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In the upper echelon of 2nd Growth estates, Chateau Cos D''Estournel is located in St-Estephe appelltion, on the fringe of Paulliac and notably just north of the famed Lafite vineyards. Tourists flock to the Medoc estate to see the unusual, Asian-inspired Chateau design, but the wines hold their own and rightfully are considered the finest within St-Estephe. Oak is set to around 80% new barrels while alcohol is a modest 14.5%; the blend in 2010 is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon with 19% Merlot and complimentary Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot in tow. A wine for thirty or so years.

The Catena family is entering its second century of winemaking in Mendoza, Argentina. Named after Nicolas Catena Zapata's youngest daughter, the Adrianna Vineyard is located at almost 5,000 feet elevation in Mendoza. The soils in this 1.4 hectare parcel are filled with scattered limestone and marine deposits that covered the region millions of years ago. 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.

As often happens with Calvert, the nose when young is slightly muted and more direct than exotic; pure and fine aromas, not bold and lush. The palate follows on accordingly, with clarity of fruit, roses and florals. Focussed, concentrated yet pure in the mid-palate, with its hallmark mineral texture, its firm but ultimately juicy on the finish. The vines are growing up and were seeing the puppy-fat turn to muscle.

Bin 707 is a Cabernet Sauvignon reflection of Grange, intensely-flavoured fruit, completion of fermentation and maturation in new oak, expressing a Penfolds understanding of multi-vineyard, multi-region fruit sourcing. Bin 707 was first vintaged in 1964. The wine was not made from 1970 to 1975 when fruit was directed to other wines, nor in 1981, 1995, 2000, 2003 or 2011 (when fruit of the required style and quality was not available). Full bodied and with proven cellaring potential, Bin 707 retains a secure place among the ranks of Australias finest Cabernets.

Bahans Haut Brion is the second wine of the famous Chateau Haut Brion of Pessac Léognan and is usually excellent buying, at only a fraction of the price of its bigger brother. Fruit forwards, soft round stylish offering hints of figs, plums, black currants, cherries and minerals.. Soft with supple tannins.

Based on Cabernet, Sassicaia is one of the first Italian reds to be made in the image of Bordeaux. In the late 1990s Sassicaia was granted its own DOC, the only wine from a single vineyard to enjoy this privilege.

Henschke's flagship Cabernet is named after the late Cyril Henschke who purchased the Eden Valley property in the 1960s. Stephen and Prue Henschke then established the vineyard with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc vines which produces this intensely perfumed Cabernet. Matured in 100% new French oak for 18 months, this exceptional wine shows blackcurrant and cedar characters balanced with superb fine grained tannin.

Torbrecks flagship wine, The Laird Shiraz is only produced in exceptional years. The fruit comes from one of the finest Shiraz sites in the Barossa valley; the dry grown Gnadenfrei vineyard dating from 1958. Matured for 36 months in special French barriques coopered by Dominique Laurent, the Laird is the ultimate expression of ultra-concentrated single vineyard Barossa Shiraz.