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.
Yellow Tail Big Bold Red
Yellow Tail Big Bold Red bursts at the seams with ripe dark fruits and earthy spices. It has a rich oak character and will delight your tastebuds with flavours of raspberries and strawberry jam, with a hint of spice just to keep things interesting.
Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac
Château Pontet-Canet is a classic large Pauillac property that adjoins the Mouton Rothschild vineyards that in the past has struggled to get fruit richness into their wines until Michel Rolland was called in. The wines of the past 15 years have produced lovely, voluptuous reds with ripe fruit and brilliant balance. The 2009 is quite simple a stunning incarnation of Pontet-Canet and quite possibly their best wine ever produced! A 'tour de force' of the highest standard, layers of concentrated fruit along with sublime oak integration see this biodynamically farmed vineyard reach Bordeaux perfection. Will age comfortably for the next 50 years.
Château Léoville-Poyferré Saint-Julien
The times ahead for Château Léoville-Poyferré are very exciting indeed. After many years of changing ownership, the fortunes of the vineyard have also ebbed and flowed. With the younger generation of the Cuvelier's now at the helm, the results speak for themselves. No more so than the quite exuberant 2009 Léoville-Poyferré which has seen the estate produce what is possibly the greatest wine to have been produced there. Close to perfection in so many ways, the layer upon layer of complex flavours is something to behold. Blackcurrant, graphite, espresso, mocha, menthol, blueberry to name but a few. A modern Bordeaux classic in the makings.
Opus One Cabernet Blend
Opus One is the coming together of two of the world's supreme wine figures, Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Robert Mondavi. Opus One began its life in 1979 when Château Mouton Rothschild winemaker Lucien Sionneau and Robert Mondavi's son, Timothy made the partnership's first vintage. Their goal was to create a wine of unparalleled quality that reflected the traditions of both houses. The wine is French in style, but Californian in substance, Opus One is produced with the utmost attention to detail. The 2006 Opus One is a traditional Bordeaux style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. The wine shows saturated black fruit concentration with flecks of purple in the glass. The nose is one of dark chocolate, blackberry, smallgoods and rose petal. In the mouth, flavours of cassis and coffee with robust plum and cherry are only a small taste of how great this wine will become with careful cellaring.</p>
Petaluma Coonawarra
A stylish blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with a touch of Shiraz and Petit Verdot, from low yielding vineyards have produced another wine of elegance and class. Blackberry, mint and tobacco flavours are framed by fine tannin. The Shiraz adds some supple softness and the Petit Verdot adding aromatic lift. Another triumph!
Château Clerc-Milon Pauillac
In the past, Château Clerc-Milon has been a rather neglected property, but has seen recent rejuvenation due to the famous Baron Phillippe de Rothschild taking charge of the estate. Named after the original owner, Clerc, and the small village in which the Château lies, Milon, the wine itself is predominated by Cabernet Sauvignon which sets it apart from another Rothschild Château, d'Armailhac. 2008 saw a Clerc-Milon of power and strength with bold, ripe fruit that will develop wonderfully in a well cared for cellar.
Spinifex Papillon
Spinifex Papillon is a vibrant and luscious red from the Baross Valley that is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Mataro. Made in the typical modern Australian mould, the Papillon is bright and aromatic with lifted cherry, red currant and spicy raspberry. A very perfumed wine with earthy flavours of beetroot and white pepper which lends itself to being a terrific food style wine with lovely acid structure and a medium weight.
Château Latour à Pomerol
Château Latour à is an unclassified producer yet amongst the great crus of the Pomerol appellation. The excellent 1982 vintage has produced a Latour à for the ages. Still retaining structure in its maturity, the nose exerts dark fruits, herbs and subtle spice leading to the elegantly balanced palate.
Château Ausone Saint-Émilion
Named after the Roman poet Ausonius in the 18th century, Château Ausone still sits on a site scattered with Roman ruins to this day. In 1976, Pascal Delbeck took control and Ausone's reputation has soared. Now with 'flying consultant' Michel Rolland at the helm of the winemaking team, the wines have become ultra-rich, stylish and veluptuous. The 2009 in particular is a wine of true immense proportions. The vintage conditions were shining on those in Saint-Émilion and the opulence of the estate is balanced by the fine structure and ripe tannins of the 09 which will see the wine further develop for the next 40 years. Unfortunatley only 1,200 cases were made and availability will be extremely limited.
