Stocktake Sale 2025

Tim Atkin MW 96 points. “Bright gold colour. Aroma of dried flowers, ripe fruit, wild herbs, with iodine and nutty notes. In the mouth it is fleshy, powerful, tasty, spicy and with citrus notes. Long and salty aftertaste”. GRAPE VARIETIES 100 % Viura from low production vineyards. 1500 bottles total production.

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...

Wine Enthusiast 93 points. Only the merest hint of tar and black cherry can be made out on the shy nose of this wine. Black cherry appears on the juicy, ripe but fresh palate, leaving the tar as a mere footnote and emphasizing juicy freshness and robust tannins. The nish has a little heat but speaks of the rounded, full-bodied generosity of 2018. - A.K. Published 12/1/2020. Facing south-west, this plot of 77 ares (2 acres) has a soil combining loam, clay and limestone. This vineyard, “protected by all the saints”, produces rich wines with a nose of red fruits and good complexity in the mouth. It can be served with “jambon...

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.    

96 Points 'Full golden colour, brilliant. The bouquet is honeyed and rich, with some marmalade and fruit compote nuances, nutty background. In the mouth, it has intense flavour and is very frisky with elevated acidity, which undercuts the substantial sweetness. A glorious wine of great drive and energy.' Huon Hooke, The Real Review 23/09/20 WINERY NOTE: We chose the name ‘Meta’ for our botrytised, late harvested Riesling, as it embodies the remarkable change of condition the grapes undergo as they are transformed by noble rot over the final weeks of Autumn. From healthy fruit into shrivelled but concentrated, intensely...

100% Viura Tasting Bright pale yellow in colour. Its intense fruity aromas make it the perfect single-variety wine, very clean and direct in the mouth yet light on the palate. Pairing Fish, seafood, pulses, vegetables, starters, and goat cheese.

Sit back and take in the aromas from a glass of this pinot as you think about sitting at the top of the vineyard surrounded by cows, water, grass and all things Western District. Sweat and sour cherries, earth, spice and a lovely elegant structure. The vineyard was planted by the Calvert family in 2001 to a mixture of clones on own roots. It is predominantly pinot noir with 6 acres and accompanied by 2 acres of chardonnay.   The vineyard sits at the top of the slope facing large water reserves ‘Salt Lake’ and the ‘Calvert Lough’ to the north. It is a site that shows great fruit expression with a deceptively long...

Wine Spectator 93 points. Luca Maroni 92 points. Veronelli 3 Stars. WA 91. Here's a sassy and spicy expression of Merlot. The 2014 Poggio Ai Merli is a tight and slightly nervous wine from a cool vintage. The otherwise mellow Merlot grape shows tart aromas of red fruit and cherry with spice, tobacco and white chocolate. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and aged in new French barrique. Only 3,000 bottles are produced. Poggio ai Merli performs very well in cooler vintages (2013 is a case point). But the 2014 vintage offers a lower textural threshold and moderate persistence. ML Dec 2016.   #CAST

Our Riesling grapes thrive in the Arena Block of the Viper Vineyard, located in the Parkburn region of Central Otago. This specific block is strategically planted on an exceptionally steep slope that faces north to northwest. This unique positioning grants an extended ripening period, allowing us to harvest grapes with reduced acidity and fully ripened flavours. The resulting Riesling is a fuller-bodied expression with substantial fruit weight and texture, all while maintaining its primary focus on fruit purity and structural backbone. WINEMAKERS COMMENTS Attractive floral notes of white blossom and Geranium dominate the bouquet before...

"Flowers, dark chocolate, cherries, black raspberries, smoke and licorice permeate the perfume. On the palate, the wine is fresh, silky and vibrant, with a sweetness to the red fruits, minerality, chalky tannins and cocoa nuances that linger long after the wine has left the glass. Drink from 2024-2037. 94 Points" -  94/100 ,  Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider.   #BORD

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...

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...

St-Emilion This is a young red with chewy yet polished tannins that lead to a full-bodied palate with ripe fruit, chocolate and minerals. Some cloves, too. Muscular wine for the vintage, yet remains refined and well crafted. Date Tasted: June 2020; Rating: 94-95 Points; James Suckling The 2019 La Dominique just shimmers with beauty. Bright, floral and vibrant, the 2019 is a total stunner. Freshly cut flowers, mint, cedar and red cherry jam open up in the glass, but it is the wine's purity that impresses most today. The oak and overall extraction - often an issue at La Dominique in recent vintages - are really well-judged. This is a...

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...

Wine Advocate 95 points. The single-vineyard Garnacha 2020 La Mujer Cañón is always a bright and clean ruby color from a north-facing, one-hectare plot of vines that were planted in 1934 on granite soils at 950 meters in altitude. The vineyard is worked organically and biodynamically. Fermentation was with indigenous yeasts and full clusters in an oak vat, and then the wine matured in 700-liter oak barrels. The wine has a little more of everything: more fruit, more grip, more energy and balance. The vineyard has been quite stable in the last few years; the grapes ripened thoroughly, and it was an easy vintage. The wine has a...

Whole bunch pressed to a mix of new (40%) and seasoned French oak for eleven months, it underwent wild yeast fermentation with 50% going through malolactic fermentation. Detail is the buzzword here with layers of interest seeking your attention. White petals, almond nougat, pistachios and barbecued white fleshed nectarines make a neat intro with buttered toast and whipped cream coming from the oak. Possessing well-handled weight without being bulky, a lemony drive is a consistent thread towing you along for a splendid ride. Focused with tension, it drives long with a fine textural presence on close. It's a moreish wine that urges...

The Real Review Deep-ish red-purple, bright and clear; the bouquet is sweetly cherry varietal, bold and brash, with a generous quota of oak. It has a firm tannin backbone that suggests either food or a stint in the cellar would suit it. A solid pinot noir with a big frame, that would surely reward some extra cellar time.   95 points. Huon Hooke - Jan 08 2024   This is up there as one of the finest Cri de Coeurs to date. It retains a core of cherry fruit, some kirsch, chinotto, blood orange juice and zest. Plus lots of spices and cedar wood flavours – not oaky, though. Fuller bodied, textural tannins with a little hazelnut...

    "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...

James Halliday 97 points. “Deep purple-crimson, not just any eagle, but one with the grace and power of the wedgetail eagle, Australia’s foremost avian symbol (emus don’t fly). Juicy blackberry, anise and a mix of spice and pepper are wonderfully fresh and mouthwatering thanks to the controlled alcohol and mouthwatering acidity.” 97 Points. WINERY NOTES: colour Very dark purple-black, clear and shiny. aroma The initial impression is of dark small berries freshly picked from the vine. Delve deeper and you get sandalwood, vanilla pod and black peppercorns. palate The wine is medium-bodied but in saying that it has an...

Tim Atkin MW 92 points "To make up for the variety's comparatively low acidity in the Swartland, David and Nadia Sadie used seven days of skin contact on this old-vine Semillon, produced for the first time in 2018. Elegant, bready and showing some tannic structure, it's a promising début from this brilliant couple." - Tim Atkin MW, South African Special Report 2019. #NEWSA

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

A wine of the night! Also for apéritif and pairing with food. A superb Rosé, perfectly crafted, extremely balanced between fruit and structure. - 60% Meunier - 40% Pinot Noir. - 40% fût. - Brut – 9 g/l.

Made in France from Fairtrade and Organic Certified Botanicals, this is a joint partnership between Central Asian co-operative farmers and and growers in Cognac, France. The Juniper berries, which form the baseline of flavour profile are sourced from a nature reserve in Uzbekistan and spices sourced from the Kerala region of South West India. Its formed with juniper berries. cardamon, coriander, calamus roots, angelica roots and Grains of paradise. Its primarily soft and delicate with fresh energetic overtones of juniper.

James Suckling 95 points. Wine Enthusiast 95 points. "Aromas of dried berries and plums with burnt orange and hints of cedar. Hazelnut and almond undertones. Medium-to full-bodied with ultra-fine tannins and a pretty finish. A kind of dusty texture at the end. Very elegant and long. Drink after 2024." JS. "Smooth and juicy, this fresh, polished red offers enticing aromas of rose, violet, forest berry and baking spice. On the delicious, succulent palate, refined tannins accompany ripe morello cherry, raspberry compote, nutmeg and cinnamon. It's already thoroughly enjoyable. Drink through 2031. "Kerin O’Keefe, WE....

WA 91 The 2005 Barolo La Rosa is a graceful, floral wine laced with perfumed red fruit, roses, sweet spices and minerals. The La Rosa possesses gorgeous textural richness in a soft, approachable style, with a long, refined finish that rounds things out. Today the wine comes across as quite primary, but with some additional time in bottle it should develop additional tertiary nuance. The tannins gain on the finish in this deceptively medium- bodied Barolo. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2022. AG Oct 2009.   "Proprieta in FF" 

80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Meurnier. The Pinot Meunier reveals all the fullness of its fruit, and is completed by the Chardonnay with its distinguished freshness. 3-4g dosage. The bottles are left on the racks for a minimum of 5 years to gain complexity and depth. This is a very fine champagne from an excellent vintage.

93 points Sam Kim "Delightfully fruited and inviting, the bouquet shows dark cherry, raspberry, thyme, toasted nut and subtle mushroom characters. The palate is equally satisfying with excellent weight and roundness, wonderfully supported by silky texture and fine-grained tannins, finishing persistent and very tasty." (4/2020) 91 points Bob Campbell MW "Supple, savoury Pinot Noir with dried herb, floral, violet, spice, cherry and raspberry flavours. An appealing wine in a medium-bodied style, with a backbone of bright acidity." (8/2020)

Gaia demands attention and respect in equal measure. Do take time to admire its balance of savouriness to fruit, it's calmness and class. Expect pomegranate and boysenberries with dabs of licorice, rolled tobacco and cedary oak with a touch of green walnut. Medium-bodied and the plush yet textured tannins render the wine ready for immediate drinking, but will reward those who wait. 96 points. Jane Faulkner Published 17 June 2021.    

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.

Wine Advocate Rating: 97/100    

Wine Advocate 94+. The single-vineyard red 2020 A Ponte comes from vines planted in 2010 replicating the old varietal mix, going back to ancestral times with 30% Mencía and then equal parts of Caíño Redondo and Caíño Longo, Sousón, Brancellao and Merenzao. The soils are slate with iron, quartz and mica, and this plot has a southeast exposition. The vines are getting older, which shows in the structure, and the mix of varieties always gives it a different nose. There is good freshness, and the wine is expressive and open. It has fine-grained tannins. 4,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in February...

Wine Advocate 94 points. There are two new reds from 2020 to compare the character of the wines from the Sil and the ones from the Miño. The one from the Miño is the 2020 Mundín, which is not slate, but granite. The wine was produced the same way as the San Pedro, fermented in oak vats with 40% full clusters and matured in a 3,000-liter oak foudre for 18 months. It has a little less alcohol and more freshness, and it feels a little lighter and not as showy but with great balance and subtleness. 3,500 bottles were produced. It was bottled in November 2022. LG Nov 2023.

James Halliday (97 points & "Winner of the James Halliday Grenache Challenge 2020"): “The winning wine was a superb example of regionality and complexity, with earthy savouriness coupled with beautifully bright fruit and structure.” James Suckling (95 points): "This has rich blackberry and raspberry aromas with cloves, spicy oak, red plums and violets. The palate is very plush, deep and smoothly textured. Ripe tannins stretch long and carry blueberry, dark-cherry and blackberry flavors. Drink or hold."

Gold Medal International Cool Climate Wine Show 96 Points & considered special value for money - Halliday Wine Companion   " Comes into the world fully formed and showing impeccable balance and integration, with the kind of budding complexity that brings a smile to this wine drinker's lips. The ageing-potential factor is high with this one. Layer upon layer of fresh-picked stone fruits, citrus, apple, almond meal, spice and almond amaretti are joined by mouth-watering, cleansing acidity. Flavours persist through to a long finish." 96/100 Jenni Port Wine Companion   "Translucent, clear and quietly powerful....

85% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Roussanne. Our vineyard team use pliers to pinch the stem of the bunches while they ripen on the vine, this pinching action stops the translocation of fluids from the vine to the grapes. This allows the fruit to dry naturally or desiccate on the vine, during the warm Summer. We do this pinching process when the grapes are at optimal ripeness in order to concentrate the juice, with the perfect balance of sugar and acidity. The raisins are harvested a few weeks later and the syrupy juice is squeezed from them with a hard pressing process. The grape syrup is slowly fermented by indigenous yeast in Hungarian and French...

James Halliday 97 points. "Fruit from the original 1865 plantings in the Attunga vineyard. Crushed graphite laces blueberries, black cherries, fine white spice and mulberries together. In the mouth the wine is like midnight: deep and endless, the shape of the tannins becoming almost irrelevant as they coat the cheeks in a film of gossamer fine texture. Despite the concentration of flavour here, it is not weighty; displaying finesse and nuance alongside sheer, inarguable depth and magnitude from 157 years of vine age. Imagine the days those vines have seen." These vines planted in 1865 are some of the most important in the Clare...

Distilled in France from Caribbean sugar. This is a limited edition rum made after requests to the proprietors' from "friends and family" for a unique liquor. It is matured in cognac barrels.

Aromas of prunes covered in cloves mixed with blackberry compote greet you on the first whiff. The wine evolves with graphite notes, dried herbs and a subtle earthy note.n Producer Informationn Le Salette is also a winery, however, which belongs to one of the historic families of the denomination, the Scamperle , active in the area since the nineteenth century. Their possessions amount to 20 hectares of vineyards, relatively small in terms of extension, but first choice in terms of potential for excellence; Fumane, in fact, hosts a series of names of producers that indicate that, with the right application, commitment and knowledge on wine...

FELICE MOSCATO D'ASTI DOCG Made from Moscato grapes, produced in Canelli (Asti) Felice is our Moscato d'Asti, extremely pleasant, sweet but refreshing. Its moderate alcohol content and its elegant effervescence make it particularly suitable for any convivial and holiday occasion. It is great as an aperitif or cocktail wine. Alcohol: 5-5.5% Tasting notes ​ Color: straw yellow. ​ Aromatic Profile: fruity and floral, notes of lychee, grapefruit and white peach. Scents of acacia flower and wild sage. ​ Taste: elegantly sweet with light effervescence, fresh and clean finish. Pairings: typically considered dessert wine, this Moscato...

James Suckling 90 points. Wine Enthusiast 90 points. Ripe cherries and plums on the nose and palate, together with enriching floral notes. Medium-bodied with bright acidity and a tight framework of light but firm tannin, giving a crisp feel to the finish. Drink now. JS.   WINERY NOTES: Barbera is a grape varietal indigenous to Piedmont and it’s one of the most important ones from this region. Valmorena is our most authentic and traditional interpretation of Barbera wine. Thanks to the vinification and maturation carried out in stainless steel vats and partially in oak casks, Valmorena preserves all the natural freshness and...

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...

Muirkirk vineyard is situated on Felton Road in Bannockburn, Muirkirk Pinot Noir gives you a very textural wine, plenty of breadth and depth, with slightly darker flavours associated with bannockburn yet with elegance and lightness that our Mount Edward house style brings. Morrison Vineyard comes from the lower terraces of the Pisa sub region, Morrison Pinot Noir is a total sleeper, a taut wine that delivers concentration and power that belies your initial impression. It is that cliched steel fist/velvet glove. Pisa Terrrace, by its name comes from the upper terraces of the Pisa sub region. Always the first to be harvested Pisa Terrace gives...

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.