Calvados, Rhone Blend, cider, ...

Inky ruby. Vibrant, spice-accented cherry and boysenberry scents are complicated by hints of black pepper, candied flowers and licorice. Supple and broad in the mouth, offering juicy red and blue fruit preserves, spicecake, olive paste and violet pastille flavors that tighten up steadily with air. The floral note repeats strongly on the clinging finish, which shows excellent clarity and velvety, slowly building tannins. There are almost a quarter-million bottles of this wine made in a typical vintage, by the way. 50% new oak. (95) JOSH RAYNOLDS

Gentle hints of dried herbs and maple syrup accent blueberries and cherries on the nose of the 2019 Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde de Guigal. The region's largest-production wine and a solid introduction to the appellation, it's just medium-bodied, with a silky feel and gently dusty finish. JOE CZERWINSKI, RobertParker.com

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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!

The 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul is 100% old-vine Grenache, sourced from three different lieux-dits: Les Serres (galets), La Crau (clay) and La Guigasse (sand). This preliminary blend came across as rather polite and restrained, with attractive raspberry shadings, silky tannins and a more elegant style than exhibited by past vintages. JOE CZERWINSKI, Wine Advocate

The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée De Mon Aïeul is also all Grenache but was raised all in demi-muids (I believe all used). Its more ruby/plum color is followed by an incredible bouquet of mulled red and black fruits, sweet Provençal herbs, spice box, and graphite. It's slightly broader and more expansive than the Deux Freres and has a sexy, full-bodied mouthfeel, ripe, polished tannins, and a great finish. This reminds me a little of the 2006, and while it's already brilliant, I have no doubt it will evolve for 15-20 years in cold cellars. JEB DUNNUCK

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!

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!

Perennially among the best bottlings from the appellation, the 2019 Saint-Joseph Vignes de l'Hospice looks set to rival the tremendous effort bottled in 2015. Enticing scents of crushed stone, pencil shavings and cassis appear on the nose (it ages in 100% new oak), and while this full-bodied wine packs plenty of power, it also shows characteristic granite-derived restraint, delivering a tense balance between ripeness and structure. It should be a beauty, but give it time, as the tannins are prominent at this early stage of its evolution. JOE CZERWINSKI

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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!

There are only a select few, perfect locations, to grow great wine on this big blue orb of ours and those are between 30 and 50 degrees north and south latitudes. Those regions need to provide just the right temperature, humidity, heat and climate to grow high quality grapes. We are absolutely spoilt for choice when it comes to the northern reaches with the whole of Europe at our disposal, but travel further south and things are a little different.

While New Zealand and Tasmania provide us with plenty of choices (and we would be remiss not to include them) the southern reaches sitting on and just below the 40 degrees latitude offer a up a wholy unique drinking experience.

While grapes like riesling, cabernet and pinot noir are familiar to us, a number of the wines in this months pack aren't seen so regularly on your local wines list or on the shelves of your corner wine store. From Malbec's in Argentina to the infamous Pinotage and the more classic varietals like Chenin in South Africa this is an exploration of all that is good in these great southern lands of ours.

Where do we start with such an awesome selection of interesting wine? It's hard to decide we might just do a quick run down by country.

South America is relatively new to the wine scene but has come along in leap and bounds. WE start with a couple of classics with the Finca Los Moras Malbec and the Santa Ana Cabernet. These are text book varietal wines with plenty to love in their up-front fruit and modern styling. For something a little different we through in the Bouchon pais. For those who do not know, Pais is an old variety that is Chile's answer to pinot noir. With a little more bite and a wild flourish this a great introduction to this fascinating wine.

Closer to home in New Zealand we have few classic drops with the Palliser Estate Pencarrow pinot. A wine you would be hard pressed to find with the structure, concentration and complexity at the same price. Off to Hawkes Bay for some stonking Chardonnay from Bilancia fame and some of the world most underrated syrah from stars Te Mata. What a treat!

Just in our backyard, Tassie continues to pump out some of the best wine in the country and while we would never miss out on showcasing another great pinot there is some real winners with pinot gris and riesling on the rise. The Moores Hill gris is a freat example of textural and vibrant gris from the Apple Isle with the Riversdale riesling hot on its tale.

And for something a little different we have got the latest release Willie Smiths Cider. This is an absolute belter, and we couldn't help but included it once we were told it had been released. Perfect timing! We will take that one!

Last, and something we don't see much in Aus is a cracking selection of wines from South Africa. Long-term customers may recognise some of these wines and as far as we are concerned, they are some of the best modern day Cape wines to make it over. The Bare Bones cinsault is a zippy red full of energy while the Winery of Good Hope pinotage is a juicy and fun take on this classic red variety,

And what would a selection of wine from South Africa be without a chenin blanc. The Secateurs is clean and crunchy with a plush fruit profile that is cleaned up by chenin's zippy acidity.
All in al a pretty awesome and exciting collection of stellar wines from the great south!

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!

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!

Lastly, the 2018 Côte Rôtie Château D'Ampuis is going to flirt with perfection and is about as classic Côte Rôtie as they come. Lots of cassis, graphite, spring flowers, vanilla, and game notes all give way to a full-bodied Côte Rôtie that's flawlessly balanced, has silky tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. This will be another stunning vintage for this wine that readers can find for a fraction of the cost of the top La Las. It's worth the money. (100) JEB DUNNUCK

Dark purple core and hue. Generous nose offering some new oak, smoked meat, fresh blackberry, raspberry, sage and mint. Medium towards full palate, a slightly cooler and restrained style but well balanced with digest dark fruit, a garrigue-like spiciness, rounded extract and digest young fruit flavours leading to a long and fresh finish…ANDREAS LARSSON, Best Sommelier of the World 2007

Smoked meats, violets and vanilla spice on the nose. The framework of tannins envelopes the medium bodied fruit, there’s lovely definition and great clarity to the fruit this vintage - vines of nearly 50 years of age grown organically from the lieux-dits Beaumes and Peleat. It’s a finer styling, heady on spices and freshness, gliding tannins round out the wine. GABRIELLE POY

A chiseled, textured, ample and very precise Cornas red. The nose reveals notes of dark cherries, plums, currants, wild herbs, crushed stones, undergrowth and baking spices. Medium-bodied with finely grained tannins. There is such impressive concentration and intensity. Bright and succulent at the core, with purple fruit, white pepper and even violets. It has drive and verve, with bright acidity cutting through the solid and harmonious frame of tannins. Layered and succulent, with a long, peppery finish and hints of violets. (98) JAMES SUCKLING

Inky violet. Intense aromas of cherry, blackberry, olive, exotic spices and pipe tobacco are complemented by a smoky mineral nuance and a hint of bacon fat. Chewy and subtly sweet, offering concentrated, smoke-laced kirsch, dark berry preserve, espresso and licorice flavors and a spicy jolt of black pepper. Finishes impressively long and spicy, with chewy tannins and a building floral note. (97) JOSH RAYNOLDS

The 2022 Gigondas Le Regard Loin is a stunner. Rich and explosive, the 2022 showcases intense rose petal, orange rind, crushed violet, raspberry, strawberry and cranberry. Minty elements and spice box nuances usher in. On the palate, this 2022 strikes the perfect balance between uplifting acidity, concentrated fruit flavors and a polished web of structure-lending tannins. A cuvée first made in the 2019 vintage, the Le Regard Loin has already secured its place amongst the leaders of the appellation. 94-96, NICOLAS GREINACHER, vinous

Shows a stream of blue and black fruit, layered with floral notes and a subtle kiss of vanilla. Fresh, with a frame of iron giving shape to the creamy palate, which reveals wafts of mesquite smoke and cool minerality. Medium-weight and long, this is well-meshed through the finish, with refined yet persistent tannins that have a firm hold. KRISTEN BIELER, Wine Spectator 

An impressive wine, broad, textural and layered, with such brightness at the center. Dark cherries, blueberries, violets, grilled meat, dried herbs, ashes and warm spices on the nose. It's full-bodied with finely grained tannins. There is a brightness at the center, with crunchy blue fruit and violets mingling with the spices under the watch of a solid frame of finely grained tannins. Structured and harmonious on the broad, dense, textural and focused palate. Such intensity and drive, always in control and with a very refined texture. So much depth and layers funneling trough a vibrant, spicy, flavorful and very long finish. (98) STUART PIGGOT, jamessuckling.com

The 2022 Hermitage will be terrific, if not up with the finest from this estate. Darker currants, roasted meats, leather, and peppery spice notes all define the aromatics, and it's a big, broad-shouldered Hermitage with terrific mid-palate density, ripe tannins, and outstanding length. JEB DUNNUCK, jebdunnuck.com

Wild strawberry and thyme notes make for a fairly light, perfumed style. Has some concentration of fruit, with more blackberry on the palate and cassis. Smooth tannins, well-balanced acidity and low alcohol, this is a charming and approachable style of Hermitage that can be enjoyed in its youth. MATT WALLS, decanter.com

The 2022 Hermitage bursts with prominent orange blossom, crushed violets, wood spice, blackcurrant and splashes of espresso. Majestic and bold, it hits the palate with elevated flavor concentration and remarkable intensity. If all comes together as it should, the 2022 will turn into a Hermitage of real substance and class. NICHOLAS GREINACHER, Vinous

 

The 2020 Côte-Rôtie Château d'Ampuis wafts from the glass with loads of graphite, violet, cured meat, wood smoke, menthol and predominantly black fruits. The massive tannic structure indicates that the 2020 will be a long-distance runner and shouldn’t be touched until 2030. It closes with excellent grip on the complex finish. Still, I have a slight preference for the bolder 2019 rendition. (94) NICHOLAS GREINACHER, Vinous

A beautifully crafted Cote-Rotie for this ripe vintage that is already a delight to drink. Excellent balance of smokiness, meaty character and fine tannins, the generous oak already very well integrated. Very long finish with plenty of drive and smoky character. Drink or hold. (95) STUART PIGOTT, JamesSuckling.com

Bold and persistent, the 2022 Cornas Pur Noir dazzles right from the start. Ripe red and black fruits, cedar, crushed violets and licorice are front and center. Showcasing a juicy core of succulent fruits within an intricate web of polished tannins, this is shaping up to be a terrific Cornas. A complex finish rounds it all up. (92 - 95) NICOLAS GREINACHER, Vinous

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!

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 same can be said for the 2013 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin, as this insanely impressive barrel sample transcends the vintage. Full-bodied, decadent and layered, with massive concentration and purity, it’s loaded with black and blue fruits, violets, truffle, licorice and assorted floral notes. This cuvee always shows fabulous fruit in its youth, and it doesn’t start to gain its hallmark gaminess until after a few years in bottle. In addition, this cooler vintage, with its ample moisture and autumn summer, produced Mourvedre with off-the-charts aromatic purity and perfect ripeness. It will clearly be in the top 1-2 wines and will have 3-4 decades of longevity (100) JEB DUNNUCK, Wine Advocate

Extremely aromatic with blueberries, blackberries, and flowers. Full- bodied, dense, and rich yet agile and exciting. The tannins are seamless and beautiful. The finish shows stones and spices. The ancient mourvedre in the blend gives this wine elegance. Incredible depth. So drinkable now but goes on for minutes. Fantastic Hommage... (98) JAMES SUCKLING

The wine of the vintage is the Perrins' 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin, which has a classic, sexy, accessible style yet is also going to age beautifully. Massive amounts of smoked black fruits, ground pepper, iodine, truffle, and bloody meat all emerge from this inky colored behemoth. With full body, building tannins, no hard edges, and a rock star of a finish, it’s primary and youthful, but incredible. Ideally, it would be given another 4-5 years of bottle age and will keep for another 3 decades or more. It’s an awesome wine! (99) JEB DUNNUCK

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Dense red-purple; the typically rich and powerful bouquet has layers of dark berry fruit and integrated and balanced oak. What makes it unusual is the distinct hint of chocolate, which appears again on the silkily powerful palate. Here there is an array of all of the fruit flavours one could possibly expect, but once again that touch of dark Swiss chocolate adding an intriguing note. The oak balance and integration is better than any five-year-old Grange I can remember, the tannins perfectly balanced into the bargain. (97) BURGHOUND

The potentially perfect 2020 Côte-Rôtie La Landonne is riveting. Bringing together all the finest elements of the Guigal house style, it explodes from the glass with smoky blackberry jam, menthol, crushed rocks, cured meat, iodine, licorice, cloves and black olive tapenade. Charged with a massive tannic core, this concentrated powerhouse dazzles with off-the-charts intensity yet total clarity and focus. Built like a skyscraper, the 2020 will surely be a long-distance runner. (100) NICHOLAS GREINACHER, Vinous

This is ample, stunning and concentrated, with impressive energy. Dark berries, grilled herbs, stones, leather, undergrowth and loads of baking spices. Full-bodied with fine, sinewy tannins. There is a solid frame of tannins bringing a serious character on the palate. Dense, dark core of blackberries and spices funneling through the palate. Highly textured with incredible drive. Focused and shaped for aging. (99) JAMES SUCKLING

I think the star of the show in 2020 will be the 2020 Côte Rôtie La Landonne, and this is one I can't wait to taste from bottle. It's slightly more elegant and supple compared to the massive 2019, yet it has a similar style in its extravagant dark fruits, truffle, game, iron, and smoked meat-like aromas and flavors. It's a powerful, full-bodied, concentrated Côte Rôtie that's going to need to be forgotten for 8-10 years, although if you ever wanted to try a truly great young La Landonne, this might be the one given its incredible fruit and texture. (100) JEB DUNNUCK

The 2020 Côte-Rôtie La Turque is shaping up to be terrific. Bold and supremely complex, it unwinds with expressive mocha, ripe black fruits, cured meat, pencil shavings and cedarwood nuances. Refreshing acidity neatly balances the elevated flavor concentration, all framed by a firm yet polished tannic corset. Simply put, the 2020 La Turque is a wine of class and precision, with notable inner energy and verticality. (99) NICHOLAS GREINACHER, Vinous

The nose is like what you smell when you enter a spice market in the Far East. Great concentration and underplayed power on the full-bodied palate, but also graceful, the generous dose of toasty oak almost perfectly integrated. Extremely long finish that keeps on pumping out the berry fruit, butter, orange and stone character. (98) JAMES SUCKLING

The 2020 Côte Rôtie La Turque brings a touch more mid-palate density and offers a straighter, more inward bouquet of cassis, graphite, smoked meats, and iron, with subtle gamey, bloody background nuances. It too is full-bodied and has a concentrated, structured mouthfeel, remarkable purity, and a killer finish. (99) JEB DUNNUCK

The 2020 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline is spectacular, mingling orange rind, cured meat, crushed rocks, violets, raspberry and cedar with a splash of espresso. Minty gradations complement the enticing aromatic profile. Tightly knit and sweet-tasting tannins neatly frame this outstanding La Mouline, managing to combine elegance with power remarkably well. I can't wait to taste it once bottled. (98) NICHOLAS GREINACHER, Vinous

Such a concentrated, focused yet bright La Mouline for the vintage. The nose reveals aromas of blackberries, dark plums, violets, undergrowth and black pepper. It's full-bodied with very fine tannins. It's ample, dense and yet so refined. The power is all under control, with the velvety, voluptuous core of dark cherries and berries mingling through the spices in harmony. The refined tannins guide the mid-palate onto a textural, long finish. (98) JAMES SUCKLING

Leading off the single vineyards from barrel, the 2020 Côte Rôtie La Mouline, which includes a solid dose of Viognier, comes from a steep, terraced parcel in the Côte Blonde lieu-dit and will spend four years in new French oak. I don't think it has the sheer density of the 2015 or 2019, but what it does have is an incredibly classic La Mouline profile of floral, perfumed red and black fruits, spicy oak, roasted meats, and exotic spice that's to die for. With full-bodied richness, a plush, layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and seamless, integrated tannins, it's going to shine with just a few years of bottle age yet evolve for 15-30 years in cold cellars. (98) JEB DUNNUCK

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!

Pack contains one bottle each of 2018 - Cotie Rotie from:
Fongeant
Montmain
Leyat
La Vialliere
Bertholon
LA Champon
Cognet
Cote Bodin
But de Mont