Chris Ringland Hoffmann Vineyard Shiraz
The Hoffmann Vineyard wine is the result of close collaboration between winemaker Ringland and his friend, grape-grower Adrian Hoffmann, whose vineyard holdings occupy key sites in the Ebenezer sub-region of the northern Barossa. Robert Parker himself calls Ringland an international grandmaster of Shiraz. The Hoffmann Vineyard Shiraz is a tête de cuvée (literally head of the blend) style. Key parts of the vineyard, with vines between 60 and 100+ years old, are picked at different stages of ripeness, resulting in five separate two-tonne grape parcels ultimately filling 20 barrels. The final wine is a selection of the best four barrels. The annual make will never exceed 200 dozen. Its an essence-of-Shiraz style uncompromisingly rich and concentrated. The first vintage was 2006 and the wine has begun building a track record that will inevitably match that of the Barossa Ranges wine. Right now, you need to decant it 12 hours (or more) before serving to allow the fruit to come to the fore.
Chateau Haut-Brion Le Clarence de Haut-Brion
Since the 2007 vintage this has been the second wine of Chateau Haut-Brion. Its name (until the 2006 vintage) was Château Bahans Haut-Brion.
Castello Di Ama Vigneto Bellavista Gran Selizione
Bellavista is a single vineyard wine produced only in the very best years. The Bellavista vineyard comprises 22.82 hectares on an elevated plot with clay and gravel soils. A blend of Sangiovese with small amounts of Malvasia Nera, the wine undergoes a temperature controlled fermentation, pumping over and maceration over a 26 day period to build tannin structure. Following pressing, the wine is transferred to a mix of new and seasoned French oak barriques for 15 months maturation. Bellavista is typically a powerful yet profoundly elegant wine replete with red fruit, savoury earthy forest floor notes and polished tannins, with superb ageing potential.
Nicolas Catena Zapata
Mundus Bacillus Terrae
Yalumba The Caley Cabernet Shiraz
Yalumba The Caley Cabernet Shiraz is the pinnacle of a long winemaking journey of excellence, that rightfully honours one of Yalumbas most adventurous sons. A blend of Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon and Barossa Shiraz, The Caley is a classic marriage of two noble varieties and two great Australian wine regions.
Penfolds Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon
Penfolds' Block 42 vineyard is one of the most historic Cabernet vineyards in the world. Planted only 30 years after the 1855 Bordeaux Classification, Block 42 has the oldest plantings in the world that have continuously produced Cabernet Sauvignon. This unique history is harnessed by Peter Gago in the 2004 Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet that has produced a beautifully aromatic, perfectly balanced and ripe Cabernet Sauvignon. The fruit simply explodes across the palate, giving tremendous depth and length of flavour. While young, plush and full-bodied today, the Block 42 has many years of ageing ahead of it and will be comfortable in your cellar well into the 2020s.
Château l'Eglise-Clinet Pomerol
Château l'Eglise-Clinet is a much sought after Domaine within the right bank district of Bordeaux and can be hard to come by. A majority blend of Merlot to Cabernet delivers a wine of subtlety and plushness and due to the properties long planted vines, the ageability is second to none in the region. After not pulling out vines after the 1956 frost, this Château can boast some of the oldest vine material in Pomerol and that evidence can be found in the 2003 bottle of l'Eglise-Clinet which is still ageing gracefully in the bottle even after a difficult vintage due to heat.
Clos Mogador Priorat
Intense, mineral-accented aromas of cherry, cassis and violets. Juicy with sweet dark berry flavours, bitter chocolate and candied flowers. Powerful and vibrant with excellent balance and clarity. Fine-grained tannins lead a long, spicy, penetrating finish. It will age gracefully.
Domaine Confuron Cotetidot Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru
The Domaine is one of the best in Burgundy, crafting old school Burgundies with long maceration time and almost 2 years in barrels