Chateau Leoville-Las-Cases 2me cru classe
With one of the longest and most pedigreed histories in the Medoc region, Chateau Leoville-Las-Cases has passed through the hands of some of Frances most notable and wealthiest noble families, culminating in the Las Cases family - the final royal family to hold title to the Chateau. Up until the French Revolution, after which large portions of it were sold off, it was one of the largest vineyards in Bordeaux. Today, the estate remains family owned by the Delons, of which brother Jean Hubert and sister Genevieve manage proceedings. Famed for producing a wine of structure, power, and traditional style, the 2016 vintage has earned outstandingly high praise, including a score of 100 from Andrew Caillared and a 19/20 from Jancis Robinson who praised its extraordinary vitality and energy and proclaimed it glorious to taste now.
Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret Les Boudots 1er cru
This Premier Cru wine comes off a small plot of old vines on the Les Boudots 1er Cru vineyard in Nuits-St-Georges. Firm and robust, with distinct blackberry fruits and earthy nuances the wines pronounced slightly rustic tannins, lend it the structure to age gracefully for up to two decades.
Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron 2me cru classe
Chateau Pichon-Longueville Lalande 2me cru classe
The history of Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron is a tale of two estates. The chateau and vineyard known as Pichon Baron was given in dowry to the founders daughter when she married Jacques du Pichon Longueville. After the death of their descendent, the Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville, in 1850 the estate was again divided - on his deathbed, he gave what became Chateau Pichon Baron to the men of his family, and what became Chateau Pichon Lalande to the women - resulting in, some say, more masculine and sensuous styles of wine respectively! Between the 1960s and the 1980s, the estate went through a period of rather lacklustre production - however, since 1990, they have been producing, according to many, some of the best wines in their history. The 2016 has earned high praise and glowing comparisons to their legendary 1990 Pichon Baron.
CHATEAU SMITH-HAUT-LAFITTE Rouge Grand cru classe
Dating back over 800 years in the Bordeaux region, Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte is owned today by Daniel and Florence Cathiard. The estate also features a world class spa, which specialises in Vinotherapie - using grape extracts in many of their treatments. Up until the year 2000, the estate was not known for producing top quality wines, however in the capable hands of the Cathiard family and after over a decade of hard work and reinvention, the wines truly began to come into their own. It has been, in the words of Andrew Caillard, an astonishing ascendancy in the past 15 years, and given the sterling reviews the 2016 vintage has received, its trajectory seems set to continue its meteoric rise.
LES FORTS DE LATOUR Second wine of Chateau Latour
Domaine Du Comte Armand Clos des Epeneaux 1er cru Monopole
Clos des Epeneaux is considered one of the greatest red wines of Burgundy. Rich and highly expressive with profound depth, concentration and complexity, it possesses incredible longevity, particularly in magnum.
Paul Jaboulet Aine La Chapelle
Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret Les Petits Monts 1er cru
St Hallett Planted Shiraz
St Hallett Planted 1919 Shiraz Eden Valley St Halletts Planted 1919 is a new premium flagship wine for the heritage Barossa label. Made from vines over 100 years old, it honours the Centenarian vines of the Barossa and the growers who have tended them. The debut release of this cuvée is the 2015 Shiraz, dedicated to the Noack family, sixth-generation Barossa farmers who have cared for these vines for 30 years. Planted 1919 is striking in its intensity, surprising in its freshness, and utterly memorable. Its ageing potential knows no bounds. Fruit for this wine is hand-harvested and fermented as a single parcel, with skin contact for 10 days. It is matured for 18 months in 100% French oak (34% new), and then left to age for two further years in bottle. The result is a medium-to-full bodied Barossa red, rich with dense black fruits, dried herbs, white pepper and florals, leading to a lingering finish.