With the estate itself dating back to 1772, and the logo taking inspiration from an ancient connection to the Knights Templars history in the Pomerol region, Chateau Gazin is steeped in both winemaking and national history. Sharing borders with Petrus and LEvangile, it more than holds its own among its distinguished peers! It has been in the possession of the same family since 1917, with the most recent descendent, Nicolas de Bailliencourt assuming control in 1988. Under de Bailliencourts watchful eye, the Chateau has abolished machine harvesting, making a return to hand-picking, and producing lower overall yields.

Product Information: From legendary producer Screaming Eagle. The 2017 Jonata Fenix Bordeaux Blend, comprised of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. It's heady and perfumed with an intoxicating nose pulling you in with notes of ripe black fruit, almond brioche and violets. Its generous and luxurious fruit saturates the palate. A wine of breadth and power that also boasts a truly silky texture. Powerful but stays buoyant and lively through the finish. The final blend is 40% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot. The oak regime is typically 60% new French oak, 40% twice used French oak (225L). Maker: Owned by the iconic Screaming Eagle, JONATA wines are on the vanguard of an emerging quality movement in California winegrowing. The Ballard Canyon AVA is located within the greater Santa Ynez Valley appellation. As California’s Central Coast most notable emerging locations, JONATA’s sandy site and its team’s winegrowing know-how have produced results that are widely recognised as the best ever seen from this region. Dedicated to expressing a range of red—and a handful of white—wines from its estate in the Central Coast of California’s Ballard Canyon appellation within Santa Ynez Valley, Jonata is one of a new breed of producers throughout the world who are thriving with a non-traditional amalgam of varieties and blends. With a commitment in particular to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, and informed by cutting edge viticulture, winemaking and a polyface approach to their estate, the Jonata wines are on the vanguard of an emerging quality movement in California winegrowing. Jonata is dedicated to sustainability from the inside out; a principled approach to farming. With its use of polyface farming—as first introduced to America by Michael Pollan in his book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”—Jonata integrates and revolves livestock (chickens, turkeys, goats, pigs and sheep) in their farming model, which naturally enhances the soil and health of their land not to mention that of the critters themselves and the Jonata community! We maintain a large communal garden and an orchard that produces our own estate olive oil along with honey from bees raised on the ranch. Water is used judiciously and with precision. Herbicides and pesticides don’t even enter the conversation. Vineyard: 2017 had a went winter that broke the drought, giving the soils a good drink. Yet it was certainly a year with some of the smallest yields and earliest harvest dates for Jonata (with a few of the first picks coming in mid-August). There were great growing conditions in June and July before a suddenly cool August. Some early harvest prior to the warm periods graced blends with freshness and structural integrity. Some select blocks were picked after the heat had passed, fleshing out the wines with density and power. The combination of these characteristics resulted in wines of purity, balance and complexity. Nose - Perfumed, New Leather, Blackberry Preserve Heady and perfumed with an intoxicating nose that immediately pulls you in with notes of ripe black fruit, almond brioche and violets. Palate - Generous Fleshy Fruit, Espresso Notes, Silky Texture Ripe, fleshy, full-bodied, and loaded with fruit, it still shows the vintage’s more elegant, classic style. Finish - Plum, Chocolate, Ground Herbs A wine of breadth and power that also boasts a truly silky texture. Stays buoyant and lively through the finish.

A true "Super Tuscan" Lamaione was first made in 1991 from Merlot grapes planted in the vineyard that carries it's name in the 1970's. With its marine clay-rich soils and south-western exposure, the Lamaione vineyard is located 300 metres above sea level. The grapes were carefully selected, hand-picked and placed in crates. Once at the cellar, the grapes were destemmed and sorted by hand. Fermentation took place at a controlled temperature in steel tanks. The wine was then aged for 24 months in 80% new French oak barriques, followed by further ageing period of 12 months in the bottle. The sunlight and heat during the year give the Lamaione wine extraordinary strength and richness. It has an intense and impenetrable ruby-red colour. The nose reveals wonderful hints of cherry jam and plum. Notes of rhubarb, graphite, dark chocolate, liquorice and roasted coffee are also intriguing. It is plush and well-rounded when tasted, dense while silky-smooth at the same time, the tannins and length are truly remarkable.

The Vieux Château Certan estate has existed since the mid-1700s, though the date of establishment is unknown. Like all of the wines in the Pomerol Appellation, Vieux Château Certan is not classified but is widely regarded as one of the great growths of the region and one of the worlds great wines.

Two words come to mind when you mention great Australian Merlot. Jim Irivne. Jim's Grand Merlot is the benchmark of complex and elegant Merlot in Australia and his Eden Valley vineyards are the perfect place to produce this iconic wine.