Behold the epitome of grandeur, the Montus Madiran La Tyre 2014 - a consummate embodiment of delectable elegance. This stunning single-varietal Tannat is the jewel in the crown of Domaine Montus, a leading pioneer in Madiran, South West France.

Masterfully cultivated on the steep, south-facing slopes of Pyrenean gravel, this wine exudes a compelling complexity, courtesy of its extended ageing in 100% new oak barriques.

The Montus Madiran La Tyre 2014 showcases an intense bouquet of ripe berries, intricately interwoven with hints of exotic spices, dark chocolate, and a delightfully refined touch of vanilla, culminating in a profoundly lingering finish. The majestic power of this vintage is artfully balanced by its elegant tannins and vibrant acidity, making it an exquisite testament to the producer's dedication to excellence.

As you savour each sip, allow your palate to be enlivened by the passion and finesse that underpins every drop of Montus Madiran La Tyre 2014.

Wine Advocate (96+)

The Blaufränkisch Burgenland 2020 Lutzmannsburg Alte Reben comes from the oldest vines in Lutzmannsburg, which includes not only the three crus that had been singled out in 2019 but also other crus here that are too small to market them separately. This wine delivers all the ripeness, fruit intensity and concentration that Moric has been known for for almost 20 years. The wine is less precise or transparent compared to the crus, but it's dense and complex on the nose (and palate), which is ethereal and spicy and immediately begs for a decanter. Here, the wine is rich, textured and elegant, unfolding its greatness only on the finish that leaves the concentration and power of the first palate for purity, mineral freshness and endless salinity. Tannins, acidity and phenolics as well as body and concentration are in great balance here, yet at this early stage, the wine needs a lot of space and time to breathe and reveal its secrets step by step. This is definitely a wine to cellar for years, just like Clos Nouveau Bourgueil from Gauthier. That means this old-vines Lutzmannsburger may reach an even greater drinking experience in 10 years. I wouldn't miss it. 13.5% stated alcohol. Tasted in Lech in December 2022.

Vinous (95)

The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Cœur de Vallée has aged exceptionally well. In 2011, Cœur de Vallée was made entirely from To Kalon fruit and was a blend of nearly equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. That choice paid off big time, as the wine is absolutely exquisite. Bright floral, spice and tobacco accents lend freshness. Readers can look forward to another decade of fine drinking.

The Moron-Garcia Corton Baie Par Baie 2022 is a splendid dedication to the French winemaking tradition, originating from the prized vineyards of Burgundy. Its creator, Moron-Garcia, utilises strict selection, baie par baie (berry by berry), a meticulous approach which contributes to its remarkable quality. The wine is soaked and fermented at controlled temperatures to maximize the expression of its fruit. Then aged in oak adds depth and complexity, highlighting its intricate flavours.

Boasting a brilliant ruby hue, it offers a delightful bouquet of red fruits, intense spices, and subtle hints of oak. On the palate, it exudes a harmonious balance of acidity, tannins, and alcohol, culminating in a spectacular long finish disclosing layers of taste. The Moron-Garcia Corton Baie Par Baie 2022 is a testament to the vibrant expression of the Corton terroir. This outstanding wine embodies the meticulous craftsmanship of Moron-Garcia, making it an exquisite choice for discerning wine enthusiasts.

The Mortlach Speyside Single Malt Sherry Finish 21YO Bottled 2020 1999 is a perfect representation of the renowned quality of the Mortlach distillery in Scotland. Richly matured for 21 years in American oak barrels and creatively finished in Oloroso sherry casks, this Scotch elicits a remarkable aroma and distinct flavour profile.

Noteworthy is the warmth of its sherry finish, a result of the maturation in traditional oak casks. The full-bodied spirit reveals tantalising hints of dark chocolate, dry fruits, and spicy undertones, resulting in an unforgettable palate. Taken in conjunction with a long, smooth finish, the Mortlach Speyside Single Malt Sherry Finish 21YO Bottled 2020 1999 speaks volumes about the distillery's commitment to incomparable quality and artisanal craftsmanship.

This fine whisky confirms Mortlach’s reputation for producing robust, complex spirits, a delight to both discerning connoisseurs and curious seekers of fine whisky globally.

The West Australian (97)

The 2017 vintage was one of the milder vintages in WA. The latest Moss Wood captures this vintage perfectly and is without doubt one of the more restrained and tightly framed Moss Woods of recent years. Not the opulence of 2014 or the firm power of the 2016. Yet it retains the elegance, perfume and soft approachability that is Moss Wood. And hidden within is a wine that I suspect will still be drinking beautifully in 30 years. Make sure you decant it even now before drinking.

The Western Australian (98)

High expectations accompany iconic labels such as Moss Wood, especially following on from the powerful 2020. This elegantly styled 21 vintage steps up and delivers, even in its youth. This is a wine built for cellaring and, as such, it was day two when the full gamut of flavours and textures opened up, in all their magisterial glory. Think boysenberry, blueberry essence and blackberries with nuances of nori, black olive, cedar and oak toast. There’s boundless flavour intensity and a nervy freshness and silkiness to the mouthfeel. Quite the feat of engineering to craft something so substantial yet with such lightness of touch. Stunning.

Wine Advocate (94+)

This property is owned and managed by the Vauthier family of Château Ausone. The 2015 Moulin Saint-Georges is blended of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, 85% new. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it reveals a gorgeous plum preserves, licorice and blackberry pie-laced nose with touches of cedar chest, cigar box, black olives and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and very firmly textured with grainy tannins, it has a lively backbone supporting the generous black fruit, finishing with lingering savory notes. Give it a good 5 years or more in bottle and drink it over the next 20+ years.

Decanter (94)

So full of deeply-drawn berry fruit, fresh and juicy with touches of liquorice bud and rosemary, thirst quenching and yet thirst inducing in that amazing way that limestone can both refresh and make you thirst for more at the same time. An excellent Moulin St Georges, and such a step up from the more sandy soils that you find at Fonbel and the two Simard estates in this year's range of Vauthier-owned wines that this alone can help you understand how to navigate 2020.

Vinous (96)

A gorgeous wine, the 2012 Pinot Noir is just starting to show the first signs of softening. Sweet tobacco, mint, crushed flowers, leather, pine and cedar all grace this mid-weight, exquisite Pinot Noir. Beautifully perfumed and light on its feet, the 2012 is all class. It is one of the early highlights in this vertical. Best of all, the 2012 has enough freshness and pedigree to drink well for many years to come. The growing season was marked by cool, late-ripening harvest and a naturally generous crop. In 2012, the weather was cooperative, cool and moderate during harvest, which was quite a contrast to the 2013-2017, all of which were more frenzied, winemaker Jeffrey Patterson adds.

Halliday Wine Companion (99)

Stands proudly at the head of the Mount Mary portfolio. A blend of 44% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 16% cabernet franc and 5% each of malbec and petit verdot, each variety handled according to its structure. Open/static fermenters, wood/stainless steel, 10-14 days on skins, 35% new oak from a range of coopers and forests, 16-20 months in barrel. Mesmerisingly silky, with a kaleidoscope of fruit and secondary flavours.

Vinous (92)

(made from two-thirds grenache and one-third syrah): Opaque ruby. Heady scents of red berry preserves, lavender, anise and sandalwood, lifted by a peppery topnote. Offers intense, palate-staining raspberry and cherry-cola flavors that gain weight with air. Impressively lively and pure on the persistent finish, which features gentle tannins and a late note of bitter chocolate.

Wine Advocate (100)

Over the last couple of years, I had inclined to the view that the 1986 vintage was eclipsing the 1982 Mouton Rothschild, but two perfectly conserved bottles this year put paid to that hypothesis. One of the emblematic wines of the vintage, offering up aromas of sweet crème de cassis, cigar wrapper, espresso roast, spices and vine smoke, it's full-bodied, broad and enveloping, with a rich core of fruit; ripe, supple tannins; and a long, expansive finish. Lavish, even flamboyant, and at the same time seriously structured and quintessentially Mouton, it encapsulates the greatness of the vintage. For readers interested in numbers, the 1982 attained 12.3% alcohol with a pH of 3.64 (that information is the result of a great personal misfortune, because I sent a sample from a tragically corked magnum to the local enology lab for analysis out of curiosity).

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

I think the 2005 Château Mouton Rothschild is pure perfection, and is has a ripe, powerful, yet weightless style not far off the 1982. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc brought up in new barrels, it’s just now starting to enter its adolescence phase and has sensational notes of ripe black fruits, smoky, scorched earth, pipe tobacco, and chocolate. Massively rich and opulent on the palate, with building yet sweet tannins and no hard edges, it’s one of those wines that needs to be tasted to be believed. Drink bottles any time over the coming 40+ years.

James Suckling (99)

Incredible iodine, oyster, currants, peat and cedar. Yet subtle. Full body, chewy yet polished tannins and great depth and complexity on the finish. I love the spice and blueberry character on the finish. Vibrant. A sexy style of Mouton. Try drinking this in 2022.

James Suckling (99)

Decadent and rich aromas of black cherries and plums with wet earth and sandalwood. Turns to dried mushrooms. Full-bodied, tight and closed with big, polished tannins, yet this is very closed and shy right now. Despite this, underneath it shows such depth and beauty. Tangy acidity. This is a combination of 2005 and 2009. Try it in 2024.

James Suckling (99)

Decadent and rich aromas of black cherries and plums with wet earth and sandalwood. Turns to dried mushrooms. Full-bodied, tight and closed with big, polished tannins, yet this is very closed and shy right now. Despite this, underneath it shows such depth and beauty. Tangy acidity. This is a combination of 2005 and 2009. Try it in 2024.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (100)

The grilled cedar and campfire smoke settles in over the opening moments, and this radiates a generosity and glamour that not all the top 2016s are showing right now. Very much on the dark autumnal fruits, with expertly-judged estate and vintage signature, adding up to a hugely successful wine. Fresh pomegranate and orange peel acidities punctuate the bilberry, damson and cassis fruits on the palate, impressive grip and a ton of unfurling conversation still in front of it. 100% new oak, Philippe Dhalluin director.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (100)

The grilled cedar and campfire smoke settles in over the opening moments, and this radiates a generosity and glamour that not all the top 2016s are showing right now. Very much on the dark autumnal fruits, with expertly-judged estate and vintage signature, adding up to a hugely successful wine. Fresh pomegranate and orange peel acidities punctuate the bilberry, damson and cassis fruits on the palate, impressive grip and a ton of unfurling conversation still in front of it. 100% new oak, Philippe Dhalluin director.

James Suckling (97-98)

This is a very shy and tight Mouton with blackberries, blackcurrants and hints of terracotta. Full body and very integrated tannins that are extremely polished and beautiful. Spicy and white-pepper finish. Sexy and exciting. So long and refined.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (100)

I'm not alone in considering this one of the all-time great Moutons - it was awarded World's Greatest Wine is a competition last year that saw numerous rounds of blind tasting. It's worth your while to find out why - this is a powerhouse of beautiful fruits - layer upon concentrated layer of blackberry, cassis, liquorice, baked earth, cigar box, black truffle and the signature smoked and grilled spices of Mouton. The tannins are velvety but determined, holding on to their fruit with no intention of letting go for another few decades. 100% new oak. There is the tiniest touch of Petit Verdot in the blend but under 1% so it’s not in the official figures. 62% of production went into the grand vin. 3.78pH. 88IPT. The artist for this vintage is Xu Bing.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (100)

I'm not alone in considering this one of the all-time great Moutons - it was awarded World's Greatest Wine is a competition last year that saw numerous rounds of blind tasting. It's worth your while to find out why - this is a powerhouse of beautiful fruits - layer upon concentrated layer of blackberry, cassis, liquorice, baked earth, cigar box, black truffle and the signature smoked and grilled spices of Mouton. The tannins are velvety but determined, holding on to their fruit with no intention of letting go for another few decades. 100% new oak. There is the tiniest touch of Petit Verdot in the blend but under 1% so it’s not in the official figures. 62% of production went into the grand vin. 3.78pH. 88IPT. The artist for this vintage is Xu Bing.

The Wine Independent (100)

The 2019 Mouton Rothschild is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it races out of the glass with gregarious scents of creme de cassis, redcurrant jelly, black raspberries, and chocolate-covered cherries, giving way to a serious undercurrent of licorice, forest floor, candied violets, and cardamom with a touch of cast-iron pan. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with expressive red, black, and blue fruit layers, framed by fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing with floral, exotic spices and a mineral firework display.

The Wine Independent (100)

The 2019 Mouton Rothschild is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it races out of the glass with gregarious scents of creme de cassis, redcurrant jelly, black raspberries, and chocolate-covered cherries, giving way to a serious undercurrent of licorice, forest floor, candied violets, and cardamom with a touch of cast-iron pan. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with expressive red, black, and blue fruit layers, framed by fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing with floral, exotic spices and a mineral firework display.

James Suckling (100)

The purity of blackcurrants, blueberries, creme de cassis, and flowers. Hints of subtle spearmint. Iron. Blood orange. Medium-bodied with a compacted palate, like a cylinder of perfectly ripe fruit and fine tannins. A million layers of tight-grained tannins. It goes on and on. Such freshness and weightlessness to it. Ethereal. New classicism. Modern take on the 1986. 12.79% alcohol. 84% cabernet sauvignon, 13% merlot, 2% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Drink after 2030 but hard to not drink now.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Bottled in June of 2024, the 2022 Château Mouton Rothschild checks in as classic blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot that was raised all in new barrels. Incredibly concentrated yet light on its feet and graceful, this inky-hued beauty has sensational notes of cassis, graphite, crushed stone, and chocolate that are to die for. It shows the ripe, opulent style of the vintage yet brings sensational purity, loads of tannins, and a gorgeous finish. For the tech geeks out there, this hit 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.86, and an IPT (tannins) of 76. It has the depth of fruit and texture to offer incredible pleasure even today, yet it deserves a decade of bottle age and will evolve for 50-60 years. It reminds me of a mix of the 2009 and 2010.

L’Eau de Vie de Prunes is yet another brainchild of the enigmatic Baron Phillipe who this time wanted to maintain the traditional biodiversity of Mouton by encouraging and cultivating a range of plants, not just vines. An orchard called Les Pruniers was planted with an incredible five varieties of plum tree, all of which are essential notes in the harmony of this spirit. Revealing both the essence of each single variety as well as the masterful skill of the blenders, this composition is the pinnacle of elegance and concentration. Aged for a whopping 15 years partly in oak barrels and partly in demijohns, this is a true reflection of Mouton terroir conveyed through a different fruit!

L’Eau de Vie de Vin is the most well-guarded secret of the Rothschild’s spirits, this Eau de Vie is a consequence of the Rothschild family’s ancient right to distil spirits from their own land for their own personal consumption – use it or lose it! Made with the same care and attention as the property’s legendary Grands Vins, this is a jewel in Mouton’s crown and a source of great pride amongst those involved in its production. The fruit undergoes a rigorous selection process before this spirit is double-distilled in a copper still. The individual spirits are then aged for between 15 and 30 years in oak barrel before finally being blended and bottled. Displaying the unique character of Mouton Rothschild, this spirit bursts onto the senses with layers of ripe fruit, liquorice and warming spices. Power and refinement balance each other in equal measure, before the finish concludes with another level of smoothness.