The Wines
2020 Reserve Speciale, Domaines Barons de Rothschild, Pauillac 6x150cl
Deep ruby red color. The nose is Intense with notes of cocoa and from the barrel aging. With swirling, balsamic notes appear, such as caramel combined with hints of sweet spices (clove). On the palate, it is a typical Pauillac, robust and elegant at the same time, dense and very aromatic. (Producer tasting note)
£320 / Case£53.33 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2005 Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste Pauillac Cinquieme Cru 12x75cl
£920 / Case£76.67 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2022 Felton Road, Cornish Point Pinot Noir, Central Otago 6x75cl
"How can one not love that instant bath of flowers, fruits and spice that this wine delivers? No hold- ing back, no reticence at all, just a wash of Cor- nish Point indulgence - all leading to a... flowing silky finish. Through the entire palate there is a gentle mineral seam that stops anything from tipping over into excess, so it seduces rather than hollers. There will be no lack of complexity to come for those with patience, but it is very hard to resist now."
Felton Road tasting Note
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2022 Felton Road, Bannockburn Pinot Noir, Central Otago 6x75cl
"A vivid nose of deep florals: dark roses, violets, and an undertow of ripe red fruit. The palate really shows the best of each vineyard that makes up the cuve´e. A pure but powerful drive of fruit... on a perfect cusp of ripeness, with complexing notes of sandalwood and spice. This is all about harmony and balance with the transparency of fruit allowing the detail to shine through. Silken tannins finish the package."
Felton Road tasting note
£215 / Case£35.83 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate 2022 Felton Road, MacMuir Pinot Noir, Central Otago 6x75cl
"Sometimes it can be hard to find a word to match what seems so clear to the senses. The nose is dark, as is the colour, beguiling, but restrained. There is a stature to the palate here; a sort of... authority to the way it stands back and allows you to explore its detail. A definite sprig of herbs, chocolate notes, but still so transparent that every nuance is revealed. It seems extraordinary that this is just the second time we’ve made MacMuir as a single vineyard release: it’s Felton Road, to be sure, but in a different dimension."
Felton Road tasting Note
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2020 Catena Zapata, Nicolas Catena Zapata, Mendoza 6x75cl
Wonderfully aromatic and nuanced on the nose, so alive and open. Energetic and lively on the palate, this has so much spark and brightness to it. Really compelling from the first sip, the tannins... ample and cushioning the slick black fruit and accompanying savoury spices. Feels lean and taught, but with so much flair. Really a lovely expression, so generous and well defined. Youthful as you'd expect right now but when this softens it will be a beauty. Just gorgeous, with a minty fresh finish. Wine director Alejandro Vigil, winemaker Fernando Buscema.
97 pts., Georgina Hindle, www.decanter.com
£360 / Case£60 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2020 Antinori, Tignanello, IGT 6x75cl
“The 2020 Tignanello is so primary, so intensely fruit-driven, that it almost tastes like a barrel sample. A burst of red Sangiovese fruit opens first, followed by hints of blood orange, cinnamon,... spice, dried flowers and mocha develop later. Time in the glass brings out striking dimensions. In 2020, Tignanello is wonderfully sleek and racy, with fine tannins that lie below a core of bright, sculpted fruit. The balance here is just sublime. I can’t wait to revisit the 2020 with age.” Drink 2028 – 2045.
96-100, Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, Feb 2023
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2021 Domaine William Fevre, Chablis 6x75cl
"The 2021 Chablis Village comes from 46-hectares of vines and was cropped at 2Ohl/ha, the vines converted to organic two years ago and due for certification next year. It has a steely nose at first,... opening nicely with hints of honeysuckle and wild peaches. The palate is well balanced with a fine thread of acidity, taut and focused, plenty of energy here with an added touch of spice that enlivens the finish. No doubt this will represent great value-for-money. " 89-91 pts., Neal Martin, vinous.com
£110 / Case£18.33 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2021 Domaine William Fevre, Chablis Premier Cru, Vaillons 6x75cl
"The 2021 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru, which comes from around 12 parcels, 3.5-hectares, two-thirds within the "Vaillons" climats in the heart of the appellation. This has a slightly yeasty nose at the... moment, not a million miles away from the Montmains in style. The palate is slightly different with a little more frisson and tension, just a touch more length on the finish. This should develop nicely in bottle." 91-93 pts., Neal Martin, vinous.com
£245 / Case£40.83 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2021 Domaine William Fevre, Chablis Grand Cru, Bougros 3x75cl
"The 2021 Chablis Bougros Grand Cru comes from southwest facing parcels (Fevre almost half the holdings in this Grand Cru) has a very marine-influenced bouquet with touches of granite and a light... smoky note. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, nicely focused with a touch of quince complementing the citrus fruit, though I am just seeking a little more mineralito to come through on the final third. " 91-93 pts., Neal Martin, vinous.com
£200 / Case£66.67 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2021 Domaine William Fevre, Chablis Premier Cru, Montee de Tonnerre 6x75cl
"The 2021 Chablis Montee de Tonnerre ler Cru comes from 2.2-hectares split over three climats with different orientations including the domaine's oldest vines planted back in 1936. This has quite an... aromatic bouquet with limestone, oyster shell and yellow plum aromas that blossom in the glass. The palate is well balanced with fine acidity, harmonious with commendable weight matched with a countervailing saline element. Bright and sparky, enjoy this delicious Chablis over the next 15 years." 91-93 pts., Neal Martin, vinous.com
£335 / Case£55.83 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2021 Domaine William Fevre, Chablis Grand Cru, Les Clos 3x75cl
"The 2021 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru comes from 4.1 hectares mainly located on the upper sector of the Grand Cru, the vines planted in the postwar period by Maurice Fevre, the father of William... Fevre. It has a powerful bouquet with hints of white flower permeating the citrus fruit and apple blossom aromas. The palate has wonderful salinity on the entry, a fine bead of acidity, citrus-fresh with clementine, hints of peach and a twist of bitter lemon that keeps the finish on its tippy-toes. Great potential. " 93-95 pts., Neal Martin, vinous.com
£325 / Case£108.33 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2021 Domaine William Fevre, Chablis Grand Cru, Bougros Cote Bouguerots 3x75cl
"The 2021 Chablis Bougros Cote Bouguerots Grand Cru, which was cropped at just 17bl/ha this year, has an intriguing bouquet with hints of peach skin and honeysuckle, the precocity of this parcel... seeping through as it opens up. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh, quite linear with hints of orange pith and even a dab of ginger towards the spicy, energetic finish. Excellent. " 93-95 pts., Neal Martin, vinous.com
£285 / Case£95 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2021 Domaine William Fevre, Chablis Grand Cru, Preuses 3x75cl
"The 2021 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru comes from 2.5-hectares split over two parcels. This has one of my favourite aromatics from Fevre this year with superb delineation and mineralite. The palate... is harmonious and poised, very focused and tensile, plenty of energy with a touch of lime and clementine towards the persistent finish. This is an outstanding Chablis that should age supremely well in bottle." 94-96 pts., Neal Martin, vinous.com
£260 / Case£86.67 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2021 Tollot Beaut, Chorey-les-Beaune 6x75cl
The 2021 Chorey-les-Beaune from Nathalie Tollot confirms once more why it has been a favourite of ours for many years now. Bursting out with lifted floral and summer fruit aromatics, this is bright... and perfumed pinot noir, offering succulent red berry and just a delicate hint of spice, all wrapped up in silky tannins. As ever, great freshness and poise and a wine that will evolve gracefully for the next 6 to 8 years. (Mr.Wheeler tasting note)
£155 / Case£25.83 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2022 Reserve du Chateau, Chateau Meaume Reserve, Bordeaux Superieur 12x75cl
"Polished, savoury, black cherry and currant with earthy nuances on the nose; on the palate, super-juicy, fresh and savoury, bright cherry and dark fruit that is gently grippy, clean, and finishing incredibly long. " (Mr.Wheeler tasting note)
£84 / Case£7 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2020 Chateau Talbot 4eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 6x75cl
As Chateau Talbot’s third vintage under the direction of Jean-Michel Laporte (ex-La Conseillante) overlapped a trio of consecutive great years in Bordeaux, there was every indication that his 2020... would create as much anticipation as his 18’s and 19’s. That expectation was fully justified with the refinement and elegance this St Julien gem continues show.
A blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, the vintage shows a floral and fruit spectrum on the nose, with blackcurrant, berry and cassis; lifted, concentrated and fresh, its palate is expansive with a delicious lick of minerality, one whose elegance is matched only by a terrific length.
£240 / Case£40 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2020 Cheval des Andes, Mendoza 6x75cl
“The 2020 Cheval des Andes was harvested from the last of February for the first time ever. It was Gabillet's second vintage at Cheval des Andes, and that year, he had to start without waiting for... Pierre Olivier Clouet and Pierre Lurton from Cheval Blanc; when they arrived, they had finished picking the Malbec, which surprisingly was fresher in Las Compuertas (because of the higher percentage of clay?) than in Altamira (where the vines suffered more stress), saving the freshness. They now harvest using cold trucks (for the first time), and they also started earlier in the morning (six in the morning, impossible earlier in Mendoza...), which he reckons was very good for the precision of the wine. They used 40% 225-liter barrels, 40% 400-liter oak barrels and 20% 2,500-liter foudres, half of them new and with an élevage of 15 months on average, depending on the lots and varieties from 12 to 18 months. The final blend was 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, which makes a comeback as it was not used since 2016. The key was to finish the fermentation of the Petit Verdot without skins, and that way, they have been able to use it in the blends of 2021, 2022 and 2023 in small but increasing percentages. This is slightly riper than 2019, with a little more alcohol (14.5%) and with very good structural tannins but saving the freshness, and it has the spicy side from the Petit Verdot (Gabillet talks about white pepper). The wine has the ultra sleek and polished texture and the elegance and the balance that is the signature here; the wine is very clean and precise. I see very good regularity across the three vintages I tasted next to each other—this 2020 and the 2018 and 2019. Overall, this is a triumph over the adverse conditions of the vintage. They produced their usual 100,000 bottles (since 2018), as they are renewing their vineyards and want to keep the volume stable. They produce this volume from the 36 productive hectares they have in Las Compuertas and Altamira. There are some more changes: in 2020, they went for a lighter bottle, weighing 100 grams less than the one they used in 2018 and 2019, but close to 300 grams less than the bottle from before. It's also a slimmer bottle, always thinking about the environment. They are very focused on agroecology, accelerating the regenerative viticulture and using cover crops; they have planted 1,900 trees in the last three years, creating small clusters of biodiversity for birds. They have transplanted some centenary olive trees and keep their sheep and lamas on the property. Very green-minded. ”
98 pts., Luis Gutierrez, www.robertparker.com
£402 / Case£67 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2022 Kumeu River, Village Chardonnay, Kumeu 12x75cl
" With fruit taken from six carefully selected sites in Hawkes Bay and Kumeu, the Village Chardonnay is simply a must have in the fridge. There are hints of butter on the nose with very delicate... apricot and pineapple notes wafting through as well. The zing of acidity on the palate immediately livens the mood, and it has a steely, linear and mineral style, not dissimilar to a fine Chablis from a good vintage. This is excellent wine made in a very classic style. Not fancy or blousy at all - just a clean citrus delight that will have you scrambling for the seafood and looking for your second bottle".
Mr Wheeler tasting note.
£120 / Case£10 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2022 Kumeu River, Mates Vineyard Chardonnay, Kumeu 6x75cl
" The flagship wine of the estate, Maté's was originally planted by Maté Brajkovich in 1990 with the first grapes from this exceptional, sheltered site in the clay foothills of Hunting Hill slopes... used in 1993. For a wine of this stature and tender years it is already surprisingly expressive on the nose. Butterscotch and toasted brioche to the fore, yet this this is balanced by beautifully textured, mineral lemon and lime fruit with an underlying elegance and minerality that will easily go head-to head with, and seduce lovers of the Grands Crus in Puligny and Chassagne. Patience is required in spades here; leave it for 7 to 10 years to really express the sense of place for this very special vineyard and you will not be disappointed. But also defend it judiciously with a few cases of the Estate or Ray’s Road so you can enjoy the wares of this fantastic estate whilst this masterpiece matures"
Mr Wheeler tasting note.
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2022 Kumeu River, Rays Road Chardonnay, Kumeu 6x75cl
" Rays Road is Kumeu River’s new vineyard site in Hawkes Bay. Hints of butter, fresh cream and white flowers on the nose lead you to the correct conclusion that this was exclusively fermented in... old oak barrels. Balance is the key here however, as the limestone soil of site has a profound effect on the style of the wine. Lime leaf and steely linearity provide the backbone to this fragrant and zesty expression, with the gentle oak maturation it undertakes for 11 months providing a delightful creamy wrapper around this complex and elegant wine"
Mr Wheeler tasting note.
£95 / Case£15.83 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2022 Kumeu River, Hunting Hill Chardonnay, Kumeu 6x75cl
"The most Puligny-like of the single vineyards opens up with a gorgeously elegant nose of citrus and acacia flower, followed on the palate by a crème fraiche texture and zesty lime notes, and the... tell-tale spine of incredibly fine acidity that characterizes this clay terroir. Pause to let the wine express itself and Wow! it build and builds, that structure carrying through the impressively long finish with layer upon layer of flavour. Absolutely stunning."
Mr Wheeler tasting note.
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2022 Kumeu River, Estate Chardonnay, Kumeu 6x75cl
" The cuvée that built Kumeu River’s reputation in the 1980s, long before any of the single vineyards were ever produced, and to this day it is easy to see why. The consistency is simply... awe-inspiring, and the 2022 displays superb balance, subtle notes of very smart oak bringing a counterpoint to the gorgeous, creamy palate and zingy acidity. This oozes class and breeding, the acidity supplies perfect structure for medium to long-term ageing and carries the long finish. What a finish, too - rich and lifted all at once, with fabulous energy. Yum!"
Mr Wheeler tasting note.
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2020 Casa Lapostolle, Petit Clos Apalta, Colchagua Valley 6x75cl
"“Bright, brooding and intense on the nose; dark, heady and ripe black fruits with spiced edges and a subtle florality. Smooth and succulent but punchy on the palate, tannins are silky and well... integrated and do well to underpin the fruitiness and liveliness of the expression. As usual Carmenere is the star with 40% of the blend alongside 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. Youthful and exuberant, the team kept leaves on the vines and natural cover crops to cope with the sunlight, heat and lack of water in 2020, and despite the 15% alcohol this has 3.59pH with acidity that lifts the palate and avoids any heaviness. Rich but sleek, this is full of red cherries, cedar spice, soft herbal touches and finishes with a menthol freshness that is lovely. Will improve with age but great for mid-term drinking to enjoy the fresh vibrancy. Ageing 26 months in 225l French oak barrels, 53% new, 42% two years old. From this vintage, the bottles are now made in Chile and are 10% lighter in a bid to increase sustainability.” 93 pts., Georgina Hindle, decanter.com
£162 / Case£27 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur