RED WINE - 2019

Kooyong, owned by Giorgio and Dianne Gjergja, released its first wines in 2001. The vineyard is planted to pinot noir (20ha), chardonnay (10.4ha) and, more recently, pinot gris (3ha). In July '15, following the departure of Sandro Mosele, his assistant of six years, Glen Hayley, was appointed to take his place. The Kooyong wines are made at the state-of-the-art winery of Port Phillip Estate, also owned by the Gjergjas. JAMES HALLIDAY

The estate Pinot Noir from one of the Mornington Peninsula’s flag bearers.

It’s a wine defined by its shape. It angles towards the finish and then pushes on out; the pulleys are in place from the beginning. Twiggy spice, a general woody/savouriness, dark cherry and a light coating of cedar. I wouldn’t call it taut but I would call it firm and indeed strict. It’s as though the wine’s flavour run on converging rails. It’ll be a better drink in a year or more. CAMPBELL MATTINSON

Steve Webber is a man of many talents and passions. One of his is Grenache from upper Heathcote. He loves it so much he has established a brand around promoting the variety in the region. This is the 3rd vintage and of the wines and we are thoroughly convinced, not just because Steve stands behind, but because the wine is that good. The future is bright and so is this wine. PWS

This red delight reflects the name with definitely some magic in its makeup, dark cherry aromatics to start, with ripe but not jammy flavours as you sip in medium to fuller-bodied juicy fruits offsetting a fine, sandy tannin feel. There’s a lot going on for the price – look out for specials and keep an eye on it as the styling unfolds over the next few years. HALLIDAY MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020

Very ripe yet reasonably fresh aromas slowly reveal nuances of cassis, red cherry and a whiff of wood. The earthy and vibrant medium weight flavors possess excellent density, indeed even opulence, while managing to remain relatively refined on the ever-so-slightly warm and austere finale. Lovely and firm enough to reward 12 to 15 years of cellaring.
Sweet Spot Outstanding. BURGHOUND, www.burghound.com

91/100 & "Buy of the Week" (Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review Jan 2021)
Lake Hayes Pinot Noir is named after the namesake lake at the foot of Queenstown's Wakatipu basin. One of the most photographed lakes in the country and a striking place to make wine. Made by the crew at Amisfield, just down the road, so you know it will over-deliver and it does.

Forward and plush in style but with of that Otago grunt that kicks along into the more serious side of thing. Damson plums and purple berry fruits with velvety tannins that ultimately deliver and immediately enjoyable wine. PWS

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The estate's efforts across the respective grenache cuvees are almost as venerable as those across the very fine expressions of viognier. This, a thirst-slaking red, is worth celebrating for its youthful primary fruit: cranberry, cumquat and cherry bonbon. Yet, most impressive are the saline, slaty tannins that been massaged into the fray with aplomb, helping to imbue poise while curtailing the ripeness of fruit. NED GOODWIN MW, James Halliday's Wine Companion

Sourced from very old bush vines (some dating back to 1929) which add both depth of fruit and phenolic impact, lending the wine some subtle gravitas. Lovely, so primary it's almost juicy, lifted with elements of spice that slides in to grilled meats. Beautifully textured, vibrant and inviting. Lovely, did I say that already? There is structure and heft here too but it only adds to the overall sensuality of the wine. We all tasted this and asked how much. When we heard the price we jumped on it. Yalumba are masters at the craft and this is ludicrously good for the money. The ideal mid-week wine with so much going for it that it embarrasses a lot of other wines in a similar price range. ROSCOE

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Meaty and spicy, oyster shells, nuts and dried herb, blue and black fruit. It’s intense, but light, with an almost bloody flavour, but plenty of energy and fruit too. Really pops. Pumice stone tannin is a highlight, as is the freshness and grip on a long cool finish. You might say it’s all Syrah on the nose, but with a sort of Beaujolais lightness and crunch in the mouth. A delight. GARY WALSH

 Top of the tree Frankland Estate wine.

Soft, gentle, detailed red of spice, savouriness and very pure feeling and unadorned fruit character. Has some pretty sweetness balanced nicely by fresh acidity, a good deal of fruit concentration, and a general sense of elegance comes to mind. Bright finish, a little crunchy, says hold off drinking for a year or so. Excellent wine. MIKE BENNIE, The Wine Front

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The 2019 Beaune "Hommage à Françoise Potel" 1er Cru is named after Nicolas Potel's late mother and is a blend of five Premier Crus. It has vibrant red cherries, kirsch and cassis on a nose that is more opulent than Les Teurons. The palate is well balanced with succulent red berry fruit. Fine tannins frame the peppery finish, which fans out nicely. Lovely length here. Very fine.  NEAL MARTIN, www.vinousmedia.com

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This family affair is a talented one with Françoise Frissant an agronomistand Mathias Paicheler, Sarah Frissant and Pascal Frissant all Oenologists. Today the vineyard holdings total 143 acres with an assortment of some 40 plots in total. At 750 - 1350 ft above sea level these are some of the highest sites in the AOC. The warm days and cool nights result in one the longest growing seasons in the region. Incredibly, they are often picking two weeks behind the rest of the low-lying vineyards that surround them.

Hand harvested and 100% de-stemmed blend of Syrah, Grenache and a touch of Carignan. This sees no oak with 1 year in stainless steel. A lovely lifted violet flecked nose that's pretty and perfumed, full of brambly wild red and black fruits that are jubey and bright. It's super enticing and delivers on the palate with the same colour scheme of wild fruits. It's mid-weight and nicely poised with fine grained tannins that melt away into the long finish. Holds itself nicely with a bounce in its step.

This is aromatically similar to the Vosne villages with just a bit more wood influence. The super-sleek and sophisticated middle weight flavors are even more intensely mineral-driven while displaying excellent length on the youthfully austere finale. This is really quite classy though unlike the villages it is sufficiently structured that it will definitely need at least 5 to 7 years first and reward a decade plus. "Outstanding" BURGHOUND

The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape showed beautifully, with a deeper ruby/purple color as well as incredible Provençal notes of peppery garrigue, dried flowers, and jammy red and black berry fruits. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it has a great mid-palate, loads of building tannins, a solid spine of acidity, and a big finish. This is one smoking good, classic cuvée that savvy readers should snatch up. It will have 10-15 years of prime drinking. JEB DUNNUCK

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This blend of Portuguese varieties has come together seamlessly and offers immediate drinking appeal. Heady with violets and lavender, blackcurrants and Szechuan pepper, blackstrap licorice and Mediterranean herbs, all adding to its youthful beauty. Fine tannins, raspberry-like acidity and complexity raise it way above ordinary. (95) JANE FAULKNER, Halliday Wine Companion

Bright raspberry and red plum on the nose with distinctive herbal edges, as well as leaves, clove, anise and pepper. The palate has a smoothly rendered feel with medium body and ripe-plum and licorice flavors. Drink or hold. Screw cap. NICK STOCK, www.jamessuckling.com

100% Dolcetto

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My lady asked me "what are you going to write about it" she's not really a wine nerd… anyway, my reply was "I don't know, it's such a unique wine it's really hard to get across to people what it's like". Let's give it a go...
There's a little of that soft drink thing here too. I say that because I don't know what else to use, it's like really good root beer. Sassafras's. wild herbs. Brambly fruit. It's breezy, airy and cool. It feels mountainous in so much as it smells so fresh with hints of underbrush.
Structurally there's just enough tannin to stop it feeling soft. Just enough fruit to keep it from feeling light on. Just enough acidity to keep it clear and correct. It all just works. With air it tightens up a bit and gains a bit more oomph, suggests that a couple of years in the bottle will do it good but it isn't necessary by any means. An old colleague of ours, who met us there on our last visit, used to prattle on about this wine as if it were a cure all, a tonic to ease what ails you. Maybe he was right. Certainly made me feel good. ROSCOE

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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!

With no nerello mascalese plantings in Australia, Nadeson has fermented sangiovese, pinot noir, aglianico, sagrantino, nebbiolo and shiraz in an amphora and miraculously made a wine with finesse and inky tannins. This medium bodied red tempts with heady violets, licorice root and black plums on the nose. The palate flows, entwined with a meaty tone alongside the florals and spice. This has dimension and texture, and is very delicious. GABRIELLE POY, PWS

This Savigny is the result of five small assembled parcels between 30 and 60 years old and is a very pleasant vintage when young, which marries together fruitiness and finesse.

This fragrant red has aromas of baking spice, violet, vineyard dust and blue flower. The savory, elegant palate shows ripe Morello cherry, star anise and clove framed in vibrant acidity and taut, refined tannins.(95) KERIN O'KEEFE, wineenthusiast.com

There's a lightness and nervy spine to the core of maraschino cherries and licorice - a feature of the sandy soils perhaps.  At the moment it feels a little tense, there's a swell of flavours at the fore, but it needs time. Tobacco and balsamic earthy notes balance the berries and dry spices. This is finely tuned and packed with excitement, but tuck it away and it will reward with a few years under its belt. GABRIELLE POY

Perfumed but shy nose with hints of stones. Supple, suave and elegant and with a full aromatic spread on the palate. Great polish and shine. Fantastic crunchy tannins. A real beauty. (18) WALTER SPELLER, www.jancisrobinson.com

The 2019 Chianti Classico (100% Sangiovese) is laced with the essence of red/purplish berry fruit, spice, cedar and floral notes. Readers will find a classic expression of both the vintage and the house style in this super-appealing mid-weight Classico. ANTONIO GALLONI, vinous.com

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More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

Established by Salvatore Pala in 1950, today, sixty years later Mario Pala represents the third generation of the family to run this famous estate. Based in Sardinia, the vineyards of Azienda Agricola Pala are divided into five separate holdings according to their different terroirs. 

This is a bit of a modern take on Sardinian wines with a bit of extra vibrancy and freshness that you don't always catch from the region. A blend of mainly carignan and a touch of locally grown monica. White pepper spice and a quartyz thing going on here with crushed raspberry and strawberry leaping out of the glass. There is a lovely warmth to the fruit, sweet and ripe with a buzz of snappy tannin and lick of fresh acidity. It's plush and crisp with a gentle grip.  MYLES, PWS

Vibrant red and dark berry aromas show fine definition and complementary suggestions of peony, white pepper and olive. Juicy and appealingly sweet, offering Chambord, black raspberry and spicecake flavors that slowly deepen through the midpalate. Smooth tannins frame a long, lively, floral-tinged finish that echoes the spice and red fruit notes. There are qualities here that remind me a lot of a ripe New World Pinot Noir. JOSH RAYNOLDS, Vinous

The 2019 Collines Rhodaniennes La Rosine is another pretty, seamless wine from Ogier, offering classic Northern Rhone black raspberry like fruit as well as some chalky minerality and spice. Medium-bodied, it has fine tannins, and nicely integrated acidity. JEB DUNNUCK

Soft wood and a top note of menthol are present on the plum and sauvage scented nose. The racy, intense and again attractively textured medium-bodied flavors possess both fine depth and length on the youthfully austere finale. This is a lovely Gevrey villages that should reward mid-term keeping. "Outstanding" BURGHOUND

Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cassis, rich spices and loamy soil, the 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes is medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy, with an ample core of lively, concentrated fruit and a textural, enveloping profile. This elegant, gourmand wine will offer a broad drinking window. WILLIAM KELLEY

That's a fine and more florally perfumed nose - pure and clean like the others. Supple, deeper, great texture here. Great depth of finishing flavour - almost 1er cru level here. BILL NANSON, Burgundy Report

Saint-Estèphe

 3ème Cru Classé

At Canon, it’s all about site, site and site, such a critical factor in 2019 on the Right Bank.

The 2019 Canon is creamy and layered. A wine of immense charm and sensuality, the 2019 is immediately appealing today, but also clearly has the potential to age for many decades. The 2019 is not as exuberant as most recent vintages, and yet its balance is simply magnificent. Readers can expect an aristocratic Saint-Émilion that is holding so much in reserve. Patience is key. Tasted three times. Antonio Galloni 98

Sweet cherries and berries with some walnuts and dried flowers, as well as notes of crushed stone, pine, currants and violets. Full-bodied and building gradually on the palate, with intense, polished tannins that are layered throughout the wine, providing well-toned muscle. The finish lasts for minutes. Quintessential Calon. Needs time to soften. Try after 2027. 97 JAMES SUCKLING

Pessac Léognan

Grand Cru Classé

The 2019 Domaine de Chevalier has the potential to be one of the wines of the vintage. Regal and soaring in the glass, with tremendous intensity, the 2019 is pure magic. An exotic mélange of ripe red plum, gravel, spice, cured meats and incense develops with time in the glass. Effortless and wonderfully nuanced, the 2019 is a fabulous wine in the making. Don't miss it. ANTONIO GALLONI 95/97

Beautiful, ripe redcurrants, bay leaf, violets and raspberries on the nose. Full-bodied with firm and very tight tannins that are polished and layered. Crushed stones highlight the beautiful blue fruit. Poised and refined. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 6% petit verdot and 4% cabernet franc. Try after 2026. JAMES SUCKLING 97

Pauillac

 5ème Cru Classé

The 2019 Lynch Bages is every bit as magnificent from bottle as it was from barrel, if not moreso. What a wine! Towering and vertical in its bearing, the 2019 is a total stunner. There is plenty of Lynch Bages charm, but what distinguishes the 2019 most is its spine of tannin and energy. Time in the glass brings out sweet red cherry, plum, blood orange and pomegranate and mint. The 2019 is a great, great, great Lynch Bages. It reminds me of the epic 1989, but with the youthful grip of this vintage. A towering Pauillac, the 2019 Lynch Bages will make a great addition to any cellar. Antonio Galloni 99

Pessac Léognan

Grand Cru Classé

Purchase En Primeur. Arrival due September 2022.

 

The 2019 Pape-Clément was picked from 17 September to 10 October, underwent a 30 day maceration. Matured in 90% oak barrels and 10% wooden foudres for 18 months. It has a very perfumed bouquet with luscious black cherries and boysenberry fruit, touches of raspberry preserve and crème de cassis. The palate is full-bodied and quite muscular, exerting a firm grip and displaying plenty of tobacco-tinged black fruit that dovetails into a more saline, marine influenced finish. This is a very serious Pape-Clément that will require longer ageing than its peers, but will surely be rewarding for those with patience. Tasted on five occasions - hopefully there is some wine left back at the château. Neal Martin 96-98

Saint Émilion

1er Grand Cru Classé B  

The 2019 Pavie was picked from 30 September to 11 October at 29hl/ha. It is initially exubertant, feisty on the nose, a bit like the Pavie-Decesse. Allowing my sample an hour in the glass, it evolves more grace and composure with scents of blackberry, briary, incense and iris flowers. The oak beautifully integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, quite an edgy line of acidity, touches of graphite infusing the very pure black fruit on the satin-textured finish. This is undoubtedly a very impressive, sauve Pavie destined for long-term drinking. Neal Martin 96-98

Lots of roses and dark fruit, such as blackberries and brambleberries on the nose. Full-bodied, yet tight and poised, with real focus and firmness and seamless tannins that run the length of the wine. Minerality and persistence in a cool way. This is very serious for the vintage and for the cellar. Try after 2025. JAMES SUCKLING 97

Pauillac

 

5ème Cru Classé

 

Purchase En Primeur. Arrival due September 2022.

 

The 2019 Pontet-Canet is plush, dense and explosive, with tremendous richness and pure, soaring intensity that strengthens in all directions with time in the glass. A wine of gravitas, the 2019 is statuesque in build. As always, Pontet-Canet offers a very personal, idiosyncratic expression of Pauillac. A range of lifted floral and savory notes ring out on the finish.

The 2019 is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, harvested between September 23 and October 10, which is a typical time frame for the estate. Yields came in a 33 hectoliters per hectare, more or less the historical average these days. For the first time, all sorting and destemming were done by hand and the wine was vinified only with manual punchdowns (i.e. no pumpovers), without any motorized equipment. Cuvaison was around 21 days, after which the wine was taken off the skins for the malolactic fermentation (which was done in the fermentation vats), and then racked into barrels and concrete for aging - 50% new oak, 35% amphora and 15% once-used barrels. Sadly, 2019 is the last vintage at Pontet-Canet for long-time Technical Director Jean-Michel Comme, who left after 31 years to focus on his own projects. He is succeeded by Mathieu Bessonnet, formerly at Chapoutier. Antonio Galloni 95-97

Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

1er Grand Cru Classé B

The 2019 Troplong Mondot is without question one of the wines of the vintage. Vertical and explosive in feel, the 2019 dazzles with its magnificent balance. Inky red/purplish fruit, cinnamon, chocolate, dried flowers and lavender open with a bit of time, but Troplong is not a wine for the here and now, but rather a wine for readers who can be patient. The 2019 is all class and refinement. Those qualities become increasingly apparent over time, once some of the initial power and density subsides with air. This is the first time the Grand Vin was blended before the malolactic fermentation. ANTONIO GALLONI 97

The purity of fruit is pretty phenomenal here with blackcurrants, cherries and crushed-stone undertones. Floral notes of roses and violets, too. Full-bodied, yet this is a linear style with super fine tannins and great length and beauty. You really want to drink it. It grows on the palate and shows real power, with breadth and depth. Remains fresh throughout. Really something. Try after 2026. 98 JAMES SUCKLING

Pomerol

 

Purchase En Primeur. Arrival due September 2022.

 

The 2019 Vieux Château Certan is even better from bottle than it was from barrel. It is very clearly one of the highlights on the Right Bank. Soaring aromatics are immediately captivating. There is an exoticism in the 2019 that I saw from barrel that is evident in the bottled wine, but today, I see more balance and harmony. Crème de cassis, licorice, lavender, spice and rose petal blend into a core of red/purplish berry fruit. All the elements are so well balanced. The Grand Vin is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, but the blend also includes one lot of young vine Cabernet Sauvignon that was added for its aromatic presence. That decision paid off in spades, as the 2019 is truly magical. Antonio Galloni 98+

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Offering up aromas of plums, raspberries and spices, the 2019 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Gruenchers is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and gourmand, with a ripe core of fruit, succulent acids and fine, youthfully chalky tannins that assert them selves on the finish. WILLIAM KELLEY

Here the nose is relatively firmly reduced so be sure to give it some air if you're tempted to try a bottle young in the interest of science. There is excellent size, weight and mid-palate density to the rich but nicely detailed, muscular and powerful flavors that also culminate in a youthfully austere, lingering and structured finale. Patience definitely recommended. "Outstanding" BURGHOUND

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!