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Château Larcis Ducasse 1er Grand Cru Classé (B), St-Emilion Château Larcis Ducasse, situated on the Right Bank of the Gironde, is ranked 1er Grand Cru Classé B in the 2012 Classification of Saint-Émilion wine. Long before there was a Château Larcis Ducasse, vines were tended on the land by the Romans. Through the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, the wine was highly regarded and premiums were paid even then. The most recent chapter in the story of Château Larcis Ducasse begins in the late 19th century when Henri Raba purchased the vineyard. Since then, ownership has passed through several generations and today is in the control of the Gratiot Alphandéry family. While the underlying quality and potential remained, the Château had somewhat fallen out of favour in the latter part of the 20th century. Since 2002, there has been something of a reversal of fortunes with the winery being under the management of Nicolas Thienpont. After 10 years under his watchful eye, the Château was promoted to 1er Grand Cru Classé B in the 2012 Saint-Émilion classification.

Te Matas Hawkes Bay estate is a prestigious winery with a rich history, producing some of New Zealands most celebrated wines. If the Langtons Classification crossed the Tasman, Te Mata Coleraine would sit alongside Grange at its very pinnacle. Established, esteemed, outstanding vintage after vintage, the glowing adjectives come thick and fast.

Pavie Macquin is a Premier Grand Cru Classe (B) growth of Saint-Émillion, planted mostly to Merlot on the region’s famous limestone plateau. The Chateaux is named after Albert Macquin, the man oft-credited with much of the innovation around rootstock grafting that eventually saved the vineyards of Europe from the infestation of phylloxera. Prior to the 1998 vintage the wines are thought to not adequately reflect the potential of the terroir of the property, but in the past few decades the chateau has built an incredibly strong reputation.

From the legendary Clos Fourtet winery, this Saint-Émilion rouge has all the depth and concentration you would expect from such an esteemed Bordeaux name. The Premier Grand Cru Classé Clos Fourtet holdings have been the site of wine production since the middle-ages, Now under the guardianship of Philippe Cuvelier, the wine continues to delight. Traditional winemaking techniques make for an elegant style that sings with minerality and its impressive terroir. The vines are located in a single block, close to the medieval village, and grow atop a limestone plateau. Fresh, yet simultaneously deep and seductive, this will please for many decades.

An utterly transcendent and beautiful wine that defines Barolo, yet it comes without the prima-donna price tag. Tar, roasted chestnut, roses along with subtle oak and acidity structure and firm tannins on the palate. Pio Cesare had done a great job in this Ornato Barolo!

This wine is generous and rounded at first with juicy, deep berry compote fruits then yielding to a tightly woven frame of firm yet generous tannins. There are alluring, coconutty oak and fine dark chocolate characters, with a deep, soft centre of ripe berry fruits. Elegant acids and light, long tannins carry the palate to deliver a lingering finish.

The 2010 Chateau d'Issan is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, showing 'classic Margaux' in its perfume, finesse and apparent elegance. Soils are gravel and clay, which contributes to the high-tones of perfume from the wine, and though an estate that is neccesarily clawing its way back to a higher profile, is doing so with deeds in bottle over showmanship. On its side, the vineyard is dense with older vines that naturally offer lower yields, allowing for a higher quality of fruit for the winemaking team, in turn producing a wine of stellar quality from 2010.