producing wines that express purity of flavor, show elegance of structure, and maintain a rich, powerful complexity. In a short period of time, Mitolo has become recognized as one of the finest producers in McLaren Vale.

Owner and winemaker Ben Glaetzer’s work in Langhorne Creek is one of the most exciting stories in Australia today. Ben found and grew excited at older, high quality vineyards he had seen in the cool-climate Langhorne Creek area, Australia’s oldest settled wine region, one hour south of Adelaide and southeast of McLaren Vale.

Almost since its inception, Dog Point  has been recognized as among the very top (arguably the very top) wine producers in New Zealand.  Their two very different Sauvignon Blancs, their Pinot Noir, and their Chardonnay are all wines of astounding quality and complexity not just in the context of New Zealand wines, but globally.