| Australian | 2872 |
| Italian | 1130 |
| Imported | 614 |
| Burgundy | 613 |
| Bordeaux | 378 |
| Champagne | 328 |
| New Zealand | 285 |
| Rhone | 243 |
| Chablis | 167 |
| Sauternes / Barsac | 161 |
| France | 154 |
| Port | 73 |
| Spirits | 59 |
| Whisky | 34 |
| Total Lots: | 7111 |
| MOUNT MARY Quintet | 2004 |
| MOUNT MARY Quintet | 2014 |
| HENSCHKE Hill of Grace | 2010 |
| JIM BARRY The Armagh | 2009 |
| MOUNT MARY Quintet | 2014 |
| PENFOLDS Grange | 2005 |
| CLARENDON HILLS Astralis | 2006 |
| KATNOOK ESTATE Winemakers Editio... | 2016 |
| PENFOLDS Bin 407 | 2010 |
| PENFOLDS Bin 407 | 2012 |
| PENFOLDS Grange |
| HENSCHKE Hill of Grace |
CREATIVE ENERGY - The Macallan Edition 2 is a masterpiece created in a collaboration between Bob Dalgarno, The Macallan's Whisky Maker, and the Three Roca Brothers (the business owners of El Cellar de Can Roca which was awarded twice as the best restaurant in the world). Edition No. 2 unites not only seven oak cask types from 4 different bodegas but also the creative energy of these four masters, with their distinctive personality coming through the delicate combination of flavours.
| IVA 0047 | 1 700ML BOTTLE 48.2% Alc./Vol - Freight only for buyers in Australia | Current Bid: $640 |
BORNE OF TWO ART FORMS - Released in 2017, this is the third annual bottling in the Edition series, this time a collaboration between Bob Dalgarno and Master Perfumer, Roja Dove.
Edition No. 3 brings to life the flavour experience of The Macallan through aroma, calling on Master Perfumer Roja Dove's remarkable sensory knowledge and expert sense of smell to create the third unique expression in the series. Borne of two art forms, Edition No. 3 unites the worlds of whisky and aroma to reveal the complexities of single malt character and the power of the senses in creating and experiencing The Macallan. Nose: Reminiscent of a fine fragrance with vanilla ice cream, fresh cut oak and delicate florals. Orange oil provides subtle grandeur while ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg flit in and out. Vanilla imparts sweetness with citrus fruits at the fore before allowing chocolate to come through. Burnished oak delivers a soft ending. Taste: Sweet fruit, vanilla and rich fruit cake with hints of apricot, pear and crisp green apple. Ginger and cinnamon are balanced with a light resinous oak finale. Finish: Long, sweet and fruity, leaving a lasting impression on the senses.
| IVA 0048 | 1 700ML BOTTLE 48.3% Alc./Vol - Freight only for buyers in Australia | Current Bid: $400 |
CELEBRATE - This is the 2018 and fourth annual bottling in the Edition series. Edition No.4 was intended to celebrate the design and craftsmanship involved in the new Macallan distillery which opened that year, and was packaged in green to evoke the turf covered roof of the spectacular new site. Edition No.4 embodies the craftsmanship and pioneering design of the new Macallan Distillery and demonstrates the mastery of whisky making on the estate since 1824. Crafted from a combination of European and American oak casks, Edition No.4 presents a zesty, vibrant and invigorating single malt of rounded honey, sweet toffee and citrus fruits. This is a distinctive whisky that pushes the boundaries of our innovation, reflecting the passion, traditions and craftsmanship that goes into the art of the perfect cask selection. Nose: Bold and rounded honey with a sweet apple note. Orange zest follows a background of ginger and nutmeg. Robust, polished matured oak comes at the end in contrast to the subtle green wood and floral undertones. Taste: Nutmeg with wood spices and green cloves open up immediately, with a calm following the intense beginnings, leaving a sweet and vanilla viscous mouth coating. Finish: Fruity with oaky sweetness, long and lasting.
| IVA 0049 | 1 700ML BOTTLE 48.4% Alc./Vol - Freight only for buyers in Australia | Current Bid: $360 |
Jim Murrays Whisky Bible 2017 - 97 points - William Larue Weller is the Antique Collection’s uncut, unfiltered, wheated bourbon. John Hansell of whiskyadvocate.com notes, "The key to bourbons that use wheat instead of rye (like this Weller), is to get the right amount of wood influence to balance the sweet notes and add depth. This whiskey does a great job of it." Other reviews... Just one of those whiskeys that makes sense of life... Distilled in 2002. For many years now, this wheated whiskey has maintained just the right amount of oak influence for balance and added complexity. This year’s release is sporting some extra dried oak spice (especially on the finish), but it’s still a delicious whiskey. Notes of toffee, maple syrup, blackberry jam, cinnamon, and vanilla, with a dry, allspice and polished leather finish. 91 points - Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2014), www.maltadvocate.com
| BOU 0001 | 1 BOTTLE bottled in 2014, 70.1% Alc./Vol, 140.2 proof, laser code : B 1422 910 : 22K -Freight only for buyers in Australia | Current Bid: $1092 |
BRAVO - RP100 - There is an usual stony austerity in the 2021 Adrianna Vineyard River, cropped from a cold year when the full clusters fermented in concrete with a slightly shorter maceration and an élevage in a 2,000-liter oak foudre and the rest in stainless steel. It has a moderate 13.4% alcohol with very high acidity (8.2!) and a low pH (3.37), incredible parameters of freshness. The wine was closed and took time to take off in the glass, revealing a very elegant and subtle personality, with the silky texture of the very fine tannins, pristine aromas and flavors and a sense of harmony that was moving. It's powerful but extremely elegant in that rare combination of clout and energy, a wine of light, aerial, with some ethereal qualities, delicate and refined. This combines the cool place and high altitude, the cool year and the stony soils, to deliver a stunning Malbec that goes well beyond the variety. Bravo! 3,400 bottles produced.
| XNE 0900 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $274 | |
| XNE 0899 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $274 | |
| XNE 0898 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $274 |
BRILLIANT - RP98+ - The 2021 White Bones Chardonnay was harvested at two different points of ripeness and then blended into the final wine, which is subtler than the explosive 2020 I tasted next to it but with the same palette of aromas—thyme, rosemary, lavender, rockrose, white flowers, citrus, pine needles, incense, curry and spices—and the palate is seamless, mineral and with a chalky texture. It's brilliant and expresses the variety, vintage and soil perfectly, but today I give the edge to the 2020, which I think transcends the vintage. 6,240 bottles produced.
| XNE 0907 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $165 | |
| XNE 0908 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $165 | |
| XNE 0906 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $165 |
MORE STONES - RP96 - I had the opportunity to taste two vintages (2020 and 2021) of the top whites side by side and could see the differences of the two years quite clearly, as the wines express the natural conditions of the year quite faithfully. The 2020 White Stones Chardonnay is riper than the other three wines; it's a very good wine, but it shows the warmer year with a rounder mouthfeel, faintly creamy, still a little closed in the nose, which slowly reveals yellow fruit and some spice. The palate is quite gentle, with 13% alcohol and very good balance. 7,500 bottles produced.
| ACC 15034 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $119 |
NV BLEND - CLASSICAL - RP97 - The NV Único Reserva Especial 2023 Release is a blend produced with vintages 2009, 2011 and 2012, in search of a house style. It's a blend of Tinto Fino with some Cabernet Sauvignon with 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.85 and 5.2 grams of acidity (measured in tartaric acid per liter of wine); so, it's a slightly lighter version of Reserva Especial. When in theory they used three warm, ripe and powerful vintages, the blend is not excessively powerful, but the longer élevage has polished that power and delivered a classical and proportioned wine, aromatic, spicy, with the Vega nose and a velvety palate with very fine tannins and great elegance. 18,318 bottles and 233 magnums produced. It was bottled in June 2019.
FIREWORKS - RP99 - Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder was aged in French oak barrels for 22 months, 94% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it soars out of the glass with vivacious scents of black cherries, black raspberries and black currant pastilles, followed by nuances of pencil shavings, tilled earth, lilacs and underbrush plus a waft of crushed rocks. The full-bodied palate is taut, packed with muscular, impactful black fruits, featuring a rock-solid backbone of firm, grainy tannins, finishing with a whole firework display of earthy/minerally sparks. Give it a good 4-5 years in bottle and drink it for the next 25+ years. 1,327 cases were made.
| XBW 3112 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $929 |
ICONIC - RP96 - The iconic 2012 Proprietary Red Opus One is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 6% Merlot and 2% Malbec aged 18 months in French oak. A classy, complex, suave and savory 2012 Opus One, with notes of toasty oak and crème de cassis. This Pauillac lookalike, made by the staff at Mouton Rothschild, is a beauty. They have continued to strengthen the quality of wine and seem to have produced a brilliant, world-class wine. I imagine the 2013 may even eclipse this, but this 2012 is one of their great ones, with a seamless integration of acidity, tannin, alcohol and wood all present in this beautiful, full-bodied wine that should drink well for 25-30 years.
| XNE 1868 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $914 | |
| XNE 1869 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $914 | |
| XNE 1867 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $914 |
SOARS - RP98 - Very deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Opus One soars out of the glass with bright, bold boysenberries, warm cassis and ripe, juicy black plums notes, plus emerging nuances of lilacs, oolong tea, cinnamon stick, tilled soil and black truffles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with tightly wound layers of crunchy black fruits, supported by firm, grainy tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing with lifted fruitiness and on a lingering mineral note.
| XNE 1870 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $834 | |
| XNE 1871 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $834 | |
| XNE 1872 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $834 |
TRULY MAGNIFICIENT - RP97-99 - Winemaker Michael Silacci commented that usually the blends are finished in January or February after the vintage. This year, with the 2019s, he was still tweaking the blend, but he did mention that this is "pretty close to the final blend." Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Opus One leaps from the glass with notes of Black Forest cake, Morello cherries, mulberries and fresh blackcurrants plus hints of licorice, wilted roses, Sichuan pepper and iron ore. Full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with juicy black, blue and red fruits, framed by velvety tannins and background freshness, finishing on a compelling earthy/mineral note. Tasted as a barrel sample, this is a truly magnificent Opus One in the making!
| XNE 1874 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $759 | |
| XNE 1875 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $759 | |
| XNE 1876 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $759 |
PERFECT BILLECART STYLE - RP96 - The 2008 Brut Cuvée Nicolas François was disgorged during the third quarter of 2022 with less than three grams per liter. It has a delicate, pure, clean bouquet with aromas of orchard fruits, spring flowers, honey and licorice, with hints of brioche and pastry with aeration. Medium to full-bodied, chiseled and crystalline, with racy acids and a chalky texture, the palate is tense and the finish is long, penetrating and salty. It exhibits perfect Billecart style, yet tension is present, a sign of the vintage. It is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir (sourced from Aÿ, Mareuil and Verzenay) and 40% Chardonnay from Mesnil, Chouilly and Cramant, and it matured 83% in tanks and 17% in old oak barrels.
FULL BODIED, FLESHY & ENVELOPING - RP96 - Disgorged with eight grams per liter dosage, Bollinger's 2014 Brut La Grande Année Rosé wafts from the glass with aromas of tangerine oil, red berries, warm biscuits and English walnuts. Full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, it's a broad, vinous Champagne, with a deep core of fruit and racy acids, complemented by a delicate pinpoint mousse and concluding with delicate and enlivening phenolic grip on the finish.
| ACC 15505 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $299 | |
| ACC 15506 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $299 | |
| ACC 15507 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $299 | |
| ACC 15508 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $299 | |
| ACC 15509 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $299 |
BRILLIANT - RP98+ When I was tasting Bollinger's brilliant Grande Année in this vintage, I was trying to imagine how good the 2008 Extra-Brut R. D. would be, as the style of the vintage seems almost perfectly adapted to this cuvée. Four years later, we have the answer, and the wine is brilliant. Disgorged in 2022, it's more reserved out of the gates than the dramatic Grande Année was on release, unwinding in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit, orange peel, freshly baked bread, subtle hints of fino sherry, wet stones and macadamia nut. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with a deep core of fruit that's animated by racy acids and a refined pinpoint mousse, concluding with a bone-dry finish. Extremely harmonious and full of youthful energy, it's the finest R. D. of the decade and one that will richly reward a bit of additional age on cork. In style, the most obvious comparison is with the 1996, but the 2008 is more integrated and harmonious on release. These bottles were disgorged late last year with three grams per liter dosage.
| XHO 0577 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $356 | |
| XHO 0576 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $356 | |
| XHO 0575 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $356 |
FINEST - RP98 - Disgorged in September 2017 with 7.5 grams per liter dosage, the 2008 Cristal was produced from 37 of the 45 parcels that are candidates for inclusion in this cuvée—some 40% of which were farmed organically back in 2008—and it's a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. The finest young Cristal in decades, the wine wafts from the glass with a pure and vibrant bouquet of crisp orchard fruit, clear honey, warm brioche, citrus zest and white flowers. On the palate, it's full-bodied, intense and incisive, with superb concentration, racy acids and a long, searingly chalky finish. Pristinely balanced, there are some 500,000 bottles of this legend-in-the-making.
| HOL 0731 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $608 |
BRILLIANT CHAMPAGNE - RP96 - The 2014 Cristal is a terrific effort that transcends the vintage. Bursting from the glass with expressive aromas of ripe citrus fruit, nectarine, white flowers, freshly baked bread and subtle hints of honeycomb, it's medium to full-bodied, vinous and fleshy, with an exuberant core of fruit that's girdled by racy acids, resulting in a wine that's simultaneously chiseled and demonstrative, meaning that early appeal doesn't come at the expense of the requisite tension for long-term cellaring. Concluding with a long, aromatic and intensely chalky finish, it is a brilliant Champagne that will offer a broad drinking window. This bottle was disgorged in June 2021 with seven grams per liter dosage.
| ACC 15686 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $374 | |
| ACC 15690 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $374 | |
| ACC 15691 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $374 |
BANNER VINTAGE - RP99 - A candidate for wine-of-the-vintage honors in Champagne, Roederer's 2013 Cristal Rosé is showing brilliantly, unfurling in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit, white flowers, red berries, stone fruit, freshly baked bread and tangerine oil. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, the vintage's bright girdling acids are amply cloaked in exuberant, expressive and notably concentrated fruit; so while this Cristal is as tensile and age-worthy as one would expect, it's also impressively fleshy and generous given the year. Concluding with an intensely sapid finish, the 2013 isn't as overtly structured as the muscular, tightly wound 2012: rather, it's the 2013's alliance of cut and flesh, precision and charm that's so compelling this year. This is another banner vintage for what I consider the reigning champion of the region's tête de cuvée bottlings, and it will be worth an effort to acquire.
| ACC 17626 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $824 |
IN SEALED ORIGINAL PRESENTATION BOX - RP98 - The brilliant 1996 Dom Perignon, which has largely disappeared from the marketplace, may be the finest young example of DP I have ever tasted. Notes of crushed rocks, honeysuckle, lemon oil, orange marmalade, and white pear provide a stunning aromatic display as well as palate impression. Great acidity and huge flavor intensity backed up by vibrant acidity make this an exquisite Champagne. It should drink well for 20-25 years, possibly longer. Readers should remember that the 1971 Dom Perignon Rose is still drinking exquisitely. I recently had the 1969 and 1970 Dom Perignons (from magnum), and both were drinking brilliantly. It makes one realize just how long-lived these wines can be. Production is confidential, but there must be hundreds of thousands of cases of Dom Perignon since it available in most of the world’s luxury hotels and restaurants.
| PAO 0001 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $408 | |
| PAO 0002 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $408 |
BREATHTAKING - 1975 VINTAGE VEUVE - looks and sounds good - If a rare 50yo bird from stella, truly excellent vintage isn't enough - this bottling celebrated the wedding of the century - Charles and Di 1981 all those years ago!
| NIK 0586 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $160 |
FORGET - JH94 - Forget the price and, indeed, the position this holds in the Bass Phillip hierarchy. It's all drive and dare, power and glory, the combination of satiny texture and minerally, smoky savouriness an exercise in pure seduction.
| TUR 0717 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $90 |
WAS PERFECT - "This was a perfect season until one week before harvest. Then, the heat wave set in, giving us incredible power and fruit strength! This is a long keeper, with balance, strength and full tannins. Very high quality as usual. 97+ Points.” - Bass Phillip.
| TUR 0713 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $280 |
GUARANTEED 30YO - JH95 - Strong purple-red; a complex array of aromas running through dark fruits, mint and vanilla, with the oak well balanced and integrated. A beautifully balanced and constructed wine, with intense fruit, well integrated oak and guaranteed to evolve superbly over the decades.
| NIK 0575 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $120 |
STELLA WINE - JH96 - A stellar wine boasting an intensity of flavour, palate-staining levels of extract and a forensic precision to the tannins that forces one to swish the wine about the mouth while chewing every ounce of nourishment from it. Subdued at first, before 2019's ripe kit of black cherry melds with lilac florals and a long trail of pepper, Indian spice mix and charcuterie flavours. A venerable wine in the making.
| ACC 12312 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $239 | |
| ACC 12313 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $239 |
NOW & THEN - Doris Block is an opportunity to portray the complexity and unique characteristics of the vintage. Adrian and I taste the barrels to classify our wines and every now and then we’ll decide to bottle one of these special lots as a stand alone offering.
890 bottles filled.
Vigneron Adrian Hoffmann and winemaker Chris Ringland have been working together for more than 25 years to develop the Hoffmann Vineyard signature labels; Reservation Shiraz, North Barossa Shiraz, Dimchurch Shiraz and Hoffmann Vineyard Shiraz. Occasionally, a specific Shiraz vineyard from one of the 12 local growers that contribute to Chris Ringland Reservation may be singled out. Doris Block is an opportunity to portray the complexity and unique characteristics of the vintage. When Adrian and I taste the barrels to classify our wines every now and then we’ll decide to bottle a miniscule amount of one of these special lots as a stand alone offering. CHRIS RINGLAND website
| RBA 0004 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $75 | |
| RBA 0005 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $60 |
STUNNING - RP99 - Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2006 Astralis has stunning nose redolent of warm blackberries, meat, toast and charcoal, infused with notes of smoked duck, anise and a slight bit of peat. Though still very youthful, this big, rich, and powerful full-bodied wine has firm yet velvety tannins, a vibrant acid line and is very long on the finish. Drink it now to 2026+.
| 106 0888 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 | |
| SGW 0001 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $230 | |
| TUR 0704 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $220 | |
| TUR 0705 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $220 | |
| TUR 0706 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $220 |
EXTRAORDINARY - RP100 - Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2010 Astralis is still quite primary eliciting aromas of black plums, blueberry compote and blackcurrant liqueur with a savory and baking spice undercurrent plus a fragrant whiff of violets. Very structured, fine and complex in the medium to full-bodied mouth, this wine is revealing much more than when I first tasted it a year ago and is now showing layer upon layer of black fruit preserves, mocha, toast and spices before finishing with great length. Extraordinary wine. Approachable now, it should cellar to 2030+.
| TUR 0707 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $251 | |
| TUR 0708 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $244 | |
| TUR 0709 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $244 |
EXOTIC - RP98+ - Medium to deep garnet/purple, the 2012 Astralis (Shiraz) starts off with complex, meaty and earthy aromas wafting around a core of blackberry preserves, preserved plums, and mulberries with hints of licorice, Chinese five spice and potpourri. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, the multi-layered flavors have very spicy accents and are framed by ripe, grainy tannins. It has a very long and elegant finish with hints of exotic spices.
| RBA 0006 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $280 |
LONG & PLUSH - RP95 - Full-bodied, creamy and rich, the 2013 Astralis Syrah lacks a bit of precision on the nose, but the palate delivers stunning layers of lush blueberry fruit, made savory by the addition of coffee grounds and black olives. Long and plush on the finish, it's a tremendous effort for the vintage.
| TUR 0710 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $224 | |
| TUR 0711 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $224 | |
| TUR 0712 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $224 |
TERRIFIC - RP97 - Cola, dried spices, menthol and blueberry notes all appear on the nose of the 2014 Astralis Syrah. A massive yet approachable wine, it's full-bodied and creamy-textured, with a rich, velvety finish that picks up awesome savory notes of anise, cracked pepper and roasted meat. It's simply a terrific wine that may be drunk soon or held up to two decades.
| TUR 0714 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $220 | |
| TUR 0715 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $220 | |
| TUR 0716 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $220 |
WOW - RP100 - The fitting capstone to what was a terrific vintage for Clarendon Hills, the 2015 Astralis Syrah is destined to become a McLaren Vale legend. Remarkably precise, complex and pristine aromas of anise, pepper, mint and blueberries lead the way. They're followed by a full-bodied yet impeccably ripe palate that's dense and concentrated yet supple, leading into a velvety, nearly endless finish. Wow.
| TUR 0718 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 | |
| TUR 0719 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 | |
| TUR 0720 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 |
TIME IS RIGHT? - RP97+ - The inky, tannic 2016 Astralis Syrah will no doubt need some time before it reaches its apogee. Right now, it only hints at that potential. Appetizing scents of roasted meat and cinnamon toast meet red raspberries and black cherries on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is densely concentrated and richly textured but closed, locked up by firm, dusty tannins that bar the lengthy finish from expanding and being truly expressive. I'm tempted to say buyers should check in on the wine in five years, but that may not be enough time. If you absolutely must check it out now, taste it repeatedly over the course of a full evening to catch glimpses of espresso, black olives and delicate herbal nuances
| XWA 1251 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $339 | |
| XWA 1256 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $339 | |
| XWA 0778 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $339 |
A BEAUTY - RP97+ - The 2017 Astralis Syrah is a very fine wine. It is not a big wine. Perhaps its reputation for being a big, extracted wine is a misnomer these days. It has intention and drive and clarity and length—and the length of flavor is so long that it allows reassessment over and over again. It has cassis and blackberry, raspberry pip and salted licorice. It is perfumed and balanced, and it takes time to develop. Unctuous. Satisfying. Supple. Attractive. Beautiful. Eminently balanced. A beauty.
| XWA 1545 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $314 | |
| XWA 1526 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $314 | |
| XWA 1485 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $314 |
BEST - JH98 - A co-fermented 94/6% blend. The hue is good, although not deep - pinotish. Tim Kirk nails it when he writes of a line of pure spice running through the bouquet and palate - I would simply add 'and the aftertaste' because this has superb length and texture, replete with red berry flavours. Clonakilla at its best.
| HKW 3869 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $77 |
PERFECTLY - JH95 - Excellent hue and depth; a complex, medium to full-bodied web of texture and flavour; perfectly balanced oak and tannins supporting blackcurrant fruit; long finish.
| TUR 0726 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 |
DEEP - JH96 - As ever, has fine but persistent tannins running from the fore-palate through to the finish; the deep and intense fruit will sustain the wine until those tannins loosen their grip. All five Bordeaux varieties present led by Cabernet Sauvignon (75%).
| TUR 0724 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $252 | |
| TUR 0727 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $116 |
PERFECTLY - JH96 - A 77/10/6/4/3% blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot, malbec and cabernet franc. Medium-bodied and perfectly balanced, its array of blackcurrant, redcurrant, earth and spice fruit flavours are clearly varietal. Effortless grace, sure to develop beautifully over the next 20-30 years.
| TUR 0725 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $200 |
INTENSITY JH97 - An 80/12/4/3/1% blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec, cabernet franc and petit verdot; 18 months in French barriques (48% new). The bouquet is perfumed and very attractive, but doesn't prepare you for the sheer intensity of the quite beautiful palate, with gloriously juicy redcurrant and cassis cradled by fine tannins and integrated oak.
| TUR 0728 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $76 |
ASTONISHING - JH98 - A 76/17/7% blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc aged for 19 months in French barriques (38% new). The palate has astonishing power and length given its alcohol, reflecting the years during which the vineyard has been managed biodynamically, the soil filled with life and beneficial micro-organisms that are indisputably having a positive impact on the vines. You might well be looking at a wine from Bordeaux's Left Bank, coiled up like a spring, but perfectly balanced, the finish almost painfully long.
| TUR 0729 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $100 |
AWESOME - JH98 - A bright crimson 73/20/7% blend of cabernet, merlot and franc, aged for an average of 17 months in French barriques (60% new). This was Cullen's greatest wine until the arrival of the Vanya Cabernet, and remains one of Australia's greatest cabernet blends, the only real competition coming from other Margaret River blends. The bouquet is perfumed, the palate fluid and graceful, notwithstanding the intensity of its cassis et al fruits which give the wine its awesome length, fine tannins its balance.
| TUR 0730 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $76 |
GREAT - JH98 - 89% cabernet sauvignon, 4% petit verdot, 3% merlot and 2% each of malbec and cabernet franc blended after fermentation, hand-picked and sorted, destemmed (66% whole berries), wild-fermented in stainless steel, average 23 days on skins, matured in French oak (69% new) for 18 months. Right in the slot of the style established (with some polishing and refining) over the years. The complexity of the texture and structure is second to none, led by the born to rule cabernet. The might of the tannins is the key to this great wine.
| TUR 0731 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $91 | |
| TUR 0732 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 |
WHY NOT 99? - JH98 - It is inappropriate to use the word elegant in describing the wine, simply because it is on another, higher level. The fragrant bouquet, the silky palate and perfectly shaped tannins of the finish are unique to this wine, which is made with endless care and patience by Vanya Cullen and her team. Why not 99 points? The oak is still a touch obvious.
| TUR 0733 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 |
ELEGANCE - JH98 - 93% cabernet sauvignon, 5% merlot, 1% each of malbec and petit verdot, matured for 14 months in French barriques (67% new). Elegance personified, no compromise likewise. Then rack up extraordinary attention to detail, and the Wilyabrup district, the greatest part of the Margaret River. Given these parameters, the fluid grace of this beautiful wine might seem almost inevitable. But, of course, it's not - it's the distillation of two generations.
| TUR 0734 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $77 |
GOSH - JH97 - Diana Madeline. The name evokes a lot of emotions, for what the woman stood for then and what the wine stands for now. The 2021 vintage equals 50 years of cabernet sauvignon plantings at Cullen. When released in early 2023, it was on what would have been her 100th birthday. It’s a wine that can come from nowhere else, so strong is its sense of place. Expect to swoon over aromas of roses, violets and mulberries doused in baking spices, a ferruginous quality as much as detailed if persuasive tannins. It’s complex, complete and structured. Gosh, what a wine. What a woman. The perfect combination.
| XBW 2818 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $134 | |
| XBW 2824 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $134 | |
| ACC 17689 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $139 |
DNA - JH97 - The best wines are distinctive with a clear DNA link to place. Diana Madeline is one such wine. An excellent deep purple hue with an ever-changing array of aromas: one minute spice, mulberries and cocoa when first poured, and next full of savoury notes of black olive tapenade, nori and menthol. As usual, it’s beautifully framed yet the fuller-bodied palate is plumped up by textural, expansive tannins and finishes long. Get a spot ready in the cellar, this has time on its side.
KEVIN HEAVEN - JH96 - Even if this is a rich rendition full of white stone fruit, quince paste with pomelo dusted in ginger powder and daikon radish, it has the Kevin John thumbprint. And while all that’s all well and lovely, it’s how this feels that makes it special: a density of fruit yet succulence, fleshy and full with umami lees, this is pulsing with flavour and energy and the oak gives off a savoury appearance. As always, compelling.
| ACC 15909 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $134 |
MELANGLE - JH94 - A heady melange of dark fruits, licorice, anise and lavish levels of toasty oak; the palate is full of warm, ripe fruitcake character, with plenty of concentration;style of wine, the detail is evident with its light touch and the finish is very long.
| WAY 0273 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $72 | |
| WAY 0278 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $72 | |
| WAY 0277 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $72 |
ICONIC - JH96 - Elderton's iconic Command Shiraz is sourced from an 1894-planted block of ancestor vines on its Nuriootpa estate; matured for an extended period in new French and American oak puncheons. Full bodied, rich and commanding, as the name suggests, with thick-shouldered blackberry and plum fruits cut with baking spices, licorice, dark chocolate, earth and punchy cedar tones. Weighty and opulent with thick, gypsum-like tannin support, plenty of Barossa horsepower and a finish that trails off persistently with flavours of ripe berries, spice and cedar.
| WAY 0126 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 | |
| WAY 0123 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 | |
| WAY 0122 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 | |
| WAY 0121 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 |
BRICK HOUSE - RP97 - Sourced from a tiny single block of vineyard planted in 1915, the very deep garnet-purple 2013 Fifteen Shiraz is a brand new, 100% Shiraz wine aged in 100% new French oak. It opens to an incredible nose loaded with dark chocolate and crushed blueberries, plums, cloves, raw meat, licorice, tar and a whiff of incense. Big, powerful and concentrated, it is built like a brick house and framed by firm, grainy tannins. It finishes quite earthy and long in the finish. Less than 100 cases were produced.
| WAY 0139 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 | |
| WAY 0140 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 | |
| WAY 0141 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 | |
| WAY 0142 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 | |
| WAY 0143 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 | |
| WAY 0144 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 |
SENSATIONAL /THRILLING - JH96 - Quite sensational. Flesh, cut, drive, finish. Feels, tastes and is good. Lime, pear, gunmetal and mineral. Dry. Thrilling length.
| ACC 17582 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $56 | |
| ACC 17581 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $56 | |
| ACC 17580 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $56 | |
| ACC 17579 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $56 |
EXCEPTIONALLY SCENTED - JH97 - Light straw-green; an exceptionally scented, blossom-filled bouquet, including wild flowers as well as citrus and apple; a very intense, juicy and sculptured palate, with squeaky acidity running throughout. Likely to have a very low pH, and has a commensurately long palate and lingering aftertaste.
| MUL 2194 | 1 BOTTLE Museum Release -Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $64 | |
| MUL 2192 | 1 BOTTLE Museum Release -Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $64 | |
| MUL 2193 | 1 BOTTLE Museum Release -Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $64 |
DELIGHT & DETAIL - JH95 - There’s a lot of detail and delight with this savoury syrah, a 1.5% splash of viognier and 3.5% glug of mourvèdre also in the mix, with 5% whole bunches, then aged 14 months in French oak foudres plus puncheons. The tannins are key – they are shapely, plush, almost velvety, and augmented by aromas/flavours of dark fruit, warm spice, ferrous notes and gun smoke. Fuller bodied without feeling weighty, and the finish is long.
FINEST - JH96 - Cabernet franc is at the heart of Olmo’s Reward with glugs of cabernet sauvignon and for the first time mourvadre and a splash of malbec. This is up there as one of the finest to date. A seamless combination of the varieties morphs into a unified, harmonious red. Supple, fine tannins yet intrinsically powerful in a way, as they coat the fuller-bodied palate, but this never feels big or weighty. The finish is as long as it is beautiful.
| ACC 17107 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $64 | |
| MUL 2198 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $64 | |
| MUL 2196 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $64 | |
| MUL 2197 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $64 |
| MUL 2208 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $54 | |
| MUL 2207 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $54 | |
| MUL 2209 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $54 |
PURITY - JH95 - More specific sourcing within the Isolation Ridge vineyard, a section no doubt that brings that little extra va-voom to the way shiraz works here. Enticing floral fragrance as well as a stony, gravelly sense, deliciously attractive and toned on the palate. There's a purity to this wine that enhances all that's on offer.
| MUL 2211 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $93 | |
| MUL 2210 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $93 | |
| MUL 2212 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $93 |
PROFOUND - WOW - JH97 - Certified organic. Fruit from the Isolation Ridge vineyard on the estate property. The nose is so fragrant that it takes some time to unpick it all. Winter mandarin, pink peppercorn, citrus blossom, blackberry, plum, licorice, clove, star anise, lavender and fennel flower. In the mouth, the graphite and black-tea tannins are a masterclass in svelte. They weave and thread through all aspects of the experience, becoming briefly savoury, before trailing out over a long finish. It is the tannins that reveal to us how inchoate this wine truly is. It needs time. It will be superlative. For now, it is tightly wound, coiled even and needs time to unfurl and show its potential. What a profound wine. Wow. Owns the Syrah moniker.
| MUL 2214 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $91 | |
| MUL 2213 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $91 | |
| MUL 2215 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $91 |
NEW WORLD ORDER - JUDGEMENT OF GIACONDA - Magnum Mayhem - Incredible opportunity, Priced to find the worthy
| LEE 0061 | 1 MAGNUM BOXED No Sterling insurance on freight for this lot | Current Bid: $560 |
NEW WORLD ORDER - JUDGEMENT OF GIACONDA - Magnum Mayhem - Incredible opportunity, Priced to find the worthy
| LEE 0062 | 1 MAGNUM BOXED No Sterling insurance on freight for this lot | Current Bid: $560 |
UNIQUE - JH98 - Hand-picked, whole bunch-crushed and basket-pressed, fermented in French oak (30% new), 100% mlf, matured for 22 months, not filtered. Pale, bright straw-green; the bouquet is very complex, yet subtle due to emphemeral husky/creamy nuances. The sheer power of the palate is of a category unique to Giaconda (and perhaps Leeuwin Estate), for it is on you before you realise it, the acidity bright and fresh notwithstanding the mlf.
| TUR 0740 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $250 |
LUSCIOUS - JH97 - Hand-picked fruit, whole-bunch crushed, basket pressed, fermented in French oak (30% new), mlf, matured 20 months in an underground cave. The secret – if there is one – to Giaconda chardonnay is the depth of complexity achieved. It is a thing of wonder to get lost in, as you wander through layer upon layer of stone fruits, citrus and grilled nuts, almond cream, spice and then gently embedded oak. Luscious. Intriguing. Stylish.
| TUR 0741 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $250 |
GORGOUS, ELEGANT, PRECISE, MAGNIFICIENT - RP98 - The 2022 Estate Vineyard Chardonnay follows hot on the heels of the perfect 2021 release, and in doing so, it has big boots to fill. Aromatically, the wine leads, as all Giaconda Chardonnay's do, with white flowers and notions of campfire and charred gum leaves, cracked white peppercorns and white peach, salt and caper brine. Crushed and salted nuts, enoki mushroom, shaved fennel, torched pink grapefruit ... the cavalcade of flavors march on across the palate. In this season, the wine is altogether more quietly nuanced and placid than the sleek, powerfully focused 2021 vintage. However, in so saying, this wine is balanced and fine, somewhat less overtly reductive (although still imbued with that salivating characteristic), populated by softer-spoken fruit and yet no less sapid or palate staining. It is in the mouth that the pedigree of the wine comes to the fore. The chalky texture and the penetrating intensity of flavor in combination are what make this wine so great, as I see it, and the 2022 vintage provides a gentle framework within which the wine exists. This is a gorgeous, elegant, precise and detailed release of this magnificent wine. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
CRACKER - JH96 - Shiraz sourced from vines between 50 to 130 years of age in the renowned northern Barossa subregion of Ebenezer; 16 months in new French and American oak. A wine of impact and purity. Beautiful ripe black plum, cassis and black cherry fruits with hints of cedar, baking spices, dark chocolate, licorice, nutmeg, espresso, earth and graphite. Power and harmony writ large with cascading tannin, lacy acidity and great depth and concentration ... I feel it needs one of those big, old Batman-style 'KAPOW!!' boxes for emphasis. It's a cracker.
| ACC 16175 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $77 |
SUPERSTAR - RP98 - The 2018 The Eye of Ra Shiraz is wildly aromatic: blood plum, pastrami, cracked peppercorns, clove bud, mountain herbs (alpine mint?), boysenberry, blackberry (actually, every black berry you can name), dark chocolate, squid ink, blueberry, resin and char. In the mouth, the wine is velvety and concentrated, with a surprising amount of detail embedded and embossed into the folds of tannin that shape the wine. This is very big, make no mistake, but also balanced between its sweet and savory sides. A galaxy of complexity exists in this glass. It shows the 2018 vintage off to its best effect: ripe, dense, concentrated, fresh and beguiling. Super good. The drinking window is conservative, however, as I prefer a modicum of primary fruit. It's important to note that it will age gracefully beyond that point, so it is up to you... The fruit for this cuvée is from Ebenezer, largely from Adrian Hoffman. Diverse soil types in the vineyard allow for diversity in picking and fruit flavors; this here is from the sandy/free-draining sections of the Ebenezer vineyard—from four blocks in the vineyard. It was handpicked, and picked based on flavor, then crushed, destemmed and cold fermented, barrel selection. It matured in 300-liter hogsheads for 14-16 months, in a combination of French oak coopers (100% new). Packaged in a black metal box, under natural cork and wax, this is a superstar.
| XBW 3740 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $449 | |
| XBW 3742 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $449 | |
| XBW 3741 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $449 |
SPECTACULAR - RP100 - The 1998 Shiraz Roennfeldt Road (235 cases) is made from yields of .75-1 ton of fruit per acre. The wine possesses the concentration of the greatest classics ever produced in such Bordeaux vintages as 1945, 1947, 1959, 1961, and 1982. This is a full-bodied red with a finish that lasts well over 60 seconds. For its size and concentration, it is, surprisingly, not heavy, just super-endowed. The Shiraz is accessible, but still primary. Unfortunately, quantities are extremely limited for this spectacular, world-class Australian red.
| JUL 0001 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $264 |
INCREDIBLE ARRAY - RP95+ - Deep garnet in color, the 2007 Roennfeldt Road Shiraz displays an incredible array of aromas: sandalwood, oolong tea, cinnamon stick, cardamom, damp earth, tobacco, cedar, licorice and menthol over a core of dried mulberries and fruit cake. Very full-bodied and densely packed with spiced, dried berry flavors, it has a good line of enlivening acid, medium to firm grainy tannins and a long finish with the oak still poking through. It is approachable now but should drink best 2024+.
| ACC 16380 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $247 | |
| ACC 17193 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $247 |
PARTICULARLY ENJOYABLE - JH96 - 57% merlot, 43% cabernet sauvignon matured in French hogsheads (10% new) for 18 months. This is a particularly enjoyable Abbotts Prayer, the seamless union of merlot and cabernet translating as a perfectly balanced juicy stream of red and blackcurrant fruit, oak and tannins there or thereabouts, but no more.
| ACC 12123 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $69 | |
| ACC 12124 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $69 |
STYLISH - JH92 - Medium to full red-purple; a fragrant and complex bouquet with interwoven spicy oak and briary/berry fruit. A stylish wine on the palate with opulent use of high-toned spicy/charry oak; the oak level will come back with further time in bottle.
| GOG 0199 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $80 |
PERFECT - JH96 - Excellent colour; a lovely wine, another in the stable to bounce back; classic cabernet fruit, with long, fine, cedary/savoury tannins; perfect balance.
| TUR 0742 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 |
LIVELY & LONG - JH94 - Blackcurrant fruit with touches of mint and leaf lead into a medium- to medium-full-bodied palate; lively and long, it has abundant cassis and blackcurrant fruit, a touch of mint again apparent, but not excessive; has absorbed the new oak, and has very good structure.
| ACC 16936 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $206 |
HIGH QUALITY - JH95 - High quality wine; blackcurrant and cassis fruit leads both bouquet and palate; fine tannins and cedary oak add layers to the mouthfeel.
| 106 0898 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 | |
| TUR 0746 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 |
PARTICULARLY GOOD - JH97 - Full purple-crimson; an 84/13/3% blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc, first bottled as a single wine in '78. The blend, and the cooler climate of the Eden Valley, lend themselves to this elegant, medium-bodied wine, with a full hand of blackcurrant and forest fruits, integrated French oak, and fine, but persistent and balanced, tannins on the imperiously long finish. This is a particularly good vintage.
| TUR 0743 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 |
NO HOLDS BARRED - JH97 - Some of the vines were planted by Cyril Henschke in the '60s. Matured in French hogsheads (35% new) for 18 months. Deep but brightly coloured, this is a no holds barred, full-bodied Eden Valley cabernet sauvignon that will live for decades, blessed by a screwcap. Blackcurrant fruit, touches of cedary oak, black olive, bay leaf and earthy tannins are all on parade.
| TUR 0744 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| TUR 0745 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 |
AGE MAGNIFICENTLY - JH96 - Some of the vines for this wine were planted by Cyril Henschke back in the 1960s. Matured in French oak (10% new) for 18 months. Bright blackberry and blackcurrant fruits with top notes of redcurrant and red cherry. Olive tapenade, cedar, light briar notes and mountain herbs. Fine lacy acidity and tight, powdery tannin provide the frame, and there is no doubt that this release will age magnificently.
| ACC 16786 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $130 | |
| ACC 16787 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 |
RP93 - Deep brick color, the 1986 Hill of Grace is a well-defined nose of dried mulberries and kirsch with hints of truffles, menthol, earth and cigar boxes. Medium-bodied with good fruit concentration and plenty of savory, spicy layers of flavors, it has bright acid, medium-firm, grainy tannins and a long finish. It is mature. Robert Parker Wine Advocate – Lisa Perotti Brown – 25th April 2013
| NIK 0568 | 1 BOTTLE Into neck & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $800 |
RP 89 - The 1988 Hill of Grace is medium deep brown in color and replete with earthy and leathery aromas marred by a touch of rancio /aldehydic notes that seem to recover after a few minutes and show some treacle and Indian spice hints. It is an interesting wine, though just a bit flat and tired on the palate with of medium level chewy tannins, crisp acid and a good length on what remains of the fruit. It is mature. Robert Parker Wine Advocate – Lisa Perotti Brown – 25th April 2013
| NIK 0565 | 1 BOTTLE Severe label damage | Current Bid: $640 |
BEETHOVEN - JH99 - From a very good vintage, the colour shows no sign of age, the bouquet and palate reminiscent of a Beethoven symphony, throbbing with power, its black fruits in a web of fine, ripe tannins, building inexorably to the last movement, constantly revisiting and rephrasing all that has gone before.
| TUR 0747 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $775 | |
| TUR 0748 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $775 | |
| TUR 0749 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $775 |
FLAWLESS - JH99 - It's been worth the wait, and then some, for this is a flawless Hill of Grace. It's an old cliche, but it's unavoidable: it is the ultimate iron fist in a velvet glove. While the fruit remains supreme, there are savoury tannins to support the 50-year cellaring potential of the wine. It is bottled under screwcap, not the elegant Vino-Lok of past vintages, because you want the most secure closure for ultra-long cellaring. The wine? Perfect colour, fragrant dark cherry/berry aromas and flavours, positive tannin and French oak support, great aftertaste.
| TUR 0750 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $750 | |
| TUR 0751 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $750 |
ROCK SOLID - JH97 - It's the story of the farmer - too hot, too cold, too dry, too wet'. Well, not exactly, unless it be too dry, because the Eden Valley had no rain for nearly 6 months until 16mm at the beginning of Mar, and frequent weekly cycles of hot and cold prevailed. The patchwork quilt of Hill of Grace was picked in small parcels between 21 Feb and 7 Mar. It's a rock solid (to use a Henschke expression) wine, matured in 86% French and 14% American oak (56% new). There are no dead fruits, but this is a full-bodied Hill of Grace, with blackberry, licorice and anise fruit, the tannins exceptionally well managed, the oak likewise.
| TUR 0752 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $600 |
ALL-TIME GREATS - JH99 - Henschke says the '15 vintage provided stunning and elegant Eden Valley shiraz with extraordinary flavours, purity of fruit and acid balance. And indeed that's a fair description of this medium-bodied Hill of Grace. The colour is still bright, clear crimson-purple, and the beautifully balanced fruit flavours are vibrantly fresh. It would be easy to underestimate the likely longevity of this wine. One of the all-time greats.
| TUR 0753 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $875 |
TRUE SPECTACLE - JH99 - From a core of vines planted around 1860 (plus some 100+ and 35+yo vines) at 400m elevation. Matured 18 months in 85/15% French/ American oak, 29% new. Such effortless grace and caressing elegance, in the presence of commanding endurance that will sustain it for half a century. This is the paradox that defines the legendary fable that is Hill of Grace. The 2016 embodies this: the profound depth of black fruits, bathed in the inimitable fragrance and exotic Chinese five-spice that characterises these old vines, set to tannins more finely textured yet more commanding than ever. Resist the seductive temptations of its youth and drink the 2015 first, because the true spectacle of 2016 is decades away.
| TUR 0754 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $575 | |
| TUR 0755 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $575 |
GREATEST GRACE? - JH99 - Henschke has deemed the 2019 release 'a vintage graced by the nurturer', a reference to Prue Henschke's work in the vineyards and relentless pursuit of perfection in the viticultural field. I used to live on the property between Hill of Grace and Mount Edelstone and have seen first hand the hard work and love given to these vines, so hats off to the nurturer. Again, tiny yields in 2019, but it is a beautifully detailed, layered wine – as expected from these gnarled ancestor vines (160 years old). It's seamless with perfectly poised blackberry and dark berry fruits, five-spice, sage, softly spoken oak and the gentle tug of superfine, toothsome tannins. Lacy, mineral-laden acidity propels the wine forward and the finish is long, elegant and in perfect pitch. Grace by name, grace by nature.
RP97 - SUPER - The 2019 Hill of Grace Shiraz was picked earlier than the Mount Edelstone fruit, and it was picked on a single day, on March 8. This vineyard has more silt, and it brings out anise and five spice aromas in the wine. It ripens earlier than Mount Edelstone, is darker and more concentrated than the former and brings out the concentration of black fruit and fine tannins that the Eden Valley is so capable of. On the palate, the wine is super fragrant, elegant and fine, with bone broth and rose petals, peppercorns, crushed herbs, black cherry, raspberry pip, black tea and graphite. This is an eloquent wine, and it speaks of the evocatively beautiful place that is the Eden Valley. The tannins hold the fruit in a gentle way in the mouth. It is fine, such a fine expression—I must say, it's not at all what I expected of the 2019 vintage. It's a triumph of a wine. Super. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under Vinolok. Bottle number 0074.
| ACC 16640 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $841 | |
| ACC 16641 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $841 | |
| ACC 16642 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $841 |
PERFECTLY - JH97 - Bright crimson-purple; so perfectly balanced and composed, its latent power may not be realised; black and red cherry fruits at its heart are complexed by lesser notes of plum and blackberry; the tannins are superb, the oak of high quality, and totally integrated on the very long, silky finish of this outstanding medium-bodied shiraz.
| TUR 0756 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 |
GREATEST - JH98 - Vivid, deep purple-crimson; this is a blue-blood aristocratic shiraz, certain in its supreme power, length and balance, and not going out to prove anything. If anyone doubts its quality now, the scales will fall from their eyes over the decades ahead, as it will be recognised by all and sundry as one of the greatest Mount Edelstones.
INTENSITY & FOCUS - JH97 - The 61st vintage, from 101yo ungrafted dry-grown vines, matured for 18 months in 81% French and 19% American hogsheads (34% new). The decision to hold back the release of this shiraz until after the '14 was correct - this is a densely packed wine destined for a long life as vertical tastings have proved again and again, intensity and focus achieved without apparent effort. Medium-bodied, but with compelling black fruits riding on the back of tannins and carefully measured oak.
POWERFUL - JH97 - 102yo single vineyard, matured in 92% French and 8% American hogsheads (28% new) for 18 months. Only a fraction of the normal crop, as was the case in many parts of SA and Vic. The colour is that of an 18 month-old (not 36 months) shiraz, the aromas of black fruits, licorice and black pepper, the tannins firm and enduring, yet in balance with the powerful fruit. I remain to be convinced this is suited to drinking while the '13 comes around, the best solution is to leave both to themselves for 5 or so years.
| TUR 0761 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $128 | |
| TUR 0762 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $128 | |
| TUR 0763 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $128 | |
| TUR 0764 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $128 |
CLASSIC - JH97 - This was the first wine sold in bottle ('52) by Henschke, although it has had to play second fiddle to Hill of Grace since '58 when the latter came on stream. New oak is only 22%, and the majority of the oak is French. The vintage was excellent, the flavours deep, with soft blackberry and plum fruits wending their way across the palate, cushioned by cedary oak and carefully polished tannins. It's utterly classic drinking, with unalloyed pleasure now but no less in another 20 years.
| RBA 0002 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $128 |
FAVOURITE - JH96 - Shiraz from the Wheelwright vineyard in Eden Valley; 18 months in 65/35% French/American oak (21% new). A relatively new addition to the Henschke quiver and one that is fast becoming a favourite of mine. Pure mulberry, blueberry and blackberry fruits with hints of fine spice, sage, bay leaf, licorice, dark chocolate and crushed stone. Firm granitic tannins melt into the wine, pure and true with a fine, lively cadence and superb fruit density and detail on display. Drink or hold.
| ACC 17646 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 | |
| ACC 17647 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 |
BEAUTIFUL - JH96 - Deep purple; a beautiful wine in every respect; purity of classic varietal fruit; texture, structure and length all perfect; fine tannins and integrated oak. Cabernet Malbec. Six Trophies
EXCEPTIONAL - JH96 - The vineyard was planted in 1968, a drought year requiring each vine to be hand watered by the family from drums on the back of a tractor, an investment in blood, sweat and tears that has been handsomely repaid. Elegance is not a word usually associated with wines having the dimension of Armagh, but it applies here, yet without betraying the birthright of a wine with exceptional depth to its fusion of dark berries, spices and toasty oak, the latter in the manner of Grange, obvious yet integrated and balanced.
| RBA 0001 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $210 |
SUPERBLY HONED – JH96 - The star of the Jim Barry show - it plays a different medley. This is superbly honed, brimming with power and depth, full-bodied yet there's a certain refinement too. Astonishing colour, all dark ruby and bright with purple tinges, the tannins velvety and savoury, the finish long. Every detail taken care of and the end result a complete wine. Surprisingly approachable, but built to last a considerable distance.
| XNE 1603 | 1 BOTTLE Museum ReleaseEx-cellar | Current Bid: $364 | |
| XNE 1584 | 1 BOTTLE Museum ReleaseEx-cellar | Current Bid: $364 | |
| XNE 1583 | 1 BOTTLE Museum ReleaseEx-cellar | Current Bid: $364 |
RESPECT - JH96 - The Barry team extracts the maximum from the vineyard with a deft (14.2% alcohol) touch. It's savoury, earthy, its tannins are four square and ready, charred meat in another channel. It's utterly original, whether or not the family thought they could match Grange. To know the wine you don't have to love it, but you do have to respect it.
| ACC 16564 | 1 HALF BOTTLE | Current Bid: $169 | |
| ACC 16565 | 1 HALF BOTTLE | Current Bid: $169 |
SUPERSTAR - RP98 - I thought that the 2014 had completely stolen my heart, but then there was this 2018 The Armagh Shiraz, bottled under Stelvin. This saw no American oak, as 2017 was the first year of 100% French. This is the first year with puncheons (no hogsheads) as well. It is so good, sensational, with a perfect fruit profile and orange oil character. It is fresh, beguiling, supple, intense, elegant, refined and full—all the good and important things in confluence here. It has 13.6% and matured for 18 months in 75% new and 25% one-year-old French oak hogsheads (300 liters) and puncheons (500liters). This is a superstar. The drinking window may be conservative—closure and winemaking could put this at 40 years with ease. And beyond.
| XSA 2095 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 | |
| XSA 2094 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 | |
| XSA 2092 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 |
GREAT EXAMPLE - JH97 - From the estate vineyard planted in 1899 at Marananga, matured in French oak (30% new) for 18 months, not fined or filtered. Full-bodied, but very well balanced, and has a purity, a strong sense of place to its black/forest berry fruit; the French oak, too, plays a positive role. A great example of the genre.
| XPU 0004 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $98 | |
| XPU 0005 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $98 | |
| XPU 0003 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $98 |
1899 - JH96 - Fruit off the estate's Marananga vineyard planted in 1899. The wine is matured in 35% new French oak and aged 16 months. It's full-bodied, bold and rich with densely packed tannins and all manner of dark fruit, spice and gravelly/ironstone notes. Retains purity, even a brightness.
| XPU 0006 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $249 | |
| XPU 0013 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $249 | |
| XPU 0014 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $249 |
RICHER DEEPER FULLER - JH95 - Richer, deeper and fuller than most Art Series at this stage of its development; ripe stone fruit and melon fruit. Two bottles tasted; the second slightly tighter and racier than the other. Will develop more quickly than most. - MUSEUM RELEASE
| XLE 0743 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 | |
| XLE 0715 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 | |
| XLE 0751 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 |
SEAMLESS - JH96 - The fruit literally sings, appropriate given Leeuwin's annual concerts; white peach, nectarine and grapefruit are the s opranos, barrel ferment and mlf the orchestra behind, the result seamless but synergistic - MUSEUM RELEASE
| XLE 0956 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 | |
| XLE 0932 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 | |
| XLE 0892 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 |
FINESSE - JH96 - Still pale quartz-green; the finesse of Art Series Chardonnay when it is young is every bit as enjoyable as is the complexity it gains after six or seven years in bottle (under screwcap), its future still assured. We know that good bottles from the mid-1980s are still glorious, although most are now a shadow of their former selves. What we don't really know is how long the wines such as this live and flourish under screwcap
| XLE 0959 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 | |
| XLE 0961 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 | |
| XLE 0962 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 | |
| TUR 0765 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 |
PERFECT EXAMPLE – JH97 - Craftmanship of the highest order in the vineyard and winery have combined to create a perfect example with this wine. The intensity and power unwind effortlessly, but with multiple aroma and flavour messages from the barrel fermentation and subsequent maturation of the fully ripe, pink grapefruit and peach at its core. - MUSEUM RELEASE
| XLE 0968 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $244 | |
| XLE 0970 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $244 | |
| XLE 0971 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $244 | |
| TUR 0766 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 |
SHEER PURITY & INTENSITY - JH97 - Bright yellow-green; the sheer purity and intensity of this wine is remarkable, even in the context of its imperious ancestry; it has its own flavour and tactile characters stemming from the perfect balance between the white peach and grapefruit flavours carried through the very long and detailed palate by bright acidity. - MUSEUM RELEASE
| XLE 0973 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $234 | |
| XLE 0993 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $234 | |
| XLE 1006 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $234 |
CHARDONNAY ROYALITY - JH98 - There is always cause to genuflect in the presence of chardonnay royalty, such as that of Leeuwin Estate. It imposes its will without a flicker of effort; the line between citrus and stone fruit, and between oak and mineral comes and goes, leaving you grasping at straws; it's a wine of flawless balance, line and length. - MUSEUM RELEASE
| XLE 1007 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $224 | |
| XLE 1008 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $224 | |
| XLE 1009 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $224 | |
| TUR 0767 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 |
EXQUISITE - JH98 - A very youthful bright green-quartz colour sets the scene for a riveting wine of exquisite purity and finesse. It almost floats in the mouth, so effortless is its invocation of all things chardonnay: white flowers, white stone fruits and immaculately balanced acidity. Oak? Well, yes it's there, but rendered mute by the fruit. Has greater staying power than any other Australian chardonnay.
| TUR 0768 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $140 |
SUPREMELY - JH98 - 55% machine-picked at night, 45% hand-picked, 64% cultured yeast, 36% wild yeast, fermented in and matured for 11 months in new French oak. It is supremely elegant and finely balanced, and has absorbed the new oak in a manner worthy of a Grand Cru White Burgundy, leaving the fragrant bouquet and finely structured palate of startling length to occupy centre stage.
| TUR 0769 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 |
PITCH PERFECT – JH96 - Generous of flavour and texture, imparted by Leeuwin's stamp of extended skin contact, an approach that demands impeccably ripe fruit. And so it is. White peach and nectarine notes are strung pitch perfect across scales of clotted cream oak and juicy acidity. Long and pliant. Each piece of the jigsaw is in perfect synchronicity. A pedigreed wine boasting an impressive track record. I have had older vintages reminiscent of top Meursault.
| THE 0181 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $77 | |
| THE 0187 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $74 | |
| THE 0188 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $77 | |
| THE 0189 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $74 | |
| THE 0190 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $74 | |
| THE 0191 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $74 |
SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE - JH99 - This achieves another step up the quality ladder for Leeuwin Estate, seemingly impossible. There's been no change in the vinification, nor in the vineyard. The change is an increase in the intensity of the flavours, and hence their length and aftertaste. It's an extraordinary wine, among the greatest of Burgundy (and elsewhere in the world). Whatever you expect from its future development will be delivered. - MUSEUM RELEASE
JH90 - Fine, elegant, medium-bodied mix of cassis, cedar and mocha; long, fine finish.
| TUR 0771 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 |
CLASSIC - JH95 - Classic, austere regional/varietal expression; curiously, the grip is more evident on entry than on the finish and aftertaste, thanks to superfine tannins.
| TUR 0772 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $96 |
RATHER LOVELY - JH96 - There’s as much a Moss Wood DNA thumbprint as a regional one here. This shows off violets, cedary/toasty oak (thankfully not too much), chocolate and a slight ironstone character. Fuller bodied yet the palate is smooth and contained with fine-grained, almost silky tannins, plus dabs of sweet mulberries and blackberries with refreshing acidity tying everything together. Rather lovely now but will garner more complexity in time.
INTRICATE - JH98 - The high quality vintage shines through this wine, illuminating its intricate multifaceted complexity; almost, but not quite, juicy cassis fruit is swathed in perfectly balanced French oak and gently ripe tannins. The only problem will be keeping your hands off it.
| TUR 0773 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $108 |
AUTOCRATIC - JH97 - Hand-picked, destemmed to open fermenters with cultured yeast, 7 days fermentation and 7 days post-ferment maceration, matured for 28 months in French barriques (30% new). A powerful, full-bodied cabernet that still manages to achieve finesse thanks to the perfect balance of fruit, oak and tannins. An autocratic portrait of cabernet, and of photographic reality.
| TUR 0774 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $100 | |
| TUR 0775 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $100 |
BEAUTY - JH98 - Moss Wood's flagship wine is a structured beauty with nothing out of place. The gloss of the colour, the florals, blackberries and mulberries infused with black olives, dried herbs and eucalypt; the French oak and the fine-grained tannins seal the deal. Very even and will reward the patient.
| TUR 0776 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $91 | |
| TUR 0777 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 |
DECADES - JH97 - The bouquet shows the first signs of development via nuances of spice and earth. The palate is still bracing and fresh, cassis and redcurrant on the same page. These different personas are simply an intermediate stage before the wine moves on to a lingering plateau that will be measured in decades not years.
| TUR 0778 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 | |
| TUR 0779 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 |
GREAT - JH99 - Includes 5% petit verdot and 4% cabernet franc, hand-picked, destemmed, open-fermented, 14 days on skins, matured in French barriques (18% new). A luscious, plush cabernet, its voluptuous palate trimmed by dry herbs and foresty notes. A great vintage maximised by the thoughtful vinification.
| HKW 3935 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $93 |
MESMERISING - JH96 - From 51yo vines, 88/8/4% cabernet sauvignon/petit verdot/cabernet franc. Matured for 29 months in French oak (15% new). The 2017 vintage is responsible for cabernets of incredible poise and layering. This is not a thundering power piece, rather an intricately detailed and mesmerising wine, with fine folds of flavour: bay leaf, raspberry, star anise, sage, hints of fennel, pomegranate and pink peppercorn. This is pure, floral, pretty, and very long. Moss Wood has proven its capability for graceful ageing and this will be no exception.
| HKW 3936 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $116 | |
| TUR 0780 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| TUR 0781 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 |
MASTERCLASS - JH97 - This is a masterclass in refinement. It is svelte and streamlined, the cool, mineral spool of flavour across the tongue is what the 2019 vintage can look like at its most restrained and harnessed. The length of flavour basically flutters out over the finish, so weightless and enduring. The 2018 that came before it had a thundering, legendary quality - legs widespread, hands on hips, power pose. This is the creative in the family, the quiet guy. It's intriguing and intelligent and thoughtful ... poignantly red fruited, spicy and super-supple. I'm descending into hyperbole. It's unnecessary. This is another great Moss Wood release.
| TUR 0782 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 | |
| TUR 0783 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 |
GREATNESS - JH98 - Pulsating with sweet fruits and velvety mouthfeel, it only takes a split second for this wine to establish its greatness in the pantheon of cabernet sauvignons grown around the world. The unusual decision to include 7% petit verdot picked at 15.2Ëš baume (cropped more heavily than the cabernet and picked over a week later) doubtless played its part, but its synergy with the cabernet (and a soupçon of 3% cabernet franc) must have given much pleasure and justified pride. Nature being what it is, the cabernet sauvignon yield was 40% down at 4.5t/ha. All in all, though, this is a cabernet to melt a pinot noir addict's heart.
| TUR 0784 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $73 | |
| TUR 0785 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $72 |
INTENSE YET BALANCED - JH99 - Hand-picked, wild-fermented with 80% whole bunches and 20% whole berries, 2-3 weeks on skins, matured for 18 months in French barriques (18% new), 280 dozen made. Wonderfully, tumultuously intense yet balanced, black licorice and herbal/foresty nuances all in play.
| ACC 16040 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $119 |
IMPRESSIVE - JH96 - Hand-picked fruit, 90/10% whole berries/bunches into small open-top fermenters with natural yeasts. Pressed to tank, transferred to French oak barriques (60% new) for mlf and 18 months' maturation. The Swiss clone, planted in 1969 and still on its own roots, is at the heart of this impressive flagship shiraz. It has a deep vein of ripeness of dark plum, aniseed, sage, lifted wood spices and blackberries. Taut across the palate in structure but velvety in flavour, it raises the question of when to drink. The answer: not just now, if possible.
| XWA 2345 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $174 | |
| XWA 2343 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $174 | |
| XWA 2342 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $174 | |
| XWA 2341 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $174 |
ELEGANT - JH96 - 90% hand-picked fruit, the remainder machined harvested. Small open-top fermenters with natural yeasts, 50/50% whole berries/bunches. Pressed to tank, transferred to oak for mlf and 18 months' maturation in French barriques (25% new). A vinous ode to the late, great innovative winemaker Trevor Mast, who promoted the kind of cool-climate shiraz we now so enjoy. This is all about the quality of the fruit, the light pepper and swirling spice, anise, wild raspberries, cassis. It moves with precision on the palate, elegant and supple.
CLASSIC - JH95 - Excellent hue though not particularly deep; a classic, understated Mount Mary style, beautiful fruit/oak/tannin balance; cassis and blackcurrant dominate, then silky tannins on a very long finish. Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Cabernet Franc/Malbec/Petit Verdot.
| TUR 0786 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $115 |
GRACEFUL - JH95 - Supremely graceful and fine in typical Mount Mary style; the long and silky palate has a tapestry of red and black fruit flavours, the finish long and satisfying, the aftertaste lingering for minutes.
| TUR 0787 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $106 |
FINESSE - JH94 - All about subtlety and finesse; while medium-bodied, has deceptive intensity and length, the five varieties seamlessly moulded into a mix of black and red fruits, fine tannins and a gently savoury finish. Oak? Yes, it's there, but you don't notice it.
| TUR 0788 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $106 | |
| TUR 0789 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $115 |
DEVELOPS - JH97 - While there wasn't a lot of wine made in the Yarra Valley in '14 (wind and rain during flowering), some wine of very high quality was made - witness this. Mount Mary has shown over the decades that Quintet develops superbly, and this complex dark berry-flavoured Bordeaux blend will do just that.
| TUR 0790 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $111 | |
| TUR 0791 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $105 |
FIND ITS FEET - H95 - 45% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 16% cabernet franc, 5% petit verdot and 4% malbec, all vinified separately matured in French oak (35% new) in various larger vessels and vats. The bouquet is gently cedary/savoury, and the palate adds herbal/green olive notes to the finish. It's still to find its feet (all five of them).
| TUR 0792 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $108 | |
| TUR 0793 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $108 |
MESMERISINGLY - JH99 - Stands proudly at the head of the Mount Mary portfolio. A blend of 44% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 16% cabernet franc and 5% each of malbec and petit verdot, each variety handled according to its structure. Open/static fermenters, wood/stainless steel, 10-14 days on skins, 35% new oak from a range of coopers and forests, 16-20 months in barrel. Mesmerisingly silky, with a kaleidoscope of fruit and secondary flavours.
| TUR 0794 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $131 | |
| TUR 0795 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $112 |
HARMONY - JH98 - A quintet of 44% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 16% cabernet franc and 5% each of malbec and petit verdot, all in harmony. Heady aromatics, the fruit pristine and lightly spiced. But it's the medium-bodied palate that really woos: focused and seamless with superfine yet detailed tannins. Of course it has the beauty and charm of youth but age will send this to another level. Did I mention elegance? Tick.
| TUR 0796 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $159 | |
| TUR 0797 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $132 | |
| TUR 0798 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $132 |
UNDERSTATEMENT - JH98 - A blend of 44/30/18/4/4% cabernet sauvignon/merlot/cabernet franc/malbec/petit verdot. From a cool year, with the poor flowering reducing the crop of the Quintet varieties by around 50%, this is an essay in elegance and understatement. A medium, bright and translucent ruby red, this is beautifully perfumed with aromas of just-ripened blackcurrants, red cherries, rose petals and gentle cedar notes from the oak. The palate is exceptionally pure fruited and gently textured. The wine finishes with these incredibly silky, long tannins that are in perfect harmony with the fruit and acid. This majestic wine is gorgeous to drink even now but those that still have some in their cellar in 10–15 years (if not longer) will be grateful.
| TUR 0799 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $180 | |
| TUR 0800 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $180 |
GENERATIONAL PLEASURE - JH97 - Matured for 17 months in French hogsheads (56% new, 44% 1yo). The excellent quality of the 2019 Coonawarra vintage comes through in this classic cool-climate cabernet sauvignon. Cassis/blackcurrant is the driver, and persistent but fine and savoury tannins the engine for long distance travel. A wine for generational pleasure.
| THE 0244 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 | |
| THE 0245 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 | |
| THE 0246 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 | |
| THE 0247 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 | |
| THE 0248 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 |
TREMENDOUS -JH96 -57/43% cabernet sauvignon/shiraz from Block 10 and Block 5 respectively. This Bin 180, from the outstanding 2021 Coonawarra vintage, is a commemorative release to celebrate Penfolds' 180th anniversary. It is a wine that evokes memories of previous releases such as the Bin 7, Bin 920 and Bin 620. There is an undisputed pedigree here and it shows with the classic Penfolds leitmotif of fruit density, balance and elegance writ large. Beautifully composed with a pitch perfect presence on the palate. Pure dark and blackberry fruits, sheathed in spice, cedar, licorice, dark chocolate, panforte, olive tapenade, wild herbs, violets and earth. Poised and detailed with a real sense of grace to its flow across the palate, fine, al dente tannins and a sleek, streamlined travel. It's an impressive, harmonious release befitting such a milestone and one that will be enjoyed for decades to come. Tremendous stuff.
| JIR 0020 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $680 | |
| JIR 0021 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $701 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| BOR 0001 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2004, cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $144 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2035. Medium-deep crimson. Lovely blackberry, mocha and liquorice aromas. Warm/generous fleshy wine with deep-set blackberry flavours, plentiful ripe-chalky tannins, superb mid-palate richness and integrated mineral acidity. Finishes chocolaty firm with an long, inky plume. Grippy, but not abrasive. Really good. “Grippy but not abrasive with impressive blackberry, spicy and slightly zesty aromas and meaty richness. Although a touch drying at the finish, it should pull through.” (NB) “Some violets, a hint of silage, dark berries and woody spice. Luscious fruit weight, fleshy satisfaction and liqueur-cherry sweetness.” (NR)
| ROW 0031 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $28 |
BABY GRANGE
| NIK 0202 | 1 BOTTLE Mid shoulder, label damage, corroded & damage capsule | Current Bid: $360 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0146 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine 2010 Clinic & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $560 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0148 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2016 & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $384 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| TAP 0007 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2000/2001, cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $188 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2035 Medium-deep crimson. Developed mulberry, cassis and crème brûlée with aniseed, herb and cola notes. A finely muscled wine with fresh yet developed mulberry, cassis and grilled nut flavours, herb and leaf notes, fine grainy al dente tannins and underlying savoury oak complexity. Chalky firm with a slinky persistent finish. “A seductive style with velvety fruit, soft tannins and integrated but evident oak.” (JH) “Very elegant and understated but not undernourished! Black fruits with distinctive earthy autumnal notes and plentiful supportive tannins.” (NB)
| SRO 0473 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $65 | |
| SRO 0474 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $65 | |
| SRO 0475 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $65 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2045 Medium-deep crimson. Espresso and cassis aromas with dark chocolate herb notes. Plush and rounded with rich cassis, blackberry, panforte and espresso flavours, dense chocolaty firm tannins and roasted chestnut and mocha oak complexity. Finishes firm but not overly muscular. A great year. “Crushed black fruit and chocolate nose with a layered feeling. Very tight with a surprisingly slightly leafy, minty feel. Very fresh and full of energy.” (FW) “A pinot-like delicacy with lovely red fruits, appealing sweetness and seamless texture. Very long and seductive.” (JR)
| DEW 0031 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $144 | |
| DEW 0032 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $145 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now - Medium-deep crimson. Intense blackcurrant, green pepper and earthy aromas with dark chocolate, roasted walnut and polished leather notes. The palate is full bodied with fine-grained leafy tannins and cedar oak notes, but the fruit is drying out.
| NIK 0487 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $116 |
GRAND POTENTIAL - JH94 - 78% cabernet (Napa Valley and Sonoma) with 22% shiraz (Paso Robles). Matured 16 months in 60/40% 1yo/new American oak barrels. Peter Gago describes his entry-level ('if you'd call it that!') California blend as strongly Australian influenced, 'because there couldn't be anything more Australian than cabernet shiraz' He lets cabernet take the lead here, 'because it's so much better than shiraz in California.' The ultimate multicultural marriage, a far-flung take on the great Australian blend, exuberantly celebrating the luscious, ripe and generous mood of California within the signature scaffolding of Penfolds. A core of cabernet is proclaimed in impressive blackcurrant and cassis, with a fleshy mid palate built by the spicy blackberry fruit of shiraz. In time, it morphs triumphantly into intense fresh licorice straps. Fine American oak and fruit tannins unite to form a taut frame that declares a strong finish of great length and grand potential.
| SHA 0005 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $37 |
LOST LEGEND? - Rarer than hen's teeth - Regal lineage, Sibling to Bin 60a 1962 - Made to the highest standard - Value? Try and find another bottle
| ALC 0014 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder & label damage | Current Bid: $488 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink 2025 to 2050 - Deep crimson. Intense chocolate, mulberry and aniseed aromas with herb garden notes. Generous, powerful and sweet fruited with ample mulberry and inky blackcurrant fruits, powerful fine tannins, attractive mid-palate richness, savoury mocha oak and integrated slaty acidity. Well-balanced with decades of potential. “Expressive wine with dark berry fruits and lifted incense notes. The tannins are totally in balance with the intensity and concentration of fruit.” (JR) “Chocolaty, expansive, deep and detailed with a fine, granular grip and long finish.” (NR)
| HOL 0723 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $452 |
PERFECT 70 - From the dawn of Australain dry red table wine - From the experimental Penfolds Grange days - Bin 80C is a close relative to the fabulously rare and legendary 1954 Penfolds Grange Hermitage
| NIK 0386 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 1992, label damage | Current Bid: $2800 |
FABULOUS - RP97 - It’s not known exactly when the Kalimna Block 42 was planted but there are suggestions that the vines existed during the latter part of the 19th Century. They could be the oldest Cabernet vines in the world, although the famous Metala Cabernet vineyard in Langhorne Creek was known to have been planted in 1891 so could very well pre-date Kalimna. Regardless, I’ve been there and the vines are truly old. Only very rarely does Penfolds release this as a single vineyard wine, when the Cabernet is so fabulous it can’t possibly be blended. The 2004 Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon was such a vintage. Matured in 100% new American hogsheads for 13 months, it displays a very deep garnet-purple color and profoundly earthy / gamey aromas over black cherry preserves, creme de cassis plus scents of leather, pencil shavings, Mediterranean herbs, black truffles, underbrush and black olives. The elegant, medium-bodied palate is tightly-knit and led by structure with a high level of grainy tannins, very high acid and a long earthy finish. Approachable now, it should continue to evolve and drink to 2025+.
| JOE 0016 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $529 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence - PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2060 Medium-deep crimson, intense blackberry, dried plum, grilled nut, shellac, walnut panforte, cherry liqueur and chinotto aromas with roasted chestnut and vanilla notes. Generous ripe blackberry, dark chocolate, panforte, grilled nut and shellac flavours with chocolaty tannins, mocha vanilla spice and oak notes with beautifully balanced acidity. Finishes chocolaty firm with plenty of mineral length and freshness. A decadent and hedonistic wine with extraordinary fruit density and attack. One of the greatest. 95 percent shiraz, 5 percent cabernet sauvignon. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and Coonawarra. Voted Red Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator magazine in December 1995. “A famous vintage and wine. Everything is laid out with infinite precision finesse and length. At the peak of perfection.” (JH) “Fresh, vibrant and voluminous with layers of cedar, spice and mulberries and underlying but animated tannins.” (FW)
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2040- Deep crimson. Fresh lifted dark cherry, mulberry, blackberry and shellac aromas with mocha/dark chocolate notes. Expressive wine with fleshy mulberry, blackberry, graphite and espresso flavours, fine dense persistent tannins and integratedvanilla, roasted coffee and mocha oak complexity. Finishes chocolaty firm, long and sweet. A classic Grange vintage combining opulence, tannin richness and integrated acidity for further aging. 89 percent shiraz, 11 percent cabernet sauvignon. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra. “Tightly coiled, balanced and concentrated with bitter dark chocolate, wood varnish aroma and an excellent layered creamy structure with underlying grainy tannins.” (NB) “Doesn’t waste time in establishing its Grange credentials. The purple and black fruits, tannins and oak are perfectly weighted.” (JH)
| KEL 0266 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $476 | |
| KEL 0268 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $476 | |
| KEL 0269 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $476 | |
| KEL 0270 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $476 | |
| KEL 0271 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $476 | |
| KEL 0272 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $476 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2050 . Deep crimson. Fresh smoky coffee, mocha, blackberry and graphite aromas with liquorice herb garden/sage complexity. Generous and supple with dark cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant, dark plum fruits and fine plentiful chalky tannins, sweet mocha and vanilla oak, superb mid-palate density and salted liquorice/grilled nut complexity. Finishes grainy firm with persistent sweet apricot, mulberry fruit. One of the great vintages of the 1990s. 94 percent shiraz, 6 percent cabernet sauvignon. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Magill Estate (Adelaide). Maturation of Grange temporarily discontinued at Magill. “Gridlock tannins indicate the wine is caught between adolescence and maturity. Leave it for a while.” (JH) “Bright and elegant with balsamic blueberry and blackberry fruits and pretty cedar spice notes. Mature palate with attractive richness, fine firm tannins and savoury complexity.” (FW)
| KAR 0004 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $408 | |
| KAR 0003 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $408 | |
| KAR 0002 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $408 | |
| KAR 0001 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $408 | |
| KAR 0006 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $408 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience – Drink 2035 to 2060 - Deep crimson. Fresh blackberry, mulberry,mocha and liquorice aromas with vanilla spice and espresso notes. Richly flavoured with plush sweet blackberry, mulberry, liquorice flavours, plentiful fine chalky dense tannins, grilled nut, mocha, vanilla, meaty complexity, superb mid-palate buoyancy, viscosity and integrated fresh acidity. Finishes chocolaty al dente firm. Still elemental in structure with amazing density and richness. A great Grange vintage. 98 percent shiraz, 2 percent cabernet sauvignon. Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. “Beautifully controlled and restrained with superb black fruit, graphite notes and compact tight porcelain structure. Will steadily reveal itself like a Fabergé egg.” (NB) “Full bodied, intense and unrelenting. Masterly management of tannins, oak and high-quality fruit make this an outstanding Grange.” (JH)
| MDW 0002 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $700 | |
| EST 0001 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $768 | |
| EIO 0200 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $520 |
MOST DECORATED - PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Bin 95 - Rewards of Patience - Drink now. Medium crimson. Fresh and mature with parsnip, aniseed and slightly soupy miso and demi-glace notes with a touch of crushed ant. Developed gamey, roasted walnut, roasted parsnip, dark chocolate and leathery flavours, with fine loose-knit/sinewy tannins and long fresh acidity. Some dried roses and vellum notes. Still holding, but rare. 90 percent shiraz and 10 percent cabernet sauvignon. Magill Estate and Morphett Vale (Adelaide), Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley) and McLaren Vale. The most decorated Grange – winner of 12 trophies and 52 gold medals during its relatively short career on the Australian wine show circuit. Spent only nine months in oak. Named by US magazine Wine Spectator as one of 12 “Wines of the Millennium” in 2000. Bin 95 is the most common bottling and commercially available. Also released as Bins 13, 14, 53, 54 and 148A. “Still showing some cut flowers, mocha and sweet fruits but not a great bottle despite its fame and history.” (JH) shoulders, expansive tannins and slightly menacing snarl despite its flagging energy.” (NR)
| NIK 0555 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2018, slight label damage | Current Bid: $8000 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0340 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2016 | Current Bid: $3680 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0215 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2006, label damage | Current Bid: $2400 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence PENFOLDS FOUR STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink Soon. Medium-deep brick crimson. Intense roasted walnut panforte and hazelnut aromas with apricot, stone fruit, cedar and floral notes. Generous developed panforte and apricot flavours, sweet and plentiful tannins and underlying roasted walnut, grilled nut, vanilla oak complexity with integrated acidity. Finishes slightly leathery but chalky firm with attractive espresso and ground coffee notes. Just past its peak of development, although the elements are still aligned. Rare. 95 percent shiraz, 5 percent cabernet sauvignon. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, Magill Estate and Morphett Vale (Adelaide), McLaren Vale. Jimmy Watson Trophy Winner. Released as Bin 95 (also as Bins 69, 70 and 71). “Dried leaves, faded roses, liquorice and ecclesiastical smoke. Muscular firm in structure with the fruit fading away.” (NR) “Spice box, cedar and sandalwood. Tertiary on entry but the finish still carries delicate sweet fruit. Graceful and elegant.” (FW)
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0384 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label, Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2018 | Current Bid: $2800 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0554 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 1991, label detached | Current Bid: $2400 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| STO 0155 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2012, slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $1192 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence - RP90 - A blend of 95% Shiraz and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, this was considered "a good wine from an undistinguished vintage." It certainly was outstanding in June in Adelaide, showing a terrific nose of blackberry jam intermixed with sweet earth, plum, brown sugar, and tobacco. Full-bodied, deep, rich, and fully mature, this layered, concentrated, very fresh wine even exhibited some espresso-infused chocolate in the finish. It should drink well for another 5-7 years. RP 2002 TASTING
| JKN 0002 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2004 & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $768 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence - PENFOLDS FOUR STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink Soon. A sturdy Grange with surprising richness and muscular frame. Barnyard notes are now beginning to dominate but some good bottles around. 90 percent shiraz, 10 percent cabernet sauvignon. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley and Coonawarra.
| NIK 0437 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2008, slightly stained label | Current Bid: $1600 | |
| NIK 0439 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $1600 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence - RP100 - Consistently one of the most awesome wines ever made at Grange, this blend of 89% Shiraz and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon (13.9% alcohol) was the first Australian wine to cost $20 upon release. I have had this wine six separate times, every time rating it between 96 and 100. It had a phenomenal showing at Penfolds' Magill estate. The color is an opaque purple, the wine massive, full-bodied, and to me, the quintessential Grange. Notes of blackberry liqueur intermixed with cassis, charcoal, new saddle leather, and underbrush resonate from the glass. Huge, thick, unctuously textured, with extraordinary concentration but perfect harmony among all of its elements, this is a prodigious Grange that is still not fully mature. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2020. A legend for sure!
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence - RP93 - A blend of 95% Shiraz and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, this was considered "a good wine from an undistinguished vintage." It certainly was outstanding in June in Adelaide, showing a terrific nose of blackberry jam intermixed with sweet earth, plum, brown sugar, and tobacco. Full-bodied, deep, rich, and fully mature, this layered, concentrated, very fresh wine even exhibited some espresso-infused chocolate in the finish. It should drink well for another 5-7 years. RP 2002 TASTING
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence - PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2030 - Medium-deep crimson. Fresh red cherry, blackberry herb garden aromas with roasted walnut, panforte and chinotto notes. Generous deep-set red cherry, blackberry redcurrant fruits, fine roasted chestnut and vanilla notes and fine chalky tannins. Finishes minerally and long with attractive tannin plume. Still looking fresh with unusual cherry, raspberry and kirsch notes. An atypical Grange but showing very well. 94 percent shiraz, 6 percent cabernet sauvignon. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, Magill Estate and Modbury Vineyard (Adelaide) and Clare Valley. “Luscious black fruits with a background of persuasive tannins. Very much moving into a newer Grange era.” (JH). “A chunkier atypical Grange with shaded fruit characters, mocha and caramel. Very much a wine of its time.” (NR)
| STO 0191 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2012 | Current Bid: $572 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence - PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2040 - Medium-deep crimson. Intense dark chocolate, blackberry shellac, hazelnut and herb garden aromas with cola, dust and graphite notes. Inky textured but substantial with developed dark chocolate, blackberry, hazelnut and crème brûlée flavours and red liquorice notes. Plentiful fine lacy textures, attractive inky complexity and extra-fine acidity. Finishes chalky with apricot and graphite notes. 94 percent shiraz, 6 percent cabernet sauvignon. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, Magill Estate and Modbury Vineyard (Adelaide). “Powerful and expressive with smoky dried cherry, blueberry, espresso aromas, superb richness, spicy sweet oak notes and fine persistent tannins.” (JR) “Lovely lifted spice nose and a graceful elegant palate with many layers of spice cake, mulberry, coffee and cocoa.” (FW)
| NIK 0122 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2006 & label damage | Current Bid: $480 |
PERFECT 40 Birthday pressie - CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0579 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2014 | Current Bid: $960 | |
| NIK 0580 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2004, slight label damage | Current Bid: $960 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to past. At the end of its optimum life. Some bottles holding up with advanced maturity but fine sinewy tannins. Very rare. 90 percent shiraz, 10 percent cabernet sauvignon. Magill Estate and Morphett Vale (Adelaide) and Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley). The third and final “hidden Grange”. Released as Bin 46 (also Bins 49 and 95). The Bin 95 bottling was the most commercially available. Specimen - Very Collectable
| NIK 0567 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder & slight label damage | Current Bid: $8000 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2030. Medium-deep crimson. Intense and fresh blackberry/blackcurrant, roasted walnut and sous bois aromas. A deepset chocolaty wine with rich overlapping blackberry, roasted walnut and mocha flavours and fine plentiful-but-vigorous tannins. Finishes chalky firm with graphite leafy notes. Another classic Australian Claret style with a firm structure. 67 percent shiraz and 33 percent cabernet sauvignon. “Incredibly elegant, attesting to one of the great modern Australian vintages.” (JH) “Brooding and heavier on the nose with dark soy sauce and savoury notes. Much more umami than the 1976 with greater breadth. Will hold in this stage for quite a while yet.” (FW)
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2025. Medium-deep crimson. Fresh red cherry, dark chocolate and graphite aromas with vanilla notes. Attractive light red cherry, herb garden and meaty flavours, fine loose-knit chalky tannins and underlying savoury notes. Almost Barolo-esque. Finishes long with a firm tannin plume. 51 percent shiraz and 49 percent cabernet sauvignon. “Almost too good to be true with attractive line, length and balance.” (JH) “Dark berry fruit, a touch of violet and lavender, woody spices, mocha and Dutch liquorice. A tight tannin profile, firm finish
WOW - JH98 - Wow. A 61/39% blend of Barossa shiraz and Coonawarra cabernet led to 1962 Bin 60A, Max Schubert's single greatest wine. This inherits Bin 60A's regional and varietal blend, its extreme longevity and impeccable balance between fruit, oak and tannins. All it needs is lots of time.
| TUR 0649 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $388 |
FAVOURITE - JH96 - Penfolds' single-region Adelaide Hills chardonnay has, over the years, become a favourite of mine for its steely driveline and length of flavour. The 2022 continues in the same vein with pure crunchy green apple, nectarine and nashi pear notes cut with hints of fine spice, almond paste, white flowers, grilled cashews, nougat and clotted cream. Tightly coiled and bristling with minerally energy, it shows great velocity over the palate and wonderfully pure fruit, travelling long and true with impressive clarity and detail. Another great Hills release.
| THE 0229 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $52 | |
| THE 0230 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $52 | |
| THE 0231 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $52 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2035 Medium-deep crimson. Redcurrant, plum, blackberry and boysenberry aromas with espresso and toast notes. Concentrated redcurrant, plum and blackberry fruits, fine and plentiful ripe tannins, roasted walnut, chestnut complexity and integrated linear acidity. Well-balanced wine with demi-glace aged notes. “A giant step for RWT where it shows stylish fruit, lovely balance, and elegant cedar complexity. The confidence and generosity of flavours will continue to build.” (JH) “Four-square, yet broad in structure with plenty of sweet fruit flavours and seamless oak integration.” (FW)
| JON 0240 | 1 MAGNUM Stained label | Current Bid: $185 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2035. Medium-deep crimson. Lifted redcurrant and dark plum aromas with mocha, espresso and cola notes. Classically concentrated dark chocolate, dark cherry and blackberry fruits, fine supple sweet tannins and beautifully integrated toasty vanilla oak. Finishes grippy firm with leafy notes. Vigorous wine with attractive density and richness. “Sweetly fruited with abundant redcurrant soy spice notes and pronounced bitter slightly overwhelming tannins.” (NB) “Ripe cherry liqueur slightly jammy aromas, spicy oak notes and smooth long supple tannins.” (JR)
| KEL 0257 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| KEL 0259 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| KEL 0261 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $89 | |
| KEL 0262 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $89 |
GREAT OUTCOME - JH95 - Great outcome for a lesser vintage; right from the outset, a fusion of black fruits and fine French oak each supporting the other; silky and caressing.
| KEL 0286 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $87 | |
| KEL 0287 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $87 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2035 Medium-deep crimson. Attractive dark cherry, plum and praline aromas with hint of tar. Plush and concentrated with dark cherry, plum, blackberry, rich dark chocolate and tarry flavours, fine-dense satin tannins and underlying roasted chestnut and vanilla oak. Chalky dry finish with attractive mineral length. “Fresh black fruits progressively unfurl their sails. A powerfully complete wine.” (JH) “A gorgeous wine with beautiful dark fruits and polished velvety tannins.” (JR)
EXTREME PATIENCE NOT NEEDED - JH94 - Good red-purple; fragrant aromas of black cherry, plum and blackberry; utterly delicious mouthfeel and seductive fruit; will live, but extreme patience not needed.
| KEL 0317 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | |
| KEL 0318 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| KEL 0319 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | |
| KEL 0320 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| KEL 0321 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| KEL 0322 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2038. Medium-deep crimson. Classic dark berry and dark chocolate aromas with meaty vanilla notes. Dense blackberry, praline and graphite flavours with fine grainy/al dente textures, persistent fine acidity and savoury mocha oak. Well-balanced wine with underlying roasted chestnut, polished leather notes. “Luminous, elegant and succulent with clear deep dark berry fruits, and persistent, vice-like tannins.” (NB) “An exceptional RWT with layered depth and power.” (NR)
| 106 0876 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $140 | |
| 106 0877 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $140 | |
| TUR 0624 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $86 | |
| TUR 0625 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 |
GLOROIUS - JH96 - Glorious, deep crimson-purple, with an alluring bouquet of black fruits, spice and cedary oak contributed by 14 months' maturation in 83% new French hogsheads. The medium- to full-bodied palate has layer-upon-layer of velvety blackberry fruit allied with notes of dark chocolate and a sprinkle of licorice and spice, silky tannins and quality oak completing the package.
| TUR 0622 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $100 | |
| TUR 0623 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $100 |
COMPLEX - JH97 - Deep, dense purple-crimson; the bouquet sets the scene with interwoven black fruits and cedary French oak; the palate is exceedingly complex, intense and layered; the flavours are spicy, black-fruited, with licorice and bitter chocolate, fine, lingering tannins provide the framework.
| TUR 0621 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $89 |
QUIETNESS - JH96 - Year in and year out there is an understated quietness to this wine that speaks volumes about the style, as everything is working together as one; the fruit, the oak, the tannins and the inherent complexity of some seriously old vine Barossa material shines through; freshness, vitality, harmony and ageworthy are just a few descriptors that do this excellent rendition of RWT justice.
| TUR 0620 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $91 |
PRODIGIOUS - JH98 - May explain why Kalimna Bin 28 is the least of the Bin series reds, for this wine takes the finest shiraz from the Barossa Valley once Grange has had its choice. The call is made early, because this wine spends 16 months in French oak hogsheads (75% new), finishing its ferment in that oak, separating it at birth from Grange in American oak. The bouquet abounds with black fruits, with sub-notes of dark chocolate, licorice and some charcuterie. The palate is drop-dead gorgeous, a curious description given its strongly savoury flavour range, but it achieves the unlikely. As with all these wines, the tannin structure is exceptional, the length prodigious.
| TUR 0617 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $128 | |
| TUR 0618 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $128 | |
| TUR 0619 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $128 |
QUIXOTIC - JH97 - Bottle no. BX084. The quixotic RWT (Red Wine Trial) name used since '87 now has a bin number and a bottle number, the latter to thwart counterfeiting. It completed fermentation in French hogsheads, followed by 17 months maturation. The power and length of the wine is awesome, as is the price - but it's what the global market is prepared to pay.
| TUR 0614 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $128 | |
| TUR 0615 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $128 | |
| TUR 0616 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $128 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| STO 0152 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds re-corking Clinic 1997, very high shoulder, slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $244 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2032 -Medium-deep crimson. Intense dark cherry, roasted walnut and sandalwood aromas with cocoa notes. A richly concentrated wine with apricot, raspberry and dark cherry flavours, fine lacy textures and attractive mid-palate suppleness. Firm and chalky al dente finish with chinotto notes. Really lovely wine with elegance, suppleness and developed sweet fruit. “Opulent and creamy with kirsch, raspberry liqueur, potpourri and exotic spices, fine plentiful tannins and resonating floral notes. A powerful wine with underlying delicacy.” (JR) “Dried cherries with clove, cedar and pencil shavings. Modulated power on the palate with a core of sweet red fruit, spice, cigar box and coating tannin finesse.” (FW)
CLASSIC VINTAGE - JH95 - I am singularly unconvinced that St Henri should be one sixth of the price of Grange, particularly with a classic vintage such as this. Piquantly ripe and fragrant, it is fruit-driven from start to finish (still matured in large, old oak vats), with a smooth and supple fresh berry palate and plush tannins
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2040. Medium-deep crimson. Intense praline, roasted chestnut and roasted walnut aromas with lovely underlying ripe blackberry and mulberry fruits. Rich, ripe and expressive with dark cherry, blackberry and mulberry fruits, fine loose-knit chocolaty tannins, lovely fresh walnut, waxy polish and liquorice complexity and integrated juicy acidity. Firm, yet generous and long. An outstanding vintage. “Exotic spices, cherry stone, succulent herbs and long spicy fine-grained tannins. Has plenty of heft and energy.” (JR) “Plentiful vibrant red cherries, goji, bayberry fruits with cocoa powder, spice notes. Distinctly sweet on the palate with grippy fine-grained tannins and an elegant linear finish.” (FW)
| DEW 0027 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $100 | |
| DEW 0028 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $102 | |
| DEW 0029 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $102 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2030 Medium-deep crimson. Intense rose garden, dried herb, dark cherry and praline aromas with some cedar complexity. Lovely and inky cassis, blackberry, dried herb and rose garden flavours. Fine supple yet grainy tannins, beautiful inky richness and long integrated acidity. Finishes firm and minerally. A classic Claret style. “A stylish St Henri which travels well across the palate until the finish.” (JH) “Blackberry, boysenberry, red liquorice and cocoa. Beautifully supple and sinewy with the classic St Henri gait across the palate.” (NR)
| JON 0202 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $55 |
SUPER - RP94+ - A huge rush of cedar and vanilla greet the nose on opening, followed by waves of cassis and boysenberry fruit. The 2018 802.A Superblend is a mix of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon and 32% Shiraz, all raised in 100% new American oak for 22 months and blended just prior to bottling. With components drawn from several of South Austrralia's premium growing regions (led by Barossa and McLaren Vale), this is a full-bodied, lush wine that finishes with driving tannins and a long, velvety finish, yet it doesn't seem as seamless or elegant as its 802.B counterpart. Perhaps it just needs more time? Tasted twice, with consistent notes.
| TUR 0650 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $520 |
MONUMENTAL - RP99 - When Peter explained this wine to me prior to tasting it, I was skeptical. Nervous. Hesitant. "It's the essence of Yattarna, in effect," Gago said. The NV V is composed of 20% each of 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016 and the yet to be released 2021 Yattarna. It's risky behavior, this. Each of the already-bottled older vintages are emptied under gas pressure and blended—an equal share each way. It's tempting to compare it to the G3, G4, G5 project, however in each of those wines, the vintage contributions are distinct and recognizable. Here, the vintages are synergistic, melded together—easier to understand in the context of reserve wines in Champagne, or even a solera. There is pert acidity and precision on the front palate, presumably thanks to the 2021 vintage. Through the middle palate and finish, the wine plumes and grows in the mouth. It is infinitely more complex and deep than the single-vintage Yattarna tasted next to it. This V has a thundering baritone, a resonance to the reverberation of flavor in the mouth. It almost vibrates. It is only through the finish that you can taste the evolution of the oldest wines—a lick of salt, almond skin, brine and tasted crushed nuts. This is a monumental wine. A 360-degree view of Chardonnay. Truly kaleidoscopic. 2,200 bottles in total.
| JIR 0018 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $652 |
SUPERB - JH96 - Blend of 59.6/27.8/8/2.6/2% cabernet sauvignon/merlot/cabernet franc/petit verdot/malbec. Matured in French oak for 12 months (10% new). All things on paper here speak of restraint: the responsibly weighted glass, low percentage of new oak, time in oak, a balance of varieties ... and in the mouth all is confirmed. This is elegant and layered flavour in every part of the mouth. It creeps up on you, and lingers long after it has gone. This is a wonderful wine, and evidence that restraint was possible in the wonderful 2018 vintage. Superb.
| WAY 0468 | 1 1 LITRE BOTTLE | Current Bid: $28 |
BEAUTIFUL - JH96 - A beautiful wine, intriguingly more elegant than the Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot LTCf, with a silky fragrance and mouthfeel, the accent on a rainbow of red fruits, the tannins exceptionally fine.
| WAY 0239 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $58 | |
| WAY 0240 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $58 | |
| WAY 0238 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $58 | |
| WAY 0237 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $58 | |
| WAY 0234 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $58 | |
| WAY 0235 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $58 |
RARE - JH96 - 70% cabernet sauvignon, 24% merlot, the remainder cabernet franc, petit verdot and malbec, hand-picked, chilled to 5 degrees C, hand-sorted, destemmed not crushed, cultured yeast, 30% static fermenters with 40 days skin contact, 20% open fermenters with 9 days cold soak, 50% open-fermented with 9 days cold soak and 16 days skin contact, 18 months in French barriques (60% new). Bright, clear colour; a remarkably elegant, juicy red and black berry fruit-filled wine, neither oak or tannins seeking to interfere with the fruit. One of those rare wines to be drunk now or in 20+ years time.
| WAY 0445 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $40 | |
| WAY 0446 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $40 | |
| WAY 0447 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $40 |
A LOT TO LIKE - JH95 - There seems to be a lightness of touch to the 2020 Pierro offerings. This is quiet and quite ethereal, laced with red currants and blueberries, cedary oak and spices, dark chocolate and forest floor aromas. A touch shy of medium bodied, the tannins are supple, there’s chalky acidity throughout and a lot to like.
| ACC 17316 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $64 | |
| ACC 17511 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $64 | |
| ACC 17512 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $64 | |
| ACC 17513 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $64 |
AGE OF AQUARIUS - The time of sharing and Kibbutz Krondorf - Super Rare, old BP
| WAY 0076 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $192 | |
| WAY 0077 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $192 |
ELEGANT - JH90 - Mid-garnet; surprisingly elegant and light-bodied; has good flavour and length, but seems a fraction under-ripe; better than the other extreme.
| WAY 0052 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 |
A CLASSIC - JH95 - The brown glass, high-shouldered proprietary bottle gives the right message: this is a classic, gently understated Barossa Shiraz that will sail on for decades if the dubiously short cork permits. Drinking it sooner would not be a capital offence.
NO SECRETS - JH95 - Medium red-purple; this is in the heartland of Barossa Valley shiraz style, the custom-made bottle a throwback to the 1940s; the bouquet is fragrant, and hides no secrets: silky, ripe tannins, abundant blackberry and spice fruit, and oak in perfect unison.
| NIK 0472 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 | |
| NIK 0415 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $176 |
ARMCHAIR RIDE - JH96 - Deep garnet with a purple hue; this benchmark wine from an iconic producer is laden with vibrant purple and black fruits, floral notes, earthy complexity and well executed oak handling; the palate is juicy, direct and layered, with fine-grained tannins providing an armchair ride for the vibrant and plush fruit that is on board. This will age tremendously well, but many will enjoy it without giving it that chance.
| 657 0006 | 1 BOTTLE Slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $144 |
GREAT - JH96 - A great classic from a great vintage. At the end of the day, it?s all about the grapes that come from loyal growers who shook hands with Rocky O?Callaghan many years ago. There are no magic tricks in the winery, just attention to detail.
| NIK 0557 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage, slight capsule damage | Current Bid: $152 | |
| NIK 0558 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $160 |
ALLURE - JH95 - The beautiful label, traditional brown bottle, and the wine within, all have an allure. It's the richness and depth of the tannin structure - velvety and ripe, the suppleness on the palate, the savoury thread with coffee grounds, pepper, bitumen and yes oak but everything in its place plus its heady perfume with florals and red plums.
| NIK 0419 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 |
LOST TO FAME - Too sexy for Milan, New York & Japan - Dont need ratings
| MJB 0197 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $152 | |
| MJB 0198 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $152 | |
| MJB 0199 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $152 | |
| MJB 0200 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $152 | |
| MJB 0201 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $152 | |
| MJB 0202 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $152 |
LOST TO FAME - Too sexy for my car - too sexy by far - Dont need ratings
LOST TO FAME - I do my little turn on the catwalk - Dont need ratings
| 303 0147 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 | |
| 303 0148 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 | |
| 303 0149 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 |
RICH - JH94 - The style is familiar – rich, plum-driven fruit, a toasty element, a creaminess to the texture – but there's a sinewy element to this release, aided and abetted by herb, twig and earth characters. This gives the wine a cooler dynamic, a less-is-more feel. In keeping with that, its best drinking days are likely to be in the medium rather than short or long term.
CHRISTMAS BLESSING - Year long GRACE
| 303 0228 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| 303 0229 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| 303 0230 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 |
CHRISTMAS BLESSING - Year long GRACE
| BRU 0162 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $76 | |
| BRU 0163 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $76 | |
| BRU 0165 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $76 |
CHRISTMAS BLESSING - Year long GRACE
| BRU 0166 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $76 | |
| BRU 0167 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $76 | |
| BRU 0168 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $76 | |
| BRU 0169 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $72 | |
| BRU 0170 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $72 |
CHRISTMAS BLESSING - Year long GRACE
| BRU 0171 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $76 | |
| BRU 0172 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $76 | |
| BRU 0173 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $76 |
CHRISTMAS BLESSING - Year long GRACE
| BRU 0174 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $76 | |
| BRU 0175 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $76 | |
| BRU 0176 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $76 | |
| BRU 0177 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $76 | |
| BRU 0178 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $76 | |
| BRU 0179 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $76 |
SVS - RFR - Rockford for Royalty - Super Rare - Super Special - Too elite for common folk
| NIK 0404 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $380 |
SVS - RFR - Rockford for Royalty - Super Rare - Super Special - Too elite for common folk
| NIK 0547 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $224 | |
| NIK 0549 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $240 |
SVS - RFR - Rockford for Royalty - Super Rare - Super Special - Too elite for common folk
| NIK 0402 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $360 | |
| NIK 0403 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $360 |
SVS - RFR - Rockford for Royalty - Super Rare - Super Special - Too elite for common folk
| NIK 0400 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $264 |
SVS - RFR - Rockford for Royalty - Super Rare - Super Special - Too elite for common folk
| NIK 0544 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 | |
| NIK 0545 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 |
PERFECT HARMONY - JH97 - The Rare Chance name came with the impact of the GFC that reduced demand for grapes, including ultra-premium that Rocky O'Callaghan snapped up, increasing production, thus allowing up to 12 months' bottle age prior to release. Vivid, deep crimson-purple, this is an outstanding Basket Press Shiraz, with fruit, tannins and oak in in perfect harmony, the price a fraction of what most who know the wine would be prepared to pay.
| GJ3 0037 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 | |
| GJ3 0039 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 | |
| GJ3 0038 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 |
ADORED - JH98 - Fraser McKinley's epic Dallwitz Syrah is again in stellar form with the 2022 release. Like everything Fraser does, the attention to detail is amazing, from vineyard to packaging. It hails from the Hoffmann vineyard in Ebenezer. A cask selection from DW-OLD (planted between 1888–1912), ER-27 (planted 1927) and DW-95VSP (planted 1995) with a 76 week elevage in Burgundian pièces. Perfectly ripened macerated satsuma plum, black cherry and cassis with blueberry lift; layered with exotic spice, graphite, allspice, pan juices, panforte, dark chocolate, plum conserve, violets, fennel and rich earth. Heady concentration and perfectly poised, with powdery tannins sporting a real sense of compression and singing clearly of their northern Barossa roots. It's a stunning wine. Much adored and sought after, and it sure is easy to see why.
| JIM 0078 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $155 | |
| JIM 0079 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $169 | |
| JIM 0080 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $169 |
VERY VERY GOOD - RP95 - The Sami-Odi 2020 Little Wine # 10 was made from 13 barrels of 2020, plus barrels containing 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015—24 barrels in total. "We’ve made two wines a year from the Hoffmans for a long time," says Fraser. "They’re blended at the same time, the following September (picked in February). They spend two winters in barrel; the oldest component has been on lees in barrel for six years." The older vintages that comprised the soft and cushioned base in the mouth is really important to understand—each of them as standalone components, so you can better understand it in the glass. There’s frisky life and edge from the concentrated 2020 and 2019 vintages, but there’s gnarled muscle and shaved meat, pure coulis fruit and dark chocolate, with clove, aniseed and fennel flower too. Good. Very, very good.
| JIM 0069 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $128 |
ENDLESS FOLDS - JH96 - You may break a wrist picking the dreadnought bottle up, but it's worth the task. This surely is as powerful and focused as it was when first bottled, its future as far away as that of Pluto, starting to reveal its secrets in 9? years from now, but with more to come thereafter. Despite all this, the wine is calm, and you don't feel its alcohol in the endless folds of black fruits, graphite, licorice and clove flavours.
| WAY 0198 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $144 | |
| WAY 0197 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $144 | |
| WAY 0196 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $144 | |
| WAY 0195 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $144 | |
| WAY 0194 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $144 |
ANOTHER CRACKING RELEASE - JH96 - A cooler vintage for Tolpuddle with some hen and chicken and lighter bunches due to a wetter-than-normal spring, before excellent ripening conditions for the remainder of the growing season. When compared to the '22 release there is a little more concentration on display. Vibrant, magenta-splashed ruby in the glass with aromas of dark cherry, plum and blackberry fruits with hints of crushed herbs, softly spoken vanillin oak, raspberry coulis, charcuterie board, purple flowers, bay leaf and stone. Rich and flowy with spice, herbal and floral tendrils weaving through the pure base layers of dark fruits. Textural and harmonious with finely crushed riverstone tannins and mineral line providing support and cadence. Another cracking release from Tolpuddle.
BIG FAN - JH96 - Grenache sourced from gnarled old vines over on the western range. Despite the fact that I had a close call with a fired-up brown snake in this vineyard, I'm a big fan of this wine. It's got a cruisey, loose-knit and expressive savoury vibe: all detailed raspberry, mulberry and red plum shades and a gorgeous array of gingery spice, red licorice, star anise, sarsparilla, cola, Chinese barbecue shop and earth. This openness of expression is juxtaposed by a cascade of chalky tannin and a mineral-rich focus with an exotically spiced plume of red fruits on the exit.
| ACC 17207 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $159 | |
| ACC 17208 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $159 | |
| ACC 17209 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $159 |
OH SO SATSIFYING - RP97+ - Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Run Rig opens with a bang, delivering intense fruits of the forest and blackberry preserve notes with hints of sandalwood, cardamom, dried Provence herbs, Indian spices and garrigue. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and oh, so satisfying, the beauty ticks all the great Barossa Shiraz boxes and then some. It is still relatively primary, so I’d recommend giving it another 2-3 years at least in bottle and drink it over the next 20+.
| ACC 17221 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $349 | |
| ACC 17222 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $349 | |
| ACC 17223 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $349 |
TOUR DE FORCE - RP98 - Who would've thought that in the context of Barossa Shiraz, the 2015 RunRig would seem like a relative bargain? It's certainly much less expensive than Grange or Hill of Grace will be when they're released. It's also more approachable in its youth, with enormously appealing aromas of grilled fruit, savory complexities and rich, velvety tannins. Of course, it's full-bodied and concentrated, with the stuffing to age for up to a couple of decades, and it has a long, licorice-tinged finish. Winemaker Ian Hongell, who joined Torbreck from Peter Lehmann, may not have made this wine, but he deserves a lot of credit for the blending and finishing of this tour de force.
| ACC 17213 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $339 | |
| ACC 17214 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $339 | |
| ACC 17215 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $339 | |
| ACC 17216 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $339 |
COMPLETE MASTERPIECE - RP100 - A blend of 98% Shiraz and 2% Viognier made just prior to bottling, the 2016 RunRig is a complete masterpiece. It kicks off with elegant notes of pencil shavings accenting blueberries and blackberries on the nose, then shows incredible, palate-staining intensity of fruit in the mouth. It's full-bodied, plush and velvety without being unstructured and manages to be fruit-forward yet savory on the long-lasting finish, where it picks up hints of mocha and black olives. This should be drinkable with pleasure throughout its entire two-decade life (it may live longer from cold cellars or in larger formats), but if I were lucky enough to have a bottle or two, I'd try the first one about 10 years out. Scheduled for June 2019 release.
| ACC 17231 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $324 | |
| ACC 17232 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $324 | |
| ACC 17233 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $324 | |
| ACC 17234 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $324 | |
| ACC 17235 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $324 |
TREMENDOUS - RP98 - As usual, the 2017 RunRig is approximately 2% Viognier. It spent almost 30 months in oak, 40% of which was new. Hints of peach or apricot appear on the nose, alongside notes of hickory smoke, cherries and baking spices. It's full-bodied and concentrated but supple and silky enough to seem lighter in the mouth, showing tremendous length and elegance on the finish, where it adds nuances of cinnamon and cocoa.
| ACC 17217 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $299 | |
| ACC 17219 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $299 | |
| ACC 17220 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $299 |
DAMN ENJOYABLE - RP99 - Torbreck's 2018 RunRig needs a bit of air right now, as the nose and palate truly open up and expand after a while in the glass. Unlike some vintages, it's rather tight and cedary upon first pour, then relaxes to reveal hints of stone fruit, blueberries, cherries, pastry crust and baking spices. In the mouth, it's full-bodied and concentrated, richly textured and marked by ripe tannins, which leave behind a velvety, mouth-coating finish tinged with licorice and dark berries. While approachable now—and even damn enjoyable—it deserves another several years in the cellar. Drink the 2018 Descendant while waiting.
| ACC 17228 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $279 | |
| ACC 17229 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $279 |
KALEIDOSCOPIC VORTEX - RP98 - The... how to describe this... it's like a kaleidoscopic vortex of midnight flavor (dark, dense, brooding and spicy), swirling tannins and endlessly plush length. The Viognier in this 2019 RunRig has been absorbed somehow, compressed by the warm, low-yielding vintage that birthed it. It has been pushed down into the reaches of the Shiraz, which is a very good thing, as its propensity for slinky-like bounce and spiral needs some limiting. This is insanely complex yet also balanced. Charry oak frames the wines from all sides, but like the gravity pull on the earth from the sun, the oak is drawn inexorably inward. Pretty impressive, but this wine always is. A beast unto itself, wines like this have few peers.
| JIR 0017 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $396 | |
| WAY 0176 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $200 | |
| WAY 0177 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $200 |
POWER WITH GRACE - JH96 - 100% shiraz sourced from the parishes of Gomersal, Krondorf, Marananga and Ebenezer, aged for 12 months in French oak. Glossy red purple in the glass with characters of ripe satsuma plum and macerated summer berry fruits, Asian five-pice, cedar, licorice and Old Jamaica chocolate. Fruit weight, purity and intensity perfectly on point here, tannins too, fine and long. There just seems to be so much packed into the wine yet everything is in proportion and true. Power with grace.
| ACC 17476 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 | |
| ACC 17477 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 | |
| ACC 17478 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 | |
| ACC 17479 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 | |
| ACC 17480 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 |
CHAMPION - JH96 - Shiraz from the parishes of Gomersal, Krondorf, Marananga and Ebenezer matured in French oak (40% new) for 24 months. This year's Factor sports an inky, graphite-led intensity of fruit and a sense of purity. Compression, too, with deep satsuma plum, blackberry and black cherry fruits initially feeling compact and tight before exploding onto the palate with substantial tannin heft and layers of dark spice, cedar, licorice and dark chocolate. While you could happily tuck into this tonight, it will cellar like a champion
| ACC 17194 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $114 | |
| ACC 17195 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $114 |
HEDONISTIC - JH96 - Impenetrable colour; a highly aromatic and perfumed shiraz bouquet with dark fruits aplenty, offset by violets and a wide array of spices; the palate is dense, as you would expect of Torbreck, yet there is freshness and a struck quartz minerality that thrills through the wine's spine; long, luscious and hedonistic.
| WAY 0503 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $44 | |
| WAY 0505 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $44 |
IMMACULATELY MADE - JH97 - From the Eden Valley. An immaculately made shiraz with a disciplined and light touch, making the alcohol irrelevant; it sinuously weaves its way through the black fruits of the medium to full-bodied palate, which make more impact than tannins or oak (or alcohol). Perfect length, line and balance will give the wine a very long future, guaranteed by the screwcap.
| WAY 0510 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $44 | |
| WAY 0511 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $44 |
MAGNIFICIENT - JH97 - Prior to the arrival of The Laird, RunRig was Torbreck's top wine at $235 a bottle. Why the huge price gap? It is in limited production (646 dozen), but so is RunRig. It comes from a remarkable single vineyard that David Powell had coveted for 15 years. Apart from a high level of vigilance, normal open fermentation and basket pressing; following Guigal's 'La La's', it spent three years in new and hideously expensive Tardieu Laurent French barriques with staves 45 mm thick (normally 22 to 27 mm). Over the three years the oak becomes embedded in the fruit, supporting not overwhelming it, layer upon layer of gloriously complex flavours, the tannins superbly weighted. A magnificent wine from a great vintage.
| WAY 0171 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $440 | |
| WAY 0169 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $440 | |
| WAY 0170 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $440 |
EXPLOSIVE - RP97 - Torbreck's 2015 The Laird boasts explosive aromas of Christmas spices, ripe plums, vanilla, hickory smoke and maple syrup. It's a big wine, loaded with fruit and oak, full-bodied, rich and velvety, adding hints of toasted coconut and cinnamon streusel on the long, almost dessert-like finish. For a more savory experience, age it a decade or so before pulling a cork
| WAY 0160 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $400 | |
| WAY 0162 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $400 | |
| WAY 0161 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $400 |
ANOTHER FEW YEARS - RP98 - Torbreck's 2016 The Laird is just being released after its extended time in barrel. I'm still unconvinced by the élevage, as the wood seems to have the upper hand, marking the nose with scents of smoke, cedar, menthol and baking spices. Yes, there's ample underlying fruit—mulberries and Italian plums—but it all takes on a slightly dessert-like cast that's only partially balanced by lingering hints of black olives, licorice and caramelized meat on the extended finish. Give this another few years in bottle so the oak-imparted notes further meld with the fruit and form a more complete, harmonious whole.
| WAY 0157 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $440 | |
| WAY 0158 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $400 |
BENCHMARK - JH98 - 100% shiraz sourced from the Gnadenfrei vineyard in Marananga, aged for 36 months in French oak 'magic casks' from Dominique Laurent. The Spinal Tap effect is in full force here, with everything turned up to eleven. Impenetrable purple red in the glass, showing characters of head-spinning purity and heft; black plum, blackberry and prune notes mesh with shades of deep, exotic spice, Dutch blackstrap licorice, crème de cassis, roasting meats, espresso, graphite, cedar and polished mahogany. Profound fruit depth and purity with melt-in-the-mouth, mineral-edged tannins and a finish that carries long and proud with a solid rush of black plum and cherry compote, spice and chocolate. If you are after a powerful shiraz with finesse, this is your benchmark.
| WAY 0172 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $400 | |
| WAY 0174 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $400 | |
| WAY 0173 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $400 |
SOPHISTICATED - JH98 - Wild-fermented with 28-35 days on skins, matured in French oak (61% new) for 18 months. Don't pay any attention to the slightly light colour, but certainly dwell on the gloriously fragrant bouquet and the intensity of the cassis-accented palate. This is a truly sophisticated blend of 76% cabernet sauvignon, 20% malbec and 4% petit verdot, with exceptional texture, length and aftertaste.
| TUR 0663 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $121 | |
| TUR 0664 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $108 |
TIME - JH97 - The ship slowly turns and sets sail for the future. It's not the deepest or darkest of wines at first but give it time to breathe and the reach and power is something to behold. It tastes of blackcurrant and camphor, bay leaves and black olives, smoky oak applied as an infusion rather than as anything terribly overt. Flavour: most certainly. Tannic power: oh yes. Explosive length: most definitely. Time will be this wine's friend.
| TUR 0665 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 | |
| TUR 0666 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 |
DEMANDS PATIENCE - JH96 - A noble blend of 78% cabernet, 20% malbec and a dollop of petit verdot, conferring ample richness and an authoritative spine: saline maritime acidity and detailed grape tannins, moreish and ripe, attesting to an extraction regime of courage and confidence. Together with extended maturation in French barrique (18 months, 50% new), the structural attributes are impressive. While this full-bodied wine demands patience, one can already detect cassis, lead, cedar, graphite, a herbal potpourri, a swab of black olive and a bay leaf linger, across cedar oak beams.
| XSA 0706 | 1 BOTTLE - Museum ReleaseEx-cellar | Current Bid: $187 | |
| XSA 0804 | 1 BOTTLE - Museum ReleaseEx-cellar | Current Bid: $187 | |
| TUR 0667 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $132 | |
| TUR 0668 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $132 |
PLEASURE - JH97 - It's a pleasure to spend time with Tom Cullity. This is all about refinement. It has a presence and a whole lot of detail. The fruit savoury and sweet, the iodine and graphite character of the malbec infused into the DNA. There are also finely chiselled tannins, lively acidity and a length like no tomorrow. Sure there's a power and energy, but the wine's defining feature is elegance.
| XSA 1127 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $153 | |
| XSA 1153 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $153 | |
| XSA 1126 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $153 | |
| TUR 0669 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $108 | |
| TUR 0670 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $108 |
REMARKABLE - JH97 - 82/17/1% cabernet sauvignon/malbec/petit verdot, from a single vineyard harvested April 2017. Whole berries, wild-yeast ferment, matured in French oak for 19 months (61% new, 39% 1–4yo). On skins 12–33 days. TA 6.1g/L, pH 3.52. Bottled Feb 2019. This wine is undoubtedly one reason why Margaret River has such a powerful reputation for cabernet: concentration without weight, savoury statuesque tannins and layers upon layers of exotic spice, laid on a bed of ripe fruit. Coursing through the very heart of it is a steady beat of cool-vintage saline acid, pulling it over the coals of the tongue, through to the very long finish. Remarkable.
| TUR 0671 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $140 | |
| TUR 0672 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $140 |
ASTOUNDING - JH99 - This wine is the benchmark of the latent power, grace and inherent balance of the 2018 vintage in Margaret River. Texturally similar to the classically sophisticated 2014 vintage, but with far greater density and weight. Here, the savoury tannins are countersunk into the fruit already: shapely, firm, chewy, malleable – everywhere and nowhere at once. Waves of blood plum, cassis, blackberry, pomegranate, juniper, raspberries, saltbush, bay leaf and salted red licorice crash against the rocks, as kelp, nori, iodine, red gravel and brine ride the smaller sets out the back. Sensational. Astounding. A wine for the ages.
| TUR 0673 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $140 | |
| TUR 0674 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $140 |
BEAUTIFUL - JH96 - Medium- to full-bodied; intense and powerful, but the tannins are already amazingly well-knit; blackberry fruit; beautiful line and length, and a great finish.
| TUR 0801 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $200 |
REFINED - JH96 - More refined and intense than the 2003, with great strength of line, and excellent balance; the breadth of fruit flavours is slightly finer and more supple than the 2002, but not as intense.
| TUR 0802 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 |
EXCEPTIONALLY ELEGANT - JH97 - Purple-crimson; much better clarity than the Malbec; strong black berry and licorice aromas lead directly into a firm, though medium-bodied, palate; has the energy, thrust and length missing from the Malbec, yet is exceptionally elegant, reflecting its low alcohol. Is one of those rare wines which get better sip by sip (or mouthful). Postscript: I wrote those words before I referred back to the identical comment made about the 2005 Shiraz.
| TUR 0803 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $132 |
SUPER ELEGANT - JH95 - Bright, clear crimson; a super-elegant and refined shiraz, with black cherry, blood plum and blackberry fruit to the fore; the tannins do make their presence felt on the finish, as does a touch of French oak, but neither threaten the balance of the wine.
| TUR 0804 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $110 |
PERFECT - JH98 - A perfect rendition of medium-bodied shiraz, burdened neither by massive alcohol or oak, allowing the black fruits, led by blackberry and supported by hints of licorice and earth, free play. The overall texture is exceptional, the tannins smooth and supple.
| TUR 0805 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $105 | |
| TUR 0806 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $105 |
No Halliday Notes / Reviews?
| WAY 0006 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $134 |
PERFECTLY SHAPED - JH96 - This has a density, richness and ripeness, yet a beauty, too. Wafts of spice and Aussie bush aromas, with baking spices slipping through plums and blackberries. There's a buoyancy throughout, and bright fruit across the palate; the oak steadfast as a support and seasoning. The palate is perfectly shaped, fuller bodied, with expansive, textural tannins and acidity working in unison.
| WAY 0007 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $119 |
NO Halliday Review / Notes?
| WAY 0008 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $134 | |
| WAY 0009 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $134 |
FINDS ITS FUTURE - JH93 - All from 1919 plantings. A parcel of fruit set aside singularly. Roasted coffee beans, licorice, then blackcurrants with salted, preserved plum, turned earth, old campfire and choc-stout beer whiffs. The palate an echo of this with a grippy, twiggy oak element in the mix. Feels stern and firm, a bitter note in the wine, zesty-lemon acidity is noted here. More preserved, salted plum follows in taste with choc-mint, espresso and eucalyptus in tow. The wine lingers with a more vibrant, tart cherry character and sweet spice to finish. Tannins are puckering, grippy and stony. Not quite pleasure zone stuff yet, but stay the course as it finds its future balance and flourishes in cellar.
| WAY 0012 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $134 | |
| WAY 0013 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $134 |
EDGY - JH95 - Medium purple-crimson, with more purple tints than the Shiraz; a richer and deeper bouquet, with notes of plum and a touch of licorice coming into play, presumably courtesy of the malbec; the lowest alcohol perversely provides the greatest depth of flavour, with nuances of leather and wild blackberry, and a pleasingly edgy tactile quality to the palate.
| SEM 0328 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $69 |
BRIGHT - JH96 - An 80/20% blend. Bright colour; there is a hint of fruit lift and exotic spice to the bouquet ex the mataro, which also subtly alters the shape of the tannins on the finish, the echo feeding back into the savoury nuances of the black fruits on the palate.
| TUR 0807 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $72 |
GRACE IN THE CELLAR - JH96 - As with all Woodlands cabernets, once you get past the oak, the fruit is of the highest pedigree; rippling with layers of complexity and nuance. Their potential for grace in the cellar is proven. Raspberry, pomegranate, bitter cocoa, aniseed, salted tomato, Dutch licorice, sage and exotic spice hide within the savoury folds of flavour that forms the backbone of this wine. The oak envelopes it all now, but will emboss into the fruit over time.
| ACC 16616 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $124 | |
| ACC 16617 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $124 |
BENCHMARK - JH98 - The Caley has quickly established itself as a benchmark for the classic cabernet/shiraz blend. In 2018, it's 80/20% Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon/ Barossa shiraz matured for 20 months in French barriques (38% new). The melding of both variety and region is compelling and captivating. Beautifully poised blackberry and blackcurrant lie sympatico with plum and dark cherry. Notes of cedar and tobacco with fine spices, gentle herbal tones, dried citrus blossom, pencil case and cinnamon. Picture-perfect fruit depth, powdery mineral framework and harmony in all aspects of its composition, leaving the impression of a wine at the top of its game and one destined for a long life in the cellar.
| SHA 0023 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $208 |
BENCHMARK - JH98 - The Caley has quickly established itself as a benchmark for the classic cabernet/shiraz blend. In 2018, it's 80/20% Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon/ Barossa shiraz matured for 20 months in French barriques (38% new). The melding of both variety and region is compelling and captivating. Beautifully poised blackberry and blackcurrant lie sympatico with plum and dark cherry. Notes of cedar and tobacco with fine spices, gentle herbal tones, dried citrus blossom, pencil case and cinnamon. Picture-perfect fruit depth, powdery mineral framework and harmony in all aspects of its composition, leaving the impression of a wine at the top of its game and one destined for a long life in the cellar.
| ACC 16828 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $324 |
THRILLING - JH97 - For long an Australian icon, this has really lightened up its act. For the better. The sort of exotic perfume-lifted lilac floral-seldom seen across shiraz from such a warm zone. Pulpy and juicy in the mouth, rather than over-extracted and desiccated. A beautiful sash of oak, directing a cavalcade of clove, five spice and ample blue to dark fruit references along a skein of peppery acidity. Riveting complexity and the feeling of something far lighter than the ABV suggests. This is a thrilling wine. There are no two ways about it.
| ACC 16765 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $124 | |
| ACC 16766 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $124 |
LOVELY - JH96 - Since its first release in 1962, The Signature has been Yalumba's deep dive into the classic Australian blend from the Barossa and one that honors the people who have enhanced the traditions and culture of Yalumba. There is a resonance and depth to this release that I really like. Wonderfully pure and concentrated blackberry and plum fruits, layered with spice, dark chocolate, earth, cedar and oak nuance. Succulent and sinewy in the mouth, it flexes considerable muscle, yet remains purely fruited and approachable even at this stage of its evolution. Rich and balanced with fine, ripe tannin and plenty of energy for such depth of fruit. Lovely.
| ACC 17185 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $99 | |
| ACC 17186 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $99 |
CONFLUENCE - JH96 - Since its first release in 1962, the Yalumba Signature cabernet/shiraz blend has shown a fine pedigree of cellar-worthy wines, and it looks like that bloodline will continue with the 2019 release. Deep, bright crimson in the glass and densely packed with ripe blackberry, black cherry, plum and cassis fruit notes on a bed of fine spice, licorice, cedar, dark chocolate, vanillin oak and light almond blossom tones. There's a wonderful tannin structure here, fine, compact and sandy, lending perfect structure to the pure black fruits. Nothing heavy or overblown, everything in its place, the confluence of fruit/tannin/acidity on song. Pop some in your glass or the cellar. You choose.
| ACC 17088 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $49 | |
| ACC 17432 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $124 | |
| ACC 17433 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $124 |
BEST - JH97 - This wine could easily be in the running for one of the best 2021 wines from the region. Deep in colour with stunning purity across the spectrum of blackberry, black cherry and dark plum fruits. Fragrant with citrus and almond blossom notes, aniseed, cedar, new leather, tobacco, panforte, bay leaf, wood spice and Christmas cake. Sporting a stunning fruit density and tension, it glides, thick with fine, billowing tannin, with a pitch-perfect cadence across the palate, lacy acidity playing its part in focusing the wine's intrinsic elements with aplomb. Pure, vital and beautifully composed. It's sure to be a classic.
| ACC 16914 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $54 | |
| ACC 17090 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $54 |
A CRIME TO SPIT - RP98 - The fruit for this 2019 High Sands Grenache is sourced from the highest plot on the estate, from old bush vines planted in 1946. This an incredibly complex wine that undulates and ripples across the tongue; it brings blood and ferrous, crushed quartz and pink peppercorns, poise and succulence, but never, ever heaviness. Weight: no. This has silken sway and lithe flow, but no heaviness. What an amazing wine that lingers and echoes through the finish. An emphatic, resounding, YES. In fact, I was almost done with this tasting note, and it occurred to me that there is also framboise, licorice, a hint of anise, salami and graphite through the finish. It's a crime to spit this out—so I won't.
| ACC 14748 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $169 |
A WINE OF DISTINCTION - JH98 - From the small block of shiraz planted in 1969 comes a wine of distinction, thanks to the constant fine tuning orchestrated by winemaker Sarah Crowe. Wafts of pepper, woodsy spices, iodine and florals end up mingling with the pure fruit flavours within. Ribbons of fine tannin grace the palate, as does gossamer-like acidity, holding everything perfectly in place and just allowing the finish to linger and impress even more.
| ACC 16032 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $179 | |
| ACC 16033 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $179 |
BRAVO - JH95 - Just 2 barrels. A labour of love. It is not easy to maintain varietal purity for viognier without it turning broad and oily. None of that here. It's almost delicate, with just a smidge of apricot and kernels. Infused with lemon, orange and woodsy spices, it's textural, but light as a feather across the palate. Bravo.
| ACC 16538 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $114 | |
| ACC 16539 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $114 |
YEARNING & YERING - JH97 - Co-fermented with 3% viognier, aged in French barriques (35% new) for 18 months. Deep, full crimson-purple; as any winemaker co-fermenting shiraz and viognier will tell you, increments of 1% or 2% can make an immense difference - the trick is to support the shiraz, not compete with it. Thus here the powerful, resplendent black cherry and plum fruits have touches of pepper and spice as well as that of the near-unseen viognier. French oak and tannins are in their due place.
| ACC 13962 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $94 | |
| ACC 13963 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $94 | |
| ACC 13964 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $94 |
YEARNING & YERING - JH96 - There is slightly less than 2% co-fermented viognier, but it plays an important role in creating the highly fragrant and expressive bouquet. Yes, it's vintage-driven with a riot of red and purple fruits, but the perfect structure and balance goes way beyond normal wines.
| ACC 13965 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $94 | |
| ACC 13967 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $94 |
KALEIDOSOPEIC - RP97+ - The 2021 Le Sol is spicy and detailed. Where the 2020 is open-weave and attractive, the 2021 is tighter, more focused and less "available" for obsessive unpicking (as I am wont to do for you, here). There's raw cocoa, blueberry, finely ground black pepper, orange peel, musk stick, layers of blackberry, mulberry, blood, ferrous notes and a hint of pencil shaving. This is a tightly coiled wine, one that has much unfurling to do, both in the cellar over time and in the glass today. Kaleidoscopic, savory and complex, this is another exciting wine from Craggy Range across the superstar 2020 and 2021 vintages. The exciting thing about the Le Sol is that there is SO MUCH flavor, without weight or density. It is pure concentration, but it leaves an impression of levity and litheness. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
| ACC 17492 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $119 | |
| ACC 17648 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 | |
| ACC 17649 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 | |
| ACC 17650 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 |
LOVELY - RP95 - The 2023 Calvert Pinot Noir is abundantly berry driven on the nose, with ripe summer cherries, mulberry, forest floor, pomegranate molasses and peppercorns. In the mouth, the wine leads with firm tannins, which are laced with Szechuan peppercorns and sandalwood spice and brought into focus by acidity that skirts the edges of brisk but lands gently on juicy. This is a lovely wine, further compounding my affection for the wines of the 2023 vintage on the South Island. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
| ACC 17540 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | |
| ACC 17541 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | |
| ACC 17542 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 |
OUTRAGEOUS - RP97+ - The 2022 Coleraine is laden at this stage with the outrageous attractiveness of youth. I mean, it's irresistible. There's raspberry, nori, rose petals, coffee grounds, star anise, salted licorice, sun-dried kelp/nori, warm pine (I know this smell because I was hiking around the Te Mata peak yesterday, and there was a fallen pine tree lying in the sun, and it smelled great) and layers of peppercorns. In the mouth, the wine is so fresh, so alive, with so much energy, but it already is showing the svelte line of this house, this place. With a hint of raw cocoa laced through the finish, I'm sad to push this glass away. It will be the last time that I taste it for a while. A ripper. Excellent. This is composed of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc.
| ACC 17355 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $104 | |
| ACC 17356 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $104 | |
| ACC 17564 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $104 | |
| ACC 17563 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $104 | |
| ACC 17562 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $104 | |
| ACC 17561 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $104 |
BEAUTIFUL EXPRESSION - RP96 - A pure expression of Sangiovese, the 2018 Cepparello is a beautiful expression that speaks to the classic and most exemplary side of this versatile and deeply expressive grape. This vintage is especially bright and ethereal with a true sense of luminosity and clarity that radiates from both the wine's appearance and its fragrant bouquet. Tart cherry and cassis segue to balsam herb and wild violets. To the palate, the wine shows muscle and determination with sweet tannins and impressive depth of favor. Cepparello remains true to its unique identity in this vintage. Production is 42,000 bottles.
| XSA 2124 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $144 | |
| XSA 2120 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $144 |
SUPPLE & SMOOTH - RP96 - Supple and smooth, the 2020 Cepparello brings Sangiovese to soaring heights in a manner only Paolo De Marchi can manage. This is his second to last vintage before he would retire and sell this historic estate. The wine opens to medium to full-bodied concentration with dark plum and redcurrant. Those cede to sweet spice, earth, crushed stone, rusty nail and candied orange peel. Give the wine more time to flesh out with cellar age. It registers a powerful 15% alcohol content.
BEAUTIFUL - RP97 - This is a beautiful wine that is only made in the best vintages. In fact, I have only ever tasted 2006 (a late release), 2010 and 2013 before this bottle. The Isole e Olena 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is 90% Sangiovese enhanced with tiny percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Production is limited to a mere 3,000 bottles that will not be released commercially until spring 2022. The wine is enormously bright and buoyant in this classic vintage with lingering fruit and cherry that remains intact and fresh even when tasted now some five years after the harvest. Hints of leather, tar and potting soil softly fill in the rear. This wine promises a long and healthy aging future ahead.
RARE BIRD - 1986 Great world vintage - A legends early days - Very rare and collectable - Good condition - From a good home
| GOG 0716 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $144 |
BIGGER - RP96 - Inky dark in appearance, the 2020 Solaia is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller percentages of Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese. This vintage unfolds to exuberant richness and thick layers of blackberry and plum. The tannins are sweet and expertly crafted, adding both depth and fruit weight. The 2020 vintage is quite bold, and it plays its best cards in terms of texture and mouthfeel. It’s a bigger, more accessible wine compared to the last two vintages on the market. Spice, toasted coffee bean and more dark fruit color this full-bodied Tuscan red.
RP93 - This is my official review of the 2014 Bolgheri Sassicaia after having been graciously invited to the estate for various barrel samples spanning back several years. I have watched the evolution of this wine with a close eye and am impressed by how its real quality is diametrically opposed to the poor expectations of this difficult vintage. The nose is redolent of bright fruit and blackberry. Spice, tar and leather appear subtly at the back. The wine took on considerable weight each year I came back to taste it and this vintage was bottled earlier than average, precisely to give it more time to unwind and relax in the small confines of the bottle. This is a solid effort for sure and the wine is a stunning example of what it takes to make great wine, even when weather conditions are not in your favor.
| TUR 0686 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $241 | |
| TUR 0687 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $241 | |
| TUR 0688 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $241 |
HERE & NOW - RP97 - Having followed this wine's evolution in barrel for the past few years, it is an honor to evaluate the final product. This Sassicaia has blossomed since my previous encounters with it as a young, awkward adolescent. The long-awaited 2015 Bolgheri Sassicaia represents a tremendous effort that comes together with seamless precision and focus. This is a confident and proud red wine from Tuscany. Starting with the primary material at hand, you sense the quality of fruit thanks to the wine's beautifully dark appearance and the rich texture it offers to the palate. The acidity is integrated, but more freshness still would have been welcomed in my view (and would also contribute to its longevity). The bouquet is amplified both in terms of volume and length. Its playlist includes dark berry fruit, spice, leather, licorice and roasted coffee bean. Yet, the mouthfeel is extremely graceful and silky. The wine's undisputed pedigree is showcased on the palate. It should also be noted that this edition of Sassicaia feels more ready and open to me. It will age and evolve beautifully, but the 2015 Sassicaia can also be enjoyed in the medium-term. This wine is all about the here and now.
| TUR 0685 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $321 |
ETHEREAL - RP98 - The latest release from Tenuta San Guido is the 2019 Bolgheri Sassicaia. The bouquet is up front and very expressive from the get-go. It offers a generous display of crunchy, dark cherry that hints at the extra concentration and fruit weight obtained in the 2019 growing season. This vintage will be remembered for the crisp richness of the fruit and its important textural imprint. It also shows fine elegance, bordering on the ethereal, with berry aromas, tarry earth and brushes of balsam herb or grilled rosemary. Sassicaia always shows an almost-glossy finely knit quality to the polished mouthfeel, and I find it again here next to fresh acidity and firm tannins. Mouthfeel in 2019 is the wine's strongest suit. The 2019 is one of the prettiest and most balanced editions of Sassicaia we've seen this past decade, along with the back-to-back duo of 2016 and 2015. The 2019 marries the precision of the 2016 with the rich fruit weight of the 2015.
| XNE 2188 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $809 | |
| XNE 2186 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $809 | |
| XNE 2187 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $809 |
VELVETY -RP96+ - The Tua Rita 2021 Redigaffi is a wine of thick character and dark extraction. This 100% expression of Merlot offers tension and extreme balance with very generous layers of dark cherry, plum, dried blackberry, spice and tobacco. It displays a spectacularly soft and velvety texture over a full-bodied approach. Redigaffi is often monolithic and monotone in its younger years, and it needs more bottle age to come into focus. This is very true for the 2021 vintage.
| XNE 2314 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $614 | |
| XNE 2315 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $614 | |
| XNE 2307 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $614 |
MAGICAL - RP99 - One of the high points of this vertical tasting, the 1989 d'Yquem is a magical wine offering up a complex, refined bouquet with aromas of quince, apricot, pineapple, menthol, flowers and white truffles, followed by a full-bodied, concentrated and seamless palate, pure and vibrant structure and lively acids, concluding with a long, perfumed, ethereal finish.
| XNE 1269 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $2449 | |
| XNE 1273 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $2449 | |
| XNE 1267 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $2449 |
DECADENT - RP95 - Pale gold colored, the 1998 d'Yquem features a flamboyant, rock-star nose of allspice, candied ginger, honeycomb and crème brûlée with a core of preserved lemons, mandarin peel and musk perfume plus a waft of potpourri. Beautifully balanced in the mouth, with seamless freshness lifting the decadent sweetness (134.4 grams per liter of residual sugar), it culminates with fantastically persistent layers of exotic spices.
| XNE 1274 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $2199 |
PERFECTLY BALANCED - RP98+ - The 2005 d'Yquem continues to drink beautifully today, evoking aromas of honey, saffron, vanilla pod, apricot, jasmine and orange peel. Full-bodied, sensual and juicy, it’s medium to full-bodied, with a seamless texture and a perfectly balanced palate, finishing fruity and racy. Although still a little closed and in a rather discreet phase, it has magnificent aging potential, and readers with bottles in their cellars should leave them to mature for 10 to 20 years.
PRISTINE HARMONY - RP100 - In comparison to the 2010 vintage, the 2009 d'Yquem is more concentrated with a stunning "rôti," the consequence of noble rot in French. Developing a powerful, complex bouquet with aromas of pineapple, apricot, saffron, flowers, spices and orchard fruits, it’s dense and concentrated, full-bodied and layered with a crystalline texture complicated by notes of white truffles that reveal a racy, endless and a superb finish concluding with a pristine harmony. Readers with bottles in their cellars will have to be patient before opening this masterpiece with 155 grams of residual sugar.
| ACC 17192 | 1 HALF BOTTLE | Current Bid: $629 |
PERFECTLY CONTROLLED - RP96 - The 2013 d'Yquem is open and demonstrative, evoking aromas of apricot, saffron, musk, spices and exotic fruits, followed by a medium to full-bodied, pure and deep palate paving the way to a perfectly controlled power. The finish is animated with bright acids and a sappy, fleshy texture typical of Yquem’s clay terroirs, and while it may stand in the shadow of its Bordeaux vintage red counterpart, whose reputation has been somewhat wanting, this Sauternes deserves of praise in its own right.
PRECISE - RP96 - With 135 grams of residual sugar, the 2016 d'Yquem has turned out brilliantly in bottle, exhibiting a precise, harmonic, deep bouquet with aromas of mango, lychee, jasmine, exotic fruits, dry apricot and menthol. It’s moderately weighted and tense with a layered yet concentrated texture and a long, vibrant finish. Racy, charming and attractively complete, it distinguishes itself from its peers with its bright acidity.
| XNE 1260 | 1 HALF BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $459 | |
| XNE 1261 | 1 HALF BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $459 | |
| XNE 1262 | 1 HALF BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $459 |
SIMPLY STUNNING - RP97 - The 2017 d'Yquem is simply stunning, evoking both a minty and fresh bouquet with aromas of apricot, baked pear, saffron, honeycomb and flowers. Full-bodied, rich and seamless, it’s perfectly balanced with a beautiful bittersweet mid-palate and a long, endless finish with aromas of crème brûlée, salted butter caramel and vanilla pod. This blend of 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc contains 148 grams of residual sugar.
| XNE 1263 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1049 | |
| XNE 1265 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1049 |
BLOWS YOU AWAY - RP97 - A blend of 83% Semillon and 17% Sauvignon Blanc, the 2017 Rieussec is pale to medium lemon-gold colored. To begin, the nose blows you away with intense lemon tart, lime cordial, mango and quince notes followed by a second wave of floral, orange blossoms and honeysuckle scents, and then notes of crushed rocks, crème caramel and marzipan join the party. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is still very tightly wound with concentrated sweetness and a racy backbone to match, delivering layer upon layer of citrus and savory flavors, finishing on a persistent mineral note.
SHOCKED AT THE QUALITY - RP97+ - I was shocked at the quality of the 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin and I can’t think of another wine that comes close to this level of depth, concentration and richness in the vintage. Its inky color is followed by sensational notes of roasted herbs, licorice, caramelized meats and layers of black and blue fruits. Rich, full-bodied, thick and unctuous, hats off to the Perrin family for this incredible effort! Give bottles 4-6 years of cellaring and drink over the following two decades.
| XNE 0659 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $749 | |
| XNE 0658 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $749 | |
| XNE 0655 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $749 |
WOW - RP98 - As this was bottled only a week before I tasted it, I suspect this rating will prove to be conservative once a few months have passed. The 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin is another prodigious version of this wine. How many wines in this world can be so huge yet so lacking the feeling of weight? There's plenty of layered spice but also a core of raspberries; rich tannins, yet no real astringency; and a long finish without any apparent heat. Wow!
| XNE 0666 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $814 | |
| XNE 0664 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $814 | |
| XNE 0663 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $814 |
BREATHTAKING - RP100 - Marvelously complex, deeply fruited and massively concentrated yet wonderfully drinkable, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin challenges the number of superlatives that can be thrown at it. Scents of violets, tree bark, truffle, purple raspberries and blackberries all appear on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is rich, dense and velvety, and the finish shows enormous richness and length. Breathtaking stuff.
| XNE 0669 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $924 | |
| XNE 0667 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $924 | |
| XNE 0668 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $924 |
IMPECCABLE - RP96+ - More masculine, backwards and concentrated, the 2005 Cote Rotie Chateau d’Ampuis is a full-bodied, structured effort that’s just barely starting to show some secondary nuances. Giving up notions of violet, asphalt, graphite, crushed rock, bacon fat and dried rose petal, it has impeccable balance, notable concentration and a big finish. It should hit prime time in another 2 to 3 years, and evolve gracefully through 2025.
| KEN 0796 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $200 | |
| KEN 0797 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $200 | |
| KEN 0798 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $200 |
MASSIVELY - RP98+ - Massively concentrated and tannic, Chapoutier's 2019 Ermitage le Pavillon looks as if it will take a few more years to come around than the other selections parcellaires. The initial scents of crushed stone and cassis are intriguing, but this full-bodied wine comes across almost cold and reserved yet immensely promising. On this occasion, Michel Chapoutier pronounced it "a tea of granite," which describes it fairly well, although hints of its future charms can be seen on the long, licorice-tinged and mouthwatering finish.
| XFW 0253 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $689 | |
| XFW 0245 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $689 | |
| XFW 0246 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $689 |
GREAT - RP100 - Crushed stone, mint, blackberries and cassis all appear upon the nose of the 2020 Ermitage le Pavillon. The great vintages of these wines soak up the oak, like this one has. Full-bodied, concentrated and massive in scale, it's a mouthful of dark fruit flavors that gradually morph into something more savory on the long, silky-firm finish, adding notes of black olives and espresso. It's really impressive, as it maintains a sense of elegance all along its path.
| XFW 0537 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $674 | |
| XFW 0533 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $674 | |
| XFW 0289 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $674 |
BREATHTAKING - RP95+ - The 2009 Chambertin is breathtaking in its beauty. It boasts gorgeous textural depth and richness in its eternal, endless layers of fruit. This is a totally seamless wine that captures the style of the year and the personality of the vineyard. A sweet note of cassis lingers on the finessed finish. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2039.
| 136 0020 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar & Museum Release | Current Bid: $5520 |
SUPERB - RP94-96 - The 2020 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru is superb, the latest in a series of remarkable iterations of this cuvée. Wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet red berries, rose hips, peonies, orange rind and warm spices, it's full-bodied, ample and layered, with terrific concentration, velvety tannins and lively acids. Deep and complete, it will be long-lived.
| XDV 0027 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $919 | |
| XDV 0026 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $919 |
TERRIFIC - RP94-96 - Opening in the glass with a rich bouquet of wild berries, cassis, orange rind, rich spices, loamy soil, black truffles and toasty new oak, the 2020 Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru is full-bodied, ample and seamless, with a rich, enveloping core of fruit, ripe tannins and lively acids. Concluding with a long, resonant finish, it's a terrific wine in the making.
| XDV 0029 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1014 | |
| XDV 0028 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1014 | |
| XDV 0030 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1014 |
VELVETY - RP93-95 - The 2020 Le Corton Grand Cru is a worthy successor to the striking 2019 (which I probably underrated last year). Soaring from the glass with aromas of rose petals, orange rind, raspberries, rich soil tones and cinnamon, it's full-bodied, velvety and seamless, with a deep and layered core of fruit, vibrant acids and fine, melting tannins, concluding with a long, saline finish. This emblematic cuvée has always been a solid bottling chez Bouchard, but in the last few years it seems to have attained a whole new level of quality. When I asked Frédéric Weber what might account for this shift, he explained that he picks later and includes more whole bunches in the vinification. Whatever the reason, readers are advised to take note, as I don't think the market has yet factored in quite how good this wine is.
| XDW 0693 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $359 | |
| XDW 0688 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $359 | |
| XDW 0686 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $359 |
SUCCULENT CORE - RP92 - Tasted from bottle, the 2017 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru (Domaine Louis Jadot) opens in the glass with an attractive bouquet of berry fruit, plums, orange rind and coniferous forest floor, framed by a deft application of new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, ample and enveloping, its succulent core of fruit framed by melting tannins. From barrel, I faulted this wine for being excessively open-knit, but while it certainly is unusually supple and giving by the standards of this cuvée, there's more depth than I perceived last year: what's more, and critically, this is simply immensely pleasurable to drink
| ACC 15969 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $249 | |
| ACC 15971 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $249 | |
| ACC 15968 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $249 |
SUPERBLY - RP97 - The 2020 Angélus has turned out superbly and underlines this estate's continuing shift to a more elegant, integrated style that offers a purer expression of its terroir. A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, it unwinds in the glass with aromas of cherries, wild berries, rose petals, mint and subtle hints of licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied, beautifully layered and vibrant palate that's deep, precise and penetrating, concluding with a mouthwateringly chalky finish. Some 120 hectoliters of Cabernet Franc, amounting to around 20% of the blend, were matured in foudre this year, which no doubt helps to account for the significantly reduced oak impact in the 2020.
| XNE 0443 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $874 | |
| XNE 0446 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $874 | |
| XNE 0444 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $874 |
IMPRESSIVE - RP98+ - The 2018 Cos d'Estournel is a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, aged in 50% new oak barriques. The alcohol weighs in at just over 14.5%. Sporting a deep purple-black color, it needs a lot of swirling to begin to unlock a powerful nose of crème de cassis, stewed plums, wild blueberries and chocolate-covered cherries, followed by nuances of Sichuan pepper, star anise, tree and clove oil, plus a waft of charcoal. The full-bodied palate is densely packed with taut, muscular black fruits and earthy layers, framed by super firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and wonderfully earthy. A very impressive behemoth, this is going to need a good seven to 10 years to truly show its stuff and should drink for a good 40 years and beyond.
| XSA 1990 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $519 | |
| XSA 1991 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $519 |
BRILLIANTLY - RP97 - The 2019 Cos d'Estournel has turned out brilliantly, exhibiting aromas of minty cassis, sweet wild berries and wild plums mingled with hints of spices, loamy soil and potpourri. Full-bodied, broad and enveloping, it's polished and seamless, its ample chassis of fine, velvety tannin entirely concealed in its deep core of succulent, crunchy fruit. Beautifully integrated at this early stage, the last decade has witnessed a number of changes at this address, including a trend toward less aggressively late picking, cooler fermentations and élevage with fewer rackings and more moderate percentages of less heavily toasted new oak: in 2019, the results speak for themselves.
| XNE 1127 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $499 | |
| XNE 1128 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $499 | |
| XNE 1129 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $499 |
DELICIOUS - RP95 - The Château Coutet 2003 Cuvée Madame was picked on September 30 at between 22 and 26 degrees potential alcohol and is laden with a whopping 230 grams per liter of residual sugar, one of the highest ever. Aged in 100% new oak for 36 months, it has a powerful nose that perhaps does not quite have the finesse of the 2001 Cuvée Madame. Pineapple, quince and marmalade are to the fore with touches of beeswax developing, through I find more delineation on the 2001. The palate is rounded, soft textured, plump in the mouth, a boatload of botrytis here with notes of marmalade, quince, almond and honeycomb. It is a delicious Cuvée Madame that I suspect will be enjoyed best from release in September 2015 (on Aline's birthday incidentally.)
| XNE 1148 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $574 | |
| XNE 1146 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $574 | |
| XNE 1147 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $574 |
BEGUILING - RP100 - The 2009 Cuvee Madame, composed of 100% Sémillon, is pale lemon-gold in color with a beguiling fragrance of peach blossoms, mandarin peel, jasmine and allspice with core of pineapple, lemon pie, peach preserves and ginger plus a waft of musk perfume. Very big, powerful and seductive with decadent richness and loads of spice and floral layers accenting the ripe stone fruit flavors, it finishes with epic persistence.
| XNE 1159 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $599 | |
| XNE 1150 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $599 | |
| XNE 1149 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $599 |
WILL DELIGHT - RP97 - The 2021 Haut-Brion confirms its fine showing en primeur, cementing its status as one of the wines of the vintage. Its complex bouquet of dark berries and cassis mingled with notions of cigar wrapper and burning embers unfurls in the glass. Full-bodied, deep and velvety, it’s concentrated and layered with a multidimensional core of fruit, sweet tannins and lively acids, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. Reflecting the timeless elegance of Haut-Brions from cooler years, the 2021 will delight Bordeaux purists.
| XNE 1437 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1179 | |
| XNE 1438 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1179 | |
| XNE 1440 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1179 |
STRIKING - RP98 - The 2010 La Fleur-Pétrus is a striking wine that is beginning to show brilliantly today. Wafting from the glass with a deep bouquet of dark berry and cherry fruit mingled with black truffles, baking chocolate, loamy soil and subtle hints of cigar wrapper. Full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's rich and layered, with an elegantly muscular profile and a long, resonant finish. This is a dramatic, sensual and beautifully balanced wine that represents the essence of Pomerol.
| XNE 1653 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $829 | |
| XNE 1672 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $829 | |
| XNE 1655 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $829 |
STUNNING - RP97 - Blended of 91% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc, the medium garnet-purple colored 2016 la Fleur-Petrus reveals stunning Black Forest cake, redcurrant jelly and wilted roses scents with underlying suggestions of pencil shavings, yeast extract, dark chocolate and cloves. Medium to full-bodied, the mid-palate possesses superb intensity and depth with layers of perfumed black fruits and loads of red fruit sparks framed by firm, ripe, grainy tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing on a lingering earthy note.
| XNE 1686 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $674 | |
| XNE 1685 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $674 | |
| XNE 1684 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $674 |
OUTSTANDING - RP90 - While La Mission Haut-Brion’s 2004 is not one of this estate’s top successes, it is an outstanding wine, no doubt because of this extraordinary terroir. Deep ruby/purple with notes of lead pencil shavings intermixed with black cherries, cassis, and a hint of scorched earth, medium body, sweet tannin, and a good, but uninspiring finish, this attractive, mid-weight La Mission should age nicely for 15 or more years.
| EIO 0237 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $328 |
EXPRESSIVE - RP95 - The 2006 La Mission Haut-Brion is showing very well at age 15, and even though it's still five or six years away from the beginning of its plateau of maturity, it is already quite expressive, wafting from the glass with aromas of blackberries and blackcurrants mingled with notions of smoke, cigar wrapper, black truffle and loamy soil. Full-bodied, fleshy and muscular, with a richly layered core of fruit framed by an abundance of ripe, powdery tannin, in a blind tasting I suspect many would confuse it with a 2005.
| MUS 0001 | 1 BOTTLE Slight cellar damaged label, slight capsule damage | Current Bid: $356 |
POTENTIAL - RP99 - The 2019 La Mission Haut-Brion unwinds in the glass with aromas of inky berry fruit, wild plums and cherries mingled with notions of warm spices, burning embers and creamy new oak. Full-bodied, deep and layered, it's rich and concentrated, with a deep core of fruit, bright acids and fine, powdery tannins. Powerful and tightly wound, this is less sumptuous and demonstrative out of the gates than its sibling Haut-Brion, but I suspect it possesses even greater potential.
| SIM 0001 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $576 |
PERFECT? - RP98+ - Since I gave this wine a perfect score, I suppose some could see this as a downgrade. I found everything still there for a perfect rating, but I was just struck by how tight and backward the wine was. A blend of 93.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, the wine still has a dark ruby/purple color and an extraordinarily youthful nose of graphite, black currants, sweet, unsmoked cigar tobacco, and flowers. The wine is rich, medium to full-bodied, but has that ethereal elegance and purity that is always Lafite. I originally predicted that it would first reach maturity in 2011, but I would push that back by 5-7 years now, although it has 50-60 years of life in front of it. Owners of this beauty are probably best advised to forget it for 5 years. Tasted next to a 1996 several days after the 2000 tasting, the 1996, which is a perfect wine, was far closer to full maturity than the 2000.
| BRA 0003 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $1401 |
INTENSE NOTES - RP95 - The 1995 Léoville Las Cases is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc. Medium garnet colored with a touch of brick, it needs a fair bit of swirling to unlock the intense notes of baked plums, dried mulberries and boysenberry preserves with hints of black truffles, Chinese five spice, unsmoked cigars and dusty soil, plus wafts of beef drippings and cast-iron pan. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers good weight and generous fruit, supported by plush tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with loads of earth, sautéed herbs and mineral-inspired flavors.
| 106 0957 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $400 |
SPECTACULAR - RP98 - The 2000 Léoville Las Cases takes time to unwind in the decanter and glass, but when it begins to show all its cards, the display is spectacular. Mingling aromas of dark berries and red fruits with aromas of pencil shavings, loamy soil, cedar box, bitter chocolate, dried rose petals and licorice, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a layered, complete mid-palate that's rare in this vintage, powdery tannins and a long, resonant finish. An uncompromising classic, even as it closes in on its 22nd birthday, the 2000 Las Cases remains an infant in terms of evolution.
| BRA 0005 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $396 |
ACHINGLY BEAUTIFUL - RP99 - The 2015 Chateau Margaux is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Medium garnet-purple colored, the nose features oh-so-seductive notes of warm blackberries, cassis and black forest cake with touches of forest floor, sandalwood, anise and cigar boxes plus a waft of lavender. Medium to full-bodied, it delivers taut, muscular, densely packed black fruits and exotic spice flavor layers supported by a very firm backbone of grainy tannins with oodles of freshness and a long, savory finish. It is tightly knit and a little reticent at this very youthful stage; afford it at least 15 years in the cellar, and it will open out into a classic Chateau Margaux of incredible proportions. Readers may be interested to know that this wine is beautifully packaged in a special commemorative bottle honoring winemaker Paul Pontellier, who passed away in 2016. The gold-etched black bottle bears the message, “Hommage à Paul Pontellier” at the bottom. This 2015 is an achingly beautiful swan song from an incredibly gifted winemaker, taken from us too soon. In my view, this alone makes this vintage more than worth the investment for the many lovers of history in a bottle.
| XNE 1800 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $3824 |
CLASSIC - RP95 - The 2021 Château Margaux saw a traditional élevage in new barrels, with bottling in July, and as readers will remember, it's a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot that benefited from late picking, appreciable percentages of saignée, and a strict selection. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis, blueberries and raspberries mingled with hints of licorice, white flowers and charcoal, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a broad attack, lively purity and sweet structuring tannins, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. It's a classic that will richly reward bottle age.
| XNE 1803 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1199 | |
| XNE 1802 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1199 | |
| XNE 1801 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1199 |
Magificient MOUTON ROTHSCHILD - 2014 Art offer with David Hockney gracing the label - RP95 - The 2014 Mouton-Rothschild was closed at first when I tasted the wine in bottle with winemaker Philippe Dhalluin. But as it transpires, this First Growth is just toying with you. Initially quite understated, it responds to aeration like a young child peeking from around a corner and then running out, waving its hands. It suddenly hits you with gorgeous black cherries, bilberry, cedar and wilted rose petal. The palate is medium-bodied with a silky smooth entry. This is utterly seductive: a wine without a hair out of place. It is not as powerful or as complex as the 2015 Mouton-Rothschild, yet the precision and focus here is beguiling. It will require five to seven years to absorb the 100% new oak, then it will be an utterly delicious and to use a term employed at en primeur, "cerebral" First Growth that is destined to give two or three decades of pleasure.
| DCH 0002 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $932 |
BEAUTIFULLY - RP95+ - The 2021 Palmer has turned out beautifully in bottle, wafting from the glass with expressive aromas of blackberries, cherries and mulberries mingled with notions of iris, dark chocolate and spices. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with an enveloping core of succulent fruit framed by rich, sweet tannins, it concludes with a long, expansive finish. It's a blend of 56% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot.
| XNE 1925 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $694 | |
| XNE 1924 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $694 | |
| XNE 1923 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $694 |
DEEP, UNCTUOUSLY TEXTURED - RP97 - It is hard to call Petrus a “sleeper of the vintage,” but the 2008 will merit more attention than most consumers would think. Low yields of 30 hectoliters per hectare resulted in only 25,000 bottles of this beauty. A wine of great intensity (possibly the most concentrated wine of the vintage), this 100% Merlot boasts a dark purple color as well as a sweet perfume of mocha, caramel, black cherries, black currants, earth and forest floor. Deep, unctuously textured, full-bodied and pure, it will benefit from 4-5 years of cellaring and should drink well for 25-30+ years.
| MIR 0299 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $3156 | |
| MIR 0300 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $3156 | |
| MIR 0301 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $3156 | |
| MIR 0302 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $3156 |
RP89 - The 2005 Pichon Lalande, with its aromatics of cassis, forest floor and earth are followed by a medium-bodied wine that doesn’t have quite the length and richness the aromatics suggest. Nevertheless, it is medium-bodied, elegant, and pure, and a classic example for this château. Drink it now as well as over the next 15 or so years. It is showing better than my earlier notes suggest.
| EIO 0238 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $312 |
HARMONOUS & TENSILE - RP94 - Tasted at the property, the 2006 Château Pichon-Lalande has a voluminous bouquet with outgoing blackberry, cassis and violets scents, a touch of boysenberry jam tucked just underneath, although it does not quite have the delineation of the Lynch Bages. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. This feels very composed in the mouth, quite fresh with well-judged acidity, harmonious and tensile on the finish. This deserves a higher score than I awarded out of barrel and it continues to improve year by year. Tasted April 2016.
| 131 0085 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $288 | |
| 131 0086 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $288 |
IMMORTAL - RP100 - One of the greatest wines that this estate has produced in the modern era, the 2016 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a brilliant classic that no Bordeaux lover is going to want to do without. Mingling aromas of cassis and plums with notions of licorice, sweet tobacco leaf, rich soil tones, licorice, cigar smoke and violets, it's full-bodied, seamless and complete, with huge concentration, bright acids and a long, penetrating finish. Standing out for its unerring precision, impeccable balance and ineffable sense of completeness, it should prove almost immortal.
| XNE 2051 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $799 | |
| XNE 2050 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $799 | |
| XNE 2052 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $799 |
LONG - RP97 - Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Rauzan-Ségla offers up an expressive nose of baked blackberries, kirsch, warm cassis and baked plums with hints of cigar box and tilled soil. Full-bodied, rich and expansive in the mouth, it has layer upon layer of bold red and black fruit preserves with earthy accents and a velvety texture, finishing long and lively.
| XNE 2123 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $284 | |
| XNE 2124 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $284 | |
| XNE 2125 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $284 |
EFORTLESSLY - RP97 - Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Rauzan-Ségla drifts effortlessly from the glass with fragrant rose hip tea, candied violets and chocolate box scents over a core of fresh blackcurrants and black cherry compote plus wafts of tobacco and dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied, it delivers a great mid-palate of softly textured black and blue fruits with loads of floral nuances and a refreshing lift on the finish.
| XNE 2128 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 | |
| XNE 2127 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 | |
| XNE 2126 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 |
INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT - RP98+ The 2018 Rauzan-Ségla is composed of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The wine has 14% alcohol, and it was aged for around 18 months in barriques, 65% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it comes galloping out of the glass with powerful, energetic scents of crushed black cherries, blackcurrant cordial and mulberries, plus suggestions of violets, star anise, chocolate mint and crushed rocks with a touch of tobacco leaf. The medium to full-bodied palate is jam-packed with taut, muscular black fruit layers, supported by firm, ripe, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing with fantastic length and loads of earthy sparks. This is a thoroughbred Margaux, for sure, possessing amazing power in a very sleek, sophisticated package. Give it 5-7 years in bottle to unlock all those earth, floral and mineral nuances and drink it over the next 40 years or more. An incredible achievement that adeptly sidesteps the potentially overwhelming stamps of this extreme vintage. Bravo to Technical Director Nicolas Audebert and the team at Rauzan-Ségla!
| XNE 2131 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $354 | |
| XNE 2130 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $354 | |
| XNE 2129 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $354 |
SUPERB - RP95 - The 2016 Les Forts de Latour is superb, unwinding in the glass with notions of blackcurrants, wild berries, sweet loamy soil, cigar wrapper and English walnuts. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it’s concentrated and tightly wound, with superb depth at the core, lively acids and ripe, powdery tannins. This is an impeccably balanced, utterly classical Forts de Latour worth a special effort to seek out.
| XSA 2389 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $499 | |
| XSA 2388 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $499 |
BIG BIRTHDAY TREAT
| MIK 1114 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $272 |
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