Assorted Stock Selection Monday 07 04 25
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 enquires, photos etc, please contact david@corkingwines.co.uk
3 cases – 6/75cl Champagne Egly-Ouriet ‘V.P. Vieillissement Prolonge’ Extra Brut, Grand Cru NV @ £510 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £550++) 3-4 weeks – 2024 disgorgement
10 case – 6/75cl Champagne Jacquesson ‘Cuvee 747’, Extra Brut NV @ £255 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £265++) 3-4 weeks
10 cases – 6/75cl Champagne Rene Geoffroy 1er Cru ‘Expression’, Brut NV @ £165 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £220++) now – Bargain 1er Cru Grower Champagne
2 cases – 6/75cl Champagne David Leclapart 1er Cru ‘L’Aphrodisiaque’ Pas Dose NV (LV18 disgorgement) @ £695 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £800-£895++) 3-4 weeks
1 case – 6/75cl Champagne Jacquesson ‘Cuvee 741 DT’ (degorgement Tardif), Extra Brut NV @ £415 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £480++) 3-4 weeks
2 cases – 6/75cl Champagne Pol Roger ‘Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill’ 1998 @ £1,455 per 6 IB & OC 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 @ £1,455 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,650-£1,795++) now – photo available
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 @ £1,655 per 1 MAG IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £2,270++) 3-4 weeks
1 case – 3/150cl Champagne Pol Roger ‘Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill’ 2002 @ £1,355 per 3 MAGS IB & OC now – photo available
The 2002 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is developing superbly in 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 Chateau Cos D’Estournel, St Estephe, Bordeaux 2007 @ £510 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £525-£625++) now
2 cases – 3/75cl Champagne Taittinger ‘Comte de Champagne’ Rose 2009 @ £420 per 3 IB & OC 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 – 12/75cl Chateau Pavie Macquin, St Emilion, Bordeaux 2009 @ £835 per 12 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £860-£900++) now – bought EP UK
The 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 purple in color, with 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 Tignanello, Marchesi Antinori, Toscana IGT 2009 @ £810 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £825-£885++) 2-3 weeks
The 2009 Tignanello is quite beautiful. Cedar, graphite, sweet herbs, licorice and leather add complexity to a core of highly expressive red fruits. The 2009 impresses for its energy, drive and focus. Today, the 2009 comes across as slightly understated relative to many recent vintages, especially 2007 and 2008. There is a silkiness and polish that is reminiscent of the 2004. Tignanello is 75% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc from vineyards in San Casciano Val di Pesa, one of the most evocative hillsides in all of Italy.
94 points Antonio Galloni, Vinous
1 case – 1/75cl Champagne Henri Giraud ‘Argonne’ Ay Grand Cru Brut Rose 2011 @ £725 per 1 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £875++) now – 600-800 bottles produced – rare stocks – UK agent sourced
10 cases – 3/150cl Champagne Taittinger ‘Comtes de Champagne’ Grand Cru Brut Rose 2011 @ £895 per 3 MAGS IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,050++) now
Disgorged in October 2022, the 2011 Brut Comtes de Champagne Rosé is a blend of 40% Chardonnay and 60% Pinot Noir, including fully 14% of red wine that lends it notable depth of color this year. Evoking aromas of cherries, buttery pastry, raspberries and tangerine, with an attractive minty top note, the bouquet is complex and incipiently spicy. Medium to full-bodied, layered and vinous, with chalky structuring extract, it concludes with a long, sapid finish. The limitations of the vintage mean that this is a giving, rather open-knit Comtes Rosé, but it is nevertheless a great effort in a challenging year and exhibits none of the herbaceous qualities that mar some of the wines produced in this year. Drink it now and over the next decade.
94 points Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate, June 2023
1 case – 12/75cl Domaine de la Grange des Peres (Rouge), IGP L’Herault 2012 @ £1,675 per 12 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £2,100++) 3-4 weeks – Library release, photo attached
1 case – 6/75cl Cabernet Sauvignon ‘The Reserve’ To Kalon Vineyard, Robert Mondavi, Napa Valley, USA 2012 @ £685 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £815++) now
16 cases – 6/75cl Champagne Taittinger ‘Comtes de Champagne’ Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut 2013 @ £545 per 6 IB & OC now – Liv-Ex last trade £566
The 2013 Comtes de Champagne is a towering Champagne, as it was last year. Rich, sumptuous and explosive, the 2013 soars out of the glass with a captivating mix of tropical fruit, apricot, passion fruit, baked apple tart, mint and yellow flowers. It is one of the most explosive, extroverted Comtes I have ever tasted. Impressive. Drink 2025-2053.
98 points Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2024
3 cases – 6/75cl Amarone della Valpolicella, Dal Forno Romano, Veneto 2013 @ £1,045 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,120++) 3-4 weeks
1 case – 6/75cl Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux, Bordeaux 2014 @ £645 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £720-£830++) now
10 cases – 12/75cl La Conseillante, Pomerol, Bordeaux 2014 @ £945 per 12 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £975-£1,175++) 2-3 weeks
The 2014 La Conseillante is medium to deep garnet-brick in color. Notes of dried cherries and rose oil spill from the glass, followed by hints of sassafras, black tea, and underbrush. The medium-bodied palate has compelling brightness with a refreshing backbone and soft tannins, finishing on a fragrant earth note.
94 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, March 2024
1 case – 6/75cl Hermitage Rouge, Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, Rhone 2014 @ £1,395 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,450-£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 finial blend, with the Beaume always showing the most spice-laced and perfumed of the two. The 2014 shows the house elegance and purity, yet has solid ripeness and texture. All of the samples had solid tannic grip, but the overall impression was much more forward and approachable than the 2013, and I suspect it will be relatively accessible with short term cellaring.
94-96 points Jeb Dunnock, Wine Advocate, Dec 2015
1 case – 6/75cl Champagne Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Brut ‘Millesime’ 2014 @ £1,625 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,790-£2,175++) 3-4 weeks
One of the very finest wines produced in this less heralded vintage is Egly's 2014 Brut Grand Cru Millésime, a strikingly vinous and enveloping Champagne that wafts from the glass with aromas of pear, mirabelle plum, freshly baked bread, almond paste and honeycomb. Full-bodied, satiny and layered, its textural attack segues into a deep, concentrated mid-palate of exceptional purity and cut, concluding with a long, penetrating and mouthwateringly saline finish. As ever, it's a blend of some 70% Pinot Noir with 30% Chardonnay from Ambonnay's greatest terroirs.
97 points William Kelley, Wine Advocate, December 2023
1 case – 3/150cl Champagne Pol Roger ‘Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill’ 2015 @ £760 per 3 MAGS IB & OC 2-3 weeks
A strong effort in a less-acclaimed vintage, Pol Roger's newly released 2015 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill opens in the glass with aromas of confit citrus, ripe orchard fruits and dried white flowers mingled with hints of honeycomb, freshly baked bread and anise. Medium to full-bodied, vinous and concentrated, with bright acids, chalky structuring extract and a pinpoint mousse, this inherently rather rich, gastronomic Champagne is quite tightly wound out of the gates and will reward a bit of bottle age. Stylistically, it is somewhat reminiscent of a modern-day version of the 1985.
94+ points William Kelley, Wine Advocate, March 2023
1 case – 6/75cl Ulysses Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Christian Moueix, Napa Valley, USA 2015 @ £520 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £570-£585++) 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 the 2015 many of its aromatic and flavor signatures. Readers will find much to admire in the 2015. The interplay of aromatics, fruit and structure places Ulysses among the finest wines of the vintage.
96 points Antonio Galloni, Vinous (3/2018)
1 case – 6/75 Chateau Montrose, St Estephe, Bordeaux 2016 @ £790 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £820-£900++) 2-3 weeks
A blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 7% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Montrose is deep garnet-purple in color. 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, licorice, 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
2 cases – 6/75cl Champagne Pierre Gimonnet & Fils ‘Special Club’ Grands Terroirs de Chardonnay 2016 @ £295 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £356-£400++) 2-3 weeks
5 cases – 6/75cl Champagne Cedric Bouchard ‘Roses de Jeanne Les Ursules’ Blanc de Noirs 2016 @ £1,455 per 6 IB & OC 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 an especially delicate Ursules that will reward some bottle age.
96+ points William Kelley , Wine Advocate (Apr 2021)
4 cases – 6/75cl Amarone della Valpolicella, Dal Forno Romano, Veneto 2017 @ £1,165 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,398++) 3-4 weeks
1 case – 6/75cl Tenuta di Trinoro, Andrea Franchetti, Toscana IGT 2017 @ £575 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 aging to allow those tannins to soften up just a bit.
95 points Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Sep 2019
10 cases – 3/75cl Querciabella, Chianti Classico DOCG ‘Gran Selezione’, Toscana 2017 @ £385 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £390-£400++) now – first vintage
1 case – 6/75cl Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido Bolgheri, Toscana DOC 2017 @ £960 per 6 IB & OWC 2-3 weeks
The 2017 Sassicaia shows the natural richness and intensity of the year while retaining its mid-weight sense of balance and overall poise. A burst of super-ripe red cherry/plum fruit makes a strong opening statement. Mocha, cinnamon, leather and dried herbs appear later, adding aromatic lift. The 2017 is a fairly immediate Sassicaia. Even so, it has enough energy to drink well for a number of years. Production is down 35%, a combination of naturally low yields, dehydration on the vine and then selection in the cellar. Most of the fruit comes from the estate’ hillside vineyards, older parcels that resisted the conditions better.
94 points Antonio Galloni, Vinous
2 cases – 6/75 Chateau Gruaud-Larose, St Julien, Bordeaux 2017 @ £295 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £320-£500++) now
The 2017 Gruaud Larose has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. 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 – 12/75cl Schug Carneros Estate Pinot Noir, USA 2017 @ £275 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 @ £570 per 12 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £795++) now
2 cases – 6/75 Chateau Cheval Blanc, St Emilion, Bordeaux 2018 @ £2,195 per 6 IB & OWC 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 colored, it needs considerable swirling and air to releases 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 – 6/75cl Chateau La Fleur-Petrus, Pomerol, Bordeaux 2018 @ £800 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £833-£960++) now
A blend of 91% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2018 la Fleur-Petrus has a medium garnet-purple color 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 bottle and drink it over the next 30 years or more. 2025 – 2055
97+ points Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate, Mar 2021
1 case – 3/75 Chateau Petrus, Pomerol, Bordeaux 2018 @ £9,195 per 3 IB & OWC now – C&B UK agent stock – photos attached
The 2018 Petrus has retained its opaque purple-black color 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 licorice, 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, many layers of perfectly ripe black and blue fruits, exotic spices and earthy notions for which words simply fail. The texture is at once rock solid and fantastically plush, 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 puts paid 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
1 case – 3/75cl Champagne Dhondt-Grellet Cramant Grand Cru VV ‘Le Bateau’ Extra Brut 2018 @ £680 per 3 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £891++) 3-4 weeks
1 case – 3/150cl Champagne Frederic Savart 1er Cru ‘Expression’ Brut Nature 2018 @ £895 per 3 MAGS IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,125++) 3-4 weeks
2 cases – 6/75cl Champagne Pierre Gimonnet 1er Cru ‘Cuis’ Special Club, Extra Brut 2018 @ £295 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £356++) 2-3 weeks
2 cases – 12/75cl Chateauneuf-du-Pape ‘Cuvee Marie Beurriere’, Domaine Henri Bonneau, Rhone 2018 @ £1,125 per 12 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,250++) 3-4 weeks
2 cases – 12/75cl Chateauneuf-du-Pape ‘Reserve des Celestins’, Domaine Henri Bonneau, Rhone 2018 @ £1,995 per 12 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £2,653++) 3-4 weeks
1 case – 3/150cl Chateauneuf-du-Pape ‘Reserve des Celestins’, Domaine Henri Bonneau, Rhone 2018 @ £1,125 per 3 MAGS IB & OWC 3-4 weeks
2 cases – 12/75cl Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Colleoni (Podere Santa Maria), Toscana 2018 @ £735 per 12 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £840++) 3-4 weeks
1 case – 6/75cl Le Macchiole, Scrio, Bolgheri, Toscana IGT 2018 @ £625 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £783++) 3-4 weeks
9 cases – 1/150cl Brunello di Montalcino ‘Bosco’, Stella di Campalto (Podere S.Giuseppe), Toscana 2018 @ £495 per 1 MAG IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £550-£585++) now – 1,400 mags produced
‘’ The prodigy of Gianfranco Soldera, there was no single greater mentor from which the young Stella di Campalto could learn the mysteries of Montalcino than the legendary winemaker, whose eponymous estate represents the apotheosis of modern Brunello for many lovers of the region’’
6 cases – 6/75cl Brunello di Montalcino ‘Bacia’, Stella di Campalto (Podere S.Giuseppe), Toscana 2019 @ £1,425 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,795++) 3-4 weeks – very rare stocks
1 case - 6/75cl Tignanello, Marchesi Antinori, Toscana IGT 2019 @ £615 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £615-£695++) 3-4 weeks
The 2019 Tignanello is one of the most reserved, understated young wines I can remember tasting here. In so many vintages Tignanello is quite showy, but in 2019 the nervous energy and brightness of Sangiovese takes center stage. That’s intriguing, because the 2019 blend has a bit more Cabernet Sauvignon than normal, a decision made to compensate for some of the lighter qualities in the Sangiovese. With air the 2019 shows gorgeous depth and captivating inner perfume, even if it is clearly still coming together. The 2019 spent about 14 months in oak, with 50% new wood. Things are always in constant evolution at Antinori. This is the first vintage to incorporate some larger 500L barrels, an approach I think will work brilliantly.
95 points Antonio Galloni, Vinous
1 case – 6/75cl Le Macchiole, Scrio, Bolgheri, Toscana IGT 2019 @ £645 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £808++) 3-4 weeks
2 cases – 6/75cl Barbaresco ‘Rabaja’, Bruno Giacosa, Piedmont 2019 @ £850 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £850-£1,350++) now – UK stock bought EP
Next to the Asili, the Bruno Giacosa 2019 Barbaresco Rabajà has even more structure and power, promising more longevity too. 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 bottle. At this young stage, it displays a pretty ensemble of dark berries, crushed rose, white stone and dusty licorice 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++) 3-4 weeks
1 case – 12/75cl Chateau Barrail du Blanc Grand Cru, St Emilion, Bordeaux 2019 @ £195 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 @ £310 per 12 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £390++) 2-3 weeks
1 case – 3/150cl Chateau La Mission Haut Brion, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux 2019 @ £1,020 per 3 MAGS IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £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 @ £900 per 3 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £900-£1,250++) now
The 2019 Haut-Brion has an ethereal degree of transparency on the nose, perhaps the most delineated of all the 2019s, fabulous precision and detail considering the growing season. The palate is medium-bodied with fine bone tannins, unerring symmetry and poise. Cohesive from start to finish with an extraordinarily persistent and compelling closing. Off the charts.
99+ points Neal Martin, Vinous (2/2023)
1 case – 3/150cl Champagne Frederic Savart Le Mesnil Oger Grand Cru ‘Haut Couture’ Extra Brut 2019 @ £895 per 3 MAGS IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,017++) 3-4 weeks
4 cases – 1/150cl Sancerre ‘Clos la Neore’, Domaine Anne Vatan 2019 @ £425 per 1 MAGNUM IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £500++) 3-4 weeks
2 cases – 1/150cl Sancerre ‘Clos la Neore’, Domaine Anne Vatan 2020 @ £460 per 1 MAGNUM IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £570-£820++) 3-4 weeks
10 cases – 6/75cl Chateau Pavie Macquin, St Emilion, Bordeaux 2020 @ £445 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 knock out! (AG)
100 points Antonio Galloni, Vinous (12/2022)
10 cases – 6/75cl Brunello di Montalcino, Il Marroneto, Toscana 2020 @ £450 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £495++) 2-3 weeks
10 cases – 3/75cl Brunello di Montalcino ‘Madonna del Grazie’, Il Marroneto, Toscana 2020 @ £890 per 3 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,000++) 2-3 weeks
The Il Marroneto 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Madonna delle Grazie (tasted once in the winery and again in my office) is another classical expression of Sangiovese from vintner Alessandro Mori and his son Iacopo. This vintage is best described as more charming compared to the stacked 2019 vintage or the powerful 2016 edition. This is a very pretty wine, elegant and finessed, with pretty floral highlights of rose and violet that lean into a subtle menthol note. There is caramelized sugar and candied orange. The wine lives in oak for 46 months with just a brief time in steel before going into bottle (at the end of July 2024). This vintage is a little closed or tight in terms of mouthfeel, which suggests it needs more time in bottle to spread its wings. Drink: 2027-2055.
98 points Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, 11/24)
10 cases – 6/75cl Barolo DOCG, Bruno Giacosa, Piedmont 2020 @ £745 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £825-£1,050++) now – 2021 £965
10 cases – 6/75cl Barolo ‘Falleto’ DOCG, Bruno Giacosa, Piedmont 2020 @ £1, 020 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,187-£1,290++) now – 2021 £1,300
2 cases – 6/75cl Champagne David Leclapart ‘Coteaux Champenoise’ Trepail Blanc 2020 @ £435 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £675 loose++) 3-4 weeks
2 cases – 6/75cl Champagne Frederic Savart 1er Cru ‘Le Mont Benoit’ Extra Brut 2020 @ £915 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,026++) 3-4 weeks
4 cases – 6/75cl Interpretacion, Bodegas Xavier Ausas, Ribera del Duero, Spain 2020 @ £270 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £320 loose++) 3-4 weeks
1 case – 3/150cl Sancerre ‘Clos la Neore’, Domaine Anne Vatan 2021 @ £1,375 per 3 MAGNUMS IB & OWC 3-4 weeks
2 cases – 6/75cl Interpretacion, Bodegas Xavier Ausas, Ribera del Duero, Spain 2021 @ £270 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £330++) 3-4 weeks
The 2021 Interpretación from Ribera del Duero was sourced and aged for 16 months in French oak barrels, with 30% new and 40% 500L oak barrels. I tasted it a couple of weeks after bottling. Garnet with a purplish sheen, its reductive nose reveals sour cherry and blackberry notes, along with dried flowers and thyme. Dry and fairly chalky on the palate, the taut and juicy flow leads to a compact mouthfeel. This is a complex and balanced red in its early stages. Drink: 2026-2040.
96 points Joaquín Hidalgo, vinous.com, September 2023
4 cases – 6/75cl Cote Rotie, Xavier Gerard 2021 @ £280 per 6 IB & OC 4-6 weeks
1 case – 3/75cl Hermitage Rouge, Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, Rhone 2021 @ £620 per 3 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £690++) 3-4 weeks
2 cases – 6/75 Chateau Haut Brion, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux 2021 @ £1,555 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,560-£1,890++) 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, licorice, 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
1 case – 6/75 Chateau Montrose, St Estephe, Bordeaux 2021 @ £395 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £400-£480++) now
The remarkable 2021 Montrose gets my nomination for the title of "wine of the vintage" in the Médoc. Wafting from the glass with a deep bouquet of cassis and dark berries mingled with subtle hints of mint, orange, pencil shavings and spices, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a layered and multidimensional core of fruit underpinned by beautifully ripe, refined tannins. Concluding with a long, resonant finish, it entirely transcends the limitations of the year. This young classic, reminiscent of the estate's 1996 but far better, is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Drink 2031-2065.
97 points William Kelley, RobertParker.com, February 2024
1 case – 12/75cl Domaine de la Grange des Peres (Rouge), IGP L’Herault 2021 @ £1,295 per 12 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,350++) now
4 cases – 12/75cl Kistler ‘Russian River’ Pinot Noir, California, USA 2021 @ £680 per 12 IB & OC now
5 cases – 6/75cl Montevatrano di Silvia Imparato, Colli di Salerno, Campania IGT 2021 @ £250 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £305 loose++) 3-4 weeks
3 cases – 6/75cl Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Altagracia’, Eisele Vineyard, Napa Valley 2021 @ £635 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £773 loose++) 3-4 weeks
3 cases – 3/75cl Cabernet Sauvignon, Eisele Vineyard, Napa Valley 2021 @ £1,275 per 3 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,307 loose++) 3-4 weeks
6 cases – 6/75cl Pinot Noir ‘Willamette Valley’ Beaux Freres Vineyard , Oregon, USA 2022 @ £315 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £374 loose++) 3-4 weeks
15 cases – 6/75cl Guidalberto (2nd wine of the Sassicaia estate), Tenuta San Guido, Bolgheri, Toscana IGT 2022 @ £155 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £160-£250++) now – 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot
4 cases – 6/75cl Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido Bolgheri, Toscana DOC 2022 @ £1,125 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £1,250++) 6-8 weeks – Latest release – Payment only due upon landing
"The Tenuta San Guido 2022 Bolgheri Sassicaia reveals a beautiful fruit profile with fresh blackberry, tart cherry and Mediterranean tones of blue rosemary blooms and lavender sachet. I tasted this wine several times over the course of a few months, and it has already shown a happy evolution coming into slow focus like the faint colors that emerge from a Polaroid photograph. Indeed, the bouquet appeared more closed just a short while ago. The wine's strongest suit is its elegantly streamlined mouthfeel and its contained 13.5% alcohol content. These qualities add to the silky cleanness of the mouthfeel and the accessible freshness of this vintage. I am confident that this bottle will improve with time. It requires patience."
97+ Points, Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
7 cases – 6/75cl Guidalberto (2nd wine of the estate), Tenuta San Guido Bolgheri, Toscana IGT 2023 @ £235 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £275++) 6-8 weeks – 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot – Latest release today – Payment only due upon landing
6 cases – 6/75cl La Difese (3rd wine of the estate), Tenuta San Guido Bolgheri, Toscana IGT 2023 @ £120 per 6 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £125++)– Latest release – Payment only due upon landing
2 cases – 12/75cl Kistler ‘Les Noisetiers’, Sonoma Coast, California, USA 2022 @ £795 per 12 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £842-£1,200++) now
4 cases – 6/75cl Riesling ‘Scharzhofberger’ Spatlese, Mosel, Egon Muller, Germany 2022 @ £835 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £981-£1,050++) 3-4 weeks
1 case – 6/75cl Riesling ‘Scharzhofberger’ Auslese, Mosel, Egon Muller, Germany 2022 @ £2,795 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £3,094++) 3-4 weeks
10 cases – 6/75cl Riesling ‘Scharzhofberger’ Kabinett, Mosel, Egon Muller, Germany 2023 @ £625 per 6 IB & OC (Lowest Wine Searcher £625-£936++) 3-4 weeks
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.
