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A legendary cru... Over centuries, this mythical cru has built its reputation on a single hill and an epic history. La Chapelle comes from the blending of the greatest Western terroirs of the Hermitage. Very old Syrah vines - 40-100 years old.

MAYACAMAS VINEYARDS Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley Not much has changed by way of production since Bob Travers started the Mayacamas estate in the early 1940s. The fruit is handpicked early, often in early September - abvs usually end up between 13 and 14 percent to preserve natural, altitude derived acidities. Fermentations occur predominantly in open-top cement vessels which were built in the 1950s, again to preserve acidities and vibrant fruit character. Extended ageing occurs exclusively in neutral oak some as old as 100 years typically for three years which allows the vineyard's expression to shine through the powerful fruit profile, while also minimising oxygenation and helping to maintain the powerful and tight tannin structure Mayacamas is so famous for. The wines then usually spend a further two years in bottle before it is ready to be released to the market. Mayacamas make wines that lie in stark contrast to the more prevalent rich, heavily oaked, high in abv, bombastic wines that are common in the Napa Valley.

Château Pichon-Longueville Lalande is one of the most important Super Seconds and this 2ème Cru Classé Pauillac estate has made tremendous strides in the last 20 years. This is largely due to the energy, drive and ambition of May-Eliane de Lenquesaing, who took over the property in 1978. Pichon-Longueville Lalande is a 75-hectare property that produces on average 36,000 cases per year. Located in the east of the Pauillac appellation, the vineyards (Cabernet Sauvignon 45%, Merlot 35%, Cabernet Franc 12%, Petit Verdot 8%) lie on deep gravel beds underpinned by clay and then sandstone and limestone (part of these vineyards actually reside in the St-Julien appellation). The wine is fermented in stainless steel cuvées and then matured in oak barriques (50% new) for 18 months. Pichon-Longueville Lalande is not as powerful or as tannic as some its Pauillac neighbours and this is mainly because of its relatively high Merlot content. In the best years, it is one of the most exotic and voluptuously scented wines of the Médoc. At least a decade of cellaring is required before the wines should be approached.

Powell & Son Kraehe Marananga Shiraz, Barossa Valley Powell & Son (first vintage 2014) is the venture of Barossa Valley legend Dave Powell and his son Callum. The Kraehe vineyard is at 235m with eastern exposure on Maranangas ironstone ridge. Its soils are red, ironstone-rich clays. The wine is aged for two years in so-called Magic Casks, French oak barrels with staves double the normal thickness. Kraehe is the epitome of Barossa Valley Shiraz -- rich and generous in fruit: plum, dark cherry and blackberry, with smooth, powerful tannins and a mouth-coating palate. The style is intense, opulent and concentrated. Kraehe Marananga Shiraz typically shows blueberry and plum fruits, attractive oak characters and great complexity -- ground coffee and mocha, meat, earth and dried herbs. The palate has layers of flavour -- blackberry compote and kirsch liqueur, wood smoke, cured meats and black olive -- through to the long finish.

Chris Ringland Hoffman Shiraz 2006 is a wine for the connoisseur. The palate is complex, with flavours of smoke, liquorice, blueberry and toasty oak on a savoury, super-ripe and gentle structure. For the 2006 vintage, the wine was then aged in new French oak for five years, before blending in preparation for bottling. It's impeccably aged and drinking beautifully now or until 2020.

Classified as one of ten 4me crus in 1855, Chateau Talbot, in the Saint-Julien appellation, has a distinguished history. Throughout the years, it has been owned by the Governor of Aquitane, the Earl of Shrewsbury and the Marquis of Aux before being acquired by the Cordier family, the fourth generation of which are still in ownership today. Their 2016 Grand Cru is a wine of exceptional personality and charisma, already impressing critics with its silky sweetness and subtle edge. Balanced, crisp, and full of complexity, it is loaded with ageing potential, promising to become something even more prodigious just a few short years from now.

Regarded a Super Second (but technically a 3me growth), Palmer is capable of producing wines that equal or even outstrip the quality of its famous Premier cru neighbour, Ch. Margaux. Named for the wealthy English military man who bought the estate in the early 19th century, Palmer is now majority owned by the Mahler Besse and Sichel families - famous Bordeaux negociants. Many of the best plots on the property were purchased after the Classification of 1855, explaining in part why Palmer did not warrant higher standing at that time. Certainly today there is no question that the wine is among Bordeauxs best. The estate also makes a separate second label - named Alter Ego - which is made from similarly high quality fruit but treated differently in the winery with the aim of producing a counterpoint in style to the First wine.

Chateau Montrose is a second Grand Cru Classé estate in St-Estephe and is considered one of the leading wine properties of the appellation. Located in the eastern half of the appellation just 800 metres from the Gironde estuary, the propertys proximity to the water provides a unique micro-climate that protects the vines from frost. The Grand Vin is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, that appears very powerful and austere in its youth, with a backbone of firm tannins that provides exceptional longevity.