White

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.” 

  Decanter World Wine Awards: Bronze Medal 2014

Taking a thoroughly contemporary approach, Bella Modella offers the opportunity to sample affordable, stylish examples of modern Italy. Crisp, deliciously frothy and filled with ripe apple and citrus fruit character, this is the model of a perfect Prosecco.

Made in a semidried, Vin Santo style where the grapes are handpicked at optimum ripeness and acid balance, they are then placed on racks and dried before crushing and fermenting. This wine has no botrytis or fortification. Sublimely sweet and rich, bursting with pure pear, pineapple and cream aromas and flavours. A refined acid structure balances the sweetness to give a lingering, velvety finish.

The 2013 Estate Chardonnay offers notes of fresh peaches, pears and spiced apples with an undercurrent of baker's yeast. Light to medium-bodied, it is clean and fresh and yet with good primary fruit intensity, which should develop gracefully over the next 5-7 years.

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.

The 2015 is a blend of 85% Viura and 15% Malvasía from vines 50+ year-old-vines and raised in French (75%) and American (25%) oak barrels. The nose reveals an inviting perfume of mineral, melon and jasmine. The palate is dry, spicy, elegant, offering lots of ripe flours, beautifully balanced and finishes which is long and satisfying. White Rioja at this price does not get much better than this!

  Decanter Asia Wine Awards: Gold Medal 2015

“Exquisitely fresh, spellbinding seams of tangy grapefruit twist and squeeze through pristine grassy tones. Herbaceous shades inspire and elevate, whilst a cool, flinty contour arcs through greener lilts. Compelling and luxuriant yet showing perfectly judged restraint and synthesis between vital fruit and arresting acidity. Sonorous.”

The nose is quite serious and balanced showing moderate effect of the yeasts and oak, waxy aromas of apples, hints of honeycomb, fennel and licorice. The palate is quite fresh and surprisingly fruit-driven with good acidity and clean flavors. It's approachable and should also be able to age and improve in bottle for a few years. Quite impressed! 

94 points (99 points for value) - Stuart McCloskey

Quite a shock if truth be known as the quality here is incredibly high (given the price, not Deep Woods excellent winemaking skills). The nose is a little closed at first but unfolds nicely after 5-10 minutes in the glass. The palate offers ripe fruit all perfectly balanced with citrus notes and minerals. Immensely appealing and quite a remarkable wine for so little money. 

Fresh and lively with peach, pear and rocky mineral scents, the palate is layered with conference pear, green apple, white blossom, a touch of soft spice and a mineral freshness. There is considerable concentration and structure alongside a delicious salty quality leading to a long and elegant finish. This extremely appealing wine would partner well with almost any seafood dish.

91 Points - James Suckling

"This has a wonderful acid intensity with stone and lemon undertones. A linear and tight white. So focused that it is almost unforgiving. But the fruit density and purity brings it all together. Drink now."

Lagar de Cervera is La Rioja Alta S.A.'s property in Galicia and produces one of Spain's most distinctive whites. Situated in the north-west, it has established a reputation for producing superb wine of great depth and freshness. The 2016 vintage stands our for its aromatic intensity and zingy citrus flavours. The climatic conditions of the year, with heavy Spring rains followed by a Summer drought and high temperatures, concentrated the flavours. Some additional lees contact enhanced the density and complexity of the wine on the mid-palate whilst maintaining its freshness.

90 Points - Luis Gutierezz (erobertparker.com)

The just-bottled, screw-capped 2016 Felino Chardonnay was quite impressive. It's now produced exclusively with grapes grown in the Valle de Uco and was cropped from an unusual wet and cold growing season. It fermented with indigenous yeasts with full malolactic, with 15% of the volume put into neutral French oak barrels and bottled seven months after the harvest. It's very fresh and varietal, with a nose that mixes white flowers and fruit and a balsamic twist. The palate is fresh and sharp, elegant with very clean flavors, showcasing the minerality of the soils. Is this the finest Felino Chardonnay to date?

91 Points - Luis Gutierrez (erobertparker.com)

There is great purity and precision, a sharp Chardonnay with very little effect of the oak, just a spicy twist, a wine that incites you to drink with effervescent acidity that makes you salivate and cleanses your palate. Great, sharp Chardonnay.

A significant step up in quality compared to the ‘Estate’ wine – The nose has an intense and irresistible aroma of passion fruit and a whole array of ripe tropical fruit. The palate is equally intense on the entry and immediately expresses those ripe tropical fruits found on the nose. This is a fantastic wine from Vidal that rivals many ‘top’ Kiwi Sauvignon Blancs. Just delicious – no more, no less...

Bright, pure, elegant and refined; concentrated, yet light on the palate. The nose exhibits aromas of citrus and green apple with a chalky mineral complexity. The palate is crisp with flavours of grapefruit and hints of honeysuckle.

Skillfully blended by the team at first-growth Château Haut-Brion Clarendelle is a family of blended wines made from traditional Bordeaux grape varietals. Beautiful pale yellow colour. Very concentrated, round, rich, and wonderfully vivacious on the palate, with mineral overtones.

Floral, expressive nose and notes of apricot and peach on the palate with a lovely roundness and a fresh, refined finish. A stunning blend of Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Clairette, Roussanne and Viognier.

The leading producer in Rias Baixas widely recognised as one of Spain’s finest producers and frequently highlighted in The Wine Advocate reviews. The 2015 Albariño offers a great balance of power and finesse, with aromas of nectarine, fresh figs, orange zest and white flowers. Dry, citrus flavours and a mineral-driven finish, which expands and deepens on the tail end. Stunning!

92 Points - James Suckling

Very pretty depth of fruit with lemon, peach and pear character. Medium to full body, fresh acidity and a long and flavorful finish. Drink now.

Another amazing Riesling from the Alsace and an absolute steel to boot! Rolly Gassmann has a unique style and his wines are mini masterpieces. This Riesling is full of poise, elegance and ripeness. The nose has notes of lime fruit with honey, acacia and mineral undertones. The palate is where it comes into its own however; lush, ripe and voluptuous to the extreme.

17.75 / 20 Points – Decanter Panel
Individual judges’ scores:
John Livingstone-Learmonth 18,
Ben Llewelyn 17,
Marcel Orford-Williams 18

This beautiful organic chenin blanc shows the house style of Jeremie Mourat perfectly. It has a lovely floral character with gentle hints of honey, pear and apple. Ripe, yet crisp it has a freshness that balances the fruit flavours effortlessly. A delicious and well-structured wine that is more that worth its price-tag.

It has quite a forward, rich, generous bouquet with subtle honeysuckle and apricot notes merging with the apply aromas. The palate is fresh and crisp on the entry, a little grassiness at first, gently opening up to a gooseberry, nettle and green apple-flavored finish.

"The 2013 Chardonnay is a fabulous wine for the money. Lemon oil, white flowers and white pepper are all laced together in an impeccably balanced, layered Chardonnay long on class and personality. The 2013 is a blend of fruit from vineyards in Santa Barbara County and Paso Robles, done entirely in steel, with no malolactic fermentation. It is also one of the very best values in California Chardonnay readers will come across." Antonio Galloni

91 Points - James Halliday 

One hundred per cent chardonnay, spending two years on tirage/yeast lees, the wine has abundant peachy fruit, indeed more than expected, even though it was early-picked. There won't be too many complaints about that flavour.

 
Award winning Chardonnay, 94 Points from James Halliday and Trophy at the International Cool Climate Wine Awards

The Yarra Valley is possibly the ultimate region in Australia for growing Chardonnay. Add to that reputation Soumah's definitive vineyard site planted with the very finest clones and you have the perfect recipe for a modern age, premium Chardonnay.

Pale yellow with green hues. Aromas of citrus fruits, lemon and a fine touch of spice and ginger which follow to the palate. This wine is lively, medium-bodied with an attractive underlying mineral touch.

The 2011 Memento Riesling gives pronounced notes of lime cordial, grapefruit peel and lemon tart with nuances of acacia honey and jasmine. Light-bodied and made to a medium-sweet style (32 grams per liter of residual sugar), it has a great backbone of lively yet balanced acid and a long finish. Still very young, it should drink best 2014 to 2020+.The Seresin estate transform their organically grown grapes into artisan wines through traditional winemaking. Irresistibly mouth-watering with a fabulous balance.

95 Points - James Halliday

From the coolest sites accessed by Deep Woods in the region, wild-fermented in new and used oak. Grapefruit flavours ride high and wide on a palate with crunchy acidity and an afterthought of oak completing the picture.

The Doisy-Daëne Blanc Sec 2014 has a pleasant, refined bouquet with scents of green apple intermingling with lime and granitic scents. The palate is taut and fresh with a sharpline of acidity and a penetrating malic finish that leaves the palate feeling totally refreshed and asking for more. Very fine.

Stylish Sauternes from an outstanding vintage. At perfect maturity and awaiting the company of Stilton or Roquefort.

Pale yellow with reflections of white gold. Notes of exotic fruits such as mango and pineapple and stone fruit complemented by a touch of anise, providing freshness. Beautiful concentration on the palate with some additional herbal notes and white pepper on the long finish. Magnificent!

A delicate bouquet of limes and exotic floral with perfume nuances and a steeliness on the nose. The finesse and delicacy of the wine is its highlight. Simply spellbinding!

93 Points - James Suckling

Showing impressive purity and focus right from the very first impression, this provides flinty lemons, yellow grapefruit and peach and melon fruits that all sit in perfect, harmonious layers on the nose. The palate's assertively flavored, meanwhile, with lemons, peaches and pineapple, as well as hints of creamed honey and just the right acid balance, which allows this wine to sit long and fresh. Oak is a mere subtext here; it's all about pure, fresh fruit.

The 2012 Pinot Gris Estate has a gram more acidity than the 2013 and a degree more alcohol at 13.8%. As such, it is more expressive on the nose with dried honey and grilled almond/smoke scents. The palate is clean and fresh with nectarine, dried quince, lemongrass and fennel, with a long and persistent finish that is very satisfying. Excellent–and a fantastic value to boot.

92 Points - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

The 2015 Estate Chardonnay is more open-knit and less taut than the single vineyard wines, with an expressive nose of ripe nectarines, pink grapefruit and guava, plus underlying notes of baking bread and ginger. Medium-bodied, it offers richness and good depth in the mouth with a an approachable, refreshing backbone and great harmony.

17 Points - Jancis Robinson

Pear and tight and tense. Still very youthful. Tense and tight. Lively. Still very youthful.

Lovely fresh, vibrant perfume with a lively floral and citrus character. Fine-grained and dense in the mouth with a pronounced salty-mineral quality lifted by very fine acidity. Finishes bright and with very decent length indeed, with a beautiful drink-ability throughout; a delightful Riesling.

“One of the finest producers of Albarino” – Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

Intense golden yellow in colour with aromas of apple and peach that blend with herb and mineral notes. This beautifully aged Albariño is elegant, smooth and complex with flavours of nectarine, orange and lime. Perfectly balanced with a long and expressive finish.

95 Points - James Suckling

A savory / earthy nose with notes of baking bread, crushed stones and lightly toasted almonds over gentle peach blossom, green apple and fresh pear notes. The dry, light bodied palate lends very crisp acid and nervy citrus fruit concentration, finishing long and minerally.

97 Points - James Suckling

The 2014 Riesling Isolation Ridge is redolent of fresh limes, lemongrass and elderflower with crushed rock and grapefruit peel hints. Dry, light-bodied and with a wicked acid backbone it has lifted citrus and mineral flavors with just go on and on!

  International Wine Challenge: Gold 2015

Dark gold in colour with khaki hues. Penetrating aromas of noble woods, varnish and nuts with a great concentration. A rich and mellow wine, with immense flavours of smoky wood, prunes and bitter chocolate. Complex and ample on the palate, smooth and warming with a lingering aftertaste.

95 Points - James Halliday

Fruit off a Karridale single vineyard, the whole-berries pressed to old barriques and a (600l) demi-muid for 11 months with lees stirring. From that a wine that is palate-focused and free of the nervy pressures of immediacy has been created, says winemaker Stuart Pym. This is intensely flavoured, high-toned and complex: imagine crushed gravel, Chinese tea-smoke, and lemon verbena with crackling acidity yet texture galore.

Good acidity with lovely juicy flavours of citrus. Bonny Doon describes it as a “citrus bomb”. This wine is great as an aperitif and we believe it is fantastic value for money.

Dark yellow with gold, aged apricot in the robe. The nose is broad and deep – present quince, pineapple, barley sugar, vanilla. Has a good salty, clear palate, which runs with purpose. After a nutted start, it develops a brioche bread side, a toasted, buttered nature, along with banana flambé in the taste. Good, rich wine with well judged botrytis.

Tasted blind at the Sauternes 2011 horizontal tasting. The Château Doisy-Védrines 2011 has a very fragrant, almost floral bouquet with pure honey, quince and yellow flower scents that soar from the glass and embrace you like your favourite aunt. The palate is medium-bodied with a viscous texture and superb acidity that really set this Sauternes alight: real tension and a sense of energy here. It just “flows” toward a vibrant, honeyed finish that has only just begun to “motor." This surpasses its showing from barrel and constitutes a magnificent effort from Olivier Castèja and his team.