Bouchard Pere & Fils Clos de la Mousse 1er Cru Monopole
With the oldest records dating back to 1220, it took until 1872 for Bouchard to finally acquire all of the parcels of this 3.36ha Beaune monopole. Depending on the vintage not all the fruit is totally destemmed and the wine is matured in French oak for 12 months with 30-40% new wood. Always well priced and approachable in its youth it will also reward 5-10 years cellaring.
Raen Royal St Robert Pinot Noir
RAEN Royal St Robert Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast Raen’s Royal St. Robert Pinot Noir is dedicated to the current generation’s grandfather. The fruit is sourced from a selection from their coastal vineyards, giving a window to the rugged hills of the westerly Sonoma Coast. Vibrant aromas of black and red cherry, rose petal, and black tea fill the bowl. Wild raspberry and just-ripe red plum notes give way to coastal moss, wet gravel and forest underbrush. Western spice box notes complement the brooding, powerful fruit core, giving way to a vibrant and lasting finish.
Jean-Noel Gagnard Santenay 1er Cru Clos de Tavennes
JEAN-NOEL GAGNARD Santenay 1er Cru Clos de Tavennes , Santenay
Mount Mary Quintet
Australia's premier cool climate Cabernet. It was John Middleton's dream to create such a wine and purchased the Mount Mary property in the Yarra Valley in 1971 to persue this dream. Quintet is his dream realised and is a blend of the classic Bordeaux varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.
Ata Rangi Pinot Noir
Many class Ata Rangi as the quintessential 'New World' Pinot Noir, the best example of the variety outside of Burgundy. It's hard to argue when you let the supple, dark berry and spiced fruit pass your lips. Considered 'Grand Cru' in New Zealand, Ata Rangi was awarded the inaugural Tipuranga Teitei o Aotearoa classification, cementing its pedigree.
Mount Mary Chardonnay
At Mount Mary they aim to make a Chardonnay of great length that is able to reach a balance between complexity & finesse. Unashamedly Burgundian in concept, local Yarra Valley practices are employed to fully express the unique terroir, including the wine not going through Malolactic fermentation as Mount Mary's cool-climate leaves the fruit with ideal acidity when picked. Matured in 20% new French barriques with the remainder in older barrels and large casks and along with grape solids, this is a Chardonnay of impressive texture and complexity.
Bannockburn Pinot Noir
Bannockburn is spicy with well intergraded savoury oak and great acidity backbone. The varietal flavours such as, raspberries, strawberries and red cherries fruits lingers with a faint hint of forest floor on the palate with well supporting tannins. A greatly composed wine, this is undoubtedly pushing the setting of this country's benchmark for Pinot Noir to another level.
Mount Mary Triolet
The Triolet blend, first produced at this vineyard in 1987, was inspired by the white wines of Graves, Bordeaux. Each variety is picked at optimum ripeness, and is usually fermented separately. The characteristics of optimum ripeness are different for each variety. We pick the Sauvignon blanc after the strong herbaceous flavours have disappeared, the Semillon when the acid is not too harsh, and the Muscadelle when the flavour intensity peaks.
Domaine Chevillon-Ch Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Les Bousselots
From the Vosne-Romanee end of Nuits-St-Georges. Red, spicy fruit, fresh and quite juicy. Under notes of earth and flowers. Chevillon-Chezeaux's Bousselots is always textured in the mouth and the 2017 is no exception. Combines elements of Nuits and Vosne very successfully.
Domaine Albert Morot Beaune 1er Cru Les Greves
Here too there is a similar mentholated nose on the spiced plum, dark cherry and warm earth-suffused aromas that are trimmed in enough wood to mention. The delicious and energetic middle weight plus flavors display focused power on the moderately austere finish where a touch of dryness slowly emerges. I suspect that this will round out in time as the dryness is subtle. Drink 2028+.