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Country: Australia, Barossa ValleyGrapes: Syrah / Shiraz, Monastrell / Mourvedre / MataroABV: 15%Style: Rich Full Red97 Points - Sam King, Wine Orbit. The Lou Miranda Estate in the southern Barossa Valley is blessed with a small block of Mataro (France’s Mourvèdre) that was planted in 1898. These ancient, exceptionally low-yielding vines produce a tiny amount of wine – a yield that was reduced even further in the heat of the brilliant 2018 vintage. The little that was made was blended with Shiraz to create one of the best premium Australian red wines. Post-fermentation it was given three years ageing in season -
Country: France, ChampagneGrapes: ChardonnayABV: 12.5%Style: Rich Complex SparklingA wonderfully complex Blanc de Blancs champagne from the outstanding 2017 vintage. Michel Genet and his team are 'manufacteurs de Grands Crus' and their MG BB Vintage offers aromas of pastries with fragrances of fresh nuts and candied fruits, followed by tobacco, menthol anise and eucalyptus. This has a rich aromatic palette and powerful finish. Vivino Rating: 4.1 (Jan 2025) About the Producer“Manufacteurs de Grands Crus”. Michel Genet like to call themselves “manufacteurs” (“artisans”) from the -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 13%Style: Savoury Classic RedYou may not have heard of the Champeaux Premier Cru, but once you've tasted it you'll wish you had sooner. Champeaux is the northernmost Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru vineyard. Its rocky limestone and clay soils are nutrient-poor and free draining which makes it ideal for growing Pinot Noir. The vineyard faces east which means vines are exposed to morning sunshine but shaded in the afternoon. This, and the soils, gives wines of great structure and longevity. The glorious 2022 vintage imparted an -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 13.5%Style: Savoury Classic RedIf you have so much as a vague interest in red Burgundy, then this is a must-try wine. The 2020 vintage was as challenging as it was exceptional and Vincent’s obsessive attention to detail came into its own. He deliberately kept his hand-tended Pinot Noir vines’ yields low, boosting the concentration and structure of this classic year still further. The downside to this was he wasn’t able to produce much wine, but what he has created is of memorable quality. Taste Still deep red, the Vincent Pru -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: ChardonnayABV: 13.5%Style: Classy Complex WhiteDomaine Vincent Prunier Chassagne Montrachet Blanc 2022 is a fine example of this micro-domaines wines. Produced in the challenging, but brilliant 2022 vintage, Vincent’s well-placed old vines performed exceptionally well and produced a small crop of beautifully balanced, ripe grapes that careful vinification turned into yet another high-scoring wine. Hand harvested, hand sorted, and handmade, this is a classic Chassagne Montrachet that offers ample fruit, an elegant structure, and fine acidity. -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: ChardonnayABV: 13.5%Style: Classy Complex WhiteDomaine Vincent Prunier Pernand Vergelesses Blanc 2022 is another excellent example of this micro-domaine’s fantastic wines. Pernand Vergelesses lies just north of Beaune and can offer exceptional value for money. Vincent’s Pernand Vergelesses Blanc 2022 is an outstanding wine. Hand harvested, hand sorted, and handmade, it offers ample fruit, an elegant structure, and fine acidity that makes it a joy to drink young though it has the ability to age beautifully. Prices for Domaine Vincent Prunier’ -
Country: France, Bordeaux, Pessac LeognanGrapes: Cabernet SauvignonABV: 14%Style: Savoury Classic Red96 Points - Wine Enthusiast. La Mission Haut Brion produced a typically brilliant wine in 2008. While the vintage as a whole has been somewhat overshadowed by the 2009 and 2010, the 2008s are often exceptional and offer great value for money by comparison. Robert Parker awarded this classic blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc 95 points praising its ‘Medium to full-bodied and concentrated with good acidity, freshness and delineation.’ Neal Martin gave the 2008 96 po -
Country: France, Bordeaux, Saint EmilionGrapes: Merlot, Cabernet FrancABV: 14%Style: Savoury Classic Red93 Points - Wine Enthusiast. Château Fonroque produced an excellent wine in 2017. The 2017 vintage was unusual and not without its challenges. A hard (-6°C) frost on the 28th of April reduced the potential crop significantly as did a lack of rain in the spring. Happily a dry summer and sunny autumn allowed Fonroque to bring in a relatively small, but healthy harvest. The grand vin is a blend of 93% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc, a mix that played to the vintage’s strengths. Typically powerful and -
Country: Portugal, DouroGrapes: Touriga FrancaABV: 12%Style: Smooth Fruity RedNiepoort’s Redoma Tinto is an outstanding example of the Douro’s new style of red wines. While produced from a blend of traditional Port varieties - Tinta Amarela, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz – this is a thoroughly modern wine. Intervention in the winery is kept to a minimum and while it does receive oak ageing, this is in old Port casks. The aim is to allow the character of the vineyards and their organic fruit to shine through. Full of concentrated black fruits, its freshness stops it from -
Country: USA, CaliforniaGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 15.5%Style: Rich Full RedSourced from some of the best sites in California, Sourced, Rancho Real, Annapolis, Del Rio, Laguna to name a few, the 2022 Slander is an example of great winemaking and the sum being greater than its parts. Bright and enveloping on the entry, notes of fresh strawberry, watermelon, thyme and a hint of funk come through. Spicy on the finish, the wine closes with a flash of blue fruits and lift. Vivino Rating: 4.2 (Jul 2024) Taste The 2022 Slander delivers a medium ruby core with a lucid rim that’ -
Country: Italy, UmbriaGrapes: ChardonnayABV: 13.5%Style: Classy Complex WhiteLungolago is Viandante del Cielo’s white, a blend of Chardonnay with the native variety of Grechetto, producing a complex white that can evolve in the bottle for years. Named Lungolago, or ‘lakeside’, in honour of the body of water that has so much influence on the life and health of the vines, Lungolago has a delicate nose of white peach and hints of pineapple. A spicy and savoury character with distinctive fennel and peppermint from the Grechetto, the lively acidity and the wet-stones minerali -
Country: Italy, UmbriaGrapes: CiliegioloABV: 14%Style: Rich Full RedPristinvm, Latin for ‘ancient, original, traditional’ is a rich, lively, aromatic blend of great finesse in which native the variety Ciliegliolo is complemented by three other red varieties that have long been planted in the area. Full bodied with an intense dark fruited nose with black pepper from Ciliegiolo. Velvety yet definite tannins are enveloped in toasty oak that would release additional layers of complexity over time. Taste Full bodied red with intense dark fruited nose, black pepper f -
Country: France, ProvenceGrapes: Vermentino / RolleABV: 13.5%Style: Classy Complex WhiteDomaine de Margüi can trace its roots back to Roman times through ruins and amphorae discovered in 2002. In 2017, the Domaine was fully renovated and became part of the Skywalker Vineyards collection. The Bastide de Margui is the Domaine's Grand Vin from the historical plot of Clos de Mingeaud, where the grapes are rigorously de-budded, hand-picked, and sorted to produce a wine of exceptional quality. Ripe white fruit notes mingle with subtle white flowers, while the palate is fresh and structur -
Country: France, ChampagneGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 12.5%Style: Rich Complex Sparkling91 Points - Decanter. Champagne Bonvalet began with a wild dream: to create a Maison de Champagne from scratch. In 2012, Guillaume created his first cuvée, which took two more years of patience to distribute the first 2000 bottles of Champagne Bonvalet. 2014 – A very distinctive year, that of the very first production of House Bonvalet. The Premier Cru Horae represents patience and serendipity, both needed to lead beautiful projects and produce great wines. The rich power of Pinot Noir and the d -
Country: France, ChampagneGrapes: ChardonnayABV: 12.5%Style: Crisp Classic SparklingMarpésia, the Queen of the Amazons is the symbol of strength and solidarity. This delicious and elegant Rose champagne is a daring wine in which Chardonnay and Pinot Noir achieve a wonderful balance with the addition of 15% AOC Coteaux-Champenois red wine into the blend. The result, a champagne with beautiful aromatic richness lifted by a fruit burst of raspberries and strawberries, delicious and elegant. Vivino Rating: 4.1 (Jan 2025) Blend: 75% Chardonnay | 10% Pinot Noir | 15% Coteaux-Champeno -
Country: France, Bordeaux, Saint EmilionGrapes: Cabernet Franc, Merlot, MalbecABV: 13.5%Style: Savoury Classic Red95 Points - Decanter. One of Saint-Émilion's most prestigious Grand Cru's, located right next door to the famed Château Cheval Blanc. From the oldest surviving wine producing château in Saint-Émilion comes this incredible Grand Cru Classe wine from a fabulous vintage. A sensationally moreish, fragrant and textured wine created by the renowned Olivier Decelle. Vivino Rating: 4.1 (Jun 2024) Wine Press Ratings 95 Points - Decanter "Wonderfully floral cherry notes on the nose here - ripe, vibrant an -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 12.5%Style: Savoury Classic RedLes Gollardes is a plot located on the northern slopes of Savigny-lès-Beaune, a territory shared with the neighbouring commune of Pernand-Vergelesses. Facing south, extending from the Premier Crus, this earlier climate produces coloruful and substantial wines, balanced by a beautiful suppleness of body. Aromas of redcurrant, blackcurrant, and blackberry intertwined with undertones of undergrowth, mushrooms, and spices. Taste A ruby colour tinged with purple, offers a fruity bouquet on the nose, -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 13%Style: Savoury Classic RedA blend of two vineyard parcels, Les Planchots and Les Pimentiers, yields a unique combination. While one boasts stony, well-draining soil, the other features a clayey, less profound terrain. The vines, with an average age surpassing 60 years, and some exceeding 90 years, bear modest yields. However, their grapes are distinguished by remarkable ripeness and intense aromatic concentration. Taste With a medium intensity colour, the Savigny-Lès-Beaune of the Domaine Decelle & Fils offers an ele -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 14%Style: Savoury Classic RedLocated at the foot of the Corton hill, in the northern part of the Côte de Beaune, the village of Chorey primarily produces red wines. The Beaumonts vineyard is nestled between the communes of Savigny and Aloxe. The structure is supple and indulgent, revealing notes of Morello cherry and raspberry. It's a light, elegant wine with low tannins. Taste With a slightly intense ruby red color, the Chorey-Lès-Beaune presents a fresh and fruity nose. On the palate, the structure is supple and indulgent -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: ChardonnayABV: 12.5%Style: Classy Complex WhiteThis Chardonnay presents a wonderful contrast between liveliness and roundness, comfort and freshness. Situated on the heights of Savigny-lès-Beaune, the plot called "Les Champlains" is characterized by a poor and very stony soil. One can indeed see numerous "meurgers," these high piles of flat stones extracted from the vineyards over the centuries and piled into walls bordering the plots. The particularly generous sunlight of the plot benefits the grapes, which ripen well, resulting in a dense -
Country: Italy, PiedmontGrapes: NebbioloABV: 14.5%Style: Savoury Classic Red94 Points - Raffaele Vecchione. A great Barolo from the cru Ravera, close to the villages of Barolo and Novello, from the extraordinary 2019 vintage. This Barolo from Cagliero is pure and authentic, beautiful structure with a bouquet of violets, ripe fruit (plums) and spices. Layered and round in the mouth and beautifully balanced, young but pleasant tannins on the tongue, resulting in an endless finish. Already very good today, this wine will age beautifully for years to come! Wine Press Rating -
Country: France, Bordeaux, Saint JulienGrapes: Cabernet SauvignonABV: 14%Style: Savoury Classic RedSituated in an enviable small enclave among the classified growths of Saint-Julien, 5 hectares of vines are surrounded by the grand crus classés of Leoville Barton, Gruaud Larose, Beychevelle and Talbot. "The Château Moulin de la Rose Saint-Julien is a wonderful showing. It instantly starts off with aromas of red and dark berries woven together with flowers, spices, new leather and toast all unwinding in the glass. On the palate this is medium to full-bodied with excellent structure and wonderfu -
Country: France, Bordeaux, Saint JulienGrapes: Cabernet SauvignonABV: 14.5%Style: Savoury Classic RedSituated in an enviable small enclave among the classified growths of Saint-Julien, 5 hectares of vines are surrounded by the grand crus classés of Leoville Barton, Gruaud Larose, Beychevelle and Talbot. "The Château Moulin de la Rose Saint-Julien is a wonderful showing. It instantly starts off with aromas of red and dark berries woven together with flowers, spices, new leather and toast all unwinding in the glass. On the palate this is medium to full-bodied with excellent structure and wonderfu -
Country: Italy, PiedmontGrapes: NebbioloABV: 14.5%Style: Savoury Classic Red92 Points - RV WineCritics - A great Barolo from the cru Ravera, close to the villages of Barolo and Novello, from the fantastic 2017 vintage. This Barolo from Cagliero is pure and authentic, beautiful structure with a bouquet of violets, ripe fruit (plums) and spices. Layered and round in the mouth and beautifully balanced, young but pleasant tannins on the tongue, resulting in an endless finish. Already very good today, this wine will age beautifully for years to come! Wine Press Ratings 92 Po