These are Magnum bottles!

Grand Veneur Chateauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes is made from 50% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah

Matured in concrete vats (40%) and oak casks (60%)

It boasts an inky/purple color in addition to a gorgeous perfume of crushed rocks, jammy black fruits, charcoal and graphite. Blackberry aroma with an air of dates pressed in alongside – this is sweet-noted. It is easy to appreciate, a sleek and stylish start. The palate holds excellent fruit that runs well and has kick. Its tannins move round freely and a minted finale comes forward. Its dark fruit is tasty, darkens on the finish, where tar and char from its oak enter. It is all very much together, a bundle of harmony, and will gain local attributes as it ages.
An outstanding Chateauneuf du Pape which display the best of its terroir.

The vines are 50 to 100+ year old. They are planted on red clay soils covered with pebble stones.

Harvest is destemmed and crushed. Fermentation temperature is controlled at 30°C. Vatting period of 18 to 20 days. Matured in concrete vats (40%) and oak casks (60%).

The vineyards are located in the north of Châteauneuf du Pape. GRAND VENEUR «Vieilles Vignes» cuvee is produced from the older vines. Thanks to time and an organic growing, roots go very deep in the soil. Yields are naturally low and grapes highly concentrated.
The vines are 50 to 100+ year old. They are planted on red clay soils covered with pebble stones.

Winemaking and aging
Harvest is destemmed and crushed. Fermentation temperature is controlled at 30°C. Vatting period of 18 to 20 days. Matured in concrete vats (40%) and oak casks (60%).

Pair with venisson, duck, braised lamb or strong cheese.

Review:

"The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes is based on 45% each of Grenache and Mourvèdre, with the balance Syrah, all destemmed and raised in 55% new French oak. Gorgeous cassis, violet, graphite, fruitcake, and peppery herbs define this brilliant effort, and it's full-bodied, with a pure, seamless texture, wonderful tannins, and one heck of a great finish. This magical 2019 is going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age (it's brilliant even today) yet keep for 20 years or more. Châteauneuf du Pape lovers need to have this in their cellar!"

- Jeb Dunnuck (November 2021),99 pts

Landes Grand Heritage Lussac Saint Emilion is made from 100 percent Merlot.

First vintage of this wine was 2010 to pay tribute to the founding father of Chateau des Landes - Paul Lassagne. He gave the family a great legacy of terroir, passion and know-how to craft this great cuvee produced from a selection of the finest grapes that are vinified and aged in 600 liter French oak foudres, just like it was done in the old days. The resulting wine is complex and aromatic offering bold aromas and flavors of dark berries, floral tones, spice, oak and vanilla. The palate is onctuous and powerful, well structured with ripe tannins. Well balanced and a complex finish. 

Average age of the Vines: 60 years Yield : 50 hectoliters / hectare. Grape picking: harvest by machine. Vats: Stainless steel thermoregulated and computerized. Fermentation: 45 to 50 days with a final 35°C warm steeping. Winemaking: Malolactic fermentation in new oak barrel. Ageing: 16 months in new French Oak barrels from Allier and Limousin. Annual production: 10,000 bottles. (833 cases)

Maltus Lalande de Pomerol is made from 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.

This is the newest project from Nicolas Lassagne (Chateau des Landes). 
He acquired this 2.5 ha (6.17 acres) parcel in 2015.

Beautiful sustained deep purple color
The Bouquet is rich, generous, complex and reveals notes of black fruits.
The palate is round and powerful with some good integrated tannins. The finish is long and structured.

Origin of the name: 
History tells us that the origin of the Château Maltus goes back to the Middle Ages, in the time of the crusades. The Order of Malt, well implanted on the land named Lalande de Pomerol, cultivated for the first time vines on the grounds of the Château Maltus.

Review:

 "A ripe, spicy and black-fruited wine, this has some dense tannins as well as fine blackberry flavors. The wine's acidity is muted at this stage, masked by the wine's powerful Merlot fruit flavors. Drink the wine from 2025. - Roger VOSS."

 - Wine Enthusiast (December 2022), 90 pts

Aalto P.S. Pagos Seleccionados Tinto  is made from 100 percent Tempranillo.

Climatic conditions

The farming year began with a mild autumn and little precipitation. A very dry winter started with -9ºC reaching at the end higher temperatures than normal for that time of the year. Spring and summer characterized by little rain, only some rain showers in July and late August avoided the hydric stress of the vines. The vegetative cycle of the vine developed with big variations of temperatures, alternating warm and atypical low temperatures of 4ºC for mid-June. The ripening of the grapes happened under very good conditions and the harvest started on 24th September 2019.  

Grape origin

100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) primarily from very old vines – 60 to 90 years old – from selected plots in La Horra and La Aguilera. The harvest was done by hand, in small boxes of 15 kilos that are thoroughly inspected, bunch by bunch, on the selection table.  

Tasting notes

Review:

Lots of depth here, with ripe blackberries and some nicely baked black cherries, roasted herbs, incense, dark spices, mussels and a balsamic tinge. An admirably fine dollop of tannins on the palate, which are immaculate and juicy, as they thoroughly dunk into the black fruit, melting into a persistent finish that lasts for over a minute. Very impressive. Drink or hold.

-James Suckling 96 Points

Antica Vigna Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva is made from 65% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 10% Corvinone, 5% Merlot.

Amarone DOCG has maintained unchanged its typicality, so that “the essence of the territory” of Valle di Mezzane and Cazzano di Tramigna powerfully emerges. Rich in color, firmly structured but with fresh notes. 

WINEMAKING AND AGING:

Manual harvest early October with selection of the best bunches.
Drying: natural drying in fruit cellar for 3/4 months with a sharp drop in weight of around 30%.
Vinification: soft crushing of destemmed grapes in the months of January and February.
Fermentation: at a controlled temperature of 18/21°C. Fermentation time: about 30 days
Aging:· 80% in oak barrels for 30 months of which 2/3 in American and French barriques, half of which are used for the second and third time, 1/3 in large

THE TERRITORY:
Geographical location: Tenuta di Mezzane, Tenuta di Cazzano di Tramigna
Height: 350/400 meters asl
Exposure: south
Soil type: limestone
Vineyard training system: guyot and pergola
Vine planting year: from 1972 to 2009
Vine density: 4,000 to 5,400 vines per hectare Vineyard management: sustainable agriculture and great attention to natural
cycles

Pairs well with grilled and roasted meats, as well as cheese.

Timeless Notes:

Dark cherry in color, firm on the palate with a vibrant acidity underbelly.  Thought lush on the palate the flavors are complex and elegant from entry to mid-palate with hints of currant and wild berries. The finish brings in a touch of tobacco and leather notes ,classic examples of this region, with more ripe fruit flavors that linger on long strain tannin finish.   Complex with depth and elegance on the palate.  This one is drinking now, but can handle more time in the cellar with ease. An excellent value in the Riserva category.

Babylons Peak Paardeberg Shiraz is made from 100 percent Shiraz. 

Babylon's Peak winery, situated on the highest weathered granite slopes of the Paardeberg Mountain, is privately owned by the Basson family who has passed down the tradition, passion and art of winemaking over four generations. Predominantly low-yield dryland bushvines are selected to produce these excellent wines with distinctive character.

A classic Shiraz with dark fruit, violets and white pepper. An elegant wine with ripe tannins and a lingering aftertaste.

The grapes were harvested by hand. The grapes were destalked only, no crushing was done. Cold maceration was done before fermentation started in open fermenters. The grapes fermented between 24-26°C for 5-7 days, after which the wine was taken to barrels where it went through malolactic fermentation. After malolactic fermentation was completed, the wine spent 14 months in 225 litre French oak barrels until bottling.

Pairs with rich and creamy meat dishes eg. oxtail and venison.

Bernardins Beaumes de Venise Rouge Cru Cotes du Rhone is made from 65% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache Blanc.

Bright ruby color with cherry tinges. Complex black fruit aromas on the nose enhanced by spicy notes. Rounded palate with good length.

The wine is drinking well right now and can be kept for another 10 years.

Situation
Spreads out over the south-east side of the Dentelles de Montmirail hills, in Beaumes de Venise in the southern part of the Rhone valley.

Terroir
 On a poor sandy, hungry and arid soil consisting of tender limestone and gritty zones of sandy mollasse.

In the vineyard
The vineyards and their terroir are the essence of our wines. This is where everything starts and where we focus our efforts throughout the year. You can’t make great wine without great grapes.

The viticulture is essentially done by hand. Five people work full-time in the vineyards. They are supplemented by seasonal employees who work during bunch thinning and the harvest in order to bring out the very best in our vines. Working by hand and the attention each vine gets are fundamental. Pruning, de-budding, trellising, leaf removal and picking are thus carried out by hand with the utmost care.

We prepare the soil by using good old-fashioned ploughing. Organic compost is made from grape marc (the discarded stalks and skins).

As a way of protecting the plants, we only use phytosanitary products when necessary and within strict guidelines by staggering the treatments appropriately, to minimise the amount of chemicals used. We prefer to use as much as possible manual and organic techniques . Leaving natural grass cover, removing buds and leaves from the vines, preserving biodiversity around the vineyard: olive, almond and cypress trees, wild rosemary and capers.

Winemaking
We make two red wines at the estate. Terroir wines shaped by the two classic Côtes du Rhône varieties: Grenache and Syrah. We don’t follow any winemaking recipe but are constantly searching for the perfect expression of terroir and each vintage’s particular characteristics. We don’t go for overripe grapes and over-extraction, as we think the wine has to stay refreshing and balanced.

Leaving the wine for 15 days in concrete vats, we try to gently extract the tannins and anthocyanins essential for the wine’s structure and colour. The wine doesn’t come into any contact with wood during ageing. This way the characteristics of our terroir can fully express

Serve with a meal especially red meat, game and cheese.

Review:

"Interesting blend, and it comes through on the nose - it's a fruity, floral style of Beaumes that's really appealing. Full-bodied, rounded, generous and fluid, with very fine tannins. This is a real success in 2021. Also contains 5% Mourvèdre and 4% Grenache Blanc. No destemming, aged 12 months in stainless steel."

- Decanter (September 2022), 93 pts

Bodegas Alto Moncayo Aquilon Garnacha is made from 100% Garnacha.

The wines of Alto Moncayo are crafted to express the unique terroir of windswept high elevation Campo de Borja DO; and to serve as a benchmark for world class Old Vine Garnacha.

Aquilón is "The jewel in the Crown" a selection of the best barrels from the best lots. The vines are 60-100 years old.

Review:

This garnet-colored wine offers aromas of black currant, black raspberry and black licorice, with just a touch of charcuterie. The fruit flavors shine through with subtle notes of crushed violet. It has soft tannic structure, with a pleasant bit of grippiness in the post palate as it leads up to the long, long, finish.

-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points

About the Vineyard

Vineyards in Tabuenca and Borja, planted with indegenous clones of Garnacha starting in the 1920s.

Wine Production

The selected highest quality grapes are placed into small stainless-steel tanks of 7 tons capacity. The must is basket pressed and fermentation is finished in new French and American oak where it complets the malolactic fermentation. Wine is aged in the barrels for 24 months before bottling.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Very deep red, scarlet rim

Aroma: Minerals and vanilla. Hints of raisins and dark Chocolate

Palate: As typical of the vintage, power and intensity with disarming elegance.

Food Pairing:

Goes well with beef, pork, game based stews and rice dishes.

Castello di Bossi Gran Selezione is made from 100% Sangiovese.

Gran Selezione is the newest quality designation to have been added to the DOCG classification system in Chianti Classico. Gran Selezione takes quality controls a step further than Riserva-- which previously occupied the top tier-- by banning the use of any purchased, or non-estate-grown fruit, in the inclusion of a wine labeled Gran Selezione. This coupled with longer aging requirements (30 months minimum) and minimum levels of alcohol set to 13% designates a band of wines from Chianti Classico producers representative of the appellation's highest quality potential with often limited availability.

Review:

There’s purity to the cherry, strawberry, rose, mineral and herb aromas and flavors in this solidly built red, which shows excellent balance and length. The muscular finish begs for more time for the beautiful fruit to assimilate. Best from 2025 through 2042.

-Wine Spectator 96 Points

Le Poste’s cool microclimate and limestone soil make it one of Saint Cosme’s most structured, aromatic, and mineral intense wines of the estate. This wine always walks a knife's edge of power and finesse thanks to its deep fruit and precise structure. The wine features aromas and flavors of iodine, violet, pepper, and ash.

Grenache is the pale-colored, red-fruited, and potpourri-scented red grape variety of the southern Rhône and can be paired with both rustic and sophisticated dishes. Full-bodied Grenache-based wines are ideal with stews, braises, and grilled meats, while lighter versions can work well with dark fish and tomato-based dishes such as ratatouille.

Review:

Deep magenta. Expansive, spice- and mineral-tinged black raspberry, kirsch and boysenberry aromas are complicated by suggestions of incense, lavender and smoky minerals. Alluringly sweet and focused in the mouth, offering densely packed red and blue fruit preserve, floral pastille and exotic spice flavors that smoothly balance weight and finesse. This wine shows superb finishing clarity and mineral lift on the penetrating and impressively long finish, which features polished tannins and resonating fruit, floral and mineral notes.

-Vinous 95-97 Points

Chateau Franc Lartigue Saint-Emilion Grand Cru is made from Merlot 70%, Cabernet franc 15%, Cabernet sauvignon 15%

Eight hectare property in the town of Saint-Emilion. Elegant and structured wine, keep for 10 to 15 years depending on the vintage.

Review:

Bold and rich, this ripe black-currant-flavored wine come from vineyards on the plain below Saint-Émilion center. With the rich Merlot dominant, the wine has density and concentration that will allow it to age. Drink from 2023. 

-Wine Enthusiast 91 Points

Chateau Rauzan-Segla is made from 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc.

Ségla is the second wine of the prestigious Château Rauzan Ségla and a Craft + Estate exclusive. The history of Château Rauzan-Ségla dates back to 1661 when Pierre de Rauzan acquired the estate. Rauzan-Ségla grew in reputation in a remarkable way and produced some of the most highly rated wines in Bordeaux. They delighted many well-known dignitaries, most notably Thomas Jefferson who came across this wine during his visit to Bordeaux in 1787, subsequently placing an order for several cases in 1790. Some decades later, the historic 1855 Bordeaux Classification ranked Château Rauzan-Ségla as a 2nd Growth. Today, the property is owned by the Wertheimer family of the fashion house Chanel and managed by Nicolas Audebert.

About half of the 126 acres (51 hectares) of vineyard are around the château, but there are additional parcels near Château Margaux and Brane-Cantenac. The vines are comprised of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, with an average vine age of 30 years and a vine density of 2,670 to 4,050 plants per acre (6,600 to 10,000 vines/ha). Soils at Rauzan-Ségla are composed of deep, fine gravel, which makes for natural irrigation.

More accessible than the first wine, the aim for Ségla is to produce a wine of extremely good quality and value reflecting all the elements of Margaux and giving a true insight to the quality of the Grand Vin. The estate puts the same amount of effort and care into the production of Ségla as it does the first wine, making it a true and authentic introduction to the château.

Review

This is a full-bodied wine, from one of the leading estates in Margaux. It is ripe with juicy blackberry and black-currant fruits. This fruit contrasts with the dark tannins and powerful structure. It is going to develop slowly and impressively to be ready to drink from 2025.

-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points

Corinne Perchaud Chablis Premier Cru Vaucoupin is 100 percent Chardonnay. 

The vineyard The plots are on the Vaucoupin Chichée village. They are very steep and facing south, their average age is 40 years. The total area is 1.45 hectares. The vines are planted on soil Kimmeridgian marl consisting clay and limestone with dominant clay. Winemaking After a slight settling, the juice is put in to achieve its fermentation tank alcoholic and malolactic. It follows a long aging on lees to bring a maximum of complexity of aromas and flavors. If necessary, we make a collage to bentonite to remove proteins and a passing cold which eliminates tartar crystals. Then we perform a tangential filtration is the filtration method most friendly to wine.

The wine will be bottled 16 months after harvest. The relatively high temperatures at the end of winter allowed an early bud vines in early March. With a hot, dry spring flower took place in good conditions. In July, a hailstorm located did some damage to our Fourchaume plot. July and early August, rainy and stormy brought the water needed for the vineyards. The dry and sunny weather of the second half of August brought the grapes to maturity. The harvest began on September 2 under clement skies.

Pairs well with seafood, shellfish.

Crown Point Estate Selection is made from 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec.

The 2016 Crown Point Estate Selection exhibits a heady aromatic array of baking spices, ripe red and black fruits, with deep intonations of earth and minerals. The palate is elegant and bright, with appealing acids and nuanced notes of savory mocha and dried herbs. Polished and seamless, the tannins finish with a comet-like trail of textural opulence highlighted by glossy flavors of baked berry pie and warm toast. Recommended drinking window: now through 2030s.The 2016 Estate Selection is representative of all five red Bordeaux varieties. The selection process starts in the vineyard and continues on through the winemaking process: only the best lots make the final blend. All blocks were harvested & fermented separately. The individual components were blended after 12 months in barrel. Total time in 225 liter French oak barrels was 26 months.

Review:

Deeply colored, the 2016 Estate Selection checks in as 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec that was brought up 26 months in 75% new French oak. Deeply colored, it has a smoking good bouquet of crème de cassis, smoke tobacco, lead pencil, camphor, and hints of chocolate. This gives way to a powerful, opulent Cabernet Sauvignon that has plenty of sweet tannins, a layered, multi-dimensional texture, no hard edges, and an awesome finish. I’d happily put this beauty in a lineup of top Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and blends.

-Wine Enthusiast 97 Points

There’s an impressive amount of complexity on the nose of this bottling by winemaker Adam Henkel, from crushed graphite and concentrated black strawberry to cinnamon pastry, licorice and a brush of herbs. The sip is intense, with leathery but chiseled tannins presenting flavors of charred black currant, licorice, black olive, dried flower and white pepper

-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points

“1752” is the name of the Damilano Barolo Cannubi Riserva, in honor of the year in which the historic bottle was first marked “Cannubi”. It still exists today perfectly conserved by the Manzone family in Bra, close to Barolo. The bottle is clearly marked as being of “1752” vintage, indicating that Cannubi historically precedes Barolo. 

About the Vineyard:

The Cannubi Cru is in found within one of the 6 core zones which comprise a UNESCO heritage site in Italy. A mixture of Tortonian and Helvetian calcareous marl gives the grapes intense aromas of cherry, plum and tobacco, rose and violet in sequence. Its low potassium and high calcium/magnesium content offer the wine a fine and polished touch. The vineyard is located at about 270 m. a.s.l. and has a south-east sun exposure. Barolo Riserva Cannubi 1752  It is a small plot of about 2 hectares of Nebbiolo vines, currently between 30 and 50 years of age.

Tasting Notes:

Garnet ruby red in color, the bouquet is intense and balanced, with notes of violet, red fruit, cherry and plum, spices,  liquorice, cocoa, leather and tobacco. Dry, robust, full-bodied, very persistent, rich and velvety

 Food Pairing:

This wine is excellent with typical piedmontes pasta (tajarin, ravioli); perfect with red meat, braised and roast meat, game and absolutely ideal with all types of cheeses.

Review:

The purity of this wine is pretty phenomenal with blackberries, strawberries, fresh flowers and licorice. Hints of tar. It’s full-bodied, yet composed and compact with ultra fine tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Very structured. Try after 2024.

-James Suckling 97 Points

“1752” is the name of the Damilano Barolo Cannubi Riserva, in honor of the year in which the historic bottle was first marked “Cannubi”. It still exists today perfectly conserved by the Manzone family in Bra, close to Barolo. The bottle is clearly marked as being of “1752” vintage, indicating that Cannubi historically precedes Barolo. 

About the Vineyard:

The Cannubi Cru is in found within one of the 6 core zones which comprise a UNESCO heritage site in Italy. A mixture of Tortonian and Helvetian calcareous marl gives the grapes intense aromas of cherry, plum and tobacco, rose and violet in sequence. Its low potassium and high calcium/magnesium content offer the wine a fine and polished touch. The vineyard is located at about 270 m. a.s.l. and has a south-east sun exposure. Barolo Riserva Cannubi 1752  It is a small plot of about 2 hectares of Nebbiolo vines, currently between 30 and 50 years of age.

Tasting Notes:

Garnet ruby red in color, the bouquet is intense and balanced, with notes of violet, red fruit, cherry and plum, spices,  liquorice, cocoa, leather and tobacco. Dry, robust, full-bodied, very persistent, rich and velvety

 Food Pairing:

This wine is excellent with typical piedmontes pasta (tajarin, ravioli); perfect with red meat, braised and roast meat, game and absolutely ideal with all types of cheeses.

Review:

“Incredible, reserved ripeness and depth already evident on the nose after one whiff, offering plum, cedar, rose hip, sandalwood, and licorice. Full-bodied with superb depth of fruit and an abundance of polished tannins that give the wine poise and grace, even though it’s long and powerful. The quality of the tannins are exceptional. Sheer and refined. This comes from the center of Cannubi.”

-James Suckling 99 Points

Domaine Louis Moreau Chablis Vaillons Premier Cru is made from 100 percent Chardonnay. 

Chablis achieves its highly distinctive mineral character due to its cool northerly climate and its highly calcareous soil. The Domaine Louis Moreau Chablis Vaillons Premier Cru is a generous, fleshy and lively wine that displays a beautiful balance of minerality, fruitiness and elegance.

Chablis, with its steely character and fresh citrus flavor, pairs well with white fish and shellfish and its naturally high acidity can counterbalance cream-based sauces. Unoaked Chablis lends itself well to vegetables, starches, Comté, or fresh goat cheese.

A heavenly, full-bodied dry Riesling with forceful minerality from 100-year-old vines grown in the blue slate soil of Graach.

Graach is a small village in the Mosel valley. It’s steep slate slopes produce wines that combine elegance with rustic strength. Grosses Gewächs (GG) is the designation for an estate’s best dry wine from a Grosse Lage (grand cru) vineyard. This limited-production wine was fermented with indigenous yeasts and kept in the barrel, on the full lees, for a year before bottling. The extended maturation time allows the wine to develop greater texture and a deeper natural harmony. This is a fully ripe wine, with vibrant aromatics and a pronounced acidity that gives it a brilliant structural precision.

Review:

Convincing proof that 2020 is an excellent vintage for dry GG on the Mosel! Cool and stony with delicate white-peach and white-currant aromas. Really takes off at the intensely slatey and racy finish.
-James Suckling 95-96 Points

59% Pinot Noir, 41% Chardonnay

An extremely fine and grouped effervescence. The dress is crystalline, luminous, and slightly golden. The nose is fruity, fresh, and tangy. Both greedy and elegant, it expresses pastry notes and aromas of fresh fruit: nougat, frangipane, candied orange, and mirabelle plum. A delicate note of passe-crassane pear carrying a touch of Williams pear liqueur can be guessed. A tonic wine, with a nice tension around the aromas of fresh fruits. Nectarine, yellow peach, and a tangy note of rhubarb develop in the mouth. The end of the mouth is clean, frank, saline, and mineral leaving a touch of bitterness and verbena.

Review:

Having retained all its youthful acidity because there was no malolactic fermentation, the Champagne is brilliantly lit. Acidity and a light texture from the Pinot Noir in the blend give the wine a crisp edge with still-young citrus.

-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points

A firm, focused version, this swathes a chiseled spine of acidity in a raw, silky texture and finely meshed flavors of yellow peach, orange liqueur, honeycomb and chopped almond. A rich streak of salinity drives the well-cut, spiced finish. Drink now through 2035.

-Wine Spectator 94 Points

Hickinbotham Peake Cabernet Shiraz is made from 60 percent Cabernet and 40 percent Shiraz. 

Named after the late Mr. Edward John Peake who established the first vineyard and orchard at Clarendon circa 1850. Blending Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz is a famous part of Australian winemaking history and whilst the individual components of this wine are mighty, the sum of The Peake’s parts is magnificent. The Cabernet shines aromatically with notes of blackberry pie and dark chocolate, while the Shiraz fills the mid-palate with black plum and toasty oak. Fine tannins and balanced acidity contribute to an incredibly long finish. The Peake continues to honor the legacy of this iconic Australian blend.

Review:

Hickinbotham's 2017 The Peake Cabernet Shiraz is a 60-40 blend of the varieties, aged in a healthy proportion of new French oak. As a barrel selection, it stands above the other wines in the lineup, being more complex and complete than either the Brooks Road Shiraz or the Trueman Cabernet. Cassis leads the way, rounded out by ripe cherries and joined by shadings of cedar and vanilla. It's full-bodied and concentrated in the mouth, rich, supple and almost creamy in texture and boasts a long, silky finish. While nearly drinkable already, it should easily age for a decade or more.

-Wine Advocate 96 Points

Kershaw Chardonnay Deconstructed Lake District Cartref CY96 is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.

Sourced from the western part of Elgin, known as the Lake District, this clone produces wines that are nervous, aromatic, elegant and sharp with slightly lower alcohol and finely balanced, the fruit profile being subtle with hints of citrus/orange peel and peach blossom and with time, some nutty elements. The Cartref soils, a mixture of decomposed granite, pebbles and quartz, adds delicacy and heightens the fruit intensity.

The inspiration for my Deconstructed Chardonnay stems from my belief that the Elgin region boasts credentials that make it world-class. To bolster these regional credentials, I have set out to prove that Elgin has both a signature grape, as well as specific ‘terroirs’ (meso-climates) that reflect intra-regional distinctions. To fully comprehend this, it is necessary to dig deeper into the DNA that make up our region. To elucidate this, I have decided to make these 3 Chardonnay wines, each selected from a specific vineyard and an individual clone. Importantly, this is an ongoing story that will unfold over the coming years.

Vintage notes:

Whilst 2017 experienced a cool winter to enable good vine dormancy, the rainfall was low and followed similar conditions felt in 2015 and 2016. Budbreak took place in ideal warm sunny conditions whilst flowering was a touch earlier than normal; strong blustery winds meant pollination took longer to complete. As a result, berry set was uneven leading to some smaller berries that despite a lower yield did have good concentration of flavours. Despite expecting an
early harvest an unusually cool December slowed down ripening whilst some January rain during veraison helped nourish the soils and more importantly, helped the vine focus on grape ripening rather than foliage & root growth. Harvest took place under blue skies in
mid-March. The net result of the drier year is that the grapes had decent natural acidity, achieved steady phenolic ripeness and plenty of intense fruit flavors.

Winemaking: 

Grapes were hand-picked in the early autumnal mornings, placed into small lug baskets and tipped directly into a press before being gently whole-bunch pressed up to a maximum of 0.6 bar or until a low juice recovery of 580 litres per ton was obtained. The juice gravity-flowed directly to barrel (no pumps were used at all) without settling. The unclarified juice had no enzymes or yeast added to it and therefore underwent spontaneous fermentation until dry, with malolactic discouraged. The wine rested in barrel for 4 months prior to judicious sulphuring and a further 7 months’ maturation in barrel before racking and bottling.

Review:

"A single clone (96) grown on a single parcel from a single vineyard of Cartref soils (decomposed granite and quartz). Roasted grain, wet stones, and lemon peel aromas. Precise and tightly coiled with an intense mineral character and yellow fruit and citrus zest flavors finishing with a smoky gunflint note. Matured in 50% new oak."

- International Wine Review (Richard Kershaw Lifts Elgin To New Heights, February 2019), 93 pts