Calvados, Greco, Aglianico, Po...

Saturated deep ruby. Brooding, reticent nose of cassis and kirsch; there's nothing cooked about this one! Then massive, sweet and superrich in the mouth; explodes with exotic ripeness. Intriguing note of graphite. This coats every nook and cranny of the palate and clings and builds on the back end in a way that no other wine of this vintage can match. Huge, sexy and wonderfully lush Fonseca, built for the long haul. As impressive as the best 2000s, and, along with the Quinta do Noval Nacional, is an early candidate for port of the 2003 vintage. (97) STEPHEN TANZER

Fonseca vintage Ports are always among the most attractive and long-lived. This 2003 conforms magnificently to that model. It is structured, rich, powerful and opulent. There are cassis and black fig flavors, as well as sweet tannins. It is delicious already, and will remain delicious throughout its long life. (97) WINE ENTHUSIAST

Sporting an opaque, black-colored robe with dark purple trim, the 2003 Fonseca Vintage Port exhibits a nose of profound depth. Its sweet black mass of dark fruit and spice aromas leads to a character of immense depth, richness, and weight. Full-bodied, viscous, and almost impenetrable, this dense, backward port is powerful and exceptionally long in the finish. Possibly the most masculine Fonseca I've ever encountered, it coats the taster's palate with licorice, jammy black fruits, and notes of chocolate that last for over a minute. This blockbuster will require at least three decades to fully blossom. Anticipated maturity: 2035-2060. (96+) WINE ADVOCATE

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!

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!

It's a battle royal of North vs South for our second premium pack where the only winner is going to be you! From the warm southern coast to the rolling hills of the verdant north, Italy's multitude of breathtaking terroir and incredible indigenous varieties is one to impress.

This is an exciting little pack, something a little different with some cracking little wines brand new to the country, some Prince Wine Store classics and a couple of wines, we know, you will be happily and wonderfully surprised by.

From the north we start with one of the best new wines we have seen in a while. The Battiselle le Battiselle Soave is such a beautiful Soave. This is the second vintage of this to hit our shores and we missed the tiny allocation last time but certainly won't this time. You are in for a treat as we think this is one of best Soave's, if not, best white wine from Italy in some time.

Next up is the La Dama Vini Superiore. A nuanced and pretty style Valpolicella from a modern and thoughtful producer. Also relatively new to the country this see's the skins of the Amarone ferment added to the Valpolicella to add an extra depth and richness that you do not normally see from the Classico versions. 

Last is the king of red wine in Italy and the Mauro Veglio Barolo Gattera. Both the vineyard and the vintage favour this release with so much immediate appeal straight our of the gate. Veglio is turning back the use of oak and we are reaping the benefits for the change in tack. All the generosity is still there of the house style but with even more clarity and verve.

From the south we start with the Petila Greco di Tufo. This is another family estate that has only relatively recently started to bottle under their own label. This come from an elevated plot of old vines and see's some extended ageing and subtle barrel work. The zingy greco grape keeps it liveliness while the extra time in bottle has built and layered the wine.

We would be hard pressed not to include an Etna Rosso in the pack and we are so lucky that our choices here in Aus are so exceptional.  Giuseppe Tornatore spent much of the early 2000s sourcing some of the regions best plots which has proved to be an insightful move with, now some of the most highly sought after vineyards in his holding and what seems like an unstoppable thirst for his wines.

The last wine of the list is a real treat and was such a surprise for us in a recent tasting. This hails from foothills of Mt Vesuvias and in fact the vineyards overlook the famous ruins of Pompei. Unsurprisingly the wine reflects in origins and is an intriguing blend of piedirosso and aglianico that greets you with its smokey and charred fruit overlayed with dried and broody fruits.

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 soil, created by ashes and pumices, is volcanic, without limestone, well drained, deep and with rough texture. These conditions allow an elevated availability of oxygen for the roots. The vineyard, situated at 440 metres of altitude with a slope of 15%, has a density of 5.000 plants per hectar and is cultivated with a cordon spur training system. Vigna Grande Cerzito is characterized by refined flavours of cherry, plum and chocolate and by a full and delicate structure. Great longevity, it becomes even more delicate and elegant with the passing of the years complementing with fresh notes of mint, eucalyptus and incense. LUIGI MOIO, quintodecimo

Darkly floral and intense, the 2019 Taurasi Riserva Vigna Grande Cerzito slowly awakens in the glass with a display of crushed blackberries, incense and exotic spice, complicated by hints of flowery undergrowth. This is like pure silk on the palate, polished and cool-toned in feel, with a balsamic tinge to its ripe red and black fruits. Its tannins come forward through the finish, long and staining, leaving an echo of licorice and spice to linger on and on. ERIC GUIDO

…ripe dark fruits complemented by spiced oranges, sage and mint with a hint of green olive. On the palate, velvety textures are contrasted by cooling acids, while polished black fruits wash over the senses, leaving a mix of salty minerals and fine tannins with a hint of violet flowers. The finish is long, packed with masses of ripe blackberries, plums and sweet herbal tones, but also perfectly structured and, for all its youthfulness, very balanced and harmonious. Luigi Moio and his team have interpreted this vintage brilliantly and once again set new standards with this single-vineyard Aglianico. LUCA GARDINI, superiore.de

 

The soil is made up of expandable clay rocks very rich in limestone. The vineyard, situated at 420 metres of altitude with a slope of 25%, is cultivated with a cordon spur training system and has a density of 5.000 plants per hectar. Vigna Quintodecimo is a fine balance of small fruits, floreal notes and spices. Seductive class and aromatic intensity is complemented by savory tannins and well expressed in a profound and refined style. It is a wine of extraordinary richness and elegance that reaches its peak within the first twenty years and still retains its character for many years after. LUIGI MOIO, quintodecimo

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 2019 Taurasi Riserva Vigna Quintodecimo is wonderfully perfumed and spicy, as wild blueberries and lavender give way to incense and clove. This is silky-smooth and elegant. A wave of mineral-tinged wild berry fruits washes across the palate, leaving a web of fine-grained tannins in its wake. The 2019 leaves the palate stained in primary concentration, tapering off dramatically long and structured yet still remarkably fresh. Luigi Moio calls this his Bordeaux without Cabernet or Merlot. It's a remarkably refined rendition of Vigna Quintodecimo. ERIC GUIDO

Luigi Moio is one of the most famous professors of viticulture and oenology in Italy and the Cru Vigna Quintodecimo is indisputably one of the most exciting and complex Taurasi Riserva in Campania. This wine possesses a unique and seductive class, a richness and elegance that outshines the entire volcanic appellation. The initially restrained bouquet only gradually opens up in layers, releasing new impressions every minute. Violets, ripe blackberries, blueberry skins, plums and white smoke unfold like a surprise bag and are reflected in the energetic mouthfeel together with finely woven tannins and a fresh interplay of fruit and acidity. The texture is impressively silky and emphasises the tremendous elegance and harmony of this exceptional Aglianico, which will reach its most exciting phase in 10-15 years at the earliest. LUCA GARDINI, superiore.de

 

Very dark savoury aromas. Dark elderberry. More bramble than blackcurrant. Very dry and firm and dense. Dry but slides over the palate – even though the tannins are very compact it remains fluid. Leaves your mouth feeling clean even though it is so mouthfilling. JULIA HARDING MW

This is the first time Noval have declared their famous Nacional since 2003 so this is an exciting development. Very dark purple stains the inside of the glass.  Gosh, a massive bruiser of a wine. There is such concentration here that not much aroma can escape initially. Wild, peppery stuff. Then wonderfully juicy and spicy. This is like the ultimate biodynamic wine with lots of microbiology going on, in a good way.  Very clean and fresh on the finish.  Not notably sweet and with more marked acidity than some.  A big contrast to, for example, Fonseca 2011. This is all about subtle topnotes rather than broad lusciousness. So vital! JANCIS ROBINSON, 2013

The 2011 Quinta do Noval Nacional has an entrancing bouquet that unfolds with time. It is extraordinarily concentrated with black currant pastilles, baked earth, a touch of terracotta and bay leaf that gains more dimension with time. Yet there is undeniable purity and elegance here, a seductive chorus of aromas perfectly in tune. The palate has a wondrous symmetry and focus, perfect acidity and immense purity. Everything here is so precise and at the same time, unassuming, as if this Nacional is aware of its breeding without the impulse to brag about it. It has closed down just a little since last year, but I take this as a positive sign that this legendary Nacional will delight for decades rather than years. This is the kind of elixir that leaves you speechless – surely the finest Nacional since the ethereal 1963. NEAL MARTIN, 2014