Champagne, Calvados, Grenache,...

The 2018 Prieuré-Lichine is gorgeous. Bright and racy in the glass, the 2018 impresses with its magnificent purity of fruit. In 2018, Prieuré-Lichine has terrific energy and cut. It is perhaps a bit less creamy than the 2016, but also impeccable in its balance. Part of that is driven by the higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend in 2018. Rose petal, lavender, mint and spice add nuance to a core of red/purplish fruit. Tasted two times. (95) ANTONIO GALLONI

The 2018 Château Prieuré-Lichine is an attractive, elegant Margaux offering classic, pretty red and black fruits, cedary spice, and dried flowers aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied, elegant, and again, with an incredible floral character, it has a supple, rounded texture that's going to allow it to drink nicely in its youth, yet it should also evolve for 15+ years or more. I suspect this will surpass the '14, '15, and '16. JEB DUNNUCK

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ANDRE CLOUET (9/10) 

Bouzy and Ambonnay are the epicentre of pinot noir in Champagne, and the Clouet family is the priviledged custodian of eight hectares of estate vines in the best middle slopes of both villages.  These are rich and concentrated expressions of pinot noir, wines of deep complexity, multi faceted interest and engaging character, yet with remarkable restraint and sense of control.  Recent tastings confirm my impression that this small and relatively unknown grower ranks high among Champagne's finest practitioners of pinot noir - and expresses one of the best value of all.

100% Bouzy and Ambonnay pinot noir.  6g/L dosage
Release after release, year after year, I have always marvelled at the lemon blossom freshness that Clouet manages to capture in pinot noir from two of Champagne's most powerful terroirs.  Here it is again, in a captivating interplay of fleshy mirabelle plums, white peaches, crunchy golden delicious apples, and even a hint of pepper.  Wild honey and mixed spice join the maelstrom along the way, gliding obediently into a well defined finish of soft minerality and integrated dosage.  TYSON STELZER, The Champagne Guide 2014-2015

(100% Pinot Noir)The NV Brut Grande Reserve offers up layers of mineral-infused red fruits on a silky, mid-weight frame, with gorgeous length and a refined, subtle mousse. This impeccable, elegant wine shows terrific overall balance as well as complexity. I loved it. Andre Clouet is based in Bouzy, a village where Pinot Noir speaks with great eloquence, as is evident in these superb, pedigreed Champagnes. ANTONIO GALLONI, Robert Parker

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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!

It feels like this pocket of Mount Barker does well with this variety. Very well. Bold scents of cassis, lavender, bay leaf and sea spray with well-judged clove and cinnamon spice. Refreshing and succulent to taste, spot-on medium weight, though the levity and vitality make it feel prettier than that. Dark fruit flavours but lots of herb and spice too, tannins in tow are ultrafine and, again, mineral-charged, all pulverised stone and talc. This has great mojo and feels as fancy as it is highly drinkable. What excitement! 95 MIKE BENNIE, wine companion

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The 2018 Lilian Ladouys is such a gorgeous wine. Black cherry, gravel, scorched earth, leather and dark spice give the 2018 a brooding aromatic profile that suggests a potent wine. On the palate, though, the Lilian Ladouys is quite a bit more restrained than the bouquet indicates, in a good way. The 2018 is wonderfully deep and fleshy, but not at all heavy, with a natural sense of radiance that complements the more rustic leanings of Saint-Estèphe. There is plenty of pleasure to be found here. In a word: terrific. ANTONIO GALLONI, vinous.com

…From the lieu-dit Blanquet and with a deep purple-black color, the 2018 Lilian Ladouys gives up wonderfully spicy black fruit preserves notions: plum preserves, crème de cassis and blueberry with hints of exotic spices, menthol and violets. Medium to full-bodied, firm and fine-grained in the mouth, it has layer upon layer of rich, spicy black fruits with a lift to the finish. LISA PEROTTI BROWN, wineadvocate.com

Definitely the best vintage of Lilian Ladouys to date. The wine is loaded with licorice, black fruits, smoke and wet earth. Medium/full-bodied with a round, juicy, lush-mouth feel, there is a nice spicy character in the finish due to the increase of Cabernet Sauvignon in the vineyard and the blend…JEFF LEVE, winecellarinsider

A year-in, year-out value, the 2018 Château Lilian Ladouys checks in as 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that was brought up in 35% new oak. Jammy blueberries, ripe cherries, damp earth, tobacco, and spicy wood notes define the bouquet, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a plump, rounded texture, opulent aromas and flavors, and a great finish. JEB DUNNUCK

Looking at the 2021s from barrel, the 2021 Lirac Antares shows the fresher style of the vintage yet still brings solid fruit and texture. Spice, violets, flowers, and lavender as well as both red and black fruits define the nose, and it's balanced, has fine tannins, and lots to like. JEB DUNNUCK

Antarès is the main star of the constellation of Scorpio. One of the basic principles of biodynamics is to work in harmony with cosmic rhythms. Antarès is a selection of vines located on hillsides facing North, at the Western end of the Lirac appellation, at an altitude of 160m. The vines are 50 years old. The harvest is fully de-stemmed. Each variety is vinified separately using  natural yeasts. The Grenache is aged in cement vats, the Mourvèdre in old French oak demi-muids  for 12 months.

60% Grenache, 40% Mouvèdre farmed organically (Certified).Notes of strawberry, black raspberries, pine, sandalwood and a hint of ground black pepper in this ripe but restrained blend. A full-bodied and concentrated wine that maintains remarkable vibrance and acidity throughout. Fine-grained tannins accentuate its youthful appeal. Supple mouthfeel, we love the generosity of mid palate filled with ripe black berries and blue fruits and spices. Beautiful Lirac for all lovers of great Southern Rhone reds.

The 2019 Prieuré-Lichine is impeccable. Creamy, layered and resonant in the glass, the 2019 hits all the right notes. Sweet red cherry/plum, lavender, rose petal, spice, mint and blood orange all build effortlessly. Over the last handful of years Prieuré-Lichine has been the single most under the radar wine in Margaux. The 2019 is another fine edition. Class, polish and sensuality make Prieuré-Lichine absolutely irresistible. (95) ANTONIO GALLONI

Wonderful aromas of dried orange, blackcurrant and crushed stone follow through to a full body with beautifully polished tannins that are composed and fine. Lots of subtle and complex character on the finish. Extremely well done here. (95) JAMES SUCKLING

This Margaux estate fashions a classic, dependable red, and I think the 2018 and 2019 are the finest vintages I've tasted from this address. The 2019 Château Prieure-Lichine is impressive, showing lots of spiced red and black fruits, sandalwood, and dried flower notes as well as medium to full-bodied richness on the palate. As with the 2018, it has a terrific floral and spicy character, ripe tannins, and beautiful balance. JEB DUNNUCK

The deep nose of elderberries, wet earth and licorice pulls you into this full-bodied, concentrated but very elegant Chateauneuf. Very fine, focused tannins that counterpoint the juiciness on the mid-palate and drive the very long, bright and minerally finish. A grenache-based cuvee that is 60% from vineyards with galet cobblestones, 10% on sandy soils and the rest from limestone soil. Drink or hold. JAMES SUCKLING

Ripe black fruits, licorice, cloves and wood smoke present the 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Medium to full in body, the 2021 offers good concentration and freshness yet demands at least three more years in bottle to further integrate the grippy tannins. That said, there’s enough substance to ensure positive development with extended bottle-aging. NICOLAS GREINACHER, Vinous

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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!

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 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

This is ballistically good. I doubt that I’ll taste anything much better from these shores over the next 12 months. The first thing you notice is the plushness, which is always welcome, but it’s the finish that takes things to eleven. Wow, really, this wine has a show-stopping finish on it. It’s blessed with red and blue berry flavours, cedarwood, roasted spice and earth, but itemising the flavours of this wine kind of misses the point. It’s like focussing on the colour of a tidal wave. The complete and utter command of the final flourish of flavour and tannin here feels, as you swallow, like a high water mark. I’m sold, totally sold, on this wine. (97) CAMPBELL MATTINSON, The Wine Front

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

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!

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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This is an impactful grenache made by somebody who prizes Italian wines. The tannins are an immense force field, with kirsch, strawberries and dried Mediterranean herbs, and a note of almond husk that gives noble bitterness. The density, poise and grace are thoroughly impressive. This is a structured grenache built for the cellar. Drinkable now, but best from 2027. (97) NED GOODWIN MW

From the new estate vineyard for Pannell, an old but recently viticulturally retooled site in Blewitt Springs. It will be fascinating to watch this bottling over the subsequent years as Stephen and co get the full benefit of enhanced farming reflected in bottle, but this is a very bright start. There's presently a touch more flex and breadth than the other single site grenache bottlings, but still with the tenson of the year. Wild raspberry, redcurrant jelly, bitter red aperitivo, tamarind and sour cherry. Tannins are fine, insistent and sandy, acidity a driving force. This is a stellar debut. (96) MARCUS ELLIS

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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!

Sara’s tribute to “youth, tenacity, love and Grenache”. Who can argue …?
Organically grown on a 10 hectare plot of degraded granite (Montsant’s only gravel patch), Dido has been in production since 2005. The blend is 86% co-fermented Garnatxa-Syrah (1/5 is Syrah, which helps the local Garnatxa ferment better), with 7% each Cabernet and Merlot. It’s picked early, and needs to be largely de-stemmed, so the fermentation takes place in two parts. A 15% portion is used as a starter – whole bunches take wild yeast and are covered with sulphur for 8 days. This is then released into the balance of the fruit, de-stemmed and un-sulphured, and away we go. After fermentation in old hogsheads, the wines are long-aged, more than 18 months – a first year in large raw concrete and then a further 6 months or so in large Foudre of 5000 litres.

Bright and fresh red cherry fruit marked by mint and other local herbs, the wine shows the clear crunch of granite soil. Juicy and direct with macerated herbs, licorice and briar in lovely pastille fruit. Good concentration, rich-but-not-sweet country wine, it's all briar-herb-cane-brambly, with a nice little nudge of spice, allspice husk and leather in the soft savoury juice and a touch of chocolate in the soft leathery tannin. Clear and direct, with absolutely no wine-making clutter, it is delicately structured and savoury. A smasher!

Plenty of blackberry, currant and floral aromas. Some mint as well, following through to a full-bodied palate with layers of ultra-fine tannins and wonderful length. This is sophisticated and beautifully crafted with style and personality, displaying its terroir. Extremely well done. Drink after 2025. (96) JAMES SUCKLING

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Langoa Barton is a very pleasant surprise, singing of Black Forest cake, raspberry preserves and warm blackcurrants notions with suggestions of chocolate mint, forest floor and pencil shavings plus a hint of cinnamon toast. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has jaw-dropping tension and intensity, featuring ripe, grainy tannins and bags of evocative red and black fruits, finishing with a lively lift. The style of this 2019 is worlds away from the also very impressive 2018, showcasing an even brighter, immediately impactful and downright flamboyant side to the estate. Color me impressed! (95) WINE ADVOCATE

Checking in as 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Château Langoa Barton offers up a dense purple color as well as notes of blackberries, smoked earth, chocolate, and leafy herbs. This rich, medium to full-bodied effort has an expansive, mouthfilling texture, beautiful mid-palate density, and outstanding length. It's going to have some upfront appeal, but my money is on it benefiting from a solid 5-7 years of bottle age. (95) JEB DUNNUCK

The 2019 Langoa Barton has a very typical Langoa nose, which is a good thing, sporting vivacious black cherries, blackberry, crushed iris, cedar and light blood orange scents lurking offstage. Lovely oak integration here. The palate is beautifully defined on the entry, a structured almost big-boned Langoa with enormous grip on the spicy finish. I love the generosity of this Saint-Julien, one that I suspect will be seductive on release but don't be deceived - it deserves cellaring lest you get a smacked wrist for being impatient. (95) NEAL MARTIN

Aged in small apple brandy casks for over 12 months, this rich and generous liqueur is a result of blending pressed French and British heirloom apple varieties with our apple spirit.

Complex and well-structured with baked apple and spice, balanced with firm tannins and cask influence.

Our take on the traditional aperitif from North-West France – enjoy as such or serve with blue cheese or dessert. WILLIE SMITH

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