New Arrivals

95 Points - Antonio Galloni 

The 2014 Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert Cuvée (Sonoma Coast) is fabulous. Bright, focused and nuanced, the 2014 offers striking purity and exceptional overall balance. Dark red and purplish berries, mint, lavender, sage, licorice and white flowers are all super-expressive today. The St. Robert Cuvée is the most lifted and airy of the Raen Pinots. The lifted, gracious style is hugely appealing.

98 Points - James Suckling

This has a perfect nose of blackberry, tar, black pepper, thyme, cloves and rose petal. Full body and firm and very silky and polished tannins. The finish goes on for minutes. Best ever. Great class. 92% carmenere and 8% petit verdot. Drink in 2019 but so gorgeous now.

Made from original 1969 plantings and 1980 cuttings from the original vines at Yarra Yering. A highly individual style, reflecting its single vineyard origin A little ginger cream spice and texture from barrel maturation and fermentation add layers, depth and intrigue while the fresh line of acidity drives the palate prolonging the fruit flavour.

97 Points - James Halliday

A cabernet sauvignon-dominant blend, with lesser amounts of merlot, malbec and petit verdot. Excellent hue and depth; this is a top-flight No. 1, fully reflecting the excellent vintage; the flavours are bold and luscious, yet the wine never threatens to lose its shape; first there is the multi-variety complexity, second the perfectly balanced ripe tannins. It almost seems superfluous to mention the new French oak, but it, too, helps weld the wine into its utterly coherent whole.

97 Points - James Halliday

A 70/15/10/5% blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec and petit verdot planted in '69, matured for 20 months in 100% new French barriques. Deep crimson-purple, it proclaims its regal birth with the first whiff of the bouquet, the first sip of the palate. Always great, this medium to full-bodied wine pushes past previous vintages with the sheer perfection of its flavour profile, mouthfeel, and, above all else, its balance.

98 Points - James Halliday

A blend of cabernet sauvignon (dominant), merlot, malbec and petit verdot. Fabulous colour, deep crimson; the bouquet is so intense it sets the antennae waving furiously. The palate is an essay. Sheer, unadulterated power; the four components have bonded so symbiotically and synergistically with each other, and the 100% new French oak, it will be a decade at the very least before the wine opens up to display the intricacy of its inner workings. When it does, this wine may emerge as the greatest of the vintage.

98 Points - James Halliday

Shiraz, with a small percentage of mataro, was co-fermented with viognier and marsanne. While the colour is not particularly deep, the fragrance of the wine is exceptional, the intensity of the juicy spray of red fruits on the vibrant palate even more so. This is an iron fist in a velvet glove, the flavours lingering long after the wine has been swallowed. The inheritance of the late Bailey Carrodus is being carefully guarded.

95 Points - James Halliday

No mlf. A semillon-based white Bordeaux style. While already very complex, toasty and full-bodied, its acidity (left intact by the exclusion of mlf) slices through the palate like King Arthur's sword, and giving the illusion of green lemon and herb/green capsicum flavours. Will be fascinating to watch its development.

Bright red cherry perfume with aniseed sweet spices. A medium-bodied yet powerful style featuring a bright cherry ripe velvety palate layered with spices and smoky tannins. Elegance combines with concentration, showing the characteristic of this individual site and featuring crisp natural acidity

One of the original twenty-six Grandes Marques Champagne Houses, Champagne Ayala was acquired by the Bollinger family in 2005 and remains the archetype of a great Champagne House.

100% Cabernet Franc and the colour is incredibly striking – Blood orange / copper.  Both the nose and the palate evoke a big bowl of summer fruits – strawberries and raspberries, although the acidity is present to add balance and freshness. The additional bottle age adds depth and complexity which is often missing with Rosé wines. Wonderful persistency, much preferred over MIP’s ‘Classic’ and a steal at the price...

16.5 Points - Jancis Robinson -

‘Lively green fruit and easy. What’s not to like?!’

The weighty mid-palate also shows peachy ripeness along with crisp acid minerality that gives the wine a refreshing cleansing quality. This wine is delightful as an aperitif, and even better to drink with fish and shellfish.

97+ Points - Antonio Galloni

The 2006 Comtes de Champagne is striking, especially in the way it brings together elements of ripeness and freshness in a hypothetical blend of the 2002 and 2004. Smooth and creamy on the palate, the 2006 is all about texture. There is a real feeling of density and weight in the 2006, qualities I expect to see grow with time in the bottle. All the elements fall into place effortlessly. The 2006 has been nothing short of magnificent both times I have tasted it. Comtes de Champagne remains the single best value (in relative terms) in tête de cuvée Champagne. I suggest buying a case and following it over the next 20-30 years, which is exactly what I intend to do. There is little doubt the 2006 Comtes de Champagne is a magical Champagne in the making.

Twelftree Wines is a limited and exclusive collection of premium handcrafted single vineyard wines, guided from vine to bottle by Michael Twelftree himslef.

92 Points - Lisa Perrotti-Brown (erobertparker.com)

Very deep purple-black in color, the 2010 Twelftree Blewitt Springs Shiraz is intensely scented of black plums and red plum compote with nuances of crushed blueberries, menthol and chargrilled meat. Very big, bold and weighty in the mouth, the voluptuous flesh is structured with medium to firm tannins and balanced acid, finishing long with some spiciness coming through.

A serious food wine that shows what a wonderful marriage these three varietals make if blended with balance in mind! The perfect wine to pair with any dish in the realm of barbecued or grilled red, but also a fantastic companion for earthier dishes such as herb-roasted lamb or duck risotto.

90 Points - Robert Parker

The 2002 Shiraz/Grenache/Mataro Brave Faces possesses a dense ruby/purple color in addition to gorgeous aromatics consisting of blackberries, cherries, licorice, and spice. Plump, full-bodied, velvety-textured, and opulent, it will provide a hedonistic mouthful of Australian red.

Jeb Dunnuck (erobertparker.com)

“I continue to be blown away by the quality coming from Domaine de la Bila Haut, which is run with the Chapoutier team. They’ve continued to grow these Roussillon releases, and even at the entry-level price point, the quality is stunning. The straight Les Vignes de Bila Haut is a no-brainer purchase.” 

Only 120 cases produced.

96 Points - James Halliday
 
Excellent colour and clarity; although only medium bodied, has considerable intensity and complexity, with rippling red and black fruits, and fine tannins on the long finish; the acidity, too, is perfect.

91-94 Points - Robert Parker

Tasted from tank prior to bottling, the 2002 Dry Bore Shiraz appears to be a winner. This 100% Shiraz from both the Eden and Barossa Valleys was aged 24 months in small French and American foudres. A dense purple color is followed by gorgeous aromas of creme de cassis, and full-bodied, full-throttle, well-balanced blackberry and currant flavors intermixed with licorice, tar, and pepper.

91-93 Points - Robert Parker

The 2003 Shiraz Dry Bore is a full-throttle effort aged 24 months in a combination of French and American hogsheads. Its opaque ruby/purple color is accompanied by aromas of loamy soil, pepper, herbs, black currants, and berries. Spicy, rich, slightly rustic, but impressively endowed, it should drink well for a decade or more.

In 25 vintages the Leaconfield Cabernet has developed an envious reputation for its commitment to the highest quality. The maturity of the vineyard combined with the Terra Rossa soils and underlying limestone produce richly flavoured wines with wonderful depth and elegance at relatively low alcohol (13.5% for both Cabernet and Shiraz in 2002).

93 Points - Robert Parker

The 2002 Ironstone Pressings GSM may be the finest example of this cuvee I have yet tasted. A blend of 75% Grenache, 20% Shiraz, and 5% Mourvedre, its deep ruby/purple color is accompanied by an explosive perfume of dried herbs, black fruits, ground pepper, licorice, and old oak. This full-bodied, powerful, opulent blend boasts loads of fruit, wonderfully sweet glycerin, and a long finish with outstanding purity, definition, and structure.

92 points - Jeb Dunnuck (erobertparker.com)

Another terrific vintage for this cuvee, the Syrah and Grenache-dominated 2014 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Latour de France Occultum Lapidem was harvested between the 12th of September and the 3rd of October with miniscule yields of 28 hectoliters per hectare. Completely destemmed and aged all in concrete tanks, its ruby opaque color is followed by complex notes of garrigue, leather, plums and violets. Medium to full-bodied, elegant and layered, with a great texture, this fruit-forward, balanced Roussillon is already hard to resist, but will continue drinking nicely for 6-7 years.

94 Points - Antonio Galloni

The 2013 Zinfandel Geyserville is every bit as fabulous from bottle as it was from barrel last year. Ripe and voluptuous on the palate - yet with a super-classic conception of structure, the 2013 offers superb depth and impeccable overall balance. Waves of dark red cherry, pomegranate, spice, tobacco lead to more savory/ferrous notes that develop in the glass. Saline notes give the 2013 much of its energy and vivacity. This is a tremendous effort from Ridge.

Izway wines was conceived on a handshake between two Aussie wine makers in a château in Beaujolais. Brian Conway and Craig Isbel met during vintage at Château de Bluizard in 2002 and after many nights drinking pastis they decided to start their own winery in the Barossa Valley. Their wine making is minimalistic to put it mildly and based on old world, hands on techniques.

‘Bruce’ Shiraz was the first wine ever made by Izway in 2003 with only 1 barrel produced. The 2009 Bruce is dark and moody and perfectly represents the harvest conditions. Herbal and leafy notes combine with rosemary roasted lamb and whole bunch fermentation. The brackish palate is complex and intriguing; salted dark chocolate and liquorice emerges as the wine opens up.

A dark and powerful wine that is pure Barossa. Only 575 cases produced.

95 Points - Jeb Dunnuck (erobertparker.com)

The 2013 Syrah Lagniappe is a drop dead gorgeous Syrah that does everything right. Its almost opaque purple color is followed by a complex, layered bouquet that includes ample black and blue fruits, ground pepper, lavender, olive and hints of bacon fat. This gives way to a medium to full-bodied, layered, silky 2013 that has a great mid-palate, juicy acidity and a great finish. I’d happily drink it today, but it should be at its best from 2018-2028.

The cool and extended 2002 ripening season has seen the development of concentrated dark berry flavours and lifted fruit spice. The fruit is soft and full on the palate leading to a long lingering finish. Careful cellaring will see these characteristics develop wonderfully in the bottle. ABV 13.5%

95 Points - Antonio Galloni

The 2013 Lytton Springs has really come together over the last year, far exceeding my early expectations. Powerful and explosive in the glass, the 2013 boasts tons of inky blue/purplish fruit, mocha, spices, new leather, lavender and licorice. Readers will have to give the Lytton Springs at least a few years to shed some baby fat, but it is nearly impossible to resist, even at this early stage. Once again, the team at Ridge has produced an absolutely compelling Lytton Springs. The 16% Petite Sirah in the blend adds an unmistakable air of gravitas.

91-93 Points - Jay S Miller (erobertparker.com)

The 2005 Shiraz 1928 is opaque purple-colored with an expressive bouquet of cedar, pencil lead, mineral, violets, tar, blueberry, and blackberry. This is followed by a medium-to full-bodied wine with gobs of ripe fruit, spicy black fruit flavors already exhibiting complexity, a harmonious personality, and a lengthy, fruit-filled finish.

94 Points - Jeb Dunnuck (erobertparker.com)

Readers looking for a killer Syrah to purchase to see what Washington is all about couldn't do any better than a bottle of the 2013 Columbia Valley Syrah from Gramercy. Possessing lots of gamy, olive, peppery, lavender and salted meats, with a core of ripe plum and darker fruits, this beauty is full-bodied, supple, polished and utterly seamless, with no hard edges and a clean, focused finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. Buy this beauty by the case and drink it over the coming decade.

93 Points - Wine Enthusiast 

Made by Dan Standish, this resembles the wines under his own label in its sense of elegance and proportion. It's big, but not too big, with intriguing aromas of smoke, blueberries and pepper, followed up by flavors of blueberry, cherry and spice. Drink now-2020.

95 Points - Jay Miller (robertparker.com)

The 2004 Shiraz “H.J. Reserve” was aged for two years in 100% new French oak. It was sourced from the estate’s 65-year-old vineyard with a minuscule yield of 1 ton per acre. Opaque purple, it has an enticing bouquet of toasty oak, smoke, saddle leather, espresso, mocha, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. Medium to full-bodied and opulent, the wine has super-succulent black and blue fruit flavors, well-concealed tannins, and a very long, 60-second finish. Because of its superb balance, it will evolve for at least a decade and provide pleasure through 2030. However, for those unable to delay gratification, it will make a great companion to a giant slab of prime rib.

92-94 Points - Jay S Miller (erobertparker.com)

The 2005 Shiraz 1914 is similarly styled to the 1928, but with slightly greater depth and concentration. It can be enjoyed over the next 10-15 years.

Fresh Asian pear and honeysuckle with hints of fresh papaya. The reduced yields and early ripening make the 2015 their most stunning vintage of Estate Roussane since debuting the wine in 2012.

92 Points - Wine Enthusiast

There's no mistaking the variety, with plentiful aromas of fresh herb and cherry alongside vanilla and light barrel accents. The dark fruit flavors are supple with a mesmerizing texture and an exquisite balance that extends through the coffee-filled finish. The attention to detail throughout is impressive, especially for a wine at this price.

Below the Cabernet vines, an old cave was originally tunneled into the limestone rock in 1916, which is presently being restored to become a wine cellar. The Cabernet grown on this limestone is known for its rich, rounded and velvety texture and longevity.

92 Points - James Halliday Very good colour; blackcurrant, blackberry, chocolate and sweet earth; good length, lingering savoury tannins.

95 points - Jeb Dunnock (eRobertParker.com)

Starting off the single vineyard efforts, the 2012 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Latour de France Visitare Interiore Terrae (VIT) is a blend of mostly Syrah, with a small portion of Grenache, that comes from the schist soils around the town of Latour de France. It’s unfortunate that there are only 180 cases of this beauty to go around, as it offers a singular profile. Inky purple in color, with awesome black raspberry, liquid minerality, smoke and violets, it flows onto the palate with full-bodied richness, laser-like focus and superb concentration. Fleshing out with time in the glass, it should benefit from short-term cellaring and have upwards of two decades of longevity.

95 Points - Jay Miller (erobertparker.com)

The 2004 Shiraz “H.J. Reserve” was aged for two years in 100% new French oak. It was sourced from the estate’s 65-year-old vineyard with a minuscule yield of 1 ton per acre. Opaque purple, it has an enticing bouquet of toasty oak, smoke, saddle leather, espresso, mocha, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. Medium to full-bodied and opulent, the wine has super-succulent black and blue fruit flavors, well-concealed tannins, and a very long, 60-second finish. Because of its superb balance, it will evolve for at least a decade and provide pleasure through 2030. However, for those unable to delay gratification, it will make a great companion to a giant slab of prime rib.

The Lower East Southern Blend presents a complex nose of fresh raspberries, clove and bacon. On the palate it opens up with an array of juicy plums, blackberry which are complemented by stones, baking spices and tar. A compelling blend of fruit and earth, with a beautifully balanced acidity and satisfying meaty bite. Perfect match for slow roasted and braised meats!

Full-bodied and a step up in concentration levels compared to the Estate. The 2014 L’Avion is a remarkable wine and offers the same levels of richness found with Château Beaucastel’s Roussanne Vieilles Vignes. Lots of minerality, fruit, acidity and a finish which lasts for well over five minutes. In short, this is an extraordinary wine, perfectly proportioned which will offer you a rare glimpse of something very, very special.

90 Points - Jay Miller (erobertparker.com)

The 2007 Cabernet contains 5% Petit Verdot and was aged for 16 months in new and used French oak. Deep cherry red in color, it delivers a nose of smoke, violets, spice box, black currant, and blackberry. Nicely balanced and savory, this relatively forward Cabernet will evolve for 1-2 years and drink well from 2011 to 2019.

93 Points - James Halliday

Clear, bright red-purple; an attractive array of black and red fruits with ripples of spice and chocolate; much more structure than most, and no jammy characters; oak incidental; 80% Grenache; 20% Shiraz.

From the old Shiraz block running along the northern side of what used to be known as Ellen Street. Here vines with craggy, gnarled trunks provide small bunches of full flavoured grapes. After maturation in oak barrels, the Ellen Street Shiraz is bottles and cellared before release. Tremendous age-worthy wine, the old vintages of are still kept in a family cellar.

James Halliday “Dense red-purple; very ripe, almost essency, cherry and chocolate aromas come through strongly on the lusciously rich and ripe palate, with its abundant sweet cherry fruit and ripe tannins; oak is somewhere there in the mix. A redeeming feature is that the wine is (only) 14 degrees.”

94-97 Points - Jeb Dunnuck (eRobertParker.com)

More focused and delineated than the Les Granits release, the 2014 Saint Joseph le Clos comes from a mostly east-facing parcel that's located high up on the slope. Surprisingly, it’s an early ripening parcel that’s harvest in mid-September in most vintages. Crème de cassis, liquid rock, graphite and violets characteristics all flow to a full-bodied, structures and layered Saint Joseph that has uncommon density, concentration and depth. It will have two decades of longevity.

94 Points - Jay Miller (erobertparker.com)

The 2005 Grenache Kangarilla Vineyard is the most overtly fruity and flamboyant of the Grenache offerings. It offers up gobs of black raspberry and black cherry aromas and flavors in its layered, full-bodied personality. There are well concealed tannins which will allow it to have an extended drinking window.

91 Points - Stephan Reinhardt (erobertparker.com)

The 2015 Riesling Von Der Fels has been sourced from up to 30-year-old vines for two years, so it is based on ten-year older vines than in recent times to better express the chalky minerality. The wine opens pure, fresh and with crushed stone and bright, perfectly-ripe fruit aromas. Intense and lush on the palate, but well-organized and mineral, this Riesling from Keller's best vineyards reveals ripe and intense, yet still clear and fresh fruit flavors. It is a very elegant, vital and pretty expressive Riesling with tension, finesse and grip. The 2015 juiciness and intensity is as present as the the pronounced acidity, the remarkable concentration and lingering salinity. This is an excellent terroir Riesling.

90 Points - Robert Parker 

The 2001 Shiraz Stonehorse (400 cases were exported to the USA) is produced from a parcel of vines planted in 1962, aged in old American oak casks, and bottled unfiltered. It is an opaque blue/purple-colored effort with a honeyed perfume of blackberry liqueur intermixed with smoke, earth, truffles, and licorice.

97 Points - Jeb Dunnock (eRobertParker.com)

Similar in style to the hedonistically-styled Cuvee de l’Orée (especially when compared to the structured, mineral-laced l’Ermite), the 2014 Ermitage le Méal Blanc (aged in 10% new demi-muids) offers layers of celery seed, brioche, caramelized pineapple and citrus oil on the nose. Thick, rich, voluptuous and full bodied with a massive finish, drink this sensational white anytime over the coming two to three decades.

Deep purple/ruby color. Ripe blackberry fruit, cola, exotic spice, eucalyptus. Elegant entry; full body, with black currant fruit, dried herbs, firm acid; red fruit and sweet oak in a lingering finish.

92+ Points - Josh Raynolds

Glass-staining purple. Powerfully scented, exotic bouquet of dark berries, Indian spices, smoked meat and dark chocolate. Improbably fresh and lively, with deep but lithe blackberry, cassis and cocoa flavors. Becomes even more energetic on the finish, leaving behind a zesty trail of fresh red berries. I had to look hard to find the tannins. Very impressive shiraz: I was shocked to see that this wine as well as the Wrecked are packing 16% alcohol. This will reward cellaring, or at least a couple of hours in a decanter.

93 Points - Jay Miller (erobertparker.com)

The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Sandown Vineyard is sourced from 75-year-old vines. Opaque purple-colored, it is super-fragrant with an enticing bouquet of smoky oak, scorched earth, tar, black currant, and blackberry. Opulent on the palate, it has gobs of fruit as well as enough structure to evolve for a decade. It should have a 25 year lifespan and a lengthy drinking window.