Stocktake Sale 2024

Alan Meadows - Burghound A discreet application of wood sets off ripe and fresh aromas of poached pear, just sliced green apple and lemon-lime nuances that are picked up by the rich and voluminous medium-bodied flavors that exude evident minerality on the clean, dry and sneaky long finish. This too could use a bit more depth but it's already more complex plus it's a bit more tightly wound. Even so, this refreshing effort could also be enjoyed young without leaving too much potential on the table. Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy, 90 points. Also a lemon and lime colour, with a little more flesh than the Bataillère. Light fennel...

Brambly blackcurrant leaf and cassis vie with a heady violet perfume for prominence on the bouquet. The palate is effortlessly sleek and suave with understated elegance being the watchword. Perfectly ripe fruitcake flavour can be found, along with cassis and brambles, cedar spice and delicious subtle succulence contributing to the warm, comforting texture. Harmony of fruit and wood is superb. Layered, textured, complex and refined, it lingers long on the palate. Undoubtedly a wine for the ages, which will mature with distinction.  #2017D

100% Ansonica, from the Island of Giglio - just off the Tuscan coast. “Testamatta 2021 is a pure expression of the Ansonica on Giglio Island. It delivers perfumes of sliced apple, peach and lemon peel while the 12 months of aging provide final hints of toasted spices. Testamatta 2021 encompasses the power of the vintage with a bright acidity and minerality given by the granitic soil. It’s so energetic and vivid, it’s like walking on Giglio ‘slopes!” Bibi Graetz.    

Here’s a quaffable, light red wine that we love drinking. The Accidental Red came about in 2022 by…..unforeseen opportunity…..by accident! The Merlot being pressed for Rosé had too much juice remaining to discard to compost and Shiraz pressings had too much colour for Rosé so in they went together. In 2023 we decided to make the Accidental Red deliberately and to make it better. And we have! Merlot berries are fermented with pressed out Shiraz juice, so in effect there was half the amount of the usual skins for the wine volume. A relatively quick wild yeast fermentation (limiting the time on skins) then into...

On the floral side of the style range with nuances of cherries, orange rind, spice, currants and spearmint. The wine is medium-bodied, supple and finishes with sweet cherries on the mid-palate and in the refined, and mildly, chalky finish. Drink from 2023-2032. Jeff Leve , Wine Cellar Insider. 90 points. #BORD

Tasting note Colour : Yellow with shiny green flecks. Aroma : Very intense, fruity and floral, with a slight hint of oak that is very well-integrated. Flavour : Fruity, elegant sensation in the mouth, dense, full and with good acidity at the end and a long aftertaste.

93James Suckling Lots of dried berry, peach and cedar character. Full body, layered and powerful. 92Vinous / IWC Wild herb, smoke, incense, licorice and blood orange give the 2012 Barolo Liste a decidedly exotic.

WINERY NOTE: As bright as our rosé made from 100% Merlot shines, it also tastes fresh, fruity and elegant. The grapes for this wine with fragrant and floral aromas of white flowers and watermelon come from the vineyards in Maremma. In contrast to red wine, we harvest the Merlot grapes a little earlier, so the alcohol and structure remain light and have a bright salmon pink color. We let the must ferment spontaneously at cool temperatures in stainless steel tanks without any contact time with the mash, before the young wine is aged on the lees for three more months. The rosé is suitable both as an aperitif wine and as a meal...

Crafted from grapes grown in Central Otago, our Sauvignon Blanc is meticulously tailored to showcase the herbaceous notes typical of Sauvignon, accompanied by a hint of tropical fruit. What sets it apart is the distinct textural structure unique to Central Otago Sauvignon Blanc – something truly out of the ordinary. This wine presents a full-bodied and textural experience on the palate, boasting enduring flavours that linger. Handpicked and gently whole bunch pressed, it is a product of small-batch craftsmanship. The wild yeast fermentation, prolonged contact with lees, and a modest portion aged in barrels all contribute to the...

Wine Advocate 94-96 Points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2020 Berliquet is composed of 69% Merlot and 31% Cabernet Franc, weighing in at 14.5% alcohol. It is aging in French oak barrels, 50% new. Deep purple-black colored, it trots casually out of the glass with effortlessly flamboyant scents of stewed black cherries, warm plums and baked blackberries, plus hints of chocolate mint, violets and licorice with a touch of fertile loam. The medium to full-bodied palate is very tightly wound with layers of ripe black fruits and earthy accents, framed by finely grained tannins and tons of freshness, finishing...

"On the nose, fruity, elegant and offers a nice ripe/sparkling fruit, gourmandize, good definition and fine concentration. It reveals notes of fleshy/ripe black currant, bursting boysenberry and more lightly violet combined with hints of morello cherry, fleshy blue berry, licorice stick as well as subtle touches of cardamom, graphite and a subtle waft of tea. On the palate, fruity, balanced and offers a mineral/fine acid framework, juiciness, elegance as well as gourmandize, richness, concentration, energy, sweetness and density/blackness. The wine expresses pulpy/juicy blackberry, ripe dark berry and more lightly violet notes with...

92-94 Points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Opaque purple-black colored, the 2020 Gloria comes soaring out of the glass with notes of blackcurrant cordial, preserved plums and blueberry compote, followed by suggestions of powdered cinnamon, cedar chest and menthol, plus a waft of graphite. The medium to full-bodied palate is completely coated with juicy black fruits, framed by grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and spicy. The blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 11% Petit Verdot, aging for approximately 14 months in French oak barrels, 40% new. The alcohol is...

"On the nose it is fruity, racy and offers a certain power as well as a small concentration. It reveals notes of wild blackberry, violet, small berries associated with touches of violet, fresh strawberry, cherry, lily as well as hints of nutmeg, cloves, almond, and a discreet hint of tabaco. On the palate, it is fruity, juicy, balanced and offers freshness, acidulous frame, a good definition, a nice finesse of the grain as well as a good guideline, a certain depth. The wine expresses notes of wild blackcurrant, small wild black berries, small hint of violet, iris associated with touches of lily, cherry, and cherry tails as well as hints...

St Emilion Rated 96 by Wine Enthusiast Barrel Sample. This estate is producing some exceptional wines. The latest vintage is solidly structured and dense in black fruits. Bright acidity gives it that fine spark of freshness and balances the power of the wine. It shows good aging potential. WS95 Rated 95 by Wine Spectator Drips with warmed raspberry confiture, plum sauce and blackberry pâte de fruit flavors, delivering light anise, apple wood, sweet bay leaf and black tea notes along the way. The seamless, lengthy finish has very fine detail despite its heft. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. JD95 Rated 95 by Jeb Dunnuck A...

Rated 98 by Wine Enthusiast Barrel Sample. This is a ripe and structured wine that has a dense structure and concentrated blackberry fruit, yet it still shows the freshness typical of the vintage. It has an excellent long-term aging potential. DC 97 Rated 97 by Decanter Deliciously seductive nose, heady! Crystalline texture and purity here with a pulsing drive from start to finish. The fruit is super glossy and shiny, it feels precise and purposeful with blackcurrant and black cherries at the fore. Tannins are well integrated, just perceptible giving a nice weight and frame to the palate. Succulent and sophisticated. Drinking Window...

    "The 2021 Diana Madeline is composed of Cabernet Sauvignon (91%), Merlot (4%), Cabernet Franc (3%) and Malbec (2%). The only other time since the first 1995 vintage of this wine (formerly labeled as the Cabernet Merlot) that the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon has crested 90% or higher was the 2016 vintage, which saw 93% Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2021 vintage in Margaret River was an interesting one, with several climate curveballs thrown at viticulturists during key times during the harvest season. Here, the fruit was handpicked on biodynamic fruit and flower days across five picks from the middle of March to the Super...

WA 100. The very deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Maya is shy and restrained to begin. With swirling, it begins to reveal beguiling notes of fragrant earth, lavender, garrigue and Sichuan pepper, giving way to a core of wild blueberries, boysenberries, black raspberries and black currants plus a hint of iron ore. The palate is full-bodied, revealing itself in slow-releasing layers of black and blue fruits with exhilarating earth and mineral sparks, framed by firm, beautifully ripe tannins and bold freshness, finishing on a persistent ferrous note. As cerebral as it is downright hedonic, this Maya is simply jaw-dropping. LPB Jan 2021. #100...

Tim Atkin MW 95 points, South Africa Report 2020. Gold Medal and 95 points, IWC 2020. Winery Note: Deep, purple core. Rich, berry fruit nose with lots of ripe, red plum and whiffs of white pepper. Some floral notes in the background, including violets, lavender, and spring blossoms. Full in the mouth with tremendous youthful vigour. Layers of berry fruit with developing spices of pepper, cinnamon, clove and vanilla. Gentle oak integration shows and supports the elegance and roundness at this early age. #2017D

Burghound 89 points/Outstanding Top Value. "A ripe, fresh and nicely layered nose features notes of apple, lemon rind and that lovely quinine-iodine character that clearly identifies this as Chablis. The palate impression is quite rich with fleshy and plump middleweight flavors that are supported by good underlying tension that carries over to the clean, dry and bitter citrus finale. I wouldn't describe this as exactly classic in style but it is refreshing and well-made. Worth a look." BH Issue: 92 Outstanding Top value Tasting note: "A ripe, fresh and nicely layered nose features notes of apple, lemon rind and that lovely...

Organic. 95 Points - Outstanding - Cameron Douglas Master Sommelier. " Complex, mineral-laden, detailed and seductive bouquet. Aromas of ripe dark red cherry, wet clay and limestone mineral and earth layers, raspberry and scents of roses and sweet air. Youthful and equally complex on the palate with firm textures of tannins and acidity contrasted by a core of ripe red berry flavours and mineral. Chalky tannins carry a limestone flavour, some wood flavours and leesy complexities begin to emerge after several minutes in glass. A delicious wine, complex and layered, needs to be cellared for some time to bring together all the qualities it...

James Halliday Wine Companion 92 points. No details other than a touch of nero d'Avola in the mix, and there's certainly a lovely black cherry-jubey-cola lift among the more meaty-reductive-savoury notes. While more medium-bodied, the tannins are firm and there seems to be a lot of charry oak drying and clipping the finish. 92 points. Jane Faulkner Published 01 August 2020.

LANDS END APRIL "Includes 10% grenache. The old vines range between 35 and 160yo, all situated in the Eden Valley, open-fermented, 14 days on skins, matured in French oak (20% new), 250 dozen made. It is a highly fragrant wine, the grenache contributing to the fresh red and black cherry fruits." JH 96 Aug 2020 Very small parcels of fruit from vineyards up to 100 years old are hand-picked, fermented with some whole-bunches and blended to make this traditional Barossan wine. Racked once during elevage of 12 months in larger barrels (some new) and always with a small addition of Old Vine Grenache for balance. Showing all the richness...

This wine immediately shows the talents of the winemakers. Floral tones, slightly citrus also in the scent. The taste has a pleasant acidity, is also very precise. Long and impressive aftertaste. Serve with seafood, grilled fish dishes, veal and cheeses such as Comté and Beaufort.   Details  Vineyard 7 hectare vineyard near the town of Epineuil, with a relatively rich top layer on a subsoil of Kimmeridge, the typical limestone for which Chablis is known. Vinification The grapes are cold stabilized after harvest and vinification takes place 60% in temperature controlled stainless steel vats. The other 40% on...

Winefront 93 points. Reflecting the mixed planting of old vines, a complex and intriguing aromatic mix of atypical muscat aromas with white peach and nectarine, honeydew, lemon sorbet and grapefruit pith. A firm palate of ruby grapefruit astringency combined with nervy acidity, homemade lemonade sweet and sour balance give a truly eclectic, unconventional white wine.

Wine Advocate 97 points. Total production 208 dozen. The 2019 Stonegarden Grenache is made with fruit from the Stonegarden Vineyard (bush vines planted circa 1858) in the Eden Valley. This is so good. It shows all of the mineralogy and graphite tannins that are so commonly found in the Eden Valley—part of what makes it such a special place. I was there recently, and driving up Mengler's Hill not only affords you a most epic view back over the Barossa Valley floor, but I find it the best place to understand the rocks in the earth that rise up out of the ground there. This wine has such endurance of flavor in the mouth that I can...

Nestled in Damery, just a few kilometres from Épernay, Maison Maurice Choppin has been working the unique terroirs of the Marne Valley for more than 7 generations. Proud of his family heritage and his humble approach to living things, Benjamin Choppin makes natural and distinctive wines that are powerful, well rounded and balanced. Inspired by the "Belle Champagne", he values its exceptional heritage and shines the light on the work of the winemaker.

James Suckling 94 points. The Mazzei family has been making wine since 1435. The Concerto wine was first produced in 1981. It is a blend of 90% old vine sangiovese and !0% cabernet sauvignon, with the vines dating back to the 1930's. A splendid blend with perfect balance. Wine Advocate (93-95) points. I tasted this 80-20 blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon as a barrel sample. The Mazzei 2018 Concerto di Fonterutoli offers an authentic Tuscan character with the robust personality and fruit weight to pair with a classic T-bone bistecca alla Fiorentina. Concerto is fleshy and succulent with black cherry, plum, cardamom spice and...

97+ Points - Gary Walsh Wine Front " The winemaking and style of these 2017 reds is probably the best I’ve seen from this venerable old winery. Hats off to Adrian Sparks and Jim Chatto. This is a mix of Rosehill and ‘Estate’ fruit, with a sneaky, but very clever addition of 6% Pinot Noir. It’s now being made in a way that O’Shea would approve of, I suspect. It’s a beautiful wine, excellence in simplicity and verity of fruit, rather than industry in the winery. Perfumed, so fine and long, effortless flow and sense of grace, with an amalgam of mixed berries, spice, aniseed, and earth, supple but...

Noon Eclipse is predominantly Grenache (80%+) with smaller proportions of Shiraz and Graciano. The grapes come from the three Noon ‘home’ vineyards in McLaren Vale. The grapes are hand-picked and fermented in small, open vats with hand-plunging to help extract colour and tannins.

WINERY NOTE: What started as a mishap has become our signature style. Years ago, our Pinot Gris spent some unplanned time on skins, resulting in a beautiful colour, and a richer texture. We still follow this technique (with a little more precision!) today, making our iconic blush Pinot Gris. A sure favourite, this wine suits all palates and is great with or without food. WINE NOTES Colour: pale salmon tinge naturally derived from Pinot Gris skins Aroma: red and yellow apple, nashi pear, orange blossom Palate: lemon and orange citrus, red apple, white florals

100% Chardonnay. Bianco Bianco is a naturally semi-sparkling wine made for Rocca delle Macìe in the province of Trento, within one of the most suitable areas for the cultivation of grapes intended for the production of spumante. Once harvested, the Chardonnay (100%) grapes are fermented without the skins, and then the base wine undergoes natural second fermentation. Bianco Bianco is fresh and fragrant, with overtones of just-ripe fruit. It has a fine, persistent bead that makes it suitable both as an aperitif and as an accompaniment to fried vegetable or fish platters.

#FRASS

OWC 6. James Suckling 95 points. This is the Californian venture of Gonzague and Claire Lurton (owners of such reknowned Bordeaux estates inter alia as Durfort Vivens, Haut Bages Liberal). Cabernet Sauvignon 85% , Merlot 9 %, Cabernet Franc 6% Winemaker Notes Continuing the string of great vintages, 2014 completes the trifecta of extremely high quality growing seasons. The 2014s exhibit a great purity of place, with generous fruit and elegant textures The 2014 shows the purity and excellence of our Cabernet Sauvignon. Subtle and energetic plum and currant aromas follow through to a georgously harmonized palate of wonderfull fruit and ultra...

This vintage not rated yet but here is the review for the 2022: "The best iteration of Mencía in the country. Think cool-climate syrah in a more savoury, mellifluous guise, smattered with dried thyme, fennel and peppery tannins, a twine of attractive astringency. A sphere of blue-fruited succulence expands across a fullish girth with energy, drive, length and immense joy. Great drinking!"  - 95 Points - Ned Goodwin MW , Halliday Wine Companion 2023. 100 dozen made.   THE VINEYARD Sourced from approximately 10-year-old vines at Oliver’s Taranga Vineyard Seaview, McLaren Vale. WINEMAKING Picked...

Each presentation box contains 3 bottles, one bottle each of La Joie, La Muse and Le Desir 2019. LA JOIE (WA 99 points) The 2019 La Joie is an elegant expression that offers power, freshness and expressive, floral character. A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, it has a deep ruby color and opens slowly from black cherries and blueberries to accents of violets, ground coffee and licorice. The full-bodied palate has generous, grainy tannins, detailed, perfumed flavors and bright acidity, finishing with an alluring iron character. 2,500 cases were made. LA MUSE (WA 99 points) The 2019 La Muse is a...

Wine Advocate 95 points. Tasted blind at the Southwold Bordeaux tasting. The 2012 Vieux Château Certan has a potent, smoke, cooked meat, Cabernet Franc-scented bouquet that is beautifully defined—quintessentially Pomerol. You want typicité? Come right here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, quite gentle as it sashays across the mouth. The acidity is very well judged and leads to an elegant tobacco tinged finish. Alexandre and Guillaume Thienpont have produced one of the finest wines of the Right Bank in 2012, one that is up there with the greats. NM Oct 2016.   #BORD