Calvados, sangiovese, cider

Wonderful aromas of sour cherries and orange peel follow through to a full body with layered tannins that are creamy and juicy. Intense finish with excellent structure. Give this time to soften and come more together. JAMES SUCKLING.

Intense, yet supple and fluid, this red is signaled by a smoky aroma, with blackberry, plum, earth and charred wood balanced by lively acidity and firm tannins. Very fine length. BRUCE SANDERSON, winespectator.com

The 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva Le Baròncole is a real head-turner, one of the best versions I have ever tasted. Large-scaled, ample and wonderfully complex, the 2021 has it all. Black fruit, gravel, spice, licorice and incense saturate the palate. There's a kiss of French oak, but it’s better integrated than in most years. Readers should expect an especially broad, full-bodied Baròncole. I loved this from barrel, and I love it today. Fabulous. (95) ANTONIO GALLONI, vinous

Extremely floral, with cut violets, black cherries and blueberries, following through to a medium to full body with firm tannins and tangy acidity, Merlot and cabernet sauvignon. From organically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but better in a couple of years. JAMES SUCKLING

Packed with vivid black cherry, black currant and plum fruit, as well as iron, sanguine and tobacco accents, this red shows some power and tension, but also grace and balance. The lingering aftertaste features bright, ripe fruit and wild herbs. (97) WINE SPECTATOR

2 BOTTLES AVAILABLE

The Isole e Olena 2021 Chianti Classico is a softly textured and charming wine that is impeccably buttoned up and balanced. It offers terrific value at this price point. This wine is packed with bright fruit, wild cherry and blue flower. It ends with a blast of refreshing acidity that is consistent with Sangiovese. MONICA LARNER, Wine Advocate

Bit by bit, it reveals characteristic nuances of brushwood, currants, rosehip, strawberry and pepper. Succulent and light on feet, the palate is judiciously concentrated with pure and persistent red berries. Taut, integrated tannins provide definition, and it trails off with garden-fresh herbs. This should give plenty of pleasure over the next eight to 10 years. DECANTER

Super-spicy Chianti fully focused on licorice root, restrained black cherries, fresh violets and meaty notes. It seems to be a serious effort, with graphite flavors allied to firm, chalky and chewy tannins, crisp acidity and a super-polished finish. JAMES SUCKLING

The 2021 Chianti Classico is deceptive in its light color and medium-bodied structure. It possesses notable textural depth and supporting structure. This is such a pretty and expressive wine. Dried herbs, mint, spice and crushed red berry fruit are nicely drawn. Bright acids and floral overtones pull it all together. ANTONIO GALLONI

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 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto San Marcellino is a dense, packed wine. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2016 is an infant. Super-ripe blue/purplish fruit, spice, leather, tobacco and menthol build in the glass. The 2016 is dense and opulent, and yet the acids pulse with energy, lending a feeling of translucence that becomes especially apparent on the finish. That combination makes for a compelling Gran Selezione that should age well for 15-20 years or more. ANTONIO GALLONI

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The 2019 Petresco picks up where the 2018 left off, although it is perhaps a bit more reserved at this stage than its older sibling was. Deceptive in its mid-weight structure, the 2019 possesses notable depth and intensity. Time in the glass brings out shades of red/purplish Sangiovese fruit mixed with suggestions of new leather, spice and menthol. The 2019 spent two years in wood (equal parts cask and barrique) followed by a year in cement. (97) ANTONIO GALLONI

Generosity of fruit with a slick and well-manicured bed of dark, soft berry fruit is overlain with some really snazzy wood influence. It plumps out to fill the mid palate before tightening up on the energetic and gravel laden finish. You think soft because of the luxuriating profile but the wine itself says "no, I'm here for the long haul" with an inner tension and rocky mineral drive. It's a serious wine, no doubt, but I drank it after being opened all day and it's more sultry, suave characters pulled ahead. Lovely. This is genuinely fantastic. ROSCOE

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The 2021 Chianti Classico is fabulous. Bright and punchy, with terrific resonance, this wine shows just how compelling the vintage is. Readers will find a Chianti Classico of dynamic energy and volume. Dark red cherry, purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal, spice and a gentle kiss of French oak build into the sumptuous, vibrant finish. Superb. The 2021 was aged in 500-liter barrels (5-6% new) for 14 months and is a blend of fruit from Greve, Gaiole and Radda. ANTONIO  GALLONI, Vinous

This has a fresh character with ripe cherries and raspberries as well as dried flowers, bark and stones. Polished and textural with a medium body and vivid acidity. Focused and fresh with chalky tannin structure and a linear finish with notes of citrus and minerals. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. JAMES SUCKLING

A saturated purple/magenta hue, the 2021 Chianti Classico is lush and fresh with aromas of black raspberry, black cherry, violet, and fresh leather. Plush and inviting, with bright acidity along the sides of the palate shining through, it offers a velvety texture with a long finish. It’s polished but not oaky and has a very refined feel, with medium to full body and a long and balanced finish. Drink 2026-2040. JEB DUNNUCK

This red is precise, offering cherry, raspberry, rose, iron and tobacco flavors fused to a steely, dense and vibrant structure. Balanced and intense, building to a long aftertaste infused with fruit and mineral notes. Best from 2026 through 2045. BRUCE SANDERSON, Wine Spectator

Really pretty fruit with pure berries and cherries with flowers. It’s medium-bodied with medium round tannins and a juicy finish. Shows a citrusy undertone to the whole thing with fresh acidity that runs long. Give it two or three years to come together. Better after 2025. JAMES SUCKLING

The 2020 Petresco is 100% Sangiovese from the estate's highest-elevation blocks facing Lamole, where soils are especially rocky and the vines are older. Wildflowers, herbs, rocks, menthol and licorice soar out of the glass. This is an especially savory, expressive Sangiovese that emphasizes mineral and floral notes more than primary fruit. Petresco spent two years in 60-70% cask and the rest in barrique, followed by a year in cement. It remains one of the most distinctive wines in all of Italy. Magnificent. (97) ANTONIO GALLONI

The 2022 Rosso di Montalcino is exotic. The bouquet leaps from the glass, mixing medicinal cherries, mint, pine and blood orange. Seamless and silky, this soothes the senses with its soft textures of opulent ripe fruits, all balanced by tactile minerality. Residual acidity adds amazing, juicy freshness through the finish as the 2022 tapers off gently tannic, potent and long. This is quite unique from a typical Le Potazzine, ripe and intense, yet I'm loving it all the same. ERIC GUIDO, Vinous

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino opens slowly with a blend of savory herbs, worn leather, dried roses and cinnamon-dusted currants. This flows across the palate with textures of pure silk, racy yet refined, with a seamless wave of ripe red fruits that slowly saturate toward the close. It finishes long and staining yet harmonious. Crunchy tannins frame the experience without slowing its momentum as licorice and orange notes gradually fade. This fantastic, high-energy rendition of Talenti’s Brunello will thrive over ten to fifteen years of cellaring. ERIC GUIDO

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino bursts from the glass with an intense array of black raspberries, lavender, sage, wet stone and crushed rocks. This is elegant and velvety on the palate. A rich wave of ripe red and black fruits soothe, lifted by vibrant acidity and hints of mint. The 2019 finishes with a mentholated freshness, leaving a tarry concentration and a coating of fine-grained tannins that saturate. This is a dark and radiant beauty that will require extended cellaring. ERIC GUIDO, Vinous.com

The Argiano 2019 Brunello di Montalcino comes out stronger than the previous 2018 and 2017 vintages, thanks to the precision and focus of its fruit flavors in this balanced vintage. It shows ample depth and volume, with sweet cherry and blackberry that fold into softly toasted spice and earth. Floral hints of lilac and iris make brief but poignant appearances. Velvety tannins and a nicely concentrated mid-weight palate give good staying power. MONICA LARNER, Wine Advocate

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Made from a blend of Sciaccarellu, Niellucciu, Carcajolu-Neru, Montanaccia, Morescono, Morescola and Aleatico which were all planted in the early 1960’s in granite soil. The grapes are crushed by foot and macerated for 15 days with very gentle extraction before ageing in older 600 litre demi-muid barrels. VINTAGE AND VINE

Smoky, spice and aromatic with dried berries and cherries. Cloves, too. Medium-to full-bodied with round, juicy tannins. Tight and firm at the end. Hints of cloves on the finish with some slate and iron. Flavorful finish. Drink or hold. 93 JAMES SUCKLING

70%Cab. Sav. 30% Sangiovese.The 2017 Camartina is going to need a few years to open. That will be helpful as the wine ages, but it also means the Camartina does not have the opulence readers are likely to expect in this warm, dry year. Time in the glass brings out brighter tonalities of fruit and floral overtones that give a good idea to where the 2017 is heading. Readers should be in no rush here. ANTONIO GALLONI, vinous.com

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With the first tilt of the glass, you know that this is not your average 2017 Brunello di Montalcino. An enthralling bouquet of spiced citrus peels, roses, sour cherries, crushed rocks and animal musk keeps you at the edge of your seat. This is remarkably pure and delicate, seeming to hover across the palate, yet delivering a vivid mix of ripe wild berries, salty minerals and purple-tinged florals. Beneath, saturated tannins build, yet the expression remains fresh - almost mouthwatering, in fact - as sweet hints of plum and tobacco slowly fade. While the Baricci family doesn't market their wine as a cru, this is indeed 100% Montosoli fruit from one of the region's top winemaking families. Bravo. ERIC GUIDO, vinous.com

Spicy aromas reveal pipe tobacco, underbrush, new leather and ripe berry alongside whiffs of fragrant purple flower. Linear and full-bodied, the elegantly structured palate has youthful tension, offering succulent Morello cherry, star anise and ground clove before a saline mineral finish. Taut, well-integrated tannins provide the framework while bright acidity lend youthful tension and balance. It's loaded with depth complexity. Drink 2026-2043.(97) KERIN O'KEEFE

While Pietroso’s home base is just west of the town of Montalcino, the Pignattai family also owns parcels in the east and south, as well as 1.3 hectares on the hill of Montosoli. Acquired in 2010, the latter was pulled up in 2015 and replanted in 2017, making 2019 the first vintage with the estate's Montosoli vineyard back in production. A blend of all four sites, this Brunello sports balsamic rosemary and cedar with coffee and vanilla flirting in the background. More than midweight but not heavy or full, it boasts a lively bounce on the palate. Cranberry fruited, citrussy in acidity and stony in accents, with layers of powdery, textured tannins holding everything together. MICHAELA MORRIS, Decanter

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The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne presents an intense bouquet of crushed raspberries and cloves giving way to dusty florals and hints of incense. The textures are wonderfully silky and refined, ushering in a rush of mineral-tinged primary fruits that are brighter and more red-toned in this vintage than usual, as well as incredibly concentrated. The tannins come forward through the close, grippy and youthfully dry, along with a salty flourish, while leaving hints of licorice to slowly taper off. Siro Pacenti cut their production down by 50% to create this successful expression of the 2017 vintage. ANTONIO GALLONI

The 2018 Cepparello is a brilliant, tightly wound wine that is going to need a number of years to unwind. Today I very much like its energy and vibrancy. Readers will find a Cepparello that is more about persistence than volume. Dark red/purplish berry fruit, spice, lavender and menthol are laced into the silky finish. ANTONIO GALLONI

A pure expression of Sangiovese, the 2018 Cepparello is a beautiful expression that speaks to the classic and most exemplary side of this versatile and deeply expressive grape. This vintage is especially bright and ethereal with a true sense of luminosity and clarity that radiates from both the wine's appearance and its fragrant bouquet. Tart cherry and cassis segue to balsam herb and wild violets. To the palate, the wine shows muscle and determination with sweet tannins and impressive depth of favor. Cepparello remains true to its unique identity in this vintage. MONICA LARNER, Wine Advocate

Black cherry and berry aromas with some flowers, such as lavender, follow through to a full body with firm, racy tannins and a long, flavorful finish. The quality of the tannins is fantastic in this 2017. Drink after 2023. (96) JAMES SUCKLING

The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne opens with hauntingly dark florals and balsamic tones, as swirling brings about hints of black currant and crushed stone. This is supremely soft-textured, yet lifted by cooling minerality and bright acidity that guides its crunchy wild berry fruits across the palate. It tapers off with amazing length and potency, drenching the senses with primary concentration, as a framework of fine tannins gently tug at the cheeks. The 2018 Vecchie Vigne is a radiant Brunello in need of cellaring to fully blossom. That said, I don’t remember ever tasting a VV from Siro Pacenti with this much energy. I’m very eager to taste this again with some bottle age. ERIC GUIDO

Complex and open already, with aromas of slate, dried rosemary, grilled sage, lemon peel, sour cherries and cardamom. Supple and full-bodied with sleek and fine tannins. I like the olive-stone and herbal undertones. Firmer, mineral finish. Try after 2025. JAMES SUCKLING

Rose petals and dried cherries give way to flowery underbrush and savory spice as the 2022 Rosso di Montalcino slowly unwinds in the glass. Pure and lifted in style, this boasts a core of vividly ripe red berry fruits that swirl beneath an air of violet inner florals. Saline mineral tones mount through the close. Blood orange and spice hints linger as the 2022 tapers off long and gently tannic. This leaves the mouth salivating. Frankly, it's hard to just taste and not drink the 2022 Rosso from Salvioni. ERIC GUIDO, 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!

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

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino le Lucére is a darkly concentrated wine with black fruit and a very creamy side. There are aromas of coconut butter and vanilla that meet bakery aromas of croissant or pie crust. The oak renderings are significant, but I give it good cellar potential, as it fleshes out, especially because there is plenty of dark primary fruit to give it aging momentum. MONICA LARNER

Black cherry, cedar and dried flowers on the nose follow through to a medium to full body with chewy tannins and a savory finish. Lots of structure. Muscular and wholesome yet there’s a softness and beauty. Better after 2027. JAMES SUCKLING

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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!

This is one of my all-time favorite Brunellos, and although personal tastes are fluid and may change from time to time, there is something timeless and solid about this wine. It's like a touchstone. The Casanova di Neri 2017 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova is graced with a similar interlude of elegant rose or crushed flower that we saw in the annata wine. It appears more prominently here, and with more shape and focused intensity. Make no mistake, Giacomo Neri builds wines for pleasure and sensual impact, and this wine ticks all those boxes. But it also shows floral elegance and sour cherry freshness that defies our expectations of the vintage. (96) MONICA LARNER, www.robertparker.com

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Showing the intensity and concentration of the vintage but also the finesse that’s the hallmark of this storied estate, the 2019 Fuligni is a stunner. It opens with aromas of camphor, violet, dog rose and spice while the full-bodied, enveloping palate delivers succulent black cherry, crushed raspberry, dried mint and licorice alongside velvety tannins. Boasting a weightless elegance, it closes on a note of almond liqueur. Drink 2029–2039. (97) KERIN O'KEEFE

With dark fruit balanced out by savory notes of tobacco leaf or cigar ash, the Fuligni 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is rich and beautifully concentrated. In little time, the bouquet reveals a floral interlude with dried rose petal and a tropical note of hibiscus. This wine shows a lot of angles, all very pleasant, that work together. The tannins are dusty and finely textured with a hint of powdery cocoa to close. (96) MONICA LARNER

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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!

Made with fruit from the estate's oldest vines and aged in French barrique, the Siro Pacenti 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne has a spicy note with cardamom or cinnamon over a bold bouquet that is darkly enriched with all kinds of black and purple fruits. You get a hint of eucalyptus or rosemary that underlines a medicinal side to this wine. To the palate, this vintage is slightly more accessible for sure, but the house style prizes concentration and bold tannic structure that will give you runway for aging. There is a hint of dustiness or chalkiness on the tannins. (95) ERIC GUIDO

Black cherries, lavender, black mushrooms, lead pencil and violets on the nose. Full-bodied with a powerful and polished tannin structure that follows through to the very end. Pure, silky texture. Fascinating aftertaste of ripe fruit, yet it’s fresh and tense. Some orange peel, too. Glorious at the end. So well crafted and pointed. This needs another three to five years to integrate but already extremely impressive. (99) JAMES SUCKLING

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The 2020 Cepparello is dense, powerful and soaring in intensity. A dark, almost somber Cepparello, the 2020 possesses remarkable depth from start to finish. Black cherry, plum, gravel, dried herbs and lavender build in a vivid, stunningly beautiful Cepparello that hits all the right notes. (97+) ANTONIO GALLONI