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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Piedmont | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£348.04 |
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Produced from Renato's prized 50 year old Rocche dell'Annunziata parcel. A clay and limestone terroir with a southern exposure. Delicate, perfumed, sweet candied light cherry fruit and so beguiling that for the long-standing disciples of Nebbiolo this Barolo will make you cry it is that sublime. A genius winemaker, a desert island wine.
More Info
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Bordeaux | 2 | 94 (DC) |
Inc. VAT
£136.84 |
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Decanter (94)Black chocolate, baked earth, liquorice root and silky smooth tannins greet you on the first attack of this wine. I've never found this the easiest to love of the Durantou range but it is strikingly successful in 2019. Silky and yet slatey in texture, this both eases you through the palate and pulls you up short, slowing things down. Sparks of fresh minerality accompany the pulsing blueberry and raspberry fruits, and the juicy finish makes this one to look out for. |
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Champagne | 1 | 99 (WE) |
Inc. VAT
£980.00 |
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Wine Enthusiast (99)As always, this exceptional Champagne, only released in top vintages, shows its rare qualities. Its poise between texture, acidity, intense aging ability and minerality are so right. It is ready to drink, but that would be a shame, because this wine will age so well. Drink from 2025. |
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Champagne | 1 | 99 (WE) |
Inc. VAT
£2,889.62 |
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Wine Enthusiast (99)As always, this exceptional Champagne, only released in top vintages, shows its rare qualities. Its poise between texture, acidity, intense aging ability and minerality are so right. It is ready to drink, but that would be a shame, because this wine will age so well. Drink from 2025. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 95 (GS) |
Inc. VAT
£247.24 |
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Greg Sherwood MW (95)There doesn’t seem to be complete agreement amongst growers as to whether 2021 in Bolgheri was an easy or difficult vintage. What certainly is in agreement is that this cooler Tuscan vintage yielded some incredibly taut, intense, vibrant wines. Aged in 85% French and 15% American oak 225 litre barrels, 40% new, for 15 months, this beautiful Guidalberto 2021 boasts fabulously piercing aromatics of violets, black cherries, blackberry compote and seductive dark plum over sweet exotic Christmas spices and stony graphite notes. The oak and vanilla wood spice is still busy integrating with the super taut, tight palate fruit intensity, perhaps at a slightly slower pace than in a riper, warmer vintage. But it’s the palate’s chiselled focus and linearity that marks this vintage as a true stand out expression amongst more recent dryer, warmer years. The texture is laser focused but also wonderfully transparent showing the true mineral terroir characteristics of Bolgheri together with a wonderfully fresh, tart, glassy acidity supported by sleek, polished marble tannins on a pithy cherry cola packed finish. A vintage to be truly celebrated but also one best to bury in the cellar for an another 8 to 10+ years. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 98 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£1,887.64 |
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James Suckling (98)Love the aromas to this young red with blackcurrants, sage, cinnamon and five-spice character. Changes all the time. Full-bodied, dense and powerful with a ripe and rich tannin backbone that gives form and beauty to the ripe and beautiful fruit. Tight and very long. Approachable now but will reward more in five to six years. A classic Sassicaia. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 97 (WI) |
Inc. VAT
£1,339.24 |
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The Wine Independent (97)The 2017 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia is such an impressive wine in a hot and very dry vintage like 2017. It has a wonderful fragrance of sweet spice, pressed flowers and Mediterranean herbs with youthful, bright blackberries and forest floor notes. A problem with the 2017 vintage was that the nights were hot as well as the days so it was challenging to accumulate aromatics and achieve full phenolic ripeness. Paoli and his team had to harvest early and shorten maceration times. In any case they have done an excellent job. It has lovely concentration and power on the palate yet it still retains the classic Sassicaia signature of vibrant acidity and harmony and flow across the palate. |
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Bordeaux | 14 | 18 (JR) |
Inc. VAT
£211.24 |
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Jancis Robinson (18)Tasted blind. Rich and rather opulent nose. Simple and easy with good refreshing raciness. Could be Rauzan-Ségla? Good and complete. Really zesty. Likely to be VGV. |
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Aconcagua | 1 | 98 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£558.04 |
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Wine Advocate (98)The 2019 Seña was produced with a Bordeaux blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Malbec, 15% Carmenere and 4% Petit Verdot with the Chilean character of the high percentage of Carmenere. Most of the volume fermented in stainless steel with some 10% in concrete vats, and the final blend matured for 22 months in French oak barrels, 80% of them new, and 10% in Stockinger vats. It's 13.5% alcohol and has good acidity and freshness, coming through as medium-bodied, elegant and balanced. This is incredibly elegant, subtle and harmonious even at this early stage. It has floral aromas, notes of orange peel, a touch of creamy sweet spices and great freshness. The palate is medium-bodied, seamless and pure, with pungent flavors and a soft texture. It's long, clean, defined and super tasty. I feel this wine is getting better and better by the vintage. The grapes were picked quite early, and that helped to contain the ripeness and seems to have been a great decision. There was also an exception in the Panquehue zone where the Seña vines are, where the summer was cooler than the average, so quite different to many other regions in Chile. 100,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in February 2021. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 95 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£411.64 |
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James Suckling (95)Aromas of ripe fruit such as sweet strawberries and hints of orange peel and chocolate. Medium to full body, soft and velvety tannins and a flavorful finish. Riper style. Drink or hold. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 99 (WI) |
Inc. VAT
£589.24 |
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The Wine Independent (99)The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge comes from terroir composed of 60% gravel and 40% clay and is a blend of around 2/3 Cabernet Sauvignon and 1/3 Merlot with a splash of Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs considerable swirling to unlock notes of blackcurrant preserves, stewed plums, and juicy blackberries, with hints of candied violets, licorice, espresso, and tapenade, plus wafts of crushed rocks and wood smoke. Full-bodied, rich, and opulent in the mouth, it has very firm, super-ripe, fine-grained tannins and bold freshness to support the voluptuous, mineral-accented fruit, finishing very long and achingly perfumed. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (JD) |
Inc. VAT
£769.24 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (100)Absolutely pure gold and reminding me of the 2009 (or is it the 2010?), the 2020 Château Smith Haut Lafitte sports a dense purple hue to go with incredible aromatics of blackberries, blueberries, scorched earth, wood smoke, and acacia flowers. One of the most concentrated, rich, and sexy wines in the vintage, this massive and extraordinarily opulent 2020 shows the vintage's pure, elegant profile yet backs it up with sensational levels of fruit and texture. Based on 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it already offers pleasure given its wealth of fruit, but it deserves 7-8 years of bottle age and will evolve for 40-50 years. Not enough can be said about the quality of these wines. Bravo to Florence and Daniel Cathiard, as well as to director Fabien Teitgen, for another incredible achievement. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 96+ (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,716.41 |
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Wine Advocate (96+)The elusive and highly collectible Soldera Case Basse 2018 100% Sangiovese is already available in certain markets yet ultimately proves very hard to buy. I suspect it is easier to locate in the United States than in Italy. No matter, Soldera advocates will be very pleased with this latest release that maintains enormous Sangiovese character and brightness despite the uneven growing season (that saw a wet and cool spring and a hot summer). The legendary Gianfranco Soldera died the morning of February 16, 2019, from a heart attack while driving along the bucolic, vineyard-lined road near his winery. That means this is the last vintage manned directly by Soldera, a man who remained extremely active in the vineyards and the winery until the very end. His send-off to us is a delicately nuanced wine with cassis, wild berry, rosemary, pencil shaving and blood orange. This is a beautiful wine that pays tribute not only to Gianfranco Soldera but to his non-interventionist vision of Italian wine that has influenced so many younger vintners in his wake. |
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Tuscany | 2 | 96+ (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£2,008.82 |
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Wine Advocate (96+)The elusive and highly collectible Soldera Case Basse 2018 100% Sangiovese is already available in certain markets yet ultimately proves very hard to buy. I suspect it is easier to locate in the United States than in Italy. No matter, Soldera advocates will be very pleased with this latest release that maintains enormous Sangiovese character and brightness despite the uneven growing season (that saw a wet and cool spring and a hot summer). The legendary Gianfranco Soldera died the morning of February 16, 2019, from a heart attack while driving along the bucolic, vineyard-lined road near his winery. That means this is the last vintage manned directly by Soldera, a man who remained extremely active in the vineyards and the winery until the very end. His send-off to us is a delicately nuanced wine with cassis, wild berry, rosemary, pencil shaving and blood orange. This is a beautiful wine that pays tribute not only to Gianfranco Soldera but to his non-interventionist vision of Italian wine that has influenced so many younger vintners in his wake. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 96-98 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£7,809.62 |
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Wine Advocate (96-98)The 2014 Romanée St Vivant Grand Cru, matured in two-thirds new oak, has an incredibly powerful and pure bouquet that already possesses dizzying, seductive intensity. Wow. The palate has a satin-like texture, perfect acidity and filigree tannin. However, it is the purity of this wine and the shimmering tension on the finish that is totally entrancing. One of the wines of the vintage? Most certainly. Bravo Sebastien. |
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Champagne | 1 | 96 (DC) |
Inc. VAT
£1,039.24 |
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Decanter (96)It was a dry vintage up to August, which turned exceptionally wet and cool. September saved the vintage with the ideal weather conditions - low rainfall and cool nights. The graceful nose opens to white flowers, ripe apricot and citrus hints. It is tense and refined, with a vivid mineral core balanced by pristine acidity and some toasted notes on the finish. It's not the most expressive today, but wait for it to awaken. This is built for cellaring. |
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Champagne | 1 | 98 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£835.24 |
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Vinous (98)We started with the 2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, which is every bit as racy and seductive as it has always been. It’s a great, great vintage for Comtes. |
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Champagne | 1 | 98 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£798.04 |
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James Suckling (98)This is a step up from the linear and fresh 2006. It shows subtle depth and power with a dense block of vivid fruit that's highlighted with lemon zest, green apples and hints of white peaches. Just the right amount of praline and nuts on the nose. Fine and tight bead give the Champagne a luxurious mouthfeel. One for now or the cellar. Drink or hold. |
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Hawke's Bay | 10 | - |
Inc. VAT
£228.04 |
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Hawke's Bay | 20 | - |
Inc. VAT
£163.24 |
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Hawke's Bay | 15 | 97 (WO) |
Inc. VAT
£235.24 |
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Wine Orbit (97)Plush and exquisite at once, this engaging syrah shows dark fruit richness, clove, floral and assorted nut aromas on the nose with a hint of dried herbs, leading to superbly weighted palate offering splendid fruit purity with sensual complexity, gorgeously framed by velvety texture and beautifully melded tannins. This is weighty, robust and sophisticated with gorgeous harmony, finishing refined and immensely satisfying. |
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Hawke's Bay | 1 | 99 (TRR) |
Inc. VAT
£181.61 |
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The Real Review (99)Deep, brooding purple-red colour with a concentrated berry fruit bouquet laced with cedar, violets and dried herbs, gorgeous fruit and classy oak embellishment. The wine is full bodied and powerful, with a generous serving of fine grained tannins that add length, authority and a drying but supple finish. Tremendous persistence and wonderful structure. A great wine, that will richly reward long-term cellaring. |
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Hawke's Bay | 53 | 99 (TRR) |
Inc. VAT
£465.64 |
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The Real Review (99)Deep, brooding purple-red colour with a concentrated berry fruit bouquet laced with cedar, violets and dried herbs, gorgeous fruit and classy oak embellishment. The wine is full bodied and powerful, with a generous serving of fine grained tannins that add length, authority and a drying but supple finish. Tremendous persistence and wonderful structure. A great wine, that will richly reward long-term cellaring. |
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Hawke's Bay | 5 | 93 (WO) |
Inc. VAT
£167.09 |
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Wine Orbit (93)Elegant and inviting, the bouquet shows white flesh stone fruit, lemon pith, oatmeal and roasted cashew notes, followed by a succulent palate displaying flowing mouthfeel and creamy texture. Beautifully proportioned and expansive with a sustained delectable finish. |
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Loire | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£152.44 |
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South Australia | 1 | 97 (HWC) |
Inc. VAT
£211.24 |
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Halliday Wine Companion (97)The qualitative apogee when it comes to grenache, rivalled by few and equalled only by Yangarra. Even better than the superb 2021. Sourced from the highest, coolest site in the Vale, the venerable Smart vineyard. Ironstone imparts a ferrous bite to pithy sour cherry, cranberry, campfire, pomegranate, tamarind and sandalwood notes with a grind of white pepper across a lattice of pin bone tannins, curtailing sweetness while promoting stunning length. This is excellent. Superb! Transparent and brimming with a sense of pinoté, like a mini Rayas. A great wine of the present as much as the future. Among Australia's very greatest reds. I don't score above 97, but this could be worth a point higher. |
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Alsace | 2 | 98+ (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£739.22 |
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Vinous (98+)Luminous straw. Penetrating nuances of lime and guava join the lemon verbena, jasmine, mineral and white stone fruit aromas on the knockout, captivating nose. Then dense, complex and multilayered, offering profound flavors of fresh citrus fruit, sweet spices and talcum powder. Closes extremely long, clean and precise; this is a young white wine of utterly mesmerizing beauty. I find this to be one of the best young CSHs I have ever tasted; it is stylistically different but almost on the same quality level as the marvelous 2010 CSH. One sniff (never mind taste) and I was left almost speechless - and I’m not usually one who keeps his mouth shut when I recognize a truly great wine. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 99 (DC) |
Inc. VAT
£539.69 |
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Decanter (99)Such a seductive soft perfume to the nose, delicate yet generous aromatics of cherry and rose. The palate is juicy and fresh, charming yet energetic with such crystalline purity and balance. Tannins are smooth but softly textured giving nuance to the flavours where refreshing high toned ripe red and black cherry fruit play alongside mint, dark chocolate and graphite. Clearly powerfully but carefully controlled from start to finish giving such a satisfying overall mouthful and lasting impression. Incredible. |
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California | 15 | 95+ (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£364.84 |
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Wine Advocate (95+)The 2021 Chardonnay La Rinconada Vineyard blossoms dramatically as it spends time in the glass, opening with saline and crème fraîche before blossoming to apricot, roasted almonds and honey. The medium-bodied palate combines expansive, honeyed flavors with a vibrant spine of acidity and a singular, chalky texture. It has complex flinty undertones and a long, nutty finish. It will benefit from 3-5 years' development in bottle. |
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Champagne | 4 | 98 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£2,049.62 |
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Wine Advocate (98)The NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Enfers (2015) 60 months is spectacular, soaring from the glass with a dramatic bouquet of citrus oil, freshly baked bread, anise, beeswax, white flowers and almonds. Full-bodied, layered and complete, it's deep and concentrated, with racy acids and a long, penetratingly saline finish. This late-disgorged version of Les Enfers is produced in very small quantities, but readers who can secure a bottle or two shouldn't hesitate. |
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Piedmont | 1 | - |
In Bond
£274.00 |
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Produced from Renato's prized 50 year old Rocche dell'Annunziata parcel. A clay and limestone terroir with a southern exposure. Delicate, perfumed, sweet candied light cherry fruit and so beguiling that for the long-standing disciples of Nebbiolo this Barolo will make you cry it is that sublime. A genius winemaker, a desert island wine.
More Info
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Bordeaux | 2 | 94 (DC) |
In Bond
£98.00 |
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Decanter (94)Black chocolate, baked earth, liquorice root and silky smooth tannins greet you on the first attack of this wine. I've never found this the easiest to love of the Durantou range but it is strikingly successful in 2019. Silky and yet slatey in texture, this both eases you through the palate and pulls you up short, slowing things down. Sparks of fresh minerality accompany the pulsing blueberry and raspberry fruits, and the juicy finish makes this one to look out for. |
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Champagne | 1 | 99 (WE) |
In Bond
£814.00 |
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Wine Enthusiast (99)As always, this exceptional Champagne, only released in top vintages, shows its rare qualities. Its poise between texture, acidity, intense aging ability and minerality are so right. It is ready to drink, but that would be a shame, because this wine will age so well. Drink from 2025. |
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Champagne | 1 | 99 (WE) |
In Bond
£2,400.00 |
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Wine Enthusiast (99)As always, this exceptional Champagne, only released in top vintages, shows its rare qualities. Its poise between texture, acidity, intense aging ability and minerality are so right. It is ready to drink, but that would be a shame, because this wine will age so well. Drink from 2025. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 95 (GS) |
In Bond
£190.00 |
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Greg Sherwood MW (95)There doesn’t seem to be complete agreement amongst growers as to whether 2021 in Bolgheri was an easy or difficult vintage. What certainly is in agreement is that this cooler Tuscan vintage yielded some incredibly taut, intense, vibrant wines. Aged in 85% French and 15% American oak 225 litre barrels, 40% new, for 15 months, this beautiful Guidalberto 2021 boasts fabulously piercing aromatics of violets, black cherries, blackberry compote and seductive dark plum over sweet exotic Christmas spices and stony graphite notes. The oak and vanilla wood spice is still busy integrating with the super taut, tight palate fruit intensity, perhaps at a slightly slower pace than in a riper, warmer vintage. But it’s the palate’s chiselled focus and linearity that marks this vintage as a true stand out expression amongst more recent dryer, warmer years. The texture is laser focused but also wonderfully transparent showing the true mineral terroir characteristics of Bolgheri together with a wonderfully fresh, tart, glassy acidity supported by sleek, polished marble tannins on a pithy cherry cola packed finish. A vintage to be truly celebrated but also one best to bury in the cellar for an another 8 to 10+ years. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 98 (JS) |
In Bond
£1,557.00 |
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James Suckling (98)Love the aromas to this young red with blackcurrants, sage, cinnamon and five-spice character. Changes all the time. Full-bodied, dense and powerful with a ripe and rich tannin backbone that gives form and beauty to the ripe and beautiful fruit. Tight and very long. Approachable now but will reward more in five to six years. A classic Sassicaia. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 97 (WI) |
In Bond
£1,100.00 |
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The Wine Independent (97)The 2017 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia is such an impressive wine in a hot and very dry vintage like 2017. It has a wonderful fragrance of sweet spice, pressed flowers and Mediterranean herbs with youthful, bright blackberries and forest floor notes. A problem with the 2017 vintage was that the nights were hot as well as the days so it was challenging to accumulate aromatics and achieve full phenolic ripeness. Paoli and his team had to harvest early and shorten maceration times. In any case they have done an excellent job. It has lovely concentration and power on the palate yet it still retains the classic Sassicaia signature of vibrant acidity and harmony and flow across the palate. |
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Bordeaux | 14 | 18 (JR) |
In Bond
£160.00 |
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Jancis Robinson (18)Tasted blind. Rich and rather opulent nose. Simple and easy with good refreshing raciness. Could be Rauzan-Ségla? Good and complete. Really zesty. Likely to be VGV. |
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Aconcagua | 1 | 98 (WA) |
In Bond
£449.00 |
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Wine Advocate (98)The 2019 Seña was produced with a Bordeaux blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Malbec, 15% Carmenere and 4% Petit Verdot with the Chilean character of the high percentage of Carmenere. Most of the volume fermented in stainless steel with some 10% in concrete vats, and the final blend matured for 22 months in French oak barrels, 80% of them new, and 10% in Stockinger vats. It's 13.5% alcohol and has good acidity and freshness, coming through as medium-bodied, elegant and balanced. This is incredibly elegant, subtle and harmonious even at this early stage. It has floral aromas, notes of orange peel, a touch of creamy sweet spices and great freshness. The palate is medium-bodied, seamless and pure, with pungent flavors and a soft texture. It's long, clean, defined and super tasty. I feel this wine is getting better and better by the vintage. The grapes were picked quite early, and that helped to contain the ripeness and seems to have been a great decision. There was also an exception in the Panquehue zone where the Seña vines are, where the summer was cooler than the average, so quite different to many other regions in Chile. 100,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in February 2021. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 95 (JS) |
In Bond
£327.00 |
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James Suckling (95)Aromas of ripe fruit such as sweet strawberries and hints of orange peel and chocolate. Medium to full body, soft and velvety tannins and a flavorful finish. Riper style. Drink or hold. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 99 (WI) |
In Bond
£475.00 |
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The Wine Independent (99)The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge comes from terroir composed of 60% gravel and 40% clay and is a blend of around 2/3 Cabernet Sauvignon and 1/3 Merlot with a splash of Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs considerable swirling to unlock notes of blackcurrant preserves, stewed plums, and juicy blackberries, with hints of candied violets, licorice, espresso, and tapenade, plus wafts of crushed rocks and wood smoke. Full-bodied, rich, and opulent in the mouth, it has very firm, super-ripe, fine-grained tannins and bold freshness to support the voluptuous, mineral-accented fruit, finishing very long and achingly perfumed. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (JD) |
In Bond
£625.00 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (100)Absolutely pure gold and reminding me of the 2009 (or is it the 2010?), the 2020 Château Smith Haut Lafitte sports a dense purple hue to go with incredible aromatics of blackberries, blueberries, scorched earth, wood smoke, and acacia flowers. One of the most concentrated, rich, and sexy wines in the vintage, this massive and extraordinarily opulent 2020 shows the vintage's pure, elegant profile yet backs it up with sensational levels of fruit and texture. Based on 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it already offers pleasure given its wealth of fruit, but it deserves 7-8 years of bottle age and will evolve for 40-50 years. Not enough can be said about the quality of these wines. Bravo to Florence and Daniel Cathiard, as well as to director Fabien Teitgen, for another incredible achievement. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 96+ (WA) |
In Bond
£1,425.00 |
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Wine Advocate (96+)The elusive and highly collectible Soldera Case Basse 2018 100% Sangiovese is already available in certain markets yet ultimately proves very hard to buy. I suspect it is easier to locate in the United States than in Italy. No matter, Soldera advocates will be very pleased with this latest release that maintains enormous Sangiovese character and brightness despite the uneven growing season (that saw a wet and cool spring and a hot summer). The legendary Gianfranco Soldera died the morning of February 16, 2019, from a heart attack while driving along the bucolic, vineyard-lined road near his winery. That means this is the last vintage manned directly by Soldera, a man who remained extremely active in the vineyards and the winery until the very end. His send-off to us is a delicately nuanced wine with cassis, wild berry, rosemary, pencil shaving and blood orange. This is a beautiful wine that pays tribute not only to Gianfranco Soldera but to his non-interventionist vision of Italian wine that has influenced so many younger vintners in his wake. |
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Tuscany | 2 | 96+ (WA) |
In Bond
£1,666.00 |
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Wine Advocate (96+)The elusive and highly collectible Soldera Case Basse 2018 100% Sangiovese is already available in certain markets yet ultimately proves very hard to buy. I suspect it is easier to locate in the United States than in Italy. No matter, Soldera advocates will be very pleased with this latest release that maintains enormous Sangiovese character and brightness despite the uneven growing season (that saw a wet and cool spring and a hot summer). The legendary Gianfranco Soldera died the morning of February 16, 2019, from a heart attack while driving along the bucolic, vineyard-lined road near his winery. That means this is the last vintage manned directly by Soldera, a man who remained extremely active in the vineyards and the winery until the very end. His send-off to us is a delicately nuanced wine with cassis, wild berry, rosemary, pencil shaving and blood orange. This is a beautiful wine that pays tribute not only to Gianfranco Soldera but to his non-interventionist vision of Italian wine that has influenced so many younger vintners in his wake. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 96-98 (WA) |
In Bond
£6,500.00 |
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Wine Advocate (96-98)The 2014 Romanée St Vivant Grand Cru, matured in two-thirds new oak, has an incredibly powerful and pure bouquet that already possesses dizzying, seductive intensity. Wow. The palate has a satin-like texture, perfect acidity and filigree tannin. However, it is the purity of this wine and the shimmering tension on the finish that is totally entrancing. One of the wines of the vintage? Most certainly. Bravo Sebastien. |
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Champagne | 1 | 96 (DC) |
In Bond
£850.00 |
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Decanter (96)It was a dry vintage up to August, which turned exceptionally wet and cool. September saved the vintage with the ideal weather conditions - low rainfall and cool nights. The graceful nose opens to white flowers, ripe apricot and citrus hints. It is tense and refined, with a vivid mineral core balanced by pristine acidity and some toasted notes on the finish. It's not the most expressive today, but wait for it to awaken. This is built for cellaring. |
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Champagne | 1 | 98 (VN) |
In Bond
£680.00 |
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Vinous (98)We started with the 2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, which is every bit as racy and seductive as it has always been. It’s a great, great vintage for Comtes. |
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Champagne | 1 | 98 (JS) |
In Bond
£649.00 |
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James Suckling (98)This is a step up from the linear and fresh 2006. It shows subtle depth and power with a dense block of vivid fruit that's highlighted with lemon zest, green apples and hints of white peaches. Just the right amount of praline and nuts on the nose. Fine and tight bead give the Champagne a luxurious mouthfeel. One for now or the cellar. Drink or hold. |
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Hawke's Bay | 10 | - |
In Bond
£174.00 |
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Hawke's Bay | 20 | - |
In Bond
£120.00 |
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Hawke's Bay | 15 | 97 (WO) |
In Bond
£180.00 |
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Wine Orbit (97)Plush and exquisite at once, this engaging syrah shows dark fruit richness, clove, floral and assorted nut aromas on the nose with a hint of dried herbs, leading to superbly weighted palate offering splendid fruit purity with sensual complexity, gorgeously framed by velvety texture and beautifully melded tannins. This is weighty, robust and sophisticated with gorgeous harmony, finishing refined and immensely satisfying. |
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Hawke's Bay | 1 | 99 (TRR) |
In Bond
£146.00 |
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The Real Review (99)Deep, brooding purple-red colour with a concentrated berry fruit bouquet laced with cedar, violets and dried herbs, gorgeous fruit and classy oak embellishment. The wine is full bodied and powerful, with a generous serving of fine grained tannins that add length, authority and a drying but supple finish. Tremendous persistence and wonderful structure. A great wine, that will richly reward long-term cellaring. |
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Hawke's Bay | 53 | 99 (TRR) |
In Bond
£372.00 |
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The Real Review (99)Deep, brooding purple-red colour with a concentrated berry fruit bouquet laced with cedar, violets and dried herbs, gorgeous fruit and classy oak embellishment. The wine is full bodied and powerful, with a generous serving of fine grained tannins that add length, authority and a drying but supple finish. Tremendous persistence and wonderful structure. A great wine, that will richly reward long-term cellaring. |
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Hawke's Bay | 5 | 93 (WO) |
In Bond
£120.00 |
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Wine Orbit (93)Elegant and inviting, the bouquet shows white flesh stone fruit, lemon pith, oatmeal and roasted cashew notes, followed by a succulent palate displaying flowing mouthfeel and creamy texture. Beautifully proportioned and expansive with a sustained delectable finish. |
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Loire | 1 | - |
In Bond
£111.00 |
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South Australia | 1 | 97 (HWC) |
In Bond
£160.00 |
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Halliday Wine Companion (97)The qualitative apogee when it comes to grenache, rivalled by few and equalled only by Yangarra. Even better than the superb 2021. Sourced from the highest, coolest site in the Vale, the venerable Smart vineyard. Ironstone imparts a ferrous bite to pithy sour cherry, cranberry, campfire, pomegranate, tamarind and sandalwood notes with a grind of white pepper across a lattice of pin bone tannins, curtailing sweetness while promoting stunning length. This is excellent. Superb! Transparent and brimming with a sense of pinoté, like a mini Rayas. A great wine of the present as much as the future. Among Australia's very greatest reds. I don't score above 97, but this could be worth a point higher. |
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Alsace | 2 | 98+ (VN) |
In Bond
£608.00 |
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Vinous (98+)Luminous straw. Penetrating nuances of lime and guava join the lemon verbena, jasmine, mineral and white stone fruit aromas on the knockout, captivating nose. Then dense, complex and multilayered, offering profound flavors of fresh citrus fruit, sweet spices and talcum powder. Closes extremely long, clean and precise; this is a young white wine of utterly mesmerizing beauty. I find this to be one of the best young CSHs I have ever tasted; it is stylistically different but almost on the same quality level as the marvelous 2010 CSH. One sniff (never mind taste) and I was left almost speechless - and I’m not usually one who keeps his mouth shut when I recognize a truly great wine. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 99 (DC) |
In Bond
£430.50 |
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Decanter (99)Such a seductive soft perfume to the nose, delicate yet generous aromatics of cherry and rose. The palate is juicy and fresh, charming yet energetic with such crystalline purity and balance. Tannins are smooth but softly textured giving nuance to the flavours where refreshing high toned ripe red and black cherry fruit play alongside mint, dark chocolate and graphite. Clearly powerfully but carefully controlled from start to finish giving such a satisfying overall mouthful and lasting impression. Incredible. |
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California | 15 | 95+ (WA) |
In Bond
£288.00 |
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Wine Advocate (95+)The 2021 Chardonnay La Rinconada Vineyard blossoms dramatically as it spends time in the glass, opening with saline and crème fraîche before blossoming to apricot, roasted almonds and honey. The medium-bodied palate combines expansive, honeyed flavors with a vibrant spine of acidity and a singular, chalky texture. It has complex flinty undertones and a long, nutty finish. It will benefit from 3-5 years' development in bottle. |
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Champagne | 4 | 98 (WA) |
In Bond
£1,700.00 |
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Wine Advocate (98)The NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Enfers (2015) 60 months is spectacular, soaring from the glass with a dramatic bouquet of citrus oil, freshly baked bread, anise, beeswax, white flowers and almonds. Full-bodied, layered and complete, it's deep and concentrated, with racy acids and a long, penetratingly saline finish. This late-disgorged version of Les Enfers is produced in very small quantities, but readers who can secure a bottle or two shouldn't hesitate. |
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