17.5/20 JR
2020 Chateau Duhart-Milon 4eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 6x75cl
A lovely earthiness with nuances of cigar and tobacco leaf, forest floor, pepper corn and sweet red currant. Medium-bodied, elegant, silky and fresh, with a beautiful symmetry and balance, along with... freshness, length and purity in the fruits, this is a top vintage for the chateau. 2020 Duhart-Milon is a blend of 72% cabernet sauvignon and 28% merlot, and the first vintage made in the new cellars, which for the first time allow for parcel by parcel vinification.
£342 / Case£57 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2020 Chateau Gruaud Larose 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 6x75cl
"79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample.
Highest percentage yet of Cabernet in the blend. Fruit-driven and structured. Plenty of drive from the word go. Builds on the... palate in persistent fashion, the refined tannins giving a long linear flow. Lovely fruit. Delicious now but has ageing potential." 17.5 pts., James Lawther MW, jancisrobinson.com
£347.50 / Case£57.92 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2020 Chateau Duhart-Milon 4eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 3x75cl
A lovely earthiness with nuances of cigar and tobacco leaf, forest floor, pepper corn and sweet red currant. Medium-bodied, elegant, silky and fresh, with a beautiful symmetry and balance, along with... freshness, length and purity in the fruits, this is a top vintage for the chateau. 2020 Duhart-Milon is a blend of 72% cabernet sauvignon and 28% merlot, and the first vintage made in the new cellars, which for the first time allow for parcel by parcel vinification.
£171 / Case£57 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2021 Penfolds, Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon, South Australia 6x75cl
"Blackish purple. Rich, satisfying nose. Sweet and soft. Very definitely a South Australian Cabernet, a hemisphere away from Bordeaux, but it works. Complete and flattering without too much dryness... on the end. Although the official notes suggest that the drinking window for this wine starts in 2026, I think it’s readier to enjoy than many thanks to the ripeness of the tannins. But I’m sure it will go on and on.”
£1,660 / Case£276.67 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2020 Boekenhoutskloof, Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch 6x75cl
"Made with ‘deliberate austerity’ suggests founder winemaker Marc Kent. But it still shows rich, ripe pure Cabernet fruit, chewy tannins but already on the way to smooth. Generous and fresh. A... hint of chocolate. The freshness of Cabernet Franc sings on the finish. Gorgeously structured but also generous in fruit. Excellent balance between those two aspects of the wine. The little bit of residual sugar does not show (not to me). Compared with the Franschhoek 2020 Cabernet, I would say this has the edge in freshness and slightly more refined tannins." 17.5 pts., Julia Harding MW. jancisrobinson.com
£170 / Case£28.33 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
1997 Bollinger, RD 3x75cl
£960 / Case£320 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2016 Rizzi, Barbaresco, Pajore 6x75cl
"Treiso. Tasted blind. Mid to deep ruby with orange tinges. Concentrated, complex nose with hints of cardamom and nutmeg. Elegant, lively fruit followed by bags of coating, bitter-sweet tannins that... are still a little tough and with marked acidity on the finish, but this has the bones for ageing." 17.5pts., Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com, 14/5/2019
£171 / Case£28.50 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2017 Samuel Billaud Les Bougros Chablis Grand Cru 6x75cl
£425 / Case£70.83 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2017 G.D. Vajra, Barolo, Bricco delle Viole 6x75cl
"Transparent pillar-box red. Powerful nose of dried something. Cherries? Rose petals? Perhaps both. Super-fresh, despite the alcohol, with such great presence in the mouth. It's not nearly ready but... it's clearly destined for great things. Sweet and chewy with a strong mineral undertow. Jewel-bright fruit. Real lift but more powerful than ethereal. Even slightly pungent with a whiff of cordite. Really refreshing health juice. Great stuff." 17.5 pts., Jancis Robinson, 10/3/2021
£330 / Case£55 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate