Château Joanin Bécot
Hither & Yon Touriga Tempranillo
51% Touriga and 49% Tempranillo. Although both quite tannic varieties, winemaker Peter Leask has crafted a youthful yet surprisingly supple drop. Delicious!Deep red to crimson. Fragrant nose of violets, blackberry, mulberry, tobacco and vanilla. Ripe black and purple fruit, with a seductively plush texture, some attractive cigar box and leather complexity, and a powerful finish. Yet to show its best.
Château Chantermerle Médoc
This wine displays a sustained and brilliant colour of great depth. The nose has already evolved and shows blackcurrant and other black fruit aromas. On the palate tannins are soft and smooth, with a steady balance and a long, fresh finish. Aromas of fruit, tobacco and liquorice harmoniously blend with those from the oak, giving rise to flavours which coat the palate without roughness. Overall a tender wine which has passed through a spirited youth to reveal the elegance typical of Chantemerle's terroir.
Douloufakis Dafnios Liatiko
Kármán Tinto Rioja Garnacha
Château Marsau l'Enclos Pontys
Tim Adams The Fergus
This pleasingly rich and unusual blend of Grenache and Cabernet Franc from the Clare Valley offers a bouquet of ripe cherries and plums. The palate shows spicy fruit flavour and soft tannins.
Shadowfax Minnow Rose
Very pale salmon, some light red hues. Red fruits, raspberry, cranberry, a touch of liquorice, some light spice and earth. Pinot Noir is apparent on the front palate, with berries, fluffy talc and crystalline texture. The Grenache brings weight through the middle, a riot of red fruits and tarry spice. Mourvèdre fills the rear, with lovely fine extract framing the palate and adding length. A harmonious and very fine Minnow Rosé by Shadowfax: complex, dry and delicious.
Katnook Estate Merlot
When it comes to Australian Merlot, Katnook is among the very best. Lovely plum dark berry and cedary cigar box characters slip seamlessly into a finish that seems everlasting. Aged for 22 months in French oak, the swathes of blackcurrant are a delight to the senses.
Craggy Range Te Kahu Merlot Blend
Te Kahu is a wine of richness, with lovely black fruit flavours, hints of spice and long, fine graceful finish. From gravelly soil, it is made very much in the image of good Bordeaux.