Wine
Wine
Montes 2020 Folly Apalta Syrah
Chilean Red
Intense carmine-red colour has violet tones at the edge. Ripe red and blue fruit includes blueberry, blackberry, cherry and black plum, with cookie, nutmeg, vanilla, leather, dark chocolate and toast. The tannins are smooth, and the finish is long and balanced. Syrah grows on thin granitic soils with angular stones in Apalta. Maturation lasts fourteen to eighteen months in French oak, seventy percent new.
Moulin Touchais 1996 Coteaux du Layon
French Dessert
Orange-bronze colour shows green at the rim. The nose is broad and open, with honeycomb in a rich, concentrated profile. The palate is clean and pure, with fresh acidity balancing the sweetness. Old Cognac, toast and vanilla appear on a persistent finish. Toffee apple and minerality are also present. The vintage developed without botrytis influence.
Adriano Marco e Vittorio 2016 Basaricò Collezione Privata Langhe Sauvignon 1.5 L
Italian White
Straw yellow with green tones, with exotic fruit and aromatic herbs. The palate is persistent, slightly acidic and fresh. Green apple, lime, pear, lychee, peach, grass and balsamic notes are also present, with lemon on the finish. Sauvignon Blanc comes from Alba in Piedmont. Grapes are selected, softly crushed and destemmed, fermented with selected yeast, and aged for several months in bottle.
Château Cantemerle 2022 Haut-Médoc
French Red
Bright fresh fruit and violet are present in the bouquet. The palate has soft tannins, creamy structure and a smooth texture, with harmony and balance. The blend is seventy percent Cabernet Sauvignon, twenty percent Merlot, and five percent each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The wine matures for twelve months in French oak, using new, one-fill and two-fill barrels. The vines grow on gravel with quaternary silica.
Yarra Yering 2011 Dry Red No. 1
Australian Red
Blackcurrant, cloves, cedar, pencil lead and fennel seed are present in a berry-filled profile. The palate is vibrant and medium-bodied, with cassis, crisp acidity and medium-firm grainy tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon is joined by Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. The varieties are fermented separately in open fermenters, hand-plunged twice daily, and matured in French oak before blending.
Remoissenet Père et Fils 2020 Marsannay Les Échezeaux
French Red
An intense red colour accompanies subtle aromas of black and red fruit. The palate is ample and generous, with silky tannins, freshness and a fruit-led character. Pinot Noir comes from the Les Échezeaux parcel in the northern part of the Marsannay appellation. This is a dry Côte de Nuits red from a village-classified site. The parcel is among the local climats seeking Premier Cru classification.
Yalumba 2019 The Menzies Cabernet Sauvignon
Australian Red
Deep crimson and plum tones accompany violet, ozone and exotic spice. The palate has poise and tension, with blackcurrant jubes, mulberry, bitter chocolate and defined tannins. The finish shows sweet dark fruit. Cabernet Sauvignon grows in Coonawarra's red sandy loam over limestone. The vineyard blocks were planted in the mid-nineteen-nineties. Maturation lasts eighteen months in French and Hungarian oak, using new and older barrels.
Le Cinciole 2019 Aluigi Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
Italian Red
Clear ruby colour shows a brightening rim. Blackberry, ripe plum, liquorice and pepper are present. The palate has sturdy tannins, delicate acidity and dark, ink-like notes on a long finish. Sangiovese grows in the Campo ai Peri vineyard at 440 metres. Fermentation is spontaneous in cement, followed by twenty-four months in large oak and twelve months in cement.
Ashes and Diamonds Rouge No. 3 Napa Valley MV
American Red
Dark cherry, cocoa and spice are present. The palate is round and rich, with a focused profile and firm tannic structure. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are used. Fruit comes from vineyards across Napa Valley, ranging from thin, rugged soils to the richer soils of the valley floor. Multiple vintages are blended together. The style emphasizes structure rather than ripeness or alcohol.
Pirramimma 2020 A.C.J. McLaren Vale Red Blend
Australian Red
Blackberry, violets, juniper, plum and toasted cedar are present. The palate is rich, with dark red fruit, cassis, ripe tannins and a long finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot come from the Basket Weave and Katunga vineyards. The Cabernet Sauvignon is grown in a contoured vineyard, while the Petit Verdot comes from plantings established in the mid-1980s. The wine is dry and red.
Mvemve Raats 2014 MR de Compostella
South African Red
Green herbs, peppercorn, laurel, blackcurrant leaf and plum skin are present. Ripe plum and berry flavours accompany fine tannins with a pronounced dusty grip and a long, dry finish. The colour is deep ruby. Mineral, dark berry and dark chocolate notes are also present. Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot make up the blend.
Champagne Stéphane Regnault Chromatique Grand Cru Extra-Brut NV
French Sparkling
White flowers, wet stone and green grass are present. The palate is fresh and mineral, with chalk dust, lemon, stone fruit and sourdough. The finish is bright and lingering. Chardonnay comes from parcels in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger. The former lie primarily on chalky lower slopes, while the latter have richer soil. The cuvée brings the estate's parcels together.
Champagne Ployez-Jacquemart Extra-Brut Passion NV
French Sparkling
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier make up the blend. The grapes are harvested by hand and sorted by variety. A portion of the wine is matured in oak barrels without malolactic fermentation. Ageing takes place sur pointe in traditional cellars, limiting contact with yeast while preserving the benefits of maturation. The profile is floral, fruity, vibrant and lightly toasted, with a honeyed finish.
CheckMate Artisanal Winery 2019 Knight’s Challenge Chardonnay
Canadian White
Sagebrush, floral spice, cold tea and lychee are present, with subtle fruit and lifted oak. The palate is vibrant and textural, with honey, lime, mineral, sea salt, herbs and fruit. Chardonnay comes from Sunset Vineyard on the Black Sage Bench. The vines grow in gravelly sand on a southwest-facing slope. The wine matures for sixteen months in French oak, forty-seven percent new.
Nada Fiorenzo 2017 Barbaresco Rombone
Italian Red
Crushed flowers, red berry, cinnamon, mint and star anise are present. The colour is deep garnet red. The palate is savoury and warm, with tannins that become more refined over time. Nebbiolo comes from vines planted in the mid-1960s on calcareous-clay soil with southwest exposure, at an average elevation of 260 metres. Maturation lasts twenty-four months in oak and six months in bottle.
Jane Eyre 2021 Côte de Nuits-Villages
French Red
Redcurrant and raspberry fruit are joined by cocoa powder, tea and spice. The texture is fine and light. The wine used considerably less whole-bunch fruit than earlier vintages, and its volume was forty percent of previous vintages. Fresh and savoury notes are present, with fruit in the background. It was bottled at the end of August. Pinot Noir is the sole grape.
Domaine Eric Boigelot 2018 Pommard En Boeuf
French Red
Red berries, plum skin, crushed rock and a gentle iron note are present. The texture is grippy and the finish savoury. The En Boeuf vineyard sits on a steep hillside in the valley leading from Pommard toward Saint-Romain. Its south-southeast exposure receives full sun, while cool valley winds cross the site. The Pinot Noir vines are between thirty and forty years old.
Château d’Arche 2010 Sauternes
French Dessert
Pear, apple and floral notes are present. The palate is fresh and sweet, with candied orange, apricot jam and subtle smoky notes. The blend is ninety percent Sémillon and ten percent Sauvignon Blanc. Harvest ran from September 30 to October 31, with grapes picked by hand in three to five successive passes. Vinification took place in temperature-controlled vats. Oak maturation lasts twelve to eighteen months, with one third of the barrels renewed.
Domaine Duroché 2022 Bourgogne Chardonnay
French White
Ripe apple, chalk and white flowers are present. The texture is supple and round, with a clean, refreshing finish. Chardonnay comes from the Grands Champs parcel in Gevrey-Chambertin. The grapes are lightly crushed before pressing. The must ferments and matures primarily in used demi-muids on fine lees. The colour is pale yellow with golden reflections, and alcohol is twelve and a half percent.
Terralsole 2017 Brunello di Montalcino
Italian Red
Floral character and a menthol note are present in both aromas and flavours. The palate has balsamic character and tannins that are decisive yet gentle. The wine is made from organic, hand-picked Sangiovese Grosso grown in the Pian Bossolino and Fonte Lattaia vineyards. Maturation lasts at least five years in French oak. Production comprised twelve thousand bottles.
Henri Chauvet 2023 De Cendre et d’Âme Côtes d’Auvergne
French Red
Seventy percent Gamay and thirty percent Pinot Noir grow on a steep, south-facing site with weathered basalt and fractured limestone. Spontaneous whole-cluster fermentation takes place in stainless steel, with ten to twelve days of maceration. The cap is worked three times. After pressing, the wine rests on its lees for twelve months in used 228-litre barrels. It is bottled without fining or filtration, with minimal added sulphur. The vines are certified organic by Ecocert.
Sequoia Grove 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
American Red
Bright black cherry, blackberry, baking spices, chocolate and toasted vanilla are present. The palate has intense blackberry flavours and round, smooth tannins. The blend is eighty-three percent Cabernet Sauvignon, eight percent Merlot, six percent Cabernet Franc, and one percent each Syrah, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Grapes are hand-picked and the berries hand-sorted. A one-to-three-day cold soak precedes fermentation. Maturation lasts twenty months in French oak, half new.
Fortemasso 2019 Barolo DOCG Castelletto
Italian Red
Clear ruby-red colour has a delicate lightening at the rim. Redcurrant, cherry, dried rose petals and white pepper are present. The palate is lively, fresh and juicy, with savoury character, tension between tannin and acidity, and a salty, persistent finish. Nebbiolo grows on east- and southeast-facing slopes in sandy, limestone-rich soil. The vines use Guyot training, and grapes are harvested by hand into small crates.
Génot-Boulanger 2021 Mercurey Premier Cru En Sazenay
French Red
Round, cushioned red fruit includes strawberry, with fine texture and intensity through the middle of the palate. Pinot Noir grows on an east-facing, 1.81-hectare slope with predominantly clay-limestone soil. Grapes are harvested by hand and fully destemmed. Native yeasts are used during a two-to-three-week vatting period. Maturation lasts twelve months in oak and six months in stainless steel, and the wine is not filtered.
Bret Brothers 2022 Pouilly-Fuissé Climat En Carementrant
French White
Chardonnay comes from a 0.55-hectare parcel at about 350 metres beneath the Roche de Vergisson. The vines are fifty to sixty years old and face south on clay-limestone soil with a high limestone content. Grapes are harvested by hand and pressed as whole clusters. Vinification and maturation take place entirely in 228-litre barrels for eleven months. The vineyard is farmed organically.
Monte Antico 2021 Toscana IGT 3 L
Italian Red
Grapey fruit, wood, cloves and floral notes are present. Baked cherry, tart plum, strawberry, rounded fruit, eased tannins, barrel notes, earth and almond skin add further detail. The blend is eighty-five percent Sangiovese, ten percent Cabernet Sauvignon and five percent Merlot. Fermentation and maceration each last fifteen to twenty days. Maturation includes Slavonian barrels and barriques. Alcohol is thirteen percent.
Domaine des Marnes Blanches 2022 Côtes du Jura Chardonnay Empreinte Sous Voile
French White
Fresh walnut, curry and dried apple appear in the aromas. The palate is firm and taut, with salinity and oxidative complexity. The finish is very long. Chardonnay grows on pink and grey Lias marl at Sainte-Agnès. The grapes are pressed directly into neutral barrels; one fifth of each barrel is left empty to encourage flor. Ageing under flor lasts thirty-four months. Alcohol is 14.5 percent.
Moussé Fils L’Or d’Eugène Perpetual Blanc de Noirs Brut NV
French Sparkling
Fine, persistent bubbles accompany fruit, freshness and a full palate with a long finish. This Blanc de Noirs combines eighty percent Pinot Meunier with twenty percent Pinot Noir from Cuisles, Jonquery and Châtillon-sur-Marne. The blend draws on a perpetual reserve. Slow alcoholic fermentation takes place in stainless steel, followed by six months on fine lees. Malolactic fermentation is completed, and the wine is filtered without fining.
CheckMate Artisanal Winery 2021 Fool’s Mate Chardonnay
Canadian White
The aromas include brioche, Meyer lemon, orange blossom and flint. Crème fraîche, crisp stone fruit and freshly baked bread appear on the palate, with a long mineral finish. Orchard fruit, melon, pear, nectarine and vanilla provide further detail. Fifty-four percent of the Chardonnay was aged in French oak barriques, twenty-five percent in foudre and twenty-one percent in a concrete egg.
Moulin Touchais 1985 Coteaux du Layon
French Dessert
Gold colour accompanies sweetness, intense richness and acidity in a full, opulent texture. Baked apple, apple jelly, pink pineapple, flowers, honey and grapefruit are present. Confit peach, pear and toast add further detail, alongside a savoury hint and a phenolic finish. The wine is made from Chenin Blanc in Coteaux du Layon, Loire Valley, and contains 13.5 percent alcohol.