Calvados, Cabernet Sauvignon, ...

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Lots of mulled cherries, blueberries, iron, and bouquet garni emerge from the 2020 Château Faugeres, a rich, focused, yet fruit-loaded barrel sample that has a good sense of purity and elegance. I was able to taste two bottles, both showing medium to full-bodied richness, with one having slightly more precision. Both showed great mid-palates, and this is certainly a beautiful wine in the making. Two to four years should do it well and it’s going to have two decades of longevity. (95) JEB DUNNUCK

A ripe, rich red that delivers loads of crushed-berry, chocolate and walnut character, as well as fine tannins through the center palate. Layered texture (95) JAMES SUCKLING

The 2020 Faugeres offers ripe black plum and boysenberry fruit on the nose, which is extravagant and verging on ostentatious, though somehow it maintains focus and delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with red cherries, boysenberry, cola and light allspice notes on the entry. Well balanced with impressive depth toward the fleshy finish, leaving a lick of dark chocolate on the aftertaste. This is a fine Faugeres that should be afforded 4–5 years in bottle NEAL MARTIN

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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!

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The 2022 Haut-Bages Libéral is huge and explosive right out of the gate. A rush of dark red cherry/plum fruit, rose petal, blood orange, incense, licorice and mocha saturates the palate. Saline notes extend the mid-palate and finish effortlessly. This is one of the most exuberant, ample wines I have tasted from Claire Villars-Lurton. I would give the 2022 a number of years in bottle to shed some baby fat. Today, it tastes almost like a barrel sample! The purity and primary intensity of the fruit is remarkable. The Haut-Bages Libéral was raised in a combination of 40% new oak, 40% once-used barrels and 20% a mix of concrete and amphora. This is one of the under-the-radar gems of 2022. (97) ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous.com

Round and smooth, so pure, like silk, just so beautifully textured straight away with clear bite, bright fresh upfront fruit - tangy strawberries, raspberries and black cherries with powdery, chalky, and tense tannins giving both the frame but also a charming appeal. It's intense but controlled and finessed. Maybe lacking a touch of fruity fleshiness right now but the Cabernet is at the fore, giving the backbone and the seriousness. So well executed -a shining star of an estate with such beautiful pure wines. The pH and alcohol is low with the acidity coming from the chalk and limestone terroir, all well integrated giving an elegant, very drinkable aspect while still having underlying power and direction. Crystalline with exceptional energy.  Drink 2028-2045. GEORGINA HINDLE, Decanter

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The 2022 La Dominique is gorgeous, elegant and gracious. Dark red/purplish fruit, mocha, lavender, spice and new leather abound. A wine of exquisite finesse, La Dominique is positively stellar in 2022. All the elements are so well balanced. I especially admire the wine's energy and class.   (96) ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous.com

Displaying an opaque purple-black color, the 2020 La Dominique needs a fair bit of swirling and coaxing to unlock enticing scents of crushed black cherries, black raspberries and ripe plums, plus beguiling nuances of violets, aniseed and cedar chest, with a waft of cardamom. The medium to full-bodied palate is tightly wound with loads of bright, crunchy red and black fruit layers, supported by finely grained tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long with a gorgeous array of energetic mineral sparks. A property on the upward swing, this delicately crafted, beautifully restrained expression of the vintage comes highly recommended. LISA PEROTTI-BROWN, 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!

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!

Golden in colour, with pronounced tropical fruits, mango, pineapple, pollen and acacia honey on the nose. Great depth and concentration on a classy palate of apricot, marmalade, pineapple and orange zest, spiced up by white pepper on the tip of the tongue. The passionate, tropical flavours are backed by great acidity with dried fruit notes lingering on forever… SYLIVA WU, decanter.com

Attractive aromas of dried apricots and dried mangoes with hints of caramel, fresh honey, exotic spice and dried orange. It's dense and creamy with vivid acidity coming through. Rich but not overly sweet, with hints of oolong tea and orange blossom at the end. Delicious. JAMES SUCKLING

The 2021 Coleraine exhibits a commanding presence and majestic poise. The bouquet reveals classic aromas of cassis, dark plum and violet with whispering nuances of cedar and cigar. There are hints of warm spices, compounding the pleasure upon inhalation. The palate is bold and graceful at once, enhanced by plush texture and multi-layered mouthfeel, beautifully framed by refreshing acidity and fine chalky tannins. Robust and substantial with a great line and length, which seem to go on to infinity. This youthful wine is already impossible to resist, but time will reward those who can wait. In sports, they often talk about ‘The Greatest of All Time’, or 'The GOAT'. This 2021 Coleraine is undeniably THE GOAT of New Zealand wine. (100) SAM KIM, Wine Orbit

56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc. Because I care, I just nipped down to the cellar to open a bottle of the 2020 Coleraine to compare and contrast with the 2021. The 2020 is packed with tannin, texture, earthiness, and power, while the 2021 is brighter, a bit more frisky in acidity, with more leafy perfume. A little more flamboyant, but equal. It’s not a competition, more of a love in. The 2021 may well be the ‘better’ wine in time, though it’s kind of hard to tell, and may just come down to personal preference.

Dark and intense, lots of perfume, red and black fruits, tobacco, a leafy pop that’s pure varietal class, creamy oak, lead pencils, aniseed and spice. Medium to full-bodied, a flood of flavour, super ‘mineral’ feel to the acidity, tannin is superb, and the finish is so long. Light but so dense. There’s a fresh raspberry juiciness here too, and an extra dimension of tension and energy. All the graphite and presence. Incredible wine. (97+) GARY WALSH, The Wine Front

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One 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

The 2023 Coleraine comprises 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. This cuvée is not made to a recipe, rather as a selection of the best from each vintage. In 2023, due to the weather induced by Cyclone Gabrielle, which landed in early February (the second or third), the strongest performer was the Cabernet Sauvignon due to bunch architecture, small berries, thick skins and, in this case, the low-vigor rootstocks and the chicory in between the rows. Te Mata invests heavily into research and development in the vineyards, which really assists in a vintage like 2023, which imposes challenges. The elevation in all aspects of this wine from the already tremendously impressive Awatea is significant. Here, the tannins have a finer grain, the fruit is more persistent and the package is far more integrated and seamless. With raspberry, iodine, crushed shells, nori, pressed flowers, new lead pencil, tobacco, bramble and cassis, it is magnificent. Raw cocoa and the gentle and subtle creep of game/gristle/blood and sweet marrow indicate its direction later in life. I love this wine. I think I write that every time I taste it. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. (98) ERIN LARKIN, Wine Advocate

Stunning bouquet ... engaging and captivating. The palate exhibits immense concentration and
presence, superbly enhanced by silky texture and layers of chalky tannins. The acidity is perfectly pitched and provides freshness to this long-living wine. A wine of meticulous precision and undeniable sophistication. (98) SAM KIM, Wine Orbit

Deep 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

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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!

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The 2022 Giscours is compelling, just as it was en primeur. Deep, layered and inviting, the 2022 possesses notable textural richness and intensity. Yields were down about 25%, and drought starting in May produced tiny berries with thick skins. The 2022 is a very rich Giscours, one that will need a number of years to shed some baby fat. But even with all of that obvious richness, the 2022 clocks in at 13.5% alcohol. This is such a classy wine. Tasted three times.(96) ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous.com

This is a big move forward for Giscours. Full-bodied yet agile and fresh with tannins that are precise and integrated, with great beauty and length. Well-structured and vivid. Extremely fine yet defined tannins, and then it opens like a butterfly. (97-98) JAMES SUCKLING

This outstanding effort is atypically forward, sexy, and opulent. Only 45% of the crop made it into this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. Yields were 47 hectoliters per hectare, which is slightly higher than some estates, but the harvest was very late, between October 2-21. Sweet cassis, black cherry, licorice, tobacco leaf, and spice box are all present in the complex aromatics. In the mouth, the wine offers generosity, roundness, sweetness, and velvety, ripe tannins. I was surprised by how forward, precocious, and delicious this wine has already become. It appears set for a relatively long life of 25+ years. WINE ADVOCATE

The 2008 Rauzan-Ségla is a solid vintage and is still relatively youthful, yet it's certainly drinking nicely. A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Merlot, it has a cooler, black-fruited, menthol, and tobacco-driven bouquet as well as medium to full body, still present tannins, considerable elegance, and outstanding length. Overall it's a pretty, well-balanced 2008 that's going to continue evolving for another 15-20 years. JEB DUNNUCK, tasted 2019

Good dark, bright red. Deep, brooding aromas of blueberry, mulberry, tobacco, mint and pepper. Deep and sweet, with ripe mulberry and raspberry fruit nicely supported by a firm mineral underpinning. At once smooth and sappy, offering a captivating balance of sweetness and ripe acidity. Finishes strong and vibrant, with firm tannins supported by the wine's mid-palate frui STEPHEN TANZER

This golden-colored Tokaji has aromas of raw honey, apricot blossom, pear and baked apple tart. Silky smooth upon entry, it offers flavors of baked apples, wildflower honey, canned pears and apricot. The acidity is nicely balanced so as not to be too cloyingly sweet. (97) JEFF JENSEN, wineenthusiast.com

The purity of this wine is remarkable. Like a clarinet, holding a note through the sunrise. Long, creamy but crystal-cut with the most remarkable intensity of apricot craquelure. Quite stunning. TAMLYN CURRIN, jancisrobinson.com

Pre- Arrival 9 bottles available

The 2022 Durfort-Vivens is a heady, explosive wine. Ample and creamy, the 2022 is seriously impressive. The blend is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Merlot, a bit more Merlot than normal. That seems to have filled out the mid-palate, adding a level of juiciness that is quite complementary to the wine's underlying structure. Inky dark fruit, new leather, menthol, licorice and lavender build into a finish that is both opulent and virile. Ageing was 16 months, 70% in new oak and 30% in amphora. (96) ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous.com 

ovely freshness and aromatic complexity on the nose; herbs, spices, flowers, bitterness, freshness. Juicy and alive, a brightness and liveliness straight away. The energy here is wonderful, so lean and clean, pure and precise, very pretty, fun and joyful with a salty tang underneath. Delicate almost with such well integrated tannins giving a soft push from start to finish. Really very compelling and drinkable, easy to approach with layers of freshness and the most gorgeous acidity. Not as dense or fleshy as others, but makes up for it in bite, energy and enjoyable minerality. Effortless winemaking. (96) GEORGINA HINDLE, Decanter

The 2019 Ducru-Beaucaillou is a seriously impressive wine. Seamless and yet potent, the 2019 is so alluring. Even so, readers should not plan on opening a bottle anytime soon. A wine of tremendous gravitas and power, the 2019 possesses explosive energy to play off its seamless personality. I can't wait to watch the 2019 develop over the coming years and decades, as it possesses notable energy and a compelling interplay of opulence and elegance. (97) ANTONIO GALLONI

A killer wine in the making, the 2019 Château Beychevelle checks in as 49% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc that will spend 18 months in barrels. Deep purple-colored, with classic Saint-Julien purity and elegance, it offers full-bodied aromas and flavors of red, blue, and black fruits, cedary herbs, spring flowers, graphite, and earth. With flawless balance, ultra-fine tannins, and again, and stunning purity of fruit, this quintessential Beychevelle is going to benefit from 7-8 years of bottle age and cruise for 20-30 years in cold cellars. (97) JEB DUNNUCK

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Beychevelle explodes from the glass with bombastic scents of crème de cassis, blueberry preserves and baked plums with touches of menthol, cinnamon toast and smoked meats plus a waft of dark chocolate. The medium-bodied palate injects fantastic energy into the decadent black and blue fruit flavors, framed by exquisitely ripe, finely-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing with great length and freshness. (96) WINE ADVOCATE

The Grand Vin 2020 Domaine De Chevalier ratchets everything up another notch and will be one of the legendary wines from this address. Notes of pure cassis, graphite, lead pencil, and scorched earth define its incredible aromatics, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. This is pure, classic, regal Pessac-Léognan is as good as anything in the vintage. Give bottles 4-6 years and it will evolve for 50, 60, 70+ years. I absolutely love this wine. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc. (98+) JEB DUNNUCK

he purity of fruit is really something here, with blackcurrants and blackberries, together with orange, stone and granite character. Mind-boggling in many ways. Full-bodied with very fine tannins that are polished and pure. Such a fine texture. Lots of primary fruit. Like picking wonderfully ripe grapes. Great length. One for the cellar. (99) JAMES SUCKLING

The 2020 Domaine de Chevalier is going to need a number of years to unwind. Rich, heady and super-concentrated, the 2020 is so impressive, right out of the gate. Crushed rocks, rose petal, cedar, pomegranate and mint all build as the 2020 shows off its vibrant, layered personality. Domaine de Chevalier remains one of the most under the radar wines in all of Bordeaux. The 2020 is an absolutely brilliant effort from Olivier Bernard and his team. (97) ANTONIO GALLONI

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The 2020 Camartina is a super-classic edition of this wine. Cabernet Sauvignon drives the blend, but there is also a ton of site character. Readers will have to be patient, as this is very much a wine for the cellar. Strong mineral inflections, black pepper, lavender, mint and licorice add layers of aromatic intrigue. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous.com

Aromas of black and red currants with dried flowers, sandalwood and dark cherries. Medium- to full-bodied with well-integrated tannins that coat and caress the mouth nicely. Shows a focus and modernity. From organically grown grapes. Best in three or four years. JAMES SUCKLING

Mellow and harmonious, offering plum, black currant, blackberry, iron, leather and menthol flavours. Juicy acidity and dusty tannins lift the flavours and guide them to the long conclusion. Fresh and complex on the finish. BRUCE SANDERSON, Wine Spectator

Pessac Léognan

Grand Cru Classé

The 2019 Domaine de Chevalier has the potential to be one of the wines of the vintage. Regal and soaring in the glass, with tremendous intensity, the 2019 is pure magic. An exotic mélange of ripe red plum, gravel, spice, cured meats and incense develops with time in the glass. Effortless and wonderfully nuanced, the 2019 is a fabulous wine in the making. Don't miss it. ANTONIO GALLONI 95/97

Beautiful, ripe redcurrants, bay leaf, violets and raspberries on the nose. Full-bodied with firm and very tight tannins that are polished and layered. Crushed stones highlight the beautiful blue fruit. Poised and refined. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 6% petit verdot and 4% cabernet franc. Try after 2026. JAMES SUCKLING 97

Pre- Arrival 4 bottles available

The 2022 Pape Clément is a classy, elegant wine. Soaring aromatics open first. On the palate, the 2022 is vibrant and explosive, with terrific depth and exceptional balance. Today's wines here are simply striking because of their energy and verve. Those qualities help make Pape Clément one of the most changed wines in Bordeaux over the last decade or so. Red/purplish fruit, blood orange, cinnamon, new leather and sage are some of the many notes that linger on the sustained finish. The 2022 is a superb Pape Clément. Tasted three times. (97) ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous.com

A full-bodied, concentrated, awesome Pessac, the 2022 Château Pape Clément offers up loads of spiced red and black fruits, some leafy tobacco, gravelly earth, and graphite aromatics, building, ripe, polished tannins, and a stacked mid-palate. Beautifully done, with remarkable purity and a great finish, it's going to rank with the crème de la crème of the vintage and is well worth seeking out. (96-98+) JEB DUNNUCK

Cabernet ……  who drinks Cabernet anymore?   I mean we can't all hang out in exclusive "Gentlemen's Clubs in Mayfair" can we?

So I was super surprised when I had a chance to taste an older (2018) vintage of the Forman Cabernet a few months ago which was superb - so I couldn't wait to have a crack at the new vintage.  California cabernet - all big, juicy and ripe fruit….. right?  Nope - definitely not.  There were layers of blueberry fruit, dusty chocolate, coffee bean, black cherry - and lovely hint of sweet spice and graphite minerality.  Also a hint of oak supporting the rich - but definitely not over ripe - fruit.    With a little time in the glass fantastic savoury notes popped up … think sage, bay leaf all adding wonderful complexity and interest to the wine.

This wasn't an over ripe jammy new world Cabernet … nor was it an austere/mouth puckering Bordeaux  - just a wonderful balanced wine - drink up! MATT O'CONNOR, PWS



The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon is a powerful, deep wine that marries elegance and finesse in a way few people can do, like Ric Forman. Rich and sumptuous in the glass, with terrific depth, the 2020 has so much to offer. Black cherry, mocha, licorice, spice, incense and new leather are all dialed up. Although it is early, this 2020 is shaping up to be one of the finer wines of the year.
(95) ANTONIO GALLONI, vinous

The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley has to be seen as a success in the vintage, revealing a solid bouquet of red and black fruits, tobacco leaf, cigar, and toasted spices. These carry to a medium to full-bodied Cabernet with a good sense of balance, moderate tannins, and outstanding length. It's well done and should evolve for another decade at a minimum. I followed this bottle for multiple days, and it always showed well. JEB DUNNUCK

Saint Émilion

1er Grand Cru Classé B  

The 2019 Pavie was picked from 30 September to 11 October at 29hl/ha. It is initially exubertant, feisty on the nose, a bit like the Pavie-Decesse. Allowing my sample an hour in the glass, it evolves more grace and composure with scents of blackberry, briary, incense and iris flowers. The oak beautifully integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, quite an edgy line of acidity, touches of graphite infusing the very pure black fruit on the satin-textured finish. This is undoubtedly a very impressive, sauve Pavie destined for long-term drinking. Neal Martin 96-98

Lots of roses and dark fruit, such as blackberries and brambleberries on the nose. Full-bodied, yet tight and poised, with real focus and firmness and seamless tannins that run the length of the wine. Minerality and persistence in a cool way. This is very serious for the vintage and for the cellar. Try after 2025. JAMES SUCKLING 97

Pre- Arrival 10 bottles available

The 2022 Brane-Cantenac is every bit as impressive as it was en primeur. What a wine. Fresh, brisk and wonderfully vibrant in the glass, the 2022 soars with striking Cabernet Sauvignon aromatics. Graphite, menthol, sage, mint, licorice, dried flowers and a kiss of well-judged oak all meld together in the glass. Great wine is the result of many small decisions taken together, some of which may seem inconsequential on their own. The team led by Technical Director Christophe Capdeville nailed it in 2022. This is a magnificent Margaux that overachieves big time. The 2022 is one of the most finessed wines of the vintage. (97) ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous.com

I was absolutely blown away by the 2022 Château Brane-Cantenac, which looks to be a reference point vintage for this château. Based on 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, and Petit Verdot, it sports a deep purple hue to go with incredible aromatics of crème de cassis, lead pencil, sandalwood, and spring flowers. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it shines for its purity of fruit, has ultra-fine tannins, a great mid-palate, and one heck of a finish. It hit 14.3% alcohol with a pH of 3.6, and like many estates today, they utilized quite a bit of press wine (15%) in the final blend. This is clearly up with the finest wines from the appellation and is well worth seeking out. (96-98) JEB DUNNUCK