$100 and over
Chateau Grand Puy Ducasse
Replantings and an upgrade of the winery and cellars, has resulted in the gradual recognition of this oft-overlooked wine producer. The upgrades have helped fine tune wines that are produced from potentially stunning fruit, sourced from a vineyard that sits on gravel between Batailley, Lafite-Rothschild and Mouton-Rothschild in Pauillac. The blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot spends time in mostly older wood and is known for its juiciness, fleshy texture and ability to be drunk at a relatively young age.
Pavie Decesse
Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 750MLx6
John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon is made in small quantities from the best fruit grown on legendary terra rossa soil. Made only in great vintages with the top 1% of the harvest. The wine expresses balanced acidity and tannic structure and is the perfect addition to grilled and roasted pork and fire-grilled veggies.
Château La Mission Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan
Regarded by many as a candidate for wine of the 2009 Bordeaux vintage. A huge accolade indeed for La Mission Haut-Brion considering the quite phenomenal wines being released. The 2009 can boast a colour that is almost impenetrable and a exciting bouquet of blackberry, truffles and spicy earth. The concentration of the palate is something to behold itself. A vinosity that is hard to find elsewhere, the flavours in the mouth follow on from the nose in nice order, yet the sheer power of the wine quite extraordinary. Layers of flavours continue throughout the palate and continue well into its length. Will no doubt be in short supply as all clamour to get a piece of this Bordeaux masterpiece.
Château Margaux
A 1st Growth of the highest order, Château Margaux is one of the original 1st growths classified in the Médoc and is arguably the most important of the region. Producing only some 33,000 cases of predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaux consistently produces wines that are among the finest examples of the vintage. 2009 is regarded as one of the finest in recent memory in the region and 'normal' wines form the Margaux appellation are being heralded as truly exceptional. One can only speculate how magnificent the Château Margaux will be in 15-20 years time, if one can be patient enough!
Château Pape Clement
Planted in 1300, the estate is the oldest planted vineyard in the Pessac-Léognan appellation, ranked among the Premiers Crus for red wine in the Classification of Graves wine of 1959.
Vieux-Chateau-Certan
Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon
Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon is the beacon of quality that all Australian Cabernet Sauvignon is compared to. Coming off the iconic red soils of Coonawarra, Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon is classic elegance. Chief winemaker, Sue Hodder, is able to craft a wine brimming with aromas of blackcurrant and plum that combine with spicy minty notes. The palate is well structured, long and fine. With the right cellaring condition, this could easily be a cellar gem.
Château Pavie Macquin
From a 37-acre vineyard, Château Pavie Macquin is stunningly situated on the clay-limestone plateau of Saint-Émilion on the right bank of Bordeaux. 2010 has produced a formidable wine: a blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is a top release of the harvest year and a highlight from St-Émillion in 2010. Tannins, restraint and inward concentration are motifs, this is a wine for the patient, sophisticated collector who wishes to embellish a cellar with pedigree wines that need time and maturity to come to the fore.
Le Pin
One of the most expensive Bordeaux wines - and indeed, one of the priciest anywhere - Le Pin is a surprisingly recent arrival on the global stage, with its first vintage having been produced just decades ago in 1979. Originally priced at a modest 700 francs, the praise garnered by the 1982 vintage propelled Le Pin into the global limelight, with sales from that point on par with - or exceeding - those of First Growth Bordeaux wines. An exotic style of Bordeaux, Le Pin possesses a resplendent, lavish mouth-feel with intensely ripe fruit aromas and hints of smoke on the palate.
