The best

• red wine
• white wine
• champagne
• rosé
• whisky
• spirits
• beer

deals in Australia

Organic. Chenin Blanc. This small, enigmatic vineyard-cum-appellation on the north bank of the Loire River traces its roots back to the Cistercian monks of the 12th century, who, for good measure, also planted the legendary Coulée de Serrant next door. Its name, The Monks’ Rock, also refers to the schist bedrock and soils littered with volcanic rocks. Tessa Laroche is one of only 12 vignerons to own a parcel in this prestigious vineyard that sits high atop the wider Savennières appellation. The wines of Roche-aux-Moines once produced what became a house wine in the court of Napoleon Bonaparte, and today, Tessa Laroche reminds us why Savennières was once considered among the most prized French wines. To reach this plateau, Laroche declassifies the fruit from any younger vines and yields are kept extremely low, usually around 30 hl/ha. Even then, the grapes are harvested at perfect ripeness over a series of six tris or pickings. In the cellar, the grapes ferment through indigenous yeasts and the wines age for 18 months on lees in a mixture of used barrels (220 and 400-litre) and 20-hectolitre foudre. Unlike in the past, it undergoes full malolactic conversion every year, and the only sulphur addition takes place at bottling. The resulting wine is, to quote Jon Bonné (The New French Wine), “a case study in Chenin Blanc intensity”. From a year Tessa Laroche rates as her most successful to date, the 2022 is a true terroir wine—with all guns blazing. Climbing out of the glass, the delightfully fleshy Chenin fruit is complemented by flecks of the flinty, dark-hued minerality that helps make this vineyard so distinctive. Laroche’s wines take less time to blossom than those made by her mother, Monique, yet this vintage could easily age, with benefits, for 10+ years.

On the rise and rise, Chateau Troplong-Mondot is increasingly considered a peer amongst the 1er Grand Cru Classe producers and perseveres with its lavish, luscious, strking wine styles. The wine is produced by Christine Valette in collusion with famed winemaking consultant Michel Rolland, who has been working with the estate since the 1980s, explaining some of the density and power now found in the wine. This 2010 iteration is 90% Merlot and finishes with a balance of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernt Franc. Consider the wine full-flavoured, dense and rich, but with a grace that belies its 15% alcohol

France's Bordeaux, is the spiritual home of the Cabernet family of grapes, which extends beyond Sauvignon and Franc to Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. If you love Margaret River Cabernet blends, or indeed the Merlot dominant reds of Hawkes Bay, NZ, then you must look at the wines upon which many of them have been modelled. This wine is Cabernet and Merlot, deep and rich, cassis and earthy cedar, structure and uncommon length - all hallmarks of Grand Cru Bordeaux.

Chateau Leoville-Poyferre''s reputation as a 2nd growth of note has been buoyed by the engagement of renowned consultant winemaker Michel Rolland, whose work has been an influence at the estate since the mid 1990s. Prior, the reputation had struggled until the 1970s and the arrival of Didier Cuvelier, whose labour has helped create a greater reputation, more befitting the Leoville name. The wine has increasingly become one of the finest modern examples of St-Julien, with a move towards later harvests, fuller body, deeper concentration and exceptional length of flavour. 2010 reinforces that Chateau Leoville-Poyferre is a St-Julien wine to relish and cellar for up to and beyond another 30-plus years.

From the smallest parcel of the Leoville estate, comes Chateau L?oville-Barton, a once mid-tier level 2nd Growth that has accelerated in quality and interest since the reinvigoration of current proprietor Anthony Barton in the mid 1980s. The rich, gravel-and-clay soils host a predominately Cabernet Sauvignon base of vines, though Merlot and Cabernet Franc also factor. New oak use is kept to around 50%, and the wines are notable for their purity yet power. 2010 is no exception, with a wine that drives with authority across the palate, while providing the baseline for a long time of pleasurable cellaring. Rightfully called one of the most exciting producers of St-Julien.

Left in a sorry state by the previous owners, in 1962 the Rothschilds of Lafite took over the property and begun to reconstruct the vineyard which was planted mostly to Petit Verdot. 4 decades later and the wines of Château Duhart-Milon are now showing the flavour and concentration you expect from such a site in Pauillac.

Brilliant clear pale golden yellow. White flowers, apricot, white peaches. Intensely powerful and elegant aromas. Freshness, round, rich and full-bodied. Fully expressive of the terroir. Great finesse and freshness. A pleasant light acdity is well balanaced with round fleshy fruitiness.

The old school of the UK wine market have long loved the wines of Chateau Talbot, and the 2010 would have them purring. Chateau Talbot is a producer that occupies a large (102 hectares) swathe of land under vine in Medoc and makes wines that are set to a more traditional style, including rich wood scents, firm tannins, some rustic charm and a cassis-meets-violet fruit profile. This is a superb release of the wine, reminscent of classic Talbots that are sinewy when young, but still approachable, and for enthusiasts, glorious with cellar time.