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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Umbria | 2 | 96 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£403.24 |
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James Suckling (96)Focused and complex on the nose with stone, sliced cooked apple and hints of toffee. Full-bodied, with a density and freshness and liveliness. Vivid and energetic. All about class here. Drink or hold. |
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Tuscany | 2 | 93 (WS) |
Inc. VAT
£225.64 |
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Wine Spectator (93)Cherry, black currant and raspberry flavors are at the heart of this red, flanked by vanilla, toasty oak, mineral and tobacco elements. There is a beam of ripe fruit and dusty tannins right through the long finish. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Drink now through 2028. 5,000 cases imported. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 94-95 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£662.47 |
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James Suckling (94-95)This is very structured and dense with lots of fruit and tannin, yet it’s tight and long. Linear and racy. Muscular. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 94-95 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£662.47 |
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James Suckling (94-95)This is very structured and dense with lots of fruit and tannin, yet it’s tight and long. Linear and racy. Muscular. |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 96-99 (WS) |
Inc. VAT
£331.24 |
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Wine Spectator (96-99)Juicy and forward in feel, with fresh plum, blackberry and anise notes. Dense, but still silky and refined in feel, revealing a long mineral echo through the finish. This is so pure, it seems almost too easy to drink already, just as you realize how ridiculously long it is. |
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Rhone | 1 | 100 (JD) |
Inc. VAT
£429.62 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (100)Also bottled two weeks ago, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Roussanne Vieilles Vignes is utterly killer and is as good as it gets. Huge notes of orange blossom, peach, tangerine, honeysuckle, and caramelized citrus flow from this insanely good, unctuous, heavenly textured white that possesses full-bodied richness and power, yet stays light, graceful and perfectly balanced on the palate. Drink bottles anytime over the coming 4-6 years, or cellar for a decade or more. Robert Parker once famously called this the Montrachet of the Rhône, and I wholeheartedly agree with him. Don’t miss this wine! |
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Rhone | 1 | 95 (JD) |
Inc. VAT
£259.49 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (95)Rivaling the 2015, if not even better (time will tell), the 2018 Crozes-Hermitage Cuvée Louis Belle is a rock star of a Crozes-Hermitage, revealing a dense purple color as well as fabulous crème de cassis and blackberry fruits interwoven with peppered beef, violets, new leather, and flowers. The real deal, it's concentrated and full-bodied, with wonderful tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. It has a pure, polished, almost modern edge, yet it brings plenty of background meaty, bloody, black olive notes with time in the glass and is pure Crozes-Hermitage gold. Drink bottles over the coming 10-15 years. |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 95-97+ (JD) |
Inc. VAT
£522.04 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (95-97+)Showing beautifully both times I was able to taste it, the 2018 Château Beychevelle checks in as a blend of 50% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that's aging in 60% new French oak. This ultra-pure, refined, gorgeously layered Beychevelle offers terrific notes of black cherries, blackberries, cassis, violets, and damp earth. Deep, concentrated, and layered on the palate, it has a thrilling sense of purity and elegance as well as building structure. This is the third vintage vinified in the new cellar, and the 2018 represents a selection of 50% of the total production. It hit 14.5% alcohol with a healthy pH of 3.74 and a massive IPT of 81. Hats off to director Romain Ducolomb for another brilliant wine that I suspect will surpass both the 2015 and 2016! |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 98 (VN (AG)) |
Inc. VAT
£595.24 |
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Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98)The 2018 Canon is every bit as magnificent from bottle as it was from barrel. Maybe more so. Vertical and explosive in the glass, Canon sizzles with tension and vibrancy. Readers will find a majestic, soaring Grand Cru Classé that captures all the magic of Saint-Émilion's limestone plateau. Canon exudes mind-blowing precision and deliciousness. It is another magnificent effort from Technical Director Nicolas Audebert and his team. |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 92-94 (JD) |
Inc. VAT
£172.46 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (92-94)From the team at Calon Ségur, the 2018 Château Capbern is another smoking good Saint-Estèphe. In 2018 it’s a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that will spend 18 months in 60% new French oak. This ripe, sexy wine (it hit 14.6% natural alcohol) sports a deep purple color as well as blockbuster notes of crème de cassis, jammy blackberries, crushed flowers, and scorched earth. Despite all the fruit and texture, it stays beautifully balanced, has classic Saint-Estèphe earthy minerality, ripe tannins, and a great finish. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 94 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£456.04 |
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Wine Advocate (94)The Casanova di Neri 2016 Brunello di Montalcino (or the so-called "white label" Brunello) takes a minute or two to open, and like all these new releases from the Neri family, you're best off opening your bottle five hours before serving them. This classic expression displays raspberry, tar, hazelnut, dried fig, asphalt and some crushed chalk. The wine is streamlined and compact in terms of mouthfeel, giving us an accessible Brunello from a benchmark Montalcino estate. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 97 (DC) |
Inc. VAT
£312.83 |
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Decanter (97)The 2016 vintage is a classic example, a superb blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with 31% Malbec and 8% Cabernet Franc that’s still in its infancy. Subdued aromas of cassis, black cherries and nuanced herbaceous and tobacco notes. A lovely fluid entrance builds on concentration and complexity. Malbec’s seductive juiciness joins a vertical Cabernet structure, tannins and integrated oak, with a long, lingering finish. A wine to wait for. |
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Roussillon | 10 | - |
Inc. VAT
£198.04 |
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California | 1 | 99 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£867.64 |
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James Suckling (99)Aromas of sweet berries, fresh herbs, currant bush and licorice. Terracotta. Full body, layered and soft, velvety and focused tannins. Breathtaking texture. The focus ad polished is phenomenal. Harmonious. Enticing. Fascinating and thoughtful. A blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and petit verdot. Drink or hold. |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 94-96 (JD) |
Inc. VAT
£302.44 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (94-96)Rocking stuff, the 2018 Clos du Marquis checks in 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc that hit 14.5% alcohol with a healthy pH of 3.64 and an IPT of 79. It boasts a deep, saturated purple color as well as ripe, powerful, yet complex aromatics. Full-bodied and rich, with a stacked mid-palate, this beauty builds on the palate with ripe, polished tannin, ample oomph, and a great finish. It’s a powerful, concentrated wine from the team at Léoville Las Cases that will benefit from 5-7 years of bottle age and keep for two decades. |
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California | 1 | 100 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£1,433.24 |
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Vinous (100)The 2016 Proprietary Red Wine Sage Mountain Vineyard may very well be the single greatest vintage made here thus far. It is quite simply a stunning wine and a towering achievement from the Mondavi family. Powerful, ample and sweeping in stature, the 2016 boasts breathtaking intensity in all of its dimensions. I see the pure, vibrant fruit of the 2013, but with more finessed tannins that add to the wine's feeling of real sensuality. Bright, precise and finely sculpted with remarkable persistence and perfectly integrated tannins, the 2016 is positively stellar - not to mention one of the wines of the vintage. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 17.5 (JR) |
Inc. VAT
£244.84 |
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Jancis Robinson (17.5)Tasted blind. Deep crimson. Appetising freshness but a little hint of wood shavings (Cabernet Franc?) on the nose. Bone dry and pretty vital but relatively early maturing. Lovely drink with St-Estèphe minerality. Everything in the right place but not a long-distance runner. Very pure though. |
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California | 5 | 97+ (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£593.54 |
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Wine Advocate (97+)The 2018 Soul Of A Lion is an incredible Cabernet Sauvignon, made exclusively from free-run juice, blended with 15% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot and aged 22 months in 100% new French oak. Opaque ruby-purple in color, the nose opens slowly, segueing from graphite and tobacco leaves, to violets and blue fruit preserves, to cinnamon, potpourri and dark spices. The palate is seamless and cashmere-like, with expansive, pure, mineral-laced fruits enlivened by a burst of freshness that highlights the perfectly ripe fruit character this vintage. The finish is very long, offering violet perfume and iron tones that linger in the mouth. This is a gorgeous wine that combines unique personality with expert craftsmanship. It drinks well now but has all it needs for a long life in the cellar. |
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Rhone | 1 | 96-98 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£286.22 |
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Wine Advocate (96-98)A prodigious effort, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Hautes Brusquieres Cuvee Speciale was yet to be bottled during my June visit. It offers up sweet floral aromas, hints of thyme and rosemary and bold cherry fruit. Full-bodied and creamy-velvety in texture, it's a hugely seductive mouthful of wine that I found difficult to spit. If it emerges from the bottling process looking like this, buyers will have huge smiles on their faces. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 97 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£371.09 |
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James Suckling (97)A fantastic nose to this with currant, sage, rosemary and rose-petal character. Sweet tobacco and spicy chocolate, too. Very complex. The palate shows lovely depth of fruit with blackberries, blackcurrants and fine tannins. It’s racy and refined with a direct, focused palate. Just a baby. A blend of cabernet sauvignon 60%, merlot 32% and petite verdot 8%. This needs at least two or three years to soften. Try in 2023. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 98+ (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£313.24 |
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Wine Advocate (98+)The 2016 Fontalloro is the best vintage of this landmark wine that I have tasted thus far. This is a very elegant vintage, with more volume in the mouth and precise notes of tar, licorice, camphor ash, resin and Indian spice. In a race between the highly competitive 2015 and 2016 vintages, I give a slight advantage to this wine. The warmer 2015 vintage shows more richness and exuberant fruit. However, this wine from 2016 offers a more focused and chiseled delivery. I am hopeful that this wine will continue to evolve and sharpen as it ages in the bottle. This is a beautiful wine to put aside in your cellar for ten years or more. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 98 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£489.89 |
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Vinous (98)The 2018 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is quite possibly the most elegant, refined version of this wine I have ever tasted. It does not offer the immediacy or impact of either the 2015 or 2016, but, instead, impresses with its elegance, persistence and total class. Bright floral and spice notes add perfume to a core of red-toned fruit. The 2018 represents another move towards greater finesse at Fontodi. It spent a year in French oak barrel and a second year in cask. |
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Tuscany | 4 | 100 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£767.09 |
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Vinous (100)The 2018 Flaccianello della Pieve is another stellar wine from Fontodi. It is the richest Flaccianello ever made (in terms of dry extract), with elevated acidity that trails the 2016 by just a touch, but it does not taste like that at all. Dark cherry, violet, lavender, spice, mocha and graphite build with a bit of time in the glass. Like the Sorbo, the 2018 Flaccianello is not a wine of size, as in most previous years, but rather a wine that exudes vibrancy, energy and class from start to finish. I absolutely loved it. |
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Piedmont | 1 | 97 (WS) |
Inc. VAT
£403.24 |
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Wine Spectator (97)Alluring aromas of cherry, rose and graphite settle into a core of cherry and strawberry fruit, with nuances of iron, tobacco and tar. Sleek, yet intense and complex, unfolding effortlessly through the long finish. Best from 2023 through 2047. 500 cases made. |
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South Australia | 1 | 98 (HWC) |
Inc. VAT
£379.24 |
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Halliday Wine Companion (98)Eligo is made from the best parcels of the vintage, fermented with submerged caps in small open fermenters, matured for 20 months in French hogsheads (50% new). The tannins and oak are built into the wine like an inlaid checkerboard table created by a master craftsman with decades of experience. Like John Duval. |
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South Australia | 1 | 98 (VJ) |
Inc. VAT
£774.04 |
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The Vintage Journal (98)Deep crimson. Complex blackcurrant, blackberry, praline, roasted chestnut mocha, marzipan notes. Richly flavoured, round and smooth with beautiful pure blackcurrant, blackberry mocha espresso flavours, fine loose-knit grainy tannins and underlying roasted chestnut, toffee notes. Finishes chocolaty and long with a long life ahead. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 95 (VN (NM)) |
Inc. VAT
£316.24 |
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Vinous - Neal Martin (95)The 2016 Lafon-Rochet has a very engaging bouquet, a mixture of red and black fruit laced with pencil shavings and loamy scents. In fact, the more you nose this wine, the more its complexity becomes apparent. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine line of acidity, ripe and generous yet maintaining outstanding tension and revealing a judicious touch of peppercorns on the finish, which fans out gloriously. This is a fabulous Lafon-Rochet and certainly the best bottle of 2016 that I have encountered. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 97 (JA) |
Inc. VAT
£638.47 |
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Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (97)A stunningly successful Lagrange, easily one of the best ever at the property, with complexity, density, and staying power. Combines the exuberant texture of the 2009 with precision and clarity of fruit. The conditions of the vintage meant the smallest size of beries in 35 years, and although the tannins are clearly present they are finessed and sappy. A very young wine, but balanced and seductive, with lush cassis and blackberry fruits. 3.47ph, 60% new oak - this is an upscore from my last tasting of this vintage, but it is really singing. Harvest October 3 to October 24 with a record (since Suntory purchase) 49% of production making it to the 1st wine. Eric Boissenot consultant. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 93-95+ (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£283.24 |
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Wine Advocate (93-95+)Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Lagrange opens a little closed and broody, slowly revealing cedar chest, tar, pencil shavings, camphor and fragrant earth scents with a baked plums and warm cassis core plus a hint of yeast extract. Full-bodied and jam-packed with black fruits and earthy accents, it has a solid frame of firm, chunky tannins and just enough freshness, finishing on a persistent mineral note. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (JD) |
Inc. VAT
£475.24 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (100)The 2018 Château Larcis Ducasse checks in as 89% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc that comes from a gorgeous hillside terroir on the Côte Pavie, located between Château Pavie and Château Bellefont-Belcier. Aged 18 months in 60% new barrels, it offers a truly sensational bouquet of ripe blackcurrants, espresso roast, scorched earth, bloody meat, chocolate, iron, and bouquet garni. A massive, super-rich Saint-Emilion with a dense, concentrated, layered mouthfeel, it has building yet sweet tannins and incredible purity of fruit. Reminding me of the 2005 shortly after release, this heavenly juice offers astonishing richness and depth while staying flawlessly balanced and elegant. Sadly, there are less than 3,000 cases produced, but this monumental, legendary wine won't hit maturity for a good 8-10 years and will have 40-50 years of longevity if well stored. Hats off to Nicolas Thienpont and consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt for producing one of the wines of the vintage as well as one of the greatest young Bordeaux I've ever tasted. |
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Umbria | 2 | 96 (JS) |
In Bond
£320.00 |
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James Suckling (96)Focused and complex on the nose with stone, sliced cooked apple and hints of toffee. Full-bodied, with a density and freshness and liveliness. Vivid and energetic. All about class here. Drink or hold. |
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Tuscany | 2 | 93 (WS) |
In Bond
£172.00 |
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Wine Spectator (93)Cherry, black currant and raspberry flavors are at the heart of this red, flanked by vanilla, toasty oak, mineral and tobacco elements. There is a beam of ripe fruit and dusty tannins right through the long finish. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Drink now through 2028. 5,000 cases imported. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 94-95 (JS) |
In Bond
£520.00 |
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James Suckling (94-95)This is very structured and dense with lots of fruit and tannin, yet it’s tight and long. Linear and racy. Muscular. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 94-95 (JS) |
In Bond
£520.00 |
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James Suckling (94-95)This is very structured and dense with lots of fruit and tannin, yet it’s tight and long. Linear and racy. Muscular. |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 96-99 (WS) |
In Bond
£260.00 |
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Wine Spectator (96-99)Juicy and forward in feel, with fresh plum, blackberry and anise notes. Dense, but still silky and refined in feel, revealing a long mineral echo through the finish. This is so pure, it seems almost too easy to drink already, just as you realize how ridiculously long it is. |
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Rhone | 1 | 100 (JD) |
In Bond
£350.00 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (100)Also bottled two weeks ago, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Roussanne Vieilles Vignes is utterly killer and is as good as it gets. Huge notes of orange blossom, peach, tangerine, honeysuckle, and caramelized citrus flow from this insanely good, unctuous, heavenly textured white that possesses full-bodied richness and power, yet stays light, graceful and perfectly balanced on the palate. Drink bottles anytime over the coming 4-6 years, or cellar for a decade or more. Robert Parker once famously called this the Montrachet of the Rhône, and I wholeheartedly agree with him. Don’t miss this wine! |
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Rhone | 1 | 95 (JD) |
In Bond
£197.00 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (95)Rivaling the 2015, if not even better (time will tell), the 2018 Crozes-Hermitage Cuvée Louis Belle is a rock star of a Crozes-Hermitage, revealing a dense purple color as well as fabulous crème de cassis and blackberry fruits interwoven with peppered beef, violets, new leather, and flowers. The real deal, it's concentrated and full-bodied, with wonderful tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. It has a pure, polished, almost modern edge, yet it brings plenty of background meaty, bloody, black olive notes with time in the glass and is pure Crozes-Hermitage gold. Drink bottles over the coming 10-15 years. |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 95-97+ (JD) |
In Bond
£419.00 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (95-97+)Showing beautifully both times I was able to taste it, the 2018 Château Beychevelle checks in as a blend of 50% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that's aging in 60% new French oak. This ultra-pure, refined, gorgeously layered Beychevelle offers terrific notes of black cherries, blackberries, cassis, violets, and damp earth. Deep, concentrated, and layered on the palate, it has a thrilling sense of purity and elegance as well as building structure. This is the third vintage vinified in the new cellar, and the 2018 represents a selection of 50% of the total production. It hit 14.5% alcohol with a healthy pH of 3.74 and a massive IPT of 81. Hats off to director Romain Ducolomb for another brilliant wine that I suspect will surpass both the 2015 and 2016! |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 98 (VN (AG)) |
In Bond
£480.00 |
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Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98)The 2018 Canon is every bit as magnificent from bottle as it was from barrel. Maybe more so. Vertical and explosive in the glass, Canon sizzles with tension and vibrancy. Readers will find a majestic, soaring Grand Cru Classé that captures all the magic of Saint-Émilion's limestone plateau. Canon exudes mind-blowing precision and deliciousness. It is another magnificent effort from Technical Director Nicolas Audebert and his team. |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 92-94 (JD) |
In Bond
£125.00 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (92-94)From the team at Calon Ségur, the 2018 Château Capbern is another smoking good Saint-Estèphe. In 2018 it’s a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that will spend 18 months in 60% new French oak. This ripe, sexy wine (it hit 14.6% natural alcohol) sports a deep purple color as well as blockbuster notes of crème de cassis, jammy blackberries, crushed flowers, and scorched earth. Despite all the fruit and texture, it stays beautifully balanced, has classic Saint-Estèphe earthy minerality, ripe tannins, and a great finish. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 94 (WA) |
In Bond
£364.00 |
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Wine Advocate (94)The Casanova di Neri 2016 Brunello di Montalcino (or the so-called "white label" Brunello) takes a minute or two to open, and like all these new releases from the Neri family, you're best off opening your bottle five hours before serving them. This classic expression displays raspberry, tar, hazelnut, dried fig, asphalt and some crushed chalk. The wine is streamlined and compact in terms of mouthfeel, giving us an accessible Brunello from a benchmark Montalcino estate. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 97 (DC) |
In Bond
£250.00 |
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Decanter (97)The 2016 vintage is a classic example, a superb blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with 31% Malbec and 8% Cabernet Franc that’s still in its infancy. Subdued aromas of cassis, black cherries and nuanced herbaceous and tobacco notes. A lovely fluid entrance builds on concentration and complexity. Malbec’s seductive juiciness joins a vertical Cabernet structure, tannins and integrated oak, with a long, lingering finish. A wine to wait for. |
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Roussillon | 10 | - |
In Bond
£149.00 |
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California | 1 | 99 (JS) |
In Bond
£707.00 |
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James Suckling (99)Aromas of sweet berries, fresh herbs, currant bush and licorice. Terracotta. Full body, layered and soft, velvety and focused tannins. Breathtaking texture. The focus ad polished is phenomenal. Harmonious. Enticing. Fascinating and thoughtful. A blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and petit verdot. Drink or hold. |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 94-96 (JD) |
In Bond
£236.00 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (94-96)Rocking stuff, the 2018 Clos du Marquis checks in 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc that hit 14.5% alcohol with a healthy pH of 3.64 and an IPT of 79. It boasts a deep, saturated purple color as well as ripe, powerful, yet complex aromatics. Full-bodied and rich, with a stacked mid-palate, this beauty builds on the palate with ripe, polished tannin, ample oomph, and a great finish. It’s a powerful, concentrated wine from the team at Léoville Las Cases that will benefit from 5-7 years of bottle age and keep for two decades. |
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California | 1 | 100 (VN) |
In Bond
£1,175.00 |
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Vinous (100)The 2016 Proprietary Red Wine Sage Mountain Vineyard may very well be the single greatest vintage made here thus far. It is quite simply a stunning wine and a towering achievement from the Mondavi family. Powerful, ample and sweeping in stature, the 2016 boasts breathtaking intensity in all of its dimensions. I see the pure, vibrant fruit of the 2013, but with more finessed tannins that add to the wine's feeling of real sensuality. Bright, precise and finely sculpted with remarkable persistence and perfectly integrated tannins, the 2016 is positively stellar - not to mention one of the wines of the vintage. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 17.5 (JR) |
In Bond
£188.00 |
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Jancis Robinson (17.5)Tasted blind. Deep crimson. Appetising freshness but a little hint of wood shavings (Cabernet Franc?) on the nose. Bone dry and pretty vital but relatively early maturing. Lovely drink with St-Estèphe minerality. Everything in the right place but not a long-distance runner. Very pure though. |
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California | 5 | 97+ (WA) |
In Bond
£485.00 |
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Wine Advocate (97+)The 2018 Soul Of A Lion is an incredible Cabernet Sauvignon, made exclusively from free-run juice, blended with 15% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot and aged 22 months in 100% new French oak. Opaque ruby-purple in color, the nose opens slowly, segueing from graphite and tobacco leaves, to violets and blue fruit preserves, to cinnamon, potpourri and dark spices. The palate is seamless and cashmere-like, with expansive, pure, mineral-laced fruits enlivened by a burst of freshness that highlights the perfectly ripe fruit character this vintage. The finish is very long, offering violet perfume and iron tones that linger in the mouth. This is a gorgeous wine that combines unique personality with expert craftsmanship. It drinks well now but has all it needs for a long life in the cellar. |
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Rhone | 1 | 96-98 (WA) |
In Bond
£218.00 |
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Wine Advocate (96-98)A prodigious effort, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Hautes Brusquieres Cuvee Speciale was yet to be bottled during my June visit. It offers up sweet floral aromas, hints of thyme and rosemary and bold cherry fruit. Full-bodied and creamy-velvety in texture, it's a hugely seductive mouthful of wine that I found difficult to spit. If it emerges from the bottling process looking like this, buyers will have huge smiles on their faces. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 97 (JS) |
In Bond
£290.00 |
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James Suckling (97)A fantastic nose to this with currant, sage, rosemary and rose-petal character. Sweet tobacco and spicy chocolate, too. Very complex. The palate shows lovely depth of fruit with blackberries, blackcurrants and fine tannins. It’s racy and refined with a direct, focused palate. Just a baby. A blend of cabernet sauvignon 60%, merlot 32% and petite verdot 8%. This needs at least two or three years to soften. Try in 2023. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 98+ (WA) |
In Bond
£245.00 |
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Wine Advocate (98+)The 2016 Fontalloro is the best vintage of this landmark wine that I have tasted thus far. This is a very elegant vintage, with more volume in the mouth and precise notes of tar, licorice, camphor ash, resin and Indian spice. In a race between the highly competitive 2015 and 2016 vintages, I give a slight advantage to this wine. The warmer 2015 vintage shows more richness and exuberant fruit. However, this wine from 2016 offers a more focused and chiseled delivery. I am hopeful that this wine will continue to evolve and sharpen as it ages in the bottle. This is a beautiful wine to put aside in your cellar for ten years or more. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 98 (VN) |
In Bond
£389.00 |
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Vinous (98)The 2018 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is quite possibly the most elegant, refined version of this wine I have ever tasted. It does not offer the immediacy or impact of either the 2015 or 2016, but, instead, impresses with its elegance, persistence and total class. Bright floral and spice notes add perfume to a core of red-toned fruit. The 2018 represents another move towards greater finesse at Fontodi. It spent a year in French oak barrel and a second year in cask. |
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Tuscany | 4 | 100 (VN) |
In Bond
£620.00 |
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Vinous (100)The 2018 Flaccianello della Pieve is another stellar wine from Fontodi. It is the richest Flaccianello ever made (in terms of dry extract), with elevated acidity that trails the 2016 by just a touch, but it does not taste like that at all. Dark cherry, violet, lavender, spice, mocha and graphite build with a bit of time in the glass. Like the Sorbo, the 2018 Flaccianello is not a wine of size, as in most previous years, but rather a wine that exudes vibrancy, energy and class from start to finish. I absolutely loved it. |
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Piedmont | 1 | 97 (WS) |
In Bond
£320.00 |
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Wine Spectator (97)Alluring aromas of cherry, rose and graphite settle into a core of cherry and strawberry fruit, with nuances of iron, tobacco and tar. Sleek, yet intense and complex, unfolding effortlessly through the long finish. Best from 2023 through 2047. 500 cases made. |
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South Australia | 1 | 98 (HWC) |
In Bond
£300.00 |
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Halliday Wine Companion (98)Eligo is made from the best parcels of the vintage, fermented with submerged caps in small open fermenters, matured for 20 months in French hogsheads (50% new). The tannins and oak are built into the wine like an inlaid checkerboard table created by a master craftsman with decades of experience. Like John Duval. |
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South Australia | 1 | 98 (VJ) |
In Bond
£629.00 |
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The Vintage Journal (98)Deep crimson. Complex blackcurrant, blackberry, praline, roasted chestnut mocha, marzipan notes. Richly flavoured, round and smooth with beautiful pure blackcurrant, blackberry mocha espresso flavours, fine loose-knit grainy tannins and underlying roasted chestnut, toffee notes. Finishes chocolaty and long with a long life ahead. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 95 (VN (NM)) |
In Bond
£247.50 |
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Vinous - Neal Martin (95)The 2016 Lafon-Rochet has a very engaging bouquet, a mixture of red and black fruit laced with pencil shavings and loamy scents. In fact, the more you nose this wine, the more its complexity becomes apparent. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine line of acidity, ripe and generous yet maintaining outstanding tension and revealing a judicious touch of peppercorns on the finish, which fans out gloriously. This is a fabulous Lafon-Rochet and certainly the best bottle of 2016 that I have encountered. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 97 (JA) |
In Bond
£500.00 |
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Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (97)A stunningly successful Lagrange, easily one of the best ever at the property, with complexity, density, and staying power. Combines the exuberant texture of the 2009 with precision and clarity of fruit. The conditions of the vintage meant the smallest size of beries in 35 years, and although the tannins are clearly present they are finessed and sappy. A very young wine, but balanced and seductive, with lush cassis and blackberry fruits. 3.47ph, 60% new oak - this is an upscore from my last tasting of this vintage, but it is really singing. Harvest October 3 to October 24 with a record (since Suntory purchase) 49% of production making it to the 1st wine. Eric Boissenot consultant. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 93-95+ (WA) |
In Bond
£220.00 |
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Wine Advocate (93-95+)Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Lagrange opens a little closed and broody, slowly revealing cedar chest, tar, pencil shavings, camphor and fragrant earth scents with a baked plums and warm cassis core plus a hint of yeast extract. Full-bodied and jam-packed with black fruits and earthy accents, it has a solid frame of firm, chunky tannins and just enough freshness, finishing on a persistent mineral note. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (JD) |
In Bond
£380.00 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (100)The 2018 Château Larcis Ducasse checks in as 89% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc that comes from a gorgeous hillside terroir on the Côte Pavie, located between Château Pavie and Château Bellefont-Belcier. Aged 18 months in 60% new barrels, it offers a truly sensational bouquet of ripe blackcurrants, espresso roast, scorched earth, bloody meat, chocolate, iron, and bouquet garni. A massive, super-rich Saint-Emilion with a dense, concentrated, layered mouthfeel, it has building yet sweet tannins and incredible purity of fruit. Reminding me of the 2005 shortly after release, this heavenly juice offers astonishing richness and depth while staying flawlessly balanced and elegant. Sadly, there are less than 3,000 cases produced, but this monumental, legendary wine won't hit maturity for a good 8-10 years and will have 40-50 years of longevity if well stored. Hats off to Nicolas Thienpont and consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt for producing one of the wines of the vintage as well as one of the greatest young Bordeaux I've ever tasted. |
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