Chateau Giscours 3me cru classe
Chateau Batailley 5me cru classe
Chateau Batailley is a highly regarded 5th growth classified estate, located in the appellation of Pauillac on the left bank of Bordeaux. Owned by the Castéja family of négociants Borie-Manoux, it is one of the oldest estates in the Médoc. A Cabernet Sauvignon dominant blend with smaller components of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it is a solid, classically structured mid-weight Pauillac displaying fresh notes of cassis and a backbone of fine-grained tannins.
Tenuta Dell'ornellaia Le Serre Nuove
Chateau Branaire-Ducru 4me cru classe
Chateau Branaire-Ducru is a fourth growth (4ème Cru Classé) St-Julien estate, in the southern area of the appellation. The Grand Vin has a high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon between 80-85% in most years; one of the highest in the Médoc. The grapes are hand-harvested and undergo a three week post fermentation maceration to build tannin structure before the wine is matured in 60-65% new French oak barriques for 16-20 months. Branaire-Ducru is renowned for producing classic claret wines that are elegant, ripe and well balanced.
Chateau Grand-Puy-Ducasse 5me cru classe
Elderton Ashmead Single Vineyard Cabernet
Like the Command block, which is an amazing resource to the Elderton Estate, the Ashmead block has consistently produced small parcels of excellent quality fruit. The vineyard was almost destroyed in 1997 to make way for higher yielding vines, however the family made the decision to promote the vineyard to a higher destiny thus the Ashmead.
Bleasdale Vineyard The Iron Duke Cabernet
The Iron Duke is a premium Langhorne Creek Cabernet from Bleasdale the regions oldest winery, founded in 1850. The wine, made in limited quantites, is a blend of the best parcels of Cabernet fruit from the vintage. Rich, medium bodied and showing sublime regional and varietal typicity, The Iron Duke is racked before bottle without filtration. Named not after Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, but after founder Frank Potts own rifle. The wine honours Franks readiness is organising Langhorne Creek locals to defend against a potential Imperial Russian Invasion a real fear at the time.
Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
'Black Label' Cabernet Sauvignon, which was first vintaged in 1954, has evolved markedly over the decades. It is arguably Australia's most recognised Cabernet Sauvignon, and has more than any other, helped define Coonawarra. The wine is matured in new and seasoned French oak for 12 to 18 months. A classic Coonawarra Cabernet with pristine dark berry/ cassis aromas, fine grained tannins and underlying savoury nuances, it develops into a rich, chocolaty wine with age. In a super vintage, this wine can look astonishingly like a 2nd or 3rd growth Bordeaux with its pure cassis aromas and cedary complexity. See Chief Winemaker Sue Hodder speak about the spectacular 2015 release:
Chateau Malartic-Lagraviere Rouge Cru classe
LA DAME DE MONTROSE Second Wine of Chateau Montrose
La Dame de Montrose, first vintage 1983, is the highly-regarded second wine of Chateau Montrose, the St. Estephe deuxième cru (second growth). Montrose has a little more than 90ha of vines, the entire site overlooking the Gironde. The vineyard is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Around 50% (or less) of the crop goes to make the grand vin and around 30% (or more) goes into La Dame de Montrose. (The rest is used elsewhere or sold in bulk.) In good years La Dame de Montrose is considered a bargain, in the best years it stands alone as a great wine. The Dame de Montrose herself is the late Yvonne Charmolüe, who ran the estate from 1944 to 1960.
