What's New on Cru
At Cru World Wine, we're committed to bringing our customers the best possible selection of fine wines, and that's why we're constantly updating our "What's New on Cru" page with the latest releases and exciting new finds. Whether you're a seasoned wine collector or just starting out on your wine journey, we're sure you'll find something to love on our page.
One of the things that sets us apart from other wine retailers is our commitment to offering our customers unbeatable value. That's why we often offer special limited-time discounts on some of our most popular wines, and you can find these amazing deals on our "What's New on Cru" page. Don't miss out on the opportunity to get your hands on some stunning wines at incredible prices.
Our "What's New on Cru" page is also the perfect place to discover new and exciting wines from around the world. From classic Bordeaux and Burgundy to up-and-coming regions like South Africa and Australia, our selection is sure to delight even the most discerning wine lover. And if you're looking for something a little different, be sure to check out our collection of natural wines - these are wines made with minimal intervention, allowing the true expression of the grapes to shine through.
So whether you're looking for the latest vintage from your favorite winery or want to explore new and exciting wine regions, be sure to visit our "What's New on Cru" page. With our constantly evolving selection and unbeatable value, it's the perfect place to discover the world of fine wine.
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What's New on Cru
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Burgundy | 1 | 92-94 (IB) |
Inc. VAT
£410.44 |
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Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-94)Medium to deep purple, beautifully ripe, so much going on, plump lush raspberry but never losing its thread, more character in this warmer vintage rather than drying it. This is a very good Clos de la Barre, as good as I can remember. Tasted: November 2021 |
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Tuscany | 1 | 97 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£901.24 |
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James Suckling (97)So much blue fruit such as blueberries and blackberries; the purity of the fruit is incredible. Essence of cabernet sauvignon. Full-bodied yet with focused and fine tannins. Forceful but focused and polished. Needs two or three years to come around. And then enjoy for years afterwards. |
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Burgundy | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£620.44 |
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Dive into the world of fine Burgundy wine with the exquisite Bertagna Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Les Beaumonts 2016. Crafted in the prestigious vineyards of Vosne Romanée, Côte de Nuits, this elegant Pinot Noir is a worthy representation of Domaine Bertagna’s absolute commitment to organic viticulture and asymptotic pursuit of perfection for almost six decades. A jewel of Bertagna’s 18 appellations, this Premier Cru Les Beaumonts 2016 embodies the harmonious balance between power and finesse. The long, slow vinification process in oak barrels bestows its complex bouquet accentuated by scents of wild cherries, violets and spiced chocolate. The velvety tannins and ripe fruit nuances linger on the palate, creating a wine that is not only deeply satisfying, but also emblematic of its illustrious terroir. Its consistent depth and refinement undoubtedly affirm Bertagna Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Les Beaumonts 2016 as a grand cru in all but name. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 98 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£637.24 |
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James Suckling (98)A very beautiful and thoughtful Testamatta with aromas of earth, terra cotta, black tea, and lavender. Full-bodied, very layered and extremely polished with superb, soft tannins. Racy and very long. Muscular and formed but very, very balanced. Gorgeous richness and depth. Shows balance and wonder. Try in 2020. |
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Champagne | 1 | 20+ (MJ) |
Inc. VAT
£973.24 |
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Matthew Jukes (20+)08NF was made from 83% Grands Crus and 17% de Premiers Crus: 60% Pinot Noir from the Premiers and Grands Crus of the Montagne de Reims and the Grande Vallée de la Marne (Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Aÿ, Ambonnay, Bouzy, Verzenay et Verzy); 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs (Mesnil, Chouilly, Cramant, Vertus); 17% of the wines were vinified in oak barrels, and it was aged on its lees for 150 months; The dosage is 2.9 g/l, and it was disgorged in January 2022. This super-deep wine dwells low in the glass with weight and depth of delivery that is completely unhurried. Vinous, powerful and with a full spectrum of fruit and patisserie, it is remarkable just how little citrus and herb there is on the front end of this staggeringly impressive wine. It is more layered and exotic than any current release Champagne I can think of, and then when it seems as though the scene is set, everything changes instantly. The palate drops about three gears revealing arresting zestiness and tanginess that completely engulfs the senses. I learned that this cuvée’s release was delayed by nearly two years because the back end was so twitchy, nervy and excitable. As it turns out, the Billecart gurus made the right call here – this is an electrifying wine, and the finish shows that the potential here is incredible. I am lucky enough to have tasted the 1959 and the 1961 Billecart-Salmon vintage wines, among others, and the DNA and detail in this 2008 are near-identical. While the top half of this wine is showy, flamboyant and seductive, the lower half is firm, chiselled, rigid and breath-taking. |
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Marlborough | 1 | 18 (JR) |
Inc. VAT
£363.64 |
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Jancis Robinson (18)Seductive and well-judged ‘reductive’ (smoky, struck-match) aroma and really toasty as it opens up, something cedary. Very Coche Dury but, most importantly, there is the fruit intensity to carry off this winemaking style. Nutty, creamy, mealy citrus. So many things going on that it makes you slow down to try to enjoy all this complexity. Deep, deliciously fresh and incredibly persistent with an aftertaste of savoury/mineral citrus. Worth every penny of its NZ price of $45 (from the producer's website). Classy and got better and better over the few days post opening. |
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Marlborough | 1 | 97 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£347.09 |
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Vinous (97)The 2021 Chardonnay Reed Vineyard is pure, harmonious and suave, caressing the mouth with its gentle texture and purity. It's not showy but a wine worth getting to know: it provides cognitive and sensory pleasure. You can expect almond, oatmeal, smoky nuts and party popper aromas. Yes, party poppers. I really love the smell of party poppers, so I want to keep smelling this and having a little party shimmy. Pure and textural with a gourmand character that will make you want to lick your cheeks to keep tasting it. Already good; this is going to be great. |
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Champagne | 1 | 97 (TS) |
Inc. VAT
£487.24 |
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Tyson Stelzer (97)PN AYC18 is a showpiece for the expansive dimensions, intoxicating allure and purity of Aÿ pinot noir; a wonderfully characterful blanc de noirs that celebrates the sumptuous fruit generosity of 2018 and the purity and precision of this fabled cru. With the generous tones of a full straw hue and a blush tint, it ripples with grand fruit depth of red cherries and perfectly ripe plums. The magnificent depth of complexity that is Bollinger rumbles in deep reserves, reminiscent of fruit mince spice and dried nectarines. I love that it is so emphatically Aÿ, so intrinsically Bollinger, and yet all transposed with the transparency and delicious fruit generosity that is 2018. It holds fantastic, succulent allure on a very long finish; the ripeness of 2018 translating in supple, silky fruit generosity, yet in no way heavy or broad, beautifully energised by the fine chalk salinity and pure acid freshness that make Aÿ such a beloved place. |
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Champagne | 1 | 93 (DC) |
Inc. VAT
£445.24 |
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Decanter (93)The nose is remarkably fine and complex, expressing scents of orchard fruit, white peach, apricot, and lemon with a touch of verbena. On the palate, the immediate impression is of a certain unctuosity providing great charm, and even the structure has round contours, but it seems to tighten on the chalky, airborne finish. The salinity that marked the previous two iterations of this PN series seems less present, with this one having more notes of pastry and hazelnuts as well as some zesty citrus, but airing adds an iodine-like tang. This is a Champagne that should pair well with fresh fish and shellfish dishes. 100% Pinot Noir. Dosage: 4 g/L. Disgorgement: January 2022. |
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Champagne | 1 | 95 (RJH) |
Inc. VAT
£646.84 |
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Richard Juhlin (95)The presentation is brilliant and is reminiscent of the house's legendary blanc de noirs Bollinger ’Vieilles Vignes Françaises’….. A Verzenay blanc de noirs with sprinkles of Aÿ, Bouzy and Tauxières, where 50% of the wine comes from 2015 with reserve wines on magnum dating from 2009. Verzenay and Aÿ are, as you know, the dominant villages in Bollinger's vintage wines. Verzenay is often the chalky and mineral-rich backbone of Bollinger's vintage build-up. The wine is vibrantly fresh, mineral-driven and extremely pure. There is a clarity and sharpness that is outstanding, where gunpowder notes and aroma of grilled meat develop as the glass warms up slightly. I love this wine as it is a perfect creation from one of the most important villages in the whole of Champagne dominated by the aforementioned minerality, but also with notes of violet and red grapefruit so typical of Verzenay of the highest class. On aeration the scent develops more and more notes of pears, figs and freshly baked baguette and the taste develops towards peach and apricot jam. Personally, though, I will wait as long as I can before opening my own bottles to get the increasing depth of caramel and grilled hazelnut flavour that only time in the cellar can provide. |
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Champagne | 1 | 95 (DC) |
Inc. VAT
£519.64 |
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Decanter (95)Produced exclusively from vineyards owned by Bollinger, this takes advantage of the dynamic equilibrium between the structured, robust Pinot Noir grape and a terroir that is late-ripening. Picking began on 25 September and delivered a wine with plenty of concentration and impressive freshness and balance, with expressive green apple fruit accented with notes of toast and smoke and a creamy, supple, and open texture. Dosed at 6 g/l. Disgorged in November 2020. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 97 (VN (AG)) |
Inc. VAT
£498.04 |
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Vinous - Antonio Galloni (97)Nicolas Audebert and his team have done it again. The 2017 Canon is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. Rich and vertical in construction, the 2017 possesses off-the-charts richness and intensity in all of its dimensions. In the glass, the 2017 is sumptuous and layered, with superb detail and tons of sheer pedigree. In 20 years, readers will have a fabulous time tasting the 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 together and debating their respective merits. Dark plum fruit, striking Franc aromatics and the clean, focused energy of Saint-Émilion's limestone plateau make for a ravishing, exquisite wine of the highest level. In a word: breathtaking. |
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Douro | 1 | 18+ (MJ) |
Inc. VAT
£279.64 |
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Matthew Jukes (18+)Because this trio of wines runs in a neat sequence, I made one consecutive note to cover all three vintages – a direct comparative tasting note, if you will. 2016 is my preferred wine – it is the grandest, and it has the most potential. It is one of the finest value, elite reds I have tasted in a very long time. The 2017 is more refined, the most forward, most restaurant friendly and most open. It is lighter, more herbal, and it will get you in the mood while the others have a chance to mellow. I will hold back on any more notes on this wine because it is my MoneyWeek wine of the week this Friday! Finally, the 2018, which is a beauty. More flamboyant, more plush and sensual, and it is not dissimilar to the 2016 in fruit expression, but it is not quite as powerful or as impactful. Either way, you need all three in your collection because if you like each of these wines for their respective character traits, I can imagine you will follow this label for the rest of your days. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 96 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£533.09 |
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Wine Advocate (96)This is one of my all-time favorite Brunellos, and although personal tastes are fluid and may change from time to time, there is something timeless and solid about this wine. It's like a touchstone. The Casanova di Neri 2017 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova is graced with a similar interlude of elegant rose or crushed flower that we saw in the annata wine. It appears more prominently here, and with more shape and focused intensity. Make no mistake, Giacomo Neri builds wines for pleasure and sensual impact, and this wine (helped by a hot growing season and 15% alcohol) ticks all those boxes. But it also shows floral elegance and sour cherry freshness that defies our expectations of the vintage. |
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Piedmont | 14 | 95 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£967.24 |
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Wine Advocate (95)The 2013 Barolo Riserva Vignolo surprises for the sheer darkness and saturation of its color. Upfront and without too much bother, the wine offers immediate richness and concentration with dark berry fruit, plum and dried cherry. There is a lot of intensity here, but the wine is more horizontal and broad in character than it is vertical per se. In other words, it shows a heavy center of gravity, and its very character is focused on richness and power. This wine ages in 20- and 100-hectoliter Slavonian oak botti for up to five years before its commercial release. Production is exactly 6,666 bottles. |
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Piedmont | 1 | 97 (WE) |
Inc. VAT
£649.24 |
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Wine Enthusiast (97)Aromas of leather, scorched earth, grilled herb and camphor come to the forefront along with a whiff of hazelnut. Savory and full-bodied, the compelling palate delivers dried cherry, orange zest, black licorice and baking spice set against youthfully firm but refined tannins. |
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Rhone | 1 | 100 (JD) |
Inc. VAT
£1,327.24 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (100)The 2020 Ermitage Le Pavillon is pure gold, and Hermitage doesn't get any better. Incredible aromatics of cassis, graphite, burning embers, and crushed stone all emerge from this beauty. Stunningly proportioned and incredibly pure, it's full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, but as with all great vintages of this cuvée, it's going to demand bottle age. While Les Greffieux and Le Méal bring much more opulence, this is the powerhouse, long-distance candidate in the lineup. It's an incredible effort. Give bottles upwards of a decade in the cellar, and it should evolve effortlessly over the following 30-40 years. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WI) |
Inc. VAT
£1,243.24 |
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The Wine Independent (100)Deep garnet in color, the 2016 Cos d'Estournel is quite closed to start, requiring a lot of coaxing to bring out profound notions of creme de cassis, wild blueberries, black cherry compote, and rose oil, leading to suggestions of Indian spices, crushed rocks, and dried lavender. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is both opulent and energetic, revealing loads of perfumed black fruit layers and a plush, polished texture, finishing with epic length and depth. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 98+ (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£896.44 |
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Wine Advocate (98+)The 2018 Cos d'Estournel is a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, aged in 50% new oak barriques. The alcohol weighs in at just over 14.5%. Sporting a deep purple-black color, it needs a lot of swirling to begin to unlock a powerful nose of crème de cassis, stewed plums, wild blueberries and chocolate-covered cherries, followed by nuances of Sichuan pepper, star anise, tree and clove oil, plus a waft of charcoal. The full-bodied palate is densely packed with taut, muscular black fruits and earthy layers, framed by super firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and wonderfully earthy. A very impressive behemoth, this is going to need a good seven to 10 years to truly show its stuff and should drink for a good 40 years and beyond. |
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California | 1 | 98 (JD) |
Inc. VAT
£731.09 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (98)A deep yet bright ruby, the 2021 Pinot Noir Bressay Estate Vineyard is lifted with notes of cinnamon, highly floral notes of candied roses, red berries, and wild strawberries. Medium-bodied, it offers tremendous energy, with seamless acidity, fine tannins, a stony texture, and more layers that unfold with orange peel and saline. |
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California | 1 | 96 (VN (AG)) |
Inc. VAT
£647.09 |
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Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)The 2021 Chardonnay DuMOL Estate Vineyard is a powerful, phenolic, driving wine. Sage, crushed rocks, lemon peel, mint, white pepper and dried herbs infuse the Estate with tremendous complexity. High-density plantings of Mount Eden clone Chardonnay on this site yield a wine of tremendous distinctiveness and vibrancy. |
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California | 1 | 98+ (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£587.09 |
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Wine Advocate (98+)The 2021 Chardonnay Isobel Charles Heintz Vineyard is the 20th bottling of a Heintz Vineyard Chardonnay at DuMOL. It was harvested September 25-27, matured in larger barrels and finished with six months in stainless steel. "There are very few better vintages of this," winemaker Andy Smith exclaims during our tasting, and I have to agree. It's bursting with scents of matchstick, chamomile, Greek yogurt and white peach, and over time, it unfurls unique spicy, herbal undertones. The palate is intensely concentrated, boasting expansive, dynamic flavors that segue from stone fruit to honey. Satiny and seamless, it has a tremendously long finish with mind-altering depth of flavor. Fans of Burgundy will love it for its flinty tones, and fans of California for its concentration and power. |
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California | 1 | 99 (WI) |
Inc. VAT
£611.09 |
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The Wine Independent (99)The 2021 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard needs quite a bit of coaxing to unlock notes of ripe yellow apples, grapefruit oil, orange peel, and juicy peaches, leading to wafts of wet slate, shaved ginger, and almond croissant. The medium-bodied palate has super-charged intensity, delivering layer upon layer of citrus, stone fruit, and mineral flavors with a silky texture and laser-precise acidity, finishing with incredible length and so many citrus and mineral sparks. This is phenomenal Chardonnay! These Hyde Vineyard vines were planted in 1986. "Hyde were the first to do custom growing and they do it so well," commented DuMOL's winemaker, Andy Smith. "The shoot growth in 2021 was very low and the yields were down from a typical 21 barrels to 17 barrels. But I believe this is the best quality is the best they've ever had from here." I agree. For number crunchers, the pH is 3.38, and ABV is 13.7%. |
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California | 2 | 100 (VN (AG)) |
Inc. VAT
£863.09 |
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Vinous - Antonio Galloni (100)The 2021 Pinot Noir MacIntyre Estate Vineyard is magnificent. Dark, plush and exceptionally vivid, the 2021 is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty. The mix of Calera and Swan clones yields an unctuous, rich Pinot that does not taste like a wine from sandy soils. The 2021 is sensational. I don't think I have ever tasted a wine like this before here. A rush of dark blue/purplish fruit, gravel, spice and menthol builds into the huge, structured finish. Unforgettable. |
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California | 2 | 99 (JD) |
Inc. VAT
£851.09 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (99)The 2021 Pinot Noir Finn pours a jeweled ruby and is sourced from two vineyards. It offers up nearly ripe, attractive smoky notes of cherry, cracked pepper, and dusty earth. Full-bodied, it’s expansive on the palate, with ripe black raspberry, pine, and anise. This needs time but is well structured and has excellent balance. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WI) |
Inc. VAT
£1,339.24 |
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The Wine Independent (100)Composed of 36% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 30% Merlot, the 2019 Figeac is deep garnet-purple colored. It needs considerable swirling to coax out its alluring perfume of redcurrant jelly, juicy blackcurrants, and blackberries, with underlying suggestions of candied violets, chocolate box, fragrant earth, and lavender plus a touch of crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a mind-blowing array of layers with exceptionally ripe, fine-grained tannins and jaw-dropping tension, leading to a fantastically persistent mineral and floral-tinged finish that makes your heart stop. With its energy, structure, and incredible depth, truly, this is a towering triumph. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 97 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£736.84 |
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Wine Advocate (97)This is a gorgeous vintage that continues to flesh out beautifully. I added an extra point to my score since the last time I tasted the 2019 Bolgheri Rosso Camarcanda in order to underline the great potential of this vintage. This wine could legally be a Bolgheri Superiore, but Angelo Gaja prefers not to use qualifying wine terms such as Superiore, Classico or Riserva in his various wine projects spanning from Piedmont to Tuscany to Etna. Semantics aside, this is a gorgeous wine—one of the best made at Ca' Marcanda for sure—with impressive intensity and balance. Dark fruit and blackberry are contrasted against spice, tobacco, grilled rosemary and Mediterranean bramble. The 2019 vintage saw favorable weather conditions and "just the right amount of rain," Gaja says. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 96 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£607.24 |
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James Suckling (96)A full-bodied Brunello with lots of plums and cherries, as well as orange-peel character. It’s creamy and round-textured. Soft and chewy tannins. Shows the warmth and ripeness of the 2017 vintage. Drink after 2023. |
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California | 1 | 99+ (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£7,939.24 |
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Wine Advocate (99+)The 2012 Harlan Estate is reminiscent of their 2002. Probably a candidate for perfection with another 4-5 years of bottle age, the wine is inky plum/purple to the rim and offers a gorgeous nose of scorched earth, blackberry and cassis, forest floor, and a floral, lavender-like component followed by deep, opulent, majestic flavors that caress the palate with high but sweet tannin. This is relatively evolved, and supple and voluptuous for a young Harlan estate – hence the comparison with their compelling 2002. This wine can be drunk in several years and is likely another candidate for 30-50 years of cellaring. |
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Champagne | 1 | 92 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£322.84 |
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Vinous (92)The NV Esprit Nature is a fabulous introduction to this range. Creamy, open-knit and so expressive, the Esprit Nature captures all of the textural intensity that is such a Giraud signature, but in an approachable style. The Esprit Nature is 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay done mostly in oak, with a bit of sandstone amphora. This release is based on 2017, 50% reserve wines. Readers should note that the "Nature" is used here as part of the wine name, rather than an indication of dosage, which is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: October 21, 2020. |
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Burgundy | 1 | 92-94 (IB) |
In Bond
£326.00 |
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Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-94)Medium to deep purple, beautifully ripe, so much going on, plump lush raspberry but never losing its thread, more character in this warmer vintage rather than drying it. This is a very good Clos de la Barre, as good as I can remember. Tasted: November 2021 |
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Tuscany | 1 | 97 (JS) |
In Bond
£735.00 |
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James Suckling (97)So much blue fruit such as blueberries and blackberries; the purity of the fruit is incredible. Essence of cabernet sauvignon. Full-bodied yet with focused and fine tannins. Forceful but focused and polished. Needs two or three years to come around. And then enjoy for years afterwards. |
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Burgundy | 1 | - |
In Bond
£501.00 |
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Dive into the world of fine Burgundy wine with the exquisite Bertagna Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Les Beaumonts 2016. Crafted in the prestigious vineyards of Vosne Romanée, Côte de Nuits, this elegant Pinot Noir is a worthy representation of Domaine Bertagna’s absolute commitment to organic viticulture and asymptotic pursuit of perfection for almost six decades. A jewel of Bertagna’s 18 appellations, this Premier Cru Les Beaumonts 2016 embodies the harmonious balance between power and finesse. The long, slow vinification process in oak barrels bestows its complex bouquet accentuated by scents of wild cherries, violets and spiced chocolate. The velvety tannins and ripe fruit nuances linger on the palate, creating a wine that is not only deeply satisfying, but also emblematic of its illustrious terroir. Its consistent depth and refinement undoubtedly affirm Bertagna Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Les Beaumonts 2016 as a grand cru in all but name. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 98 (JS) |
In Bond
£515.00 |
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James Suckling (98)A very beautiful and thoughtful Testamatta with aromas of earth, terra cotta, black tea, and lavender. Full-bodied, very layered and extremely polished with superb, soft tannins. Racy and very long. Muscular and formed but very, very balanced. Gorgeous richness and depth. Shows balance and wonder. Try in 2020. |
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Champagne | 1 | 20+ (MJ) |
In Bond
£795.00 |
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Matthew Jukes (20+)08NF was made from 83% Grands Crus and 17% de Premiers Crus: 60% Pinot Noir from the Premiers and Grands Crus of the Montagne de Reims and the Grande Vallée de la Marne (Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Aÿ, Ambonnay, Bouzy, Verzenay et Verzy); 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs (Mesnil, Chouilly, Cramant, Vertus); 17% of the wines were vinified in oak barrels, and it was aged on its lees for 150 months; The dosage is 2.9 g/l, and it was disgorged in January 2022. This super-deep wine dwells low in the glass with weight and depth of delivery that is completely unhurried. Vinous, powerful and with a full spectrum of fruit and patisserie, it is remarkable just how little citrus and herb there is on the front end of this staggeringly impressive wine. It is more layered and exotic than any current release Champagne I can think of, and then when it seems as though the scene is set, everything changes instantly. The palate drops about three gears revealing arresting zestiness and tanginess that completely engulfs the senses. I learned that this cuvée’s release was delayed by nearly two years because the back end was so twitchy, nervy and excitable. As it turns out, the Billecart gurus made the right call here – this is an electrifying wine, and the finish shows that the potential here is incredible. I am lucky enough to have tasted the 1959 and the 1961 Billecart-Salmon vintage wines, among others, and the DNA and detail in this 2008 are near-identical. While the top half of this wine is showy, flamboyant and seductive, the lower half is firm, chiselled, rigid and breath-taking. |
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Marlborough | 1 | 18 (JR) |
In Bond
£287.00 |
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Jancis Robinson (18)Seductive and well-judged ‘reductive’ (smoky, struck-match) aroma and really toasty as it opens up, something cedary. Very Coche Dury but, most importantly, there is the fruit intensity to carry off this winemaking style. Nutty, creamy, mealy citrus. So many things going on that it makes you slow down to try to enjoy all this complexity. Deep, deliciously fresh and incredibly persistent with an aftertaste of savoury/mineral citrus. Worth every penny of its NZ price of $45 (from the producer's website). Classy and got better and better over the few days post opening. |
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Marlborough | 1 | 97 (VN) |
In Bond
£270.00 |
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Vinous (97)The 2021 Chardonnay Reed Vineyard is pure, harmonious and suave, caressing the mouth with its gentle texture and purity. It's not showy but a wine worth getting to know: it provides cognitive and sensory pleasure. You can expect almond, oatmeal, smoky nuts and party popper aromas. Yes, party poppers. I really love the smell of party poppers, so I want to keep smelling this and having a little party shimmy. Pure and textural with a gourmand character that will make you want to lick your cheeks to keep tasting it. Already good; this is going to be great. |
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Champagne | 1 | 97 (TS) |
In Bond
£390.00 |
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Tyson Stelzer (97)PN AYC18 is a showpiece for the expansive dimensions, intoxicating allure and purity of Aÿ pinot noir; a wonderfully characterful blanc de noirs that celebrates the sumptuous fruit generosity of 2018 and the purity and precision of this fabled cru. With the generous tones of a full straw hue and a blush tint, it ripples with grand fruit depth of red cherries and perfectly ripe plums. The magnificent depth of complexity that is Bollinger rumbles in deep reserves, reminiscent of fruit mince spice and dried nectarines. I love that it is so emphatically Aÿ, so intrinsically Bollinger, and yet all transposed with the transparency and delicious fruit generosity that is 2018. It holds fantastic, succulent allure on a very long finish; the ripeness of 2018 translating in supple, silky fruit generosity, yet in no way heavy or broad, beautifully energised by the fine chalk salinity and pure acid freshness that make Aÿ such a beloved place. |
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Champagne | 1 | 93 (DC) |
In Bond
£355.00 |
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Decanter (93)The nose is remarkably fine and complex, expressing scents of orchard fruit, white peach, apricot, and lemon with a touch of verbena. On the palate, the immediate impression is of a certain unctuosity providing great charm, and even the structure has round contours, but it seems to tighten on the chalky, airborne finish. The salinity that marked the previous two iterations of this PN series seems less present, with this one having more notes of pastry and hazelnuts as well as some zesty citrus, but airing adds an iodine-like tang. This is a Champagne that should pair well with fresh fish and shellfish dishes. 100% Pinot Noir. Dosage: 4 g/L. Disgorgement: January 2022. |
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Champagne | 1 | 95 (RJH) |
In Bond
£523.00 |
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Richard Juhlin (95)The presentation is brilliant and is reminiscent of the house's legendary blanc de noirs Bollinger ’Vieilles Vignes Françaises’….. A Verzenay blanc de noirs with sprinkles of Aÿ, Bouzy and Tauxières, where 50% of the wine comes from 2015 with reserve wines on magnum dating from 2009. Verzenay and Aÿ are, as you know, the dominant villages in Bollinger's vintage wines. Verzenay is often the chalky and mineral-rich backbone of Bollinger's vintage build-up. The wine is vibrantly fresh, mineral-driven and extremely pure. There is a clarity and sharpness that is outstanding, where gunpowder notes and aroma of grilled meat develop as the glass warms up slightly. I love this wine as it is a perfect creation from one of the most important villages in the whole of Champagne dominated by the aforementioned minerality, but also with notes of violet and red grapefruit so typical of Verzenay of the highest class. On aeration the scent develops more and more notes of pears, figs and freshly baked baguette and the taste develops towards peach and apricot jam. Personally, though, I will wait as long as I can before opening my own bottles to get the increasing depth of caramel and grilled hazelnut flavour that only time in the cellar can provide. |
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Champagne | 1 | 95 (DC) |
In Bond
£417.00 |
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Decanter (95)Produced exclusively from vineyards owned by Bollinger, this takes advantage of the dynamic equilibrium between the structured, robust Pinot Noir grape and a terroir that is late-ripening. Picking began on 25 September and delivered a wine with plenty of concentration and impressive freshness and balance, with expressive green apple fruit accented with notes of toast and smoke and a creamy, supple, and open texture. Dosed at 6 g/l. Disgorged in November 2020. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 97 (VN (AG)) |
In Bond
£399.00 |
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Vinous - Antonio Galloni (97)Nicolas Audebert and his team have done it again. The 2017 Canon is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. Rich and vertical in construction, the 2017 possesses off-the-charts richness and intensity in all of its dimensions. In the glass, the 2017 is sumptuous and layered, with superb detail and tons of sheer pedigree. In 20 years, readers will have a fabulous time tasting the 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 together and debating their respective merits. Dark plum fruit, striking Franc aromatics and the clean, focused energy of Saint-Émilion's limestone plateau make for a ravishing, exquisite wine of the highest level. In a word: breathtaking. |
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Douro | 1 | 18+ (MJ) |
In Bond
£217.00 |
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Matthew Jukes (18+)Because this trio of wines runs in a neat sequence, I made one consecutive note to cover all three vintages – a direct comparative tasting note, if you will. 2016 is my preferred wine – it is the grandest, and it has the most potential. It is one of the finest value, elite reds I have tasted in a very long time. The 2017 is more refined, the most forward, most restaurant friendly and most open. It is lighter, more herbal, and it will get you in the mood while the others have a chance to mellow. I will hold back on any more notes on this wine because it is my MoneyWeek wine of the week this Friday! Finally, the 2018, which is a beauty. More flamboyant, more plush and sensual, and it is not dissimilar to the 2016 in fruit expression, but it is not quite as powerful or as impactful. Either way, you need all three in your collection because if you like each of these wines for their respective character traits, I can imagine you will follow this label for the rest of your days. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 96 (WA) |
In Bond
£425.00 |
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Wine Advocate (96)This is one of my all-time favorite Brunellos, and although personal tastes are fluid and may change from time to time, there is something timeless and solid about this wine. It's like a touchstone. The Casanova di Neri 2017 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova is graced with a similar interlude of elegant rose or crushed flower that we saw in the annata wine. It appears more prominently here, and with more shape and focused intensity. Make no mistake, Giacomo Neri builds wines for pleasure and sensual impact, and this wine (helped by a hot growing season and 15% alcohol) ticks all those boxes. But it also shows floral elegance and sour cherry freshness that defies our expectations of the vintage. |
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Piedmont | 14 | 95 (WA) |
In Bond
£790.00 |
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Wine Advocate (95)The 2013 Barolo Riserva Vignolo surprises for the sheer darkness and saturation of its color. Upfront and without too much bother, the wine offers immediate richness and concentration with dark berry fruit, plum and dried cherry. There is a lot of intensity here, but the wine is more horizontal and broad in character than it is vertical per se. In other words, it shows a heavy center of gravity, and its very character is focused on richness and power. This wine ages in 20- and 100-hectoliter Slavonian oak botti for up to five years before its commercial release. Production is exactly 6,666 bottles. |
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Piedmont | 1 | 97 (WE) |
In Bond
£525.00 |
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Wine Enthusiast (97)Aromas of leather, scorched earth, grilled herb and camphor come to the forefront along with a whiff of hazelnut. Savory and full-bodied, the compelling palate delivers dried cherry, orange zest, black licorice and baking spice set against youthfully firm but refined tannins. |
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Rhone | 1 | 100 (JD) |
In Bond
£1,090.00 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (100)The 2020 Ermitage Le Pavillon is pure gold, and Hermitage doesn't get any better. Incredible aromatics of cassis, graphite, burning embers, and crushed stone all emerge from this beauty. Stunningly proportioned and incredibly pure, it's full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, but as with all great vintages of this cuvée, it's going to demand bottle age. While Les Greffieux and Le Méal bring much more opulence, this is the powerhouse, long-distance candidate in the lineup. It's an incredible effort. Give bottles upwards of a decade in the cellar, and it should evolve effortlessly over the following 30-40 years. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WI) |
In Bond
£1,020.00 |
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The Wine Independent (100)Deep garnet in color, the 2016 Cos d'Estournel is quite closed to start, requiring a lot of coaxing to bring out profound notions of creme de cassis, wild blueberries, black cherry compote, and rose oil, leading to suggestions of Indian spices, crushed rocks, and dried lavender. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is both opulent and energetic, revealing loads of perfumed black fruit layers and a plush, polished texture, finishing with epic length and depth. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 98+ (WA) |
In Bond
£731.00 |
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Wine Advocate (98+)The 2018 Cos d'Estournel is a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, aged in 50% new oak barriques. The alcohol weighs in at just over 14.5%. Sporting a deep purple-black color, it needs a lot of swirling to begin to unlock a powerful nose of crème de cassis, stewed plums, wild blueberries and chocolate-covered cherries, followed by nuances of Sichuan pepper, star anise, tree and clove oil, plus a waft of charcoal. The full-bodied palate is densely packed with taut, muscular black fruits and earthy layers, framed by super firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and wonderfully earthy. A very impressive behemoth, this is going to need a good seven to 10 years to truly show its stuff and should drink for a good 40 years and beyond. |
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California | 1 | 98 (JD) |
In Bond
£590.00 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (98)A deep yet bright ruby, the 2021 Pinot Noir Bressay Estate Vineyard is lifted with notes of cinnamon, highly floral notes of candied roses, red berries, and wild strawberries. Medium-bodied, it offers tremendous energy, with seamless acidity, fine tannins, a stony texture, and more layers that unfold with orange peel and saline. |
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California | 1 | 96 (VN (AG)) |
In Bond
£520.00 |
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Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)The 2021 Chardonnay DuMOL Estate Vineyard is a powerful, phenolic, driving wine. Sage, crushed rocks, lemon peel, mint, white pepper and dried herbs infuse the Estate with tremendous complexity. High-density plantings of Mount Eden clone Chardonnay on this site yield a wine of tremendous distinctiveness and vibrancy. |
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California | 1 | 98+ (WA) |
In Bond
£470.00 |
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Wine Advocate (98+)The 2021 Chardonnay Isobel Charles Heintz Vineyard is the 20th bottling of a Heintz Vineyard Chardonnay at DuMOL. It was harvested September 25-27, matured in larger barrels and finished with six months in stainless steel. "There are very few better vintages of this," winemaker Andy Smith exclaims during our tasting, and I have to agree. It's bursting with scents of matchstick, chamomile, Greek yogurt and white peach, and over time, it unfurls unique spicy, herbal undertones. The palate is intensely concentrated, boasting expansive, dynamic flavors that segue from stone fruit to honey. Satiny and seamless, it has a tremendously long finish with mind-altering depth of flavor. Fans of Burgundy will love it for its flinty tones, and fans of California for its concentration and power. |
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California | 1 | 99 (WI) |
In Bond
£490.00 |
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The Wine Independent (99)The 2021 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard needs quite a bit of coaxing to unlock notes of ripe yellow apples, grapefruit oil, orange peel, and juicy peaches, leading to wafts of wet slate, shaved ginger, and almond croissant. The medium-bodied palate has super-charged intensity, delivering layer upon layer of citrus, stone fruit, and mineral flavors with a silky texture and laser-precise acidity, finishing with incredible length and so many citrus and mineral sparks. This is phenomenal Chardonnay! These Hyde Vineyard vines were planted in 1986. "Hyde were the first to do custom growing and they do it so well," commented DuMOL's winemaker, Andy Smith. "The shoot growth in 2021 was very low and the yields were down from a typical 21 barrels to 17 barrels. But I believe this is the best quality is the best they've ever had from here." I agree. For number crunchers, the pH is 3.38, and ABV is 13.7%. |
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California | 2 | 100 (VN (AG)) |
In Bond
£700.00 |
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Vinous - Antonio Galloni (100)The 2021 Pinot Noir MacIntyre Estate Vineyard is magnificent. Dark, plush and exceptionally vivid, the 2021 is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty. The mix of Calera and Swan clones yields an unctuous, rich Pinot that does not taste like a wine from sandy soils. The 2021 is sensational. I don't think I have ever tasted a wine like this before here. A rush of dark blue/purplish fruit, gravel, spice and menthol builds into the huge, structured finish. Unforgettable. |
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California | 2 | 99 (JD) |
In Bond
£690.00 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (99)The 2021 Pinot Noir Finn pours a jeweled ruby and is sourced from two vineyards. It offers up nearly ripe, attractive smoky notes of cherry, cracked pepper, and dusty earth. Full-bodied, it’s expansive on the palate, with ripe black raspberry, pine, and anise. This needs time but is well structured and has excellent balance. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WI) |
In Bond
£1,100.00 |
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The Wine Independent (100)Composed of 36% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 30% Merlot, the 2019 Figeac is deep garnet-purple colored. It needs considerable swirling to coax out its alluring perfume of redcurrant jelly, juicy blackcurrants, and blackberries, with underlying suggestions of candied violets, chocolate box, fragrant earth, and lavender plus a touch of crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a mind-blowing array of layers with exceptionally ripe, fine-grained tannins and jaw-dropping tension, leading to a fantastically persistent mineral and floral-tinged finish that makes your heart stop. With its energy, structure, and incredible depth, truly, this is a towering triumph. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 97 (WA) |
In Bond
£598.00 |
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Wine Advocate (97)This is a gorgeous vintage that continues to flesh out beautifully. I added an extra point to my score since the last time I tasted the 2019 Bolgheri Rosso Camarcanda in order to underline the great potential of this vintage. This wine could legally be a Bolgheri Superiore, but Angelo Gaja prefers not to use qualifying wine terms such as Superiore, Classico or Riserva in his various wine projects spanning from Piedmont to Tuscany to Etna. Semantics aside, this is a gorgeous wine—one of the best made at Ca' Marcanda for sure—with impressive intensity and balance. Dark fruit and blackberry are contrasted against spice, tobacco, grilled rosemary and Mediterranean bramble. The 2019 vintage saw favorable weather conditions and "just the right amount of rain," Gaja says. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 96 (JS) |
In Bond
£490.00 |
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James Suckling (96)A full-bodied Brunello with lots of plums and cherries, as well as orange-peel character. It’s creamy and round-textured. Soft and chewy tannins. Shows the warmth and ripeness of the 2017 vintage. Drink after 2023. |
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California | 1 | 99+ (WA) |
In Bond
£6,600.00 |
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Wine Advocate (99+)The 2012 Harlan Estate is reminiscent of their 2002. Probably a candidate for perfection with another 4-5 years of bottle age, the wine is inky plum/purple to the rim and offers a gorgeous nose of scorched earth, blackberry and cassis, forest floor, and a floral, lavender-like component followed by deep, opulent, majestic flavors that caress the palate with high but sweet tannin. This is relatively evolved, and supple and voluptuous for a young Harlan estate – hence the comparison with their compelling 2002. This wine can be drunk in several years and is likely another candidate for 30-50 years of cellaring. |
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Champagne | 1 | 92 (VN) |
In Bond
£253.00 |
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Vinous (92)The NV Esprit Nature is a fabulous introduction to this range. Creamy, open-knit and so expressive, the Esprit Nature captures all of the textural intensity that is such a Giraud signature, but in an approachable style. The Esprit Nature is 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay done mostly in oak, with a bit of sandstone amphora. This release is based on 2017, 50% reserve wines. Readers should note that the "Nature" is used here as part of the wine name, rather than an indication of dosage, which is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: October 21, 2020. |
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