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2019 Jean-Jacques Girard, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 6x75cl
"Wine vinified and aged in oak barrels for 14 months. Yellow with golden reflections, shiny, toasted with a great aromatic palette. Complex palate, very aromatic and intense. Of a beautiful material and an incomparable length", domaine-girard.com
£619.98 / Case£103.33 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate 2018 Chateau Pichon Baron 2eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 6x75cl
"Suave and sophisticated, the 2018 Pichon Boron is a real heod-turner. Silky, polished tannins wrap oround a core of inky dark red/purplish berry fruit. More than anything else, the 2018 impresses... for its exceptionol balance. All the elements are so impeccably balanced. That will make the 2018 eosy to drink relatively early, olthough my preference would be to leave it in the cellor for the better part of the next decade. Rose petal, spice, blood orange and mint add brightness and perfume on the long, finely-knit finish." 97 pts., Antonio Galloni, vinous.com
£700.02 / Case£116.67 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate 2020 Domaine Gerard Thomas, Saint-Aubin, Champ Tirant 12x75cl
This single vineyard St Aubin is a real treat. It is a fresh, buttery citrus mouthful with a lovely racing acidity. It is very refreshing and joyful is a superb example of village St Aubin at it best.
£240 / Case£20 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate 2020 Domaine des Malandes, Chablis Premier Cru, Vau de Vey 6x75cl
Always a very approachable premier cru, Vau de Vey in 2020 shows delicious citrus peel and green apple, with a lovely richness to the mid-palate and a long, pithy finish. An excellent example from the village, and great value to boot.
£120 / Case£20 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate 2020 Domaine Morey Coffinet, Bourgogne, Blanc 6x75cl
We discovered the wines of this Chassagne-Montrachet rising star (established in its current form "only" 30 years ago, although the family cellars date from the 16th century) for the first time in... 2020, and although we were immediately impressed by the portfolio of great vineyards the Morey family cultivate, it was upon tasting the wines with Thibault Morey that we fell in love with them. The estate is run according to biodynamic principles throughout. Thibault is one of the new generation of winemakers who, through precise, rigorous work and an open mind not only to traditional and modern techniques but also to different expressions of the Burgundy terroirs, produce truly exciting wines. These are wines that combine richness and power with complexity and elegance effortlessly, and they come highly recommended.
Very intensely citrussy yet with an elegant, pithy texture and a dry, mineral finish. This is a very serious Bourgogne Blanc that will age well for 3 to 5 years, developing more savoury complexity and length.
£105 / Case£17.50 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate 2018 Chateau Giscours 3eme Cru Classe, Margaux 6x75cl
"The 2018 Giscours was tasted alongside the 2019 for comparison. This is more extravagant on the nose, delivering slightly more red fruit, black pepper and touches of graphite. This has opened since... I last tasted it. The palate is medium-bodied with bold tannins, very smooth and more sensual than the 2019, and more flamboyant, though perhaps without the same precision. Still, this is very fine." 94 pts., Neal Martin, www.vinous.com
£270 / Case£45 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate 2018 Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste 5eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 6x75cl
"The 2018 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is fabulous, just as it was from barrel. Strong Cabernet inflections soar out of the glass, giving the wine a compelling aromatic profile laced with the essence of... graphite, dried herbs, menthol and dark fruit. One of the most classic (for lack of a better word) wines in the Left Bank in 2018, Grand-Puy-Lacoste is super-impressive right out of the gate. Grand-Puy-Lacoste is ultimately a wine of tremendous class that remains restrained and aristocratic in breeding. Don't miss it." 96 pts., Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com
£335 / Case£55.83 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate 2020 Sylvain Bzikot, Meursault 12x75cl
A new addition to our portfolio last year, Sylvain Bzikot is at the head of the estate painstakingly assembled one parcel at a time by his grandparents in the 1940s, after a few years spent working... in the fields upon their arrival from Poland. Now consisting of an impressive 15 hectares, this Domaine is an excellent source of barrel-fermented Puligny-Montrachet with great typicity, at a very competitive price. Ignore at your peril!
Here is a 2020 Meursault that is broad, full-bodied, with impressively ample mouthfill, and one Sylvain produced as unapologetically powerful. A traditional Meursault that will particularly please fans of fully-sized Côte d'Or whites.
£450 / Case£37.50 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate 2018 Chateau Langoa Barton 3eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 6x75cl
"The 2018 Langoa Barton is succulent and racy right out of the gate. Inky red fruit, sweet floral notes, cedar and spice all mesh together effortlessly. This mid-weight, pliant Saint-Julien is every bit as seductive as it was from barrel." 92 pts., Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com
£210 / Case£35 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate 2020 Samuel Billaud, Petit Chablis 12x75cl
The Billaud family have been producing great Chablis since 1815. 6th generation Samuel set out on his own in 2010 and it is fair to say that after a decade, his dynamic approach and great winemaking... touch have taken his domaine from a status of Rising Star to one of the very best, established growers in the region. Samuel makes precise, elegant and terroir-true expressions of every vineyard in his care. His wines are electric and simply crackle with the tension and vibrancy which can be found in the region's best wines. Offering scintillating wines from the refreshing, steely fresh Petit-Chablis through to bold and dynamic Grand Crus, Samuel Billaud is a master of his craft, and as Neal Martin points out, "We should see him right at the top of Chablis producers alongside the likes of Raveneau and Vincent Dauvissat". These are singular Chablis and the sheer embodiment of purity and poise.
£150 / Case£12.50 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate 2018 Chateau Haut-Bailly Cru Classe, Pessac-Leognan 6x75cl
"The 2018 Haut-Bailly soars out of the glass, showing magnificent poise that only grows with time. Sweet, perfumed aromatics, silky tannins and mid-weight structure add to its considerable allure.... Ripe red berry fruit, spice, blood orange, licorice, cedar, tobacco and menthol are all woven together in an effortless, classy Haut-Bailly that delivers the goods. I suppose the 2018 doesn't quite have the explosive energy of the very best years, but it more than makes up for that with its sensual, seductive personality." 97 pts., Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com
£510 / Case£85 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate