Laurent Ponsot Grand Cru Cuvée du Frêne
LAURENT PONSOT Grand Cru Cuvée du Frêne, Chambertin-Clos de Beze
Billecart-Salmon Cuvée 200
Family run since the 19th century, the Billecart Champagne house delivers large number of bottles which are always well made and of the highest quality. Champagne Billecart-Salmon was founded with the marriage of Nicolas-François Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon in 1818. Situated in the village of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, near Epernay. Champagne Billecart-Salmon is still a family-run organisation with seventh generation Mathieu Roland-Billecart overseeing business. In 2016 Chef de Cave François Domi retired after 30 years with Billecart and handed over to his deputy Florent Nys who started with the business in 2005. The vineyards are overseen by Denis Blée and all of the team are members of the eight strong "tasting committee" along with 6th generation François Roland-Billecart and Antoine Roland-Billecart and fifth generation Jean Roland-Billecart. By 2020 production had expanded with grapes now coming from 300 hectares and 40 crus mostly within 20 kms of the winery. This unique release celebrates 200 years of Billecart-Salmon independence and family savoir-faire since 1818. Bicentenary Cuvée 200 is a multi-vintage blend of four exceptional harvests: 2000, 2003, 2008 and 2012. In tribute to the foundation year, just 1,818 magnums and 18 Jeroboams were produced. The blend constitutes wine heralded from eight Grand Crus in the Montagne de Reims and Côte des Blancs, 50% of which were vinified in oak barrel. The champagne is Pinot Noir dominant in order to reflect the ‘old rose’ fragrance that is typical of Billecart-Salmon's famous Clos St-Hilaire, as well as the founders’ cuvées Nicolas François and Elisabeth Salmon. Appearance: Pale gold colour intensity, draped with a bright luminosity with golden yellow tinges. A persistent and abundant finesse of bubbles evolving in a disciplined and energetic way Aroma: A noble and racy expression of a chiselled complexity towards floral notes, orchard fruits and slightly roasted dried fruits (carnation, Williams pear and just roasted hazelnuts). A natural and vibrant sparkle evolving towards scents of citrus zest (lemon caviar and kalamansi) Palate: An ample and dense tension where the texture slowly reveals itself under a controlled and exhilarating acidity. The mid-palate offers a distinguished balance, vinous, almost salty, under the gustatory impact of careful maturing (vine shoots and blond tobacco) Food Pairing: This exceptional cuvée will enchant your taste buds when paired with fine vegetable ravioli, creamy celery with Cévennes chestnuts Bicentenary Cuvée 200 is a powerful statement from Billecart- Salmon, representing a move away from their tradition of releasing wines that have been perfectly matured and are ready to drink, as this special bicentenary release will benefit from longer ageing.
Domaine Joseph Colin Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Product Description: One barrel, Grand Cru power—Bâtard-Montrachet with grace and grip. From a single barrel and 50-year-old vines, the 2023 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru from Domaine Joseph Colin is a rare release even by Burgundy standards. Sitting beside Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet, this small plot delivers the full breadth of Grand Cru weight and aromatic precision—but with Colin’s unmistakable mineral signature and restraint. The nose is rich yet composed—burnt butter, dried apricot, peach and citrus backed by spice and faint honeysuckle. The palate is commanding, with smoky stone fruit, citrus tension and salinity that reins in the power. It's a wine of muscle and finesse, tightly wound yet already layered. Made without bâtonnage or fining, and with minimal sulphur at bottling, this wine is bottled directly from its original barrel. Best cellared through 2036 or longer. Serve with the finest shellfish, white fish or creamy poultry preparations. Tasting Notes NOSE – Deep and expressive Burnt butter, dried apricot, peach, citrus and spice. PALATE – Grand and balanced Layered orchard fruit, smoky weight, citrus bite and saline lift. FINISH – Long and harmonious Structured, tense and deeply mineral with refined persistence. Reviews & Accolades “This retains the Joseph Colin hallmark with remarkable tension and a slight salinity, but there is no doubting the intensity that goes with it.” – Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy, 94–96 Points “Stellar Grand Cru quality... muscular body which holds the weight well. Just the right acidity and fair length.” – Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy, 95–97 Points
Fabien Coche, Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Chateau l'Eglise Clinet
Chateau Palmer 3me cru classe
Regarded a Super Second (but technically a 3me growth), Palmer is capable of producing wines that equal or even outstrip the quality of its famous Premier cru neighbour, Ch. Margaux. Named for the wealthy English military man who bought the estate in the early 19th century, Palmer is now majority owned by the Mahler Besse and Sichel families - famous Bordeaux negociants. Many of the best plots on the property were purchased after the Classification of 1855, explaining in part why Palmer did not warrant higher standing at that time. Certainly today there is no question that the wine is among Bordeauxs best. The estate also makes a separate second label - named Alter Ego - which is made from similarly high quality fruit but treated differently in the winery with the aim of producing a counterpoint in style to the First wine.
Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Batard Montrachet Grand Cru
Product Information: Produced from 0.07 ha of 85+ year old vines. There's remarkable intensity here, eclipsing underlying structure to begin with. Astonishing wine, it's focused and energetic with more notable acidity this vintage. From the vines of Pierre-Yves’ father-in-law Jean-Marc Morey. Just one new barrel of 280 litres. Don't let this one slip away. Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey's white wines are whole bunch pressed, fermented with natural yeasts, aged on lees for up to 18 months in mostly in 350 litre barrels with no lees stirring and no filtration. Burghound describes 2021 as "the kind of vintage that they absolutely love. Otherwise, expressed, it’s a burg geek’s vintage par excellence. The best wines are superbly fresh and transparent as the underlying terroir is wonderfully clear; indeed it’s at the core of each wine.... Outstanding transparency though is not all there is as the wines are strikingly refreshing and tension filled." Maker: Established as one of the young rising stars of Burgundy, Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey in 2005 left his family Domaine, Marc Colin, where he gained a solid reputation for his outstanding white wines. Pierre-Yves took control of a share of the family vineyards (Domaine Marc Colin) from 2006 vintage. His first vintages have been made from vineyards and growers that he works closely with buying the wine as must and aging the wines in barrels which he has supplied. If the resulting wines meet his standards the barrels of wine purchased are then matured in his own cold cellar below his house in Chassagne Montrachet. The Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey estate was born in 2001 from the association of Pierre-Yves Colin (son of Marc) and Caroline Morey (daughter of Jean-Marc). Today they operate 13 hectares in the villages of Saint-Aubin, Chassagne-Montrachet, Santenay, Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault. Their production consists of 92% Chardonnay, 5% Pinot Noir and 3% of Aligoté grape variety. Working about 2 hectares from the family heritage, the other plots have come from different acquisitions over the last fifteen years, as well as a few plots in Fermages. Philosophy: The Chassagne vineyard dates back to the years 280 AD. Historically, the vineyards of Chassagne were mainly planted with Pinot Noir; the Grands Crus and some other plots were white (Chardonnay grape). In 1935, the INAO was created and set itself the task of defining appellations in order to ensure their quality and enhance them. It was also at this time that the Grands Crus of the Montrachet hill were delimited. The vineyard is located between 220 and 340 meters altitude on clay-limestone soils. Most of the hillside vines are based on Jurassic lands (-201 million to -145 million years old). Descending towards the plain, the soils are more recent, dating from the Quaternary (2 million years ago) and come from the erosion of the upper layers. Since the 1990s, the village has seen its proportion of vines planted with Pinot noir decrease in favour of vines planted with Chardonnay. Today, the village is world famous and renowned for its white wines, particularly thanks to the Grands Crus of Montrachet. Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey white wines are whole bunch pressed and fermented with native yeast. Ageing up to 16 months for Bourgognes, St Aubins and more than 18 months for top end white wines with no lees stirring in a very cool cellar. The red wines get partial whole-bunch ferments (about 30%) with very gentle pumping over and gentle vinification designed to maximise freshness and finesse. Long untreated corks for most wines and bottles sealed with wax. The resulting wines are built to age classically up to 10 years or more. Nose - Vibrant Green Apple, Wet Limestone, Elegant An exuberantly fresh and floral-suffused nose also displays notes of green apple and citrus confit. Palate - Richness and Power, Vivid Acidity, Citrus Confit It tastes of lemony custard surrounded by a sweet-and-salty shortbread. Finish - Rippling, Persistent, Stem Ginger Hints of grapefruit, spicy with stem ginger on the finish. Wonderful
Vieux-Chateau-Certan
Château Latour Pauillac
Château Latour is the epitome of power and bold concentration that is Pauillac. With a high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon, the brilliant close knit tannin complimenting the vibrant cassis driven fruit is something to behold. It is often said that buyers of Latour worry about the wines they purchase will outlive them quite considerably such is the pedigree of such a wine. This is a definite concern for the 2009 vintage which is being reported as being the very best in living memory. The wine itself is a masterclass in concentration and power only with a robust and joyful front and mid-palate. Notes of blackberry and dark plum dance along with secondary characters of subtle oak and pencil shavings. A rambunctuous back palate that is almost thick and viscous that is truly forboding. Robert Parker Jnr has been quoted as saying
Bass Phillip Reserve Pinot Noir
Australian Pinot Noir does not get any better than the wines produced by Phillip Jones at the iconic Bass Phillip winery. A Pinot Noir of utmoust power and elegance, the rival to any great Burgundy. Rated in the top classification in Langton's Classification of Australian Wine, Bass Phillip Pinot Noir is riddled with complex flavours of strawberry, violets, rose petal and forest floor. The length of palate is immortal.