Vinous (96)

The 2015 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru has an immediately seductive, extremely pure bouquet of bright red fruit, strawberry and cranberry; hints of blueberry surface with aeration. The oak is very well integrated, and with continued aeration in the glass, the raspberry component becomes more expressive. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit encased by grippy, slightly firm tannins. This is a very serious Grand Cru, extraordinarily focused and full of tension; the mouth still tingles 60 seconds after it has exited. A consummate expression of a great Burgundy vintage. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting.

Indulge in the exquisite craftsmanship of Bertagna Clos-Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2015. This unrivalled synergy of terroir, expertise, and tradition is hailing from the renowned Côte de Nuits in Burgundy. As the fifth generation wine producer, the Bertagna family brings the meticulous dedication, producing a Grand Cru with an arresting, yet delicate complexity.

The Burgundian secret to this enchanting wine lies in fermentation in wooden barrels lending it an unparalleled structure. Aged for 18 months in new oak barrels, it radiates a ruby red hue emanating aromas of wild berries and spices.

On the palate, Bertagna Clos-Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2015 offers an impressive depth of flavor with a harmoniously balanced acidity. It unfolds the dark fruit notes effortlessly melded with velvety tannins, guiding towards an enduring, elegant finish. This bottle captures the essence of Burgundian finesse while pushing the boundaries of Pinot Noir expression. Embrace the indulgent journey of tasting this gem from Bertagna's stellar portfolio.

Vinous (93-95)

The 2017 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru comes from vines planted in 1936, and was raised in three barrels this year (two of them new.) It has a clean, precise tightly wound bouquet of blackberry, raspberry preserve, pressed iris and subtle undergrowth, almost peaty aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin, quite masculine compared to the Clos de la Roche, and shows firmer grip and persistence on the chalky finish. Very fine and quite cerebral.

Nestled in the rich Southern McLaren Vale region, the Coriole Lloyd Reserve Shiraz 2013 is an exquisite embodiment of Australian excellence. This pre-eminent Shiraz, crafted by prominent winemaker Coriole Vineyards, charms with a bold, full-bodied profile encapsulating intense fruit flavours dappled with notes of savoury spice and dark chocolate. Each grape is attentively selected from the oldest vineyard plantings, dating back to 1919, ensuring a superior quality yield. The meticulous fermentation process in open-top vessels, followed by ageing in French oak barrels, bestow a distinguished depth and complexity that leaves a lingering palate impression.

Bearing the name of the Lloyd family, who established Coriole in 1967, the Coriole Lloyd Reserve Shiraz 2013 carries a legacy mirrored in its striking character and robust structure. Unquestionably, it's a testament to Coriole’s enduring commitment to create wines that captivate with their elegance and remarkable drinking pleasure.

Vinous (94)

Saturated ruby. A highly perfumed, spice-accented bouquet evokes ripe dark fruits, pipe tobacco, mocha and candied flowers. Palate-staining blueberry, cherry liqueur, licorice and fruitcake flavors show excellent depth as well as vibrancy. The floral and spice notes return on the impressively long, focused finish, which is framed by smooth, late-arriving tannins.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (93-96)

Deep, bright red. Urgent crushed cherry and red raspberry fruit aromas are complicated and lifted by rose petal, white pepper, citrus peel and sexy oak; an essence of Clos Saint-Denis. Rich, layered and deep but also wonderfully brisk, with an exhilarating element of blood orange contributing to the impression of razor-sharp definition. Finishes with fine-grained, noble tannins, subtle rising length and a magically weightless impression. A wine of compelling purity and class, this beauty should be long-lived. The yield here was 30 hectoliters per hectare and the pH is 3.4, according to Stehly. Incidentally, this estate is the largest owner of vines in Clos Saint-Denis, at 1.49 hectares. Stehly picks this fruit in the morning because he uses a smaller tank in which it would be harder to chill the grapes. He continues to sell some of his Clos Saint-Denis to Lucien Le Moine, Marchand-Tawse and Jadot, noting that his clients supply their own barrels and take the wines, with their lees, in January. (He also sells some of his Clos de la Roche.)

Vinous (91-94)

(half of these vines are 70 years old, the other half 60): Moderately saturated medium red. Musky, soil-driven scents of fresh red fruits, crushed rock, flint and rose petal. Penetrating and sharply delineated, offering terrific intensity to its flavors of red berries, sappy cherry, minerals and blood orange. At once salty and juicy, this very long wine leaves the palate perfumed. Stehly compares this wine to a Musigny in its youthful strictness, and it strikes me as a classic young Clos Saint-Denis that will need time in bottle to expand. Stehly used to work mostly with spicy Cadus barrels for this wine but now uses one-third each Berthomieu and Tonnelerie du Val du Loire for his Clos Saint-Denis, as he feels these barrels are at once sweeter and more delicate.

Vinous (87-89)

The 2019 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru shows quite a bit of reduction on the nose though there appears to be satisfactory fruit underneath. The palate is chewy and quite dense, though I am seeking more nerve and mineralité on its "blocky" finish.

Vinous (93-95)

The 2018 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru has a cohesive, focused bouquet of intense red currant, wild strawberry and crushed stone aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity and slightly angular tannins that will be softened with time. I appreciate the energy and backbone of this Grand Cru. Excellent.

Wine Advocate (94-96)

One of the highlights of the portfolio is the 2018 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru (Domaine Gagey), a lovely wine that bursts with aromas of rose petals, deep red fruits, sweet soil tones, raw cocoa and cinnamon. On the palate, it's full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with lively acids, considerable concentration and an ample endowment of fine-grained tannin. This will require and reward patience.

Tim Atkin MW (96)

Punchy red fruits sing on the nose: pomegranate seeds, fresh cranberries and kirsch. Fabulously pure fruits soak the full-bodied palate encased in suave tannins and fresh acidity. This is focused and chiselled with excellent terroir clarity. Woodsy spice and leather notes mingle with the long, fruit-filled finish. 2025-40

Vinous (90-92)

The 2021 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru has a pastille-like purity on the nose with sensual red cherries, redcurrant and cranberry aromas all deftly entwined with the new oak. The palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannins. It's structured and bold, though it lacks the finesse that is implied by the bouquet. Solid, but a bit unwieldy at the moment.

Halliday Wine Companion (94)

Sourced from the proprietary Lopresti vineyard, known as the 'Chinese Block'. Near Wilunga, this is a warmer zone. Hand picked and placed in drying crates to undergo appassimento; this elevates tannins while concentrating fruit in a shift of the phenolic makeup, imparting a firm, ferrous savouriness. Unabashedly big, yet far from jammy, as a welcome result. Asian spice, blood stone, bitter amaro and cherry pith, with a verdant echo of cabernet in the background.

Wine Spectator (92)

Compelling and aromatic, with details of palo santo, sandalwood and sarsaparilla and a core of chocolate-covered cherries, espresso and wild blackberry notes. The tannins are thick and concentrated, but integrated seamlessly, adding to the impact of this lovely wine. Drink now through 2036. 6,132 cases made, 3,892 cases imported.

Wine Advocate (94)

Mollydooker's 2018 Carnival of Love Shiraz is more red-fruited and structured than I expected, given the wine's stated 16% alcohol. Raspberries and cedar mark the nose, with hints of chocolate, espresso and baking spices. In the mouth, it's full-bodied, dense and powerful, with ripe but firm tannins supporting the bright berry flavors, then easing into a long, velvety and mouthwatering finish. It should drink well for around a decade, but if you're shy of tannins, you may want to wait another year or two before opening.

Wine Spectator (92)

Thick, with sink-your-teeth-into-them tannins and powerful, ripe blackberry, huckleberry and blueberry flavors that show aromatic accents of allspice, Earl Grey tea, vanilla bean, milk chocolate and dried violet on the finish. Drink now through 2036. 45,165 cases made, 32,950 cases imported

Wine Advocate (96)

The most dense and concentrated of the current Mollydooker offerings is the 2018 Velvet Glove Shiraz. Because of that, it's also among the most fruit-forward, with the oak elements of vanilla, mocha and cedar pushed into the background in favor of ripe raspberries and blackberries. Taut and focused for its size, this full-bodied effort is smooth and creamy textured on the palate, where the fruit glides into a long, velvety finish.

Wine Spectator (91)

Expressive and fragrant, a bold red with toffee, salted caramel and black walnut liqueur notes set against ripe plum, maraschino and black cherry notes. Details of cardamon and clove linger with plush tannins on the long, expressive finish. Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Drink now through 2035. 10,076 cases made, 7,193 cases imported.

Wine Advocate (96)

The 2016 Eclipse is 87% Grenache, 8% Graciano and 5% Shiraz, all off the McLaren Vale estate vineyard. As it almost seems to, it boasts gorgeous aromas of raspberries, accented by a range of herbs and spices that include notes of orange zest, bay leaf and rose petals. It's full-bodied, with assertive but silky tannins that should help preserve the wine's freshness as it ages. Although full-bodied, it handles its alcohol well, showing just a trace of warmth on the lingering finish.

Wine Advocate (99)

The 2005 Shiraz Reserve was sourced from a 45-year-old vineyard and aged for 18 months in American and French oak of various sizes. A saturated purple color, it presents an array of otherworldly scents including smoke, mineral, meat, game, bacon, and blueberry. Thick, rich, and voluptuous, this mouth-filling, full-bodied Shiraz is about as hedonistic as it gets. Although the wine is seamless, there is some tannin lurking under all the fruit which will permit 8-10 years of cellaring for those able to delay gratification. The finish is amazingly long and pure, seeming to never end. As usual, the Noon wines are benchmarks against which all others must be compared.

Wine Advocate (97)

Even more concentrated than the impressive 2014, the 2015 Shiraz Reserve is almost painfully intense—in a good sense. Dark berries, culinary herbs and roasted meat notes combine in a mouthwatering nose, which leads into a dense, creamy-textured palate. While most Noon wines can be drunk on release (as can this one, albeit in a soft-core S&M sort of way), I would suggest holding this one for a couple of years and drinking it over the next decade.

Wine Advocate (97)

This year, my favorite of the Noon wines is the 2018 Reserve Shiraz. Marked by aromas of mint, sage, bay leaf, cassis and blackberry, this is a full-bodied, rich wine that manages to combine size and intensity with impressive suppleness and length. And while it's undeniably sexy and immediately appealing from a purely hedonistic standpoint, there's enough going on to inspire repeated sampling, with cool herbal notes and peppery notes of salted licorice providing complex counterpoints to the ripe berry fruit.

Halliday Wine Companion (96)

A beautiful grenache, clarity its watchword: colour, aroma, varietal expression and aftertaste. Perfumed red berries of every description flow through the light to medium-bodied palate where pomegranate is foremost in shaping mouthfeel and flavour. Irresistible now or in 10 years hence.

Halliday Wine Companion (99)

A block regenerated by the Pannells since they purchased it in '12, it produces small berries in small bunches of intensely flavoured grapes. Hand-picked, 10 days on skins, pressed to French puncheons for 19 months maturation. It is the only unblended wine so far made and sold under the Koomilya banner, 4560 bottles made. It is a wine of beauty, with effortless poise and flawless fruit that is medium to full-bodied at most. How long will it live? Try 40 years.