Artadi Vina El Pison, Rioja
The 2 ha El Pison vineyard was planted in 1945 on a gentle sloping site in the shape of an amphitheatre with deep sub-soils. Made entirely from Tempranillo, El Pison is a very rich and intense age-worthy style typically showing great purity of fruit and abundant chalky tannins that benefit from additional cellaring.
M chapoutier Ermitage L'Ermite
Quintarelli Classico
Chris Ringland Dry Grown Barossa Ranges Shiraz
Chris Ringland's Barossa Ranges Shiraz is steeped in the Barossas post-colonial story and the high art and science of winemaking. Typically deep in colour with intense dark berry, paneforte, espresso roasted chestnut aromas, it displays a plush and concentrated palate with blackberry, mocha, paneforte spicy flavours and dense fine chocolaty tannins. Despite the opulence, flamboyance, richness and concentration, the wine has superb percussion and freshness. The wine is a small vinification of around four to five hogsheads or 1500 litres. The "unusually thick skinned" Shiraz is entirely sourced from Chris Ringland's dry-grown vineyard on the edge of the Barossa Valley, but technically in Eden Valley, along Flaxman's Valley near Randall's Hill. The wine is "painstakingly hand-made" in open fermenters and regularly pumped-over to extract colour, flavour and tannins. After draining and pressing through a traditional basket press, fermentation is completed in 100% new French oak hogsheads. A period of up to 50 months oak maturation follows to achieve optimum complexity and balance between oak and fruit. The extraordinarily high release prices (higher than Penfolds Grange), limited production and reputation make Chris Ringland Barossa Ranges Shiraz the stuff of legend.
CHATEAU Lagrange
Dalla Valle Vineyards Maya Cabernet Cabernet Franc
Vieux-Château-Certan Pomerol
The 2012 Cos dEstournel is a classic expression of St.-Estèphe, with notes of graphite, crushed rock, blackberry, blackcurrant fruit, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, structured, but well-integrated tannins and a long finish of 35 seconds or more. This is a beauty and an undeniable top success in the Médoc for 2012. Give it 4-6 years of cellaring and drink it over the following two decades or more. The final blend, which achieved 13.8% alcohol, is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot - Rober Parker Jr
Antinori Solaia
Antinori Solaia is an intense ruby red colour. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, it delivers aromas of ripe fruit, spices, black pepper, chocolate, coffee and vanilla.
Casanova Di Neri Cerretalto
Cerretalto is a single vineyard Brunello from one of the very best sites in the region. The wine is made only in exceptional years when the quality of fruit warrants. The best fruit from the site is hand harvested, sorted, destemmed and crushed before undergoing wild yeast fermentation in open vats. The temperature controlled fermentation lasts 3-4 weeks and then the wine is transferred to oak barrels for 31 months followed by a further 30 months in bottle. The wine is kept back in the winery for 6 years before release.
