RP-94
2018 Paul Jaboulet Aine, Hermitage, La Maison Bleue 3x150cl
£270 / Case£90 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2017 Chateau de Beaucastel Rouge, Chateauneuf-du-Pape 3x75cl
"Now that it's in the bottle, Beaucastel's 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape comes across as full-bodied and rich, but also a bit shut down and reticent on the nose. With air, black olives and asphalt give... way to black cherries and briery spice notes, backed by velvety but substantial tannins and a long, richly textured finish. Given a few years in the cellar, I have no doubt this will drink well for the next 15-plus years." 94+ pts., Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com
£138 / Case£46 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2018 Paul Jaboulet Aine, Hermitage, La Maison Bleue 6x75cl
"Sourced from the eastern portion of the hillside, the 2018 Hermitage La Maison Bleue is earthy, welcoming and open with hints of crushed stone accenting red raspberries and vanilla. Full-bodied and... lush, with a creamy texture, it's approachable young, yet still powerful, rich and long on the finish. I'd expect it to close down over the next couple of years, then reemerge and blossom after 2025 or so." 94 pts., Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com
£260 / Case£43.33 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2020 Penfolds, Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz, South Australia 6x75cl
"The Barossa has the ability to convey a sense of place, dirt and air in the glass. The trick is to not get in the way—a cooper does not terroir make. Despite not being the dominant region in this... blend (for specificity: McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Padthaway and Clare Valley), the Barossa makes a potent contribution. Here, in the 2020 Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz, the concentrated, dry and warm vintage is on show and provides a splay of earthy, dense fruit, stretched over a framework of savory tannin. Despite Penfolds's reputation for big tannins/big oak, the fruit here overpowers both and streams out over the long finish. The heart of Barossa is here. Very good. Will get better." 94 pts., Erin Larkin, robertparker.com
£99 / Case£16.50 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2016 La Rioja Alta, Vina Ardanza Reserva, Rioja 6x75cl
"The 2016 Viña Ardanza Reserva was produced with 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha that matured in used American oak barrels for three years, where it was hand-racked from barrel to barrel six times... in the case of Tempranillo and five times for the Garnacha, as it had a slightly shorter élevage of 30 months. Against all odds, I found the 2016 to be fresher than the 2015 and less developed, despite the fact that winemaker Julio Sáenz told me he considers it a warmer year. But I have found many wines I like in 2016, and the wine feels very clean and quite harmonious, younger and less developed, with more primary notes and a velvety mouthfeel. 600,000 bottles produced. The wine was bottled in June 2020." 94 pts., Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com
£119 / Case£19.83 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2018 Elvio Cogno, Barolo, Ravera 6x75cl
“The Elvio Cogno 2018 Barolo Ravera is becoming one of the most important wines in Novello, and it performs very nicely in this more challenging vintage. In fact, 2018 helps to cement Ravera's... steadfast reputation precisely because it performs so well despite spells of humidity and heat. The wine shows small-berry detailing with rust and crushed stone at the back. There is a point of bitterness that accompanies the tannins of this full-bodied wine. Production is 15,000 bottles.” 94 pts., Monica Larner, robertparker.com
£325 / Case£54.17 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2016 Bollinger PNVZ 6x75cl
"Disgorged in January 2021, Bollinger's newly released NV Brut Blanc de Noirs PN VZ16 offers up notions of pear, apple blossom, jasmine, orange zest and fresh pastry. Medium to full-bodied, precise... and elegantly vinous, it's layered and charming, with racy acids and a pretty pinpoint mousse, and it concludes with a sapid finish. It's based on the 2016 vintage, complemented by older reserve wines matured in magnum, and derives, once again, largely from the village of Verzenay." 94 pts., William Kelley, robertparker.com
Duty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate