Selection
Selection
Michele Chiarlo 2022 Tortoniano Barolo
Italian Red
Garnet colour with luminous hues accompanies rose petals, juniper berries and fine spices. The Nebbiolo is ample and structured, with silky tannins, elegance and persistence. Fermentation takes place in steel, with fifteen to eighteen days of skin contact and gentle wetting of the cap. Ageing lasts at least three years, including eighteen to twenty-four months in medium-sized oak casks.
Chapel Hill 2018 The Vicar Shiraz
Australian Red
Inky black colour accompanies blackberry, plum, dark chocolate and aniseed, with wild herbs, violets, black liquorice and wild fennel. The Shiraz has succulent tannins and a long finish. Fruit is sourced from McLaren Vale. Maturation lasts twenty-one months in 300-litre French oak hogsheads, one quarter new, and the finished wine carries 14.5 percent alcohol.
Domaine Gautheron 2023 Chablis Vieilles Vignes
French White
Pale gold with soft green reflections, this Chardonnay has apricot, lemon, light smoke and floral notes. The mouth is precise and salivating, with clear mineral structure, concentration and length. Fruit comes from vines more than forty years old on a south-facing slope with Kimmeridgian limestone. Fermentation and malolactic conversion are followed by lees ageing in stainless-steel tanks.
Crystallum 2024 The Agnes Chardonnay
South African White
Sliced bread, apple, nutmeg and lemon rind appear with wet-stone and seashell notes. The Chardonnay is creamy, fresh, medium-to-full-bodied and textural, with a salty finish. Spearmint and green apple are joined by butterscotch, golden apple, yellow pear and floral detail. The layered profile has a steely edge. Fruit comes from multiple vineyard sites in the Western Cape.
Tremblay-Marchive 2023 Chablis
French White
Chalk-dusted apple, dried white blossom and crushed shell accompany lemon citrus in a reserved Chardonnay. Tart acidity, chalky character and a mouthwatering finish are present. Fruit comes from Chablis, where the Chardonnay grows on Kimmeridgian limestone soils in Burgundy. Organic conversion began several years earlier, and the vineyards had achieved certification before this harvest. The wine is certified organic.
Domaine Bailly-Reverdy 2020 Sancerre Rouge
French Red
Deep ruby and violet colour accompanies fresh and candied red fruit, including strawberry, raspberry, blackcurrant and blackberry. The Pinot Noir has a structured mouthfeel with coated tannins and welcome acidity. The vintage was harvested over nearly a month, with red grapes among the first picked. Vatting and extraction were adjusted to the condition of the fruit during the harvest.
Zorah 2017 Karasi Areni Noir
Armenian Red
Dark berries, herbs, pepper and anise appear with smoky detail and a silky texture. The Areni variety grows on own-rooted vines at 1,400 metres in sandy, limestone-rich soils scattered with large stones. Natural-yeast fermentation takes place in concrete tanks. The wine then spends about twelve months in buried amphorae and a further six months in bottle.
Liber Estates 2021 Rebil Pinot Noir
Canadian Red
Light colour accompanies intense, spicy and savoury flavours with branchy forest-floor notes. Juicy sweet black cherry, floral detail, cinnamon and subtle tight-grained oak are also present. The Pinot Noir grows near the west-facing bank of the Similkameen River in Cawston. Whole berries ferment at cool temperatures, followed by ten months in French oak. Alcohol is 13.8 percent.
Tesselaarsdal 2021 Chardonnay
South African White
Citrus blossom, sweet lemongrass and lees spice accompany fine, dusty minerality. The Chardonnay has a compact, radiant profile and a long, gentle palate that is expressive, classical and restrained. Fruit comes from unirrigated vines in the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge. Six months of ageing uses fifty-eight percent old French oak, twenty-four percent amphorae and eighteen percent stainless steel. Alcohol is 12.75 percent.
Poderi Colla 2021 Campo Romano Langhe Pinot Nero
Italian Red
Delicate garnet colour accompanies griotte cherry, tobacco, spices and ripe fruit. Freshness, roundness and integrated tannins sit within a long, persistent profile. Further notes of crushed cherry, rose, tar, pomegranate, vanilla and liquorice add detail. The Pinot Nero comes from a vineyard planted in the late nineteen seventies and carries thirteen percent alcohol. The texture is smooth and velvety.
Marchesi di Barolo 2019 Barolo della Tradizione
Italian Red
Garnet and ruby colour accompany cinnamon, wormwood, liquorice, wild rose and Virginia tobacco. The Nebbiolo is full and elegant, with soft, enveloping tannins and a long spicy finish. Fruit comes from calcareous clay with sandstone, quartz sand and silt. Traditional maceration precedes maturation in large oak casks, followed by further time in bottle. The wine carries fourteen percent alcohol.
Michael Gindl 2017 Buteo 12 Grüner Veltliner
Austrian White
Frosted grape pulp, underripe fuzzy peach and white spice accompany a long, wild finish. The Grüner Veltliner comes from biodynamically farmed vines in Hohenruppersdorf, within the Weinviertel. Grapes receive ten hours of skin contact before a slow eight-hour press. Spontaneous fermentation takes place in wood, and the wine then spends six months resting on its lees.
E. Pira & Figli 2021 Langhe Nebbiolo
Italian Red
Ripe raspberry, cherry, earth, sun-dried hay and liquorice accompany a darker mineral note. The Nebbiolo has a rich, broad profile with firm structure and a long, tactile finish. Fermentation and maceration take place in stainless steel for six to ten days. The wine then spends twelve months in French barriques before light filtration. Alcohol is fourteen percent.
Brendan Stater-West 2022 Saumur Blanc
French White
Citrus and saline notes accompany a light Chenin Blanc. Fruit comes from a selection within the Les Chapaudaises parcel in Bizay, on a lower north-eastern slope. Clay, sand and loam lie above limestone at the site. Fermentation and vinification take place in stainless steel, with some fine lees retained during six months of maturation. Alcohol is 12.5 percent.
Borgogno 2022 Era Ora Langhe Riesling
Italian White
Petrol, quince and roasted peach appear with soft floral notes in a bone-dry Riesling. Yellow stone fruit and bright acidity accompany a wet-stone finish. Lime, apricot, yellow plum, hawthorn and menthol add further detail. Fermentation takes place mainly in steel, with a smaller oak portion, followed by time on fine lees, in steel and in bottle.
Bethel Heights Vineyard 2015 Estate Chardonnay
American White
White peach, spiced apple and baking bread meet shaved almond and allspice. The medium-bodied Chardonnay is fresh and expressive, with a core of stone fruit, toasted flavours and a pleasantly oily texture. Bright acidity and barrel toast are present alongside a sleek, supple texture. Fruit comes from the estate in Oregon's Willamette Valley, within the Eola-Amity Hills.
Domaine de l’Ecu 2016 Mephisto Cabernet Franc
French Red
Black fruit, blackberry, strawberry, redcurrant and white pepper accompany sweet spice in a rich Cabernet Franc. Tannins are tight yet velvety, with volume and delicacy. Grapes are harvested by hand from granite soils and fermented with native yeasts. The wine matures in old barrels and amphorae for fifteen months. The vineyards have been farmed organically since nineteen seventy-five and carry Demeter Biodynamic certification dating from nineteen ninety-eight.
Penfolds 2017 St Henri Shiraz
Australian Red
Blackberry, mulberry, currant and plum accompany herb, dark chocolate, liquorice and panforte notes. Fine, powdery tannins appear in a dense profile. The finish is long, with chocolate and mineral detail. Red raspberry, dark berry and pepper also appear. Shiraz is joined by nine percent Cabernet Sauvignon. Maturation takes place in old 1,460-litre vats, with little overt oak character.
Valentina Cubi 2006 Morar Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Italian Red
Intense red-garnet colour accompanies ripe fruit and spice in a full-bodied Amarone. Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella come from rocky hillsides around Fumane and San Pietro in Cariano. Grapes are selected by hand. Fermentation takes place in conical stainless-steel tanks at a controlled temperature with daily pigeage, followed by several months in wooden barrels and further bottle ageing. Alcohol is sixteen percent.
Cesari 2011 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Italian Red
Forest floor, dried dark fruit, cedar and smoke accompany dried black cherry, baked plum, ground pepper and clove. Firm and full-bodied, the red carries solid, fine-grained tannins. Raisined fruit, cherry, vanilla and spice also appear within a warm, velvety profile. The blend is seventy-five percent Corvina, twenty percent Rondinella and five percent Molinara. The finish is persistent.
Au Bon Climat 2021 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir
American Red
Smoky plum, dark fruit, strawberry and melon accompany a deep ruby colour. The Pinot Noir is supple, fruit-forward and rich. Fruit comes from Bien Nacido, Le Bon Climat, Rancho La Cuna, Kick On and Los Alamos vineyards. It spends ten months in French oak, including ten percent new barrels, and carries 13.5 percent alcohol.
Domaine des Marnes Blanches 2022 Crémant du Jura Réserve
French Sparkling
Fine bubbles accompany fresh apple, lemon and brioche. The Chardonnay has freshness, a chalky texture, saline detail and a persistent finish. Fruit comes from twenty-five-year-old vines rooted in Lias marl and limestone near Sainte-Agnès. The site lies in Jura. Traditional-method production includes thirty months of lees ageing and zero dosage. The cuvée is made entirely from Chardonnay.
LUKE 2018 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
American Red
Blackcurrant, dark cherry, pressed herbs, blackberry preserve, grilled toast and baking spice accompany a broad, dense Cabernet Sauvignon with fine-grained, layered tannins. StoneTree Vineyard supplies the fruit. The blend also includes Malbec, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Fermentation uses stainless-steel bins and barrels; half proceeds spontaneously. Twenty months in second-fill French oak follows. Coffee, dried herb and black cherry add further detail.
De Fermo 2021 Launegild Chardonnay
Italian White
Pear peel, banana, apricot, chamomile, herbs and straw meet a saline note in this Chardonnay. Freshness and smoothness remain in balance. Fruit grows between the Adriatic and Gran Sasso on limestone and clay soils. Soft pressing precedes spontaneous indigenous-yeast fermentation in oak without temperature control, followed by twelve months in tonneau. Straw-yellow colour completes the profile.
Hugh Hamilton 2006 Jekyll & Hyde Shiraz Viognier
Australian Red
Meaty and peppery notes accent raspberry and boysenberry fruit in a full-bodied red. Shiraz provides the main share of the blend, while Viognier accounts for seven percent. The wine has a lush, substantial texture, with vanilla, chocolate and coffee among its flavour details. It comes from McLaren Vale in South Australia and carries 15.5 percent alcohol.
Jean-Marc Brocard 2023 Chablis Premier Cru Montmains
French White
A brilliant golden-green colour with silvery-grey highlights accompanies flint, citrus and spice. The Chardonnay has a supple attack and thirst-quenching lemon notes. Fruit comes from Montmains on the left bank of the Serein, where the site’s profile is cool, fresh and floral. Vinification takes place in stainless steel without oak. White flowers, grapefruit and fennel also appear. The style is clear.
Piero Busso 2023 Langhe Nebbiolo
Italian Red
Ruby colour accompanies fruit and earthy notes in a gently structured Nebbiolo. Most fruit comes from Le Casasse, with a smaller portion from young vines in Gallina. Stainless-steel fermentation is followed by a brief period in wood. The vineyard sources are in Barbaresco, and the wine has lifted fragrance, freshness and a supple mouthfeel. The younger vineyard material has a more open aspect.
Ochota Barrels 2019 The Price of Silence Gamay
Australian Red
Pepper, herbs, violet and florals accompany crunchy fruit, gentle tannins and defined acidity. Black cherry, tea and herbal notes sit within a medium-bodied Gamay with a silky, rounded feel and a long, mouthwatering finish. Fruit comes from a high Piccadilly Valley vineyard on clay over limestone. Half the wine undergoes carbonic maceration, while half uses whole bunches for six days.
La Stoppa 2003 Stoppa Cabernet Sauvignon
Italian Red
Mature fruit and spices accompany a red with soft structure and good acidity. The blend is forty percent Cabernet Sauvignon, forty percent Merlot and twenty percent other Bordeaux varieties. Fermentation uses native yeasts, followed by roughly thirty days of maceration. The wine spends fourteen months in barriques and carries fifteen percent alcohol. Its regional origin is Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy.
Bodegas Muga 2019 Reserva Selección Especial Rioja
Spanish Red
Ripe blackberry, bramble, vanilla and clove accompany a medium-bodied Rioja with polished tannins, marked acidity and a long finish. Tempranillo, Grenache and Graciano come from clay-limestone terraces on the slopes of the Montes Obarenes and Sierra Cantabria. Indigenous-yeast fermentation takes place in oak vats. The wine matures for twenty-six months in French-oak barrels, then at least eighteen months in bottle.