Wine

95 Points – Bob Campbell "Dense, vibrant and youthful Syrah with raspberry, black pepper, violet, leather and cigar box flavours. Powerful and slightly edgy wine with a structure of fine tannins and gently tangy acidity. Will age well."

18+ Points – Raymond Chan "Bright straw-yellow colour with pale green hues on edge, this has a softly fresh and full nose of concentrated, pure lime juices, white stonefruits and acacia florals, with richness and density. Dry to taste, the palate has elevated acidity providing raciness and zesty lime and apple-like flavours on a well-weighted palate with body, presence and concentration. The wine has very fine, smooth textures enlivened by the acidity which carries through to a sustained finish showing pure citrus fruit nuances. This should age well."

Aged for many months in the depths of the ocean Cuvée Abyss is a champagne with a distinct air of the sea. Equally, the first taste confirms the perfect quality of it’s origins and reflects the chalky, mineral and sandy character of our terroirs.

Decanter "Bottle-aged for 18 months at a depth of 60 metres under sea, this cuvée is composed of one-third Pinot Noir from Villers-Allerand, one-third Chardonnay from Montgueux and one-third Pinot Meunier from Chamery. Fresh, floral nose with a sea tang to it, but also a bit of reduction just after opening. The palate is elegant but incredibly taut, while the taste has an alluring oxidative element interacting with its white fruit. This is a Champagne that will shine at the dinner table."

34% Pinot Noir, 33% Pinot Meunier and 33% Chardonnay

97+ Points - Stuart McCloskey - “A very stylish / highly accomplished wine. Super-neat and tidy. The nose develops with aeration (my advice is not to serve it too cold) with pear, citrus oil and an entire array of white flowers – just a little spice in the background from a rasp of fresh nutmeg. The palate is gloriously fine, satiny in texture and provides layers of lip-smacking citrus along with waves of minerals - salinity / sea spray on the super-long, expansive finish. More tightly wound than the previous two releases which is by no means a negative. The ’19 is a superb effort that will reward time in your cellar (up to ten years). For best results, tuck it away for a year or two as this will allow some of the tension to relax. Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware”

95-96 Points - James Suckling

A fresh white with sliced green apple, lemon rind and cream. Full body, bright acidity and a long and flavorful finish. Layered and very dense. Wonderful backbone.

94-96 Points - Neal Martin

The 2015 Malartic Lagraviere Blanc is a blend of 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Semillon that was picked from 8-15 September and matured in 65% new oak. It has a crisp, vibrant, quite minerally bouquet, cold limestone and subtle patisserie/almost whipped cream-like scents. The palate is very well defined with a crisp line of acidity, citrus lemon and lime fanning out with confidence on the finish that completes one of the best Malartic-Lagravière whites that I have encountered at this stage.

97+ - 98 Points - Stuart McCloskey “This is a serious step up from Floris, as you would expect. I will be truthful and declare that all three bottles (since arriving in the UK last week) have been significantly more enjoyable than our sample bottle pre-Christmas 2020 (I will add that we purchased 360 bottles from our first sample!) At first, the bouquet provides a nostalgic twist of popcorn which dissipates with a little aeration. We move onto a nutty savouriness - toasty, a touch tropical (more caramelised). Savoury transitions to Yuzu and sea spray which in turn moves onto a delicate floral character. I detect a little bitter orange peel on the finish – I could be wrong? The flavours are built around perfect structure with everything being aligned and unforced. The fruit sides with citrus – lemon, Yuzu and lime with delicate oak spices providing a point of difference. The palate feel is luxurious, ripe but far from being overripe. There’s an honest purity to the feel and flavours. Citrus clean acidity and minerally fruit. Ambitious, but keeping one hand on the Margaret River style. That said, I am pleased to see a move away from some of the more ‘slender’ examples. Wonderfully bright, balanced and dances on the palate with mouth-watering acidity and a dusting of spices… Extremely long and will provide ten years of cellaring. This will be fascinating in five (note to keep a few cases back). Decant for 20-30 minutes. Do not overchill. Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware.”

Sampled 22 July 2021. Stuart McCloskey “I have always enjoyed wines which have been fermented and aged in concrete – there’s a cooling and calming transference of energy which changes with the external atmosphere. The purity of fruit is more expressive without the loss of texture – unadulterated and there’s nowhere to hide. We served the wine directly from the bottle which has been resting in our temperature-controlled sample room – it’s cool and around 14 degrees which brings out the purity of the fruit. I do not recommend serving this warm (sounds dreadful). The bouquet opens with a strong sense of sweet, spiced aromatics intermixed with peony, liquorice, orange peel and candied lavender / violet pastille – Burgundy meets Grenache… Wonderfully fragrant. The palate is super-clean, fresh and packed with ripe red-blue-berry fruits dusted with sweet spices. Blood orange and a ripe citrus peel is a masterful touch.. The tannins grip gently and provide, along with a judicious line of acidity, a juiciness – thirst quenching. I love the natural polish, the floral character and spicy finish. The clarity is electrifying. Shaped by nature and bottled by people who understand and live amongst the same. Terrific wine. Brilliant, in fact. Drink now but it will age for years to come – I prefer the youthful exuberance. Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware.”

17.5 Points - Jancis Robinson "Tasted blind. Sweet and easy. Not dramatic but well mannered and all in balance. Inky and very Margaux. Henri Lurton and his sustainable viticulture will presumably be very pleased that his wine was the group's second-favourite Margaux after Ch Margaux in this Southwold tasting."

 96 Points - Neal Martin "The 2016 Brane-Cantenac has been on a roll of late, under the watchful eye of Henri Lurton. This latest bottled vintage is superb. The divine, pure blackberry and bilberry bouquet develops touches of graphite in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, silky-smooth texture and a superb bead of acidity. This is not a powerful Brane-Cantenac, and it is perhaps less austere than I suspected en primeur, but it should drink beautifully over the next three decades. If you have a penchant for traditional claret, it really doesn’t come better than this."

96 Points - James Suckling "So much ripe and sweet tobacco on the nose with currant and blackberry character. Full body, intense tannins with density and beauty. It’s a wine with great structure and panache for this estate. Try after 2024."