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Small piece of Bordeaux trivia - Chateau Leoville-Barton has no chateau to speak of! In fact, all wines are made at its sister property, Chateau Langoa Barton, which is the storybook chateau pictured on the label. Once part of a much larger estate - in fact the largest in St Julien - Chateau Leoville-Barton has been under the ownership of the Barton family since 1722. In their hands, traditional winemaking techniques remain integral to production - certainly more so than many other modern Bordeaux estates. Leoville-Barton Bordeaux is famous for its traditional, beefy, and strapping style with an excellent reputation for ageing, making them particularly attractive additions to any wine cellar.

The nose is intense and multi-faceted. Notes of blackcurrant and cedar are interwoven into a sophisticated expression that constantly intrigues. Harmony and balance are immediately apparent in this elegant, medium to full-bodied wine. The palate is assertive yet refined, with concentrated flavours of blackcurrant, berry and olive supported by subtle cedar spice from the oak. This is a premium Cabernet Sauvignon reflecting the unique terroir and pristine environment of the Coonawarra.

Australia's first boutique winery, Lake's Folly Cabernets is an Australian wine treasure. More Bordeaux in nature than most, the Cabernets is a wine of pristine purity and elegance. With a sense of place that can be tasted in every bottle across all vintages, Lake's Folly Cabernets is a must have for all serious wine collectors and lovers.

The inaugural 1997 vintage of this Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec blend set a new standard of quality for wines from South America when it won a series of blind tastings against first growths and other prestigious cuvees from around the world. In 1898, Nicola Catena left his homeland of Italy, and sailed for the land of plenty and opportunity: Argentina. It wasn't long before Nicola planted his first Malbec vineyard in Mendoza in 1902. Although traditionally used as a blending grape in Bordeaux, Nicola believed in the potential of Malbec as a single varietal wine, and suspected that it might uncover its hidden splendour in the cooler climes of the Andes. Flash forward a few decades, to where Nicola's grandson, Nicolas Catena Zapata, has taken over the management of the business. He sold off the bulk producing parts of the company, focusing instead on producing premium Mlabec and Cabernet. To that end, he began searching for the best sites in Mendoza to plant. In 1992, he settled on Gualtallary Alto - the highest and moste Western part of Tupungato. Today, the wines of Bodega Catena Zapata are sourced from six historic estate vineyards: Angélica, La Pirámide, Nicasia, Domingo, Adrianna and Angélica Sur.

This wine is a great example of why Margaret River is such a powerhouse in the cabernet department: concentration, savoury tannins, spice, and plenty of fruit. Blend of Cabernet sauvignon/Malbec/Petit Verdot. Delicious from the first to the last sip, with its very long finish.

Full red-purple; a potent, powerful cabernet, the focus on blackcurrant fruit, complexity provided by bay leaf/black olive/mint nuances; French oak is where is should be (on the shoulder of the fruit) and the tannins, while firm, hold no terrors.