Product Line

The 2017 Carbonnieux Blanc is absolutely lovely. Lemon confit, white flowers and green orchard fruit open up first, followed by a range of bright citrus and floral notes that add brilliance to a very pretty upper register. ANTONIO GALLONI

…This is one of the most sophisticated white Carbonnieux that I have encountered at this stage with wonderful mineralité and veins of ginger furnishing the finish that convey brio and confidence. This should evolve into an outstanding Pessac-Léognan. NEAL MARTIN, vinous.com

Right off the bat this has richness and concentration, with peachy creaminess through the mid-palate but without sacrificing tension and lift. It's a fine example of what 2017 can deliver in the best whites, and should age very well. JANE ANSON, decanter.com

Notes of lemon curd, citrus rind and hints of crushed rock define the 2017 Château Carbonnieux, which is medium-bodied, pure, and elegant on the palate. It's another great white from the Pessac-Léognan region in 2017. JEB DUNNUCK

Barsac 1er Cru Classé
Avaliable
The 2017 Coutet, which was tasted both as a final blend and directly from several different lots in barrel, has a very well defined bouquet with pure wild honey and orange blossom aromas that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is crisp and fresh, underpinned by Coutet’s trademark acidic drive that counterbalances the intense honeyed fruit laced with orange zest and white peach. Superb. (96) NEAL MARTIN

The 2017 Coutet is very, very good. Nuanced and beautifully textured, throughout, the 2017 has quite a bit to offer. Silky contours add finesse to the orange peel, apricot jam, mint and spice flavors. Above all else, Coutet offers terrific depth while remaining light on its feet. ANTONIO GALLONI

Proprietor Sam Bilbro has spent virtually a lifetime around wine. His family owns Marietta, while brothers Jake and Scot are behind the reborn Limerick Lane. At Idlewild, Sam Bilbro focuses on Italian and other less well-known varieties. In addition to these wines, I also tasted the, Arneis Fox Hill Vineyard, Vin Gris Dry Creek Valley and Grenache Gris Gibson Ranch. The best wines in this range are compelling, and point to a bright future. ANTONIO GALLONI, www.vinousmedia.com

Having had a relationship with the Bilbro family as importers of the Marietta wines some years ago we were delighted to find youngest son, Sam, was behind this new venture, Idlewild. In many ways the wines are the anitpathy of what so many believe Californian wines are supposed to be. Hunting out heritage stands of Italian and Rhone varietals (mostly in Mendocino County) Bilbro makes extremely interesting wines characterised by texture, savouriness and subtlety. Skin contact is a part of the wines as is a relatively non-interventionist approach; both indicative of the preferences of the younger brigade of Calfornia producers. PWS

The 2017 White The Bee Flora & Fauna, is a classy, polished wine to drink now and over the next few years. Green pear, mint, white flowers and light tropical overtones all grace this very pretty, expressive wine. The Muscat in particular adds an attractive aromatic flair. ANTONIO GALLONI

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

A triumph for the vintage with spices, dried mushroom, dried pineapple, peaches, and honey. Full and sweet with bright acidity and a long, intense finish. Powerful wine. This could be the best Coutet ever. JAMES SUCKLING

The Coutet 2009 is a sensational effort from Philippe Baly and his team. It has a fragrant nose of honey, vervain tea, pineapple, frangipane and apple-blossom, well defined if needing a little more vigour at the moment. The palate is vibrant on the entry, informed by touches of apricot and orange peel, very focused and tensile towards the long, sensuous, viscous finish. It has the same minerality exuded by Doisy-Daene and reminds me of a stellar '62 tasted just a few weeks previously. A magnificent Coutet. (98) NEAL MARTIN

Intense exotic fruits abound, powerful apricot, nectarine, white flowers and white truffles with excellent bitter almonds on the finish that works so well as a counterpoint to the luxurious texture. I love this, silky and seductive yet strict. (97) DECANTER, tasted 2020

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!

A wine of stunning beauty, the 2017 Lafaurie-Peyraguey is so remarkably vivid from the very first taste. All the elements simply fall into place effortlessly. Orchard fruit, tangerine, passion fruit mint and exotic floral overtones all grace this precise, wonderfully inviting Sauternes from Silvio Denz. Lafaurie-Peyraguey is pure and total finesse. (97) ANTONIO GALLONI

A wine with fresh, clean botrytis influence and lemon curd, sliced apricot, dried apricot and apricot confiture. This has striking purity with such intense flavors of peach and apricot custard, apricot pastry and a very elegant and supple, fleshy-fruit texture with acidity that holds such freshness on the finish. Elegance and freshness meets power and purity. Concentrated in every respect - flavors, sugar and acidity. Drink now or age for a considerable time, as you prefer. (97) JAMES SUCKLING

One of the top sweet wines in this report is the 2016 Château Coutet, which has the vintage's plush, opulent style as well as thrilling purity and good acids. Pineapple, white flowers, sugared peach, and honeyed notes all emerge from this full-bodied, layered, balanced Barsac that's already impossible to resist yet will evolve gracefully 2+ decades. (97) JEB DUNNUCK

The vibrant, tropical fruit-coulis character draws you into this concentrated and elegant Barsac. Then the crisp acidity and a wave of lemon and mineral character comes through, driving the finish out in the direction of the horizon. (95) JAMES SUCKLING

Oh that's lovely. Ginger and sumac spice, and a gorgeous richness with the perfect balance of minerality. Rich but pure botrytis character and gently curling smoky notes leap out of the glass. Amazing persistency, easily one of the best wines in the tasting. This is excellent; succulent and mouthwatering. (96) DECANTER

With coaxing, the pale lemon colored 2016 Coutet slowly unfurls to give a myriad of preserved lemons, pineapple pastry, almond croissant, fresh ginger and lime blossoms scents with nuances of chalk dust, white pepper, star anise and cedar. Rich, seductive and yet exquisitely balanced, the satiny-textured palate has layer upon layer of citrus and savory notions, finishing very long and spicy. (97) WINE ADVOCATE

Sauternes (1st Growth)

The Chateau Lafaurie Peyraguey has an ebullient nose of Tropicana, dried honey and quince that intensifies in the glass whilst maintaining impressive definition. The palate is very well-balanced with superb tension and focus, a Sauternes built of minerality and poise, leading to a citrus, almost spicy finish that leaves the mouth tingling with pleasure.  NEAL MARTIN

Over the past 10 years or so, this estate has been producing finer and finer wines. We are now a long way from the heavier styles of the 90s. This '10 is a lively, fine, fresh-kiwi / quince-fruited example, all minerality and vibrancy, with controlled sweetness and fine acidity, and finishing with a lovely almost Nairac-type tanginess.  BILL BLATCH

Very fresh and bright with effusive pink grapefruit and lilac aromas from the warm, dry growing season. I love this wine’s zesty personality and the wonderful mineral freshness that gives the long finish a terrific kick. This almost pure muscat a petits grains. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink now. STUART PIGOTT, jamessuckling.com

Dreamy, subtle aromas of dried fruit such as apricots and mangoes, but also fresh lemons and pears. Then there are caramel and tart tatin undertones with some bananas, pineapple, tangerines and other tropical fruit. Full-bodied, yet it remains vivid and compact, giving it a lightness even though it is really structured. The tannins are throughout the palate but blend in perfectly, giving it a solid presence, like a a diamond. It's tight at the end, but you know that it will linger for ages, with a lightly chewy and intellectual finish. Touches of sweetness, cloves and bitterness to make it interesting. Dynamic. (100) JAMES SUCKLING

I find this more direct and intense than the 2020. Yet this is also a wine that exudes balance and harmony, even at this nascent stage. Beautifully limpid and with a disguised natural power. Supremely aerial. Green apple skin. Saffron. Fresh ginger. A hint of confit ginger too. Lime. White grapefruit. A touch of fleur de sel. Marzipan. White almonds. Mango. Guava. Passionfruit. Pineapple - entirely pure and crisply fresh. All in great purity. This is floral, too. Mimosa. Buttercup (almost the leitmotif here). On the palate I find this tight and tense, yet so incredibly softly textured. And, above all, intense and captivating. Sparklingly striking and dynamic - and held together by the salinity as much as by the acidity, the two in fact working together, giving this an incredible aging potential. Delicate in its intensity. Sapid and with lovely waves of saline-inflected juicy fluidity. Even now this is a wine of very considerable complexity - built from assembling the finest botrytised grapes from the best of the couronne (the crown) of Bommes (with the Château of Yquem at the epicentre). This finishes with the most glorious bitter sugar note - burnt caramel just perfectly on the edge of bitterness. So accessible but so totally ageless and, for now, almost cool in its freshness. (99) COLIN HAY, Drinks Business

Beautiful primary fruit boasting tropical complexity: mango, pineapple. Saltiness, according to the winemaker - and there is definitely savoury contrast in there. The marvel of this wine is its completeness - the stitching is so fine between the sugar, acidity, rich fruit and length. Opens up in the glass, with white chocolate, caramel, clotted cream, mixed peel, five-spice. As prestigious as ever, and so gratifying to drink right now. (19) JANCIS ROBINSON MW

The complex aromatic profile explodes from the glass with pineapple, papaya, apricot, Meyer lemon, tangerine peels, caramel, honey, vanilla, saffron, cashews, and candied grapefruit in the aromatic profile. The palate resides perfectly in the middle of hedonism, and vibrancy. Clearly, there is ample sweetness, but the racy acidity provides incredible lift, energy, and length. The fruit expresses purity in its tangerines, oranges, mango, papaya, banana, and pineapples all slathered in honey. This is one of those Yquem's that can be enjoyed either as a sweet wine, or due to its vibrancy, with a diverse array of savory, and spicy dishes. Produced from a blend of 65% Semillon and 35% Sauvignon Blanc, 148 Grams per liter, 14% ABV, 3.79 pH. Yields were only 8 hectoliters per hectare. The harvest took place over an extended time, September 12 - October 27, with 4 passes in total. As you can see, the harvest was quite long, but picking the heart of vintage took place mid-to late October. (98) WINE CELLAR INSIDER

Dreamy, subtle aromas of dried fruit such as apricots and mangoes, but also fresh lemons and pears. Then there are caramel and tart tatin undertones with some bananas, pineapple, tangerines and other tropical fruit. Full-bodied, yet it remains vivid and compact, giving it a lightness even though it is really structured. The tannins are throughout the palate but blend in perfectly, giving it a solid presence, like a a diamond. It's tight at the end, but you know that it will linger for ages, with a lightly chewy and intellectual finish. Touches of sweetness, cloves and bitterness to make it interesting. Dynamic. (100) JAMES SUCKLING

I find this more direct and intense than the 2020. Yet this is also a wine that exudes balance and harmony, even at this nascent stage. Beautifully limpid and with a disguised natural power. Supremely aerial. Green apple skin. Saffron. Fresh ginger. A hint of confit ginger too. Lime. White grapefruit. A touch of fleur de sel. Marzipan. White almonds. Mango. Guava. Passionfruit. Pineapple - entirely pure and crisply fresh. All in great purity. This is floral, too. Mimosa. Buttercup (almost the leitmotif here). On the palate I find this tight and tense, yet so incredibly softly textured. And, above all, intense and captivating. Sparklingly striking and dynamic - and held together by the salinity as much as by the acidity, the two in fact working together, giving this an incredible aging potential. Delicate in its intensity. Sapid and with lovely waves of saline-inflected juicy fluidity. Even now this is a wine of very considerable complexity - built from assembling the finest botrytised grapes from the best of the couronne (the crown) of Bommes (with the Château of Yquem at the epicentre). This finishes with the most glorious bitter sugar note - burnt caramel just perfectly on the edge of bitterness. So accessible but so totally ageless and, for now, almost cool in its freshness. (99) COLIN HAY, Drinks Business

Beautiful primary fruit boasting tropical complexity: mango, pineapple. Saltiness, according to the winemaker - and there is definitely savoury contrast in there. The marvel of this wine is its completeness - the stitching is so fine between the sugar, acidity, rich fruit and length. Opens up in the glass, with white chocolate, caramel, clotted cream, mixed peel, five-spice. As prestigious as ever, and so gratifying to drink right now. (19) JANCIS ROBINSON MW

The complex aromatic profile explodes from the glass with pineapple, papaya, apricot, Meyer lemon, tangerine peels, caramel, honey, vanilla, saffron, cashews, and candied grapefruit in the aromatic profile. The palate resides perfectly in the middle of hedonism, and vibrancy. Clearly, there is ample sweetness, but the racy acidity provides incredible lift, energy, and length. The fruit expresses purity in its tangerines, oranges, mango, papaya, banana, and pineapples all slathered in honey. This is one of those Yquem's that can be enjoyed either as a sweet wine, or due to its vibrancy, with a diverse array of savory, and spicy dishes. Produced from a blend of 65% Semillon and 35% Sauvignon Blanc, 148 Grams per liter, 14% ABV, 3.79 pH. Yields were only 8 hectoliters per hectare. The harvest took place over an extended time, September 12 - October 27, with 4 passes in total. As you can see, the harvest was quite long, but picking the heart of vintage took place mid-to late October. (98) WINE CELLAR INSIDER

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!

Intense exotic fruits abound, powerful apricot, nectarine, white flowers and white truffles with excellent bitter almonds on the finish that works so well as a counterpoint to the luxurious texture. I love this, silky and seductive yet strict. Philippe Dhalluin of Mouton does the blend here since 2009 along with the family. (97) DECANTER

The 2019 Coutet has a luscious bouquet with scents of dried honey, honeysuckle and orange pith, intense and well defined. The palate is built around Coutet's trademark line of acidity, an underlying zestiness cutting through the unctuous honeyed fruit with a welcome orange rind and marmalade note on the persistent finish. Excellent. (96) NEAL MARTIN

The pale lemon-gold colored 2019 Coutet is a thrill ride from the get-go, exploding from the glass with fantastically intense scents of tangerine peel, lime blossoms and lemon marmalade over a core of pineapple upside-down cake, candied ginger, ripe apricots and clover honey plus suggestions of chanterelles and musk perfume. The palate is equally electric and exhilarating, prancing around the palate with a whole myriad of candied citrus, stone fruit and citrus flavors, charged by a racy backbone of acidity, finishing beautifully textured and with an epically long firework display of minerals. Apart from all that, it is pretty darn delicious. (97) WINE ADVOCATE

Lots of honeyed orange, caramelized pineapple, and honeyed flower notes emerge from the 2021 Château Coutet, a medium-bodied, pretty, vibrant Barsac with plenty of character. It should easily be an outstanding wine. JEB DUNNUCK

Fantastic energy and length to this young Sauternes, with dried-apple, apple-pie, spice and cinnamon character . Medium body, medium sweetness and a vibrant finish. (96) JAMES SUCKLING

The 2021 Coutet has another refined and (for Coutet) low-key bouquet that gradually finds its voice: quince, white peach, pineapple and beeswax scents. A faint hint of saffron that surfaces with aeration. The palate is well-balanced and quite viscous, bearing superb weight and a clean and pure, beautifully defined, botrytis-rich finish. Touches of vanilla emerge on the aftertaste. Excellent. NEAL MARTIN

Slightly toasted orange rind and vanilla caramel on the nose. Lovely density and unctuousness on the palate, really quite rich and fleshy with peach, sweet pineapple and toasted almond notes on the palate. Mouthwatering and racy, but also textured, balanced and structured. A great effort with excellent ageing potential. DECANTER

Great quality, bright and concentrated, dried apricots, mandain peel, fig, pineapple and candied ginger, with a touch of bitterness and a mouthwatering finish. This is gorgeous, one to look out for. (95) JANE ANSON

Pale medium colour. Attractive verbena, camomile, honey aromas with crème brûlée notes. Refined and beautiful apricot glacé, verbena lime honeyed flavours, fine chalky hint al dente textures and fresh linear acidity. Bittersweet notes at the finish. (96) ANDREW CAILLARD MW

The 2020 Château Coutet is flat-out gorgeous, with a concentrated, powerful style in its caramelized orange, honeyed flowers, pineapple upside down cake, and toasty, spicy nuances. Rich, full-bodied, concentrated, and layered, it nevertheless stays focused, pure, and precise, with laser-like precision and vibrancy on the palate. This tour de force in Sauternes is going to pretty much just knock your socks off over the coming two decades. (97) JEB DUNNUCK

A signature Coutet nose with burnt orange, caramelised peaches and floral flecks. Thick and intense, really lovely weight on the palate, deep yet juicy with high acidity that gives a tang to the palate. Lovely layers of sweetness, acidity and richness - concentrated and intense. Classy and stylish as always. Not as dazzling at this point as the 2019 was but this is still a lovely wine with plenty of enjoyment on offer. (95) DECANTER

The 2020 Coutet has a pale lemon-gold color, waltzing out of the glass with energetic notes of lemon tart, pink grapefruit, green mango and lime blossoms, with hints of chopped almonds, clover honey, candle wax and straw, plus a waft of sea spray. The palate is all class, featuring ethereal intensity and amazing poise, enveloped in a satiny texture and seamless acidity, finishing long and mineral laced. Currently, while it is just a tick or so down on the impressive 2019, I love the restraint and energy of this 2020 and wouldn't be surprised if it eventually spreads its wings and surpasses its showier sibling over time (96) WINE ADVOCATE

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 colour tells a big part of the story: deep, dark amber brown. The scent is complex, sweet and pure with walnut, honeyed fruitcake, treacle, coffee bean and vanilla. Falls like velvet on the tongue; seamless. This classification is the domain of the expert blender and the choices she makes to convey house style (elegant, fine), complexity and, importantly, freshness. Jen Pfeiffer is one such master of the art. (97) JENI PORT, wine companion

Deep amber in appearance. The nose is incredibly complex and concentrated, with aromas of burnt oranges, roasted walnuts, sandalwood, dried fruit and dark chocolate coated coffee beans. Seriously deep and brooding and an iconic style of Australian wine found nowhere else in the world. The average age of base wines is 28 year. Exceptional. (98) JAMES SUCKLING

The brooding and immaculate NV Rare Muscat Rutherglen (2024 release) is superbly pitched and mesmerizing, with its aged coffee grounds, roasted nut, old spice and cocoa tones brightened by cherry compote. Incredible fruit density fills the palate while balanced sweetness provides a seamless quality. The finish builds and builds to a fabulous conclusion. (97) angus Hughson, vinous media

Extraordinary intensity – wow, it just keeps on expanding across the palate. Thick, oily texture with intense dried fruit and incredible ripeness. An absolute scene-stealer! 18.5 jancis Robinson

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Zind Humbrecht is one of the unquestioned kings of aromatic whites. His ceaseless drive to create the world's greatest examples of his varieties is nothing short of remarkable as are the resulting offerings. A devoted proponent of Biodynamics, a gifted presenter and communicator and a towering figure of modern wine, the first Frenchman to be awarded the MW (International Master of Wine) he has justifiably earned his reputation as one of the legends of modern wine.

The Tuckheim Range is the value tier and represents classic Alsatian whites from a regional blend of grapes as well as estate fruit. These vineyards are grown on the valley floor, where the glacial debris of rolled stones, granite and gneiss has settled over the aeons. Wine from these soils tends to have a lovely fruit profile underpinned with a stoney-mineral tension that screams 'drink me' and marks the wines with the typical mineral streak of Alsace.