Calvados, Cabernet Blends, Rho...

A rocking little gem in the making, the 2020 Côtes Du Rhône has a round, elegant, incredibly satisfying profile as well as textbook blackberry and black raspberry fruits supported by pepper and floral notes. It should be outstanding and well worth a few bottles. JEB DUNNUCK

Wines of the Year 2023: Value category and top scorers
Modern, lifted and a bit heady, but attractive and evocative. Black cherry inkiness segues into a dense palate where all the fruit is crammed into a structured body with drying tannins. Herbs and stones hemmed in by a firm grip. A good all rounder DECANTER

An impressive Cotes-du-Rhone with stacks of blackberry and black raspberry fruit wrapped around a core of moderately dry tannins on the bold palate. Long self-confidently dry finish. A cuvee of 50% syrah, 45% grenache and 5% mourvedre. Drink now. JAMES SUCKLING

The medium to full-bodied 2020 Cotes du Rhone will see plenty of more time in tank, yet it's already drinking well, with hints of garrigue and black olives adding nuance to the blackberry and cherry fruit. Silky and clean, it's delightfully easy to drink. WINE ADVOCATE

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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!

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The 2019 Lafon-Rochet is every bit as compelling today as it was from barrel. There is a feeling of elegance to the 2019 that is so striking. Sweet dark cherry, plum new leather, tobacco, licorice, spice and rose petal all grace the 2019 as it unwinds to its long finish. Lafon-Rochet is not huge nor obvious, as some Saint-Estèphes are, but it is absolutely compelling. (95) ANTONIO GALLONI

The 2019 Lafon-Rochet, which was picked from 25 September to 5 October, requires a little coaxing from the glass, eventually unfurling with blackberry, bilberry, violet and light crushed stone/clayey scents that is quintessential Saint-Estèphe. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins, fresh and saline in the mouth, old school in the best sense of that expression. No, it is not the most flamboyant Lafon-Rochet, but it is imbued with a sense of nobility and classicism that I much admire. Tasted three times with consistent notes. (95) NEAL MARTIN

Brilliant stuff, the 2019 Château Lafon-Rochet shows the best of the vintage with its pure, precise, elegant, yet at the same time concentrated style. Showing lots of ripe currant, plum, tobacco, Asian spice, and cedar pencil aromatics, it's medium to full-bodied, has nicely integrated acidity, and just seamless tannins. It's beautifully done and well worth seeking out. It's going to evolve for 20-25+ years. (95) JEB DUNNUCK

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A voluptuous, well-balanced and charming Lirac red with aromas of dark cherries, plums, warm spices and wet stones on the nose. It’s medium- to full-bodied with fine tannins. Juicy center palate with pulpy dark cherries and a refreshing core of purple berries. Well-driven and focused with a flavorful finish. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. JAMES SUCKLING

48 % Grenache, 35 % Mourvèdre and 17 % Syrah from very low yields of 15 hl/ha, at Domaine du Joncier on the pebble terroir of the Vallongues plateau. Certified Biodynamic, Joncier was acquired by Mont-Redon in 2022 and the wine remains Joncier-labelled. 100 % destemmed with gentle extraction via pumpover. Matured for 15 months in 228 litre Burgundy barrels (Syrah) and stainless steel (Grenache, Mourvèdre). Unfined, unfiltered.

This wine is incredibly impressive with great energy and intensity while remaining very supple, elegant and fresh. A remarkable success and a great addition to the already outstanding Château Mont-Redon Lirac (one-third of which is from these vineyards at Joncier).

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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!

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!

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!

Medium red with a tinge of purple and a complex foresty bouquet of sour cherry, undergrowth and leaf-litter, with a hint of five spice. Palate is intense, bright and lively with fleshy richness and very fine, supple tannins in perfect balance with the flavour. Delicious pinot noir. HUON HOOKE, Real Review

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The flagship 2018 Château Lagrange is a more dense, backward, serious wine, offering an unevolved yet incredibly promising bouquet of cassis, blackcurrants, scorched earth, graphite, and violets. A big, rich, full-bodied Saint-Julien, it delivers thrilling purity of fruit, plenty of background oak, ripe, silky tannins, and a great mid-palate. This is serious stuff, but it's going to require patience. Hide bottles for 7-8 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following two decades. (97) JEB DUNNUCK

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Lagrange explodes from the glass with bombastic notes of crème de cassis, chocolate-covered cherries and baked red and black plums with suggestions of rose oil, cedar chest, pencil lead and hoisin. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has fantastic vibrancy for the ripeness, packed with juicy black fruits and compelling tension with a finely grained texture to support, finishing on a lingering mineral note. Nicely done! (95) WINE ADVOCATE

The 2018 Lagrange is off the charts. Bold, plush and beautifully resonant in the glass, the 2018 possesses tremendous richness and textural intensity. Super-ripe dark cherry, plum, espresso, mint and licorice build in a racy, sumptuous Lagrange loaded with personality. The 2018 is one of the best recent vintages I have tasted. Tasted two times. (95) ANTONIO GALLONI

GOLD MEDAL, 95/100 (International Wine Challenge, London)

The generous, savoury, well-structured 2019 vintage (5*) was estate-grown at Bendigo and matured in French oak casks (33 per cent new). Deep ruby, it is full-bodied and supple, with concentrated, complex flavours, showing excellent ripeness and harmony, and a long finish. Drink now or cellar. This wine is a Classic. 5 Stars - Classic - MICHAEL COOPER'S BUYERS GUIDE

This is powerfully graceful with stunning complexity; the enticing bouquet shows dark cherry, tapenade, smoked game, truffle and cedary oak characters. The concentrated palate delivers terrific fruit richness with fleshy texture and beautifully melded tannins, finishing sumptuous and structured. Multi-layered and hugely appealing. At its best: now to 2034. $80.00. Aug 2022. (97) SAM KIM, Wine Orbit

A single vineyard wine made exclusively from The Canyon Vineyard at Bendigo and labelled as The Canyon only in vintages when it is exceptional. Beautiful floral aromas with elegant berry fruits, spice and dried herbs. The palate is elegantly opulent with ripe fruits, great acidity, ample tannins and excellent length. Remarkably ageworthy. When opened in its youth, The Canyon Pinot Noir may take a little time in the glass to unveil the full depth of flavours and complexity.

This 125-acre vineyard is beautifully situated in the southern sector of the appellation of Margaux. Dense ruby/purple, with sweet cassis fruit, Du Tertre's 2012 has a perfumed, elegant, lush, velvety-textured mouthfeel and impressive purity and depth. Drink it over the next 15-20 years. WINE ADVOCATE

The 2012 du Tertre has a well-defined nose: fully-mature with hoisin, dark plum and a light, ferrous edge, not powerful but focused. The palate is well balanced with saturated tannins, fine acidity, quite cohesive and poised with white pepper and clove lining the finish. This is a stylish Margaux NEAL MARTIN, tasted 2022

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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!

The 2021 Pahi Pinot Noir has a gorgeous nose that's totally expressive and pure in its outlay of aroma, with Pink Lady apples, pomegranate pearls, layers of red cherry, white strawberry, star anise, a hint of arnica/mint and a ripple of sumac and blood orange/ginger spice through the finish. Superb, gorgeous with lovely energy. The nose is laced with freshly turned red earth, which is crazy because there is no "freshly turned red earth" in the vineyard, yet it is ferruginous, iodine-y, etc., which carries through all the 2021 single-vineyard Pinots. Tannins are silky. With 58% whole bunch, there's "big bunch energy," joked winemaker Tim Bourne. I agree.13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

Pahi tends to have a lifted perfume—"'Te Muna Road perfume' we call that," says Tim. Grapes were picked on April 3 and spent 25 days on skins. Clone 5 and Abel were used. Aging was in 25% new oak for 20 months, racked once, then bottled unfined and unfiltered. (95) ERIN LARKIN,. The Wine Advocate

An enticing fragrance of fresh dark cherries and dried herbs, plum and sweet wood with a light smoke touch. There’s a gentle perfume and floral frame. On the palate firm touch with a core of ripe dark berried fruits for contrast. There’s some subtle power with tannins and acidity framing the wine nicely and a core of fruit flavours that reflect the bouquet. Firm and dry, lengthy and well made, I feel this wine needs some cellar time to complete its harmony. Best drinking from 2025 through 2032+. CAM DOUGLAS MW

As soon as you put your nose close to this wonderful single vineyard Cabernet you know you are in the heady zone of Coonawarra. The vineyard is located in the southern end of the Terra Rosa strip and displays a silky smooth and highly perfumed character. Bright red and black fruits on the nose with a subtle cedary oak influence. Fine chalky tannins and super fine-grained oak work their magic to bring the wine to life. Brilliant and alive through its long finish. Outstanding. (97) RAY JORDON, the west Australian

The Messenger Vineyard, a dry-grown plot in the southern section of Coonawarra’s Terra Rossa strip, shows perfume and silkiness in a mild year like 2021. It’s deceptive, with the flavours running long and fine on the current of a long, slender acid stream, but there’s lots of dark muscle lurking beneath the pleasant blackberry entry – a brooding, heavy-browed dangerman, reclining back in a creaky old leather Chesterfield, but when exactly will he pounce? That coiled-spring element of danger keeps you returning to this wine. So testy and willing for a medium-bodied wine, showing that Cabernet doesn’t have to be bloated and hefty to pack a punch. (96) DAVID SLY, decanter

Very deep, dark, brooding purple-red colour with a similarly brooding bouquet of blackberry, licorice, soy sauce, coffee grounds and creme de cassis, without any of the greener herbal elements of cabernet. The palate is intense and concentrated and backs up with taut, firm tannins which are nevertheless well measured and balanced. A very concentrated, plush, almost essency cabernet with a terrifically long carry, which will reward long-term cellaring. (97) HUON HOOKE, the real review

15 months in new and seasoned French oak hogsheads (16% new). A basket of collected blackberries and thistle. Fresh prune plums and bilberry. Allspice, clove and black peppercorn. Turned earth, granite and coal. Morello mushroom and undergrowth. There is juniper and wisps of lavender. Pinpoint acidity and laser focus to this cabernet. It drives seamlessly across the palate and pulls at the heartstrings. A stunning drink now and in 15 to 20 years. (96) GOLD MEDAL, SHANTEJ WAHL, www.winecompanion.com

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STAFF PICKS 2024 - ROSCOE HALLIGAN-ROSE

Too long a story to tell here, but the brief version is, I spent a good bit of time before our recent trip to the Rhone trying to find a producer that fit our wants and needs perfectly, we found three in the end. The Rhone is so exciting at the moment with so many great wines coming out, and many remain at reasonable prices. Still, in the face of this wave of excellent wine it is still rare to find someone crafting wines that are this extraordinary. Paul Formosa is one of the most talented and focused young winemakers I have come across in a long while. His wines are nothing short of spectacular.
Wonderful purity of expression, vivid, bright and clearly defined. Lighter in colour than you may expect, but that belies the deep wells of character that lurk amongst those soaring aromatics, dramatic fruit and the flashes of minerality that add to the overall feel of crispness that accompanies the luxurious and beautifully cushioned fruit. The wine goes on and on and with each moment another nuance or detail escapes from the depths and flicks or flutters along your mouth, tantalising you with the feeling of things to come.
Composed and self-assured, this is not a Gigondas that seeks to stun you with bold and forward fruit, rather it lures you in with its seductive flavours, its shapely profile and its enticing array of perfume. Sneaky structure pays second fiddle here, but it is all perfectly measured and ensures a very long and expressive life ahead. This was an easy choice for my wine of the year. ROSCOE



The promising 2022 Gigondas Cuvée Tradition 1871 mixes 80% Grenache with the remainder equally split between Syrah and Mourvèdre. Glossy red fruits mingle with dashes of dried herbs and a splash of rosewater. Refreshing acidity neatly balances the moderate fruit concentration, persisting all the way through to the sapid finish. This is a lovely Gigondas. NICHOLAS GREINACHER, Vinous

Christmann's 2020 Spätburgunder Aus den Lagen opens with a pure, fresh, earthy and spicy/toasty bouquet of dark cherries and black berries. Silky, lush and saline on the palate, this is a pure, very elegant and charmingly fruity Pinot with fine tannins, good salinity and intensity. Diam cork. Tasted at the domaine in November 2022. STEPHAN RHEINHARDT, Wine Advocate

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The family's winemaking history goes back centuries, but it was Vincent Girardin who really put the name on the international map during the late 20th century, gaining a reputation for crafting expressive, polished wines — particularly from the Côte de Beaune, with a focus on Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault, and Chassagne-Montrachet.

Today, under the guidance of a new generation and a talented team led by Eric Germain (long-time winemaker), Maison Vincent Girardin continues to produce elegant, terroir-driven wines. The philosophy is built around respect for the vineyard, using sustainable farming practices and minimal intervention in the winery to let each site speak clearly.

The nose is vibrant and alluring, revealing aromas of red cherries, raspberries, and wild strawberries, layered with delicate floral notes of violets, subtle earthy nuances, and a hint of spice. On the palate, it is medium-bodied and elegantly textured, with silky tannins and bright acidity enhancing the flavors of juicy red berries, a touch of licorice, and a refined mineral edge. The finish is smooth, fresh, and well-balanced, making it a versatile and food-friendly choice.

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Beyond the hill of Corton – almost Hautes Côtes.
Great example of Bourgogne from this Pernand domaine. Lovely crisp, bright, crunchy fruit. Great purity but there is also a freshness and acidity which makes you want to drink more. Not at all hefty but lifted, delicate and showing so much finesse. Well worth considering this for your ‘drinking’ Pinot. GREAT VALUE, ANDY HOWARD MW, jancisrobinson.com

Ultra-fresh aromas of red pinot fruit, spice and more discreet earth nuances lead to equally delicious and more finely textured middleweight flavors that possess notably better volume on the better balanced and sneaky long finish. This is quite good for what it is and worth checking out. BURGHOUND

Hmm – that’s a beautiful nose – very perfumed. Fine, open, easy but deliciously complete. Too – a Bourgogne of real finesse. Top! BILL NANSON

The 2020 Pinot Noir is sourced from the Meadowbank vineyard, in the Upper Derwent Valley, in Tasmania. The vineyard site experiences warm days and cool nights, largely unaffected by sea breeze, imbuing the wines with a depth and density of flavor that is bolstered by the spine of juicy acidity (courtesy of the cool night-time temperatures). The wine itself is savory, littered with autumnal undergrowth, enoki mushroom, black cherries and tobacco leaf. The palate is more succulent than the nose would lead us to believe, and it is rich with umami inflections of bone broth and quince paste. Very good, serious, grown-up Pinot Noir, from two very accomplished makers (Pete Dawson and Tim James). (95+) ERIN LARKIN, Wine Advocate

Sourced from a portion of the Meadowbank vineyard curated to the particular specifications of winemakers Peter Dawson and Tim James, whose unobtrusive winemaking ensures real purity of fruit. Rose petal, dusty red earth and red fruit aromas leap from the glass. The silky, seductive palate is all strawberries and cream, framed by gently gripping tannins. (96) DECANTER