| Australian | 2602 |
| Italian | 990 |
| Burgundy | 767 |
| Imported | 570 |
| Bordeaux | 421 |
| New Zealand | 326 |
| Champagne | 303 |
| Rhone | 235 |
| Sauternes / Barsac | 175 |
| France | 135 |
| Chablis | 117 |
| Port | 53 |
| Whisky | 48 |
| Spirits | 41 |
| Total Lots: | 6783 |
| MOET & CHANDON Grand Vintage | 2000 |
| LEEUWIN Estate Art Series | 1985 |
| WOODLANDS Margaret Reserve | 2007 |
| HOUGHTON Jack Mann | 2008 |
| MOSS WOOD | 2009 |
| XANADU Reserve | 1997 |
| PENFOLDS Grange | 2019 |
| WOODLANDS Margaret Reserve | 2010 |
| HENSCHKE Hill of Grace | 2016 |
| AC/DC Highway to Hell | 2008 |
| PENFOLDS Grange |
| HENSCHKE Hill of Grace |
WINTER IS COMING - Danger in the bottle?
| MAR 0003 | 1 700ML BOTTLE BOXED 43% Alc./Vol - Freight only for buyers in Australia | Current Bid: $52 |
WESTEROS - Make or Break?
| MAR 0004 | 1 700ML BOTTLE BOXED 46% Alc./Vol - Freight only for buyers in Australia | Current Bid: $150 | SOLD |
CULT COLLECTABLE - Edition No. 2 follows on from the first edition, originally offered in 2015. This time the whisky employs a marketing concept that's currently in vogue: The "collaborative effort" (think Glenfiddich's Project XX). Master blender Bob Dalgarno has teamed up with Spanish chefs Joan, Josep and Jordi Roca and each contributor has handpicked a cask: Joan Roca, head chef, picked 1st and 2nd fill Diego Martin casks for its rich green wood and toffee flavours. Jordi Roca, pastry chef went with 1st and 2nd fill Vasyma American Oak casks to include light vanilla and citrus notes. Joseph Roca, the sommelier, selected 1st fill Jose Miguel Martin casks with spicy ginger notes. Bob Dalgarno picked 1st fill Tevasa cask, which conveys dried fruit and sherry notes.
FIRST CLASS FINE OAK - The Macallan Fine Oak range whiskies represent a range of expressions which have been matured in carefully selected European and American oak casks which have previously held Sherry or Bourbon. As always with The Macallan, the colour is completely natural and is derived solely from the interaction of spirit and wood. Of the new selection, John Hansell of 'Malt Advocate Magazine' commented, "The Fine Oak range is...more approachable, and has the potential to be embraced by a greater percentage of whisky drinkers....cutting back on the sherry reveals more of the Macallan spirit, which is first-class."
| MAR 0001 | 1 700ML BOTTLE BOXED 43% Alc./Vol - Freight only for buyers in Australia | Current Bid: $400 | |
| MAR 0002 | 1 700ML BOTTLE BOXED 43% Alc./Vol - Freight only for buyers in Australia | Current Bid: $400 |
OLD GOLD - 1990'S bottling - Presentation box - near specimen conditon - code - L10 13:22 05 06
| MIC 0030 | 1 700ML BOTTLE BOXED 43% Alc./Vol - Freight only for buyers in Australia | Current Bid: $4160 |
CRAGGY COGNAC - PINNACLE? - Winesearch has prices from $600 to $5,000 - Take your pick
| MAR 0005 | 1 700ML BOTTLE BOXED 40% Alc./Vol - Freight only for buyers in Australia | Current Bid: $600 | SOLD |
EXCEPTIONAL - RP99 - The old River Stones has seen its name simplified to 2019 Adrianna Vineyard River. This is an exceptional vintage for this bottling, from a very stony part of the large Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary, close to the dry river. It's the equivalent to the White Stones white, with a north-facing exposure, the warmer exposure, which in cooler years like 2019 works nicely. The wine has harmony and subtleness, insinuating violets and wet stones, with a rare combination of power and elegance, with minerality and spice, precise, focused and harmonious. The tannins are abundant but very fine and ripe with a chalky sensation in the finish. It has 13.8% alcohol and very good freshness, acidity and healthy parameters. 5,520 bottles were filled in December 2020. I also tasted the 2017, 2015 and 2012 of this wine, and they are developing slowly. The 2017 has very strong notes of thyme and aromatic herbs; 2015 has nuances of paprika and is ripe and powerful; and the 2012, which I had never tasted before, is serious, reaching its plateau and showing a moment of transition from barrel to foudres.
| XNE 0619 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $209 | |
| XNE 0621 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $209 | |
| XNE 0625 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $209 |
RIPER - 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.
INTROVERTED - RP97 - The 2022 Adrianna Vineyard Chardonnay White Stones is more introverted, understated and explicitly chiseled than its more textural and exotic White Bones companion. On the nose, it opens with transparent yet focused aromas of citrus pith and crushed stones, introducing a sleek, vibrant and laser-focused palate. The finish is similarly angular and incisive, continuously generating additional depth and dimension with time in the glass. While I slightly preferred the White Bones bottling due to its extra gear of complexity and textural depth, this is another clear-cut yardstick by which to measure the progress of Argentine white-wine production.
WHITE CAPSULE- RP92 - The 2018 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese (White Capsule) is very intense, warm and concentrated yet still slatey on the nose. Astringent and almost austere on the palate, this is a rich and intense yet crystalline and tensioned Sonnenuhr with a challenging dry and drying finish. Tasted at the domain in September 2020.
OVERTURE - RP95 - Opus One had picked 91% of their fruit before the fires started in 2017, and only two lots were eliminated from consideration. The 2017 Opus One, bottled in July 2019, is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4.5% Merlot and 1% Malbec. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it slowly grows on the nose, revealing compelling notes of baked black cherries, mulberries, black raspberries, warm cassis and blackberry pie with nuances of spice cake, yeast extract, tapenade, licorice and dusty soil with a waft of wild sage. Medium-bodied, the palate has a lively skip in its step, featuring bags of juicy raspberry and cassis-laced fruit and a refreshing line, supported by ripe, plush tannins, finishing long and graceful.
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 0654 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $834 | |
| XNE 0655 | 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 0658 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $759 |
STUNNING - RP96 - The 2018 Lytton Springs is a blend of 72% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignane and 2% Mataro. The nose is lush and open, with aromas of aniseed, red and blue berries, blood orange and earth plus touches of tobacco leaf and dried flowers. The medium-bodied palate combines intense, powerful flavors with a more ethereal, silty structure, and it finishes with loads of juicy layers. It's stunning straight from bottle but will have more to give with time in the cellar. 11,900 cases produced.
| DON 0085 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $60 |
WUNDERBAR! - TRICKY n TERIFIC - Check it out CAREFULLY
| DON 0114 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $44 | |
| DON 0115 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $55 | SOLD |
| DON 0116 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $55 | SOLD |
| DON 0117 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $44 | |
| DON 0118 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $44 | |
| DON 0119 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $44 |
WUNDERBAR! - TRICKY n TERIFIC - Check it out CAREFULLY
| DON 0110 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $44 | |
| DON 0111 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $44 | |
| DON 0112 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $44 | |
| DON 0113 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $44 |
WUNDERBAR! - KAISER grade ENRTY LEVEL - Check it out CAREFULLY
BEAUTIFULLY - RP96 - Incorporating fully 10% still red wine, Billecart's 2009 Brut Rosé Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon is showing beautifully, delivering fragrant aromas of plums, stone fruits, petals, sweet spices and marzipan. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and elegant, it's seamless and pillowy, with bright acids and a pure, precise profile, concluding with a bright, saline finish. In 2009, it was vinified entirely in stainless steel.
FINEST - RP97+ - A blend of 45% Pinot Noir and 55% Chardonnay, the 2012 Brut Rosé Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon is a real success, wafting from the glass with aromas of red berries, rose, peony, orange blood and dried flowers. Medium to full-bodied, vinous and broad, it's dense and deep with a multidimensional core of fruit, racy acids and a textural structure, concluding with a long, delicate, mouthwatering finish. This is one of the finest rosé I've tasted at this address. Kudos!
Billecart-Salmon’s style is characterized by elegance, purity and delicate freshness. Low fermentation temperatures are employed to preserve the purity and expressiveness of the fruit, while malolactic fermentation is systematically blocked to maintain the wine’s vibrant acidity. Since Mathieu Roland-Billecart’s arrival in 2018, the estate has expanded its barrel program, focusing on the best terroirs for cuvées like Brut Réserve and Brut Sous Bois, and has initiated biodynamic viticulture in Le Clos Saint-Hilaire.
| XDW 1675 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $364 | |
| XDW 1682 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $364 |
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.
| ACC 17113 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $319 | |
| XDW 1689 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $794 | |
| XDW 1692 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $794 | |
| XDW 1693 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $794 |
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: $284 | |
| ACC 15506 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $284 | |
| ACC 15508 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $284 | |
| ACC 15509 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $284 |
GREAT ON STEROIDS - Great Vintage - Great House - Great Big format - A Magnum for the Big occassions - Great Timing - Perfect tribute to celebrate a Big "6" birthday in 2026 - 40 - 50 - 60 - 70 - Great Presentation - Comes in the legend Cristal Wooden "jewel box" presentation case
BUYER BEWARE - this magnum comes from a suitable private cellar - The bottle was "ear tested" and sounds good - high pitch ping - Dont forget this is an original release magnum - the vintageis now 30 years ago - Who Dares Wins - (most of the time)
| JAM 0014 | 1 MAGNUM IN WOODEN BOX | Current Bid: $680 |
BRILLIANT - 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.
BUYER BEWARE - this magnum comes from a suitable private cellar - The bottle was "ear tested" and sounds good - high pitch ping - Dont forget this is an original release magnum - the vintageis now 30 years ago - Who Dares Wins - (most of the time)
| JAM 0007 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $400 | |
| JAM 0008 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $400 |
RP - n/a - The 1999 Dom Perignon is a little flabbier than the 2000. Smoke, toastiness, tar and ripe fruit emerge from the glass in a generous, expansive style. The 1999 offers more body than the 2000 but the aromas and flavors are less well-articulated. This is a relatively simple Dom Perignon, yet the wine possesses outstanding balance and plenty of harmony. According to Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy the warm vintage also resulted in relatively high yields, and the low-acid style is most reminiscent of the 1976. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2024.
BUYER BEWARE - this magnum comes from a suitable private cellar - The bottle was "ear tested" and sounds good - high pitch ping - Dont forget this is an original release magnum - the vintageis now 25 years ago - Who Dares Wins - (most of the time)
| JAM 0009 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $280 |
OPULENT - RP96 - The 2002 Dom Perignon is at first intensely floral, with perfumed jasmine that dominates the bouquet. With time in the glass the wine gains richness as the flavors turn decidedly riper and almost tropical. Apricots, passion fruit and peaches emerge from this flashy, opulent Dom Perignon. The wine’s volume makes it approachable today, but readers in search of more complexity will want to cellar this for at least a few years to allow for some of the baby fat to drop off. Geoffroy describes the vintage as very ripe and adds that some of the Chardonnay showed the ill-effects of the hot growing season in the somewhat burned, dehydrated fruit that came in that year. This bottle was disgorged in July, 2009. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2032.
BUYER BEWARE - this magnum comes from a suitable private cellar - The bottle was "ear tested" and sounds good - high pitch ping - Dont forget this is an original release magnum - the vintageis now 20 years ago - Who Dares Wins - (most of the time)
| JAM 0010 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $340 |
BUYER BEWARE - this magnum comes from a suitable private cellar - The bottle was "ear tested" and sounds good - high pitch ping - Dont forget this is an original release magnum - the vintageis now 25 years ago - Who Dares Wins - (most of the time)
| JAM 0006 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $95 | SOLD |
HIGHWAY TO HELL - Suitable sustainence /refreshment
| BEL 0175 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $31 | SOLD |
HIGHWAY TO HELL - Take the trip with Suitable sustainence /refreshment
| BEL 0174 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $30 | SOLD |
HIGHWAY TO HELL - Brave the Thunder with Suitable sustainence /refreshment
| BEL 0172 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $15 | SOLD |
HIGHWAY TO HELL - Shook n Look with Suitable sustainence /refreshment
| BEL 0173 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $14 | SOLD |
ASSURED - JH94 - This is understated and slightly surly, but its future is as bright as ever. It will need time. It tastes of black cherries, saltbush, dark earth and herbs, with a thin layer of cedarwood oak helping to tie it all together. Tannin is fine and filigreed; length is pulsing and assured. It's medium in weight, and it will become more expressive as it matures
BEST -JH95 - More concentration of power and greater structure than Bin O; blackberry with splashes of licorice and spice; will be seriously long-lived, and is not yet showing its best.
| ADS 0803 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $115 | |
| ADS 0804 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $103 |
BLESSED - JH97 - Deep crimson-purple; made predominantly from vines planted in 1868, and is genuinely a wine that is only made in the best vintages. I can't help but think when I taste a wine such as this that my ashes will have been scattered decades before it fulfils all of its potential. It has lashings of blackberry, plum, blackcurrant and touches of licorice and mint; the tannins are quite obvious, but ripe and in balance for a wine so blessed with great fruit. Bottle no. 833 of 4200.
| 106 0881 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $160 | |
| 106 0882 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 |
PROCLAIMS - JH96 - Deep purple-crimson, it proclaims its breed and quality from the first whiff, overflowing with black fruits, tannins and oak in support. It will slowly gain notes of earth, briar and polished leather as it develops in bottle, the screwcap giving it an indefinite life span.
| TUR 0844 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $148 |
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 12313 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $194 |
ULTRA-STYLISH - JH98 - This is an ultra-stylish, well-made Graveyard with tightly coiled fruit and a serious demeanour. In fact, it would be easy to miss its greatness, especially alongside riper styles, if one wasn't paying attention. Quiet and reserved with a youthful crimson hue, the fruit is tensioned within an intricate matrix of acidity and tannin. With aeration, one sees exotic black cherry characters nestled within a dense, sculpted, savoury palate. It's a slender, majestic shiraz that has grace and restrained power. It will be an extremely long-living wine, and I can't wait to see how it transforms with time. One for the future.
PERFECTION - RP99+ - Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2010 Hoffman Vineyard Shiraz possesses an extraordinary nose of cassis, crushed blackberries, earth, Bovril and yeast extract with licorice, spice box and dried herbs hints. Full-bodied, rich and densely packed, with a lovely backbone of ripe tannins and great freshness, the long finish here is just incredible. A true "wow" wine, this complex beauty certainly has the potential to hit "perfection" with a little more time in bottle.
| TUR 0839 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $380 |
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 | |
| TUR 0704 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $260 | SOLD |
SHOULDN'T BE MISSED - RP99 - Picked before the heat and weighing in at a reasonable 14.5% alcohol, the 2008 Astralis Syrah (tasted from magnum) is singing. Showing no bricking at the rim, scents of cracked pepper, mint, bay leaf, thyme, lavender and blueberries pour out of the glass, adding meaty notes and hints of espresso and black olive with air. Full-bodied, creamy-textured and supple on the long finish, this wine shouldn't be missed. If you've got one, open it and see for yourself. MAGNUM
| BEL 0010 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $256 | |
| BEL 0011 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $256 |
LONG & ELEGANT- 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.
| BEL 0012 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $276 |
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 0711 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $212 |
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: $208 | |
| TUR 0715 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $208 | |
| TUR 0716 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $208 |
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.
| BEL 0013 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $201 | |
| BEL 0014 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $196 |
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 1256 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $339 | |
| XWA 1251 | 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 1485 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $314 | |
| XWA 1526 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $314 | |
| XWA 1545 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $314 |
SUPERB - JH97 - As expected the wine is young and buoyant, with a highly fragrant perfume of red fruit, fresh blackberry, violets, roasted meat and a little tar; the palate reveals the true potential of this superb wine with a cascading array of flavours and thrillingly silky tannin, poised acidity and a peacocks tail on the very long and precise palate.
| TUR 0872 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $128 |
JH95 - Light, bright crimson-purple; a highly fragrant bouquet of red fruits and subtle spices leads into a medium-bodied palate; here more savoury characters join the red fruit flavours, lengthening the finish and aftertaste. Due for release Sept 2011.
| TUR 0873 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $108 |
BALANCED - 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.
| PAG 0014 | 1 DOUBLE MAGNUM BOXED | Current Bid: $675 | SOLD |
SHINES - JH96 - This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot was picked at precisely the point Vanya Cullen decided the grapes - and in particular the tannins - had reached optimum ripeness; a sophisticated mistral blower on a sorting table removing leaf fragments and infertile berries, and a return to a basket press, have all combined to produce an extremely refined and elegant wine that is quite different to some of the earlier Cullen Cabernet Merlots. It shines with its length, finish and aftertaste.
| JAM 0005 | 1 MAGNUM BOXED Capsule damage, signs of past leaking | Current Bid: $175 | SOLD |
30 YEARS - JH98 - Has the usual estate blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and malbec (92/4/3/1%), the grapes hand picked on fruit days between early February and early March, the components matured in French oak (50% new) for 13 months. The perfumed bouquet has already soaked up the new oak, the purity of the fruit in a cassis-redcurrant-blueberry spectrum. The small berries of a quasi-drought summer might have imposed awkward tannins, but the medium-bodied palate is so perfectly balanced it has a drinking span of 30 years and counting.
| XBW 3740 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $329 | |
| XBW 3741 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $329 | |
| XBW 3742 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $329 |
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.
DELIGHTS - JH97 - This Diana Madeline delights as soon as it's poured. A deep, dark purple-red and so vibrant. Ah the aromas next – all cedar wood, oak spices and warm earth with fresh mulberries and blackberry essence. It has concentrated, fabulous fruit on the fuller-bodied palate yet there’s a fineness, too, with supple tannins enmeshed in lively acidity. It’s a gorgeous drink. Too young now as it’s still showing off its youthful exuberance. Give this a few more years in the cellar to build more complexity and detail; it's guaranteed to age beautifully for another two or so decades.
COMPELLING - 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.
| XBW 2843 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 | |
| XBW 2845 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 | |
| XBW 2853 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 |
PLEASING - JH96 - A warm and dry vintage in ’24 yet the fruit was picked early, between the 11th and 19th January, with five hand harvests according to the biodynamic calendar. Aged 6 months in 50% new French oak puncheons. And yet, it's almost a pared-back style given the richness and flavour we’re accustomed to with Kevin John – everything reined in by fine acidity. It’s a pleasing outcome. Grapefruit and white peach, cedar/caramel oak spices and a light fragrance of lemon blossom. Not all upfront fruit; there’s a savouriness throughout, a fine layer of nougat/nutty lees and a tug of phenolics that adds more shape.
| ACC 17863 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $151 | |
| ACC 17864 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $151 | |
| ACC 17865 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $151 | |
| ACC 17866 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $151 |
BEAUTIFUL - RP98 - The 2022 Vanya Cabernet Sauvignon spent 46 days on the skins in amphora, prior to be matured in new puncheons for seven months. This is a magnificent wine, one of impact and grace. The wine shows a chalkiness and persistence that almost defies belief. The fruit is elegant and red and supple, and the wine exudes a freshness that makes me want to drink it. It’s a beautiful wine. Sadly, only 576 bottles were filled. 13.7% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
| XBW 2984 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $664 | |
| XBW 2985 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $664 | |
| XBW 2986 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $664 |
SPECIAL - JH96 - Hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed. The vineyard really is a special site, the consummate skills of Rob Diletti. The citrus blossom bouquet and unsweetened lime juice flavours of the palate simply won't leave your mouth neutral once you've swallowed it. The length is prodigious.
| DON 0002 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $30 | SOLD |
| DON 0001 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $31 | SOLD |
| DON 0003 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $31 | SOLD |
ELEGANT - JH96 - Hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed by Mike Garland in a large bag press. This is every bit as elegant and fine as Magpie Hill Reserve, the flavour intensity and the citrus/apple flavours in a slightly different idiom. It will richly reward extended cellaring
| DON 0004 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $27 | SOLD |
| DON 0005 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $27 | SOLD |
ENORMOUS - JH96 - Demonstrates the Barossa Valley's capacity to produce shiraz with enormous depth and length without dead fruit; just mouthwatering, velvety shiraz flavours, tannins and oak in the chorus.
| DON 0169 | 1 MAGNUM BOXED | Current Bid: $140 |
TEXTURAL - JH95 - Deep colour; the bouquet has blackberry, plum, dark chocolate and licorice in varying degrees; the full-bodied palate has more textural play than the Single Vineyard, with savoury tannins and oak playing a significant role.
| DON 0156 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $28 | |
| DON 0157 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $28 |
PERFECTLY - JH97 - Hewn of 1894 ancient vine oomph and tannin management of aplomb, this is power corseted by a filmy, gossamer texture and sheer, strident vinosity. Put it this way, the wine could come from nowhere else, yet the overall impression is one of Elderton's newfound restraint. Oodles of dark fruit, anise, tar, camphor and a Cadbury milk chocolate creaminess coat the palate. There is a barrel ferment smokiness, too. The extraction levels are a point; the use of French and American oak sensitive. All is in a harmony and perfectly suited to the style.
| JIM 0004 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $56 |
EXUBERANCE - JH95 - Oddly, I once poured this wine by the glass at an emploie in Paris. While nostalgic, it still embodies the sort of inimitable, old vine (average 121 years) power that warm climate Australia does so well. The violet, pepper grind and meld of plummy fruit and Chinese five spice remain this brooding, highly ageable wine's calling card. Vanilla pod oak serves as a welcome restraining device to the exuberance. Exaggerated? You be the judge.
| JIM 0005 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $50 |
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: $198 | |
| WAY 0141 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $197 | |
| WAY 0142 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $197 | |
| WAY 0143 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $197 |
MORE - JH96 - Doing more by doing less. Hand-picked over 2 days, chilled overnight before hand-sorting, wild yeast cool-fermented in French barrels (25% new), a small number of barrels undergoing mlf, bottled after 10 months. Pink grapefruit and white peach drive the long palate and finish.
| DON 0132 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $30 | |
| DON 0133 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $28 |
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 2156 | 1 BOTTLE Museum Release -Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $64 | |
| MUL 2164 | 1 BOTTLE Museum Release -Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $64 | |
| MUL 2165 | 1 BOTTLE Museum Release -Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $64 |
RIGHT - JH96 - This snaps, crackles and pops with all the right aromas and flavours of a cooler-climate red. Made without any new oak (mostly in 3500L foudres) allowing the fruit to shine – all plums and cherries – yet by no means a fruity wine. Pepper and florals, ironstone and brown spices, the mid-weighted palate well-modulated with textural tannins and such juicy acidity.
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 17907 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $64 |
LOVELY - JH96 - An off-dry style, and a portion is usually aged on lees in old oak and the rest in stainless-steel tank. This is lovely. Full of mandarin juice and peel, makrut lime and the creamiest nougat lees flavour – divine. It’s delicate, stylish and so appealing. Most importantly, the acidity brings everything in alignment, so the sweetness just fleshes out and rounds out the palate.
| MUL 2169 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $54 | |
| MUL 2170 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $54 | |
| MUL 2171 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $54 |
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 2175 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $91 | |
| MUL 2176 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $91 | |
| MUL 2177 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $91 |
EXCITING - RP98+ The 2023 Estate Vineyard Chardonnay leads with an abundance of smoky, nutty, savory reduction. Here, the 2023 feels less exotic and softly spoken than the 2022 tasted alongside, with the 2023 showing more tension and focus. Neither has the extraordinary, otherworldly character of the 2021, also tasted alongside, yet the differences between the three is almost as exciting as having three vintages of Giaconda Chardonnay open at the same time. The 2023 only gets better the longer it is opened, revealing white peach, curry leaf, pink grapefruit acidity, blood orange, coffee grounds, graphite and mustard seeds. What a wine. The sheer intensity of flavor here is astonishing—it penetrates the palate and soars long into the memory. Far from pinching the finish, the reduction provokes a physical response, one that requires more drinking to satiate. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
| LEE 0105 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $300 | |
| LEE 0106 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $300 | |
| LEE 0107 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $300 | |
| LEE 0099 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $300 | |
| LEE 0101 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $320 | |
| LEE 0102 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $320 |
CELEBRATED - JH98 - From the Applejack vineyard, planted on grey clay soils at 300m in Gladysdale in '97 by Ray Guerin. 40% whole bunches and 40% less wine in '24. Darkly fruited and more intense than the '23 with aromas of wild blackberry, raspberry, briar, and just a hint of sous bois. On the palate, this is as concentrated and mouth-filling as the bouquet suggests it will be, culminating with succulent, grippy tannins on the long, tapering finish. It's a touch more 'sauvage' and a little less floral than normal but, even in this warmer vintage, one of Australia's most celebrated pinot noirs is in impressive form.
| ACC 18245 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $75 | SOLD |
| ACC 18232 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $74 | |
| ACC 18227 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $74 | |
| ACC 18228 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $74 | |
| ACC 18246 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $74 | |
| ACC 18247 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $74 |
YUMMO - JH96 - From Lou Primavera's 2001-planted vineyard at Woori Yallock; 15% whole bunches and matured in French barriques (25% new). A light, bright crimson. Aromas of strawberry compote, tamarillo, sage and rose petals. A little reduction and graphite too. The palate is succulent and plush with silky tannins, making this the yummo, drink-now, single-vineyard wine from Giant Steps in '23.
ENERGETIC - JH97 - Made from a 50/50% blend of Gingin and Bernard clones planted between 100 and 200m in Gruyere. Whole-bunch pressed to French puncheons (25% new oak) with 15% mlf. Right now, this is the most salivating and seductive of Giant Step's superb array of single-vineyard chardonnays from '23. Perfectly ripened white peach, pear and some marine scents lead onto the palate, which is gently textured, saline and structured. The finish is energetic, nutty and long
| ACC 17674 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $59 | |
| ACC 17675 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $59 | |
| ACC 18251 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $59 | |
| ACC 18252 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $59 | |
| ACC 18253 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $60 | SOLD |
| ACC 18254 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $59 |
BEAUTIFULLY - JH97 - Planted on a cool, south-facing slope in Tarrawarra. Whole-bunch pressed and barrel fermented in seasoned French puncheons and one ceramic egg. A vibrant green gold. Immediately appealing with its aromas of stone fruits, yellow apple, some lemon confiture and a touch of brine. Chalky textured, slippery and with a certain openness but finely detailed and structured too. Grapefruit pithy on the long, beautifully balanced finish.
| ACC 18223 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $58 | |
| ACC 18224 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $58 | |
| ACC 18225 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $58 | |
| ACC 18226 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $58 |
SENSATIONAL - RP94-97 - The 2006 Shiraz (75%) – Cabernet Sauvignon (25%) “Anaperenna” is the wine formerly known as Godolphin, the change resulting from a trademark dispute. It was aged for 15 months in new French and American oak. Opaque purple, it offers a sensational bouquet of pain grille, scorched earth, meat, game, blueberry, and black currants. This is followed by a surprisingly elegant yet powerful, structured wine with gobs of spicy fruit, ripe tannins, and a plush texture. The long, 60-second finish is succulent and sweet. Give this classy wine 4-6 years in the cellar and enjoy it through 2030. Hats off to Ben Glaetzer for producing an extraordinary portfolio! The renowned winemaker, Ben Glaetzer, sources all of his fruit for this label from the Ebenezer district in the northern Barossa. Many knowledgeable experts cite this sub-region as the finest in the Valley.
| SRO 0746 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $60 | |
| SRO 0747 | 1 BOTTLE Into neck | Current Bid: $57 |
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 3229 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $449 | |
| XBW 3231 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $449 | |
| XBW 3230 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $449 |
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 |
80 IN TWO YEARS - Buy now and be prepared - Perfect Presentation & Preservation - Good cosmetics AND perfectly sealed in the 1970's with a screw cap!
| ESC 0001 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $90 | SOLD |
WONDERFUL - JH96 - A blend of organic/biodynamically farmed 99/1% cabernet sauvignon/merlot from the Cyril Henschke vineyard in the Eden Valley from the outstanding 2021 vintage. A beautiful bright magenta/crimson in the glass with a pretty, lifted aromatic profile. Plum, blackberry and blackcurrant with notes of sage, bay leaf, dried herbs, violets and crushed stone. Fruit pure and detailed with a very long, graceful finish and superfine, powdery, granitic tannins. A wonderful release for the Cyril Henschke.
| ACC 17764 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $159 | |
| ACC 17765 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $159 | |
| ACC 17766 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $159 | |
| ACC 17769 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $159 |
PROFOUND - RP97 - Deep brown-brick in color, the 1991 Hill of Grace offers intensely scented notes of warm black fruits, Chinese dried plums, dar chocolate-covered cherries and licorice. It is very pure, full-bodied and rich in the mouth, with profound and seductive flavors, a great backbone of crisp acid and firm, finely-grained tannins through the long finish. It is mature now but no rush to drink. MUSEUM RELEASE
| ACC 18037 | 1 BOTTLE Museum Release | Current Bid: $1149 |
TEMPTATION - 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.
| JIM 0006 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $603 | SOLD |
CLASSIC - JH99 - This release will go down in the annals of Australian fine wine as one of the classic releases for Hill of Grace. With a strong vintage and even stronger pedigree, the gnarled old, circa 1860s-planted, shiraz vines have really come up with the goods with this release and as I sit to taste this wine with Stephen Henschke he shakes his head and says, "it just amazes me that my grandmother's grandfather planted these vines". The eagle-eyed will notice a skip in vintage. The yields were down horribly in 2020 across all the Henschke vineyards but man, did 2021 deliver. Super bright magenta/crimson in the glass with a wonderfully deep aromatic profile. Doris plum, blackberry and black cherry with hints of mace, sage, panforte, cedar, dark chocolate, tapenade, pepper, charcuterie, graphite, crushed quartz and violets. From the aromatic detail to the amplitude, purity and flow of fruit, the wine is absolutely on song with stunning length of flavour and presence on the palate, sailing away slowly with tight, fine-grained tannins and the most graceful of travels on the palate. An absolute classic for this wine.
| ACC 18258 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $799 | |
| ACC 18259 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $799 | |
| ACC 18260 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $799 |
MAGNIFICIENTLY - JH97 - From a single vineyard of 105yo shiraz vines on Mount Edelstone in the Eden Valley, farmed according to organic and biodynamic practices. Aged in 86/14% French and American oak (26% new) for 18 months. I was lucky enough to live next door to the Mount Edelstone vineyard for 8 years and have consumed a fair amount of Cooper's Green on the bench at the summit; I have seen the amount of fastidious work Henschke put into the vineyard. It's a special place. Bright, intense blackberry and blackcurrant fruits mesh with hints of Asian spice, tar, turned earth, rosehip, sage and high-cocoa dark chocolate. Displaying a beautiful, pure, dark fruit flow, it's a wonderfully complex wine with ripe long-grain tannins and sprightly mineral acid drive, finishing very long and graceful with a core of cassis and spice. Will cellar magnificently.
| LDE 0022 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $170 | SOLD |
| LDE 0023 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $170 | SOLD |
BEAUTIFUL - JH98 - Shiraz from the esteemed 107-year-old single-vineyard in Eden Valley, farmed organically and biodynamically and matured in French (80/20% new) and American (20%) oak for 18 months. Tiny yields due to untimely weather events during budburst and flowering. Stephen mentions they had to send a search party out to find grapes, 5.5t is all; in the end picked before the Wheelwright and after Hill of Grace. But what a beautiful wine. Pure blackberry and black cherry, sage, pepper, rosehip, crushed stone, softly spoken cedar tones and liminal tobacco and pan juice glimpses. Superfine savoury tannins and a long draw on the graceful finish.
| ACC 17734 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $210 | SOLD |
GREATS - JH98 - I used to live next door to this 109-year-old vineyard for nearly a decade and have seen the hard work and attention to detail that goes into its farming. The 2021 is an absolute stunner from a great vintage and I've no doubt that this will age gracefully for decades. The length of flavour with this release is quite something; the fruit is sleek, plush and on-point pure. Blackberry, Doris plum and black cherry layer with spice and hints of sage, bay leaf, pepper, olive tapenade, anise, violets and stone. Velvety and graceful in its flow on the palate with a fresh mineral cadence and superfine, powdered granitic tannins for support. It'll go down as one of the greats.
| ACC 17770 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $209 | |
| ACC 17771 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $209 | |
| ACC 17772 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $209 | |
| ACC 17773 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $209 | |
| ACC 17774 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $209 | |
| ACC 17775 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $209 |
GRACEFUL - JH95 - 100% organic/biodynamically farmed shiraz from the Wheelwright vineyard in the Eden Valley, planted by Cyril Henschke in the 1960s. Deep crimson with plush satsuma plum, black cherry and blackcurrant fruits underscored with hints of fine spice, sage, coal dust, cedar, violets, dark chocolate and crushed stone. I really like the flow of fruit in the Wheelwright this year; plush yet graceful with fine, compact tannins providing ample structure for cellaring.
| ACC 17758 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 | |
| ACC 17759 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 | |
| ACC 17760 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 | |
| ACC 17761 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 | |
| ACC 17762 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 | |
| ACC 17763 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 |
SUPERB- JH96 - Like all the 2009 Hentley Farm wines, the crimson-purple colour is superb, but this has a second quality to its flavour and structure, perfectly ripened blackberry, plum and black cherry fruits playing tag with each other and the quality oak in which they have been matured, in the end captured and calmed by outstanding tannins that both provide the necessary structure, but also add a savoury farewell to gently dry out the finish.
| TUR 0912 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $212 |
REMARKABLE - JH97 - Individual estate parcels, machine-harvested, destemmed and crushed, open-fermented with cultured yeast, 8 days on skins, matured in French oak (70% new) for 22 months, blended after 6 months in oak. An exotic bouquet with new shoe leather and a sprinkle of sultry spices, the full-bodied palate with supple blackberry fruits to the fore and an underlay of integrated French oak. There is a finesse to the overall texture, structure and flavour that is remarkable.
| TUR 0913 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $212 |
WIN - JH97 - The 2021 vintage of this wine was an absolute belter and the 2022 carries on in fine form. It's classic Barossa for sure; all dark plum, blackberry, fruitcake spice and earthy goodness. But there is a beautiful contemporary gloss to the fruit here with fine, ferrous tannins, layers and layers of spice and a bright, minerally cadence pushing the wine forward. Power with buoyancy and plenty of cellaring potential = a win all-around. Nice one.
PEDIGREE - JH97 - Very stable, deep colour; a fine vintage of a very distinguished wine with a great pedigree; faultless blackcurrant cabernet fruit, fine-grained tannins and high quality oak; very good length.
| TUR 0883 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | SOLD |
EFFORTLESSLY - JH98 - From the single Justin Vineyard in the Frankland River; this speaks of its place of origin even more eloquently than the Gladstones Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon. The cabernet is effortlessly focused and powerful, the balance, texture, structure, line and length of this beautiful wine certain to carry it long after I have had my ashes scattered.
| ADS 0826 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $95 | SOLD |
IMPECCABLE - JH96 - Beautifully poised bouquet, with unmistakable varietal leafiness and bucket loads of enticing cassis fruit; the bouquet moves into florals, with oak playing a minor role to the pristine and ample fruit; the palate displays an impeccable balance of fruit, acid and silky fine-grained tannins, revealing a long complex and wonderfully satisfying experience; while it will age gracefully, many simply won't wait, and they will not be disappointed.
| SPI 0315 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $54 | |
| SPI 0314 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $53 |
SUMPTUOUS - JH95 - Offers sumptuous power and richness, plum, blackberry, dark chocolate and earth on the bouquet and layered palate alike, a touch of red cherry perfectly ripened, with the oak in the back seat where it should be. The palate is rich and luscious, with layer-upon-layer of berry fruit and tannins to sustain it for the long haul. Limited restaurant availability. - Signed by Jim Barry
| GJ3 0048 | 1 BOTTLE Into neck, signed by Jim Barry | Current Bid: $201 | SOLD |
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 16565 | 1 HALF BOTTLE | Current Bid: $169 |
ICONIC - RP97 - The vineyard that the fruit for this iconic Australian wine is sourced from was planted in 1968, giving us the benefit of over 50 years of vine age—a very good thing when we consider fruit tannin and concentration. In addition to the vineyard placement and vine age, Clare Valley benefits from a wide-ranging array of elevation (190 meters to 610 meters) with high diurnal range. All of this means ripe wines, tense wines, and powerful wines, which just about sums up Clare Valley. So, to this wine: The 2019 The Armagh Shiraz is complex, layered and spiced, with a multitude of hung deli meats and small goods packed in alongside the purple fruits and exotic spice. The wine is supple, for all the power, and unfurls over a long finish to show the muscle and might of this iconic wine. In a vertical of four vintages (2016, 2017, 2018 and this 2019), this has the second-highest alcohol of the lot, at 14.1%, showing that concentration and density doesn't have to come at the expense of finesse. I love this.
| XSA 2077 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $280 | |
| XSA 2078 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $280 | |
| XSA 2081 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $280 |
DECADENCE - JH95 - A thunderous release on hand. It feels a bit darker fruited and woody than the 2020, but maintains its impressive presence and structure galore. Opens with a procession of dark berries, clove and mahogany spice, fig and date richness, mocha with some turned earth and faint eucalyptus-like characters. The texture delivers grip, swerve and pucker. More of the clove/cedar woodiness here, dried fruits, ferrous characters, dark berries, stewed plum and a swish of bramble and minty lift to taste. The texture is fleshy but comes with ribbons of firm, gravelly tannin, the finish long and gently palate staining with saline and graphite mineral elements. Decadence plus. In its grippy, dry form now, it shows that time in cellar is advisable.
NEVER - RP97+- I once tasted through a vertical of The Armagh Shiraz with Tom and Sam Barry, and it was as illuminating as it was enjoyable. I still think about that day when I taste current-release Armaghs, as I learned something vital about my own approach to the wine during that tasting. In a nutshell, the winemaking has never been better or more precise than it is under Tom Barry's direction. The wines across the board have better clarity and precision than ever before, and the construction takes a back seat to the vineyard in almost all cases, which is the highest form of compliment I can think to give to any winemaker. In the case of The Armagh Shiraz, the early wines were matured in American oak and sealed under cork. Closure willing, great bottles of these old wines are great experiences, and I feel no shortage of nostalgia when I drink them. The wines of the current day are sealed under screw cap and matured in French oak, and the wine has never been better, fresher, nor more sophisticated. As the nostalgic shackles of the past are removed bit by bit each vintage, the incremental improvements to viticulture and winemaking are exposed, and so through the "loss" of one aspect, the gain of another is had.
BEST - JH97 - From the stellar '21 vintage, the Eligo represents the best of the year and is a split of a range of amazing vineyard sites from the Barossa (62%) and Eden (38%) valleys. It's concentrated and essence-like with deep, resonant blackberry, black cherry and Doris plum fruits with hints of clove, cinnamon, purple flowers, licorice, dark chocolate, cedar, olive tapenade, pan juices and earth. Thick shouldered but balanced and harmonious with melt-in-the-mouth, chocolatey tannins and exceptional length of flavour.
NEW LEVEL - RP96 - The 2005 Shiraz “Johann Georg” raises the stakes to a new level. It is sourced from vines planted in 1875 and yielding a tiny 1.5 tons per acre. It spent 2 years in American and French hogsheads, two-thirds new. It is more complex aromatically with a splendid bouquet of toast, smoke, creosote, violets, black cherry, and blackberry. Full-bodied, big and rich, but still relatively ungiving, it has remarkable concentration, purity, and length. It needs 6-8 years of further bottle age to begin revealing its full potential and will drink well through 2035 if not longer.
Troy Kalleske is owner/winemaker of his namesake winery. The family owns 400 acres, 200 cultivated, in the acclaimed Greenock region of Barossa where conditions are extreme and the vines are stressed. Much of their holdings are in older vines.
| JMO 0406 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $102 | |
| JMO 0407 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $102 |
FORTY PEARLER - Presents well and ullage is "reasonable"
| DON 0145 | 1 BOTTLE High shoulder & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $66 | SOLD |
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 1122 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $235 | SOLD |
| XLE 1123 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $235 | SOLD |
| XLE 1124 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $235 | SOLD |
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.
| ADS 0790 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $150 |
GRAND CRU - 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.
| SPI 0312 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $104 | SOLD |
| SPI 0313 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $102 | SOLD |
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
| XLE 1049 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $197 | |
| XLE 1048 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $197 | |
| XLE 1046 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $197 |
UTTER PLEASURE - JH98 - Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay on release is an achingly painful thing to drink, because once you've known the utter pleasure these wines bring at 5 or more years of age, it becomes a mess of cognitive dissonance to drink them so young. They are closed, taut, coiled, but more than anything, populated by rippling fruit that undulates untold through the interminably long finish. They typically don't reveal their kaleidoscopic spice and prismatic fruit flavour until a little further down the track. So, all I can humbly do here, is place the vintage in context. Through the lens of the cool year, this glitters with a purity and finesse that is deeply attractive. Aligned in style with the 2017. MUSEUM RELEASE
MESMERISING - JH97 - A wine that tells the story of chardonnay's evolution in Margaret River and remains at the top of its game because it's a pure expression of place as much as the producer. It’s refreshing, classy and superfine, the acidity reining everything in and towards an outrageously long finish. Mesmerising. MUSEUM RELEASE
MOST COLLECTED - RP97+ - I taste in batches of six, pouring each glass, gassing the bottles and working my way through the flight. Today, this 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon was poured in glass number five, and so it has had some time to breathe. Upon pouring, the nose was so abundantly, luxuriatingly steeped in graphite, fresh lead pencil (a smell so potent and specific and good), forest floor and pure, summer raspberry. After 20 minutes or so in the glass, the oak has begun to recede, and the fruit is swelling up. The 2022 season in Margaret River was warm, dry and early, and the quality of the Cabernets (particularly) was stellar. While the oak is a feature at this stage, the fruit is so sensationally poised and powerful that this will be a super superstar in the decades to come. We know that the old Moss Woods prevail even now—corks willing—and so aided and abetted by modern screw caps, these wines will patiently plod through the coming decades with ease. This is one of Australia's most collected/cellared premium wines for a reason. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap
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.
| PMU 0019 | 1 IMPERIAL Ex-cellar - Freight only to buyers in Western AustraliaEx-cellar | Current Bid: $3528 |
AUTOCRATIC - JH95 - A classic, pure, autocratic portrayal of cabernet, opening with a degree of reticence but revealing more and more along the length of the palate, gaining in velocity near the finish and into the aftertaste.
| SPI 0308 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $136 | SOLD |
BLUE BLOOD -JH96 - Strong, healthy red-purple; a distinguished vintage for this Margaret River blue blood wine, medium-bodied but with innate complexity; fine savoury tannins run through the black fruits and cassis of the palate, putting structure in place so subtly you can barely notice it, nor the length of the palate.
| SPI 0309 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $146 | SOLD |
REGAL - JH95 - Positive red-purple colour; in the mainstream of Moss Wood style: supple, round and impeccably balanced, yet with regal cabernet expression. Small wonder that Moss Wood has one of the most loyal mail/email lists in Australia, and this release will please its followers as much as any prior year.
| SPI 0310 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $146 | SOLD |
BLUE BLOOD - JH96 - Deep crimson-purple; the fragrant bouquet sets the scene for the cascade of blackcurrant, redcurrant and cedary oak (over 30 months in barriques), supple tannins providing the framework for long-term cellaring. One of the blue bloods of Margaret River, and in scintillating form, the small amount of petit verdot and cabernet franc precisely weighted
| SPI 0311 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $105 | SOLD |
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.
| SIM 0332 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $112 | |
| BEL 0150 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $125 | SOLD |
| BEL 0151 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $125 | SOLD |
| BEL 0152 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $125 | SOLD |
PICTURE - JH95 - A nigh-on perfect picture of cabernet sauvignon a la Margaret River: medium-bodied but intense and long, opening with cassis and moving on to more savoury/earthy notes as the tannins click in. French oak is present, but has minimal impact.
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.
| SRO 0857 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $102 |
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.
| ACC 16932 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $119 | |
| ACC 16934 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $119 | |
| XBW 2854 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $119 | |
| XBW 2855 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $119 | |
| XBW 2859 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $119 |
MOST COLLECTED - RP97+ - I taste in batches of six, pouring each glass, gassing the bottles and working my way through the flight. Today, this 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon was poured in glass number five, and so it has had some time to breathe. Upon pouring, the nose was so abundantly, luxuriatingly steeped in graphite, fresh lead pencil (a smell so potent and specific and good), forest floor and pure, summer raspberry. After 20 minutes or so in the glass, the oak has begun to recede, and the fruit is swelling up. The 2022 season in Margaret River was warm, dry and early, and the quality of the Cabernets (particularly) was stellar. While the oak is a feature at this stage, the fruit is so sensationally poised and powerful that this will be a super superstar in the decades to come. We know that the old Moss Woods prevail even now—corks willing—and so aided and abetted by modern screw caps, these wines will patiently plod through the coming decades with ease. This is one of Australia's most collected/cellared premium wines for a reason. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap
| XBW 3501 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $284 | |
| XBW 3496 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $284 | |
| XBW 3500 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $284 |
NON-STOP - JH97 - Bright crimson; the bouquet swarms with aromas of red and black fruits and quality oak; the medium-bodied palate is supremely elegant, yet boasts all the intensity one could wish for, with vibrant cassis and redcurrant fruit on a non-stop trip in a very fast train; of course there are tannins and French oak, but these characters are largely passive observers.
| 131 0099 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $111 | |
| 131 0100 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $107 | |
| 131 0101 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $107 | |
| 131 0102 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $107 |
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: $168 | |
| TUR 0800 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $168 |
SPECIAL - Likely the best thing still around from this almost 70 YO vintage
| ESC 0002 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label, level down 4.5cm from cork | Current Bid: $85 |
HIGHLY - JH95 - Most of the harvest was whole-berry fermented, a lesser amount with whole bunch carbonic maceration in a sealed vat, all parcels wild-fermented. The result is a highly spiced medium-bodied wine with a lattice work of tannins after 18 months maturation in French oak (20% new).
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 0021 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $540 | |
| TUR 0951 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $580 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2026 Medium-deep crimson. Intense blackcurrant, mocha/praline aromas with herb garden and mint characters. Ample and richly flavoured with mature cassis and dark chocolate notes, vigorous fine-grained tannins and integrated mocha/cedar oak. Still holding well. A classic Bin 407 vintage.
| JMO 0300 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $121 | SOLD |
| JMO 0301 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $116 | SOLD |
THE "SIXES" ARE COMING! - 1986 BIN 707 - ONE OF THE BEST?
| NIK 0601 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $400 | |
| NIK 0602 | 1 BOTTLE Into neck, cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $400 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2045 - Deep brick crimson. Intense cassis, blackcurrant, polished leather, dark chocolate and sage aromas with espresso/leafy complexity. Lovely concentrated blackcurrant, dried plum, mulberry, and liquorice flavours, fine-grainy tannins, silken/supple mid-palate and underlying roasted chestnut/vanilla oak. Finishes cedar/leafy firm. Beautiful density, power and elegance. One of the great Penfolds reds of this decade. “A seriously good wine and developing very well. Has the blood lines of Bin 64.” (JH) “A towering monument to Barossa cabernet, built on dark, ripe fruit and load-bearing tannins. A celebration of the tanned muscular varietal character that old vines in warmer climes can bring.” (NR)
| 106 0894 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $633 |
THE "SIXES" ARE COMING! - 1956 Club 5 Star - The taste of the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games!
| ESC 0003 | 1 BOTTLE Level down 4.5cm from cork | Current Bid: $81 | SOLD |
| ESC 0004 | 1 BOTTLE Level down 4.5cm from cork | Current Bid: $86 | SOLD |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| CAP 0005 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $436 |
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)
| EST 0001 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $768 |
PENFOLDS Grange Shiraz 2014 - PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience – Drink 2035 to 2070 Deep crimson. Fresh elemental elderberry,blackberry, sage and aniseed aromas with roasted chestnut, vanilla oak and herb garden notes. Densely packed with concentrated blackberry cassis and dark cherry fruits, fine plentiful chalky/grainy firm tannins, superb mocha and vanilla oak complexity and fine integrated but crunchy acidity. Finishes smooth and velvety. A substantial and multi-layered wine with extraordinary density and balance. Many decades ahead of it. 98 percent shiraz, 2 percent cabernet sauvignon. Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Wrattonbully, Coonawarra, Clare Valley and Magill Estate (Adelaide). “Sumptuously dark-fruited with plush chocolaty textures. Like a black velvet jewel box where the diamonds will only be seen in years to come.” (NB) “Deep-set perfectly ripe plums, quince, cinnamon, star anise, ecclesiastical spices and blacksmith’s leather. Compressed and taut with powdered chocolate/fine-grained tannins.” (NR)
| ZSM 0005 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $528 | |
| ZSM 0004 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $528 | |
| ZSM 0003 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $528 | |
| ZSM 0002 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $528 |
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: $6080 |
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 0615 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 1998, capsule damage, label damage | Current Bid: $2240 | |
| NIK 0616 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 1998 & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $2240 |
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: $980 |
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: $672 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| STO 0276 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2012 & label damage | Current Bid: $1116 | |
| JAM 0001 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder, slight capsule damage, & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $350 | SOLD |
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!
FABULOUS FORTY - CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| STO 0279 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2010 & slight label damage | Current Bid: $1116 |
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: $7200 |
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: $372 |
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 0877 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $140 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0429 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2010, slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $1360 |
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)
| NIK 0500 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $220 | SOLD |
| NIK 0502 | 1 MAGNUM Very high shoulder & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $400 |
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: $500 |
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: $512 |
GOSSAMAR - JH99 - From Blewitt Springs, an easterly slope planted in '99. Open-fermented, 14 days on skins, pressed to barrel (50% new French hogsheads) on gross lees for 9 months, racked for the next 9 months. Marvellous wine, fluid, juicy and vibrant, with a very long finish, the tannins a gossamer web.
| TUR 0696 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $68 |
KINDNESS - JH96 - Bright colour; dark and tarry on the surface, the bouquet reveals a vibrant, pure and poised core of black fruit interlaced with well-handled oak; the palate is dense and chewy, but shows a deft hand of balance between the elements of fruit, tannin, acid and the slight savoury complexity; very long and quite tannic, time will treat this wine with kindness.
| SPI 0305 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $55 |
MATRIX - JH96 - Deep crimson-purple, remarkable for age, although it was a great vintage; the transition from American to French oak has added lustre to the bouquet and medium-bodied palate; the dark fruits and bitter chocolate flavours are intense and long, with a matrix of juicy and savoury characters to play with.
| ADS 0809 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $75 | |
| ADS 0810 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $75 |
IMPENETRABLE -JH96 - Impenetrable colour; a flagship wine without excessive baggage and window dressing; pure, ripe and fragrant Barossa fruit, layered, perfumed and attractive in every regard; the palate is densely structured, but far removed from overbearing, with a fine thread of tannins and a long and expansive finish; a lovely fresh wine from a challenging vintage.
| ADS 0805 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $63 | |
| ADS 0806 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $63 |
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 0240 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $51 | |
| WAY 0238 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $50 | |
| WAY 0237 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $50 | |
| WAY 0235 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $50 | |
| WAY 0233 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $50 |
TOUR de FORCE - RP96-99 - The Anamorphosis project features Shiraz from Kalimna in the Barossa Valley aged in new oak from four of France’s finest coopers. Like most of the other R Wines, it has exceptionally creative packaging. There will be 100 cases of the 2005 Shiraz which will spend 30 months in new French oak. It was sourced from vineyards with 40- and 100-year-old vines. Opaque purple in color, it offers up an intense perfume of pain grille, scorched earth, tar, licorice, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. Voluptuous, thick rich, and full-bodied, it is a powerful yet seamless expression of Shiraz from a great terroir. It will age effortlessly for 20 years but can be enjoyed young because of its mammoth fruit. It is a winemaking tour de force.
| TUR 0840 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $780 |
PACE - JH87 - Medium red-purple; a very traditional style, with red and black fruit flavours merging into vanilla oak on the bouquet; riper, dark berry fruit comes through on the smooth but not particularly complex palate; for once, seems slightly off the pace.
| DON 0094 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $200 | SOLD |
COMPLETE - JH96 - A complete Barossa traditional shiraz; moderate alcohol, oak and tannins, yet full of flavour and character. Has taken full advantage of a very good vintage. In its own-branded, high-shouldered brown bottle.
| JAM 0002 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $187 | SOLD |
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.
| 131 0093 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $151 | SOLD |
| 131 0094 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $151 | SOLD |
| GJ3 0051 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $160 | |
| GJ3 0052 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $200 | SOLD |
EMBLEMATIC - JH97 - Nearly 30 parcels of old, dry-grown fruit from some of the finest grape-growing families in the Barossa. Open-fermented and matured in American and French oak for nearly 2 years. Deep colour; arguably the Barossa's most emblematic shiraz, faithfully reflecting the best features of a seamless assembly of district flavours picked at precisely the right time. This is fruit talking, not alcohol, not oak, not rough tannins.
| 131 0095 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $153 | SOLD |
| 131 0096 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $157 | SOLD |
ROCKY'S RULES - Wine-Searcher tells us $257 an bottle - No Halliday scores / reviews
| GJ3 0053 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 | |
| GJ3 0054 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 | |
| GJ3 0055 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 | |
| GJ3 0056 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $200 | SOLD |
ROCKY'S RULES - Wine-Searcher tells us $237 an bottle - No Halliday scores / reviews
| GJ3 0058 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 | |
| GJ3 0057 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $200 | SOLD |
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.
ROCKY'S RULES- Wine-Searcher tells us $207 an bottle - No Halliday scores / reviews
CHRISTMAS BLESSING - Year long GRACE
| MJB 0210 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| MJB 0211 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| MJB 0212 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| MJB 0213 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| MJB 0214 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 |
SVS - RFR - Rockford for Royalty - Super Rare - Super Special - Too elite for common folk
| NIK 0404 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $360 |
WILDLY -JH96 - It's hard to imagine that Seppelt was making sparkling shiraz at its famous cellar near the town of Great Western, in the Grampians region, as far back as the 1890s, but indeed it was. Heritage doesn't come much richer, deeper, or more individual. This release is wildly complex, rich in its base fruit, satisfying and intriguing. It tastes of licorice and leather, game and citrus, sweet raspberry/plum and earth. It's bold, savoury and mellow at once; it's melancholy and joy in one.
| TUR 0938 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $68 | |
| TUR 0939 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $68 |
MAJESTIC - JH97 - Extended pre-fermentation cold soak. Good crimson-purple; an unambiguously full-bodied cabernet, laden to the gills with all things cabernet - blackcurrant, black olive, earth, tar and tannins genuflecting to no-one, new French oak (60%) and 18 months in barrel all provide the answers to the secrets of this majestic wine.
| ACC 17342 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $74 |
AIRY GRACE - JH98 - The average age of the vines is 88 years, and are both Barossa Valley and Eden Valley; standard static fermentation approach with pumpovers, but varied for each parcel, matured in a mix of new and used French oak. The colour is perfect, the medium-bodied palate exquisitely balanced and proportioned, red and black fruits both on parade; it has an almost airy grace to the way it moves along the palate to a lingering finish.
| DON 0176 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $66 |
GREAT - JH98 - A selection of the best barrels from the best blocks of the estate vineyards. The colour is deep, and the wine proclaims its quality from the first whiff of the bouquet, building progressively through the blackcurrant, cedar and earth of the full-bodied palate; 15% merlot has been absorbed, as has the foundation of tannins. Great wine.
| DON 0093 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $45 | SOLD |
FG ALRIGHT - JH96 - The 'FG' here does not stand for 'Fairly Grouse'. It stands for exactly what you think it does. Teusner has always been about relationships with growers and this obviously pays dividends over time. Lovely pure satsuma plum and black fruits, layers of spice, softly-spoken oak and an earthy, northern Barossa vibe. It's good. Calm and composed, silty tannins and a real sense of being comfortable in its own skin. FG alright.
| XFW 1192 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $111 | |
| XFW 1193 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $111 | |
| XFW 1194 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $111 |
LOVE - RP96 - Reunited! I love this wine and have been disappointed not to see it since this vintage. The 2018 Andelmonde Shiraz has barely aged a day since its release. The tannins through the finish are starting to draw out, and aromatically, it speaks of shaved fennel and orange blossom, arnica and dried spearmint. It's layered with blackberry coulis and blueberry and is gently chewy with cocoa tannins. A beauty. As it was, and as it will be too. Really wonderful. 14.9% alcohol, sealed under natural cork and wax
| LDE 0066 | 1 BOTTLE Label damage | Current Bid: $91 |
GALAXY - RP97+ - The 2020 Lamella Shiraz was made with fruit from the Angas family vineyard in the Eden Valley (Hutton Vale Farm), with cuttings from the Mt. Edelstone vineyard, which is close by. It is made with 100% whole bunches in the ferment. "This is the last pick, and by that time the stems have fully lignified," said Dan Standish. It is floral, and granitic and minerally and über spicy all at once. It is the elegant wine of the lineup, thanks to the elevated vineyard and the cooling acid, but it also is possessed of a nuance and range of flavor that makes it distinct from the others. The Lamella has the breadth and range that the other two do not (making it neither better nor worse, just an observation), and it covers a lot of ground within that. It is shaley, and rocky and mineral, but it is also slightly herbal (there is fresh coriander and a hint of bay in there); the fruit is concentrated and pure and also has a splay of spice through the finish—licorice, star anise and a shake of allspice. Zoom out, and the wine has volumes of flavor and pillowy texture—it really does have it all. Due to the vintage conditions, I expected to be met by a dense wall of unforgiving flavor and tannin. Instead, it is possessed of a galaxy of flavor, pintucked into folds of texture and all of it spooling out over an interminable finish.
| LDE 0028 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $120 | |
| LDE 0029 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $120 | |
| LDE 0030 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $120 |
SUPER - RP98+ - The 2021 Lamella Shiraz is made with fruit from the Angas family vineyard, Hutton Vale Farm, Eden Valley. The vineyard was planted with cuttings from the Mt Edelstone (Henschke) vineyard and represents the final pick of the season each year. Made with 100% whole bunches in the ferment, the wine opens with characteristic jasmine tea, bergamot, raspberry, graphite and star anise on the nose. The whole-bunch component, far from overtaking the fruit, is seamlessly integrated from the first instance this year. The wine is a cohesive whole and shows an elegance and presence that is beguiling, to say the least. If anything, the 2021 Lamella is full of aching potential; its future is writ upon the balance of fruit and skin/stalk tannin, freshness and density. For lovers of this cuvée, I cannot recall seeing it so balanced and poised on release. The 2018 (a vintage I reference constantly for its high quality and fruit presence) may challenge this statement, however the cool vintage that birthed the Lamella this year has produced a wine of definition and untold potential. Super. Sealed under natural cork. 14.9% alcohol.
| LDE 0044 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $120 | |
| LDE 0045 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 | |
| LDE 0070 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $120 |
PERFECTION - RP100 - The 2022 Lamella Shiraz has a little secret held within, and it's one not noted on the label. Within this cuvée, is just two barrels of fruit from the Stonegarden Vineyard, the original Lamella Vineyard, before the current Huttonvale Farm. Stonegarden was planted in the Eden Valley in the middle 1800s and is a historic site. The wine rises with Chinotto and blood orange, black tea and pressed flowers. It is, in its quiet way, kaleidoscopic and mottled ... it does not stay still, it gently moves across the palate like sunlight over the course of a day. The long finish speaks of raspberry pip and sandalwood, pomegranate, Boscobel rose and even the softest suggestion of scraped vanilla pod. If you have the benefit of time, I would recommend tasting this on both day one and day two. As I see it, day two has all of the complexity of day one, with the added seamlessness and silk that only time can bring. This is the most alluring Lamella I can recall ever tasting on release, despite many previous releases' flirtation with perfection. 100% whole bunch. 14.9% alcohol, sealed under natural cork and wax.
| LDE 0040 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $185 | SOLD |
| LDE 0041 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $189 | SOLD |
MOUTHWATERING - RP96 - Mulberries and blueberries appear alongside a hint of white pepper on the nose of Standish's 2017 The Schubert Theorem Shiraz, sourced from Marananga. It's full-bodied, firm and structured, loaded with mixed berries and balanced by savory undercurrents of espresso and black olive. It finishes long and mouthwatering yet also dusty and tannic. Give it another 2-3 years in the cellar and drink it over the following decade or so.
| LDE 0085 | 1 BOTTLE Label damage | Current Bid: $80 |
LONG - RP96-98 - Mint, sage and thyme accent blackberry and black cherry fruit in the 2018 The Schubert Theorem Shiraz. Full-bodied and rich without being heavy, it finishes tremendously long, with silky, cocoa-powder-like tannins. It should drink well for a couple of decades.
No Robert Parker Wine Advocate review
| LDE 0080 | 1 BOTTLE Label damage | Current Bid: $72 | |
| LDE 0081 | 1 BOTTLE Label damage | Current Bid: $72 |
BEST - RP98 - The 2020 The Schubert Theorem Shiraz was made with fruit from the Roennfeldt Road vineyard in Marananga, with 70% whole bunches in the ferment. This is the only cuvée in the collection that sees any inclusion of a different maturation vessel: the northeastern corner of the vineyard goes into concrete, because it retains the pure blue fruit characters that so define the wine. When one considers the dirt that is in this vineyard (and I ask you, without dirt, just where would we all be?), when one sees its black, shaley sparkle, one can get a sense of what to expect in the wine. It is always the black, brooding beast of the pack, but there is always—and I repeat, ALWAYS—a core of very pure fruit at its heart. This year is no different, and it is encased in fine but structuring tannin. It soars long across the palate, and yet within it, this wine is elegant and pliable. If the Lamella is the intriguing, pretty wine, and The Standish is the savory powerhouse, then The Relic is the iron fist–velvet glove... which makes this the enigma. I cannot overstate how attracted I am to the prowling, slinking nature of it. The tannins here—of all the wines—have a blueberry skin gravel to them; they are chalky and fine and a little bit gritty… excellent. This is a sensation, in every respect. A hot contender for best wine in the release this year.
| LDE 0082 | 1 BOTTLE Label damage | Current Bid: $80 | |
| LDE 0083 | 1 BOTTLE Label damage | Current Bid: $80 | |
| LDE 0084 | 1 BOTTLE Label damage | Current Bid: $80 |
THRILLING - RP99 - The 2021 The Schubert Theorem Shiraz was made with fruit from the Roennenfeldt Road vineyard, in Marananga, with 70% whole bunches in the ferment. The northeastern corner of this vineyard is matured in concrete egg to preserve the blue-fruited core that defines the style of this wine; it is the only cuvée that features an alternate maturation vessel. I knew (before and) when I tasted the 2019 and 2020 vintages what I was going to get, by and large. When I was in the Barossa in June 2021, I was already thinking about what the Schubert would look like from this year, as the perceived fit of season and style had the potential to dovetail in a most titillating fashion—a "stars aligning" kind of thing. A cool season overlays a warm site capable of producing dark, dense, sometimes brooding, always pure Shiraz. The combination of concrete egg (and, in this case, a slightly shorter maturation in this vessel) and cooler year has produced a wine of scintillating precision and fruit sweetness. It glows with its own black light. It shimmers and oscillates between fruit luminescence and plush tannic texture, and in doing so, it barely contains its own energy and abundance. The distinction between this profusion of fruit and the old "fruit bombs" of yore is the precision of acid and pliable fruit tannin that defines the middle palate and the ability of the fruit (courtesy of the winemaking) to shine through the vessels in which it matured. The tannin that shapes the wine is plentiful, make no mistake, yet it is ductile and fine and threads through every aspect of the palate. A thrilling Schubert this year, it's like a strike of lightning on a dark night. This wine appeals most fervently to my penchant for freshness, energy and resonant bass line. 14.9% alcohol.
| LDE 0037 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $113 | |
| LDE 0038 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $100 | |
| LDE 0039 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $100 |
THINKING - RP98+ - I'm excited to taste this, as it was my favorite cuvée last year. It usually changes year to year, given the seasons, and I like that. It's usually the only cuvée to enjoy the benefits of an alternate vessel—a concrete egg—and this year, the 2022 The Schubert Theorem Shiraz joins the Relic and the Standish as well. The impact of the egg in this wine is one of refinement, or so I see it; it retains a purity of fruit at the core, which speaks to the chalky tannins that spool through the finish. They're chewy and seductive and really great. It's a beautiful release—not shimmering like the 2021, but textural and fine and elongated in its way. It's a beguiling wine, a thinking wine. And, as with the other wines tasted alongside, the bottle that has been open for two days is infinitely more complete; however, it must be noted that this review is built on the freshly opened bottle. 14.9% alcohol, sealed under natural cork and wax.
| LDE 0086 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $83 |
WAVES - RP96 - Lifted, herbal notes of mint, thyme and sage appear on the nose of the 2017 The Standish Shiraz. They're followed by waves of raspberries and more raspberries, fleshing out the full-bodied palate and lingering onto the long, silky finish, where they're joined by savory roasted-meat and espresso notes. While almost approachable now, a few years in the cellar surely wouldn't hurt.
| LDE 0001 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $100 | |
| LDE 0002 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $100 |
PERFECTION - RP98-100 - The 2018 The Standish Shiraz (a sample blend from barrel) is a bit stalky (it's about 50% whole cluster), but it's gorgeously perfumed, with hints of herbal tea, raspberries, blackberries and licorice. It just exudes complexity, while also being full-bodied, plush and creamy, with a long, elegant finish. This seamless beauty is a candidate for perfection.
No Robert Parker Wine Advocate review
BLOCKBUSTER - RP96 - The 2020 The Standish Shiraz was made with fruit from the Laycock family vineyard, in Greenock. The first vintage was 1999. This vintage saw 30% whole bunches in the ferment. It offers notes of red dirt, a bit of blood, salted heirloom tomato and satsuma plum. This is concentrated, compacted, plush, dense and muscular, with notes of ras el’hanout, allspice, torched cinnamon and salted Dutch licorice. This wine is like playing "Magic Eye." There’s a lot going on, but if you relax, a pattern emerges and the detail becomes obvious for all to see. Within the fine but plushly tannic frame, there is saltbush and bay leaf, exotic spice and cascading layers of berry fruits. The dirt in which the roots are entangled similarly shows its colors—and these are red, ochre, earth and dust. At first glance, the foolish and the rash will overlook this for being singularly muscular and full-bodied, but like all the best IYKYK (if you know, you know—wink wink) scenarios, there is far more than meets the palate here. Another blockbuster Standish.
| LDE 0042 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $100 | |
| LDE 0043 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $100 |
TRIUMPH - RP96 - The 2021 The Standish Shiraz was made with fruit from the Laycock family vineyard, Greenock, with 30% whole bunches in the ferment. The Standish Shiraz was the first cuvée launched by Dan Standish in 1999, and the wine is routinely typified by its muscular tannin shape and earthy, savory fruit. The most attractive part of this wine is the splay of exotic market spice (namely sumac, black pepper, star anise and fresh cardamom) that sails in on the coattails of the red/purple fruit. It has all the exoticism and romance of a hike through the mountains of Morocco, yet it, perhaps more than any other wine in the collection, speaks of the Barossa in a clear enunciated voice. So, where does it fit in 2021? The 2021 The Standish Shiraz is finer, prettier and lighter than I have ever seen it at this stage of its life. It has all the spice and Barossan identity that is expected; however, it misses the dense baritone of fruit that is present in earlier iterations. Whether you think that is a positive or not is up to you—I am fond of this wine throughout all its incarnations. Vintage variation is responsible for the spark of curiosity and joy that I experience every year during this release, and the real triumph in 2021 is the ability of the vineyard (this vineyard) to shine through the season that shaped it. 14.9% alcohol.
| LDE 0046 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $94 | |
| LDE 0047 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $92 | |
| LDE 0048 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $94 |
JOYOUS - JH96 - Braemore is a distinctive vineyard, and this is a distinctive wine. For a semillon, this is uncharacteristically fruity, with feijoa and passionfruit notes wrapped around a Tahitian lime core. The fullness of the palate is captivating, as is the intensity of the flavour. A joyous wine with great character and appeal.
| DON 0170 | 1 MAGNUM BOXED | Current Bid: $72 |
FLAGSHIP - JH97 - This wine befits its flagship status, a perfect exhibition of concentration and class. Perfectly ripe grapes are sourced from the low-cropping old-vine Pokolbin Estate vineyard. The intense dark fruit is impressive, nestled within a sculpted, structural frame. All the elements of fruit intensity, tannin and acidity are perfectly proportioned, and there is an engaging brightness and energy despite its power. It will age gracefully and is a must-have addition to any shiraz lover's cellar.
| DON 0171 | 1 MAGNUM BOXED | Current Bid: $200 |
HARMONY - RP96 - Deep garnet-purple in color and projecting intense aromas of creme de cassis, warm black plums and blueberry compote enhanced by hints of tar, aniseed, smoked meat and even a slight lift of honeysuckle, the full-bodied 2010 Descendent is already displaying great harmony at this early stage as it fills the mouth with perfumed black fruits supported by medium to firm, rounded tannins and balanced acid. It finishes very long. Approachable now and drink to 2024+.
| DON 0144 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $112 |
TOTALLY - JH96 - In '22, Torbreck's Descendant sees a blend of 94/6% shiraz/viognier, the addition of the latter lending a stone fruit top-note to the fruit base of doris plum, red cherry and boysenberry. Hints of blackcurrant, clove, bouquet garni, dried citrus rind, pan juices, biltong, dried blossom and deep earth. The fruit has lots of energy on the palate with some raspberry pip lift at its tip, tannins tight and fine grained and a textured, spiced plum finish that is totally the goods.
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 |
EXCELLENT - RP99 - The 2004 RunRig essentially typifies everything I love about the 2004 vintage in Barossa. It has energy and focus, softness where it matters and length above all. The texture of this wine on the palate is superb—silky, seamless, long, gracious. This is balanced, harmonious, sensational. That's about all that needs to be said about this. It is absolutely excellent and aging slowly. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.
| DON 0017 | 1 BOTTLE Label damage | Current Bid: $200 | SOLD |
| DON 0018 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $201 | SOLD |
FUTURE - RP93 - The 2005 vintage in Barossa was very good and remarkably unremarkable in that nothing went wrong—the wines produced have proven to be lovely, and it breaks the rhythm of the even vintages being the superstars. The 2005 RunRig echoes some of the characters of the 2003 vintage, with plum pudding, date, dark chocolate and roasted meat. The finish is powerful. It closes strong, showing the wine has a long future ahead of it. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.
| DON 0019 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $205 |
GLORIOUS - RP97 - Still tight and taut, the glorious 2006 RunRig looks capable of aging through at least 2030. Floral notes appear on the nose, along with ripe raspberries. This is surprisingly young, vibrant and fresh, with a long, silky finish.
| DON 0020 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $215 | SOLD |
PRESENCE - RP94 - The 2007 RunRig is from a hot year aligned with 2001, but not as hot as 2003. The 2007 vintage was the start of three drought years in Barossa Valley. The wine leads with roasted meat and sumac, star anise, clove and dark chocolate, while the palate follows with the same characters. This is is both fresh and powerful, with a big presence on the palate. 15% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.
| DON 0021 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $200 |
VERY IMPRESSIVE - RP98+ - Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2013 RunRig has a tantalizingly exotic nose of cloves, fenugreek, star anise and cassia with a core of mulberries, baked blackberries and blueberry preserves plus hints of potpourri and dusty earth. The full-bodied palate is multilayered with tons of spices and berry preserves notes, supported by firm yet velvety tannins and finishing with incredible length and depth. This is a very impressive RunRig.
| TUR 0677 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $200 |
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 |
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 |
SUPERSTAR - RP98 - The 2022 RunRig had 2% Viognier added to the Syrah after barrel maturation, from the current vintage. I've clarified this with winemaker Ian Hongell, because my incorrect memory ran toward skins only. Glad I asked. Aromatically, the wine is so fresh and detailed; it hints at latent power and intense concentration, but it doesn't overbear on this point. On the palate, the wine has everything we could hope for—intense, balanced red fruit, a splay of ductile tannins and such a light fluffiness to the profile that I find it most appealing indeed. The discussion here today is regarding the comparison to the great 2021 vintage. It was a freak, out-of-the-box year that blessed producers with a spot-free growing season, good yields and excellent quality fruit. The wines, for the most part, will endure through the decades with grace and ease. The 2022s are tighter, fluffier, more fruit forward and, in my opinion, slightly more delicious, but over the long term, backing the 2021s to go the distance seems the blue-chip option. We can discuss this again in 20 years (2045) when that answer will have become more clear. In the words of Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast." I love this wine today. It's a superstar. 15.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork and wax.
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 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 |
ICON - RP97+ - There are three “icon” wines in the portfolio. The opaque purple-colored 2006 Ares is a 100% Shiraz cuvee sourced from Barossa (77%) and McLaren Vale (23%) which received some “200% new oak” treatment. Following a barrel selection of the winery’s best Shiraz (not all of which was in new oak), the wine spent its last 12 months of elevage in 100% new French barriques. It offers up a room-filling perfume of toasty oak, pencil lead, vanilla, pepper, sage, plum, and blueberry pie. Opulent and layered on the palate, this extracted, mouth-filling effort has tons of succulent fruit, savory flavors, and a very long, fruit-filled finish. It will reward 6-8 years of cellaring and have a drinking window extending from 2015 to 2031.
| ADS 0768 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $115 | |
| ADS 0769 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $115 | |
| ADS 0770 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $115 |
SPECIAL - JH96 - Stevens Semillon is a special wine at Tyrrell's, which began making it in 1993 from a block owned by Neil and Bernadette Stevens. The wine inspired Bruce Tyrrell to develop a 'single site' range of wines. Tyrrell's cemented this wine's place within its portfolio by purchasing the block in 2022. The wine is in a sweet spot, with an expressive lemon curd aroma and a subtle smoky overlay. The palate exhibits the warmth of the vintage with delicious, subtle sweet pear and white peach flavours packed into a soft, cleansing palate. The wine is in its prime, with exceptional character and brightness.
| ACC 17430 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $28 | SOLD |
GREAT- JH97 - Great wines like Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Semillon are celebrated for their clarity of expression and remarkable intensity – qualities that shine brightly in the '19 vintage. The mid-palate is beautifully open and generous, showcasing powerful citrus flavours and micro hints of flint, wet river stones, lemon curd and greengages. The true strength of this vintage lies in its refreshing, succulent mid-palate, harmonious balance and ultra-cleansing finish, making it a superb accompaniment to food. It is at the beginning of its evolution, and its refinement and grace set it apart.
WONDERFUL - JH97 - Hand-picked, open-fermented, matured in new and 1yo 2700l French casks for 15 months. This is opulent and rich, bringing back memories of '59, '61, '65 and ;66 ('65 the standout). The black fruits are wrapped in velvet, the oak and tannins watching on enviously. A wonderful wine with its own part of history.
| JIM 0010 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $41 | SOLD |
| JIM 0011 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $41 | SOLD |
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.
| PAG 0012 | 1 MAGNUM BOXED | Current Bid: $250 |
EXCEPTIONAL - JH97 - Often when a structured and very young flagship wine is up for tasting, I’ll assess it initially, maybe try it with food, and spend a couple of days thinking about it and retasting. They need respect. But this time, I poured a big glass of Tom Cullity and enjoyed it immediately, as it’s approachable and complete. Even a few days later, no signs of fading. This is exceptional. There’s a certain refinement within, almost open-knit. A whorl of dark fruit, from mulberries to red berries, very spicy, very savoury, ferrous, full of nori, licorice, florals and more. It’s complex, shaped by beautifully defined tannins, the length long, the pleasure factor 10 out of 10 with ageability the same.
| ACC 18141 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 | |
| ACC 18142 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 | |
| ACC 18143 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 | |
| ACC 18144 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 | |
| ACC 18145 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 | |
| ACC 18146 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 |
PINNACLE - JH98 - The pinnacle. A culmination of different clones, parcels and processes. The Gingin clone brings explosive power and density, Clone 95 provides linearity, line, focus and acidity. Partial mlf (50%) softens the 95 on the palate, and 10 months' maturation knits the whole piece together. Sophisticated winemaking and top-notch fruit selection come together in this perfect vintage.
| DON 0095 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $87 | SOLD |
JH94 - Dark, deep purple-red; a concentrated, dense and powerful bouquet with brooding, dark fruits leads to a massively concentrated palate with a complex array of fruit flavours in the mint/blackberry/briar spectrum, finishing with persistent tannins. Notwithstanding all the power and concentration, is immaculately balanced.
| JMO 0125 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $102 |
WUTHERING WEDOUREE - no scores - notes
| JMO 0228 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $83 | |
| JMO 0229 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 |
WUTHERING WEDOUREE - no scores - notes
| SEM 0339 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| SEM 0340 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| SEM 0341 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| SEM 0342 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 |
PERFECTLY - JH97 - Best colour of the 2008s, brightest purple-crimson; potent aromas of blackcurrant and plum lead into a palate of near-explosive intensity of flavour, blackcurrant sweeping all before it, with a magical twist of dried herb on the finish; the tannins are very evident, but are perfectly balanced, simply adding length and texture. A wonderful example of the power of old vines to stand up to a vintage such as 2008.
| SEM 0343 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| SEM 0344 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| SEM 0345 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| SEM 0346 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 |
WONDERFULLY - JH95 - Clear, bright colour; true to the blend, the malbec introduces some plummy nuances to the mid-palate, its only opportunity in a cabernet that is so perfectly balanced. Another wonderfully elegant wine.
| SEM 0347 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| SEM 0348 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 |
JH97 - An 80/20% blend, the colour impeccable; I have always enjoyed this wine, the two varieties providing an exercise in the synergy that blends can bring to the table. Without diminishing the structure or power of the wine, it has a juicy mouthfeel, not to mention a mouthful, of cassis and plum fruit, the tannins quite fine, drawing out the finish
| JMO 0159 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $83 |
GOD GIVEN - JH96 - A 68/32% blend from the 1975 Central, 1920 Eastern and 1989 Western Vineyards. While the weight of the wine is still within the medium-bodied framework all four wines enjoy, the aromas and flavours are wonderfully juicy. For close on a century, the symbolic link between cabernet and malbec expresses itself in unique fashion in this God-given secluded corner of the Clare Valley.
| ADS 0796 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $91 |
LUSH - JH95 - 52/42% cabernet/malbec, with 1920, 1940 Eastern and 1970 Western blocks included. Quite lush, quite upfront and accessible this release; coffee and chocolate, vanilla and raspberry, malt and blonde tobacco, mint and faint ginger all hallmarks in the young wine here. Has a grippy, granular feel to the texture, plushness, too. Soft and long, dark berries to the fore in taste with more cardamon, clove and cinnamon chiming in. A bit of mild, citrusy zinginess through the finish – a note to mention, standing out from the wine a little. Overall a generous, plush, comforting red wine, with distinction in fruit intensity and detail of spice, herbal lilt and judicious oak seasoning, but the balance needing time.
| NIK 0587 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 | |
| NIK 0588 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 |
EPITOME - JH97 - Full purple-crimson hue. An elegant Wendouree Cabernet Sauvignon, only 2yo? Oxymoron? Believe me, this is the epitome of elegance in cabernet terms, with a fluid line and mouthfeel, cassis and a hint of mint to the fore, fine-grained tannins as much on the aftertaste as the finish. A wine that progressively reveals its latent power as it is re-tasted again and again.
| JMO 0139 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $102 | |
| JMO 0137 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $102 |
LOVE - JH97 - 100% cabernet sauvignon from the 1920 and '75 plantings on the Eastern and Central Vineyards. The moment the wine is poured into the glass, the bright, deep colour tells you this wine will assert its authority in no uncertain fashion. Yet it does so by stealth, first revealing the cassis fruit and (in the best sense) mint. There is no bombardment by often autocratic cabernet tannins; just as was the case with the '13 vintage, it is elegant, dispensing tannins slyly. Three very different wines, and I love them all, so the points are the same.
| JMO 0155 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $89 |
WUTHERING WEDOUREE - no scores / notes to be found
| JMO 0213 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $66 | |
| JMO 0214 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $66 |
JH93 - Opaque purple-crimson, very slightly hazy; strong plum jam varietal expression on the bouquet; an unexpectedly fresh medium-bodied palate; very fine tannins. Stained corks in both 2006 Wendouree wines a worry.
| JMO 0146 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $75 | |
| JMO 0145 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $75 |
WUTHERING WEDOUREE - no scores/notes to be found
| JMO 0275 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $93 | |
| JMO 0276 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $93 |
FLAWLESS - JH97 - 100% shiraz from Central Vineyard bushvines planted in 1893, and the Eastern Vineyard planted in 1919. The wine takes a lot of air via glass swirling to express itself, but ultimately does so emphatically. Plum, black cherry and spices paint the flavour picture, and expand prodigiously on the back-palate and finish. As the late Len Evans would have said, it has flawless line, length and balance.
| ADS 0791 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $154 | |
| ADS 0792 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $154 | |
| ADS 0793 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $154 |
FLYING - JH96 - A 50/50% blend from the 1919 and 1920 Eastern Vineyards. Excellent colour, as for all the '16 Wendourees. Bright, juicy plummy fruit with red berries also pushing forward; it's lithe and sinuous, flying the flag of elegance high in the sky. The differences are of style, not quality.
| ADS 0758 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $79 | |
| ADS 0759 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $79 |
WUTHERING WEDOUREE - no scores/notes to be found
| ADS 0756 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $67 | |
| ADS 0757 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $67 |
WUTHERING WEDOUREE - no scores/notes to be found
| JMO 0253 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $75 | |
| JMO 0255 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $75 |
JH94 - Slightly lighter colour than the Shiraz, but similar brilliant hue; the mataro/mourvedre tannins are evident, but not trenchantly so; nonetheless, needs 5-10 years to fully unfurl its sails.
| JMO 0118 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $75 |
YOUTH - JH94 - 75/25 shiraz/mataro from 1893 Central, and 1919 Eastern and 1929 Eastern bush vines. Soft, supple, dark fruited, a little jammy, cherry and cola, almost a cassis character here with woody spices, oatmeal biscuits, a touch of ginger, light minty detail in tow. Indeed, the spice elements are quite deep in this wine. A touch of astringency through the finish a quibble. Fruit is quality, quite fine, too, but oak is perhaps not quite laid into the wine perfectly yet, but a matter of youth with Wendouree, as always.
| NIK 0589 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 | |
| NIK 0590 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 |
WUTHERING WEDOUREE - no scores/notes to be found
| JMO 0199 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| JMO 0200 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 |
MEISTER BLASS-TER - Wolf Blass THE man who electrified the Oz Wine Industry - BLACK LABEL 1986 - WOW - Again, from the original carton resting in the cellar since release
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 |
IRRESISTIBLE - JH97 - What’s the point of writing anything about this wine? Really. But you’ve come this far so I’ll add the reason: It’s complete, exceptional and beguiling. The best Margaret River cabernet exemplifies those alluring characters. OK, you want to know more. It’s heady with mulberries, cassis and damson plum, wakame and squid ink. Medium bodied, plush and velvety across the palate thanks to sublime tannins with an outrageously long finish. This is irresistible.
| ACC 17940 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 |
GREAT - JH96 - Such purity of fruit coming through alongside an enticing fragrance and, as usual, detail and precision across the palate. A richer, slightly generous offering yet the essence of cabernet with cassis, mulberries dusted in spice, licorice and some nori, and the cedary oak neatly etched into the wine. The fuller-bodied palate is complete with lovely tannins – plentiful, if fine – with a long, long finish. Classy cabernet; a great reserve.
ENDLESS - JH97 - The problem with Xanadu Reserve Chardonnay is that it is delicious on release. But that has nothing on what it morphs into, with age. This is a wine that is all too often overlooked (not in the show system, granted) by collectors, because too few people have been privy to the wines in their middle age. A problem emerges: the wines are drunk too early and don't get the opportunity to show their full potential. This is crystalline, pure – almost austere – toasty and spiced, with layers of undulating flavour through the fine, spooling finish. A monumental wine of endless potential.
| ACC 17800 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $94 |
GREAT - JH96 - The reserve shines this vintage, coming across all superfine and linear, yet layers upon layers of flavour. Ginger florals, lemon balm and all manner of citrus charm. Ultra-refreshing with a live wire of acidity gathering all the elements and taking them on a joy ride. There’s a millefeuille effect of lees, fruit, oak and spice so this turns out moreish, savoury and complex. But above all, just a great drink.
FUTURE - JH96 - Not just vineyard specific, this is site-specific as the fruit comes off block 3 (a 0.6ha parcel), this vintage with 14% malbec. They are handsome companions, a bit like winemakers Glenn Goodall and Brendan Carr. Though the latter has moved on after 11 years at Xanadu, he did help make this wine. The inkiness of malbec and its dark cherry accents such a lovely foil to cabernet’s distinct flavour. This is enticing, partly because of its heady aromatics and varietal flavours à la Margaret River, but especially the tannins. They are fine, shapely and defined. The finish is long and the wine has a bright, long future.
| SRO 0688 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $59 |
EXCELLENT - JH97 - Stevens Road shines this vintage and, while it will continue to garner more complexity, today it sets up an excellent foundation of flavour, acidity and drive. Lime and lemon with pink grapefruit, a layer of clotted cream and ginger, oak way in the background, long and pure with the fine acidity, albeit a little nervy and twitchy. Flavours linger; it’s moreish with a stony, quartz-like precision.
SPECIAL INDEED - This years Super 60
| KAD 0001 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $52 | SOLD |
BEAUTIFUL - JH97 - Stained/spongy cork. A beautiful wine in all respects, its heart soft and generous, its head stern and serious, the combination as complete as it is complex. It tastes of an assortment of red and black berries, tobacco and cloves, with tremendously well integrated smoky oak and plenty of tang, tannin, flavour and run through the finish. An exhibition in both power and elegance. Cork permitting, it will mature gloriously MUSEUM RELEASE
CONFIDENT SWAGGER - JH96 - This is an impressive wine and an expensive one, clear of purpose, clarity, power, intensity and detail. A benchmark cabernet and shiraz meld: a blend that many Australians perceive as the homegrown quintessence. The oak cladding is salubrious. Well applied. Apparent, but not too much in lieu of the pummelling fruit: currant, dark cherry, satsuma plum and blue fruit references, brushed with five-spice, cinnamon and a gentle swathe of verdant herb before a finish marked by graphite and iodine. This is polished, sure. The tannins nicely wrought. But fresh, eminently drinkable and firmly of place, with a confident swagger and undeniable impact. MUSEUM RELEASE
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. MUSEUM RELEASE
| ACC 16828 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $324 | |
| XSA 2258 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $568 | |
| XSA 2259 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $568 | |
| XSA 2260 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $568 |
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 |
EPIC - JH97 - Yalumba's flagship offering is made from shiraz split across vineyards in the Barossa and Eden Valleys with an average age of 80 years. A portion is matured for 23 months in 30% new French oak barriques and hogsheads and the balance in one-year-old (and older) American octaves, French barriques and hogsheads. Deep crimson with ripe blackberry, black cherry, satsuma plum and blueberry fruits cut with baking spices, vanillin oak, cedar, licorice, dark chocolate, clove and violets. The fruit glistens on the palate, beautifully weighted and graceful in its shape, with ripe tannins melting into the wine and a shimmering acidity that provides cadence and shines a light on the pristine fruit. This will cellar beautifully, but my goodness it is lovely to drink at the moment. Another epic Octavius release.
RIPPER -JH96 -51/49% cabernet sauvignon/shiraz. A museum release of the famous Yalumba 'The Signature', made by Kevin Glastonbury and honouring the late Darrell Kruger, a Yalumba vineyard manager from '75–'19. Blackberry, black cherry and dark plum fruits of great intensity and depth with a hint of exoticness to the spice array; soul-like it is. Hints of cedar, leather and mahogany. It boasts a superb structure and pitch-perfect weight, the fruit drawing long and elegant on the finish. What a ripper.
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 17186 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $99 |
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 |
SUPER – JH96 - Yalumba's famous Signature cabernet sauvignon and shiraz blend has a strong pedigree when it comes to cellaring and the 2022 release will certainly carry on long into the future. The fruit density and purity here are impressive. Blackberry, doris plum and black cherry tones, their flow elegant and graceful across the palate with hints of spice, cedar, tobacco, pencil shavings, roasting meats, dried herbs and olive tapenade. Fine-grained tannins are in abundance and there is an extended finish that rolls on and on. It's a super release
GREAT WINE - JH98 - High Sands is always a landmark wine, a site-reflective icon of peerless husbandry and elaboration, but it can be imposing, needing time and reflection. This is different, though, finely tuned, lucid, silky and sophisticated, and feeling even more expressive of place. A great, cool vintage, yes, with both depth and levity, but Pete Fraser’s quarter turns of the screw are also palpable. Fruits are red and black, ripe but with some tart wild tension, dusted in heady baharat spicing, the heartbeat of old-vine power pulsing insistently within. Flavour descriptors feel ineffectual, though. It’s the sheer graceful power of the thing that’s so beguiling, as it noiselessly swoops in, catching you in the updraft of its immense wingspan. By any measure, this is a great wine.
GREAT WINE - JH98 - High Sands is always a landmark wine, a site-reflective icon of peerless husbandry and elaboration, but it can be imposing, needing time and reflection. This is different, though, finely tuned, lucid, silky and sophisticated, and feeling even more expressive of place. A great, cool vintage, yes, with both depth and levity, but Pete Fraser’s quarter turns of the screw are also palpable. Fruits are red and black, ripe but with some tart wild tension, dusted in heady baharat spicing, the heartbeat of old-vine power pulsing insistently within. Flavour descriptors feel ineffectual, though. It’s the sheer graceful power of the thing that’s so beguiling, as it noiselessly swoops in, catching you in the updraft of its immense wingspan. By any measure, this is a great wine.
| XPU 0087 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| XPU 0094 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| XPU 0093 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| XPU 0081 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| XPU 0085 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| XPU 0086 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 |
WROUGHT - JH96 - A blend of 80/20% 1995-planted cabernet and 1990-planted malbec. Matured in French barriques (15% new). A medium deep, bright crimson. Fragrant with aromas of damson plums, blackcurrants, cedar and violets. Medium bodied, this elegantly wrought and persistent wine finishes with very fine-grained and suave tannins suggesting this will age gracefully over the next six to eight years
| XPU 0213 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| XPU 0210 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| XPU 0212 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| XPU 0211 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| XPU 0207 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| XPU 0206 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 |
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: $149 | |
| ACC 16033 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $149 |
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 |
GREATEST - JH98 - A blend of cabernet sauvignon (dominant), merlot, malbec and petit verdot. Fabulous colour, deep crimson; the bouquet is so intense it sets the antennae waving furiously. The palate is an essay. Sheer, unadulterated power; the four components have bonded so symbiotically and synergistically with each other, and the 100% new French oak, it will be a decade at the very least before the wine opens up to display the intricacy of its inner workings. When it does, this wine may emerge as the greatest of the vintage.
| SPI 0354 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | SOLD |
| SPI 0353 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | SOLD |
SERIOUS & COMPLETE - JH98 - A blend of 60/24/11/5% cabernet sauvignon/merlot/malbec/petit verdot, the cabernet coming from the original 1969-planted vineyard. Matured in French oak (40% new). A deep, bright crimson purple. Bordeaux-like with its aromas of cassis, iodine, bay leaf and some olive tapenade. The oak is already well integrated. Powerful and balanced with lots of layers. Ripe, chewy tannins course through the wine's concentrated fruit, yet the overall impression is one of balance and harmony. A serious and complete cabernet. MUSEUM RELEASE
MAJESTIC - JH97 - A blend of 60/24/11/5% cabernet sauvignon/merlot/malbec/petit verdot, the cabernet coming from the original 1969-planted vineyard. Matured in barrique (35% new). A deep crimson purple; almost opaque. Uber classical cabernet aromas with its core of concentrated and pure blackcurrant and cedar. Throw in hints of bay leaf, some gravel and a little sea spray and you have a pretty special Dry Red Wine No. 1. It's richly fruited and elegant with perfectly integrated, supple and persistent tannins. An altogether sumptuous and majestic wine.
| XPU 0192 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $110 | |
| XPU 0187 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $110 | |
| XPU 0190 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $110 | |
| XPU 0191 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $110 | |
| XPU 0186 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $110 | |
| XPU 0185 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $110 |
SACRILEGE - JH98 - Largely shiraz, with a small amount of mataro added and co-fermented with viognier and marsanne. Brought back an instant recollection of the Bayeux Tapestry. It commences with a Catherine wheel of aromas, flavours and textures which are astounding, and - you think - leave nothing more to be said. But there's more, much more. For one thing, it is a sacrilege to spit out any of the wine when tasting it, for the autopilot is still working furiously trying to capture the interplay between the infinitely complex fruit flavours, the charcuterie, the spices, the earth, the tannins, the oak, and the licorice.
| SPI 0360 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 | SOLD |
| SPI 0359 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 | SOLD |
EFFORTLESSLY - JH96 - Yarra Yerring originally kept things simple, with two reds. One built on the foundation of Bordeaux grape varieties while the other, the No. 2, on the more aromatic supports of those from the Rhone. Dr. Bailey Carrodus, Yarra Yering's charming and highly idiosyncratic founder, prided himself and his wines on their longevity and savoury, European aura. And rightly so. The tradition lives on, manifest in this medium-bodied, graceful expression of 95% shiraz, complemented by dashes of viognier, mataro and marsanne. A bright vermilion robe invites one into a kaleidoscope of violet, baking spice, black cherry and blue fruits of every description. Anise, iodine and vanillin oak sashay effortlessly with diaphanous grape tannins and a flow of natural acidity.
| SRO 0826 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $49 | SOLD |
| SRO 0829 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $86 | SOLD |
| SRO 0830 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $66 | SOLD |
TERRIFIC - JH96 - A blend of 96/2/1/1% shiraz/viognier/marsanne/mataro from 1969, 1980s and 1990s plantings. Fermented with whole berries and matured in barriques (30% new). A deep, bright crimson. Ripe with dark fruits, spice rack spices and a gentle waft of cedar. A rich, ripe mouthful of wine with firm, classic, old-school Yarra Yering tannins. An interesting contrast between this, the Underhill Shiraz and the Carrodus Shiraz, the No. 2 red may end up being the most long-lived of this terrific trio in 2021.
SUPREMELY - JH99 - Shiraz of the Year and Red Wine of the Year. Score awarded by the Halliday tasting panel at the annual Awards judging. PR writes: A blend of 96/1/2/1% shiraz/viognier/marsanne/mataro. Fermented with whole berries and matured in barriques (25% new). A brilliant crimson red. In fact, a brilliant Dry Red Wine No. 2. There's a little reduction when first poured but it doesn't take long for this to reveal a complex amalgam of red and black fruits, iodine, graphite and melted, dark licorice. Fleshier and more refined and seductive than last year's version. Incredibly svelte tannins. Supremely balanced. I reckon Yarra Yering's founder, Dr Bailey Carrodus, would be chuffed with this
TOTAL JOY - JH97 - A blend of 35/35/12/7/6/5% touriga nacional/tinta cão/tinta amarela/tinta roriz/alvarelhão/sousão, all sourced from 1990 plantings. Yarra Yering and winemaker Sarah Crowe have hit the jackpot with their superb line-up of 2021 reds. Five trophies for three different wines at the 2022 Yarra Valley Wine Show, including the trophy for Best Red Wine in Show for this wine a testament to that. Founder Bailey Carrodus originally planted these Portuguese varieties to make fortified wine. While the odd fortified is still made here, it's the Dry Red Wine No. 3 – a modern-day classic – that benefits. A totally gorgeous wine that's hard to put down once you've had a sip, this exhibits a riotous array of red and black fruits, wildflowers, dried herbs, licorice root and cocoa nibs. Medium bodied and fragrant in the mouth, too! Gently chewy, well-knit tannins make this wine a total joy to drink in its youth, yet it will still be looking good five to seven years from now.
| XPU 0129 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| XPU 0128 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| XPU 0133 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| XPU 0132 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| XPU 0130 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| XPU 0126 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 |
EFFORTLESSLY - JH95 - Equal parts pinot noir and whole-bunch shiraz. Matured 9 months in French barriques. A gorgeous bright crimson purple, this just beckons to be smelled. A pure and fruit-driven wine, redolent of wild briary red fruits and spice-rack spices. Medium bodied, there is a delicious juiciness to this wine but equally, there is extract and concentration. Despite how good this is now, it should age effortlessly for the next 5–8 years.
| ACC 16276 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $49 | |
| ACC 16277 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $49 | |
| ACC 16278 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $49 |
CRIES OUT - JH98 - From 8ha of shiraz planted in '73 on a westerly slope. Vivid crimson purple; counter-intuitively slightly deeper than '14 Carrodus. Spectacular intensity and power, yet the detail is so precise that you can smell and taste each tile in the mosaic of the wine: black cherry, licorice, spice, pepper, tannins, blackberry. Paradoxically, because it is due to this detail that the wine cries out for more time.
| SPI 0349 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $80 | SOLD |
| SPI 0350 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | SOLD |
RESTRAINT & PURITY - JH96 - Fruit from a single block of shiraz planted in 1973, 80/20% whole berries/bunches fermented in a 3500L new oak foudre. Half was then matured for a year in the same foudre, the remainder into used French oak puncheons. There's so much restraint and purity of fruit across the YY range this vintage, Underhill is no different. Perfumed, savoury, delicate yet complex, pure and long. Lacy tannins and fine acidity work across a lithe palate.
| ACC 16545 | 1 HALF BOTTLE | Current Bid: $44 | |
| ACC 16546 | 1 HALF BOTTLE | Current Bid: $44 | |
| ACC 16547 | 1 HALF BOTTLE | Current Bid: $44 | |
| ACC 16548 | 1 HALF BOTTLE | Current Bid: $44 |
GREAT STUFF - JH98 - Sourced from a single block planted in 1973. Fermented with a combination of whole bunches and whole berries. Half the wine was fermented and matured in a 3500L French foudre (purchased in 2019), the other half in French puncheons (10% new). A medium–deep and very bright crimson. Lifted and immediately appealing with its aromas of black raspberries and violets alongside a cornucopia of spices including cracked black pepper, anise and fennel seeds. A gorgeous medium-weighted, intensely flavoured and long Yarra Valley shiraz with enough tannin to suggest patience will be rewarded. Great stuff.
SEAMLESS - JH96 - This is both impressive and refined. It's not always easy to strike such a balance. A chardonnay that drives long and pure yet it has substance. Complex sulphides and leesy characters, flinty, balanced oak, so detailed and moreish, it demands you come back for another taste. And you do. It's seamless.
| ACC 17912 | 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 13964 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $69 |
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: $69 | |
| ACC 13967 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $69 |
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 17649 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 | |
| ACC 17650 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 |
ABERRANT - RP93+ The 2018 vintage was an aberrant vintage, in that the summer was the hottest on record; a cyclone that hit the North Island never eventuated in the South, and then the coldest end to harvest ever slowed the last six weeks down. The 2018 Block 3 Pinot Noir is today seven years from its harvest, and it shows as a light, savory wine, with dried flowers and tapenade, brick dust and even saffron. The wine is so textural, the tannins so fine that once again they define the finish. A chalky splay of tannin is the enduring feature of the wine, and I like it so much for that. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
| MHA 0058 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 |
SUPERB - RP95+ - The 2019 Block 3 Pinot Noir is darkly floral and spicy on the nose, echoes of which swirl around on the palate. I love the way this presents, with abundant tannin and dark fruit yet with a levity that aerates the finish and leaves nothing but balance in its wake. It's a superb vintage, one that will age with grace. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
| MHA 0059 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 | |
| MHA 0060 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 | |
| MHA 0061 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 | |
| MHA 0062 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 |
PRETTY - RP95 - The 2021 Block 3 Pinot Noir is, just like its Block 5 sibling, pretty, capacious, floral, structural and clear. It has wonderful clarity of fruit and acid here, both working in concert with one another. The wine is still opening up, and the mineral finish on it feels closed at this early stage. It's a wine for later, the focus and precision being its calling cards. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
| MHA 0063 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 |
STANDOUT - RP94 - The standout this year is the 2017 Block 5 Pinot Noir, which takes rose petals and black tea, adds sexy notions of dried spices and puts those all against a backdrop of ripe black cherries and cola. It's medium to full-bodied, with a rich, silky mouthfeel and plenty of length on the finish.
| MHA 0064 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $208 |
STATUESQUE - RP93+ - The 2018 Block 5 Pinot Noir is today seven years from harvest, and it's the same color in the glass as the 2023 beside it—vibrant, translucent ruby. Aromatically, the wine shows deli meat and clove, cocoa and aniseed, with star anise and pomegranate molasses. On the palate, the wine is fresh and spiced, with saline acidity and dried flowers through the finish. It's a powerful, statuesque Pinot Noir with attractive clarity and detail. Felton Road has been Demeter certified since 2009. The tannins are the highlight here, chalky and powdery in texture. This has barely begun to show tertiary notes, hinting at the long age in front of it. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
| MHA 0065 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $200 | |
| MHA 0066 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $200 | |
| MHA 0067 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $200 |
ELEGANT - RP93 - The 2019 Block 5 Pinot Noir is rich and savory, with dark, intense fruit and firm tannins. The wine lingers long after it is gone, and it seems due to the tannic structure that the fruit endures through it all. This Pinot has freshness and detail, albeit on a darker spectrum this season. It is elegant and firm, with clove, fennel and aniseed through the finish. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
| MHA 0068 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $185 |
GEORGEOUS - RP95 - The 2020 Block 5 Pinot Noir is a gorgeous wine, with nettles and flowers, woodsy spices and ductile tannin. This is a wine of power and finesse hand in hand, and I really appreciate the way it extends out through the finish. The subtle reduction notes that play out on the nose weave into the palate and contribute notions of forest floor, peat and fresh spice and emphasize the succulent register of fruit. This vintage looks eminently more impressive than the last time I tasted it, and I liked it well then. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
| MHA 0069 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $192 |
HORSEPOWER - RP94 - The 2021 Block 5 Pinot Noir is seductively floral, with a powerful undertow of fruit and tannin on the palate. The wine isn't in possession of the same cool-vintage nettles/chamomile/white flowers that abounds in the 2020 tasted alongside, yet here there is a cool succulence that is undeniably attractive. It's amazing how these wines evolve and change over the years. This is, like the other vintages of the Block 5 Pinot Noir, driven by a powerful thrust of tannic horsepower. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
| MHA 0070 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $170 | |
| MHA 0071 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 |
LOVELY - RP96 - The 2022 Block 5 Pinot Noir leads with a mineral fresh nose, layered with dried herbs, flowers, cranberry, goji berry, pastrami and white pepper. This is elegant and silky and quietly spoken, and I like the way the wine languidly flows across the palate. It's one of the gentler Block 5s, and today, it's all the greater for it. This is a lovely wine. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
| MHA 0072 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 | |
| MHA 0073 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 |
AFFECTION - 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 17751 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | SOLD |
| ACC 17752 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | SOLD |
| ACC 17753 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 |
WOODY - RP93 - The cedar-accented 2019 Cornish Point Pinot Noir matured 13 months in 30% new French oak, and while there is a woody thumbprint on the nose, the raspberry, black cherry and cola notes bleed through, making an even larger impression. Medium to full-bodied, broad and generous on the palate, this is marked by some dusty (but ripe) tannins, adding richness to the wine's texture in the mouth and on the lingering finish.
| MHA 0036 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 |
IMPRESSIVE - RP93+ - The 2021 Cornish Point Pinot Noir leads with poached strawberries, pink peppercorns, sweet roasted meats and black tea, with a hint of sarsaparilla around the finish. In the mouth, the wine is succulent and fresh. The intensity of savory characters introduced by the aromas serves only to feather the edges of the core of fruit in the mouth, while the tannins wrap right around it. Ductile and pliable. Lovely wine. Impressive. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
| MHA 0037 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $92 | |
| MHA 0038 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $92 | |
| MHA 0039 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $92 | |
| MHA 0040 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $92 |
BEAUTIFUL - JH97 - There's a sensual, heady aspect to the aromas on display this year. A little exotic soukiness to the spice profile with hints of dried rose petals, cold tea, meadow wildflowers, sandalwood, drying herbs, distant dried game meats and leaf litter and cocoa-powder suffusing through the ripe red and black cherry and dried raspberry/cranberry fruit tones. Wonderfully weighted and balanced just so with the purest of fruit profiles, a superfine, pillowy cloud of tannin and a bright mineral line. It makes for beautiful drinking now and there is plenty of space for cellaring complexity.
| MHA 0041 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $96 | |
| MHA 0042 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $96 | |
| MHA 0057 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $96 |
I LIKE IT - RP94 - The 2022 MacMuir Pinot Noir is here in its second vintage, a new wine in the lineup for Felton Road. On the nose, this is saturated in red fruit flavor, with pomegranate molasses, white and pink peppercorns, violets and sandalwood. There's a lovely flow to this wine; it has loads of flavor, but it is svelte, polished and gentle all the way. A sleek finish rounds it out. I like it very much. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
| MHA 0055 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $92 | |
| MHA 0056 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $96 |
CAVALCADE - RP97+ - The 2018 Coleraine is supple and silky. A cavalcade of red and brown notes tumbles forth across the palate, with pomegranate molasses, nutmeg, layers of cassis, bramble, mahogany and raspberry seed. The wine is incredibly fresh, and it's starting to offer notes of attractive development, albeit at a very slow pace. This 2018 today is the window into both youth and evolution; we can see where it started, in its fete of vibrant youth and energy, but we can also see where it is going, and both views offer pleasure. This is a superb wine. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
| TUR 0907 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| TUR 0906 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| TUR 0905 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| JMO 0272 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $89 | SOLD |
| JMO 0273 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $71 |
BLACK HEART - RP97+ - The 2019 Coleraine was the first year in a string of great vintages, a trio, or a hat trick, if you will. The wine is brooding and textured, with a black heart of berry fruit wrapped by savory spice. It pulses with blackberry, mulberry, black cherry, cassis, brunette tobacco, coal dust, graphite, licorice, star anise and cracked fennel. It's sensational. I love the personality of this vintage. It's black, almost midnight, and extraterrestrial in its expanse, but the thing is, it just tastes so much like Hawke's Bay. It is capacious and spooling and unfurling too, long, excellent and totally on form. It's tempting to drink these in youth, but given how gracefully they unfold over time, I can confirm that your patience (if you have any) will be rewarded. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under cork.
| TUR 0904 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| TUR 0903 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $90 |
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.
LOVE - RP98 - The 2023 Coleraine comprises 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. This cuvée is not made to a recipe, rather as a selection of the best from each vintage. In 2023, due to the weather induced by Cyclone Gabrielle, which landed in early February (the second or third), the strongest performer was the Cabernet Sauvignon due to bunch architecture, small berries, thick skins and, in this case, the low-vigor rootstocks and the chicory in between the rows. Te Mata invests heavily into research and development in the vineyards, which really assists in a vintage like 2023, which imposes challenges. The elevation in all aspects of this wine from the already tremendously impressive Awatea is significant. Here, the tannins have a finer grain, the fruit is more persistent and the package is far more integrated and seamless. With raspberry, iodine, crushed shells, nori, pressed flowers, new lead pencil, tobacco, bramble and cassis, it is magnificent. Raw cocoa and the gentle and subtle creep of game/gristle/blood and sweet marrow indicate its direction later in life. I love this wine. I think I write that every time I taste it. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.
PARTY - RP96 - Dressed for a party, the Bibi Graetz 2019 Colore celebrates the estate's 20th anniversary with a special commemorative (2000-2019) bottle. This vintage of Colore is 100% Sangiovese (the small part of Colorino in the blend we saw last year has been removed) because Bibi thought the Sangiovese elegant enough to stand alone. Fruit comes from three vineyard sites with 70-, 80- and 90-year-old vines, respectively. The wine offers big intensity and beautifully lifted aromas and more textural support than we saw in the slightly thinner 2018 vintage. The bouquet reveals balsam herb, cassis, pressed rose, garden mint and crushed stone. Fruit from the southernmost site, Poggio Matto in Casciano del Murlo (in the province of Siena), was blended in at a greater percentage to help build the structure and momentum of this cellar-worthy wine.
| LDE 0061 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $260 |
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.
| XNE 1085 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1019 | |
| XNE 1087 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1019 | |
| XNE 1089 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1019 |
PERFECT SPECIMEN - Museum Release - Never Retailed - Lux Storage - Classic Old School Barolo - Recorked and New label when exported - 1980's? cant find records - Rare & Special
| CAT 0013 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $556 |
ENORMITY - RP96 - Production was skipped over in 2007 due to extreme hail damage. The fruit that would normally be destined to Amarone went to the lower tier Valpolicella Superiore instead. The 2008 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta marks a return to a slightly cooler vintage with a longer growing season slowed down during the summer's moderate temperatures. Indeed, harvest was wrapped up during the first days of November. The blend is mostly Corvina, at about 60%, with smaller parts Corvinone, Rondinella, Croatina and Oseleta. The new Dal Forno winery was finished in 2008, complete with the unique vacuum-sealed fermentation tasks that help to avoid any intrusive oxygen during winemaking. Indeed, this wine is balanced and elegant with fruit that is still crunchy and very much alive. The tannins are firm and nicely integrated into the wine's thick, fleshy consistency. This vintage is characterized by a very elegant and graceful approach, which must be taken into context given the enormity of a wine of this caliber. Happily, there is no doubt that this vintage should still evolve steadily over time.
| TUR 0850 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $700 |
SHY - RP95 - This was an excellent vintage in much of Italy, but unfortunately the weather was not as pleasant in this specific area of the Valpolicella. The season saw a lot of rain, and a good amount of fruit was cut and left on the ground because it could not be used. Considering these difficulties, Michele Dal Forno tells me he is "more than happy with the results." I tasted the 2010 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta next to the 2009 vintage, and having these two wines side by side reinforces just how different they are. The 2010 vintages is sharper, more pointed and direct in comparison, and there is a tiny point of sourness on the close. This wine does not reach the same threshold for fullness, density or richness. It does come close. The wine's residual sugar measures between 5 and 6 grams per liter, which is normal for this wine, and the bouquet is redolent of familiar black fruit, raisin and spice. However, the wine feels a bit stuck in its tracks at the moment and is evidently experiencing a shy phase in its evolution. It has retreated.
| TUR 0851 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $380 |
BLASTED - RP98 - Generally speaking, I have reservations concerning the 2018 vintage that saw intermittent periods of hot and cold with some rain thrown in at the end of the growing cycle. The 2018 Flaccianello della Pieve blasted straight through any lingering doubt and is the result of a deft winemaking hand. This is a phenomenal and proudly confident vintage of the estate's top Sangiovese, which represents a blend of organic fruit from the best parcels. The wine's personality reveals brooding darkness and austerity, and these impressions are reinforced by savory tones of cigar smoke and earthy leather. The core of the wine is tight and richly concentrated with generous blackberry and plum. The velvety tannins are integrated but still youthful and grippy. You'll definitely need to give this elegant wine more time in the bottle. Production is an ample 60,000 bottles.
| LDE 0005 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $160 | |
| LDE 0006 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $161 | |
| LDE 0007 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $161 |
GORGEOUS - RP96 - The Fontodi 2018 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is simply gorgeous now and we should expect better things to come as the wine continues its bottle evolution. This organic, single-vineyard expression (with 29,000 bottles made) delivers impeccable balance and beautiful intensity throughout. The wine sports a developed fruit side that contrasts nicely against the spice and tobacco-like tones that come thanks to 18 months in French barrique and six months in botte. The 2018 vintage can sometimes be hard to read. For example, this wine offers sharp acidity but it also sees a 15% alcohol content plus lots of enduring sweetness and ripeness. The tannins are especially supple and sweet. I can't wait to try this wine in 10 or 15 years from now. Vigna del Sorbo hits the market in September.
| LDE 0054 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $100 | |
| LDE 0055 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $100 |
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.
| ACC 17757 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $149 |
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.
FLAGSHIP - RP97 - One of Tuscany's flagship wines, the Isole e Olena 2021 Cepparello immediately delivers ripe fruit flavors that are firm, even crunchy, and that bodes well for the future evolution of this classic vintage. The wine is packed with tart fruit flavors followed by balanced acidity. Compared to past vintages that are more extracted and dense, this edition is delightfully bright and transparent. I appreciation the age-worthy direction Cepparello is taking.
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. MUSEUM RELEASE
EXUBERANT RICHNESS - 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
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 0682 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $809 | |
| XNE 0683 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $809 | |
| XNE 0686 | 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 0687 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $614 | |
| XNE 0688 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $614 | |
| XNE 0689 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $614 |
CONFIDANT - RP95 - The Valdicava 2016 Brunello di Montalcino shows a subtle bouquet that needs extra time to open. In fact, I suggest you open your bottle about four hours before serving. This Brunello takes its time, but it inches over the senses with carefully increasing intensity. Wild cherry, toasted almond and even a touch of sweet apple or orange peel distinguish the bouquet. The tannins are firm and young, but all they need is extra time to evolve. This wine is like being introduced to a stranger who takes his time to reveal his personality, but who then turns into a true friend and confidant. Patience is required when approaching this 40,000-bottle release.
| LDE 0049 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $200 | |
| LDE 0050 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $200 | |
| LDE 0051 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $200 | |
| LDE 0052 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $200 | |
| LDE 0053 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $200 |
ETHEREAL - 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 - MUSEUM RELEASE
| XNE 2213 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $2449 | |
| XNE 2214 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $2449 | |
| XNE 2215 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $2449 |
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. MUSEUM RELEASE
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. MUSEUM RELEASE
| XNE 2820 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $2699 | |
| XNE 2821 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $2699 | |
| XNE 2822 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $2699 |
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. MUSEUM RELEASE
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. MUSEUM RELEASE
| XNE 0781 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1049 | |
| XNE 0782 | 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. MUSEUM RELEASE
| XNE 0825 | 1 HALF BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $89 | |
| XNE 0827 | 1 HALF BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $90 | SOLD |
| XNE 0828 | 1 HALF BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $90 | SOLD |
BEAST - RP96+ - The 2013 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin is a beast of a wine that’s shed most of the baby fat it showed from barrel. A normal blend of 60% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache, and the rest Syrah and Counoise, this tiny production release has incredible minerality to go with searing black and blue fruits, forest floor, smoked earth and leather. Full-bodied, inky, concentrated and backwards with a serious kick of tannin, it will need a decade of cellaring to be approachable. I suspect it will have 2-3 decades of longevity. MUSEUM RELEASE
| XNE 0472 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $749 | |
| XNE 0471 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $749 | |
| XNE 0467 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $749 |
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. MUSEUM RELEASE
| XNE 0478 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $749 | |
| XNE 0479 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $749 | |
| XNE 0476 | 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! MUSEUM RELEASE
| XNE 0927 | 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 0480 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $924 |
TERRIFIC - RP97 - The 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin is approximately 60% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache and 20% Syrah. Marked by scents of truffle and tree bark, great blackberry and black cherry fruit, plus accents of licorice and peppery spice, it's another in a line of terrific wines that have been made every year since 2009. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, it's velvety but tannic, with enough structure and intensity on the lingering finish to expect at least two decades of cellaring potential (but probably more).
| XNE 2796 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $914 | |
| XNE 2797 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $914 | |
| XNE 2798 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $914 |
GREATEST - RP96+ - The 2007 Vieux Telegraphe may be the greatest wine made at this property since the 2005 and 1998. Dense ruby/purple-tinged with an exquisite nose of salty sea breezes, licorice, ground pepper, jammy black cherries, black currants, figs, and plums, this is a full-bodied, rich, Provencal-styled offering with lots of sweet, ripe tannin. It is surprisingly accessible for a Vieux Telegraphe (this wine normally shuts down several years after bottling), but it should have great longevity (25+ years) given its power, full-bodied mouthfeel, and enormous length and richness. This is a brilliant effort from brothers Frederic and Daniel Brunier.
| HAL 0043 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $82 | |
| HAL 0044 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $82 |
SUPER - RP94-96 - The 2019 Cote Rotie Chateau d'Ampuis is a super example of this cuvée, which blends fruit from seven different lieux-dits (three on the Cote Blonde and four on the Cote Brune). Smoky, herbal and complex, with a solid foundation of blueberry and raspberry fruit, it's full-bodied and concentrated yet silky, elegant and long on the finish.
INTROVERTED - RP93 - Notes of chocolate, loamy soils, dark cherries, petals and spices mingle with carnal notes on the nose of the 2015 Hermitage. Full-bodied, rich and compact, it's deep and layered, framed by structured tannins enhanced by a solar profile with a slightly austere, firm character in the finish. Concluding with notes of licorice and meat, it's rather introverted at this stage.
| DON 0099 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $680 | |
| DON 0100 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $680 |
FULL-THROTTLE - RP95-97 - Chave continues to make a full-throttle, concentrated and unctuous Hermitage Blanc, and refuses to buy into the ridiculous trend toward making Sauvignon Blanc-like whites from this tiny, magical terroir. God bless him for that and there are few whites I’d rather drink than a mature Hermitage Blanc from this genius winemaker. Starting with the latest vintage and tasted from multiple barrels, the 2015 Hermitage Blanc will be a sensational wine. This rich, unctuous beauty has terrific purity and depth, with the classic concentration, extract and fat that’s the hallmark of the estate’s Hermitage Blanc. White currants, buttered citrus, toasted bread and hints of flower oil are just some of the nuances here and this beauty will deliver the goods
| DON 0090 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $360 |
WINESEARCHER - 92/100 - 7 CRITIC REVIEWS
| 136 0021 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar & Museum Release | Current Bid: $1472 |
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 |
CULT - ROMANEE CONTI Offspring - Domaine Prieuré Roch is something of a cult, minimal-intervention Burgundy producer with vineyard holdings throughout the Côte d'Or but mostly concentrated in Nuit-Saint-Georges. Wines are made from a number of designated appellations with Pinot Noir red wines in preponderance. However, the estate also has Chardonnay vineyards in the Côte de Beaune. The estate was founded in 1988 by Henri-Frédéric Roch – a member of the Leroy family and co-owner and co-director of the legendary Domaine de la Romanée-Conti since 1992. The "prieuré" (meaning "priory" in French) was appended by Roch himself. Prieuré Roch was established with just two hectares (five acres) of vineyards divided between four different parcels in Vosne Romanée. These parcels had, at the time, been sold off by Romanée-Conti in order finance the acquisition of a larger portion of the Romanée-Saint-Vivant site. The estate now boasts more than 14 hectares (34 acres) with a strong majority in Nuit-Saint-Georges. WINE-SEARCHER
| XPU 0172 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $374 | |
| XPU 0171 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $374 | |
| XPU 0170 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $374 |
CULT - ROMANEE CONTI Offspring - Domaine Prieuré Roch is something of a cult, minimal-intervention Burgundy producer ...The estate was founded in 1988 by Henri-Frédéric Roch – a member of the Leroy family and co-owner and co-director of the legendary Domaine de la Romanée-Conti since 1992
| XPU 0167 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $868 | |
| XPU 0168 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $868 | |
| XPU 0169 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $868 |
CULT - ROMANEE CONTI Offspring - Domaine Prieuré Roch is something of a cult, minimal-intervention Burgundy producer ...The estate was founded in 1988 by Henri-Frédéric Roch – a member of the Leroy family and co-owner and co-director of the legendary Domaine de la Romanée-Conti since 1992
| XPU 0173 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $274 | |
| XPU 0181 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $274 | |
| XPU 0180 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $274 | |
| XPU 0176 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $274 | |
| XPU 0175 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $274 | |
| XPU 0174 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $274 |
CULT - ROMANEE CONTI Offspring - Domaine Prieuré Roch is something of a cult, minimal-intervention Burgundy producer ...The estate was founded in 1988 by Henri-Frédéric Roch – a member of the Leroy family and co-owner and co-director of the legendary Domaine de la Romanée-Conti since 1992
| XPU 0182 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $499 | |
| XPU 0184 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $499 | |
| XPU 0183 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $499 |
OPULENT - RP97 - Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Angélus is a little closed to begin, soon blossoming into a wonderfully fragrant perfume of raspberry preserves, ripe black plums and chocolate-covered cherries with suggestions of Darjeeling tea, candied violets, spice cake and cinnamon stick with a touch of aniseed. Full-bodied, the palate is fabulously opulent, delivering mouth-coating black and red fruit layers with loads of floral sparkles and a seductively velvety texture, finishing with great length and tension. MUSEUM RELEASE
| XNE 2086 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $964 | |
| XNE 2084 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $964 | |
| XNE 2085 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $964 |
FIREWORKS - RP98+ - Sporting a deep garnet-purple color, the 2016 Angélus erupts from the glass with powerful notes of blackberry pie, ripe black cherries and juicy black plums with an undercurrent of star anise, rose petals, chocolate mint, pencil shavings and woodsmoke plus a waft of allspice. The palate is pure decadence. Medium to full-bodied, rich and generously fruited, this wine is by no means heavy—it positively glimmers with freshness and vivacity, lending an ethereal nature to all that richness and power, beautifully framed by velvety tannins and finishing with epic length. The generosity, layers and plushness make for an absolutely DELICIOUS drink right now, but I'd suggest waiting 3-5 more years for the fireworks to really begin. MUSEUM RELEASE
| XNE 2089 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1024 | |
| XNE 2088 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1024 | |
| XNE 2087 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1024 |
SEAMLESS - RP96 - The 2019 Angélus bursts from the glass with a rich, dramatic nose of cherries, licorice, sweet spices and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, layered and vibrant, its broad and velvety attack segues into a layered, concentrated mid-palate that's underpinned by tangy acids and fine, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. It's a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Its seamless, pure profile reflects the subtle shift chez Angélus away from the rich, toasty style of the 1990s and 2000s toward greater elegance and precision. MUSEUM RELEASE
| XNE 2090 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $984 | |
| XNE 2091 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $984 | |
| XNE 2092 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $984 |
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. MUSEUM RELEASE
| XNE 2093 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $874 | |
| XNE 2096 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $874 | |
| XNE 2094 | 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. MUSEUM RELEASE
| XSA 1977 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $416 | |
| XSA 1975 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $416 |
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. MUSEUM RELEASE
| XNE 0691 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $499 | |
| XNE 0692 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $499 | |
| XNE 0694 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $499 |
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. MUSEUM RELEASE
| XNE 2206 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $599 | |
| XNE 2207 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $599 | |
| XNE 2208 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $599 |
HANDSOMELY - RP97+ - Composed of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Haut-Bailly offers up a tantalizingly savory nose of smoked meats, chargrill, tapenade, unsmoked cigars and black truffles with a core of black currants, black cherries and wild blueberries plus wafts of iron ore and bouquet garni. Medium to full-bodied, very firm and yet wonderfully plush with a powerful core of fruit—this vintage is truly an iron fist in a velvet glove. The finish goes on and on with persistent earthy/minerally notes and savory/sweet fruit. Although it is tempting and indeed delicious right now, the wine still possesses many restrained layers and should handsomely reward the patient.
| TUR 0990 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $228 |
UNPARALLED - RP98 - 1990: In terms of the brilliant complexity and nobility of the aromatics, scorched earth, black currants, plums, charcoal, cedar, and spices, the 1990 offers an aromatic explosion that is unparalleled. It is always fascinating to taste this wine next to the 1989, which is a monumental effort, but much more backward and denser, without the aromatic complexity of the 1990. The 1990 put on weight after bottling, and is currently rich, full-bodied, opulent, even flamboyant by Haut Brion’s standards. It is an incredible expression of a noble terroir in a top vintage. While it has been fully mature for a number of years, it does not reveal any bricking at the edge, and I suspect it will stay at this level for another 10-15 years ... but why wait? It is irresistible now. Release price: ($1200.00/case) MUSEUM RELEASE
| XNE 2914 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $2799 | |
| XNE 2913 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $2799 |
MUSCULAR - RP97+ - The 2022 Haut-Brion, which was bottled in May 2024, lives up to the high expectations I had set for it and then some. Revealing a dense, complex and precise bouquet of dark berries, pencil lead, cedar box, rose and spices intertwined with discreet notes of oak, it's full-bodied, dense and concentrated, with a muscular chassis of tannins and an enveloping core of fruit that retains energy and purity, concluding with youthful grip. Given the inherent quality of the terroir, time is likely to be very kind to this vintage, allowing it to integrate and mature gracefully.
SHIMMERS - RP99 - The 2018 La Mission Haut-Brion is a blend of 53.5% Merlot, 42.9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3.6% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it emerges from the glass with a first wave of stewed black and red plums, mulberries and black raspberries scents, followed by pronounced notions of warm cassis, clove oil, violets and chocolate box, with hints of cast-iron pan, pencil lead and forest floor coming through after a few minutes. The medium to full-bodied palate shimmers with energy, delivering layers of red and black fruits with earthy and mineral sparks and a texture so satiny you need to remember to look for it, finishing with amazing vibrancy. This is so wonderfully evocative and singular, and yet it feels like its holding something back. It makes for an impressive glass right now, but give it a good 5 years in bottle to allow further nuances to emerge and expect it to seriously reward those who can wait a good 12-15 years, when it should really hit its stride.
| TUR 0987 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $503 |
BABY - RP100 - Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Latour is unashamedly youthful with bold blackcurrants, black cherries and warm plums notes plus nuances of cedar chest, aniseed, beef drippings, truffles and tapenade with a waft of tilled black soil. Full, concentrated and powerful in the mouth, it has a rock-solid frame of super ripe, grainy tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing very long and wonderfully minerally. Just a baby—this needs time!
| XNE 2881 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $3149 |
WOW - RP100 - The 2010 Latour is deep garnet in color, and—WOW—it erupts from the glass with powerful crème de cassis, Black Forest cake and blackberry pie scents plus intense sparks of dried roses, cigar boxes, fragrant earth and smoked meats with aniseed and crushed rocks wafts. Full-bodied, concentrated and oh-so-decadent in the mouth, it has a firm, grainy texture and lovely freshness carrying the rich, opulent fruit to an epically long finish. It is incredibly tempting to drink now, but I suspect this hedonic experience isn't a scratch on the mind-blowing, otherworldly secrets this time capsule will have to reveal given another 7-10 years in bottle and continuing over the following fifty years++.
| XNE 0800 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $2989 | |
| XNE 0802 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $2989 |
WOW - RP100 - The 2010 Latour is deep garnet in color, and—WOW—it erupts from the glass with powerful crème de cassis, Black Forest cake and blackberry pie scents plus intense sparks of dried roses, cigar boxes, fragrant earth and smoked meats with aniseed and crushed rocks wafts. Full-bodied, concentrated and oh-so-decadent in the mouth, it has a firm, grainy texture and lovely freshness carrying the rich, opulent fruit to an epically long finish. It is incredibly tempting to drink now, but I suspect this hedonic experience isn't a scratch on the mind-blowing, otherworldly secrets this time capsule will have to reveal given another 7-10 years in bottle and continuing over the following fifty years++.
| XNE 2880 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1424 | |
| XNE 2879 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1424 |
ACCESSIBLE - RP94 - The just-released 2017 Latour is surprisingly accessible by this estate's standards, offering up expressive aromas of crème de cassis, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings, burning embers and creamy new oak, followed by a medium to full-bodied, rich and layered palate that's fleshy and complete, with lively acids and a long, vanillin-inflected finish.
| XNE 2599 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1309 | |
| XNE 2600 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1309 | |
| XNE 2601 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1309 |
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 |
CAPABLE - RP92 - Tasted at BI Wine & Spirits' 10-Years-On tasting, the 2007 Chateau Margaux was just missing a little intensity on the nose compared to the other First Growths: scents of incense and iris, blackberry and tobacco, perhaps just missing the floral nature of other vintages. The palate is well balanced with supple black fruit laced with graphite and tobacco, fully matured but clearly with sufficient substance to last another 15-20 years. It is a capable Château Margaux, although frankly it does not put enough distance between itself and its Margaux peers, yapping at its heels. Tasted February 2017.
| ERI 0024 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $702 |
WONDERFULLY - RP98 - The 2009 Château Margaux is deep garnet in color and features wonderfully fragrant minted cassis, lilacs, Black Forest cake and oolong tea scents with touches of pencil shavings and dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied, it has a firm, grainy frame with lovely freshness lifting the perfumed fruit to a very long, mineral-laced finish.
| ERI 0025 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $1598 |
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. MUSEUM RELEASE
| XNE 0804 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $3824 |
CLASSIC - RP100 - The 2018 Château Margaux is composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, representing 36% of the crop this year. The wine has a pH of 3.8 and 14% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, it slowly unfurls to reveal tantalizing scents of crème de cassis, wild blueberries and Black Forest cake with hints of redcurrant jelly, rose oil, dark chocolate and cedar chest plus a touch of star anise. The medium to full-bodied palate bursts with opulent black fruit, fragrant earth and floral layers, supported by a rock-solid structure of exquisitely ripe, finely grained tannins and seamless backbone of freshness, finishing with fantastic length. This is classic Margaux at its most seductive, although it is, rather amazingly, approachable and absolutely delicious right now. But, to enjoy its full glory, you will want to cellar it for at least 6-8 years and then watch it metamorphize over the next 40+ years.
| TUR 0986 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $1164 |
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 2145 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1199 | |
| XNE 2146 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1199 | |
| XNE 2144 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1199 |
BRILLIANTLY - RP97+ - The 2022 Château Margaux has come together brilliantly with élevage. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of blackcurrants, blackberries, cedary pencil shavings and pen ink that are deftly framed by new oak, it's full-bodied, dense and layered, with a concentrated core of intensely sweet fruit, broad structural shoulders and a long, resonant finish. With air, it only becomes more voluptuous, yet that's controlled by underlying tannic grip to deliver a more classical profile than was apparent during élevage.
| XNE 3013 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1569 | |
| XNE 3012 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1569 | |
| XNE 3011 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1569 |
REVERED RELIC
| JAM 0003 | 1 BOTTLE Mid shoulder, severe label damage | Current Bid: $280 |
WEAKEST - RP92- Tasted at the Mouton-Rothschild vertical in London, the 2011 Mouton-Rothschild is probably the "weakest" of the releases between 2008 and 2012, although that would be unfairly disparaging what is a perfectly respectable, if rather unexciting Mouton. Here, it has those graphite and cedar aromas present and correct, the former a little more accentuated and with a light sea-spray note emerging with time. The palate is well balanced with cedar and a slight peat-like note infusing the black fruit, rigid in its youth but nicely delineated. As I discerned out of barrel, what it lacks is that peacock's tail on the finish, bolting out of the exit door before you have really got to know each other. Tasted April 2016.
| XNE 2785 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1374 |
BRUTAL - RP97+ - The 2022 Mouton Rothschild is one of the most muscular, almost brutally powerful wines of the vintage. Unfurling in the glass with aromas of dark berries, plums and sweet crème de cassis mingled with notions of espresso roast, pencil lead and petroleum jelly, it's full-bodied, dense and concentrated, with huge reserves of tannin and fruit. A blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot that represents 49% of the estate's production, this is a prodigious Mouton that's built for the cellar.
| XNE 3014 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1569 | |
| XNE 3015 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1569 | |
| XNE 3016 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1569 |
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. MUSEUM RELEASE
| XNE 2151 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $694 | |
| XNE 2147 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $694 | |
| XNE 2148 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $694 |
SENSUAL - RP97 - Thomas Duroux and his team opted to wait to pick the 2022 Palmer in pursuit of full maturity, taking advantage of the resilience of the estate's terroirs, and they have followed up with a brilliantly executed élevage that has retained pure, vivid flavors despite the wine's ripeness and unctuosity. Bursting with aromas of blackberries, crème de cassis, mulberries and violets, it's full-bodied, velvety and enveloping, with a sumptuous core of rich, fleshy fruit framed by sweet, powdery tannins, taking on more and more floral nuances as it sits in the glass. This is one of the Médoc's most sensual wines this year.
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: $224 |
OODLES - RP96 - A blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot aged for 18 months in barrels, 60% new, the 2015 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande displays a medium to deep garnet-purple color and is elegantly fruited with crushed red currants, black raspberries and cassis with touches of lavender, rose hips, tilled soil, fungi and charcuterie. Medium-bodied, finely crafted, remarkably pure and beautifully poised, it has a firm frame of very fine-grained tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing on a lingering mineral note.
| XNE 2535 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $574 | |
| XNE 2538 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $574 | |
| XNE 2536 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $574 | |
| XNE 2537 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $574 |
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. MUSEUM RELEASE
| XNE 2070 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $799 | |
| XNE 2071 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $799 | |
| XNE 2072 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $799 |
SOARS - RP98 - One of the wines of the vintage, the 2019 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande soars from the glass with complex aromas of wild berries, tobacco leaf, loamy soil, burning embers and hints of violets and rose petals. Full-bodied, deep and complete, it’s velvety and seamless, with a broad attack and a multidimensional core of lively, succulent fruit. Concluding with a long, expansive finish, it’s a remarkable young Pauillac that will offer many years of thrilling drinking. Congratulations to Nicolas Glumineau and his team, who are ushering in a new golden age at an address where standards were always very high. - MUSEUM RELEASE
DIVE - RP95 - The 2020 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is very demonstrative out of the gates, bursting from the glass without any coaxing to exhibit aromas of sweet cassis and blueberries mingled with notions of clove, violets and lilac. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and polished, with a seamless, charming profile that exhibits no hard edges, it concludes with a nicely defined, spice-inflected finish. It's a superb exercise in haut couture winemaking, even if, to my palate, the 2019 offers a deeper dive into the estate's D.N.A. - MUSEUM RELEASE
| XNE 2868 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $584 | |
| XNE 2869 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $584 | |
| XNE 2870 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $584 |
INCREDIBLE - RP97 - Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Pontet-Canet comes charging out of the glass with fantastically expressive notes of black cherry preserves, black raspberries and blackcurrant pastilles plus touches of kirsch, wilted roses, tobacco, camphor and cinnamon stick with a waft of fragrant soil. Full bodied, the palate is laden with black and red fruit layers, supported by very firm, very finely grained tannins and provocative freshness, finishing with incredible length and stunningly perfumed.
| TUR 0982 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $208 | |
| TUR 0983 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $208 |
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. MUSEUM RELEASE
| XNE 0844 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 | |
| XNE 0846 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 | |
| XNE 0850 | 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! MUSEUM RELEASE
| XNE 0840 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $354 | |
| XNE 0841 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $354 | |
| XNE 0843 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $354 |
SEEK - 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. - MUSEUM RELEASE
| XSA 2367 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $400 | |
| XSA 2368 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $400 |
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