Australia & NZ
These far-flung wine regions may be referred to ‘new’ when compared against the historic European wine regions, but they have a long winemaking history. Spared from Phylloxera, Australia in particular has world's highest concentration of venerable vines and legendary producers such as Penfolds, Henschke and Tyrell’s have been around for over 150 years. Though for many years piggybacking on Europe’s successes, branding their own wines as ‘Chablis’, ‘Hermitage’ etc., Australia now have created a real identity of their own, making inimitable styles like Coonawarra Cabernet or Hunter Valley Semillon.
New Zealand doesn’t quite have as an extensive history but has established itself in an astonishingly short amount of time as a reliable source of whistle clean, distinctive examples of varietals like Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.
Australia & NZ
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Raymond Chan (100)
Full, even, black-hued ruby-red with youthful purple tints. The nose is very full with softly concentrated and layered aromas of rich, ripe, dark red berries and cherries along with nuances of dark red plums entwined with fragrant violet florals, fresh herb and spicy detail. The aromatics blossom to reveal notes of raspberry liqueur, earth and minerals. This exudes richness allied to elegance and finesse. Medium-full bodied, vibrantly succulent and lusciously sweet fruit flavours of dark red berry and cherry fruit are harmoniously melded with flavours of ripe dark plums and fragrant violet florals, dark herbs, spices and red licorice. The flavours are seamlessly mouthfilling and supported by refined, flowery tannin extraction, and enlivened by poised acidity. This has drive, energy and fine linearity, and the wine carries to a very long and sustained, rich finish of spiced cherries and raspberry liqueur. This is a beautifully rich and succulent, elegantly balanced and refined Pinot Noir with seamless-flowing, ripe flavours of dark berry and cherry fruit with complexing floral and herbal detail. Match with duck, pork, beef and lamb dishes over the next 7-10 years. Fruit from the oldest parcels, 40% Abel clone with the remainder clones 5, Dijon and 10/5, indigenous yeast fermented with 25% whole bunches to 14.0% alc., the wine spending 20-26 days on skins and aged 11 months in 35% new French oak barrels.Inc. VAT£795.67 -
Halliday Wine Companion (99)
Pale straw-green - an extraordinary colour of an extraordinary wine. A fragrant bouquet floats out of the glass and introduces a palate that has the best of all worlds: lemon, lemon curd, beeswax and fruit spice with no hint of the searing acidity Hunter Valley semillon can throw at the unwary. Here it is perfectly (and naturally) balanced. A worthy companion to the sublime Graveyard Shiraz '18.Inc. VAT£343.24 -
Wine Advocate (96+)
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Amon-Ra Shiraz has a youthfully mute nose, offering glimpses at the blackberry, blackcurrant and licorice core, plus suggestions of dark chocolate, cigar boxes, fertile earth and baking spices. The full-bodied palate delivers concentrated, muscular blackberry and earth flavors with plenty of freshness and a beautiful backbone of finely grained tannins, finishing with commendable persistence and layers. This is a great contender for wine of the vintage!Inc. VAT£524.69 -
James Suckling (99)
Amazing aromas of wet aged beef, spices, crushed elderberries, peppercorns and bay leaf. Evolves in the glass all the time. Dynamic wine. Full body and polished, fully integrated tannin to the fruit. Finishes very fresh and vivid. Gorgeous to drink now, but will age wonderfully.Inc. VAT£2,158.82 -
Wine Advocate (94)
The 2014 The Armagh Shiraz boasts intense aromas of vanilla, cedar and boysenberries. It's a full-bodied, creamy-ripe wine, big and rich, yet it's held together by bright acids, with 20 years of potential ageability. The Armagh vineyard Shiraz isn't that old by South Australian standards, having been planted in 1968, but it consistently yields one of Clare's top Shiraz bottlings.Inc. VAT£1,429.49 -
Vinous (94)
The 2014 Coddington Chardonnay has an attractive, slightly waxy, yellow flower and peach skin bouquet that takes time to unfold, but it is worth the wait. The palate is fresh and well balanced with a fine line of acidity and gorgeous white peach and Japanese yuzu notes toward the mineral-driven finish. An outstanding release from Kumeu River. Tasted at the Kumeu River Chardonnay vertical in London.Inc. VAT£844.87 -
Inc. VAT£512.98
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Vinous (94)
The 2014 Hunting Hill Chardonnay has a beautifully defined bouquet of mineral-soaked citrus fruit, flint and white flowers, subtle but extremely focused. The well-balanced palate offers a fine bead of acidity, discreet touches of apricot and ginger and superb depth toward the finish. A spicy residue lingers long after the wine has departed. This is yet another brilliant release from Kumeu. Tasted at the Kumeu River Chardonnay vertical in London.Inc. VAT£813.67 -
Wine Advocate (98)
Rich, concentrated and intense, the 2014 Grange delivers exactly what we've come to expect from this Penfolds icon wine. It's full-bodied, velvety in feel and loaded with plummy fruit, framed in vanilla and cedar. Dense, powerful and tannic, it should prove to be long lived, even by Grange standards. Gago doesn't rate the vintage overall that highly, but he says the selection this year for Grange was a bit more stringent and that production levels were just average. There are still over 1,000 cases for the United States.Inc. VAT£2,650.84 -
Wine Advocate (98)
Rich, concentrated and intense, the 2014 Grange delivers exactly what we've come to expect from this Penfolds icon wine. It's full-bodied, velvety in feel and loaded with plummy fruit, framed in vanilla and cedar. Dense, powerful and tannic, it should prove to be long lived, even by Grange standards. Gago doesn't rate the vintage overall that highly, but he says the selection this year for Grange was a bit more stringent and that production levels were just average. There are still over 1,000 cases for the United States.Inc. VAT£2,884.84 -
Jancis Robinson (18)
Thick deep purple. Refined, really complex nose. Super-ripe purple fruit and lovely polish. So clean and fresh on the end. Suave and velvety. Complete. Lightly salty and beautifully smooth yet with masses of tannins underneath.Inc. VAT£504.04 -
Sam Kim Wine Orbit (100)
No tasting note available.Inc. VAT£499.24
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Raymond Chan (100)
Full, even, black-hued ruby-red with youthful purple tints. The nose is very full with softly concentrated and layered aromas of rich, ripe, dark red berries and cherries along with nuances of dark red plums entwined with fragrant violet florals, fresh herb and spicy detail. The aromatics blossom to reveal notes of raspberry liqueur, earth and minerals. This exudes richness allied to elegance and finesse. Medium-full bodied, vibrantly succulent and lusciously sweet fruit flavours of dark red berry and cherry fruit are harmoniously melded with flavours of ripe dark plums and fragrant violet florals, dark herbs, spices and red licorice. The flavours are seamlessly mouthfilling and supported by refined, flowery tannin extraction, and enlivened by poised acidity. This has drive, energy and fine linearity, and the wine carries to a very long and sustained, rich finish of spiced cherries and raspberry liqueur. This is a beautifully rich and succulent, elegantly balanced and refined Pinot Noir with seamless-flowing, ripe flavours of dark berry and cherry fruit with complexing floral and herbal detail. Match with duck, pork, beef and lamb dishes over the next 7-10 years. Fruit from the oldest parcels, 40% Abel clone with the remainder clones 5, Dijon and 10/5, indigenous yeast fermented with 25% whole bunches to 14.0% alc., the wine spending 20-26 days on skins and aged 11 months in 35% new French oak barrels.In Bond£631.00 -
Halliday Wine Companion (99)
Pale straw-green - an extraordinary colour of an extraordinary wine. A fragrant bouquet floats out of the glass and introduces a palate that has the best of all worlds: lemon, lemon curd, beeswax and fruit spice with no hint of the searing acidity Hunter Valley semillon can throw at the unwary. Here it is perfectly (and naturally) balanced. A worthy companion to the sublime Graveyard Shiraz '18.In Bond£270.00 -
Wine Advocate (96+)
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Amon-Ra Shiraz has a youthfully mute nose, offering glimpses at the blackberry, blackcurrant and licorice core, plus suggestions of dark chocolate, cigar boxes, fertile earth and baking spices. The full-bodied palate delivers concentrated, muscular blackberry and earth flavors with plenty of freshness and a beautiful backbone of finely grained tannins, finishing with commendable persistence and layers. This is a great contender for wine of the vintage!In Bond£418.00 -
James Suckling (99)
Amazing aromas of wet aged beef, spices, crushed elderberries, peppercorns and bay leaf. Evolves in the glass all the time. Dynamic wine. Full body and polished, fully integrated tannin to the fruit. Finishes very fresh and vivid. Gorgeous to drink now, but will age wonderfully.In Bond£1,791.00 -
Wine Advocate (94)
The 2014 The Armagh Shiraz boasts intense aromas of vanilla, cedar and boysenberries. It's a full-bodied, creamy-ripe wine, big and rich, yet it's held together by bright acids, with 20 years of potential ageability. The Armagh vineyard Shiraz isn't that old by South Australian standards, having been planted in 1968, but it consistently yields one of Clare's top Shiraz bottlings.In Bond£1,172.00 -
Vinous (94)
The 2014 Coddington Chardonnay has an attractive, slightly waxy, yellow flower and peach skin bouquet that takes time to unfold, but it is worth the wait. The palate is fresh and well balanced with a fine line of acidity and gorgeous white peach and Japanese yuzu notes toward the mineral-driven finish. An outstanding release from Kumeu River. Tasted at the Kumeu River Chardonnay vertical in London.In Bond£672.00 -
In Bond£389.00
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Vinous (94)
The 2014 Hunting Hill Chardonnay has a beautifully defined bouquet of mineral-soaked citrus fruit, flint and white flowers, subtle but extremely focused. The well-balanced palate offers a fine bead of acidity, discreet touches of apricot and ginger and superb depth toward the finish. A spicy residue lingers long after the wine has departed. This is yet another brilliant release from Kumeu. Tasted at the Kumeu River Chardonnay vertical in London.In Bond£646.00 -
Wine Advocate (98)
Rich, concentrated and intense, the 2014 Grange delivers exactly what we've come to expect from this Penfolds icon wine. It's full-bodied, velvety in feel and loaded with plummy fruit, framed in vanilla and cedar. Dense, powerful and tannic, it should prove to be long lived, even by Grange standards. Gago doesn't rate the vintage overall that highly, but he says the selection this year for Grange was a bit more stringent and that production levels were just average. There are still over 1,000 cases for the United States.In Bond£2,193.00 -
Wine Advocate (98)
Rich, concentrated and intense, the 2014 Grange delivers exactly what we've come to expect from this Penfolds icon wine. It's full-bodied, velvety in feel and loaded with plummy fruit, framed in vanilla and cedar. Dense, powerful and tannic, it should prove to be long lived, even by Grange standards. Gago doesn't rate the vintage overall that highly, but he says the selection this year for Grange was a bit more stringent and that production levels were just average. There are still over 1,000 cases for the United States.In Bond£2,388.00 -
Jancis Robinson (18)
Thick deep purple. Refined, really complex nose. Super-ripe purple fruit and lovely polish. So clean and fresh on the end. Suave and velvety. Complete. Lightly salty and beautifully smooth yet with masses of tannins underneath.In Bond£404.00 -
Sam Kim Wine Orbit (100)
No tasting note available.In Bond£400.00