Bordeaux

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More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

Fronsac

 74% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon.

An utterly delicious red with crushed berries, cappuccino and hints of black olives. Medium-bodied, compact and very soft. Really creamy texture. A blend of 75% merlot, 22% cabernet franc and 3% cabernet sauvignon. Hard not to drink now. So do it! JAMES SUCKLING

The 2017 La Vieille Cure is deep, fleshy and delicious. In 2017, La Vieille Cure is a bit less dense than it often is, but it still packs a pretty serious punch. Dark red cherry, plum, cinnamon, chocolate and floral notes shape this racy, inviting Fronsac. ANTONIO GALLONI

The 2017 Vieille Cure has a tightly-packed black cherry and cassis scented bouquet that feels as if it could be more intense once in bottle. The palate is medium-bodied with a candied, pastille-like opening: blackcurrant, crème de cassis and vanilla, lower in acidity than its Fronsac peers but smooth as silk towards the finish. NEAL MARTIN

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More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

1 BOTTLES remain at time of offer
The 2017 Clos Floridène Blanc has a really classy bouquet, very well defined with citrus lemon, lime and light crushed pebble aromas. This is very pure and focused. The palate is well balanced with a twist of sour lemon on the entry, a fine bead of acidity with a very saline finish. This is a really interesting Clos Floridène thanks to the expressive Sémillon (91). NEAL MARTIN

A wine of real distinction and class, the 2017 Clos Floridène Blanc also shows just how appealing the vintage is for Bordeaux's dry whites. Lemon confit, tangerine oil, pear, spice and a kiss of new French oak all grace this soft, wonderfully expressive white from the Dubourdieu family. The 2017 is pure class. That's all there is to it. Tasted two times. (91) ANTONIO GALLONI

The 2010 La Fleur du Bouard (80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon) is bottled unfined and unfiltered and hit 14.5% natural alcohol. The wine offers up notes of black raspberry and blueberry pie intermixed with incense, lead pencil shavings and plenty of underlying floral notes. Some background oak is also present. The wine is medium to full-bodied, beautifully pure, voluptuously textured, rich, long and hedonistic and satisfying. Drink it over the next 10+ years. The other cuvee, a limited production wine, can be absolutely magnificent with some bottle age, as the 2000 is certainly proving to be.

The standard of excellence for Lalande de Pomerol is Hubert de Bouard’s 50-acre property, over half of it located on the highly prized Neac plateau, which consists of clay, sand and gravel sub-soils. ROBERT PARKER, 2013

Sauternes 1er Cru Classé
24 BOTTLES remain at time of offer
The 2017 Rieussec captures the natural intensity of the year, while also remaining faithful to the house style that is now favored by the estate. A high percentage of Sauvignon Blanc (17%) adds freshness and lift to the passionfruit, pineapple, mint and lemon confit flavors. Beautifully harmonious and persistent in the glass, the 2017 has so much to offer. In this tasting, it is simply tremendous. (94-97) ANTONIO GALLONI

The 2017 Rieussec was affected by the frost, losing around 15% of the production although, it was more located in parcels that are designated for the dry white R de Rieussec. Eric Kohler told me that it was a relatively rapid picking. It has around 125gm/L residual sugar. It has a clean but slightly distant bouquet, does not really exude the richness that you expect from Sauternes. The palate is medium-bodied and more promising than the nose: a viscous opening, quite spicy and slightly Auslese in style. The acidity is well balanced and it becomes increasingly lively towards the lychee and fennel-tinged finish, as if compensating for the nose. (92-94) NEAL MARTIN

This tiny estate’s (less than 12 acres) sensational terroir has never been fully exploited, but that will change now that the owner of Chateau Latour, Francois Pinault, has purchased an approximately 50% interest in Vray Croix de Gay. Made from a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the dark ruby-hued 2013 exhibits notes of black cherries, loamy soil and underbrush. Consume this medium-bodied effort during its first 4-5 years of life. ROBERT PARKER, 2014

Sauternes (1st Growth)

This has quite a bit of sulphur on the nose at first, but it clears with aeration. It remains tightly-coiled, with lemon, honey, apricot and limestone, demonstrating fine minerality. The palate has great tension on the entry, quite spicy and nutty in style, with a vibrant, zesty finish. This is an exuberant Sigalas-Rabaud with great potential. NEAL MARTIN

A very full wine, with good but unobtrusive sweetness and above all a great brightness / freshness to the middle-fruit that, together with the just-enough acidity, take this remarkably full yet pure wine through to a very fine, minty, tight finish. This is clearly about to become the closest recent vintage to this château's golden days of the 60s. It reminds me of a latter day version of the great 67.  BILL BLATCH

BARSAC

I tasted the 2016 Climens from four separate lots identified by location, harvest dates, alcohol, residual sugar and the percentage each lot represents of the harvest. The four wines were remarkably different. The Nord was both plush and tropical-leaning, yet with notable freshness, while the Sud managed to be both deep and also light on its feet. I found the Ouest to be the most precise and aromatically lifted of the samples, while the Est was the most concentrated. A simple, impromptu blend of the four lots suggests the 2016 Climens is shaping up to be a magnificent Barsac. The interplay of the various components is quite remarkable. ANTONIO GALLONI

The 2016 Climens was tasted from the 12 different lots that will go into the Grand Vin, with some selected from the Deuxième Vin, Cyprès de Climens. As usual, I had to assemble them in my mind and relate commonalities, though at a négoçiant a week later I re-tasted four preprepared micro-blends. I found much elegance this year. It is not a powerful Climens in the making and even with the higher alcohol lots that reached 14.9%, you could not feel any warmth and the wines maintained the tension. Some lots displayed saline finishes, perhaps a little more than usual. Perhaps the most important factor was just how "Barsac" they all tasted. Sometimes some lots can taste more Sauternes-like in style, but not this year. NEAL MARTIN

18 Bottles available at the time of offer.

La Parde de Haut Bailly has been renamed as Haut Bailly II, while the third label rebranded as HB, an exciting period while they also undertake a major development of the cellar. These wines already over achieve and will suit buyers looking for early drinking form from a top-quality estate. 65% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. -Tom Portet

Antonio Galloni                                        92
The 2018 Haut-Bailly II is a bomb. All of the richness of the year comes through in a wine that is bursting at the seams with fruit. Dark red cherry, tobacco, cedar, mint and licorice race out of the glass. Ripeness is decidedly pushed, and yet the 2018 remains poised and impeccably balanced. Silky tannins wrap around the plush, sensual finish.

Andrew Caillard, MW                                 94
Medium deep colour. Very perfumed violet, cassis pure dark fruit aromas with hints of graphite. Lovely classic claret with mulberry inky fruits, five persistent graphite tannins and underlying savoury oak. Lovely freshness and vinosity. Despite the alcohol and tannin density there is lovely integration and softness.

James Suckling                             93-94
Extremely fresh and aromatic with sliced berries and hints of orange peel. Medium-bodied yet dense and deep with ripe, firm tannins and a flavorful finish. Shows energy and vibe. Solid length. Formerly called La Parde de Haut-Bailly. Second wine.

6 BOTTLE MINIM ORDER
Pessac-Léognan
The 2017 Carbonnieux Blanc has an impressive bouquet with scents of Granny Smith apples, crushed stone and nettle. There is certainly impressive intensity here – a bouquet that means business. The palate is well balanced with crisp acidity. This is one of the most sophisticated white Carbonnieux that I have encountered at this stage with wonderful mineralité and veins of ginger furnishing the finish that convey brio and confidence. This should evolve into an outstanding Pessac-Léognan. (92-94) NEAL MARTIN

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

You will receive 3 premium bottles of French wine delivered to your door, free delivery metro Melbourne and Sydney, other destinations $10 flat rate.

We will email you a Zoom invitation, wine tasting notes, cheese recommendations prior to the event, you just need to have your wines ready and log on.

Virtual wine lounges now available – we now have the option for you to relax with your friends in your own private virtual “Wine Lounge” at the end of the formal tasting.

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

9 Bottles avaliable at time of offer.

James Suckling                             94-95
A fine and fruity red with blueberries and blackberries and hints of walnuts. Medium to full body and ultra fine tannins that melt into the body of the wine. It's muscular in some ways. Lots of potential. Punchy.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown            93-95
Medium to full-bodied and elegant, with lovely freshness lifting the densely packed blue and black fruit flavors, it has a velvety texture and long, earthy finish.

CASTILLON-CÔTES DE BORDEAUX

The 2016 Montlandrie is a blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon picked between 3-17 October. It was picked at 40 hectoliters per hectare and raised in 60% new oak (although my sample was from a one-year-old barrel). It is the first vintage to include more than 80% of the vines that were planted by Denis Durantou after 2008. This has a more broody bouquet than the two Lalande-de-Pomerols, just a touch of leafiness originating from the Cabernet Sauvignon that enhances the complexity. The palate is medium-bodied with fine structure, more saline than the Les Cruzelles, backward at the moment, but the Cabernets impart some lovely graphite notes on the saline finish. Superb. Expect this to land towards the top of my banded score once in bottle. (91-93) NEAL MARTIN

The 2016 Montlandrie is powerful and bold to its core. Layers of dense, dark fruit, chocolate, lavender spice and sweet oak saturate the palate. Dense and voluptuous, this racy wine from Denis Durantou is packed and ready to deliver maximum pleasure upon release. Tasted two times. (88-91) ANTONIO GALLONI

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

HAUT-MÉDOC 5th Growth Cru Classé

The 2016 Belgrave is a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot and was picked from 28 September until 20 October. It has a generous bouquet with small dark cherries, blueberry and crushed violet aromas, quite Margaux-like in style. There is certainly good intensity here. The palate is medium-bodied with a supple opening: blackberry, mint and cedar. From the start there is fine tension and there is very impressive structure towards the finish, plus a long saline aftertaste. This is a very strong follow-up to the 2015 Belgrave and indeed, it may surpass it. (90-92) NEAL MARTIN

Ample and richly textured, the 2016 Belgrave is super expressive from start to finish. The exotic bouquet reveals graphite, herb, crushed flowers and a multitude of enticing inky fruit nuances. This powerful, overachieving Haut Médoc has quite a bit to offer. (89-91) ANTONIO GALLONI

Antonio Galloni 93-96
The 2018 Vray Croix de Gay is sensual, open-knit and inviting. Rose petal, mint, lavender and spice add striking aromatic presence to a refined, sensual Pomerol that hits all the right notes. Beautifully persistent and layered, Vray Croix de Gay is absolutely gorgeous. This is an especially nuanced, understated style.

James Suckling 93-94
Very tight and focused with ultra-fine tannins that are polished and beautiful. Medium body. Fresh finish.

Lisa Perotti Brown 93-95
Deep purple-black in color, it sings of Morello cherries, Black Forest cake, licorice and lavender with a core of plum preserves, unsmoked tobacco and warm blackberries plus a waft of Provence herbs. Full-bodied and concentrated yet bursting with energy, it has a solid backbone of firm, rounded tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long.

JAMES SUCKLING 96-97
This is a special wine with unique black-cherry character and hints of hazelnuts. Full bodied, tight and totally melted together with the firm and ultra-fine tannins Extremely long.

Ten bottles avaliable at time of offer.

Antonio Galloni 94
Just as it was from barrel, the 2018 Duhart-Milon is a real powerhouse. Black cherry, gravel, spice, espresso and savory herbs infuse the 2018 with notable depth and power. A brooding, virile wine, the Duhart-Milon packs a serious punch. I would give it a few years to soften. The 2018 has really come together since en primeur. In fact, the bottled wine bears little semblance to the en primeur sample, which is a very good thing. There is real density and weight here, with all of the natural richness of the year.

James Suckling 95-96
This is a very powerful Duhart with blackcurrant and blackberry character. Lots of graphite and black tea. Full-bodied and muscular with lots of formed muscles and great length. Could be best ever?

Andrew Caillard, MW 95
Deep colour. Very classical with pure blackcurrant pastille aromas and toasty vanilla notes. Medium powered but really well-balanced wine with pure blackcurrant cassis fruits, fine lacy graphite tannins and underlying mocha vanilla notes.
 
Lisa Perotti Brown 93-95
Deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps from the glass with exuberant notes of Black Forest cake, plum preserves and crème de cassis with hints of spice cake, woodsmoke, potpourri and eucalyptus. Full-bodied, rich and laden with layers of black fruit preserves and spices, it has a velvety texture and just enough freshness, finishing long. Very impressive-the densest, most opulent Duhart I have tasted!

Pomerol
9 BOTTLE remain at time of offer
The 2017 Clinet was bottled at the end of June 2019. It has a more understated bouquet than the 2015 or 2016. Tightly wound, brambly black fruit with traces of pressed violet and iodine, gradually open with orange rind notes. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins. This is classic in style, firm grip and a little rigid in its youth, although it will flesh out with bottle age. I admire both the freshness and salinity in this Clinet, especially its linearity on the finish. Excellent. (13.2% alcohol) (93) NEAL MARTIN, vinous

8 bottles available at time of offer

98-99 points JAMES SUCKLING
 Wow. This really sends a tingle down my spine. Love the energy and length to this. Very distinguished. Full-bodied yet tight, polished and compressed. It has a great finish. Exciting. Really.

93-96 points ANTONIO GALLONI
The 2018 TrotteVieille is a super-intriguing wine. Aromatically deep and layered, the 2018 offers tremendous depth and textural finesse. Mocha, grilled herbs, black cherry, new leather and spice all wrap around the palate in a dense, racy Saint-Émilion. The blend is 54% Cabernet Franc, 44% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon.

91-93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Trotte Vieille leaps from the glass with vivacious scents of baked red plums, black raspberries and prunes with underlying scents of dried herbs, fallen leaves, dusty soil and tobacco. Full-bodied with a firm line of chewy tannins, it delivers a lot of stewed fruits on the mid-palate with a slightly warm finish.

A big, backward, full-bodied Pomerol, the 2000 Gazin appears to have added weight as well as structure. Still young, it exhibits beautiful notes of sandy, loamy soil intermixed with mulberries, black cherries, cedar, and licorice. Tightly wound, powerful, and rich, with noticeable oak, it needs another 3-5 years of bottle age, and should drink well for two decades. ROBERT PARKER

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PAUILLAC - 5th Growth

The 2016 Haut-Bages Libéral has turned out beautifully. Rose petals, lavender and sweet red cherry are some of the notes that grace this fine, translucent Pauillac. Medium in body and precise, with exquisite finesse and nuance, the 2016 is incredibly expressive today. This is a fabulous showing from proprietor Claire Villars Lurton. (95) ANTONIO GALLONI

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POMEROL - LIMITED

The 2016 Clos l'Eglise is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, and was the first to be picked by the Garçin-Léveque family (before Barde-Haut, d'Arce and Poesia). It has a high pH of 3.65 and it was matured in 100% new French oak. It has a very intense bouquet with macerated small black cherries, raspberry coulis, oyster shells and crushed violets, well defined and quite penetrating in style. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, layers of black fruit laced with black pepper and a touch of black pepper. There is a little chewiness to the texture towards the harmonious finish, which is one of the most primal that I have encountered in recent years. The barrel maturation will lend a little more sheen to this Pomerol--a long-term prospect that will deserve several years in bottle. (93-95) NEAL MARTIN

12 bottles available at time of offer

A special parcel of old Merlot that is conveniently stuck between Petrus, Lafleur and Vieux Chateaux Certan. First produced in 1982 and with just 7,000 bottles produced it has unicorn status. -Tom Portet

James Suckling                             94-95
The gorgeous balance on the center palate makes this one of the best wines from here in years. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful yet subtle finish. Fine.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown            89-91
Deep purple-black colored, the 2018 La Fleur de Gay delivers bold notions of baked plums, mulberries and blackberry preserves with touches of tar, bay leaves and truffles. Full-bodied and rich, with a plush texture, it has soft acid and a spicy finish.

Antonio Galloni            86-88
The 2018 La Fleur de Gay is a fruity, supple Pomerol that will drink well with minimal cellaring. Dark cherry, mocha, cedar, tobacco, licorice and menthol add lovely aromatic nuance as this pretty, silky Pomerol develops in the glass.