Calvados, Barbera, Cabernet Sa...
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Lalu Langhe Barbera d'Alba 2022Organic. Lalù’s Barbera just gets better. The new release is the first to include fruit from the new estate vineyard of Bricco Giubellini in Monforte. The vines here lie on Diano sandstone at a lofty 530 metres, an altitude that brings welcome freshness to warmer Piemonte vintages such as 2022 and 2023. The balance of the Barbera is drawn from fruit purchased from Monforte’s San Sebastiano—another site Lara Rocchetti and Luisa Sala believe exceptional for this variety.
Made with a mix of whole berries and bunches, the wine fermented and matured for eight months entirely in concrete. It’s a more powerful, sensual release than last year, still perfumed and vibrant yet more textural. The wine slinks out of the glass with pure red berries, violets and brown spices before turning towards more earthy shades of liquorice and woody herbs. The palate has joyous purity as well as a lovely mouthwatering quality from both the powdery tannins and the variety’s bright acidity while also hinting at Lalù’s light touch in the cellar. A first-class artisanal Barbera here.
2022BarberaItaly457Special Price $62.00 Regular Price $74.00 -
Hay Shed Hill Block 2BLOCK 2 on the Hay Shed Hill vineyard was planted in 1975 to the Houghton clone of Cabernet Sauvignon. These old dry grown vines have sunk deep roots into the gravelly loam soil profile providing the nutrient basis they need. Block 2 has a steep northern facing aspect maximizing the sunlight interception by the vines providing ideal ripening conditions.
COLOUR: Dense dark red to black colour of great intensity.TASTING NOTES: Ripe berry aromas of great intensity with underlying dusty and earthy characters. There is depth to the nose indicating there are reserves of complex aromas yet to develop. The palate is substantial with intense and fully ripe, fleshy sweet fruit filling the mid palate with great palate extension driven by the ripe and mature tannin. The mouthfeel is robust but the tannins are smooth.CELLARING: This is a strong wine with ripe tannin and strong fruit depth indicating it will benefit from careful cellaring. The expectation is that the wine would benefit from 10 years of maturation. HAY SHED HILL2020Cabernet SauvignonAustralia432Special Price $63.00 Regular Price $74.00 -
Paitin ‘Bonina’ Freisa Paitin 2020This is a bit of a banger. Raspberry, almond paste, dried roses, a fair bit of white pepper and spice, aniseed too. It’s medium-bodied, frisky and fresh, plenty of red fruits, dried herb, a ‘mineral’ feel to it, not least with regards to acidity, peppery tannin, lots of energy, also kind of earthy and gravelly too, with a brisk finish of excellent length. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front
The 2020 Freisa Bonina is another fabulous wine in the entry-level portion of the range. Bright and translucent, the 2020 delivers striking complexity and nuance. Rose petal, lavender, spice, mint and dried herbs all open in the glass. The 2020 is translucent, bright and wonderfully expressive. For readers who want to explore Freisa, this is certainly a great start. ANOTONIO GALLONI,Vinous
2020BarberaItaly457$63.00 As low as $56.70 -
Thousand Candles Single Vineyard Cabernet 2021More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2021Cabernet SauvignonAustralia506$65.00 As low as $58.50 -
Piero Busso Barbera d'Alba Stefanetto 2019
Stefanetto comes from mature vines in Busso’s San Stunet vineyard (see notes for the Barbaresco San Stunet below). The higher altitude (380m above sea level), age of vines (25 to 50 years old) and limestone rich soils all contribute to a deeper and more structured Barbera than the Majano. Accordingly, this wine is raised in neutral barrels of various sizes for at least 12 months. It is also released with one extra year of age.
This has more overt flesh, more plummy fruit, wilder notes and powdery tannins. In short, it’s a dark and layered Barbera of enormous character and length.
2019BarberaItaly457Special Price $67.00 Regular Price $79.00 -
Conterno Fantino Barbera d'Alba Vignota 2021The 2021 Barbera d'Alba Vignota is a tasty entry-level offering. Crushed flowers and bright red/purplish fruit give the Barbera its effusive, charming personality. This mid-weight, open-knit Barbera is a fine choice for near-term drinking. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous
Notes of ripe dark cherries and blueberries with hints of cloves, dark licorice and cocoa beans. Medium body. Juicy and vibrant with dusty tannins and a succulent finish. Drink now. JAMES SUCKLING2021BarberaItaly457$67.00 As low as $60.30 -
Chateau Massereau 'Cuvee K' Graves 2012More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2012Cabernet Sauvignon, MerlotFrance356$67.00 -
Achaval Ferrer Cabernet Sauvignon 2021More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2021Cabernet SauvignonArgentina437$68.00 As low as $61.20 -
Forlorn Hope Mil Amores 2012The DeWitt Vineyard is sustainably farmed, made up of granite and quartz soils. A blend of Portuguese grape varieties, Touriga Nacional, Tinto Roriz, Trincadeira are planted in a single block. The block was picked and co-fermented at the same time. Aged only in neutral oak for 12 months then bottled. The blend is loaded with black, blue fruit, earthy and spicy undertones, unmatched suppleness with lots of intrigue. PWS2012Tinto, TourigaUSA362$68.00 As low as $61.20 -
Corymbia Cabernet Sauvignon 2021More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2021Cabernet SauvignonAustralia432$68.00 As low as $61.20 -
Giacomo Fenocchio Barbera d'Alba Superiore 2022From about westerly exposed sight all in Monforted d'Alba from 30 year old vines and 300 meters above sea level. 10 days on skins in stainless steel tanks with 6 months in stainless steel tanks followed by six months in large Slavonian oak barrels2022BarberaItaly457$68.00 As low as $61.20 -
Ricci Barbera 1929 Colli Tortonesi 2020More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2020BarberaItaly457$68.00 As low as $61.20 -
Corymbia Cabernet Sauvignon 2023
More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2023Cabernet Sauvignon$68.00 As low as $61.20 -
Langmeil Jackaman's Cabernet Sauvignon 2020Certified Barossa Old Vine Charter – in the 'older than 35 years' category. Vines planted in the 1960s. Destemming, open fermentation, basket-pressed and two years in French oak. Screwcap.
Heavy bottle. Rich, ripe but slightly wild mulberry and blackcurrant fruit. Strong, herbal leafiness pressed through the luscious fruit but the wine comes with a core of bitter dark chocolate and vanilla-pod sweetness. Balsamic extraction and density with interesting szechuan lift through the end. Powerful and velvety and very big. JR
2020Cabernet SauvignonAustralia349Special Price $69.00 Regular Price $81.00 -
Correggia Barbera Bricco Marun 2019This is a classy single vineyard barbera. From 45-65 year old densely planted vines, the Marun was the brainchild of Matteo Correggia. He sourced fruit from sandy soils at the top of the hill with a sunny exposition and good air flow to stifle vine disease.
The 2019 Barbera d'Alba Superiore Marun is packed with scents of blackberry, underbrush, mocha, licorice, leather and cloves. There's plenty of density and volume, and yet forward aromas and flavors lead me to believe the 2019 is best enjoyed sooner rather than later. ANTONIO GALLONI2019BarberaItaly457$69.00 As low as $62.10 -
Henschke Keyneton Euphonium Shiraz Blend 2021
More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2021Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, shirazAustralia387$72.00 As low as $64.80 -
Gianfranco Alessandria Barbera d'Alba Vittoria 2019Showing more oak rendering and depth, the 2019 Barbera d'Alba Vittoria (with 4,500 bottles made) exhibits a much bigger and broader style compared to the estate's steel-aged Barbera. This wine sees 18 months in barrique, with about one-third new oak. The aging process serves to flesh out the dark fruit, dark cherry and plum. It creates a wine of bigger structure too, opening it up to more food-pairing possibilities, from meat lasagna to grilled steak. MONICA LARNER2019BarberaItaly457$75.00 As low as $67.50 -
De Bortoli Melba Cabernet Sauvignon 2021Deep red with purple in the rim; a complex bouquet of cedar, cigarbox, cassis and flake tobacco, the palate full bodied and elegant, stately and savoury, with abundant fine-grained and insistent tannins and driving length. A very elegant, suave kind of cabernet, and true to its Yarra origins. It's delicious now but has an assured future if cellared. HUON HOOKE, The Real Review
Bold colour. Blackcurrant, blackberry, hazelnut, that terracotta-like earthiness you get in many anfora wines, dried flowers and sweet herbs. It’s medium-bodied, intense and deep in black and red fruit, a little tobacco, loads of chewy earthy tannin, and a lively perfumed (and tannic) finish of excellent length. So much energy. Love this. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front2021Cabernet SauvignonAustralia506$75.00 As low as $67.50 -
Victoria Ordonez Camarolos tinto 2018Wine has been part of Victoria Ordóñez’s life for as long as she can remember. Her father, José María Ordóñez, was a pioneer of the Spanish wine industry, distributing fine wines across the Province of Malaga since the ’50s. Although Victoria’s own professional career took off in a different direction – she studied to be a doctor and has a PhD in Medicine – in 2004 she decided to enter the wine business, initially combining it with her work as a health service administrator.
Victoria admits that she owes everything to the Austrian oenologist Alois Kracher, with whom she worked side by side making Málaga wines until his death in 2007. It was at this point that her career took a fresh turn as she decided to focus exclusively on what had become her passion – the world of wine.
Tasting: Bright red fruits, fennel, and other Mediterranean herbs, chocolate, and violet aromas. Maroon color and fine tannins lend a pleasing structure. Vibrant with red berries and spicy flavors, the wine is at once concentrated and fresh. Beautiful silkiness and great finesse with a very fresh finish.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo and Syrah.20 months in barrels and 12 months in bottle. BARRICA WINES2018Cabernet Sauvignon, shiraz, tempranilloSpainSpecial Price $76.00 Regular Price $89.00 -
Truchard Cabernet Sauvignon 2018This wine remains one of the finest values in the Napa Valley and a cool-climate example of the variety, to boot. With great opening aromas of blackberry, clove and dried herb, the lifted, balanced flavors follow suit, showing plenty of freshness and length around a well-integrated and elegant core. 93 Virginie Boone, Wine Enthusiast
2019Cabernet SauvignonUnited States of America$77.00 -
Luciano Sandrone Barbera d'Alba 2022Blueberry, raspberry and oak-driven spice aromas come to the forefront on the deeply colored, fragrant 2022 Barbera d’Alba from Sandrone. The aromas march over to the generous, savory palate along with ripe plum and ground pepper supported by tightly knit, velvety tannins and surprisingly fresh acidity for the dry, scorching year. Drink 2025–2032. KERIN O'KEEFE2022BarberaItaly457$83.00 As low as $74.70
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Cavallotto Barbera d'Alba Vigna Cucolo 2021
Cavallotto’s Vigna del Cuculo is a major-league Barbera from a parcel of 50-plus-year-old vines on the western side of Bricco Boschis. This parcel is named after the cuckoo bird (cuculo)—we’re not sure why, and neither is Alfio Cavallotto! This wine's unique power and ridiculous quality can be attributed to the mature vines, low yields and powerful terroir of the Bricco Boschis. The western aspect and the preponderance of limestone temper Barbera’s natural acidity, and Alfio Cavallotto explains that this ‘Barolo’ terroir contributes to an aromatic range in Barbera that is closer to Nebbiolo.
The winemaking is also distinctive, with up to 18 days on skins (a long time for Barbera) and then aging for 20 months in the same mature Slavonian casks as the Nebbiolo wines. 2021 is a wonderfully fleshy and perfumed year for this benchmark wine. It’s got that core of pure, sweet, plummy fruit so particular to this Barbera, here infused with nuances of anise, dried flower and earthy minerals. The tannins are supple and elegant, the acidity ripe yet racy, and the wine finishes with unusual depth, finesse and complexity for the variety. Equally deep, complex and textural—not all Barbera is created equal.
2021BarberaItaly457Special Price $84.00 Regular Price $99.00 -
Querciabella Turpino 2017The 2017 Turpino is quite reticent, which is surprising given the style and personality of the year. Black cherry, pine, menthol, licorice and chocolate develop nicely over time. Readers should give the 2017 at least a few years in bottle, as it is not at all ready to drink now. The 2017 embodies the house style at Querciabella these days nicely. The wine is rich and deep, but not at all overdone. (95) ANTONIO GALLONI
40% Cabernet Franc, 40% Syrah, 20% Merlot grown in a north-facing vineyard in Grossetto in the Maremma. Biodynamically certified. Aged for 16 months in fine- and extra-fine-grained French oak barriques, of which up to 20% were new.
Lustrous deep crimson. Deep red- and dark-fruit nose with hints of dark spice. Savoury rather than sweet or ripe on the nose... Hint of earth and dried moss. Lush red and dark fruit with a muscular structure that is completely integrated with the fruit. Hedonistic, long, and with loads of appeal. Great fun to drink. (17+) WALTER SPELLER MW2017Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, sangioveseItaly495$90.00 As low as $81.00 -
Willie Smiths Pommeau de Tasmanie 18.2%Aged in small apple brandy casks for over 12 months, this rich and generous liqueur is a result of blending pressed French and British heirloom apple varieties with our apple spirit.
Complex and well-structured with baked apple and spice, balanced with firm tannins and cask influence.
Our take on the traditional aperitif from North-West France – enjoy as such or serve with blue cheese or dessert. WILLIE SMITH
NVCalvadosFrance$90.00 As low as $81.00 -
Domaine Naturaliste Morus Cabernet Sauvignon 2019Very ripe, Old Jamaica chocolate, mint, nori, toasty cedar spice oak. It’s full-bodied, rich in flavour and tannin, black fruit, thick-set chewy tannin, and a spicy dark fruited, somewhat drying, finish good length. Pretty bold style, as is the way with Morus, and good in that style. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front2019Cabernet SauvignonAustralia432$91.00 As low as $81.90 -
Albino Rocca Barbaresco Montersino 2020The 2020 Barbaresco Montersino is intensely ?oral and savory, re?ecting a slightly higher position on the slope in a cool site. Dried herbs, tobacco, cedar, spice and earthy tones lend character. There is plenty of complexity and nuance here, and certainly more than enough depth to balance the tannins. This is a ?ne vintage for the Montersino. (93) ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous
Attractive aromas of red berries like raspberries and strawberries with hints of dried herbs, walnuts and bark. Medium-bodied, juicy and bright with fine, velvety tannins that are firm and grippy. Lingering finish. Very fine. (94) JAMES SUCKLING, jamessuckling.com2021BarberaItaly457Special Price $104.00 Regular Price $123.00 -
Balnaves Tally Cabernet Sauvignon 2021More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2021Cabernet SauvignonAustralia381$105.00 As low as $94.50 -
Marchesi Alfieri La Tota Barbera d'Asti 2022 1500mlMorello cherries, fresh bouquets and a touch of geraniums. Creamy tannins on the palate, with fleshy cherries and plums. Juicy, brambly and pristine medium-length finish. Drink now. ZEKUN SHUAI, jamessuckling.com2022BarberaItaly457$110.00 As low as $99.00 -
Oakridge 864 Cabernet Sauvignon 2021Fruit from a 1996-planted vineyard. Four weeks post-fermentation maceration, matured in French barriques (35% new) for 15 months. Virtually identical winemaking to the Original Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon but, as always, this is the denser, more powerful and structured wine. On the nose there's a core of perfectly ripened black fruits, crushed violets, dark chocolate and graphite. The medium bodied, firmly structured and persistent palate is equally good, and anyone fortunate enough to still have a bottle 10–15 years (if not longer) from now will be well rewarded. 97 PHILIP RICH, wine companion2021Cabernet SauvignonAustralia506$110.00 As low as $99.00 -
Wantirna Estate Amelia Cabernet Sauvignon 2022More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2022Cabernet SauvignonAustralia506$115.00 As low as $103.50 -
Albino Rocca Barbaresco Ronchi 2020The 2020 Barbaresco Ronchi stands out in this range for its breadth and textural resonance. There's gorgeous palate presence. Sweet red plum, blood orange, spice, new leather and incense ?ll out the layers. It’s a compelling wine in every way, and one that handles its alcohol quite well. (95) ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous
This is red-fruited and floral with citrus peel, rose petals and some undergrowth notes. Medium-bodied, polished and delicate with fine tannins and fresh cherry-fruit in the middle. Very attractive.
(93) JAMES SUCKLING, jamessuckling.com2021BarberaItaly457Special Price $119.00 Regular Price $140.00 -
Joshua Cooper Wines Greytown OV H/C Shiraz Cabernet 2022More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2022Cabernet SauvignonAustralia$120.00 As low as $108.00 -
Joshua Cooper Wines Balgownie Cabernet Sauvignon 2022More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2021Cabernet SauvignonAustralia$120.00 As low as $108.00 -
Yeringberg Cabernets 2022A blend of 63/16/10/7/4% cabernet sauvignon/merlot/petit verdot/malbec/cabernet franc. That’s two great back-to-back vintages for this Yarra Valley and Australian classic. Bright crimson purple. A wonderful bouquet of perfectly ripened black cherries, blackcurrants, cedar (from the already integrated oak) and lavender. With its core of dark fruits and impeccably balanced, fully ripe yet silky tannins, this complex and harmonious wine is destined to join the ranks of the very best Yeringbergs. (98) PHILIP RICH, www.winecompanion.com2022Cabernet SauvignonAustralia506$120.00 As low as $108.00 -
Boekenhoutskloof Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon 2016More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2016Cabernet SauvignonSouth Africa485$125.00 As low as $112.50 -
Yarra Yering Agincourt 2021+ Trophy Best Cabernet Blend 2022 Yarra Valley Wine Show +
A blend of 80/20% 1995-planted cabernet and 1990-planted malbec. Matured in 225L barriques (15% new). A brilliant crimson purple. Aromas of cassis, blackberries, violets and a gentle whiff of cedar emanate from this beautifully put-together wine. Elegant, medium bodied and with super-supple tannins, Sarah Crowe has crafted an approachable and seductive cabernet. The well-deserved winner of the Best Cabernet Blend trophy at the 2022 Yarra Valley Wine Show. (96) PHILIP RICH
2021Cabernet Sauvignon, MalbecAustralia506$125.00 As low as $112.50 -
Yarra Yering Agincourt 2022More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2021Cabernet Sauvignon, MalbecAustralia506$125.00 As low as $112.50 -
Le Cinciole Camalaione 2019The 2019 Camalaione is a dense, full-bodied wine. It is the most opulent of the wines in this range and also one that is the most similar to how these wines were made in the past. Deep, inky and layered, Camalaione has a ton to offer. The 2019 was vinified in amphora and spent two years in French oak barrels, 50% new, then a year in cement. The blend is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 15% Syrah. (96) ANTONIO GALLONI2019Cabernet SauvignonItaly495$130.00 As low as $117.00 -
Labegorce Margaux 2017More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2017Cabernet Merlot, Cabernet SauvignonFrance356$135.00 As low as $121.50 -
Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2021Cabernet SauvignonAustralia432Special Price $140.00 Regular Price $165.00 -
Antinori Tignanello Grappa 500mlMore product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
NVCabernet Sauvignon, sangioveseItaly495$145.00 As low as $130.50 -
Roger Groult Calvados 8yo Pays d'Auge 41% 700mlMore product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
CalvadosFrance$150.00 As low as $135.00 -
Damijan Podversic Prelit (Merlot Cabernet) 2020More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2020Cabernet Sauvignon, MerlotItaly391$150.00 As low as $135.00 -
Vallado 20 yo Tawny Port 500mlDeep, brandied nuts on nose; ripe, rainforest timber and roasted almond. Extraordinarily fine palate; wonderful interplay between ridiculously fine aged spirit and oak. Clean drying grip of fruit tannin and barrel perfectly frame the elegance of spice, honey and clove down the back half; outrageously long finish. SCOTT WASLEY2010TintoPortugal386$155.00 As low as $139.50 -
Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon 2021One of Australia’s great cabernets. This from a cooler season highlights and accentuates the typical bright red fruits and blue fruit mix, especially on the nose. It’s aromatic and perfumed with an African violet scent. The palate as always is so exquisitely balanced and refined. Since 1989 the cabernet has been augmented with the floral bright fruit of cabernet franc and the darker robust black fruits of petit verdot. The palate delivers with a gentle restraint yet there is power deep within. The chalky tannins define a long and focussed finish. A deceptive medium bodied wine that will cellar for many years. (98) RAY JORDAN
2021Cabernet SauvignonAustralia432$165.00 As low as $148.50 -
Cullen Diana Madeline 2022Deep bright purple-red colour leading into a stylish bouquet of sweet mulberry and other berry fruits, violets and cassis, succulent and mouth-filling, with masses of fine emery-like tannins that run the length of the palate adding authority, structure, length and refreshment to the aftertaste. Concentrated, superripe blackberry, cassis and mulberry flavours; oak tucked discreetly into the background. (98) HUON HOOKE, The Real Review
Really delivers as you might expect from this excellent concentrated and powerfully frame vintage in Margaret River. It’s dominant cabernet with smaller portions of merlot, cabernet franc and malbec. Typical of this wine since switching to biodynamics, it is bright and brilliant with a nervy tense energy to drive the palate. The succulent fruit is harness by fine chalky tannins and neatly played oak of which 55% was new. A wine of extraordinary elegance and poise with a few of many decades. (98) RAY JORDAN
Needless to say, Margaret River enjoyed another superb vintage with the 2022 season. Slightly cooler, Cullen report that it was a vintage of “immense perfume and texture”. The wine is a wonderfully vibrant purple in colour. The nose gives up plums, cassis, spices including nutmeg, chocolate, mocha, bay leaves, cigar box notes – think a freshly opened box of Cohiba Siglo VI – and near perfect oak integration. This is finely balanced and exhibiting immense length on a palate that sees the emergence of aniseed, mulberries and coffee beans. An alluringly supple texture with the silkiest of tannins, though plenty of them – there really is some grip here. This will easily sail through fifteen to twenty years in a good cellar. (98) KEN GARGETT, Wine Pilot
2021Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, MerlotAustralia432$180.00 As low as $162.00 -
Cullen Diana Madeline 2021Diana Madeline. The name evokes a lot of emotions, for what the woman stood for then and what the wine stands for now. The 2021 vintage equals 50 years of cabernet sauvignon plantings at Cullen. When released in early 2023, it was on what would have been her 100th birthday. It’s a wine that can come from nowhere else, so strong is its sense of place. Expect to swoon over aromas of roses, violets and mulberries doused in baking spices, a ferruginous quality as much as detailed if persuasive tannins. It’s complex, complete and structured. Gosh, what a wine. What a woman. The perfect combination. (97) JANE FAULKNER, James Halliday2021Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, MerlotAustralia432$180.00 As low as $162.00 -
Wynns John Riddoch 2021Very deep, dark, impenetrable purple colour; a gorgeous fragrance of spicy superripe berries and a hint of licorice, super concentrated and almost essency. Traces of soy sauce and nori. The wine is highly concentrated on the palate; powerful, profound and rich, with masses of sweetly ripe berry fruit and no sign of herbal varietal touches. A profound and multi-dimensional cabernet that will richly reward long-term cellaring. It drinks superbly already but it would be sacrilege to open it before it's had more time to build the tertiary complexity that we know will come with time. (99) HUON HOOKE, therealreview.com
The 2021 John Riddoch Limited Release Cabernet Sauvignon is a brilliant wine. It is achingly intense yet is defined by its levity, which is not a common attribute in Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine expounds the virtues of the red gravel in which the fruit was grown, via its iodine and crushed shells, cassis and blood, sweet marrow and tobacco. It tastes so clearly of the place, which is a wonderful thing. The back palate swells with flavor, framed by the earth and the attuned oak. This is a tribute to the earth, an ode to it. Plentiful tannins bob along on the current of fruit. This will cellar interminably. It's up there in both quality and feel with the 2010, or so I think. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. (98) ERIN LARKIN, wineadvocate.com
One of the best vintages in Coonawarra for many years. Little wonder this release of the John Riddoch is one of the best since the initial release from the 1982 vintage. Aromas of violets and red berry with a slightly cherry glaze character adding further intrigue. The palate is medium weight and refined but with tremendous power and persistence. A combination of hogsheads and barriques has been used to deliver the perfect level of oak. One of the best of these I can recall. (98) RAY JORDAN, rayjordan.com.au
"In one word - 'epic'. Having just returned from ten days in Bordeaux tasting a vast number of youthful Cabernets, among other styles of wine, if this beauty had been slipped into the mix, it would have lounged somewhere near the top of the pile…John Riddoch is more akin to an elite Saint-Estèphe than a typical New World Cabernet…'21 JR is pure, stunningly plush, deeply fruited but seemingly weightless and incredibly detailed. It is a superb thoroughbred with impeccable balance, and it is as relevant for an old-world geek as it is for a new-world disciple. It is time that Wynns John Riddoch sat alongside the acknowledged world Cabernet greats, and this vintage will undoubtedly help make this dream a reality. (19.5/20) MATTHEW JUKE
2018Cabernet SauvignonAustralia381$180.00 As low as $162.00