Jim & Brenda's 100 Point Wine Cruise - A Sneak Peek!

Dear Luxury Traveler,

We are now within 7 months of Specialty Cruise & Villas 100 point Wine Cruise! We can't believe how quickly this exciting voyage is approaching.

To keep you all in the loop, I want to tell you about three fabulous wines that we have just sourced for the cruise.

But first - we only have three suites left on this cruise, so if you haven't signed up to join us yet there's still time...but hurry!

Already joining us? Invite a friend! The more, the merrier. We will even offer a special added amenity for those of you that refer a new Specialty Cruise & Villas client who books a suite on this cruise.

Explore voyage details by clicking HERE.

Now, back to the wine...here's a sneak peak into what we'll be serving on board!

- S C R O L L D O W N -

C H A T E A U H A U T - B R I O N 2 0 0 5

A Triple 100 Pointer!

Received 100 points from Wine Spectator, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate & Jeb Dunnuck

Wine Spectator:

"This is incredible on the nose, showing coffee cake, blackberry, floral, coffee bean and vanilla bean, with Chinese spices. A very complex, full-bodied red, with seamless, hyperpolished tannins that caress every millimeter of the palate. Lasts for minutes. So beautifully balanced, I'm left speechless. Is it even better than the 1989? Best after 2017."

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:

"The mineral-laced 2005 Haut Brion (56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc) is exquisite. With its elegance and finesse, it is not as powerful as La Mission, but the nobility and complexity of the aromatics, incredible fragrance (subtle smoke and blue, red, and black fruits) that persists in the glass, full-bodied mouthfeel (though very light and delicate on its feet), and incredible length characterize this great Haut-Brion. It is just starting to drink well, and should continue to do so for at least another three decades. It is a tour de force in winemaking, but only 9,000 cases were produced."

Jeb Dunnuck:

"The 2005 Haut Brion is out of this world and certainly one of the finest wines I’ve ever tasted. Deeper, richer, and more concentrated than the 2000, it offers as pure an expression of this terroir as I could image with huge notes of blackcurrants, roasted herbs, scorched earth, tobacco, and earth all literally soaring from the glass. Full-bodied, powerful, concentrated, and layered, it still holds onto the hallmark elegance and purity of the estate. Wine doesn’t get any better and this tour de force can be drunk anytime over the coming three decades or more."

M A R Q U E S D E M U R R I E T A C A S T I L L O Y G A Y B L A N C O G R A N R E S E R V A

E S P E C I A L R I O J A

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The only Spanish white wine to ever be scored 100 Points by Robert Parker!

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:

"I have been terribly excited about this wine since I first learned that (part of) it was still in cement waiting to be bottled in September 2013. I consider the rare white Castillo Ygay one of the greatest white wines ever produced in Spain, and the 1986 Castillo Ygay Blanco Gran Reserva Especial is a great addition to the portfolio of the winery--an historic wine that is coming back to life. I did a vertical tasting of many of the old, historic vintages of this wine, and they are included in a separate article in this very same issue. This 1986 had seen the light as a limited early release bottled in 1992 and sold around 1995, and some bottles might still be found in the market. But most of it remained unbottled and was kept at the winery, where it stayed in oak for 21 years, followed by some six years in cement vats until it was bottled. It has 13.5% alcohol, an extremely low pH of 2.98 and 6.75 grams of acidity (tartaric). It has a very subtle nose and it's a bit shy, a little closed at first. It was only bottled one and a half years ago, and it's not crazy to say that the wine is showing extremely young. The wine shows more open the day after, when it has developed some nuances of mushrooms and verbena tea. This is mostly Viura with perhaps a pinch of Malvasía Riojana (aka Alarije). The palate is both powerful and elegant, with superb acidity and great length, with volume and sharpness, with a mineral, umami-driven finish." (LG)

P E T E R M I C H A E L "M A D A N S E U S E" S O N O M A C O A S T

P I N O T N O I R

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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:

"Pure perfection, the amazing 2010 Pinot Noir Ma Danseuse is one of the greatest Pinots I have ever tasted ... anywhere. There are only 140 cases of this beauty, which was cropped at just over a ton of fruit per acre.

It offers up notes of bouquet garni, roasted meats, black raspberries, black currants, strawberries and cherries. Deep and full-bodied with a flawless integration of acidity, tannin, wood and alcohol, this glorious Pinot Noir should prove to be legendary. It will age effortlessly for 12+ years." (RP)

To say that we are excited to share all of these incredible wines (and more!) with you would be an understatement.

We can't wait to see all of you that are already joining us and would love to bring even more oenophiles along! Learn more about this voyage by clicking HERE

And of course - feel free to give us a call with any questions or for a personalized quote!

Sincerely,

Jim & the team at Specialty Cruise & Villas