Connoisseur

A rare and sublime wine.A colour of golden hay, a bouquet that is sheer Krug, enhanced with Chardonnay elan. Characterised by crispness, freshness and vivacity allied to the richness (nuttiness with hints of honey) of great Chardonnay wines.

 "Krug's 1998 Clos du Mesnil achieves a striking balance of power and elegance. Clos du Mesnil is always a more detailed, finely sculpted wine than the Vintage, as it is again in 1998. Although the fruit is incredibly primary and dense today, the mousse is extraordinarily finessed. While the 1998 Clos du Mesnil requires further cellaring, its first-rate pedigree is amply evident at this early stage. Clos du Mesnil is a Blanc de Blancs (Chardonnay) that emerges from a walled-in parcel in the village of Mesnil. Along with Clos d'Ambonnay, Clos du Mesnil is unique among the Krug wines in that... Read more »

LATEST RELEASE: AUSTRALIA'S MOST FAMOUS WINE - VERY LIMITED

Grange is arguably Australia's most famous wine and is officially listed as a Heritage Icon of South Australia. Grange boasts an unbroken line of vintages from the experimental 1951 and clearly demonstrates the synergy between Shiraz and the soils and climates of South Australia. Penfolds Grange displays fully-ripe, intensely-flavoured and textured Shiraz grapes in combination with new American oak. The result is a unique Australian style that is now recognised as one of the most consistent of the world's great wines. The Grange style is the original and most powerful expression of Penfolds multi-vineyard, multi-district blending philosophy.

BENCHMARK GRAND CRU CHABLIS FROM A TOP PRODUCER

Notes of vanilla and pain grillé frame noticeably ripe white and yellow fruit aromas textured, almost chewy full-bodied flavours that are rich, round and sweet and culminate in stony and vibrant finish. This does a slow build from the mid-palate on back and despite the impressive intensity, this remains elegant and refined in every aspect.

BAROLO: THE 'WINE OF KINGS' AND THE 'KING OF ITALIAN WINES'

"The 2003 Barolo Brunate is sweet, pure and beautiful in its expression of dark fruit, tobacco, menthol and toasted oak.This poised, nuanced Barolo reveals outstanding length, well-integrated tannins and a judicious use of French oak, with a long, lingering finish. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019." - 92/100: Robert Parker

ITALY'S SECOND MOST HIGHLY-AWARDED WINERY AFTER GAJA.

In a little less than a decade, Giorgio Rivetti, co-owner and winemaker of La Spinetta in Barbaresco, has become one of the leading forces in Piedmont. He's making exciting ripe, fruit-forward Nebbiolos that would give many highly rated New World wines a run for their money. - The Wine Spectator

"This rare production shows a combination of the fruit forward character from Gallina, spice and licorice from Starderi, and tannic structure and power of Valeirano all in one blend. Pairings: ideal with grilled food, sauced and elaborate red meat and wild game, or just to be enjoyed by itself."

"ONE OF THE TOP PRODUCERS OF RED CORTON" Alan Meadows; Burghound

Exuberant and filled with red fruit; the mouthfeel is suave and persistent. But still very structured and ideally wants some more time in the cellar.

91/100: Stephen Tanzer

Good full red. Ripe aromas of cherry, raspberry, rose petal and smoked meat, with a floral topnote. Rich, broad and sweet; this is fat with cherry, floral and mineral flavor without being at all weighty. Perhaps less precise and delicate than the Ruchottes but this really coats the mouth. The finishes is long and floral, with very fine tannins.

THE WORLD'S MOST SOUGHT-AFTER SUPER - TUSCAN!

93/100: Stephen Tanzer

93/100: Robert Parker

Appealing smoky, minerally aromas of red cherry, blackcurrant and plum, with a hint of truffle. Quite suave on entry, then smooth and fine-grained, with good mineral lift to the decidedly sweet red fruit flavors. This broad, rich and supple wine boasts tremendous length and silky-sweet tannins. A great Sassicaia that falls roughly between the '88 and the '85 in style at the similar stage of development.

PERHAPS THE ULTIMATE EXPRESSION OF WHITE BURGUNDY

Here you have one of the ultimate expressions of regal, white Burgundy. Fine citrus nose with beautiful flint and honeysuckle aromas. Rich and concentrated with delicious butterscotch and tarte tatin notes followed by a fine mineral and citrus finish. One of the most thrilling whites of the vintage.

"I FORGET THE NAME OF THE PLACE; I FORGET THE NAME OF THE GIRL; BUT THE WINE… WAS CHAMBERTIN." - HILAIRE BELLOC

"The hue is deep with an intense ruby colour. Flavours are opulent and earthy. They evoke black cherry, bitter chocolate then liquorice, black truffle and underbrush. With its massive backbone of velvety tannins in near perfect balance, it has great potential for ageing." - Winemaking Notes

Power, structure and graceMade a couple of years after the château's legendary owner, Bruno Prats, sold it to the Taillan group, this is a charming, mid-weight Cos with plenty of typical spice and herbal notes. Drinking deliciously now.

There were some glorious wines from the 1998 vintage though the spotlight was much more on the wines of St Emilion and Pomerol than the Left Bank. The wines of the Medoc were initially underrated but time has shown that the châteaux with the finest terroir, like Cos d'Estournel, which is undoubtedly the leading producer in St Estephe, made wines that over time have developed into complex and high-quality wines that were well worth the wait.

CH PETRUS IS ONE OF THE WORLD'S RAREST AND MOST EXPENSIVE WINES

Pétrus is extraordinarily rich, powerful and concentrated, often with characteristics of chocolates, truffles, Asian spices and ultra-ripe, creamy, black fruits. Petrus is usually approachable after a decade or so in bottle, but the wines from the very greatest years will continue improving for many more years.

"The dark plum/ruby-tinged 2004 Petrus possesses high acidity as well as copious amounts of sweet cherries and black currants intermixed with hints of cola, earth, and truffles. Deep, medium-bodied, concentrated, ripe flavors are excruciatingly firm and tannic. This backward, structured, muscular Pomerol requires a decade of cellaring, but it possesses the potential to be the longest lived wine of the vintage, lasting 30-40... Read more »

EXTRAORDINARY GRAND CRU BURGUNDY "There is a glorious sense of completeness and energy. Waves of velvet ripple across the palate."

"Very sophisticated and expansive. Outstanding."
- The Burgundy Briefing

"With an extraordinary intensity of fruit, including a succulent dollop of blackberry, this wine has a very impressive, deep red-black colour. The harmonious bouquet reveals well-integrated oak whilst the ever-present tannins are dominated by succulent fruit. Marvellously intense, this is a dynamic and vibrant wine."

"Moderate new wood frames very ripe black raspberry and cherry aromas that are exceptionally fresh and dissolve into rich, suave and very pure full-bodied flavours that are wonderfully seductive as they ooze dry extract that renders the otherwise... Read more »

Perfumed, Powerful, Intense Chateauneuf-du-PapeOne of the vintage's blockbusters is the 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes, with even higher alcohol (16.2%) than the 2007. It offers lovely notes of black fruits, truffle oil, roasted meats, beef blood, black raspberries, abundant kirsch, and a hint of roasted Provencal herbs. On a much faster evolutionary track than the 2007, it is a layered, multi-dimensional effort displaying a finish that lasts nearly 60 seconds. Some unresolved tannins in the finish suggest this wine should be cellared for 2-3 years, and consumed over the following two decades.
- 95/100 Robert Parker

Deep red. Sexy, pinot-like red fruits and minerals on the nose, with a suave floral overtone. Lush raspberry and cherry preserve flavors are enlivened by zesty minerality and framed by silky tannins,... Read more »

Rare Burgundy from vines averaging 95+ years of age"As with the '07 examples, the nose is quite similar to its '06 counterpart though here the fruit is denser and perhaps ever so slightly riper and leads to serious, driving, vibrant and superbly well balanced concentrated and broad-shouldered flavors blessed with plenty of dry extract and well-integrated wood. A terrific example that is built to age. Recommended and very promising."
- 93/100 Burghound

Producer François Labet says that 2006 is a "vintage that is the definition of pinot without excess. There is very pure fruit, elegant mouth feel and tannins and ultimately, wines of pleasure. Yes, 2005 is a better vintage but the difference isn't nearly as much as people presently believe though the '06s will drink well earlier. We began picking... Read more »

A CLASSIC AND POWERFUL CHATEAU LATOUR

"The wine of the vintage, Latour's 2004 boasts a dense purple color as well as a classic nose of ink, black currants, sweet cherries, crushed rocks, and minerals. Even though it is aged in 100% new French oak, there is not a hint of woodiness. It possesses a beautiful texture, moderately high tannin, fabulous concentration, and a long, full-bodied finish. A brilliant wine from this vintage, it should be at its apogee between 2013-2035. Kudos to everyone at Latour!"

95/100 Robert Parker

Bright ruby-red. Classic aromas of currant, plum, graphite and minerals. Suave and smooth in the mouth, with a compelling sweetness and lushness for the vintage. At once easygoing and wonderfully complex, conveying a powerful soil... Read more »

Chateau d'Yquem is the Gold Standard for sweet winesThis legendary Sauternes from Bordeaux is famed for its extraordinary taste, quality and longevity.

"A sensational Yquem, 1997 may be this estate's finest effort since 1990 (although I would not discount the 1996 turning out to be nearly as good). The 1997's light gold color is accompanied a gorgeous perfume of caramel, honeysuckle, peach, apricot, and smoky wood. Full-bodied and unctuously-textured, with good underlying acidity as well as loads of sweetness and glycerin, it looks to be a great vintage for this renowned Sauternes estate. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2055."
- 96/100 Robert Parker; The Wine Advocate
- 95/100 Wine Spectator