Vintage - 2018

12 Bottles available at time of offer

With a great terroir so close to Lafluer, and history that sold 12.5 acres to to Petrus in 1969, it is highly respected, especially in France. Great for consumers looking for a plump, tasty, iconic Pomerol. - Tom Portet

NEAL MARTIN 94
The 2018 Gazin has a lively, generous bouquet of vivacious wild strawberry, boysenberry and hints of tobacco. The aromatics are well delineated and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, offering seductive black fruit mixed with black pepper, truffle and clove. There is so much finesse toward the finish that it is approachable now, yet it certainly has the substance to suggest long-term aging. Not to be underestimated, this is another wonderful Gazin.

Andrew Caillard MW 96
Deep crimson. Attractive plum inky cassis herb garden flavours, supple and well concentrated with fine graphite tannins and vanilla spice oak notes. Finishes chocolaty firm and minerally. Effortless in its class and elegance.

James Suckling 94-95
This is very tight and polished with a compact and beautiful palate of blackberries, currants and black olives. Full-bodied yet structurally solid with a very long finish.

12 bottles available at time of offer

Jean-Luc Thunevin was one of the original Garagiste winemakers of the right bank, and his home estate presents the success of Merlot in the vintage, at 90% of the blend (vineyard plantings at 75%). Produced in miniscule quantities, it's one of the most sought-after wines in Saint Emilion (and you don't need to sell your house). - Tom Portet

James Suckling               97-98
This is a fantastic young Bordeaux with superb depth of fruit and complex tannin structure. Hints of smoke, spice and toasted oak. Full body and firm, dusty tannins. Very long finish.
 
Antonio Galloni                     97+
The 2018 Valandraud is every bit as compelling as it was from barrel, maybe more. Power and vertical, with tons of explosive energy, the 2018 dazzles right out of the gate. Inky dark cherry, plum, chocolate, spice, new leather, licorice and chocolate all race across the palate. The 2018 is a wine of tremendous stature that distinguishes itself in a vintage peppered with stunning wines. I would allow for a few years in bottle to help the tannins soften. I loved it.

Andrew Caillard, MW 95
Deep crimson. Intense dark plum cedar spicy aromas with wood varnish notes. Immensely concentrated and oaky with attractive inky complexity and plentiful graphite textures. Elemental but impressive despite the oak right now. Should settle down into completeness.  

12 bottles available at time of offer

The highlight of the Bernard Magrez stable is also the most prestigious, and tellingly it has achieved consistent high scores. It's up 7% on the 2017 release, which is no surprise as it is perhaps the best releases to since 2010.  -Tom Portet
 
Antonio Galloni      96
The 2018 Pape Clément is such a beautiful and inviting wine. Silky, perfumed and layered, the 2018 shows the more restrained, vibrant style that has become the norm here in recent years. Red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal and spice are front and center, while the oak - in the past so strong here - is really dialed back. The 2018 is going to be a fascinating wine to follow in the cellar over the next several decades. The purity of the flavors is just striking.

Lisa Perotti Brown 96-98
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Pape Clement is a little closed, slowly unfurling to reveal fragrant earth, crushed rocks, iron ore and tobacco notions over a core of crushed red and black currants plus kirsch, red roses and Ceylon tea. Full-bodied and wonderfully vivacious, it offers a solid line of firm and fine-grained tannins and amazing freshness, finishing very long and mineral laced.

James Suckling 97-98
This is a very driven Pape Clément with fantastic density and finesse at the same time. Linear and driven, the finish goes on for minutes with incredible tension and focus. More cabernet. Refinement with power.

The highlight of the Bernard Magrez stable is also the most prestigious, and tellingly it has achieved consistent high scores. It's up 7% on the 2017 release, which is no surprise as it is perhaps the best releases to since 2010.  -Tom Portet
 
Lisa Perotti Brown 96-98
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Pape Clement is a little closed, slowly unfurling to reveal fragrant earth, crushed rocks, iron ore and tobacco notions over a core of crushed red and black currants plus kirsch, red roses and Ceylon tea. Full-bodied and wonderfully vivacious, it offers a solid line of firm and fine-grained tannins and amazing freshness, finishing very long and mineral laced.

James Suckling 97-98
This is a very driven Pape Clément with fantastic density and finesse at the same time. Linear and driven, the finish goes on for minutes with incredible tension and focus. More cabernet. Refinement with power.

EP Order minimum 3 bottles

One of the most talked about estates, due to tiny yields of just 11 hl/ ha, and considering no 2nd wine (Alter ego) was made this year. Despite the difficulties working biodynamically, the ultimate wine is hugely successful and the price is a record. It's a mantel piece wine for the unicorn hunters….so what does that make a Magnum?  -Tom Portet
 
Andrew Caillard, MW 100
Deep colour intense dark cherry, black currant fruits with mocha espresso notes. Amazingly powerful and expressive wine with deep set blackcurrant pastille fruits, richly concentrated graphite tannins. Incredible balance and mineral length. Superb density and complexity. The wine of the vintage?

Antonio Galloni 95-98
A freakish, super-concentrated Palmer that recalls some of the most legendary vintages made here. The 2018 Palmer is a freak of nature from yields of just 11 hectoliters per hectare harvested over an entire month by CEO Thomas Duroux and his team. Rich, unctuous and flamboyant in its ripeness, the 2018 possesses off the charts intensity from start to finish. Blackberry jam, espresso, crème de cassis, licorice, menthol, lavender and cloves develop in a palate-staining, hedonistic Palmer that oozes with personality. This extravagantly ripe Margaux won't be for everyone, but it is a stunning, head-spinning wine that may, in time, very well join the ranks of the truly epic Palmers. A wine of pure and total pleasure, the 2018 is nearly impossible to resist. The blend is 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot. In 2018, Palmer bottled just their Grand Vin and no Alter Ego.

James Suckling 94-95
It is the essence of cabernet fruit with density that is so thick that it has the texture of grape puree. Full body and melted tannins that give the wine a sense of velvet. Very soft and juicy. With air, it goes to bright, crushed black currants. Tar. Fresh tannins give it energy. I have never tasted anything like this in all my 38 years as a wine critic in Bordeaux. From tiny berries of cabernet sauvignon (53 per cent), 40 per cent merlot and seven per cent petit verdot.

Twelve bottles available at time of offer

Just two minutes' walk from the place d'eglise of Saint Emilion, Clos Fourtet sits atop the cotes overlooking Canon and Beau-Séjour Bécot. The focus here is on richness and sweet dark black fruits, an inspiring level from owner Philippe Cuvelier and oenologist Stéphane Derenoncourt. -Tom Portet


Antonio Galloni                                98
The 2018 Clos Fourtet is one of the most elegant, refined wines of the vintage. Silky and aromatically expressive, Clos Fourtet is all grace. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, menthol and sage all lift from the glass. Even with all of the natural richness of the year, Clos Fourtet sizzles with tension and delineation. Then again, that is the magic of the Saint-Émilion plateau. Clos Fourtet is easy to look past in 2018. It is neither exuberant nor exotically ripe. Instead, everything is in reserve. The 2018 is a magical wine, that's all there is to it. Don't miss it.

Andrew Caillard, MW                       98
Deep crimson. Impressively focussed wine with fresh blackberry cassis plum aromas lovely graphite herb nuances and vanilla notes. Dense compact palate with deep sweet blackcurrant pastille fruits, blackberry notes and fine brambly textures, underlying vanilla roasted chestnut oak. Finishes firm and long. A very high calibre wine.

James Suckling                             96-97
This is one of the best wines I have had from here. Full-bodied yet focused and super dynamic. Tight and linear with fantastic length and energy at the end. Exciting.

Antonio Galloni            94-97
A wine of energy, persistence and total harmony. Sublime. One of the wines of the vintage, the 2018 Clos Fourtet is positively stunning. In the glass, the 2018 sizzles with tension and energy. A whole range of floral, mineral and red berry notes develop, but it is the wine's exceptional sense of harmony that leaves the deepest impression. Consulting winemakers Stéphane Derenoncourt and Jean-Claude Berrouet turned out a glorious Clos Fourtet in 2018. Don't miss it.

Jeff Leve            96-98
Decanter                  97
Lisa Perrotti-Brown            95-97

 

12 bottles available at time of offer

A special parcel of old Merlot that is conveniently stuck between Petrus, Lafleur and Vieux Chateaux Certan. First produced in 1982 and with just 7,000 bottles produced it has unicorn status. -Tom Portet

James Suckling                             94-95
The gorgeous balance on the center palate makes this one of the best wines from here in years. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful yet subtle finish. Fine.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown            89-91
Deep purple-black colored, the 2018 La Fleur de Gay delivers bold notions of baked plums, mulberries and blackberry preserves with touches of tar, bay leaves and truffles. Full-bodied and rich, with a plush texture, it has soft acid and a spicy finish.

Antonio Galloni            86-88
The 2018 La Fleur de Gay is a fruity, supple Pomerol that will drink well with minimal cellaring. Dark cherry, mocha, cedar, tobacco, licorice and menthol add lovely aromatic nuance as this pretty, silky Pomerol develops in the glass.

 

 

The 2018 Troplong Mondot will take readers who haven't tasted these wines in a few years aback. Stunning in its aromatic presence, the 2018 is silky, medium-in body and super-refined. Once again, I am blown away by the wine's total sense of precision. The Cabernets are only 15% of the blend, and yet the 2018 is so strongly marked by floral and savory accents. Sweet red cherry, blood orange, mint, rose petal and lavender all build in the glass. The 2018 is regal, refined and absolutely exquisite. 97 ANTONIO GALLONI

Eight bottles available at the time of offer

An easy argument for the Médoc's fifth 1st growth, year after year it presents as an exceptionally poised wine that evokes total class. I love it. It comes from the oldest vines of the property that average around 50-years old, this year the blend is structured with 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc and 9% Merlot. -Tom Portet

James Suckling                           99-100
OMG. This shows amazing depth of fruit and density. Full-bodied and so layered with incredible fruit and power. Blackberries. Blueberries. Violets. Hints of dried flowers. Fantastic fruit and tannins, yet agile and energetic. The château says 2016 plus, plus.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown                                             98-100
The finished blend for the 2018 Léoville Las Cases is yet another triumph for this great estate. Very deep purple-black in color, it is a little closed to begin, slowly emerging from the glass to reveal subtle woodsmoke, violets, tilled soil and underbrush scents over a core of warm cassis, wild blueberries and redcurrant jelly plus hints of rare beef and iron ore. Full-bodied, rich, super concentrated and bursting with latent energy, this is an atomic bomb waiting to go off in your mouth. It has a rock-solid foundation of firm, very ripe, very finely grained tannins and bold freshness supporting the muscular fruit through the epically long, amazingly nuanced finish. Simply breathtaking.

Antonio Galloni                 95-98
Sumptuous and spectacularly rich, the 2018 Las Cases is atypical but gorgeous in its singularity. The 2018 Léoville Las Cases is a rich, sumptuous, exotic wine in 2018. Plush fruit and suave, silky tannins give the 2018 a level of textural richness that is unusual for a young Léoville Las Cases. Crème de cassis, lavender, mint and sweet spice all build in this extraordinarily beautiful wine. I can't recall tasting a young Las Cases with this much immediacy and sheer allure. The 2018 Las Cases has a very bright future. It is also one of the unquestioned stars of the vintage. In 2018, the blend is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc and 9% Merlot.

Jeff Leve               98-100
Chris Kissack               98-100
Decanter                       98

Four Bottles available at time of offer

Fortunate to escape the hailstorms of May 26th, Haut Bailly enjoyed a season that could be acted upon through glorious summer and autumn conditions. Still, crops are 50% less than 2017 and Veronique Sanders and her team have crafted a very intense and concentrated wine from their small crop. -Tom Portet

James Suckling                                   97-98
Incredible depth of fruit to this with a center palate that shows superb character and texture. I love the hazelnut and coffee-bean undertones to the beautiful fruit, which shows great finesse. Full-bodied yet compact and tight, giving a sense of agility and flight to the wine. Extremely tight and polished tannins.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown            96-98
Deep purple-black in color, it opens slowly with profound notions of Black Forest cake, crème de cassis, roasted nuts and black olives, unfurling to reveal notions of menthol, crushed rocks, molten licorice and chargrilled meat plus a hint of lilacs. Full-bodied, rich and densely laden with layer upon layer of vibrant black fruits and mineral nuances, it has a solid backbone of firm, velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long with compelling restraint and exciting energy.

Andrew Caillard, MW                                     97
Deep colour. Perfect claret style with intense blackcurrant plum graphite aromas with some savoury notes, fine graphite grainy tannins and underlying vanilla oak. Tannins are plentiful but perfectly ripe with some al dente notes and plenty of thrust. Elemental but voluminous needing time to meld. Sine inky mineral notes at the finish.

Antonio Galloni                 94-97
Jeff Leve                 96-98
Decanter                       98

1 Bottle at the time of the offer

This really is a creation of true refinement and class, that lends itself to the harmonious, graceful style that is so typical of great St. Emilion. Suckling, Perotti-Brown and Galloni all awarded it perfection, with Jeff Leve noting that there are few wines at this level of quality produced from any vineyard in the world. If you can afford just one of 20,000 bottles produced annually, it will be a trophy for any cellar designed to last 50-100 years. -Tom Portet

Antonio Galloni  99
The 2018 Ausone is mind-blowing. The aromatics alone are mesmerizing. I don't know what more to say. Cabernet Franc is so expressive, so vibrant so nuanced. Rose petal, cinnamon, star anise and sage meld into a core of red fleshed fruit. The 2018 doesn't impress with opulence or richness, rather it is a Saint-Émilion that is all about persistence and energy. I won't be at all surprised if it merits a higher score in the future. Readers who can find it should not hesitate. The 2018 is a viscerally thrilling wine of the highest level.
 
James Suckling 99-100
This is really exotic with wild-fruit character that I have seldom encountered in Ausone. Full-bodied yet reserved and very tight. Amazing depth and purity of fruit. Incredible beauty. Sexy.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown 98-100
Full-bodied, rich, decadent and tightly knit, it offers layer upon layer of fruit, spice and mineral nuances with a firm frame of exquisitely fine tannins and bold freshness, finishing with epic length and heart-stopping beauty.

 

10 bottles available at time of offer

An absolute highlight that is the current rising star thanks to both a fine position and the vast investment from the Mouiex family. Nestled high next to Canon and above Angelus, the predominance of Merlot (90%) underpins are rich plum and chocolate layered structure that has delivers a points per dollar value that's hard to beat. -Tom Portet

Antonio Galloni                               96
The 2018 Bélair-Monange races across the palate, showing its exuberant, flamboyant personality. Ripe plum, mocha, blood orange, star anise and cinnamon fill out the layers effortlessly. Sumptuous and generous, with striking balance, Bélair-Monange hits all the right notes. It can be enjoyed with minimal cellaring, but also has the pedigree to age effortlessly for decades.

James Suckling                                98-99
This is very linear and structured in a classical way for Bordeaux with a very focused and tight core of beautiful fruit that gives an agile and vivid palate of pretty fruit and bright acidity, not to mention the ultra fine tannins, which deliver a seamless and limitless finish.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown                  97-99
2018 Belair Monange comes bounding out of the glass with all the energy and vigor of a pedigree puppy. Full-bodied, rich and decadently layered in the mouth, the densely packed layers are charged with energy, supported by firm, velvety tannins and a racy line of freshness, finishing very long and very spicy.

Jeff Leve                98-100
Decanter                        97

A minuscule production and allocation but a delightful second wine from the great Ausone stable of Vauther family. Its volume is just a third of the volume to Ausone itself, and almost always close to a 50:50 blend of Merlot and Cabernets. It has great poise, purity and no excess of weight that will reward to whoever asks for it first. -Tom Portet

Andrew Caillard, MW                       95
Deep colour. Intense dark plum mocha praline aromas with violet notes. Generous and deep set with ripe dark cherry, blackcurrant fruits, fine chocolaty tannins. Long fresh sweet fruit finish. Classic proportioned wine with energy and density.

James Suckling                 94-95
This is a very tight and structured second wine with blueberry, spice and light hazelnut character. It's full of volume, but shows underlying firmness and brightness. Lovely length.

Antonio Galloni                 91-94
The 2018 Chapelle d'Ausone is a drop-dead gorgeous second wine. Wonderfully finessed in every way, the 2018 conveys intensity allied to a sense of weightless elegance.

12 Bottles available at time of offer

A real star amongst the second wines this vintage, and always in very tight supply. It contains an unusually higher blend of Merlot this year (40%) with lower yields consistent with the vintage story. A little sheep in volume, but always rewards buyers for its Pauillac credentials of black fruit and graphite, and perfect for drinking in around 5 -10 years. -Tom Portet

Antonio Galloni     93
Just as it was from barrel, the 2018 Le Petit-Mouton is fleshy, radiant and very easy to enjoy. Soft contours and silky tannins add to its considerable allure. Because of low yields, the Petit-Mouton was aged entirely in new oak. Rich, sumptuous and bold to the core, the 2018 is a rock star wine.

James Suckling                 97-98
This is phenomenal with such dense and layered tannins that go on for minutes. It's full-bodied with blackberries, blueberries and chocolate. Sexy and so beautiful. Not sure what to say here. Maybe it should have gone into the first wine?

Lisa Perrotti-Brown                 92-94
Deep garnet-purple, it comes bounding out of the glass with sit-up-and-beg notes of crème de cassis, plum preserves and mulberries plus nuances of chocolate box, Chinese five spice, licorice and candied violets. Full-bodied, rich and oh-so-hedonic, the palate is packed with juicy black fruit layers wrapped in a firm, velvety structure, with loads of fragrant spice layers on the very long finish.

Andrew Caillard, MW                       93
Medium deep colour. Lovely blackcurrant herb aromas. Sweet blackcurrant black cherry fruits, fine slinky textures and toasty oak notes. Still elemental with firm tannins. Pretty wine.

 

8 bottles available at time of offer

98-99 points JAMES SUCKLING
 Wow. This really sends a tingle down my spine. Love the energy and length to this. Very distinguished. Full-bodied yet tight, polished and compressed. It has a great finish. Exciting. Really.

93-96 points ANTONIO GALLONI
The 2018 TrotteVieille is a super-intriguing wine. Aromatically deep and layered, the 2018 offers tremendous depth and textural finesse. Mocha, grilled herbs, black cherry, new leather and spice all wrap around the palate in a dense, racy Saint-Émilion. The blend is 54% Cabernet Franc, 44% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon.

91-93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Trotte Vieille leaps from the glass with vivacious scents of baked red plums, black raspberries and prunes with underlying scents of dried herbs, fallen leaves, dusty soil and tobacco. Full-bodied with a firm line of chewy tannins, it delivers a lot of stewed fruits on the mid-palate with a slightly warm finish.

Six bottles available at time of offer

The dynamic team of Pierre Lurton and Pierre-Olivier Clouet ensure Petit Cheval is always a small production of exceptional quality - tiny in 2018 at about 10% of the estate output. The blend is 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet and POC (his actual nickname) believes this is the best vintage ever and is one of the great second wines of 2018.  -Tom Portet

Andrew Caillard, MW                       95
Deep colour. Attractive fresh mulberry red plum aromas with chocolate notes. Very well concentrated and supple with richly concentrated fruit and persistent fine graphite tannins, underlying savoury toasty notes. Very inky finish with superb fresh roasted nut notes. Teflon silky. Bloody good wine.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown                 93-95
The medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Le Petit Cheval needs a lot of coaxing to encourage subtle nuances of crushed rocks, fallen leaves, potpourri and fertile loam to emerge before giving way to fragrant notes of warm blueberries, black raspberries, kirsch and unsmoked cigars with a touch of Marmite toast. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers layers of fresh, crunchy black fruits and loads of earthy sparks, framed by soft, velvety tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long.

James Suckling                 93-94
This shows beautiful density of fruit, but the tannins arrive at the end and show impressive length and density. Full body. Wild fruit. Excellent second wine from Cheval.

Jeff Leve               98-100
Decanter                       99

 

6 bottles available at time of offer

The 2018 Vieux Château Certan is delicate, silky and understated, just as it was in barrel. Inky blue/purplish berry fruit, mint, lavender, spice and wild flowers all open in the glass. The 30% Cabernet Franc, which is high for present-day standards, adds tons of aromatic lift as well as freshness, while bright, saline-infused notes extend the finish. Fine tannins and mid-weight structure give the 2018 an air of finesse that is impossible to miss. If I had to bet on one 2018 that could very well surprise 10-20 years out, it might very well be VCC. (97+) Antonio Galloni

Andrew Caillard,

 MW                     100
Deep crimson. Beautiful dark plum, cassis, inky, violet aromas with vanilla notes. Supple and smooth with inky rich plum dark plum, cassis, herb flavours, fine loose-knit lacy smooth tannins, lovely viscosity and generosity. A plume of tannin at the finish. Superb effortless wine.

James Suckling               99-100
This is a significant VCC with masses of fruit and juicy tannins. It's fresh, but impresses you with the rich and powerful fruit. A tower of a wine. Incredible depth and density. Thick and muscular. It is 30 per cent cabernet franc, the rest merlot.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown               97-100
Medium to deep garnet-purple-it has a very vibrant color-it drifts effortlessly out of the glass with wonderfully intense, beautifully delineated scents of red roses, black raspberries, kirsch and Darjeeling tea before the powerful, profound black fruits kick in: baked plums, wild blueberries, molten licorice and mulberries with touches of cigar box, cinnamon stick, tapenade and truffles. Full-bodied, rich, densely packed and revealing layer upon layer of red and black fruits with an incredible array of floral and spicy sparks, it has a high level of super ripe, incredibly fine, velvety soft tannins and fantastic freshness (not just from acid but from bright, crunchy fruit). It finishes very long, marvellously layered and with such jaw-dropping brightness from the fruit, the end is almost electric. Incredible.

Winemaker and CEO David Bicknell has proved his worth time and again as an extremely talented winemaker. JAMES HALLIDAY

What is there to say about this superb Yarra Valley winery. Headed up by Dave Bicknell it feels like they can do no wrong. Everything they make from top to bottom is deftly put together and sourced from the Yarra's best vineyards. The quality is always outstanding and the LVS (local vineyard series) is some of the best value Pinot and Chardonnay around. PWS

I’ve probably said it before, and anyone who knows me knows I’m prone to repeating myself, but what a lovely evocative name it is for a vineyard.

It doesn’t need any styling products; there’s not a hair out of place here. White peach and lime, green melon, almond nougat, a whisper of struck match and spice. Smooth and flavoursome, a subtle viscosity interlaid with chalk and flint, some floral mouth-perfume, slight tweak to the finish with citrus rind and grapefruit tang. Right proper Chardonnay here. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front

An overtly floral-suffused nose displays a lovely array of spice elements on the essence of red berry fruit aromas. I very much like the mid-palate mouthfeel of the sappy medium-bodied flavors that terminate in a powerful, rustic and mocha-inflected finish. This is quite a robust Vosne villages that will require at least some patience. BURGHOUND

Always one of the wines of the range. Exhibits all the kirsch cherry and silken texture of a classic Vosne with the addition of some nice Asian spice coming from the 50% whole cluster. MICHAEL McNAMARA

A fresh, pure and layered nose consists of liqueur-like dark berry fruit, plum, violet, earth and touches of spice. There is excellent richness to the slightly more refined medium weight flavors that coat the palate with dry extract where the supporting structure arrives all at once on the grippy and mildly drying finish. I suspect that this will round into form once the sulfur addition is more completely integrated. BURGHOUND

I haven't always been the biggest fan of Nicolas' version of Chaignots - although I love the vineyard with its the nod to the "silk" of Vosne a nice counterpoint to the rusticity of Nuits. This year this is a beautiful example and the best I've seen from him. MICHAEL McNAMARA

Skin fermented Pinot G with exotic fragrance and shapely texture (lightly cloudy) Heady lychee and damask rose, pink pear skins, stone fruit, smoky spice, bitter orange, gingerbread, musky dusk.

Cool climate single vineyard origin: Derwent Valley Tasmania 42.6°S. Handpicked on a fruit day after the harvest moon. Whole bunch open wild ferment, 30 days on skin. Basket pressed, matured 6 months sur lie en demi-john. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with perfect natural balance. 50 dozen (600 bottles) produced SIMHA

 

Marco de Jerez region, vinos de la Tierra de Cádiz
Alejandro (Alex) Narváez and Rocío Áspera are native Jerezanos and first-wave Marco de Jerez revolutionaries, reviving terroir and a variety of historical wine styles. It's a young project, conceived of in 2009 and producing its first bottles from the 2012 (first Tinto) and 2013 (first Blanco) harvests. It has a long gestation though: they have been a couple since they were in high school! In 2011, Rocío graduated as a Master of Warm Climate Winemaking from Cádiz University. Alejandro is half-French, and previously worked as a winemaker at Smith-Haut-Lafitte.

This is hand-picked organic Palomino grown in Pago Balbaina Alta, then given the Ancestral bubbling treatment. Not being a style supported by the DO currently, as with the other Forlong wines, it's labed Vino de Tierra de Cadiz.

Fermentation is the same for vinosity and for adding bubbles: the wine is bottled before the alcoholic fermentation has converted all of the sugar. This starts in tank and finishes in bottle. 8 months' later is a hand disgorgement and the bottles are refilled with the same wine. 12% abv. THe SPANISH ACQUISITION

A family-owned winery and cellar; 60 hectares of vineyards around the small village of Sinarcas, on an 800-metre high plateau inland from Valencia and close to the border with Castilla-La Mancha, surrounded by a pine forest. Sebastian Mancebo makes terrific organic wines mostly from native Bobal, alongside alternatives like Gewürztraminer.

Vines are typically more than 40 years old and planted at altitudes of 900 meters. The grapes are hand-sorted before the fermentation and the partially crushed grapes are then subjected to low temperature for the extraction of primary, fruit aromas. The fermentation is done at low temperatures (18ºC) in temperature with no oak.

A brilliant cherry-red colour, of medium intensity and purplish highlights. It has a bouquet of wild flowers and a salty minerality, typical of the regions' soils. Forceful yet velvety on the palate. Fruity with notes of blackberries, it hides a slight bitterness that balances the fruit, with a persistent and long finish. PWS

The 2018 Vouvray Clos du Bourg Moelleux is ripe and already quite open on the remarkably fine and precise nose where delicate chalky notes intermix with yeasty aromas of ripe apples and even very fine flinty hints. On the palate, this is a sweet, lush, salty-piquant and refined but tightly woven Chenin with structure, remarkable finesse, tickling salinity and serious but fine tannins, as if it was a Pinot Noir. Filigreed and feminine on the tongue, the 2018 develops a long, tensioned, tightly woven and stimulatingly salty finish. Great class and aging potential. STEPHAN REINHARDT, Wine Advocate

The flagship 2018 Galatrona, 100% Merlot, is very beautiful. Silky tannins wrap around a core of Merlot fruit. I am struck by how elegant the 2018 is, as Galatrona is so often a wine of impact. Black cherry, chocolate, game, leather, licorice and spice give the 2018 a good bit of nuance. This is an especially understated, refined edition of Galatrona. (96) ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous

South facing with lots of stones and gravels. A clean, fine and inviting nose. Full of energy, soo good, simply excellent wine, maybe more … BILL NANSON, Burgundy Report

A great exampole of the value from Santentay - this single site Climat Has a high percentage of limestone over clay - it is energentic- vibrant and textural chardonnay, and with a nice balance of oak (25% new)  provides an little more structure to the wine than the Bourgone. ALEX WILCOX

Again, wide, fresh, clean agrumes. A little more structural more depth of flavour, faintly spiced.. gorgeously finishing. Really only at the end, end a touch of oak. Bravo. BILL NANSON Burgundy Report

Damask rose, orange peel and pith and juicy peach make for an attractive combination on the nose of this wine. The palate has gentle sweetness that is countered by pleasant, phenolic bitterness that lends shape to this off-dry, spicy, mellow wine. Yes it is generous, but all that zesty pithiness makes the wine intriguing. The off-dry finish is textured. WINE ENTHUSIAST

This wine is made from all the very old Gewurztraminer vines planted in the Turckheim/Herrenweg vineyards. Some of these vineyards are also located in the richest part of the valley floor, where the gravels are mixed with by richer silt. With deeper roots and richer soils available to them, these vines didn't suffer from drought. The ripeness progressed quickly in 2018. Gewurztraminer is a wine that can surprisingly ferment fast, which is handy, as a higher pH would expose these wines to more problems if the fermentation would last too long. The 2018 grapes were beautiful and healthy.

Bright yellow colour. The nose is classic with an expressive and strong expressive floral character, nice spices, yet delicate and complex. The palate is harmonious, there is a slight roundness well balanced by ripe tannins. Nice length, serious finish with a fresh aftertaste. Beautiful classic Gewurztraminer. ZIND HUMBRECHT

Saturated ruby. Heady, oak-spiced dark berry, cherry cola and floral pastille scents show outstanding clarity and pick up a smoky mineral nuance with air. Juicy and penetrating on the palate, offering intense bitter cherry, blueberry and mocha flavors that are given spine and lift by a core of juicy acidity. Finishes sweet, broad and extremely long, with an echo of candied violet and smooth, well-knit tannins. 100% new oak. JOSH RAYNOLDS, 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!

Purple plum is laced with mint on the nose, and those two elements serve for a succulent and subtly cooling effect on the glossy, polished palate. Tangy plum skin, piquant plum pit and a hint of seedy red raspberry serve for invigoration critical to pushing back against unusually high residual sugar, but without diminishing the sense of richness that is engendered on first sip. “I believe some casks would have benefited from fermenting a bit further,” noted Müller, but the fermentations simply petered out. As a result – though, naturally, must weights in the low 90s are also contributory – nearly 60 grams of residual sugar remain in the finished wine. The impressively sustained finish is amply refreshing as well as transparent to smoky and stony nuances. DAVID SCHILDKNECHT, Vinous

Held on skins for 4 weeks after fermentation before 18 months maturation in French oak. Bright crimson-purple, it is an elegant cabernet that has flourished in the warm vintage - the Upper Yarra sometimes poses challenges, but not here. The tannins are savoury and fine, adding to the quality of the wine. JAMES HALLIDAY

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!

With a staggering 18+ tre biccherie awards to their name, Fattoria di Felsina is not only one of the greatest producers of Chianti Classico in the zone, but can also lay claim to being one of the greatest estates in Italy.

Located on the southern boundary of the Chianti Classico zone at Beradegna, Felsina is run by the thoughtful, Giuseppe Mazzocolin, and together with consultant oenologist Franco Bernabei, he has guided the estate masterfully through the massive changes that have taken place in Tuscany in the last 30 years, always mindful of only making changes he thought would further the quality of the wines without obliterating the regional nuance.

The 2018 Chianti Classico Berardenga is endowed with so much class. In 2018, the Classico is a bit more restrained than it can be. That mid-weight sense of structure, though, gives the wine quite a bit of early appeal. Even so, I would cellar the 2018 for a few years, as all the elements haven't fully come together just yet. Dark cherry, game, smoke, licorice and earthy notes are a reminder we are in Castelnuovo Berardenga, even if the 2018 has less weight and overt power than Fèlsina fans are used to seeing. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous.com

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!

Situated on 115 acres, Wille Smiths is 30 minutes south of Hobart in the Huon Valley, a once thriving apple-growing region that exported apples all over the globe and earned Tasmania the title of the 'Apple Isle'.

Our farm went organic in 1997, thanks to the innovation of current orchardist, Andrew Smith. It was a bold move, transforming the orchard to organic, and involved a lot of new techniques and training to achieve. With a new focus on organic farming and the use of the apples in our cider, they hope to bring back the glory of the 'Apple Isle' days once more.

The cidery is located at the  orchard, meaning the fruit travels the smallest distance possible from tree to bottle. It's a full circle process which all occurs in one place, right here on the farm.

Be in no doubt, this is one of the countries of not the worlds greatest ciders. Bold statement for sure but we think you will agree once you try it. This used to be called the French Blend but the various type of apples have moved it away from a predominantly French blend so they have changed the name. This is a seasonal release and one we are looking forward too. If you have never tried these we cannot recommend them enough - so bloody delicious!

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!

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!

1 BOTTLE AVAILABLE

Antonio Galloni                                  97
The 2018 Haut-Bailly soars out of the glass, showing magnificent poise that only grows with time. Sweet, perfumed aromatics, silky tannins and mid-weight structure add to its considerable allure. Ripe red berry fruit, spice, blood orange, licorice, cedar, tobacco and menthol are all woven together in an effortless, classy Haut-Bailly that delivers the goods. I suppose the 2018 doesn't quite have the explosive energy of the very best years, but it more than makes up for that with its sensual, seductive personality.

James Suckling                                   97-98
Incredible depth of fruit to this with a center palate that shows superb character and texture. I love the hazelnut and coffee-bean undertones to the beautiful fruit, which shows great finesse. Full-bodied yet compact and tight, giving a sense of agility and flight to the wine. Extremely tight and polished tannins.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown            96-98
Deep purple-black in color, it opens slowly with profound notions of Black Forest cake, crème de cassis, roasted nuts and black olives, unfurling to reveal notions of menthol, crushed rocks, molten licorice and chargrilled meat plus a hint of lilacs. Full-bodied, rich and densely laden with layer upon layer of vibrant black fruits and mineral nuances, it has a solid backbone of firm, velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long with compelling restraint and exciting energy.

Andrew Caillard, MW                                     97
Deep colour. Perfect claret style with intense blackcurrant plum graphite aromas with some savoury notes, fine graphite grainy tannins and underlying vanilla oak. Tannins are plentiful but perfectly ripe with some al dente notes and plenty of thrust. Elemental but voluminous needing time to meld. Sine inky mineral notes at the finish.

 

Perhaps the least known of the Saint Julien Chateaux, Saint Pierre is one of the most underestimated classified growths of Bordeaux.  Located right behind the township, the wine scored consistently well, releasing at a justifiable higher prices this vintage that still lets consumers put the lack of recognition to use.  -Tom Portet
The deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Saint-Pierre displays shy scents of rose hip tea, dried mint, crushed rocks and lavender to begin, opening out to a growing core of warm blackcurrants, baked blackberries and Morello cherries plus wafts of garrigue and wild sage. Full-bodied and absolutely laden with black fruits and provocative mineral sparks, it has a firm texture of grainy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and savory.Lisa Perotti Brown 94-96
A powerful, virile wine, the 2018 Saint-Pierre is also one of the highlights of the vintage. Black cherry, graphite, smoke, leather, menthol, violet and spice meld together in a brooding, tannic Saint-Julien that is going to need a bit of time to truly come into its own. Saint-Pierre is muscular, massively tannic and forbidding, and yet there is a ton of fruit behind all of that structure. Cabernet Sauvignon features heavily in the blend, and that comes through in the wine's flavor profile and overall feel. Readers will have to be patient. I can't wait to taste it from bottle. The 2018 is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon and 23% Merlot. Antonio Galloni 92-95

 

With south easterly neighbours of Lafleur and Petrus, Le Gay remains at an exceptional price considering the quality of its terroir. Galloni particularly taken by its quality this year (read below). The blend is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, with just 1,500 cases produced.  -Tom Portet

James Suckling                             97-98
A tight and dense red with depth of fruit and polished tannins that really impress at this stage. It's naturally refined and complex with so much dark-berry, chocolate, cedar and hazelnut character. Great wine.

Antonio Galloni                 94-97
One of the highlights of the vintage, the 2018 Le Gay is fabulous. Crème de cassis, new leather, tobacco, minty and dried flowers all race out of the glass, but what impresses most is the wine's combination of fruit richness and vertical explosiveness. Black cherry, coffee, dried flowers, mint and lavender all soar. Le Gay is rich and concentrated in feel, and yet all the elements are wonderfully fused together. Tasted two times.

Jeff Leve                 96-98
Chris Kissack                 97-99

Aromas of woodland berry, Mediterranean scrub, camphor and oak-driven spice shape the nose on this fragrant red. On the tight palate, firm acidity accompanies raspberry jam, orange zest, vanilla and licorice. Firm, grainy tannins leave a puckering, drying close. Give the tannins a few years more years to relax a bit then drink. KERIN O’KEEFE, Wine Enthusiast

Aromas of rose, exotic spice and wild berry shape the nose on this fragrant red, along with whiffs of moist earth and leather. The linear, vibrant palate features Marasca cherry, licorice and a hint of espresso alongside racy acidity and close-grained tannins that leave a drying finish. Drink 2022–2028. KERIN O’KEEFE, Wine Enthusiast

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!

10 BOTTLES AVAILABLE

Dark, bright-rimmed ruby. Spice- and mineral-accented dark berry and floral scents show fine clarity and a complementary hint of candied licorice. Sappy and focused on the palate, offering gently sweet boysenberry, bitter cherry and violet pastille flavors and a spicy touch of white pepper. The mineral quality repeats on a very long, penetrating finish that leaves sweet blue fruit and spicecake notes behind. JOSH RAYNOLDS

Jorge Monzon's brazen approach landed him a job at one of the world's best wineries, Domaine Romanee Conti. He simply knocked on the door at the famed Vosne Romanee estate and stayed for 10 years. His last few years saw him working alongside the winery's cellar master, Bernard Noblet learning all aspects of making these prestigious wines. He began to understand that everything counts, even if it seems insignificant, that shortcuts should be avoided. He learned the beauty of wine.

While working for 'the man' Jorge bought as many plots of old vine tinto fino (tempranillo) around his hometown village of La Aguilera in the province of Burgos - one of the best zones in Ribera del Duero. Many were destined for grubbing up or replanting with trellised vines. To date, Jorge has 66 hectares spread across 250 plots!

'…it has the depth, concentration and nuance of the best wines from many wineries. It's produced in a more jovial style, but the wine comes from old vines that always have a field blend with small percentages of whatever grapes that are all fermented together, and these vines always produce a serious and deep wine. In 2018, it matured in French oak barrels for 11 months. This is very young and tender, expressive and aromatic, very much in line with the 2016. It has lots of energy and power, more than you might think, and it's serious. It's drinkable now, but it should get even better with some time in bottle. LUIS GUTIERREZ, wineadvocate.com