Wines from the Week | 28th June - 4th July 2021
Truly a week full of wonderful offers and new releases, here are our top picks for wine investors, collectors and drinkers.
Our Recommendations
La Chapelle de la Mission Haut Brion 2020 | Outscoring most second wines from the First Growths yet available at a fraction of the cost. Our top recommendation of the week
The second wine of La Mission Haut-Brion, La Chapelle 2020 is yet another stellar EP release. Earning an impressive 92-94 points from the Wine Advocate and a highest-ever 94 points from Jane Anson, it could potentially be this cuvée’s greatest ever vintage. Anson admires the “confidence and sheer easy appeal” that oozes out of La Chapelle 2020, emphasising that the second wine “rivals plenty of first wines in this vintage”. Antonio Galloni (Vinous) cites the exceptional balance of La Chapelle 2020, finding that to be extremely impressive and calling it “an especially fine La Chappelle”.
Krug Grande Cuvée 169th Édition NV | This is no ordinary NV Champagne. Composed of 146 wines across 11 vintages, an uncommon score of 18.5/20 from Jancis Robinson MW should pique every buyer’s interest
Krug Grande Cuvée is no ordinary NV Champagne, with no other Maison blends as many wines, from as many years as Krug
Édition 169 is an astonishing blend of 146 wines across 11 years constituting the final wine, of which 2013 is the lead and 2000 the eldest. Hailed as “a Chardonnay year par excellence” by Michael Edwards (Decanter), Édition 169 reflects the exceptional harvest from 2013.
Expressing the fullness and elegance of 2013, Édition 169 is a “sleek and fresh and truly spring-like" Champagne, according to Jancis Robinson MW who awards the wine 18.5/20 points. Beguilingly complex as all the greatest Krug Champagnes are, 169 cannot help but “play the intellectual card” and gives drinkers reason to pause and contemplate.
Petrolo Galatrona 2016 | A worthy rival to the likes of Pétrus, Le Pin and Masseto, this is an iconic Merlot-based Super Tuscan representing some of the best value in Italy
Galatrona is the prestige cuvée from Petrolo. The undisputed king of these hills, this wine is sourced from a small vineyard of the same name. Planted in the 1980s with low-yielding Bordeaux clone Merlot vines, the vineyard’s soil is an archetypal composition of deeply rich clay with veins of schist, marl and sandstone imbuing stunning minerality to the effortlessly generous and elegant fruit. Inspired by the great producers of Pomerol, Galatrona has established itself as a worthy rival to the likes of Pétrus, Le Pin and Masseto.
In 2016, a legendary vintage for many regions, Petrolo produced a truly profound expression of Merlot in Galatrona. “A masterpiece to behold” in the words of Monica Larner (Wine Advocate), the 2016 unfurls with unfathomably layered and generous notes of gorgeous dark fruit, chocolate and hauntingly perfumed violets as well as wilted rose. As powerful and deceptively integrated as any world-class Merlot, Antonio Galloni (Vinous) was deeply impressed by the wine’s “serious fruit intensity and energy”, whilst providing collectors with the stern warning that patience should be exercised in respect for Galatrona’s structure, stating that “opening a bottle now is a crime”.
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Wines from the Week | 28th June - 4th July 2021
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Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (94)
Atypical Pessac Léognan with a high degree of Merlot. Even on the nose you see a huge difference with its sibling estate Cantelys. This is riper, black fruits, rounder, touch of liquorice, the form in the mouth is very different, enlarges outwards, less dense. A good sign that the two wines are very different but both excellent.Inc. VAT£141.95 -
Le Lucciole is an elevated version of Predappio, sourcing from the 0.8 hectare parcel of Raggio Brusa vineyard. Perched at the lofty altitude of 350 meters, this vineyard is unique in its East-facing situation and poor soils. 100% Sangiovese, this is a very special Italian born-and-bred wine of sensational quality.
The 2018 is a genuine representation of the gracefully balanced vintage. While it offers a welcoming freshness and acidity, there is also a superb concentration to support the wine to cellar in the long term. Production is ultra-limited, only 5,000 bottles were produced.Inc. VAT£263.98 -
James Suckling (100)
Aromas of plums, flowers, fresh mushrooms and violets. Full body, firm and silky tannins and a long, long finish. Beautiful balance and length. Powerful tannins underneath the exquisite fruit. Great finish. Goes on for minutes. Drink or hold.Inc. VAT£337.99 -
Decanter (99)
Fresh and a bit closed, but starting to transform now with some subtle sous bois notes. Such an elegant, fine and juicy wine, with real depth and pinpoint acidity. Like a fur coat, this is ultimate Châteauneuf elegance, showing extraordinary length, balance and tension. All destemmed, matured in old oak foudres.Inc. VAT£411.20 -
James Suckling (97)
Love the dark-berry and intense black-olive and chocolate aromas that follow through to a full body and firm and chewy tannins that deliver a rich and delicious finish. Such polish and, at the same time, finesse. But one of the cellar. A blend of 90 per cent merlot, seven per cent cabernet sauvignon and three per cent cabernet franc. Try from 2022.Inc. VAT£692.98 -
Jancis Robinson (17.5)
Superb. The acidity is geometric, triangular, feisty, orange-blossom fragrant, direct. The fruit is orange and passion fruit bleeding into plums and tea leaves and sage and mint and thyme and scribbles of pencils and late-summer nights and the finish is like walking through a just-harvested hay field when the first cool rain of autumn is falling soft as mist. Love this. It's delicious, delicious, delicious. I tasted it right at the end of a very long tasting – seven hours on my feet – and it quite literally revived my flagging soul.Inc. VAT£161.15 -
James Suckling (97)
This is very ripe with blackberries, dried fruit, toasted oak and black licorice on the nose. Full-bodied with ultra-fine, linear tannins and a racy, refined finish. This has fantastic structure and length. It goes on for minutes. It needs time to open and refine even more. One of the best Imperiale Gran Reservas in a very long time. Drink after 2023.Inc. VAT£269.15 -
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.Inc. VAT£480.40 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (95)
The 2019 de Pressac is just as compelling from bottle as it was from barrel. A complex, mesmerizing wine, Pressac offers up an exotic mélange of black cherry, plum, chocolate, new leather, licorice, spice and menthol. All the elements are so well balanced. Espresso,, lavender, dried rose petal and cedar linger on the complex, beautifully delineated finish. The 2019 is seriously impressive. It's as simple as that.Inc. VAT£203.38 -
The Wine Independent (94+)
Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 2014 is an assemblage of six Grand Cru terroir that was disgorged October 2022 and finished with a seven gram per liter dosage. Light burnished gold with a pinpoint, vibrant bead, the 2014 flaunts alluring aromas of lemon confit, poached yellow apple, white flowers, and brioche with hints of white pepper. Medium-bodied with a textured, open-knit palate of plush orchard fruit and racy acid vibrancy, it has a long, mineral finish.Inc. VAT£384.64 -
James Suckling (98)
A firm and vivid Champagne with a precise, focused palate. Full-bodied and dry. It’s very layered and bright with light pineapple, peach, praline, cooked-apple and stone aromas and flavors. It’s very subtle and focused at the end. Integrated with richness and high acidity. Good depth. Reminds me of the 1995. Very clean. Solid. Lovely to drink already, but will age nicely.Inc. VAT£1,406.66 -
Jeb Dunnuck (98+)
The Grand Vin 2020 Domaine De Chevalier ratchets everything up another notch and will be one of the legendary wines from this address. Notes of pure cassis, graphite, lead pencil, and scorched earth define its incredible aromatics, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. This is pure, classic, regal Pessac-Léognan is as good as anything in the vintage. Give bottles 4-6 years and it will evolve for 50, 60, 70+ years. I absolutely love this wine. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc.Inc. VAT£289.92 -
Jeb Dunnuck (97)
The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Les Hautes Brusquières (60/40 Grenache and Syrah) comes from a cooler terroir near the Mount Redon plateau and was brought up in oak tronconique tanks and demi-muids. Its dense purple, almost opaque hue is followed by a brilliant perfume of mulled red and black fruits, peppery herbs, crushed stone, violets, and licorice. With full-bodied richness, a layered, multi-dimensional texture, and just about perfect tannins, it's another superstar wine from this estate that's up with the finest vintages to date.Inc. VAT£386.46 -
Wine Advocate (100)
The youth, freshness, balance and harmony of the 2016 Peñas Aladas Gran Reserva is gobsmacking. The wine is a little shy, insinuating, reticent and a little closed, and it feels younger than it is. It comes from a collection of small plots of some of the oldest vines in the village of La Aguilera in the lieu-dit, or "paraje," that names the wine, in a small valley surrounded by pine, holm and juniper trees, where there is a cold draft of air and the temperature is lower than in the rest of the village. The soils are sandy and intermixed with clay on a marl mother rock. The plants are mostly Tempranillo, but as they are very old vines, there's always a field blend of other varieties—Albillo Mayor, Monastrell, Garnacha, Bobal and Cariñena—all fermented together with full clusters that were foot trodden in concrete vats and indigenous yeasts. Malolactic was in barrel and lasted for 11 months, while the élevage was extended to a total of 55 months (almost five years!). After all this time in barrels, the wine is not oaky at all; it's floral and perfumed, elegant, nuanced and layered. The texture is silky, and it's medium-bodied, with moderate ripeness, 14% alcohol and very good freshness denoted by a pH of 3.41. It has fine tannins that make it nicely textured and fine-boned, with subtle minerality. This should be veeeeeery long lived, as it has the stuffing, all the ingredients and the balance between them to make old bones. Amazing juice. 3,591 bottles and 51 magnums were filled in April 2021.Inc. VAT£901.73 -
Wine Advocate (97)
2017 was a low-yielding year, so I also tasted the 2018 Reserva, their flagship red wine that wants to be a representation of the village of La Aguilera—fine, serious and elegant. It's 95% Tempranillo with the remaining grapes found interplanted in their oldest vineyards at an average of 880 meters in altitude on limestone, clay and sandy soils. All the clusters ferment together with indigenous yeasts in concrete, where they are foot trodden, and malolactic was carried out very slowly (11 months) in oak barrels where the wine matured for a total of 27 months. It has a somewhat shy nose but is very elegant. The wine was recently bottled, and that can make it a little closed and subtle, and it clearly improves with air as it sits in the glass. It's still young, and the palate reveals lots of energy; the flavors are very pure and the wine precise and delineated. The tannins are very fine and provide for a chalky texture and an almost salty twist in the finish. This is very in line with the 2016. 15,250 bottle and 101 magnums produced. It was bottled in February 2021.Inc. VAT£359.15 -
James Suckling (98)
Very perfumed and aromatic with blackcurrant, sweet-tobacco and Spanish-cedar character. Full-bodied with ultra fine tannins that build on the palate and take the fruit and other flavors to an endless finish. More refined than the perfect 2018 and almost as compelling. Drink in 2023 or after.Inc. VAT£367.67 -
James Suckling (98-99)
Really perfumed and complex with blackberries, blackcurrants and flowers. Gorgeous cabernet sauvignon character. Full-bodied with really fine, polished tannins. Superb length and intensity. Very compact and seamless. Ethereal. Just goes on and on.Inc. VAT£1,044.72 -
James Suckling (98)
A complex, structured young chardonnay and clearly the best in Chile. It shows lavender, sliced green apples, white peaches, flint and stone. Quince. Sea wood. Cement. Salt. Very complex. Full-bodied, yet very tight with a linear, compressed palate. Energetic acidity. Endless finish. Drink or hold.Inc. VAT£376.69 -
Wine Advocate (95)
The full-bodied, rich 2019 Kupe Pinot Noir is a lovely example of how size doesn't have to mean a loss of elegance. Bold black cherry and plum flavors combine with nuances of cola spice and mocha to yield ample complexity, while the palate is plush and velvety, seamlessly extending through a lingering finish. While delicious now, I expect it will drink well for more than a decade.Inc. VAT£309.12 -
Inc. VAT£217.55 -
James Suckling (93)
Notes of blueberries, blackberries, porcini and nutmeg. It’s full-bodied with fine tannins. Balanced with a fleshy texture. Round and velvety. Long, flavorful finish. Fine and fresh at the end. Drink or hold.Inc. VAT£322.30 -
Wine Advocate (97)
I prefer this wine to Fèlsina's top-shelf Fontalloro. The 2018 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Colonia is irresistibly angular and tight, opening a profound view onto what makes Sangiovese so expressive and unique, especially when planted in the right territories. The bouquet is savory and almost sanguine with iron ore, rusty nail and baked clay. But there's plenty of fruit as well, in the form of wild berry and black cherry, that adds to the dimension and dynamic freshness of the mouthfeel. The 2018 vintage saw a few moments of heat during the summer, but the Colonia vineyard is protected by forests and cooler altitudes. Give this wine time to soften in the bottle.Inc. VAT£503.15 -
Vinous (97)
The 2018 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia is an absolutely stunning wine. The archetype of Rancia in the past has been of a big, potent Chianti Classico but in 2018, Rancia is a wine of mind-blowing elegance and finesse. Silky, perfumed and indescribably finessed, the 2018 dazzles from start to finish. It's a magical wine in every way.Inc. VAT£235.92 -
James Suckling (100)
A mesmerizing nose here with flowers such as violets and red roses, then shows cherries and currants with some mineral and black truffles. Full-bodied yet so refined and harmonized with ultra-fine tannins that run the length of the wine. Flavors of perfectly ripened fruit (al dente) with a hazelnut character that comes from the seeds. Incredibly transparent young red. Breathtaking. 37% merlot, 32% cabernet franc and 31% cabernet sauvignon. Drink after 2028 and onwards. Magnificent.Inc. VAT£939.72 -
James Suckling (99)
This dry riesling has gigantic concentration, but also gigantic elegance and finesse. Still a little shy on the nose, but this has been made to age for decades. Delicate notes of white peach, pink grapefruit and mountain herbs in the nose, then on the palate also hints of licorice and white chocolate. However, the most extraordinary thing about the wine is the mind-blowing stony intensity at the extremely focused and salty finish. Doesn’t want to stop. Enormous aging potential. From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Drink or hold.Inc. VAT£569.89 -
Wine Advocate (96+)
The 2020 Truquilemu Vineyard follows the path of the 2018 and 2019 with even lower alcohol (12.9%) and great freshness and acidity, a pH of 3.36 and 6.4 grams of acidity. The modus operandi was the usual: fermented in open-top vats with indigenous yeasts and manual punch-down with a slow malolactic, which took 10 months to finish, and matured in used barrels over two winters. It contains some 4% Syrah. This has the ethereal quality of this vineyard, powerful but weightless. This place makes fresh wines even in warm vintages like 2020, and you feel that especially in the palate where the wine is vibrant and lively. 5,882 bottles were filled in February 2022.Inc. VAT£119.52 -
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.Inc. VAT£471.35 -
Vinous (95)
The 2017 Barolo Gramolere is broad and ample, yet retains the gracious style that is typical of the Manzone Barolos these days. The fruit profile is a bit darker, though, and there is a bit more of an oak imprint. Black cherry, new leather, menthol and spice all meld together effortlessly as the 2017 blossoms with a touch of aeration.Inc. VAT£317.98 -
Wine Advocate (96+)
The 2019 Amon Ra Shiraz is 100% Shiraz and 100% from the 2019 vintage, as Ben Glaetzer felt it—unlike many previous vintages—didn't need to be freshened with a small proportion of younger wine. From old vines in the Ebenezer district of the northern Barossa Valley, it offers classic notes of blackberries and spice, framed by hints of cedar and vanilla (it's aged in 100% new oak hogsheads, mostly French). It's full-bodied yet crisp, supple but tight and really long. Offering lovely dark fruit, hints of espresso and black olive, it finishes mouthwatering and firm. Give it some time in the cellar and drink it from 2025 – 2040.Inc. VAT£401.23 -
Colour: Full, rich dark gold.
Nose: Full, complex aromas with dried berries and sherry-infused malty tones
Palate: Sweetness akin to a fine, aged cognac with incredible oloroso depth and freshness. Fruit, nuts, marzipan and Christmas cake warming spice.
Finish: A whisky you never want to end and it almost feels as if it won't, the finish goes on forever with spice, decadent dark cocoa and forest floor. A final flourish of spiced demerara rum leaves you longing for more.
Inc. VAT£463.48
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Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (94)
Atypical Pessac Léognan with a high degree of Merlot. Even on the nose you see a huge difference with its sibling estate Cantelys. This is riper, black fruits, rounder, touch of liquorice, the form in the mouth is very different, enlarges outwards, less dense. A good sign that the two wines are very different but both excellent.In Bond£99.00 -
Le Lucciole is an elevated version of Predappio, sourcing from the 0.8 hectare parcel of Raggio Brusa vineyard. Perched at the lofty altitude of 350 meters, this vineyard is unique in its East-facing situation and poor soils. 100% Sangiovese, this is a very special Italian born-and-bred wine of sensational quality.
The 2018 is a genuine representation of the gracefully balanced vintage. While it offers a welcoming freshness and acidity, there is also a superb concentration to support the wine to cellar in the long term. Production is ultra-limited, only 5,000 bottles were produced.In Bond£200.00 -
James Suckling (100)
Aromas of plums, flowers, fresh mushrooms and violets. Full body, firm and silky tannins and a long, long finish. Beautiful balance and length. Powerful tannins underneath the exquisite fruit. Great finish. Goes on for minutes. Drink or hold.In Bond£275.00 -
Decanter (99)
Fresh and a bit closed, but starting to transform now with some subtle sous bois notes. Such an elegant, fine and juicy wine, with real depth and pinpoint acidity. Like a fur coat, this is ultimate Châteauneuf elegance, showing extraordinary length, balance and tension. All destemmed, matured in old oak foudres.In Bond£322.00 -
James Suckling (97)
Love the dark-berry and intense black-olive and chocolate aromas that follow through to a full body and firm and chewy tannins that deliver a rich and delicious finish. Such polish and, at the same time, finesse. But one of the cellar. A blend of 90 per cent merlot, seven per cent cabernet sauvignon and three per cent cabernet franc. Try from 2022.In Bond£557.50 -
Jancis Robinson (17.5)
Superb. The acidity is geometric, triangular, feisty, orange-blossom fragrant, direct. The fruit is orange and passion fruit bleeding into plums and tea leaves and sage and mint and thyme and scribbles of pencils and late-summer nights and the finish is like walking through a just-harvested hay field when the first cool rain of autumn is falling soft as mist. Love this. It's delicious, delicious, delicious. I tasted it right at the end of a very long tasting – seven hours on my feet – and it quite literally revived my flagging soul.In Bond£115.00 -
James Suckling (97)
This is very ripe with blackberries, dried fruit, toasted oak and black licorice on the nose. Full-bodied with ultra-fine, linear tannins and a racy, refined finish. This has fantastic structure and length. It goes on for minutes. It needs time to open and refine even more. One of the best Imperiale Gran Reservas in a very long time. Drink after 2023.In Bond£205.00 -
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.In Bond£390.00 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (95)
The 2019 de Pressac is just as compelling from bottle as it was from barrel. A complex, mesmerizing wine, Pressac offers up an exotic mélange of black cherry, plum, chocolate, new leather, licorice, spice and menthol. All the elements are so well balanced. Espresso,, lavender, dried rose petal and cedar linger on the complex, beautifully delineated finish. The 2019 is seriously impressive. It's as simple as that.In Bond£149.50 -
The Wine Independent (94+)
Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 2014 is an assemblage of six Grand Cru terroir that was disgorged October 2022 and finished with a seven gram per liter dosage. Light burnished gold with a pinpoint, vibrant bead, the 2014 flaunts alluring aromas of lemon confit, poached yellow apple, white flowers, and brioche with hints of white pepper. Medium-bodied with a textured, open-knit palate of plush orchard fruit and racy acid vibrancy, it has a long, mineral finish.In Bond£304.00 -
James Suckling (98)
A firm and vivid Champagne with a precise, focused palate. Full-bodied and dry. It’s very layered and bright with light pineapple, peach, praline, cooked-apple and stone aromas and flavors. It’s very subtle and focused at the end. Integrated with richness and high acidity. Good depth. Reminds me of the 1995. Very clean. Solid. Lovely to drink already, but will age nicely.In Bond£1,155.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (98+)
The Grand Vin 2020 Domaine De Chevalier ratchets everything up another notch and will be one of the legendary wines from this address. Notes of pure cassis, graphite, lead pencil, and scorched earth define its incredible aromatics, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. This is pure, classic, regal Pessac-Léognan is as good as anything in the vintage. Give bottles 4-6 years and it will evolve for 50, 60, 70+ years. I absolutely love this wine. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc.In Bond£223.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (97)
The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Les Hautes Brusquières (60/40 Grenache and Syrah) comes from a cooler terroir near the Mount Redon plateau and was brought up in oak tronconique tanks and demi-muids. Its dense purple, almost opaque hue is followed by a brilliant perfume of mulled red and black fruits, peppery herbs, crushed stone, violets, and licorice. With full-bodied richness, a layered, multi-dimensional texture, and just about perfect tannins, it's another superstar wine from this estate that's up with the finest vintages to date.In Bond£300.00 -
Wine Advocate (100)
The youth, freshness, balance and harmony of the 2016 Peñas Aladas Gran Reserva is gobsmacking. The wine is a little shy, insinuating, reticent and a little closed, and it feels younger than it is. It comes from a collection of small plots of some of the oldest vines in the village of La Aguilera in the lieu-dit, or "paraje," that names the wine, in a small valley surrounded by pine, holm and juniper trees, where there is a cold draft of air and the temperature is lower than in the rest of the village. The soils are sandy and intermixed with clay on a marl mother rock. The plants are mostly Tempranillo, but as they are very old vines, there's always a field blend of other varieties—Albillo Mayor, Monastrell, Garnacha, Bobal and Cariñena—all fermented together with full clusters that were foot trodden in concrete vats and indigenous yeasts. Malolactic was in barrel and lasted for 11 months, while the élevage was extended to a total of 55 months (almost five years!). After all this time in barrels, the wine is not oaky at all; it's floral and perfumed, elegant, nuanced and layered. The texture is silky, and it's medium-bodied, with moderate ripeness, 14% alcohol and very good freshness denoted by a pH of 3.41. It has fine tannins that make it nicely textured and fine-boned, with subtle minerality. This should be veeeeeery long lived, as it has the stuffing, all the ingredients and the balance between them to make old bones. Amazing juice. 3,591 bottles and 51 magnums were filled in April 2021.In Bond£732.15 -
Wine Advocate (97)
2017 was a low-yielding year, so I also tasted the 2018 Reserva, their flagship red wine that wants to be a representation of the village of La Aguilera—fine, serious and elegant. It's 95% Tempranillo with the remaining grapes found interplanted in their oldest vineyards at an average of 880 meters in altitude on limestone, clay and sandy soils. All the clusters ferment together with indigenous yeasts in concrete, where they are foot trodden, and malolactic was carried out very slowly (11 months) in oak barrels where the wine matured for a total of 27 months. It has a somewhat shy nose but is very elegant. The wine was recently bottled, and that can make it a little closed and subtle, and it clearly improves with air as it sits in the glass. It's still young, and the palate reveals lots of energy; the flavors are very pure and the wine precise and delineated. The tannins are very fine and provide for a chalky texture and an almost salty twist in the finish. This is very in line with the 2016. 15,250 bottle and 101 magnums produced. It was bottled in February 2021.In Bond£280.00 -
James Suckling (98)
Very perfumed and aromatic with blackcurrant, sweet-tobacco and Spanish-cedar character. Full-bodied with ultra fine tannins that build on the palate and take the fruit and other flavors to an endless finish. More refined than the perfect 2018 and almost as compelling. Drink in 2023 or after.In Bond£286.00 -
James Suckling (98-99)
Really perfumed and complex with blackberries, blackcurrants and flowers. Gorgeous cabernet sauvignon character. Full-bodied with really fine, polished tannins. Superb length and intensity. Very compact and seamless. Ethereal. Just goes on and on.In Bond£852.00 -
James Suckling (98)
A complex, structured young chardonnay and clearly the best in Chile. It shows lavender, sliced green apples, white peaches, flint and stone. Quince. Sea wood. Cement. Salt. Very complex. Full-bodied, yet very tight with a linear, compressed palate. Energetic acidity. Endless finish. Drink or hold.In Bond£296.00 -
Wine Advocate (95)
The full-bodied, rich 2019 Kupe Pinot Noir is a lovely example of how size doesn't have to mean a loss of elegance. Bold black cherry and plum flavors combine with nuances of cola spice and mocha to yield ample complexity, while the palate is plush and velvety, seamlessly extending through a lingering finish. While delicious now, I expect it will drink well for more than a decade.In Bond£239.00 -
In Bond£162.00
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James Suckling (93)
Notes of blueberries, blackberries, porcini and nutmeg. It’s full-bodied with fine tannins. Balanced with a fleshy texture. Round and velvety. Long, flavorful finish. Fine and fresh at the end. Drink or hold.In Bond£230.00 -
Wine Advocate (97)
I prefer this wine to Fèlsina's top-shelf Fontalloro. The 2018 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Colonia is irresistibly angular and tight, opening a profound view onto what makes Sangiovese so expressive and unique, especially when planted in the right territories. The bouquet is savory and almost sanguine with iron ore, rusty nail and baked clay. But there's plenty of fruit as well, in the form of wild berry and black cherry, that adds to the dimension and dynamic freshness of the mouthfeel. The 2018 vintage saw a few moments of heat during the summer, but the Colonia vineyard is protected by forests and cooler altitudes. Give this wine time to soften in the bottle.In Bond£400.00 -
Vinous (97)
The 2018 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia is an absolutely stunning wine. The archetype of Rancia in the past has been of a big, potent Chianti Classico but in 2018, Rancia is a wine of mind-blowing elegance and finesse. Silky, perfumed and indescribably finessed, the 2018 dazzles from start to finish. It's a magical wine in every way.In Bond£178.00 -
James Suckling (100)
A mesmerizing nose here with flowers such as violets and red roses, then shows cherries and currants with some mineral and black truffles. Full-bodied yet so refined and harmonized with ultra-fine tannins that run the length of the wine. Flavors of perfectly ripened fruit (al dente) with a hazelnut character that comes from the seeds. Incredibly transparent young red. Breathtaking. 37% merlot, 32% cabernet franc and 31% cabernet sauvignon. Drink after 2028 and onwards. Magnificent.In Bond£764.50 -
James Suckling (99)
This dry riesling has gigantic concentration, but also gigantic elegance and finesse. Still a little shy on the nose, but this has been made to age for decades. Delicate notes of white peach, pink grapefruit and mountain herbs in the nose, then on the palate also hints of licorice and white chocolate. However, the most extraordinary thing about the wine is the mind-blowing stony intensity at the extremely focused and salty finish. Doesn’t want to stop. Enormous aging potential. From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Drink or hold.In Bond£457.00 -
Wine Advocate (96+)
The 2020 Truquilemu Vineyard follows the path of the 2018 and 2019 with even lower alcohol (12.9%) and great freshness and acidity, a pH of 3.36 and 6.4 grams of acidity. The modus operandi was the usual: fermented in open-top vats with indigenous yeasts and manual punch-down with a slow malolactic, which took 10 months to finish, and matured in used barrels over two winters. It contains some 4% Syrah. This has the ethereal quality of this vineyard, powerful but weightless. This place makes fresh wines even in warm vintages like 2020, and you feel that especially in the palate where the wine is vibrant and lively. 5,882 bottles were filled in February 2022.In Bond£81.00 -
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.In Bond£373.50 -
Vinous (95)
The 2017 Barolo Gramolere is broad and ample, yet retains the gracious style that is typical of the Manzone Barolos these days. The fruit profile is a bit darker, though, and there is a bit more of an oak imprint. Black cherry, new leather, menthol and spice all meld together effortlessly as the 2017 blossoms with a touch of aeration.In Bond£245.00 -
Wine Advocate (96+)
The 2019 Amon Ra Shiraz is 100% Shiraz and 100% from the 2019 vintage, as Ben Glaetzer felt it—unlike many previous vintages—didn't need to be freshened with a small proportion of younger wine. From old vines in the Ebenezer district of the northern Barossa Valley, it offers classic notes of blackberries and spice, framed by hints of cedar and vanilla (it's aged in 100% new oak hogsheads, mostly French). It's full-bodied yet crisp, supple but tight and really long. Offering lovely dark fruit, hints of espresso and black olive, it finishes mouthwatering and firm. Give it some time in the cellar and drink it from 2025 – 2040.In Bond£313.00 -
Colour: Full, rich dark gold.
Nose: Full, complex aromas with dried berries and sherry-infused malty tones
Palate: Sweetness akin to a fine, aged cognac with incredible oloroso depth and freshness. Fruit, nuts, marzipan and Christmas cake warming spice.
Finish: A whisky you never want to end and it almost feels as if it won't, the finish goes on forever with spice, decadent dark cocoa and forest floor. A final flourish of spiced demerara rum leaves you longing for more.
In Bond£376.00
