Please see the following Assorted Stock Selection, which is offered at the very best prices in the market. They are available ex-LCB Tilbury (lead times below).
For all enquiries, please contact david@corkingwines.co.uk
2 cases – 6/75cl Champagne Egly-Ouriet 1er Cru ‘Les Vignes de Bisseuil’ Extra Brut NV @ £375 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £399-£600++) 8-10 weeks
2 cases – 6/75cl Champagne David Leclapart 1er Cru ‘L’Aphrodisiaque’ Pas Dose NV (LV18 disgorgement) @ £695 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £849-£950++) 8-10 weeks
8 cases – 6/75cl Champagne Frederique Savart ‘L’Ouverture’ 1er Cru Blanc de Noirs NV @ £260 per 6 IB & OC 8-10 weeks
3 cases – 3/150cl Champagne Frederique Savart ‘L’Ouverture’ 1er Cru Blanc de Noirs NV @ £275 per 3 MAGS IB & OC 8-10 weeks
1 case – 6/75cl Champagne Jacquesson ‘Cuvee 741 DT’ (degorgement Tardif), Extra Brut NV @ £410 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £480++) 8-10 weeks
2 cases – 3/75cl Champagne Dom Perignon ‘P2/Oenotheque’ Brut, Moet & Chandon 1996 @ £2,395 per 3 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £2,695++) now – photo attached – Disgorged 2008 – Original Oenotheque label
Graphite, slate, crushed rocks, lemon confit and exotic white flowers give the 1996 Dom Pérignon P2 its distinctive aromatic signatures. Bright and focused, the P2 captures all of the energy of the vintage with striking mid-palate depth and resonance. The 1996 was impenetrably tight when it was first released. Today, it has blossomed into a super-expressive, totally captivating Champagne. There is so much drive, power and tension driving the 1996.
97 points Antonio Galloni, Vinous
2 cases – 6/75cl Champagne Pol Roger ‘Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill’ 1998 @ £1,095 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,200-£1,795++) now – photos available
The 1998 Brut Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill opens with intriguing, exotic notes of smoke, cured meats and tar. This is a big, sweeping Sir Winston Churchill endowed with layers of perfumed ripe pears, quince, flowers and spices in a style that balances a generous expression of fruit with acidity and minerality. Everything is in the right place in this delicate yet deeply satisfying Champagne. This bottle was disgorged at the beginning of 2007. Winston Churchill is Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with Pinot playing the leading role. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2023.
94 points Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate, Dec 2008
1 case – 6/75cl Champagne Pol Roger ‘Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill’ 1999 @ £1,375 per 6 IB & OC now
The 1999 Brut Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill, from Magnum, is wonderfully rich and expansive, proving yet again just how well suited the big bottle is to Champagne. Smoke, peaches, mint and flowers are just some of the nuances that flow from this textured kaleidoscopic Champagne. The wine continues to gain focus and breadth through to the enticing, brilliant finish. Disgorged July, 2009. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2030.
94 points Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate (192), December 2010
1 case - 1/150cl Champagne David Leclapart 1er Cru ‘l’Amateur’ Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut LV99 @ £1,775 per 1 MAG IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £2,133 loose++) 8-10 weeks
1 case – 6/75cl Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore, Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, Toscana 1999 @ £1,525 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,350 re-pack-£1,857++) now – photo attached
The 1999 Ornellaia (magnum) does not disappoint. This vivid, energetic wine emerges from the glass with a myriad of graphite, menthol, liquorice, leather and dark fruit wrapped around a powerful core. The bouquet alone is worth the price of admission. Though not as opulent as the 1997, the 1999 offers exceptional length and a finessed, regal close. The 1999 Ornellaia is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. The wine spent 18 months in French oak (60% new) prior to being bottled. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2021.
95 points Antoni Galloni, Wine Advocate, Jan 2010
1 case – 3/150cl Champagne Pol Roger ‘Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill’ 2002 @ £1,475 per 3 MAGS IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,550-£1,795++) now
The 2002 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is developing superbly in a bottle, and the wine is beginning to show wonderful complexity, wafting from the glass with scents of green apple, orange rind and pear that mingle with hints of warm biscuits, freshly baked bread and iodine. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, broad and fleshy, with ripe acids, appreciable structuring dry extract and concentration and a long, vinous and expansive finish. Readers with the 2002 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill in their cellars should be very happy indeed.
96 points William Kelley, Wine Advocate (242), April 2019
1 case – 6/75cl Champagne Dom Perignon ‘Edition Jeff Koons’, Moet & Chandon 2004 @ £1,260 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,490++) now – photo attached
Racy, silky and vibrant in the glass, the 2004 Dom Pérignon is all about energy. Here the flavors are bright and delineated throughout, with veins of acidity and minerality that give the wine its sense of drive. Mint, rosemary and yellow-fleshed fruits linger on the finish with the classic DP reductive overtones that are such a signature. Once again, the 2004 Dom Pérignon truly shines. The 2004 Dom Pérignon is a wine to treasure over the next thirty or so years. Drink 2015-2044.
97+ points Antonio Galloni, Vinous, Jul 2015
1 case - 6/75cl Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux 2005 @ £3,225 per 6 IB & OWC now – UK stock bought EP
Having tasted the 2005 Château Lafite-Rothschild several times, both blind and non-blind, it comes across as a First Growth politely requesting more time to "settle". Here, from an ex-château bottle tasted in Bordeaux, it delivers that graphite, pencil-box bouquet that unfurls gradually in the glass, biding its time, graceful but not intense. Parallel to some of its fellow 2005s, it is developing a little more spice, namely thyme and sage, than I recall. The palate is medium-bodied and beautifully balanced, to wit, a sophisticated Pauillac that prioritises elegance and poise over intensity of fruit—in keeping with Lafite Rothschild's style. You come away with the sense that it will take its time and decline, giving away a great deal in its primacy, even if it is still more approachable than the 2005 Latour, for example. Therefore, I would be inclined to set this aside for several more years. Tasted November 2014.
96 points Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, Jul 2016
1 case - 12/75cl Chateau Calon Segur, St Estephe, Bordeaux 2006 @ £840 per 12 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £900-£1,095++) now
The 2006 Calon Segur was current winemaker Vincent Millet's first vintage. In many ways, you can see it as one of the last of the "old style" Calon Segur wines with a higher percentage of Merlot than nowadays (2006 consists of 33% Merlot), while I aver that the tannins are not as fine as they are nowadays. The Merlot component is vividly expressed on the nose with ravishing ripe red cherries, kirsch and strawberry, just slightly smudged by the alcohol. The palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannin and quite sexy in style, but it does not have the class of more recent vintages, and it seems to have remained tough up on the finish. It will loosen up with time, so afford this another 6-8 years in a bottle.
93 points Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, May 2016
1 case – 2/150cl Eleven Confessions Collectors Case (1x150cl In the Crosshairs Grenache & 1x150cl Shot in the Dark Syrah), Sine Qua Non, Santa Rita Hills, USA 2006 @ £4,295 per 2 MAGS IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £5,200++) 2-3 weeks – photos attached
A Shot in the Dark is composed of 96.5% Syrah and 3.5% Viognier from the 11 Confessions Vineyard in the cool Santa Rita Hills. Performing better from a bottle than it did from a barrel, this prodigious red exhibits incredibly velvety tannins, a seamless style, and no noticeable oak (which is remarkable given the fact it spent 32 months in the barrel). Dense purple to the rim with an extraordinary perfume of blueberry pie, blackberries, soy, Asian spices, and hints of forest floor and charcoal, this is a complex, rich, seamless, well-balanced tour de force in winemaking. A full-bodied, exuberant, unabashedly California Syrah, it will offer stunning drinking over the next 10-15+ years.
100 points Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (8/2010)
This is Sine Qua Non’s extended barrel-aged Grenache (meaning that in most vintages since 2003, Krankl has produced two cuvees of Grenache, one aged 18-22 months before bottling, and the other one with extended barrel-ageing, in this case, 32 months in wood). A blend of 84% Grenache, 12% Syrah and 4% Viognier, all from the 11 Confessions Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills, this is one of the most extraordinarily elegant Grenaches Krankl has produced. It is an intellectual wine, yet it doesn’t wimp out by any means. It is full-bodied and voluptuously textured, with notes of spice box, liquorice and Provencal herbs, copious quantities of black currant and kirsch liqueur, stunning richness and a finish lasting close to a minute. This amazing effort confirms Krankl’s meticulous and nearly obsessively detailed work in both the vineyard and the winery.
100 points Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (8/2010)
1 case – 6/75cl Chateau Cos D’Estournel, St Estephe, Bordeaux 2007 @ £540 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £540-£625++) now
1 case - 12/75cl Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux 2008 @ £3,995 per 12 IB & OWC now – photo attached (banded)
The 2008 Mouton Rothschild has a more open bouquet than I expected: blackberry, pencil box, a whiff of the Gironde estuary, and a hint of pressed flowers with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with sweet tannin, a little fleshier than the Château Margaux, and has a lovely saline finish that does not outstay its welcome. You could broach this now, though personally, I would prefer to wait. 2018 – 2040
94 points Neal Martin, Vinous, Feb 2018
1 case – 3/150cl Champagne Pol Roger ‘Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill’ 2008 @ £1,475 per 3 MAGS IB & OC now – photo attached
3 cases – 3/75cl Champagne Taittinger ‘Comte de Champagne’ Rose 2009 @ £440 per 3 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £440-£540++) now – Release price 2022 £610!
The 2009 Brut Comtes de Champagne Rosé is a rich, gourmand rendition of this cuvée, bursting with aromas of sweet red plums, buttery pastry, tangerine and baking spices. Full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with a broad attack and a layered, enveloping mid-palate that's girdled by ripe acids, it already offers demonstrative drinking. This has turned out brilliantly.
96 points William Kelley, Wine Advocate, Oct 2022
1 case - 6/75cl Chateau Palmer, Margaux, Bordeaux 2009 @ £1,570 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,575-£1,650++) 2-3 weeks – bought EP UK
The 2009 Palmer has a beautifully defined bouquet with bright black cherry and boysenberry fruit, crushed stone and rose petals. Not as decadent as the bottle poured at the BI tasting, yet precise. The palate is medium-bodied with supple and refined tannin and crisp acidity. Wonderfully poised with quite a penetrating finish that delivers a payload of multi-layered blueberry and blackberry. This is a very well-crafted 2009 Margaux destined for long-term ageing. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting. 2022 – 2050
96 points Neal Martin, Vinous, Mar 2019
1 case – 12/75cl Chateau Pavie Macquin, St Emilion, Bordeaux 2009 @ £845 per 12 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £860-£900++) now – bought EP UK
2009 is enormous in size yet broodingly backward; I was somewhat surprised by the astringency of the tannins in this blend of 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a big wine (14.5% alcohol), black and purple in colour, with a huge concentration of fruit and beautiful purity, but a good decade of cellaring is required. From a top terroir, this wine is built for the long haul, and I am sure it will be even better than its relatively conservative rating at this point. Anticipated maturity: 2022-2035.
92+ points Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
1 case – 6/75cl Chateau Pape Clement, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux 2010 @ £845 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £890++) now
I certainly underrated the 2010 Pape Clement from Barrel, rating it only 93-95+. (Thank God I put a "plus" there!) Having tasted it four times in Bordeaux and rating it perfect three times and 99 the fourth time, this final blend of 51% Merlot, 47.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1.5% Petit Verdot is perfection in a bottle. Tipping the scales at 14.5% natural alcohol, there are 8,000 cases of it. Its sublime elegance, power, medium to full-bodied texture, silky tannins, subtle notes of smoke, lead pencil shavings, black currants, charcoal, camphor, blueberry and cassis fruit are all remarkable. It is a rich, full-throttle wine, but the elegance and the great terroir of Pape Clement come through in abundance. It is slightly more developed and evolved than 2005, which was at a similar point in its evolution, but it certainly needs another 5-7 years to develop further nuances, which it surely will. This wine will last 30-40+ years.
Kudos to proprietor Bernard Magrez, who has built an empire based on high quality more than any other characteristic
100 points Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (205), March 2013
1 case – 6/75cl Chateauneuf-du-Pape ‘Cuvee da Capo’, Domaine du Pegau, Rhone 2010 @ £1,650 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,650-£2000++) now – photo attached
Roughly 85% Grenache and the rest Syrah and other permitted varieties, aged all in foudre, the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee da Capo is sheer perfection in a glass. Wine doesn’t get any better. Incredibly rich and concentrated, yet ethereal and even graceful, it boasts off-the-hook aromas of blackberry, liquorice, spice box, smoked meats and underbrush that continue to change and develop in the glass. Massive and decadent on the palate, yet again, with no weight and a seamless texture, this brilliant effort needs a handful of years in the cellar and will live to see its 30th birthday in fine form.
100 points Jeb Dunnock, Wine Advocate (10/2013)
3 cases – 1/150cl Valpolicella Superiore, Dal Forno Romano, Veneto 2011 @ £165 per 1 MAGNUM IB & OWC 8-10 weeks
It’s deep black-red in colour and is dark and forceful, sombre yet voluptuous in aroma: a harmonious weave of black chocolate, sloe and elderberry, with the years in oak bringing a cedary refinement. On the palate, it’s a vault of a wine: deep, dark and roomy, packed with earthy refinements and black-fruited echoes, both severe yet soft and enticing too. The tannins are ample yet fine-grained, and the acidity is delicate and sustaining. I wrote about the ‘crocodilian’ character of grand Veneto dried-fruit red wine back in April, but the teeth are polished ivory here. This is horizon-altering ‘Valpolicella’, which would perform outstandingly in any Amarone tasting.
96 points Andrew Jefford, Decanter, Jun 2017
1 case – 1/75cl Champagne Henri Giraud ‘Argonne’ Ay Grand Cru Brut Rose 2011 @ £770 per 1 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £875++) now – 600-800 bottles produced – rare stocks – UK agent sourced
3 cases – 6/75cl Champagne Bollinger ‘La Grande Annee’ 2012 @ £465 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £490-£580++) now
Disgorged in July 2019, Bollinger's 2012 Brut La Grande Année is showing well, offering up an incipiently complex bouquet of crisp yellow orchard fruit, fresh peach, orange oil, toasted walnuts and dried apricot that's still quite reserved with less than a year on cork. Full-bodied, deep and muscular, the 2012 is blockier and broader-shouldered than its 2008 predecessor. It has a weightier and even more concentrated palate built around a bright spine of acidity, concluding with a chalky finish that carries appreciably dry extract. This isn't quite as elegant as the exquisite 2008, but it is a superb effort and obviously built to age.
95 points William Kelley, RobertParker.com, March 2020
2 cases – 12/75cl Alpilles Rouge IGP, Domaine de Trevallon, Rhone 2012 @ £890 per 12 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,200-£1,262++) 8-10 weeks
1 case – 6/75cl Cabernet Sauvignon ‘The Reserve’ To Kalon Vineyard, Robert Mondavi, Napa Valley, USA 2012 @ £695 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £815++) now
3 cases – 12/75cl Belle Leon, Peyre Rose, Vin de France 2012 @ £620 per 12 IB & OC 8-10 weeks
4 cases – 12/75cl Marlene No 3, Peyre Rose, Vin de France 2012 @ £520 per 12 IB & OC 8-10 weeks
1 case – 6/75cl Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux, Bordeaux 2014 @ £700 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £743-£830++) now
1 case – 6/75cl Hermitage Rouge, Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, Rhone 2014 @ £1,495 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,600-£1,725++) now – photo attached
As normal, I was able to taste the 2014 Hermitage in its individual components, with the Bessards and l'Hermite (which are the backbone of the cuvee) both showing full-bodied richness, plenty of mid-palate depth and no shortage of tannic grip. The Méal is always the most jammy and forward and is easily the most identifiable given its sexy, supple texture, although it never has the definition or cut of the Bessards. The Peleat and Beaume barrels are normally smaller components in the final blend, with the Beaume always showing the most spice-laced and perfumed of the two. The 2014 shows the house's elegance and purity yet has solid ripeness and texture. All of the samples had a solid tannic grip, but the overall impression was much more forward and approachable than in 2013, and I suspect it will be relatively accessible with short-term cellaring.
94-96 points Jeb Dunnock, Wine Advocate, Dec 2015
1 case – 12/75cl Domaine de la Grange des Peres (Blanc), IGP L’Herault 2014 @ £2,795 per 12 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £4,865++) now – rare stock - 250-300 cases annual production – awaiting photos
1 case – 3/75cl Chateau Lafleur, Pomerol, Bordeaux 2015 @ £2,575 per 3 IB & BANDED OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £2,750-£2,900++) now
Lafleur 2015 is a medium to deep garnet color blend of 51% Merlot and 49% Cabernet Franc. It shoots from the glass with opulent scents of baked blackberries, warm plums, and tar, with nuances of violets, liquorice, dark chocolate, and crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is built like a brick house, featuring firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note.
100 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, November 2022
1 case – 6/75cl Ulysses Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Christian Moueix, Napa Valley, USA 2015 @ £625 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £650-£863++) 2-3 weeks
The 2015 Ulysses brings together the richness of the year with a good bit of underlying support. Dark and powerful in the glass but with silky tannins and striking purity of fruit, the 2015 is a wonderfully complete wine. Black cherry, plum, gravel, lavender, and menthol give 2015 many of its aromatic and flavour signatures. Readers will find much to admire in 2015. The interplay of aromatics, fruit, and structure places Ulysses among the finest vintage wines.
96 points Antonio Galloni, Vinous (3/2018)
6 cases – 6/75cl Champagne Pierre Gimonnet & Fils ‘Special Club’ Grands Terroirs de Chardonnay (100%) 2016 @ £300 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £356++) now
7 cases – 6/75cl Champagne Cedric Bouchard ‘Roses de Jeanne Les Ursules’ Blanc de Noirs 2016 @ £1,595 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,575 repack-£2,148++) now
Aromas of fresh bread, crisp orchard fruit, citrus oil, clear honey, and oyster shell introduce Bouchard's 2016 Blanc de Noirs Les Ursules, a medium- to full-bodied, beautifully precise, and tensile rendition of this emblematic cuvée. Fine-boned and elegant, it's seamless and penetrating. This is an especially delicate Ursules that will reward some bottle age.
96+ points William Kelley, Wine Advocate (Apr 2021)
Parcel £1,495 (minimum 3)
1 case – 6/75cl Chateau Montrose, St Estephe, Bordeaux 2016 @ £790 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £830-£850++) now
A blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 7% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Montrose is deep garnet-purple in colour. It comes tearing out of the glass with rambunctious scents of creme de cassis, juicy blackberries, and blueberry pie, leading to hints of menthol, dark chocolate, liquorice, and tree bark with a touch of crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate is chock full of bright black fruits with loads of spicy sparks and a firm, wonderfully velvety texture, finishing long and energetic. 2028-2065
100 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, September 2023
1 case – 6/150cl Gattinara Vigna ‘Molsino’, Azienda Nervi Conterno, Piedmont 2016 @ £735 per 6 MAGS IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £900++) 8-10 weeks
This wine was not produced in 2017, so the next vintage in this mini vertical is the 2016 Gattinara Vigna Molsino. The name "Molsino" is a dialect derivative of the Italian word for "soft," and it comes from the pretty contours of the hills that characterize the Gattinara landscape and the warm, lightly windy and sunny microclimate that this specific growing site enjoys. Indeed, the wine offers rich fruit flavours of wild berry and blackcurrant with solid structure and firmness. Pretty notes of pressed violet, earth and iron ore also appear. This Nebbiolo plays a hand similar to Barolo in terms of its inner power and its superior ageing potential. 2022 – 2040
94 points Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Nov 2021
1 case – 6/150cl Gattinara Vigna ‘Valferana’, Azienda Nervi Conterno, Piedmont 2016 @ £735 per 6 MAGS IB & OC 8-10 weeks
10 cases – 6/75cl Valpolicella Superiore Monte Lodoletta, Dal Forno Romano, Veneto 2016 @ £375 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £400-£450++) 8-10 weeks
4 cases – 6/75cl Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta, Dal Forno Romano, Veneto 2016 @ £1,225 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,325++) 8-10 weeks
5 cases – 3/75cl Chianti Classico ‘Gran Selezione’, Querciabella, DOCG Toscana 2017 @ £395 per 3 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £400++) now
Parcel £350
2 cases – 6/75cl Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido Bolgheri, Toscana DOC 2017 @ £995 per 6 IB & OWC (£1,000-£1,120++) now
The 2017 Sassicaia is dark, sensual and rich, which is a good thing, as the tannins - the result of a warm, dry year in which phenolic ripening was difficult to fully reach - are also quite powerful. I tasted 2017 from an approximate blend from the barrel, where the wines are still ageing in separate lots. It will be interesting to see where things end up once the wine is in the bottle.
93-96 points Antonio Galloni, Vinous
1 case – 6/75cl Brunello di Montalcino ‘Madonna delle Grazie’, Il Marroneto, Toscana DOCG 2017 @ £920 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £948-£1,125++) now
This is one of the icon wines of the appellation. The Il Marroneto 2017 Brunello di Montalcino Madonna delle Grazie shows an elegantly streamlined appearance with shiny ruby highlights. This warm-vintage expression does not have the same vertical lift that we saw in the glorious 2016 edition, but that wine sets the bar very high (and it earned a 100-point score). This vintage is perhaps shapelier and more saturated with rose, wild cherry, peat moss and blood orange. The house style embraces extreme finesse, and you get that here. Alessandro Mori has also expertly managed the tannins, with results that appear silky and almost glossy. Thanks to elevation and soils, this cool growing site north of Montalcino village performs very nicely in hot vintages such as this.
98 points Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Feb 2022
The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino Madonna delle Grazie lights up the senses from the very first moment. Its aromatics alone are worth the price of entry; an exotic, spicy bouquet blends lavender, blood orange and tart raspberries with mentholated herbs, smoke and crushed stone. The textures are unbelievably soft, like liquid velvet, enveloping with mineral-tinged ripe cherries and sweet, sweet spice. This is so pretty and expressive, yet also juicy and fresh. Fine tannins mount, though they are only noticeable through the finale, where saline minerals mix with sour citrus and autumnal spice in an expression that just goes on and on. The 2017 transcends the vintage, and while it may not possess the power typical of Madonna delle Grazie, it instead communicates its undeniable beauty and grace. I tasted 2017 both in Montalcino, at the winery, and in our office, where it only got better over the three days I followed it. It's a total classic.
96 points Eric Guido, Vinous, Dec 2021
4 cases – 6/75cl Amarone della Valpolicella, Dal Forno Romano, Veneto 2017 @ £1,145 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,300++) 8-10 weeks
1 case – 6/75cl Tenuta di Trinoro, Andrea Franchetti, Toscana IGT 2017 @ £580 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £630-£675++) 2-3 weeks – c.583 cases
This is a beautiful wine with infinite depth. Born in a hot and dry vintage, the 2017 Tenuta di Trinoro (a blend of 69% Cabernet Franc, 23% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon) never steps over the line into jammy or overripe territory. In fact, the wine is masterfully restrained and elegantly managed. Andrea Franchetti dealt with a harvest that, as he put it, yielded "tiny berries, all skin and seeds and no juice." I only feel the heat of the vintage in the tannins, which are a bit dryer and more astringent in this wine. This full-bodied Tuscan red boasts deep layers of black fruit, spice, tar and campfire ash. About 7,000 bottles were made. Give the wine an extra year or two of bottle ageing to allow those tannins to soften up just a bit.
95 points Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Sep 2019
2 cases – 6/75 Chateau Gruaud-Larose, St Julien, Bordeaux 2017 @ £285 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £320-£500++) now
The 2017 Gruaud Larose is medium to deep garnet-purple in colour. It tumbles from the glass with expressive scents of black raspberries, Morello cherries, and cassis, plus suggestions of pencil lead, red roses, and damp soil. Medium-bodied, the palate is juicy and expressive, with a fine-grained texture and seamless freshness, finishing with a spicy lift.
95 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, December 2022
2 cases – 6/75 Chateau Leoville Las Cases, St Julien, Bordeaux 2017 @ £700 per 6 IB & OWC now
One of the finest wines of the vintage in Bordeaux, the 2017 Léoville Las Cases is a beautiful Saint-Julien that bursts from the glass with expressive aromas of cassis, wild berries, pencil shavings, violets and a subtle hint of cigar box. Medium to full-bodied, supple and enveloping, its unusually charming, sensual profile largely conceals a considerable endowment of tannin and a bright spine of acidity. Largely spared by the frost due to its optimal location on the bank of the Gironde and subject to a draconian selection, the 2017's giving style reflects not only the vintage but also the more restrained use of press wine chez Las Cases, seeing only 7% in the blend as opposed to the 10% to 12% that was typical not too long ago. It's a masterpiece.
96 points William Kelley, Wine Advocate 2023 - 2065
1 case - 6/75cl Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux 2017 @ £1,960 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £2,040-£2,400++) now
The 2017 Mouton-Rothschild is lucid in colour and quite deep, like the Le Petit Mouton. It has a pixelated bouquet with precise blackberry, raspberry and crushed stone aromas, and the oak is seamlessly integrated so that the aromatics have an unerring focus. The palate is medium-bodied with a graphite-tinged entry that is actually reminiscent of Latour in many ways. This Mouton-Rothschild is all about finesse and poise, the acidity beautifully judged and with superb tension on the finish. It is one of the finest Left Bank wines of the vintage, but there are few 2017s superior to this. Drink 2025-2055.
96 points Neal Martin, Vinous, Feb 2020
2 cases – 12/75cl Schug Carneros Estate Pinot Noir, USA 2017 @ £300 per 12 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £395++) now
1 case – 12/75cl Twomey ‘Bien Nacido’ Single Vineyard Pinot Noir (Silver Oak), Santa Maria Valley, USA 2018 @ £610 per 12 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £795++) now
2 cases – 12/75cl Silver Oak ‘Alexander Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon, USA 2018 @ £940 per 12 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,192-£1,200++) now
2 cases – 6/75 Chateau Cheval Blanc, St Emilion, Bordeaux 2018 @ £2,295 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £2,400-£3,495++) now
The 2018 Cheval Blanc is a blend of 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, with a 3.75 pH and 14.5% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple coloured, it needs considerable swirling and air to release fragrant notes of stewed plums, juicy black cherries and ripe blackberries with underlying suggestions of damp soil, black truffles, rose oil and cardamom with wafts of underbrush and iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate is densely packed with rich black fruits and loads of earthy accents, framed by super firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness to balance, finishing with amazing length and a beautiful array of floral and mineral sparks. Thirty-three plots contributed to this wine out of the forty-three in production. Of the rest, five went into Petit Cheval and five into bulk. It will need a good 6-7 years at least to really start to strut its stuff and should cellar for a further 30 years or more. 2027 - 2057.
98+ points Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, March 2021
1 case – 6/75 Chateau Haut Brion, Pessac Leognan, Bordeaux 2018 @ £1,910 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,940-£2,450++) now
The 2018 Haut-Brion is composed of 49.4% Merlot, 38.7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11.9% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in colour, the wine needs a lot of swirling before it begins to release a whole complex melody of notes, one at a time: tilled earth, followed by pronounced liquorice, then crushed rocks, then the preserved plums. Eventually, it all comes together into a fascinating crescendo of intense crème de cassis, rose oil, wild blueberries and kirsch notes, giving way to quiet, persistent leitmotif scents of cinnamon stick, truffles and redcurrant jelly. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers all this and more, revealing tightly wound black fruit, red berry and exotic spice layers within a solid, wonderfully plush frame and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length and loads of earth and mineral sparks. This is a profound, highly intellectual, multilayered baby, which will require a good 7-8 years to begin to sing its incredible song, then should cellar a further 40 years at least. By way of reference, think of 1989 with more restraint and even greater purity. 2028 – 2068
100 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (End of Mar), March 2021
1 case – 6/75cl Chateau La Fleur-Petrus, Pomerol, Bordeaux 2018 @ £820 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £860-£960++) now
A blend of 91% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, 2018 la Fleur-Petrus has a medium garnet-purple colour and a slightly closed-down nose to begin, soon unfurling to reveal earthy notions of black truffles, mossy tree bark and damp soil, over a core of plum preserves, wild blueberries and redcurrants, plus a fragrant waft of menthol lilacs. The medium to full-bodied palate has the most gorgeous, velvety texture with well-knit freshness giving lift to the densely packed black fruit and earthy layers, finishing with a beguiling perfume. Stunning. Give it a good 3-4 years in a bottle, and drink it over the next 30 years or more. 2025 – 2055
97+ points Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate, Mar 2021
2 cases – 3/75 Chateau Petrus, Pomerol, Bordeaux 2018 @ £8,795 per 3 IB & BANDED OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £9,000-£16,500++) now – C&B UK agent stock
The 2018 Petrus has retained its opaque purple-black colour after bottling, foreshadowing the seemingly frozen-in-time glacial pace at which this wine is proceeding. It opens very reluctantly, requiring considerable air with vigorous swirling, and doggedly demands a few hours before it offers glimpses at this slumbering giant of a wine. As it eventually unfurls, it slowly morphs into a powerful, fantastically pure nose of preserved plums, blackberry preserves and blueberry compote, followed by nuances of molten liquorice, dark chocolate, black truffles, iron ore and, still later, floral notions of lilacs and rose oil come through. The full-bodied palate is taut, muscular, and oh-so-tightly wound at this stage, revealing peeks at many layers of perfectly ripe black and blue fruits, exotic spices, and earthy notions for which words simply fail. The texture is rock solid and fantastically plush at once, with impeccably knit freshness, finishing so long you really can't taste or think of anything else for the rest of the day. Here is a heart-stopping titan that pays to all those naysayers who contest that perfection in wine cannot exist. It will require a good 8-10 years to hit its stride, then it is very likely to outlive us all, but you will want to make certain you drink this one before you go. 2029 – 2080
100 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (End of Mar), March 2021
8 cases – 6/75cl Champagne Pierre Gimonnet & Fils ‘Cuis’ 1er Cru Special Club Extra Brut 2018 @ £300 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £356++) now
Parcel £285 (minimum 4)
2 cases – 12/75cl Chateauneuf-du-Pape ‘Cuvee Marie Beurrier, Domaine Henri Bonneau, Rhone 2018 @ £1,145 per 12 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,250++) 8-10 weeks
2 cases – 12/75cl Chateauneuf-du-Pape ‘Reserve des Celestins, Domaine Henri Bonneau, Rhone 2018 @ £2,050 per 12 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £2,500-£2,860++) 8-10 weeks
1 case – 3/150cl Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido Bolgheri, Toscana DOC 2018 @ £1,045 per 3 MAGS IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,295-£1,351++) 2-3 weeks – UK stock bought EP
This is a classic vintage of an Italian icon now celebrating its 50th vintage. The Tenuta San Guido 2018 Bolgheri Sassicaia lays out a familiar blueprint that borrows from the proven track record of this landmark estate that extends into the hills just beyond the Tyrrhenian shores of Tuscany. This vintage is crystalline and pure in its delivery, and if you are familiar with previous editions, it is impossible to mistake this wine for anything but Sassicaia. The growing season started off cool and wet but turned to warm and dry conditions comfortably before the harvest. Cabernet Sauvignon, with Cabernet Franc in a supporting role, delivers a graceful mid-weight texture that holds back style-wise in terms of phenolic density. The wine's careful balance is achieved thanks to the nuanced character of the fruit, the present acidity, the well-managed structure and the contained alcohol. The palate is lifted and bright, the finish is polished and long, and the wine skips over any heaviness on the mid-palate. The bouquet is especially intriguing with a very lively plummy fruit element that is enhanced by baker's chocolate, pepper spice, iron ore, caramel and pie crust. There is also a green character that adds positively to the bouquet, along with aniseed, tea leaf, soya, menthol rub, and black olive. The fruit maturity is spot-on, with no elements that feel over or underripe. Overall, the 2018 Sassicaia weighs in with a svelte frame and long persistence. Moreover, it is distinguished by the archetypal elegance and pedigree of the classic vintages of the past. This new release gives you much pleasure, too. Drink 2024-2045.
97+ points Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, January 2021
1 case – 12/75cl Barolo ‘Paiagallo’, Giovanni Canonica, Piedmont 2018 @ £1,445 per 12 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,560-£1,895++) 8-10 weeks
1 case – 12/75cl Barolo ‘Grinzane Cavour’, Giovanni Canonica, Piedmont 2018 @ £1,245 per 12 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,320-£1,450++) 8-10 weeks
1 case – 6/75cl ‘Kupra’ Rosso Marche IGT, Oasi degli Angeli 2018 @ £1,045 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,375++) 8-10 weeks
7 cases – 6/75cl Gattinara Vigna Valferana, Azienda Nervi Conterno, Piedmont 2018 @ £385 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £440-£550++) now
Parcel £365
The 2018 Gattinara Valferana is explosive right out of the glass. Supporting veins of tannin carry a core of red fruit, cinnamon, rose petals, blood orange, mint, and white pepper. The Valferana is complex and wonderfully deep from start to finish. It is the cooler of the two single-vineyard Gattinaras that are bottled separately here. The 2018 is a special wine.
96 points Allen Meadows, Burghound (3/2022)
24 cases – 1/150cl Brunello di Montalcino ‘Bosco’, Stella di Campalto (Podere S.Giuseppe), Toscana 2018 @ £520 per 1 MAG IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £750++) now – 1,400 mags produced
16 cases – 6/75cl Brunello di Montalcino ‘Bosco’, Stella di Campalto (Podere S.Giuseppe), Toscana 2018 @ £1,395 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,500-£1,695++) now – 6,321 bottles produced – photo attached
1 case – 6/75cl Le Macchiole, Paleo Rosso, Bolgheri, Toscana IGT 2018 @ £435 per 6 IB & OC 8-10 weeks
1 case – 6/75cl Le Macchiole, Scrio, Bolgheri, Toscana IGT 2018 @ £720 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £800++) 8-10 weeks
4 cases – 12/75cl Bandol ‘La Migoua’ Rouge, Domaine Tempier, Provence 2018 @ £520 per 12 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £563++) 2-3 weeks
4 cases – 12/75cl Bandol ‘La Migoua’ Rouge, Domaine Tempier, Provence 2019 @ £540 per 12 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £600++) 2-3 weeks
4 cases – 6/75cl Bandol ‘La Tourtine’ Rouge, Domaine Tempier, Provence 2019 @ £300 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £330++) 2-3 weeks
3 cases – 6/75cl ‘Kurni’ Rosso Marche IGT, Oasi degli Angeli 2019 @ £460 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £495++) 8-10 weeks
1 case – 6/75cl Le Macchiole, Scrio, Bolgheri, Toscana IGT 2019 @ £735 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £825++) 8-10 weeks
1 case – 6/75cl Tenuta di Trinoro, Andrea Franchetti, Toscana IGT 2019 @ £1,650 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,490 duty paid-£1,750++) now – photos attached
This is a stunning wine and one of the best in this report covering the icons of Tuscany. The 2019 Tenuta di Trinoro is a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Fruit is sourced from the very best parcels, and the blending formula changes according to vintage and the style desired by vintner Andrea Franchetti. These vineyard parcels vary in altitude, ranging from 400 to 600 meters above sea level, and the soils are quite varied, with pockets of clay, sand and rock. The Trinoro is profoundly deep and pure, with a solid core of black fruit that is framed by an elegant contour of spice, tobacco, smoke and crushed stone. To the palate, the wine is long, and the finish can be counted in minutes, but the entire experience is beautifully streamlined and velvety. This vintage saw an important freeze event on the 7th of May, and 9,000 fire candles were lit in the lower vineyard blocks to fight off frost damage.
100 points Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Oct 2021, 2023-2048
2 cases – 6/75cl Barbaresco ‘Rabaja’, Bruno Giacosa, Piedmont 2019 @ £890 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £990-£1,350++) 2-3 weeks – UK stock bought EP
Next to the Asili, the Bruno Giacosa 2019 Barbaresco Rabajà has even more structure and power and promises more longevity. Thanks to the wine's natural tannic grip and structure, I suggest a longer drinking window for this expression. The Rabajà will require more time in the bottle. At this early stage, it displays a pretty ensemble of dark berries, crushed rose, white stone, and dusty liquorice root. Patience is required here.
96 points Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Aug 2023
6 cases – 6/75cl Barolo, Margherita Otto, DOCG Piedmont 2019 @ £350 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £386++) 8-10 weeks
7 cases – 6/75cl Montevatrano di Silvia Imparato, Colli di Salerno, Campania IGT 2019 @ £245 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £285 loose++) 8-10 weeks
1 case – 6/75cl Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Altagracia’, Eisele Vineyard, Napa Valley 2019 @ £575 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £600++) 8-10 weeks
Very deep garnet-purple in colour, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Altagracia springs from the glass with vibrant scents of crushed black cherries, ripe, juicy blackcurrants and blackberry coulis, plus hints of cardamom, cumin seed, tree bark and crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is chock-full of expressive black fruits with firm and fine-grained tannins and beautiful freshness, finishing long and spicy.
95 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate (10/2021)
1 case – 12/75cl Chateau Barrail du Blanc Grand Cru, St Emilion, Bordeaux 2019 @ £185 per 12 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £213++) 2-3 weeks
1 case – 12/75cl Chateau La Grave Trigant de Boisset, Pomerol, ETS J-P Moueix, Bordeaux 2019 @ £300 per 12 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £390++) 2-3 weeks
1 case – 3/150cl Chateau La Mission Haut Brion, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux 2019 @ £1,045 per 3 MAGS IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,150-£1,180++) now
The 2019 La Mission Haut-Brion unwinds in the glass with aromas of inky berry fruit, wild plums and cherries mingled with notions of warm spices, burning embers and creamy new oak. Full-bodied, deep and layered, it's rich and concentrated, with a deep core of fruit, bright acids and fine, powdery tannins. Powerful and tightly wound, this is less sumptuous and demonstrative out of the gates than its sibling Haut-Brion, but I suspect it possesses even greater potential.
99 points William Kelley, The Wine Advocate
2 cases – 3/75 Chateau Haut Brion, Pessac Leognan, Bordeaux 2019 @ £920 per 3 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £990++) now
The 2019 Haut-Brion has an ethereal degree of transparency on the nose, perhaps the most delineated of all the 2019s. It is fabulously precise and detailed, considering the growing season. The palate is medium-bodied with fine bone tannins, unerring symmetry, and poise. It is cohesive from start to finish, with an extraordinarily persistent and compelling closing. Off the charts.
99+ points Neal Martin, Vinous (2/2023)
1 case – 6/75cl Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Altagracia’, Eisele Vineyard, Napa Valley, USA 2019 @ £635 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £695++) 8-10 weeks
5 cases – 6/75cl Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Altagracia’, Eisele Vineyard, Napa Valley, USA 2020 @ £590 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £645++) 8-10 weeks
1 case – 3/75cl Ridge Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains, USA 2021 @ £495 per 3 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £495++) 2-3 weeks
25 cases – 6/75cl Chateau Pavie Macquin, St Emilion, Bordeaux 2020 @ £455 per 6 IB & OWC now
The 2020 Pavie Macquin is sensational. Rich, dark and explosive, the 2020 balances the natural richness that is such a signature of the estate with a level of energy and vibrancy I have not seen here in the recent past. The result is a towering, imposing Pavie Macquin that hugely delivers. In this vintage, Regisseur Nicolas Thienpont did not use the Cabernet Sauvignon, so the blend is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, with the Franc lending aromatic presence, energy and depth. What a total knockout! (AG)
100 points Antonio Galloni, Vinous (12/2022)
2 cases – 6/75cl Champagne David Leclapart ‘Coteaux Champenoise’ Trepail Blanc 2020 @ £450 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £675 loose++) 8-10 weeks
3 cases – 6/75cl Oisly-Tourraine ‘Utopie Créative’, Domaine Nicolas Barbou, Loire 2021 @ £680 per 6 IB & OC 8-10 weeks
Nicolas Bardou started his work experience in New Zealand and also worked in two respected domains in Burgundy, Domaine Boisson Vadot and Jean-Yves Bizot, where he learned and had his own philosophy in winemaking. Then he decided to move back to his home, Loire Valley, and started with Sauvignon Blanc. In the beginning, he was eager to produce very high-quality Sauvignon Blanc, which was compatible with the Grand Cru in Côte-d'Or. Nowadays, Nicolas Bardou produces two Sauvignon Blanc, the Utopie Créative Touraine Oisly and Utopie Folie Insolente. Utopie Créative Touraine Oisly is a 100% Sauvignon Blanc from Oisly, and the vines were planted in 1975 and received 20 months of ageing in barrels, which were used from Domaine Bizot and Coche Dury! Only 400 cases were produced, and nowadays, being one of the most difficult wines to source!
10 cases – 6/75cl Barolo, Margherita Otto, DOCG Piedmont 2020 @ £345 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £389++) 8-10 weeks
4 cases – 6/75cl Cote Rotie, Xavier Gerard 2021 @ £290 per 6 IB & OC 8-10 weeks
3 cases – 6/75cl Cote Rotie ‘Le Mollard’, Xavier Gerard 2021 @ £490 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £558 loose++) 8-10 weeks
1 case – 3/75cl Hermitage Rouge, Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, Rhone 2021 @ £610 per 3 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £625++) 8-10 weeks
5 cases – 12/75cl Alpilles Rouge IGP, Domaine de Trevallon, Rhone 2021 @ £680 per 12 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £750++) 8-10 weeks
2 cases – 6/75 Chateau Haut Brion, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux 2021 @ £1,640 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,730-£2,300++) now
A candidate for the title of wine of the vintage, the 2021 Haut-Brion unwinds in the glass with aromas of rich red and black fruit mingled with notions of cigar wrapper, liquorice, black truffles, loamy soil and burning embers. Full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's elegant and multidimensional, with superb depth at the core, lively acids and ultra-refined tannins. Combining the classical proportions of the vintages of two decades ago with the viticultural and winemaking of today, it's a timeless classic in the making, but it's difficult to find an obvious analogy with an older vintage. When pressed, Jean-Philippe Delmas suggests a superior version of the 2014 vintage, and to me, a more concentrated, serious version of the 2012 vintage also comes to mind. What is clear, however, is that this is one of the real high points of 2021. The blend is 50% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Cabernet Franc, and it attained 13.8% alcohol—a percentage point or so lower than in 2020 or 2019.
96-98 points William Kelley, Wine Advocate, Apr 2022
2 cases – 3/75 Chateau Petrus, Pomerol, Bordeaux 2021 @ £7,795 per 3 IB & BANDED OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £8,500-£10,350++) now – C&B UK agent stock
From barrel, the 2021 Pétrus was decidedly muscular and introverted, but élevage has certainly tamed it, delivering a result that's much more sensual and charming than I could have imagined. Offering up aromas of ripe cherries, mulberries, rose petals, liquorice and violets, it's full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with a suave, seamless, lively profile and a bright, perfumed finish. This wine, which was racked out of the barrel two months earlier than usual, will offer an unusually broad drinking window. In style, it reminds me somewhat of the estate's 2011. Drink 2027-2061.
95 points William Kelley, RobertParker.com, February 2024
1 case – 3/75cl Ridge Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains, USA 2021 @ £480 per 3 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £495++) 2-3 weeks
15 cases – 6/75cl Guidalberto (2nd wine of the estate), Tenuta San Guido Bolgheri, Toscana IGT 2022 @ £180 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £205-£250++) now – 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot
10 cases – 6/75cl La Difese (3rd wine of the estate), Tenuta San Guido Bolgheri, Toscana IGT 2022 @ £95 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £105-£125++) now – 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 55% Sangiovese
9 cases – 6/75cl Riesling ‘Scharzhofberger’ Kabinett, Mosel, Egon Muller, Germany 2022 @ £625 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £720-£780++) 8-10 weeks
4 cases – 6/75cl Riesling ‘Scharzhofberger’ Spatlese, Mosel, Egon Muller, Germany 2022 @ £890 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £980-£1,080++) 8-10 weeks
1 case – 6/75cl Riesling ‘Scharzhofberger’ Auslese, Mosel, Egon Muller, Germany 2022 @ £2,995 per 6 IB & OC 8-10 weeks
2 cases – 12/75cl Far Niente Chardonnay, Napa Valley, California, USA 2022 @ £745 per 12 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £827++) 2-3 weeks
2 cases – 12/75cl Kistler ‘Les Noisetiers’, Sonoma Coast, California, USA 2022 @ £780 per 12 IB & OC now
Payment Terms – Strictly 14 days on invoice for physical stocks (payment upon landing for later arrivals), and prior to stock transfer. Offered ex-LCB Tilbury deliveries to other bonds charged at cost.
Subject to remaining unsold and final invoice confirmation. E&OE.
