| Australian | 2837 |
| Italian | 1219 |
| Imported | 676 |
| Burgundy | 573 |
| Champagne | 391 |
| New Zealand | 328 |
| Bordeaux | 296 |
| Rhone | 276 |
| Sauternes / Barsac | 231 |
| France | 139 |
| Chablis | 137 |
| Port | 78 |
| Spirits | 74 |
| Whisky | 60 |
| Total Lots: | 7315 |
| WENDOUREE | 2017 |
| D'ARENBERG The Dead Arm | 2007 |
| PENFOLDS Grange Hermitage | 1985 |
| ROCKFORD Rifle Range | 2011 |
| HOUGHTON Gladstones | 2003 |
| MCWILLIAM'S Mount Pleasant Mauri... | 2011 |
| PENFOLDS Bin 2 | 2012 |
| PENFOLDS Bin 2 | 2012 |
| ROCKFORD Basket Press | 2014 |
| ROCKFORD Basket Press | 2015 |
| PENFOLDS Grange |
| HENSCHKE Hill of Grace |
LIVING HISTORY - A great English Port house with origins in the 18th century, 1963 the legendry vintage against which others are compared - In the same family since release, waiting for an ocassion that never came
| SHI 0006 | 1 BOTTLE High shoulder, severe label damage, bottled in April 1965 - No Sterling insurance/shipping insurance for this lot | Current Bid: $85 |
GORGEOUSLY RICH - RP92 - Opus One's 1991 is a gorgeously rich, opaque ruby/purple-colored wine with a knock-out nose of smoke, cassis, vanilla, and a whiff of herbs and licorice. Full-bodied, with surprisingly supple, concentrated, chocolatey, cassis, and blackcurrant flavors that ooze across the palate, this voluptuously-textured example of Opus One is atypical in a vintage that produced so many backward wines. There is no question the wine possesses plenty of tannin, but it is admirably concealed by the copious quantities of concentrated fruit. This Opus can be drunk now as well as over the next 15+ years.
| GOG 0524 | 1 BOTTLE Corroded capsule, cellar damaged label - No Sterling shipping insurance for this lot | Current Bid: $336 |
ICONIC - RP96 - The iconic 2012 Proprietary Red Opus One is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 6% Merlot and 2% Malbec aged 18 months in French oak. A classy, complex, suave and savory 2012 Opus One, with notes of toasty oak and crème de cassis. This Pauillac lookalike, made by the staff at Mouton Rothschild, is a beauty. They have continued to strengthen the quality of wine and seem to have produced a brilliant, world-class wine. I imagine the 2013 may even eclipse this, but this 2012 is one of their great ones, with a seamless integration of acidity, tannin, alcohol and wood all present in this beautiful, full-bodied wine that should drink well for 25-30 years.
| XNE 1693 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $914 | |
| XNE 1695 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $914 | |
| XNE 1692 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $914 |
SOARS - RP98 - Very deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Opus One soars out of the glass with bright, bold boysenberries, warm cassis and ripe, juicy black plums notes, plus emerging nuances of lilacs, oolong tea, cinnamon stick, tilled soil and black truffles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with tightly wound layers of crunchy black fruits, supported by firm, grainy tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing with lifted fruitiness and on a lingering mineral note.
| XNE 1697 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $834 | |
| XNE 1698 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $834 | |
| XNE 1696 | 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 1700 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $759 | |
| XNE 1702 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $759 | |
| XNE 1699 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $759 |
ONE OF THE FINEST - RP97+ - Disgorged with seven grams per liter dosage, the 2008 Brut Rosé Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon is one of the finest wines I've tasted from Billecart in recent years. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of peach, mandarin oil, warm bread, red berries and petals, it's full-bodied, deep and vinous, with lovely mid-palate amplitude, terrific concentration and bright girdling acids. In what is quite a tightly wound vintage and from a house whose style is rather understated, this is a dramatic, fleshy wine that concludes with a long, flavorful finish.
PERFECT BILLECART STYLE - RP96 - The 2008 Brut Cuvée Nicolas François was disgorged during the third quarter of 2022 with less than three grams per liter. It has a delicate, pure, clean bouquet with aromas of orchard fruits, spring flowers, honey and licorice, with hints of brioche and pastry with aeration. Medium to full-bodied, chiseled and crystalline, with racy acids and a chalky texture, the palate is tense and the finish is long, penetrating and salty. It exhibits perfect Billecart style, yet tension is present, a sign of the vintage. It is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir (sourced from Aÿ, Mareuil and Verzenay) and 40% Chardonnay from Mesnil, Chouilly and Cramant, and it matured 83% in tanks and 17% in old oak barrels.
FULL BODIED, FLESHY & ENVELOPING - RP96 - Disgorged with eight grams per liter dosage, Bollinger's 2014 Brut La Grande Année Rosé wafts from the glass with aromas of tangerine oil, red berries, warm biscuits and English walnuts. Full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, it's a broad, vinous Champagne, with a deep core of fruit and racy acids, complemented by a delicate pinpoint mousse and concluding with delicate and enlivening phenolic grip on the finish.
| ACC 15505 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $299 | |
| ACC 15506 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $299 | |
| ACC 15507 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $299 | |
| ACC 15508 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $299 | |
| ACC 15509 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $299 |
BRILLIANT - RP98+ When I was tasting Bollinger's brilliant Grande Année in this vintage, I was trying to imagine how good the 2008 Extra-Brut R. D. would be, as the style of the vintage seems almost perfectly adapted to this cuvée. Four years later, we have the answer, and the wine is brilliant. Disgorged in 2022, it's more reserved out of the gates than the dramatic Grande Année was on release, unwinding in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit, orange peel, freshly baked bread, subtle hints of fino sherry, wet stones and macadamia nut. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with a deep core of fruit that's animated by racy acids and a refined pinpoint mousse, concluding with a bone-dry finish. Extremely harmonious and full of youthful energy, it's the finest R. D. of the decade and one that will richly reward a bit of additional age on cork. In style, the most obvious comparison is with the 1996, but the 2008 is more integrated and harmonious on release. These bottles were disgorged late last year with three grams per liter dosage.
FINEST - RP98 - Disgorged in September 2017 with 7.5 grams per liter dosage, the 2008 Cristal was produced from 37 of the 45 parcels that are candidates for inclusion in this cuvée—some 40% of which were farmed organically back in 2008—and it's a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. The finest young Cristal in decades, the wine wafts from the glass with a pure and vibrant bouquet of crisp orchard fruit, clear honey, warm brioche, citrus zest and white flowers. On the palate, it's full-bodied, intense and incisive, with superb concentration, racy acids and a long, searingly chalky finish. Pristinely balanced, there are some 500,000 bottles of this legend-in-the-making.
| HOL 0731 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $627 |
BRILLIANT CHAMPAGNE - RP96 - The 2014 Cristal is a terrific effort that transcends the vintage. Bursting from the glass with expressive aromas of ripe citrus fruit, nectarine, white flowers, freshly baked bread and subtle hints of honeycomb, it's medium to full-bodied, vinous and fleshy, with an exuberant core of fruit that's girdled by racy acids, resulting in a wine that's simultaneously chiseled and demonstrative, meaning that early appeal doesn't come at the expense of the requisite tension for long-term cellaring. Concluding with a long, aromatic and intensely chalky finish, it is a brilliant Champagne that will offer a broad drinking window. This bottle was disgorged in June 2021 with seven grams per liter dosage.
| ACC 15686 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $374 | |
| ACC 15689 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $374 | |
| ACC 15690 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $374 | |
| ACC 15691 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $374 |
BANNER VINTAGE - RP99 - A candidate for wine-of-the-vintage honors in Champagne, Roederer's 2013 Cristal Rosé is showing brilliantly, unfurling in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit, white flowers, red berries, stone fruit, freshly baked bread and tangerine oil. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, the vintage's bright girdling acids are amply cloaked in exuberant, expressive and notably concentrated fruit; so while this Cristal is as tensile and age-worthy as one would expect, it's also impressively fleshy and generous given the year. Concluding with an intensely sapid finish, the 2013 isn't as overtly structured as the muscular, tightly wound 2012: rather, it's the 2013's alliance of cut and flesh, precision and charm that's so compelling this year. This is another banner vintage for what I consider the reigning champion of the region's tête de cuvée bottlings, and it will be worth an effort to acquire.
| XBW 2827 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $824 | |
| XBW 2829 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $824 | |
| ACC 17626 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $824 |
STELLA WINE - JH96 - A stellar wine boasting an intensity of flavour, palate-staining levels of extract and a forensic precision to the tannins that forces one to swish the wine about the mouth while chewing every ounce of nourishment from it. Subdued at first, before 2019's ripe kit of black cherry melds with lilac florals and a long trail of pepper, Indian spice mix and charcuterie flavours. A venerable wine in the making.
| ACC 12312 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $249 | |
| ACC 12313 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $249 |
STUNNING - RP99 - Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2006 Astralis has stunning nose redolent of warm blackberries, meat, toast and charcoal, infused with notes of smoked duck, anise and a slight bit of peat. Though still very youthful, this big, rich, and powerful full-bodied wine has firm yet velvety tannins, a vibrant acid line and is very long on the finish. Drink it now to 2026+.
| 106 0888 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 | |
| SGW 0001 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $232 | |
| SGW 0002 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $232 | |
| SGW 0003 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $232 |
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.
| PHI 0048 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $251 |
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 0778 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $339 | |
| XWA 1251 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $339 | |
| XWA 1256 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $339 |
A BEAUTY - RP97+ - The 2017 Astralis Syrah is a very fine wine. It is not a big wine. Perhaps its reputation for being a big, extracted wine is a misnomer these days. It has intention and drive and clarity and length—and the length of flavor is so long that it allows reassessment over and over again. It has cassis and blackberry, raspberry pip and salted licorice. It is perfumed and balanced, and it takes time to develop. Unctuous. Satisfying. Supple. Attractive. Beautiful. Eminently balanced. A beauty
| XWA 1545 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $314 | |
| XWA 1526 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $314 | |
| XWA 1485 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $314 |
POISE CLARITY DELICACY - RP98 - If you could drink this 2018 Astralis Syrah all day, by god you would. I mean, I would. The oak feels imperceptible, which I discover is adapted depending on the concentration of the year. This 2018 was matured in 40% new oak, and you wouldn’t know it. The tannins are chewy and pliable, and the fruit that resides within it is striking. A wine of poise. Clarity. Delicacy.
| XWA 1549 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $429 |
WONDERFUL - JH97 - Deeply coloured; the bouquet is almost backward and is slow to reveal the intricate layers of black fruits that lie therein; time reveals succulent black fruits, minerals, fine spices and a touch of fresh garden herbs; the palate delivers a wonderful mixture of opulent fruit, savoury complexity, and silky fine tannins that persist for an incredibly long time; only at the very end do you get a glimpse of the fine oak in use; certain to be long-lived.
| 106 0884 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 | |
| 106 0885 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 | |
| 106 0886 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 |
VELVET - JH98 - Estate-grown, and co-fermented with 5% viognier. This is the iron fist in the velvet glove, the bouquet of glorious fragrance, the medium-bodied palate silky and prodigiously long; spicy red fruits dance around darker fruits, and the fine tannins have an altogether different feel to those of the other two '13 shirazs.
| ADS 0721 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $64 | |
| ADS 0720 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $64 |
BEST - JH98 - A co-fermented 94/6% blend. The hue is good, although not deep - pinotish. Tim Kirk nails it when he writes of a line of pure spice running through the bouquet and palate - I would simply add 'and the aftertaste' because this has superb length and texture, replete with red berry flavours. Clonakilla at its best.
| HKW 3869 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 |
FINE & CLEAN - JH97 - Dense impenetrable purple; fine and clean, yet concentrated bouquet with perfectly ripened fruit and subtle oak. The palate is similarly concentrated yet fine, with supple tannins running through dark red berry fruit (and echoes of dark chocolate and mint), giving the wine great structure and length.
| JAI 0069 | 1 MAGNUM Very high shoulder & capsule damage | Current Bid: $118 |
GREAT WINE - JH98 - 89% cabernet sauvignon, 4% petit verdot, 3% merlot and 2% each of malbec and cabernet franc blended after fermentation, hand-picked and sorted, destemmed (66% whole berries), wild-fermented in stainless steel, average 23 days on skins, matured in French oak (69% new) for 18 months. Right in the slot of the style established (with some polishing and refining) over the years. The complexity of the texture and structure is second to none, led by the born to rule cabernet. The might of the tannins is the key to this great wine.
| PHI 0045 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $95 | |
| PHI 0047 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $92 |
GOSH - JH97 - Diana Madeline. The name evokes a lot of emotions, for what the woman stood for then and what the wine stands for now. The 2021 vintage equals 50 years of cabernet sauvignon plantings at Cullen. When released in early 2023, it was on what would have been her 100th birthday. It’s a wine that can come from nowhere else, so strong is its sense of place. Expect to swoon over aromas of roses, violets and mulberries doused in baking spices, a ferruginous quality as much as detailed if persuasive tannins. It’s complex, complete and structured. Gosh, what a wine. What a woman. The perfect combination.
BEAUTIFUL OLD VINE WINE - The 2022 Diana Madeline is a culmination of over 50 years of dedication effort and respect for the land to make the best quality wine. The vintage was perfect for elegant cabernet sauvignon, with warm conditions early and then cooler conditions making it an epic vintage with reds ripening earlier than usual. Hand harvested over 5 biodynamic calendar days from 12th March to 16th March, three flower days and culminating on a full Moon fruit day when Venus and Saturn were in conjunction.
An average of 30 days on skins. The wine spent 14 months in 55% new oak. In a mixture of biodynamic barriques and puncheons. The final blend comprises 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 3% Malbec.The Cabernet Sauvignon vines were planted in 1971, Merlot 1976, Cabernet Franc 1976 and Malbec in 1978… beautiful old vine wine. Cullen Website
| ACC 16693 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $133 | |
| ACC 16692 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $133 | |
| ACC 16623 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $133 | |
| ACC 16624 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $133 |
KEVIN HEAVEN - JH96 - Even if this is a rich rendition full of white stone fruit, quince paste with pomelo dusted in ginger powder and daikon radish, it has the Kevin John thumbprint. And while all that’s all well and lovely, it’s how this feels that makes it special: a density of fruit yet succulence, fleshy and full with umami lees, this is pulsing with flavour and energy and the oak gives off a savoury appearance. As always, compelling.
| ACC 15908 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $134 | |
| ACC 15909 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $134 |
SPECIAL - PERFECT - JH97 - Five gold medals in the second half of '17 will have been added to by the time of publication. Mainly sourced from Wilyabrup, the wine has a special type of phenolic grip (not limited to white wines) that makes the taster incapable of doing anything other than swallow it (bad phenolics have the opposite effect). A special wine, with perfect fruit/oak balance.
| HOL 0720 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $51 |
MASTER & COMMANDER - Lead or follow
| ADS 0751 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 |
NEW WORLD ORDER - JUDGEMENT OF GIACONDA - Magnum Mayhem - Incredible opportunity, Priced to find the worthy
| LEE 0061 | 1 MAGNUM BOXED No Sterling insurance on freight for this lot | Current Bid: $560 |
NEW WORLD ORDER - JUDGEMENT OF GIACONDA - Magnum Mayhem - Incredible opportunity, Priced to find the worthy
| LEE 0062 | 1 MAGNUM BOXED No Sterling insurance on freight for this lot | Current Bid: $560 |
NEW WORLD ORDER - JUDGEMENT OF GIACONDA - Magnum Mayhem - Incredible opportunity, Priced to find the worthy
| LEE 0064 | 1 MAGNUM BOXED No Sterling insurance on freight for this lot | Current Bid: $580 |
LUCIOUS, INTRIGUING, STYLISH - JH97 - Hand-picked fruit, whole-bunch crushed, basket pressed, fermented in French oak (30% new), mlf, matured 20 months in an underground cave. The secret – if there is one – to Giaconda chardonnay is the depth of complexity achieved. It is a thing of wonder to get lost in, as you wander through layer upon layer of stone fruits, citrus and grilled nuts, almond cream, spice and then gently embedded oak. Luscious. Intriguing. Stylish.
| LEE 0067 | 1 MAGNUM BOXED No Sterling insurance on freight for this lot | Current Bid: $580 |
GORGOUS, ELEGANT, PRECISE, MAGNIFICIENT - RP98 - The 2022 Estate Vineyard Chardonnay follows hot on the heels of the perfect 2021 release, and in doing so, it has big boots to fill. Aromatically, the wine leads, as all Giaconda Chardonnay's do, with white flowers and notions of campfire and charred gum leaves, cracked white peppercorns and white peach, salt and caper brine. Crushed and salted nuts, enoki mushroom, shaved fennel, torched pink grapefruit ... the cavalcade of flavors march on across the palate. In this season, the wine is altogether more quietly nuanced and placid than the sleek, powerfully focused 2021 vintage. However, in so saying, this wine is balanced and fine, somewhat less overtly reductive (although still imbued with that salivating characteristic), populated by softer-spoken fruit and yet no less sapid or palate staining. It is in the mouth that the pedigree of the wine comes to the fore. The chalky texture and the penetrating intensity of flavor in combination are what make this wine so great, as I see it, and the 2022 vintage provides a gentle framework within which the wine exists. This is a gorgeous, elegant, precise and detailed release of this magnificent wine. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
| LEE 0075 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 | |
| LEE 0076 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 | |
| LEE 0077 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 |
EXQUISITE FINESSE - JH97 - From Lou Primavera's 2001-planted vineyard at Woori Yallock; 25% whole bunches on the clone 115 component, while clones MV6 and G were destemmed. Matured in French barriques (25% new). Wonderfully perfumed and vibrant with its aromas of cranberries, wild strawberries, a little Sichuan pepper, fresh citrus oil and musk roses at dusk. A wine of exquisite finesse and excellent depth, the tannins are very fine and long, as is the finish. This will provide much enjoyment over the next decade or so.
| ACC 15573 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $59 | |
| ACC 15574 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $59 | |
| ACC 15578 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $59 | |
| ACC 15579 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $59 | |
| ACC 15580 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $59 | |
| ACC 15581 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $59 |
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.
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 |
STYLISH - JH92 - Medium to full red-purple; a fragrant and complex bouquet with interwoven spicy oak and briary/berry fruit. A stylish wine on the palate with opulent use of high-toned spicy/charry oak; the oak level will come back with further time in bottle.
| GOG 0199 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $96 |
LIVELY & LONG - JH94 - Blackcurrant fruit with touches of mint and leaf lead into a medium- to medium-full-bodied palate; lively and long, it has abundant cassis and blackcurrant fruit, a touch of mint again apparent, but not excessive; has absorbed the new oak, and has very good structure.
| ACC 16936 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $206 |
HIGH QUALITY - JH95 - High quality wine; blackcurrant and cassis fruit leads both bouquet and palate; fine tannins and cedary oak add layers to the mouthfeel.
| 106 0898 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 |
AGE MAGNIFICENTLY - JH96 - Some of the vines for this wine were planted by Cyril Henschke back in the 1960s. Matured in French oak (10% new) for 18 months. Bright blackberry and blackcurrant fruits with top notes of redcurrant and red cherry. Olive tapenade, cedar, light briar notes and mountain herbs. Fine lacy acidity and tight, powdery tannin provide the frame, and there is no doubt that this release will age magnificently.
| ACC 16786 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 | |
| ACC 16787 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 |
RP93 - Deep brick color, the 1986 Hill of Grace is a well-defined nose of dried mulberries and kirsch with hints of truffles, menthol, earth and cigar boxes. Medium-bodied with good fruit concentration and plenty of savory, spicy layers of flavors, it has bright acid, medium-firm, grainy tannins and a long finish. It is mature. Robert Parker Wine Advocate – Lisa Perotti Brown – 25th April 2013
| NIK 0568 | 1 BOTTLE Into neck & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $680 |
RP 89 - The 1988 Hill of Grace is medium deep brown in color and replete with earthy and leathery aromas marred by a touch of rancio /aldehydic notes that seem to recover after a few minutes and show some treacle and Indian spice hints. It is an interesting wine, though just a bit flat and tired on the palate with of medium level chewy tannins, crisp acid and a good length on what remains of the fruit. It is mature. Robert Parker Wine Advocate – Lisa Perotti Brown – 25th April 2013
| NIK 0565 | 1 BOTTLE Severe label damage | Current Bid: $680 |
GENEROSITY - RP97 - Medium brick in color, the 1990 Hill of Grace has a very pretty core of cherry cordial, violets, dried roses, cinnamon stick, anise and a whiff of pepper. Medium-bodied, it has great generosity in the mouth balanced by a nice acid line and a medium level of velvety tannins through the long finish. This one still has loads of life and should easily drink through 2025+.
| SHI 0003 | 1 BOTTLE Into neck | Current Bid: $411 | |
| SHI 0004 | 1 BOTTLE Into neck | Current Bid: $400 | |
| SHI 0005 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder | Current Bid: $341 |
RP90 - Deep garnet-brick in color, the 1998 Hill of Grace has a medicinal nose of iodine plus warm plums, prunes, licorice and espresso. A bit hard in the mouth, it has crisp acid, medium to firm, chewy and somewhat astringent tannins through the long finish. Mature now, it should keep through 2020+. 2013 Lisa Perotti-Brown MW vertical tasting
| SRF 0007 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $528 |
GREATEST GRACE? - JH99 - The 60th anniversary of what is widely considered Australia's finest single-vineyard wine. Sometimes you've got to pinch yourself and ponder what a lucky existence this wine hack stuff is, sitting here in the Henschke cellar door having just tasted 26 vintages of Hill of Grace spanning back to 1958. Grace by name, grace by nature, it is an elegant, beautiful wine, tannin–acid architecture on point, the fruit depth is just stunning, dotted with five-spice, sage, pepper, charcuterie, crushed quartz and the most lovely, kinetic tannin structure. Finishes with great sustain, harmony and grace. Voluminous and complex, with amazing fruit density and just a complete wine. A classic!
RP98 -The Hill of Grace vineyard, in Eden Valley, comprises 13 separate blocks, six of which feed into the Hill of Grace Shiraz. The oldest block (0.56 hectares), known as "Grandfathers," was planted around 1860. The other blocks were planted in 1910 (0.33 hectares), 1951 (1.08 hectares), 1952 (0.7 hectares), 1956 (0.88 hectares) and 1965 (0.57 hectares). The 2018 Hill of Grace Shiraz was matured in a combination of new (20%) and seasoned (80%) oak hogsheads (83% French, 17% American) for 18 months prior to blending and bottling. On the nose, the 2018 vintage assists this wine in speaking clearly of its regional location: raspberry and licorice, coal dust, black tea and tobacco leaf. There are inflections of black truffle and bone broth, which always seem to emerge, however the wine is brighter and more focused than I have seen. It offers a beautiful, svelte display of fruit and tannin, with all things in harmony in the mouth. This is very long, as we would expect from the pedigree of this wine and the vineyard. It is concentrated and intense, sinewy, elegant and powerful—a wine for the future generation.
| ACC 15965 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $749 | |
| ACC 15966 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $749 | |
| ACC 15967 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $749 | |
| ACC 16426 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $749 |
GREATEST GRACE? - JH99 - Henschke has deemed the 2019 release 'a vintage graced by the nurturer', a reference to Prue Henschke's work in the vineyards and relentless pursuit of perfection in the viticultural field. I used to live on the property between Hill of Grace and Mount Edelstone and have seen first hand the hard work and love given to these vines, so hats off to the nurturer. Again, tiny yields in 2019, but it is a beautifully detailed, layered wine – as expected from these gnarled ancestor vines (160 years old). It's seamless with perfectly poised blackberry and dark berry fruits, five-spice, sage, softly spoken oak and the gentle tug of superfine, toothsome tannins. Lacy, mineral-laden acidity propels the wine forward and the finish is long, elegant and in perfect pitch. Grace by name, grace by nature.
RP97 - SUPER - The 2019 Hill of Grace Shiraz was picked earlier than the Mount Edelstone fruit, and it was picked on a single day, on March 8. This vineyard has more silt, and it brings out anise and five spice aromas in the wine. It ripens earlier than Mount Edelstone, is darker and more concentrated than the former and brings out the concentration of black fruit and fine tannins that the Eden Valley is so capable of. On the palate, the wine is super fragrant, elegant and fine, with bone broth and rose petals, peppercorns, crushed herbs, black cherry, raspberry pip, black tea and graphite. This is an eloquent wine, and it speaks of the evocatively beautiful place that is the Eden Valley. The tannins hold the fruit in a gentle way in the mouth. It is fine, such a fine expression—I must say, it's not at all what I expected of the 2019 vintage. It's a triumph of a wine. Super. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under Vinolok. Bottle number 0074.
| ACC 16640 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $841 | |
| ACC 16641 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $841 | |
| ACC 16642 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $841 |
POWERFUL & COMPLEX - JH92 - From Post Office Block 3, is reflective of the drought year, but in some ways to its advantage; very powerful and complex, the flavour ripe on the full-bodied palate, yet not tough. For cellar door (best customers) and fine retail sales. Shiraz.
| NEV 0118 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $344 | |
| NEV 0119 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $344 |
GREATEST - JH98 - Vivid, deep purple-crimson; this is a blue-blood aristocratic shiraz, certain in its supreme power, length and balance, and not going out to prove anything. If anyone doubts its quality now, the scales will fall from their eyes over the decades ahead, as it will be recognised by all and sundry as one of the greatest Mount Edelstones.
| WAY 0037 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 | |
| WAY 0038 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 | |
| WAY 0039 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 | |
| WAY 0040 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 | |
| WAY 0041 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 | |
| WAY 0042 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 |
GORGEOUS - JH98 - I lived on the property that lies between the Mount Edelstone and Hill of Grace vineyards for eight years. My god it's a beautiful part of the world. Planted in 1912 by George Fife Angus and purchased by Cyril Henschke in 1974, though it had been bottled as a single-vineyard wine since 1952. Picture perfect blackberry and blackcurrant fruits, shades of mixed spice, purple floral tones, earth, licorice, rosehip and crushed quartz. A gorgeous expression of site, pure with long, ripe tannins, lacy mineral-laden acidity providing clarity and drive and a finish that sails on for some time before finishing chalky and sustained
| ACC 16425 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $184 |
BEAUTIFUL - JH96 - Deep purple; a beautiful wine in every respect; purity of classic varietal fruit; texture, structure and length all perfect; fine tannins and integrated oak. Cabernet Malbec. Six Trophies
POWER & GLORY - JH96 - It is entirely fitting that this should bear the name of Jack Mann, for it has the power and the glory that he considered to be an essential part of any great wine. He went so far as to suggest that any such wine could be diluted with 50% rainwater, and still be enjoyable. I'm not suggesting that proof here, but this certainly needs patience for its distinctly austere tannin structure to soften and fold back into the deep well of blackcurrant fruit underneath it.
| ADS 0719 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $56 | |
| ADS 0718 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $56 |
IT WILL FASCINATE - JH94 - Truffle, leather and heightened blackcurrant aromas/flavours dominate all the initial impressions, marking complexity as a main driver at the expense of pure fruit power. This isn't the blockbuster you might imagine; the flavour profile too is exotic, if not downright quirky. It will fascinate fields of drinkers for many years
| PHI 0029 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $232 | |
| PHI 0030 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $232 | |
| PHI 0031 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $232 | |
| PHI 0032 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $232 |
SUPERBLY HONED – JH96 - The star of the Jim Barry show - it plays a different medley. This is superbly honed, brimming with power and depth, full-bodied yet there's a certain refinement too. Astonishing colour, all dark ruby and bright with purple tinges, the tannins velvety and savoury, the finish long. Every detail taken care of and the end result a complete wine. Surprisingly approachable, but built to last a considerable distance.
| XNE 1364 | 1 BOTTLE Museum ReleaseEx-cellar | Current Bid: $364 | |
| XNE 1365 | 1 BOTTLE Museum ReleaseEx-cellar | Current Bid: $364 | |
| XNE 1366 | 1 BOTTLE Museum ReleaseEx-cellar | Current Bid: $364 |
RESPECT - JH96 - The Barry team extracts the maximum from the vineyard with a deft (14.2% alcohol) touch. It's savoury, earthy, its tannins are four square and ready, charred meat in another channel. It's utterly original, whether or not the family thought they could match Grange. To know the wine you don't have to love it, but you do have to respect it.
| ACC 16564 | 1 HALF BOTTLE | Current Bid: $169 | |
| ACC 16565 | 1 HALF BOTTLE | Current Bid: $169 |
SUPERSTAR - RP98 - I thought that the 2014 had completely stolen my heart, but then there was this 2018 The Armagh Shiraz, bottled under Stelvin. This saw no American oak, as 2017 was the first year of 100% French. This is the first year with puncheons (no hogsheads) as well. It is so good, sensational, with a perfect fruit profile and orange oil character. It is fresh, beguiling, supple, intense, elegant, refined and full—all the good and important things in confluence here. It has 13.6% and matured for 18 months in 75% new and 25% one-year-old French oak hogsheads (300 liters) and puncheons (500liters). This is a superstar. The drinking window may be conservative—closure and winemaking could put this at 40 years with ease. And beyond.
| XSA 2162 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 | |
| XSA 2164 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 | |
| XSA 2163 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 |
PERFECTLY BALANCED - JH97 - While Kaesler regards vines over 40 years as old, this wine comes from an estate vineyard at Maranaga planted in 1899; striking crimson-purple colour, and has gorgeously pure blackberry and plum fruit, oak (French) and tannins perfectly balanced. Not fined or filtered. The one drawback is the choice of cork for a wine that would live for 50 years under screwcap.
| ADS 0741 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $65 |
GREAT EXAMPLE - JH97 - From the estate vineyard planted in 1899 at Marananga, matured in French oak (30% new) for 18 months, not fined or filtered. Full-bodied, but very well balanced, and has a purity, a strong sense of place to its black/forest berry fruit; the French oak, too, plays a positive role. A great example of the genre.
| XPU 0014 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $98 | |
| XPU 0006 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $98 | |
| XPU 0013 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $98 | |
| XPU 0004 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $98 | |
| XPU 0005 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $98 | |
| XPU 0003 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $98 |
BRAVO - JH97 - From the prime estate vineyard, planted in 1893, with an inimitable, Ralph Steadman label. The alcohol is 2.5% lower than that of the '08; it is beautifully supple, fresh and balanced, but retains the intensity, clarity and integrity of very old vine wine. Bravo. If only it had a screwcap.
| ADS 0724 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $122 |
GLACIAL PACE - RP95 - From vines planted in 1893, Kaesler's 2010 Old Bastard Shiraz continues to evolve at a glacial pace. It hints at raspberry and mint on the nose, then delves deep into dark chocolate. Full-bodied, dense and nearly fudge-like in its intensity and perception on the palate, it remains potent and long on the finish.
| ADS 0725 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 |
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.
| XLE 1063 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 | |
| XLE 1062 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 | |
| XLE 1061 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 |
SEAMLESS - JH96 - The fruit literally sings, appropriate given Leeuwin's annual concerts; white peach, nectarine and grapefruit are the s opranos, barrel ferment and mlf the orchestra behind, the result seamless but synergistic
| XLE 1066 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 | |
| XLE 1065 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 | |
| XLE 1064 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 |
SEA OF FLAVOUR - JH96 - Pale, bright straw-green; fragrant grapefruit, melon and white peach aromas, the oak subtle and integrated, are followed by an exceptionally intense and long palate, the alcohol lost in the sea of flavour.
| XLE 1070 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 | |
| XLE 1068 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 | |
| XLE 1067 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 |
FINESSE - JH96 - Still pale quartz-green; the finesse of Art Series Chardonnay when it is young is every bit as enjoyable as is the complexity it gains after six or seven years in bottle (under screwcap), its future still assured. We know that good bottles from the mid-1980s are still glorious, although most are now a shadow of their former selves. What we don't really know is how long the wines such as this live and flourish under screwcap.
| XLE 1074 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 | |
| XLE 1073 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 | |
| XLE 1072 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 |
PERFECT EXAMPLE – JH97 - Craftmanship of the highest order in the vineyard and winery have combined to create a perfect example with this wine. The intensity and power unwind effortlessly, but with multiple aroma and flavour messages from the barrel fermentation and subsequent maturation of the fully ripe, pink grapefruit and peach at its core.
| XLE 1077 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $244 | |
| XLE 1076 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $244 | |
| XLE 1075 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $244 |
SHEER PURITY & INTENSITY - JH97 - Bright yellow-green; the sheer purity and intensity of this wine is remarkable, even in the context of its imperious ancestry; it has its own flavour and tactile characters stemming from the perfect balance between the white peach and grapefruit flavours carried through the very long and detailed palate by bright acidity.
| WVB 0057 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $136 | |
| WVB 0058 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $136 | |
| XLE 1080 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $234 | |
| XLE 1079 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $234 | |
| XLE 1078 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $234 |
CHARDONNAY ROYALITY - JH98 - There is always cause to genuflect in the presence of chardonnay royalty, such as that of Leeuwin Estate. It imposes its will without a flicker of effort; the line between citrus and stone fruit, and between oak and mineral comes and goes, leaving you grasping at straws; it's a wine of flawless balance, line and length.
| XLE 1084 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $217 | |
| XLE 1083 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $217 | |
| XLE 1081 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $217 |
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.
7/10 - The 1993 Moss Wood Cabernet has a bright red colour, redcurrant, black cherry, and scented oak aromas with hints of chocolate while the palate is lively with vibrant, redcurrant flavours and an underlying earthiness. The wine is supple, has medium depth, fresh acidity and fine grain tannins. Although quite closed, it is surprisingly attractive young and has the structure, acidity and tannins to be long lived. We believe that although the wine lacks the glorious opulence of the rich, fruity 1976 or 1985 cabernets, it will develop richness with cellaring. We see the 1993 as similar in style to vintages such as 1987, 1979, 1984 and 1981: although clearly less tannic than the 1981 and richer and more complex than the 1987. However, we believe that it will prove to be regarded as better than those fine vintages. Moss Wood Website
| ADA 0004 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder | Current Bid: $72 | |
| ADA 0005 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder | Current Bid: $72 | |
| ADA 0006 | 1 BOTTLE High shoulder, slight label damage | Current Bid: $70 |
8/10 - The wine has lifted ripe, mulberry, blackcurrant and cedary oak aromas while on the palate it is initially soft and generous with impressive weight, intense cassis flavours with lightly earthy overtones, big but supple and well-balanced tannins on a long, lingering aftertaste. It is was surprisingly approachable on release and could be enjoyed for its intense fruitiness and power. We believe it will eventually be ranked with the 1991, 1990, 1985, 1983, 1980, 1976 and 1975 wines. - Moss Wood Website
| ADA 0007 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder, label damage | Current Bid: $63 |
10/10 - The 1996 Moss Wood Cabernet has ripe mulberry, redcurrant aromas with some violet overtones and hints of earthy, tarry, smoky characters. The palate is supple and fleshy with mulberry, redcurrant, chocolate, coffee bean and smoky oak flavours: it is rich and concentrated with a tight structure and strong, fine though firmish, tannins. Moss Wood Website
| ADA 0008 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder, slight capsule damage | Current Bid: $80 |
10/10 - Initially the nose is slightly closed, presenting a complex combination of red currant, tar and leather. After a few minutes breathing, the fruit aromas lift, adding mulberry and violets. In the background there is a scented oak lift of toast and black pepper-like spice. A classic “small-crop” Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon. Moss Wood Website
| ROW 0024 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $80 | |
| ROW 0025 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $83 |
10/10 - Nose: Very scented; red fruit aromas of red currant and pomegranate; dark fruit aromas of blueberry and mulberry; floral, ethereal notes of violets, spice, dried herbs and red currant jelly; a background of tar, liquorice, seaweed, earth and cedar. Palate: Immediate impact of vibrant fruit flavours – red currant, black currant, rich, long and generous; full body; great length and breadth; very silky tannin gives the wine density and concentration but with excellent balance and leaves a smooth texture; soft, tarry oak notes on the finish. Moss Wood Website
| ROW 0023 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 |
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.
9/10 - Colour is deep brick red, with good depth. On the nose the wine shows subtle perfumed aromas of redcurrant, raspberry and violets with hints of cedary oak and cigar box aromas. There is some oak showing as well, quite toasty but not too dominant. The wine is also beginning to exhibit some tarry and cigar box overtones, most likely a product of its 26 month barrel ageing. Moss Wood Website
| ADA 0022 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $140 |
STRUCTURED BEAUTY - JH97 - Moss Wood's flagship wine is a structured beauty with nothing out of place. The gloss of the colour, the florals, blackberries and mulberries infused with black olives, dried herbs and eucalypt; the French oak and the fine-grained tannins seal the deal. Very even and will reward the patient.
| GOG 0041 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| GOG 0042 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| GOG 0043 | 1 BOTTLE Slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $89 | |
| GOG 0044 | 1 BOTTLE Slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $80 |
GREAT - JH99 - Includes 5% petit verdot and 4% cabernet franc, hand-picked, destemmed, open-fermented, 14 days on skins, matured in French barriques (18% new). A luscious, plush cabernet, its voluptuous palate trimmed by dry herbs and foresty notes. A great vintage maximised by the thoughtful vinification.
| HKW 3935 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $96 |
MESMERISING - JH96 - From 51yo vines, 88/8/4% cabernet sauvignon/petit verdot/cabernet franc. Matured for 29 months in French oak (15% new). The 2017 vintage is responsible for cabernets of incredible poise and layering. This is not a thundering power piece, rather an intricately detailed and mesmerising wine, with fine folds of flavour: bay leaf, raspberry, star anise, sage, hints of fennel, pomegranate and pink peppercorn. This is pure, floral, pretty, and very long. Moss Wood has proven its capability for graceful ageing and this will be no exception.
| HKW 3936 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 |
ANOTHER GREAT - 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.
| MEM 0038 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $68 | |
| MEM 0039 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $68 | |
| MEM 0040 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $68 |
CLASSIC - JH95 - A vibrant, medium-bodied wine, with spice, pepper and plum in classic cool-grown mode; superfine tannins and exceptional length.
| JOH 0020 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $59 |
INTENSE YET BALANCED - JH99 - Hand-picked, wild-fermented with 80% whole bunches and 20% whole berries, 2-3 weeks on skins, matured for 18 months in French barriques (18% new), 280 dozen made. Wonderfully, tumultuously intense yet balanced, black licorice and herbal/foresty nuances all in play.
| ACC 16040 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $119 |
LUCIOUSLY - JH97 - Lusciously rich blackberry and spice; perfect oak integration; long finish. Best since O'Shea death in 1956.
| 106 0892 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 |
ROLLS ROYCE - JH99 - 'Arguably, one of the greatest red vintages in living memory', says Mount Pleasant. The flagship wine. Destemmed and crushed, short cold soak, open-fermented, matured in large format French oak (30% new) for 18 months. Has the gently throbbing power of a Rolls Royce; superb, deep crimson-purple hue, itself rare in the Hunter Valley. Countless layers of black fruits have absorbed the oak and put the undoubted tannins into limbo land. O'Shea would have died a happy man had this been his last wine. Dissecting it now is an academic exercise at best, so great is its future. This is as close to a 100-year potential as you are ever likely to find.
| STI 0382 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $103 | |
| STI 0387 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $103 | |
| STI 0388 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $103 | |
| STI 0389 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 | |
| STI 0390 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $103 | |
| STI 0391 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $104 |
BABY GRANGE 60th BIRTHDAY BONUS
| NIK 0202 | 1 BOTTLE Mid shoulder, label damage, corroded & damage capsule | Current Bid: $440 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0146 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine 2010 Clinic & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $800 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0148 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2016 & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $440 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| TAP 0007 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2000/2001, cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $260 |
PERFECT 21ST - PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2040 Medium-deep crimson. Fresh dark cherry/kirsch, blackcurrant and mocha aromas with graphite notes. Inky and seductive with smooth and sweet dark cherry and cassis flavours, fine satin-like textures, superb inky complexity and espresso oak notes. Finishes firm. A classic Bin 389 year with superb vinosity and maturation characters. “Expansive with highly floral aromatics, cherry and redcurrant fruits and spice cake notes. Gets better and better with air.” (JR) “A dark fruit profile with liquorice, lavender and cedar notes. Sinewy and finely tapered with gently gritty tannins.” (NR)
GRAND POTENTIAL - JH94 - 78% cabernet (Napa Valley and Sonoma) with 22% shiraz (Paso Robles). Matured 16 months in 60/40% 1yo/new American oak barrels. Peter Gago describes his entry-level ('if you'd call it that!') California blend as strongly Australian influenced, 'because there couldn't be anything more Australian than cabernet shiraz' He lets cabernet take the lead here, 'because it's so much better than shiraz in California.' The ultimate multicultural marriage, a far-flung take on the great Australian blend, exuberantly celebrating the luscious, ripe and generous mood of California within the signature scaffolding of Penfolds. A core of cabernet is proclaimed in impressive blackcurrant and cassis, with a fleshy mid palate built by the spicy blackberry fruit of shiraz. In time, it morphs triumphantly into intense fresh licorice straps. Fine American oak and fruit tannins unite to form a taut frame that declares a strong finish of great length and grand potential.
| SHA 0005 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $53 |
VERY RARE - VERY SPECIAL - RP99+ - The release of the 2004 Bin 60A following the epic 1962 Bin 60A is old news now, but the wine was looking very fine indeed when I tasted it so I thought I’d add a note. Blended of 56% Coonawarra Cabernet from Block 20 and 44% Barossa Shiraz from Koonunga Hill Block 56G and Kalimna Blocks 4 and 14, the wine was matured in 100% new American oak hogsheads for 13 months. Very deep purple-black in color, it offers restrained notes of game, smoked meat, earth, blackberry and black currant liqueurs, yeast, marmite-toast plus whiffs of dried lavender, cedar and bark. Very crisp, very tight and very firm, this taut medium-bodied wine is still all structure at this stage, going very long and earthy in the finish. Give it time and consider broaching it from 2014. It should drink well into the 2030s if not beyond. With a lot of changes happening around the Foster’s Group, it is business as usual at Penfolds…which seems to operate within its own world. But this is no small world. The vineyard holdings here are vast and the connections with growers go back generations. Chief winemaker Peter Gago is the very well spoken front-man for the production team backed-up Kym Schroeter in charge of the whites and Steve Lienert crafting some very fine, consistent and sometimes inspired reds. If Champagne is all about the art of blending, then Penfolds is the Champagne of Australian wine. Those that think large companies producing wines that emphasize blending can’t make great wines need to think about the Champagne model or simply try some of Penfolds top wines to become believers. That said – check out their recent single vineyard release: the very special 2004 Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon, the first release of a wine made purely from this 100+ year old single block (perhaps the oldest block of Cabernet in the world?) since 1996.
LOST LEGEND? - Rarer than hen's teeth - Regal lineage, Sibling to Bin 60a 1962 - Made to the highest standard - Value? Try and find another bottle
| ALC 0014 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder & label damage | Current Bid: $541 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0441 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2004 | Current Bid: $1280 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2030 Medium-deep crimson. Beautifully developed wine with blackcurrant, black cherry and ground coffee aromas. Richly flavoured with ample blackcurrant, cherry and underlying chinotto/cola notes, fine supple-yet-firm dusty tannins and fresh integrated long mineral acidity. Generous and vigorous in structure. Classic Bin 707. “A fine example of a mature Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon with its great complexity, length and balance.” (JH) “Cassis, liquorice, spice and tobacco aromas. Weighty, velvety and round with generous fleshy dark fruits and smooth dense tannins.” (JR)
| JAI 0031 | 1 BOTTLE Severe label damage | Current Bid: $200 | |
| JAI 0032 | 1 BOTTLE Severe label damage | Current Bid: $200 | |
| JAI 0072 | 1 BOTTLE Severe label damage | Current Bid: $200 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink 2025 to 2050 - Deep crimson. Intense chocolate, mulberry and aniseed aromas with herb garden notes. Generous, powerful and sweet fruited with ample mulberry and inky blackcurrant fruits, powerful fine tannins, attractive mid-palate richness, savoury mocha oak and integrated slaty acidity. Well-balanced with decades of potential. “Expressive wine with dark berry fruits and lifted incense notes. The tannins are totally in balance with the intensity and concentration of fruit.” (JR) “Chocolaty, expansive, deep and detailed with a fine, granular grip and long finish.” (NR)
| HOL 0723 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $470 |
PERFECT 70 - From the dawn of Australain dry red table wine - From the experimental Penfolds Grange days - Bin 80C is a close relative to the fabulously rare and legendary 1954 Penfolds Grange Hermitage
| NIK 0386 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 1992, label damage | Current Bid: $2880 |
FABULOUS - RP97 - It’s not known exactly when the Kalimna Block 42 was planted but there are suggestions that the vines existed during the latter part of the 19th Century. They could be the oldest Cabernet vines in the world, although the famous Metala Cabernet vineyard in Langhorne Creek was known to have been planted in 1891 so could very well pre-date Kalimna. Regardless, I’ve been there and the vines are truly old. Only very rarely does Penfolds release this as a single vineyard wine, when the Cabernet is so fabulous it can’t possibly be blended. The 2004 Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon was such a vintage. Matured in 100% new American hogsheads for 13 months, it displays a very deep garnet-purple color and profoundly earthy / gamey aromas over black cherry preserves, creme de cassis plus scents of leather, pencil shavings, Mediterranean herbs, black truffles, underbrush and black olives. The elegant, medium-bodied palate is tightly-knit and led by structure with a high level of grainy tannins, very high acid and a long earthy finish. Approachable now, it should continue to evolve and drink to 2025+.
| EDW 0002 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $500 | |
| JOE 0016 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $499 | |
| WAY 0082 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $460 |
RARE & SPECIAL - FANCY - Magnum with a story - Great gift
| ADS 0755 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $144 | |
| JOH 0075 | 1 MAGNUM Stained label | Current Bid: $134 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence - PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2060 Medium-deep crimson, intense blackberry, dried plum, grilled nut, shellac, walnut panforte, cherry liqueur and chinotto aromas with roasted chestnut and vanilla notes. Generous ripe blackberry, dark chocolate, panforte, grilled nut and shellac flavours with chocolaty tannins, mocha vanilla spice and oak notes with beautifully balanced acidity. Finishes chocolaty firm with plenty of mineral length and freshness. A decadent and hedonistic wine with extraordinary fruit density and attack. One of the greatest. 95 percent shiraz, 5 percent cabernet sauvignon. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and Coonawarra. Voted Red Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator magazine in December 1995. “A famous vintage and wine. Everything is laid out with infinite precision finesse and length. At the peak of perfection.” (JH) “Fresh, vibrant and voluminous with layers of cedar, spice and mulberries and underlying but animated tannins.” (FW)
PENFOLDS FOUR STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2035 - Deep crimson. Intense graphite, herb garden, mulberry and blackberry fruits with dark chocolate, mocha and liquorice notes. Ample blackberry, mulberry, redcurrant, sage and tobacco flavours, fine plentiful gritty muscular tannins and mocha/dark chocolate oak notes. Finishes brambly/gravelly firm with attractive sweet fruit. Generously concentrated with a balanced framework of oak and tannin. 94 percent shiraz, 6 percent cabernet sauvignon. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley and Magill Estate (Adelaide). “Vibrant and precise with exotic sappy, bitter cherry, redcurrant spice aromas, lovely richness of flavours, fleshy textures and firm tannins.” (JR) “Beautifully pitched red fruits, dry roasted spice, expensive leather and some warm earth. Perfectly integrated and proportioned tannins, acid and oak.” (NR)
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience – Drink 2035 to 2060 - Deep crimson. Fresh blackberry, mulberry,mocha and liquorice aromas with vanilla spice and espresso notes. Richly flavoured with plush sweet blackberry, mulberry, liquorice flavours, plentiful fine chalky dense tannins, grilled nut, mocha, vanilla, meaty complexity, superb mid-palate buoyancy, viscosity and integrated fresh acidity. Finishes chocolaty al dente firm. Still elemental in structure with amazing density and richness. A great Grange vintage. 98 percent shiraz, 2 percent cabernet sauvignon. Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. “Beautifully controlled and restrained with superb black fruit, graphite notes and compact tight porcelain structure. Will steadily reveal itself like a Fabergé egg.” (NB) “Full bodied, intense and unrelenting. Masterly management of tannins, oak and high-quality fruit make this an outstanding Grange.” (JH)
| MDW 0002 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $700 | |
| DAR 0002 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $632 | |
| EST 0001 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $704 | |
| EIO 0200 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $556 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience – Drink 2030 to 2080 - Deep crimson. Fresh blackberry, blackcurrant, red cherry, dark chocolate and mocha aromas with herb garden and star anise notes. Generous and supple with inky dark cherry, blackberry pastille and mulberry fruits, fine graphite textures, inky mid-palate complexity and fresh underlying mocha/crème brûlée oak. Silken, sinuous and beautifully integrated with extraordinarily restrained power and wonderful mineral length. Finishes with a firm chocolaty plume. Not as substantial as 2014 but more classic in structure like the Claret style first envisaged. Is it 1963 all over again? 98 percent shiraz, 2 percent cabernet sauvignon. Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley and Magill Estate (Adelaide). Voted Wine of the Year by US lifestyle magazine Robb Report in June 2020. “Dark fruits and dark chocolate bouquet with most attractive dark liquorice nuances. The tannins are civilised and settled playing a very supportive structural role.” (JH) “Inky deep with a sweet core of ripe sweet black fruits and coating, quite grippy tannins.” (FW)
| ADR 0009 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $507 | |
| ADR 0010 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $507 | |
| ADR 0011 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $507 | |
| ADR 0012 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $507 |
MOST DECORATED - PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Bin 95 - Rewards of Patience - Drink now. Medium crimson. Fresh and mature with parsnip, aniseed and slightly soupy miso and demi-glace notes with a touch of crushed ant. Developed gamey, roasted walnut, roasted parsnip, dark chocolate and leathery flavours, with fine loose-knit/sinewy tannins and long fresh acidity. Some dried roses and vellum notes. Still holding, but rare. 90 percent shiraz and 10 percent cabernet sauvignon. Magill Estate and Morphett Vale (Adelaide), Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley) and McLaren Vale. The most decorated Grange – winner of 12 trophies and 52 gold medals during its relatively short career on the Australian wine show circuit. Spent only nine months in oak. Named by US magazine Wine Spectator as one of 12 “Wines of the Millennium” in 2000. Bin 95 is the most common bottling and commercially available. Also released as Bins 13, 14, 53, 54 and 148A. “Still showing some cut flowers, mocha and sweet fruits but not a great bottle despite its fame and history.” (JH) shoulders, expansive tannins and slightly menacing snarl despite its flagging energy.” (NR)
| NIK 0555 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2018, slight label damage | Current Bid: $8000 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0340 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2016 | Current Bid: $4000 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0215 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2006, label damage | Current Bid: $2400 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence PENFOLDS FOUR STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink Soon. Medium-deep brick crimson. Intense roasted walnut panforte and hazelnut aromas with apricot, stone fruit, cedar and floral notes. Generous developed panforte and apricot flavours, sweet and plentiful tannins and underlying roasted walnut, grilled nut, vanilla oak complexity with integrated acidity. Finishes slightly leathery but chalky firm with attractive espresso and ground coffee notes. Just past its peak of development, although the elements are still aligned. Rare. 95 percent shiraz, 5 percent cabernet sauvignon. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, Magill Estate and Morphett Vale (Adelaide), McLaren Vale. Jimmy Watson Trophy Winner. Released as Bin 95 (also as Bins 69, 70 and 71). “Dried leaves, faded roses, liquorice and ecclesiastical smoke. Muscular firm in structure with the fruit fading away.” (NR) “Spice box, cedar and sandalwood. Tertiary on entry but the finish still carries delicate sweet fruit. Graceful and elegant.” (FW)
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0384 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label, Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2018 | Current Bid: $3200 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0554 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 1991, label detached | Current Bid: $2400 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0161 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2018, & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $1600 | |
| STO 0155 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2012, slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $1728 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence - RP84 - A blend of 90% Shiraz and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine was attenuated and compressed, with excessive tannin. The wine has medium body and a very hard, angular, austere style. It is fully mature, so cellaring is not going to improve it. RP 2002 TASTING
| JKN 0001 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2004, label damage | Current Bid: $1400 |
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: $844 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence - PENFOLDS FOUR STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink Soon. A sturdy Grange with surprising richness and muscular frame. Barnyard notes are now beginning to dominate but some good bottles around. 90 percent shiraz, 10 percent cabernet sauvignon. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley and Coonawarra.
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence - RP100 - Consistently one of the most awesome wines ever made at Grange, this blend of 89% Shiraz and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon (13.9% alcohol) was the first Australian wine to cost $20 upon release. I have had this wine six separate times, every time rating it between 96 and 100. It had a phenomenal showing at Penfolds' Magill estate. The color is an opaque purple, the wine massive, full-bodied, and to me, the quintessential Grange. Notes of blackberry liqueur intermixed with cassis, charcoal, new saddle leather, and underbrush resonate from the glass. Huge, thick, unctuously textured, with extraordinary concentration but perfect harmony among all of its elements, this is a prodigious Grange that is still not fully mature. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2020. A legend for sure!
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence - RP93 - A blend of 95% Shiraz and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, this was considered "a good wine from an undistinguished vintage." It certainly was outstanding in June in Adelaide, showing a terrific nose of blackberry jam intermixed with sweet earth, plum, brown sugar, and tobacco. Full-bodied, deep, rich, and fully mature, this layered, concentrated, very fresh wine even exhibited some espresso-infused chocolate in the finish. It should drink well for another 5-7 years. RP 2002 TASTING
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence - PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2030 - Medium-deep crimson. Fresh red cherry, blackberry herb garden aromas with roasted walnut, panforte and chinotto notes. Generous deep-set red cherry, blackberry redcurrant fruits, fine roasted chestnut and vanilla notes and fine chalky tannins. Finishes minerally and long with attractive tannin plume. Still looking fresh with unusual cherry, raspberry and kirsch notes. An atypical Grange but showing very well. 94 percent shiraz, 6 percent cabernet sauvignon. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, Magill Estate and Modbury Vineyard (Adelaide) and Clare Valley. “Luscious black fruits with a background of persuasive tannins. Very much moving into a newer Grange era.” (JH). “A chunkier atypical Grange with shaded fruit characters, mocha and caramel. Very much a wine of its time.” (NR)
| STO 0191 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2012 | Current Bid: $776 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence - PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2040 - Medium-deep crimson. Intense dark chocolate, blackberry shellac, hazelnut and herb garden aromas with cola, dust and graphite notes. Inky textured but substantial with developed dark chocolate, blackberry, hazelnut and crème brûlée flavours and red liquorice notes. Plentiful fine lacy textures, attractive inky complexity and extra-fine acidity. Finishes chalky with apricot and graphite notes. 94 percent shiraz, 6 percent cabernet sauvignon. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, Magill Estate and Modbury Vineyard (Adelaide). “Powerful and expressive with smoky dried cherry, blueberry, espresso aromas, superb richness, spicy sweet oak notes and fine persistent tannins.” (JR) “Lovely lifted spice nose and a graceful elegant palate with many layers of spice cake, mulberry, coffee and cocoa.” (FW)
| NIK 0122 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2006 & label damage | Current Bid: $608 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to past. At the end of its optimum life. Some bottles holding up with advanced maturity but fine sinewy tannins. Very rare. 90 percent shiraz, 10 percent cabernet sauvignon. Magill Estate and Morphett Vale (Adelaide) and Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley). The third and final “hidden Grange”. Released as Bin 46 (also Bins 49 and 95). The Bin 95 bottling was the most commercially available. Specimen - Very Collectable
| NIK 0567 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder & slight label damage | Current Bid: $8000 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0429 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2010, slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $1360 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| STO 0152 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds re-corking Clinic 1997, very high shoulder, slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $336 |
BEAUTIFUL THING - RP97 - The 2015 Kraehe Shiraz is a wine in stasis; it is aging slowly, albeit with mineral grace and poise. The fruit is intense, make no mistake, but it exerts a sense of balance and harmony over the palate and drags out through the long finish. This speaks of Marananga, it speaks of Shiraz and it speaks of Dave Powell too. It's a beautiful thing, this wine, and it has a long future in front of it, as all of these wines do. It's built for aging. And the 2015s are looking magnificent in 2024. The oak is charry and evident, but it works so well with the fruit. 15% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.
| XPO 0414 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 | |
| XPO 0368 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 | |
| XPO 0367 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 | |
| XPO 0363 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 | |
| XPO 0365 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 | |
| XPO 0362 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 |
SUPERB - RP97 - The 2015 Steinert Shiraz hails from Flaxman's Valley, and it's composed and fresh, spicy and vibrant. What a wine this is. Superb. The oak is starting to ameliorate into the fruit, and the fruit spools through the finish in tendrils and wisps; the curls of flavor fade like the smoke from a candle. Elegant. 14,.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.
| XPO 0672 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 | |
| XPO 0670 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 | |
| XPO 0671 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 | |
| XPO 0668 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 | |
| XPO 0415 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 | |
| XPO 0416 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 |
PERFECT 50TH - Magnums of Redmans Cabernet Sauvignon - From when Redmans Claret was King! Penfolds Grange was a rival!
| NIK 0507 | 1 MAGNUM Into neck & slight label damage | Current Bid: $160 |
AGE OF AQUARIUS - The time of sharing and Kibbutz Krondorf - Super Rare, old BP
| WAY 0075 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $192 | |
| WAY 0076 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $192 | |
| WAY 0077 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $192 |
RESTRAINT - JH94 - Medium-bodied; classic exercise in restraint; an array of black fruits on a long palate; fine, savoury tannins; minimal oak.
| 657 0001 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $132 | |
| 657 0002 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $132 |
ELEGANT - JH90 - Mid-garnet; surprisingly elegant and light-bodied; has good flavour and length, but seems a fraction under-ripe; better than the other extreme.
| 657 0003 | 1 BOTTLE Slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $144 | |
| WAY 0050 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 | |
| WAY 0052 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 |
A CLASSIC - JH95 - The brown glass, high-shouldered proprietary bottle gives the right message: this is a classic, gently understated Barossa Shiraz that will sail on for decades if the dubiously short cork permits. Drinking it sooner would not be a capital offence.
LAID BACK - JH92 - Good hue; made in the usual laid back Rockford style, deliberately traditional and thus a true reflection of the vintage conditions that invest the wine with some briary characters needing time to soften.
| 657 0004 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $150 |
NO SECRETS - JH95 - Medium red-purple; this is in the heartland of Barossa Valley shiraz style, the custom-made bottle a throwback to the 1940s; the bouquet is fragrant, and hides no secrets: silky, ripe tannins, abundant blackberry and spice fruit, and oak in perfect unison.
ARMCHAIR RIDE - JH96 - Deep garnet with a purple hue; this benchmark wine from an iconic producer is laden with vibrant purple and black fruits, floral notes, earthy complexity and well executed oak handling; the palate is juicy, direct and layered, with fine-grained tannins providing an armchair ride for the vibrant and plush fruit that is on board. This will age tremendously well, but many will enjoy it without giving it that chance.
| 657 0006 | 1 BOTTLE Slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $170 |
BREATH EASY - JH95 - Difficult season, but it's not a difficult wine. Fans of the label with some already stashed in their cellar can breathe easy. It's fuller in body than the season might have predicted, but more elegant than is usual for this wine. Blackberry, raspberry, coffee grounds, toast and vanilla fill it out, with herbs and peppers whispering through the finish. Tannin is the key: it's ripe, fine, marked by its finesse and yet determined to get its point across. Perhaps not a long-termer, but no doubting either its merit or drinking appeal.
| 657 0007 | 1 BOTTLE Slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $132 | |
| 657 0008 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $140 |
GREAT - JH96 - A great classic from a great vintage. At the end of the day, it?s all about the grapes that come from loyal growers who shook hands with Rocky O?Callaghan many years ago. There are no magic tricks in the winery, just attention to detail.
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.
| 657 0013 | 1 BOTTLE Slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $100 | |
| NIK 0419 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 | |
| 657 0011 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $108 | |
| 657 0012 | 1 BOTTLE Slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $100 |
PERFECT - JH99 - Quintessential Basket Press, bowing to no passing fad or fancy, the high-shouldered, brown glass bottle with Rockford Wines embossed on its base and the distinctive label that will never change because it's so perfect. It's a manifestation of the wine it contains, always very good, this vintage outstanding. I taste well over 5000 wines per year for the Wine Companion, and am never tempted to swallow during a day-long tasting session - well, this wine was the exception to prove the rule. Its balance, mouthfeel and silky purple and black fruits are perfect.
| 657 0014 | 1 BOTTLE Slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $162 | |
| 657 0015 | 1 BOTTLE Slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $160 |
FRUIT TALKING - 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
| 657 0017 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $125 | |
| 657 0016 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $100 |
PENNIES FROM HEAVEN - Rare and wonderful original unopened box of 2016 - First of the Lost to Fame vintages - 2015 Last Halliday review
| 657 0020 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $165 | |
| 657 0019 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $165 | |
| NIK 0422 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $170 | |
| 657 0018 | 1 BOTTLE Slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $130 |
LOST TO FAME - Too sexy for Milan, New York & Japan - Dont need ratings
LOST TO FAME - Too sexy for my car - too sexy by far - Dont need ratings
LOST TO FAME - I do my little turn on the catwalk - Dont need ratings
RICH - JH94 - The style is familiar – rich, plum-driven fruit, a toasty element, a creaminess to the texture – but there's a sinewy element to this release, aided and abetted by herb, twig and earth characters. This gives the wine a cooler dynamic, a less-is-more feel. In keeping with that, its best drinking days are likely to be in the medium rather than short or long term.
CHRISTMAS BLESSING - Year long GRACE
| 303 0228 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $92 | |
| 303 0229 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $92 | |
| 303 0230 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $92 |
SVS - RFR - Rockford for Royalty - Super Rare - Super Special - Too elite for common folk
| NIK 0404 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $400 |
SVS - RFR - Rockford for Royalty - Super Rare - Super Special - Too elite for common folk
| NIK 0547 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $240 | |
| NIK 0548 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 | |
| NIK 0549 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $240 |
SVS - RFR - Rockford for Royalty - Super Rare - Super Special - Too elite for common folk
| NIK 0551 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 |
SVS - RFR - Rockford for Royalty - Super Rare - Super Special - Too elite for common folk
| NIK 0402 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $360 | |
| NIK 0403 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $360 |
SVS - RFR - Rockford for Royalty - Super Rare - Super Special - Too elite for common folk
| NIK 0400 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $264 |
SVS - RFR - Rockford for Royalty - Super Rare - Super Special - Too elite for common folk
| NIK 0544 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 | |
| NIK 0545 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 |
SVS - RFR - Rockford for Royalty - Super Rare - Super Special - Too elite for common folk
| GOG 0670 | 1 BOTTLE Into neck | Current Bid: $220 |
PERFECT HARMONY - JH97 - The Rare Chance name came with the impact of the GFC that reduced demand for grapes, including ultra-premium that Rocky O'Callaghan snapped up, increasing production, thus allowing up to 12 months' bottle age prior to release. Vivid, deep crimson-purple, this is an outstanding Basket Press Shiraz, with fruit, tannins and oak in in perfect harmony, the price a fraction of what most who know the wine would be prepared to pay.
| GJ3 0037 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $176 | |
| GJ3 0039 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $176 | |
| GJ3 0038 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $176 |
ADORED - JH98 - Fraser McKinley's epic Dallwitz Syrah is again in stellar form with the 2022 release. Like everything Fraser does, the attention to detail is amazing, from vineyard to packaging. It hails from the Hoffmann vineyard in Ebenezer. A cask selection from DW-OLD (planted between 1888–1912), ER-27 (planted 1927) and DW-95VSP (planted 1995) with a 76 week elevage in Burgundian pièces. Perfectly ripened macerated satsuma plum, black cherry and cassis with blueberry lift; layered with exotic spice, graphite, allspice, pan juices, panforte, dark chocolate, plum conserve, violets, fennel and rich earth. Heady concentration and perfectly poised, with powdery tannins sporting a real sense of compression and singing clearly of their northern Barossa roots. It's a stunning wine. Much adored and sought after, and it sure is easy to see why.
| JIM 0078 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 | |
| JIM 0079 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 | |
| JIM 0080 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 |
VERY VERY GOOD - RP95 - The Sami-Odi 2020 Little Wine # 10 was made from 13 barrels of 2020, plus barrels containing 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015—24 barrels in total. "We’ve made two wines a year from the Hoffmans for a long time," says Fraser. "They’re blended at the same time, the following September (picked in February). They spend two winters in barrel; the oldest component has been on lees in barrel for six years." The older vintages that comprised the soft and cushioned base in the mouth is really important to understand—each of them as standalone components, so you can better understand it in the glass. There’s frisky life and edge from the concentrated 2020 and 2019 vintages, but there’s gnarled muscle and shaved meat, pure coulis fruit and dark chocolate, with clove, aniseed and fennel flower too. Good. Very, very good.
| JIM 0069 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $128 |
STUNNING - JH96 - Fraser McKinley has worked with shiraz from the epic Hoffmann vineyard since the wine's inception in 2007. The Little Wine is a multi-vintage assemblage from 2022 (49%), 2021 (23%), 2020 (11%), 2019 (8%), 2018 (1%), 2017 (4%), 2016 (2%) and 2015 (2%). As always with Fraser's wines, the fruit purity is stunning. Ripe, textural and spice-laden. Macerated satsuma plum, black cherry and blackberry, panforte, pressed flowers, dark spice, liminal mountain herbs and charcuterie. There is a beautiful flow and density to the fruit here, toothsome, layered and concentrated but fresh in the mouth with fine gravelly tannins as its base. Detail is the key here, the wine finishing long and true.
| WAY 0002 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $110 | |
| WAY 0001 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $100 |
ANOTHER CRACKING RELEASE - JH96 - A cooler vintage for Tolpuddle with some hen and chicken and lighter bunches due to a wetter-than-normal spring, before excellent ripening conditions for the remainder of the growing season. When compared to the '22 release there is a little more concentration on display. Vibrant, magenta-splashed ruby in the glass with aromas of dark cherry, plum and blackberry fruits with hints of crushed herbs, softly spoken vanillin oak, raspberry coulis, charcuterie board, purple flowers, bay leaf and stone. Rich and flowy with spice, herbal and floral tendrils weaving through the pure base layers of dark fruits. Textural and harmonious with finely crushed riverstone tannins and mineral line providing support and cadence. Another cracking release from Tolpuddle.
| ACC 17256 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| ACC 17257 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| ACC 17258 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| ACC 17259 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| ACC 17260 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| ACC 17261 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 |
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 | |
| ACC 17224 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $349 |
TOUR DE FORCE - RP98 - Who would've thought that in the context of Barossa Shiraz, the 2015 RunRig would seem like a relative bargain? It's certainly much less expensive than Grange or Hill of Grace will be when they're released. It's also more approachable in its youth, with enormously appealing aromas of grilled fruit, savory complexities and rich, velvety tannins. Of course, it's full-bodied and concentrated, with the stuffing to age for up to a couple of decades, and it has a long, licorice-tinged finish. Winemaker Ian Hongell, who joined Torbreck from Peter Lehmann, may not have made this wine, but he deserves a lot of credit for the blending and finishing of this tour de force.
| ACC 17213 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $339 | |
| ACC 17214 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $339 | |
| ACC 17215 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $339 | |
| ACC 17216 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $339 |
COMPLETE MASTERPIECE - RP100 - A blend of 98% Shiraz and 2% Viognier made just prior to bottling, the 2016 RunRig is a complete masterpiece. It kicks off with elegant notes of pencil shavings accenting blueberries and blackberries on the nose, then shows incredible, palate-staining intensity of fruit in the mouth. It's full-bodied, plush and velvety without being unstructured and manages to be fruit-forward yet savory on the long-lasting finish, where it picks up hints of mocha and black olives. This should be drinkable with pleasure throughout its entire two-decade life (it may live longer from cold cellars or in larger formats), but if I were lucky enough to have a bottle or two, I'd try the first one about 10 years out. Scheduled for June 2019 release.
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 17227 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $279 | |
| ACC 17228 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $279 | |
| ACC 17229 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $279 |
VORTEX - RP98 - The... how to describe this... it's like a kaleidoscopic vortex of midnight flavor (dark, dense, brooding and spicy), swirling tannins and endlessly plush length. The Viognier in this 2019 RunRig has been absorbed somehow, compressed by the warm, low-yielding vintage that birthed it. It has been pushed down into the reaches of the Shiraz, which is a very good thing, as its propensity for slinky-like bounce and spiral needs some limiting. This is insanely complex yet also balanced. Charry oak frames the wines from all sides, but like the gravity pull on the earth from the sun, the oak is drawn inexorably inward. Pretty impressive, but this wine always is. A beast unto itself, wines like this have few peers.
| JIR 0017 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $408 |
SUPER SENSATIONAL - RP98+ - This is the wine that people seem to lose their minds over, and just between you and me, I do understand that. It's one of a handful of super sensational Shiraz Viognier from this great country, and the ability of this cuvée to speak so eloquently of both the Barossa and its harmonious varietals is impressive to say the least. So is, while we're discussing it, the density and volume of the wine. On the nose, the 2021 RunRig is savory and meaty, with charry oak at the fore, backed by black cherry, graphite, dried rose petals, red and purple fruit, flowers and black tea. There is both detail and density. On the palate, the wine is both silky and huge. It's momentous, long and complex. It's like the volume has been turned up in every possible way, and what I know of sound mixing is on show here; it's a loud mix, but all the elements are perfectly in balance. And ultimately, that's what's up. Like Nick Cave, it's got it all, and it does it with conviction and intellect. It's a great wine, from a great season. Bigger than perhaps ever before. 15% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.
POWER WITH GRACE - JH96 - 100% shiraz sourced from the parishes of Gomersal, Krondorf, Marananga and Ebenezer, aged for 12 months in French oak. Glossy red purple in the glass with characters of ripe satsuma plum and macerated summer berry fruits, Asian five-pice, cedar, licorice and Old Jamaica chocolate. Fruit weight, purity and intensity perfectly on point here, tannins too, fine and long. There just seems to be so much packed into the wine yet everything is in proportion and true. Power with grace.
| ACC 17476 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 | |
| ACC 17477 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 | |
| ACC 17478 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 | |
| ACC 17479 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 | |
| ACC 17480 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 |
CHAMPION - JH96 - Shiraz from the parishes of Gomersal, Krondorf, Marananga and Ebenezer matured in French oak (40% new) for 24 months. This year's Factor sports an inky, graphite-led intensity of fruit and a sense of purity. Compression, too, with deep satsuma plum, blackberry and black cherry fruits initially feeling compact and tight before exploding onto the palate with substantial tannin heft and layers of dark spice, cedar, licorice and dark chocolate. While you could happily tuck into this tonight, it will cellar like a champion
| ACC 17194 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $114 | |
| ACC 17195 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $114 |
EXPLOSIVE - RP97 - Torbreck's 2015 The Laird boasts explosive aromas of Christmas spices, ripe plums, vanilla, hickory smoke and maple syrup. It's a big wine, loaded with fruit and oak, full-bodied, rich and velvety, adding hints of toasted coconut and cinnamon streusel on the long, almost dessert-like finish. For a more savory experience, age it a decade or so before pulling a cork.
| ACC 12298 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $549 |
CHARACTER - JH96 - From the 1893 Central (bushvines) and 1919 Eastern Vineyards. Medium-bodied, firm, great balance, immediately establishes itself - fruit, oak and tannins in a seamless line. Blackberry fruits are a pure reflection of Wendouree ripeness, oak and tannins holding their line in undemonstrative support. The savoury/earthy side of shiraz gives this wine its character, nodding to its foster father Tony Brady.
| WAY 0003 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 |
No Halliday Notes / Reviews?
| WAY 0005 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 | |
| WAY 0004 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $128 |
No Halliday Notes / Reviews?
| WAY 0006 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $140 |
PERFECTLY SHAPED - JH96 - This has a density, richness and ripeness, yet a beauty, too. Wafts of spice and Aussie bush aromas, with baking spices slipping through plums and blackberries. There's a buoyancy throughout, and bright fruit across the palate; the oak steadfast as a support and seasoning. The palate is perfectly shaped, fuller bodied, with expansive, textural tannins and acidity working in unison.
| WAY 0007 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $128 |
NO Halliday Review / Notes?
| WAY 0008 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 | |
| WAY 0009 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 |
STELLAR - JH96 - Fruit is picked from Wendouree's 1919 Eastern vineyard and 1893 bush vines. Shiraz in surround sound. A deep and brooding release with dark cherry, mocha, hazelnut, salted licorice and rosehip tea characters dusted subtly with spicy oak and, while inky and potent, set in a corset of lacy, crushed-rock tannin. While rich and rollicking, there's a sense of authority here, a wine that feels architectural and yet vividly fresh despite its earthier tendencies. Stellar in its composition, sense of interest and uniqueness while delivering structure, drinkability and vin de garde longevity. Strap in.
| WAY 0010 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 | |
| WAY 0011 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 |
FINDS ITS FUTURE - JH93 - All from 1919 plantings. A parcel of fruit set aside singularly. Roasted coffee beans, licorice, then blackcurrants with salted, preserved plum, turned earth, old campfire and choc-stout beer whiffs. The palate an echo of this with a grippy, twiggy oak element in the mix. Feels stern and firm, a bitter note in the wine, zesty-lemon acidity is noted here. More preserved, salted plum follows in taste with choc-mint, espresso and eucalyptus in tow. The wine lingers with a more vibrant, tart cherry character and sweet spice to finish. Tannins are puckering, grippy and stony. Not quite pleasure zone stuff yet, but stay the course as it finds its future balance and flourishes in cellar.
| WAY 0012 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 | |
| WAY 0013 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 | |
| JEL 0465 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $199 | |
| JEL 0466 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $199 | |
| JEL 0467 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $199 |
SERIOUSLY LOVELY - JH97 - The gold-bronze screen printed bottle is massively heavy, but makes the desired statement. The Pasquin Vineyard, planted for Wolf Blass Wines in '94-95 by Wolf's first and only chief winemaker John Glaetzer and Langhorne Creek legend Bill Potts. A 61/39% blend, it spent 18 months in new and used French and American oak barrels; it is a seriously lovely wine, the sheer intensity (and harmony) of the lush black fruits giving the palate energy and life from the start to the finish. A tribute to the man and the vintage.
| SHA 0013 | 1 BOTTLE Dented capsule | Current Bid: $79 |
BENCHMARK - JH98 - The Caley has quickly established itself as a benchmark for the classic cabernet/shiraz blend. In 2018, it's 80/20% Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon/ Barossa shiraz matured for 20 months in French barriques (38% new). The melding of both variety and region is compelling and captivating. Beautifully poised blackberry and blackcurrant lie sympatico with plum and dark cherry. Notes of cedar and tobacco with fine spices, gentle herbal tones, dried citrus blossom, pencil case and cinnamon. Picture-perfect fruit depth, powdery mineral framework and harmony in all aspects of its composition, leaving the impression of a wine at the top of its game and one destined for a long life in the cellar.
| SHA 0023 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $235 |
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.
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.
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 15470 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $99 | |
| ACC 15471 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $99 | |
| ACC 17185 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $99 | |
| ACC 17186 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $99 |
CONFLUENCE - JH96 - Since its first release in 1962, the Yalumba Signature cabernet/shiraz blend has shown a fine pedigree of cellar-worthy wines, and it looks like that bloodline will continue with the 2019 release. Deep, bright crimson in the glass and densely packed with ripe blackberry, black cherry, plum and cassis fruit notes on a bed of fine spice, licorice, cedar, dark chocolate, vanillin oak and light almond blossom tones. There's a wonderful tannin structure here, fine, compact and sandy, lending perfect structure to the pure black fruits. Nothing heavy or overblown, everything in its place, the confluence of fruit/tannin/acidity on song. Pop some in your glass or the cellar. You choose.
A CRIME TO SPIT - RP98 - The fruit for this 2019 High Sands Grenache is sourced from the highest plot on the estate, from old bush vines planted in 1946. This an incredibly complex wine that undulates and ripples across the tongue; it brings blood and ferrous, crushed quartz and pink peppercorns, poise and succulence, but never, ever heaviness. Weight: no. This has silken sway and lithe flow, but no heaviness. What an amazing wine that lingers and echoes through the finish. An emphatic, resounding, YES. In fact, I was almost done with this tasting note, and it occurred to me that there is also framboise, licorice, a hint of anise, salami and graphite through the finish. It's a crime to spit this out—so I won't.
| ACC 14748 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $174 |
WOW - JH97 - Wild fermented. Open tops. Extracted dutifully across a 21 day window. Foudre and eggs for 11 months thereafter. This is a wine of power reigned in by sumptuous tannins, like matrix dots doused with spice and teeming across the mind's eye. More southern Rhone than Gredos, often the inspiration in these parts. Moroccan souk. Goa trail blazing. Darker, danker fruits, clove and assertive tannins ... those gorgeous tannins, trailing the wine to prodigious length. Wow!
| XBW 3326 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $204 | |
| XBW 3327 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $204 | |
| XBW 3329 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $204 |
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.
| XBW 3630 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $239 | |
| XBW 3631 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $239 | |
| XBW 3632 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $239 |
A WINE OF DISTINCTION - JH98 - From the small block of shiraz planted in 1969 comes a wine of distinction, thanks to the constant fine tuning orchestrated by winemaker Sarah Crowe. Wafts of pepper, woodsy spices, iodine and florals end up mingling with the pure fruit flavours within. Ribbons of fine tannin grace the palate, as does gossamer-like acidity, holding everything perfectly in place and just allowing the finish to linger and impress even more.
| ACC 16032 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $179 | |
| ACC 16033 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $179 |
BRAVO - JH95 - Just 2 barrels. A labour of love. It is not easy to maintain varietal purity for viognier without it turning broad and oily. None of that here. It's almost delicate, with just a smidge of apricot and kernels. Infused with lemon, orange and woodsy spices, it's textural, but light as a feather across the palate. Bravo.
| ACC 16538 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $114 | |
| ACC 16539 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $114 |
YEARNING & YERING - JH97 - Co-fermented with 3% viognier, aged in French barriques (35% new) for 18 months. Deep, full crimson-purple; as any winemaker co-fermenting shiraz and viognier will tell you, increments of 1% or 2% can make an immense difference - the trick is to support the shiraz, not compete with it. Thus here the powerful, resplendent black cherry and plum fruits have touches of pepper and spice as well as that of the near-unseen viognier. French oak and tannins are in their due place.
| ACC 13962 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $119 | |
| ACC 13963 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $119 | |
| ACC 13964 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $119 |
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: $99 | |
| ACC 13967 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $99 |
SUPERSTAR - RP98 - The 2021 Coleraine is a superstar. It's the best I recall seeing on release in recent years, a total "pleasure-dome" situation. Tea tree, oyster shell, lavender, black tea and tobacco leaf burst from the glass. Seamless, polished tannins grace the palate. There is texturally more silk to the tannins here than the Awatea tasted beside this (another great wine, for what it's worth). There are notes of creamy red fruits, cassis and bramble, Asian five spice, black cherry and graphite/mineral skein. The persistence of flavor here is extraordinary; it's detailed and nuanced but insistent in the mouth. The tannins cup the fruit in the mouth. Winemaker Phil Brodie said there are no enzymes or added tannin; it's all from the vineyard. This is a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc. 2021 was left in barrel a little longer than the 2020 to refine the tannins.
| ACC 14744 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $79 | |
| ACC 14745 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $79 | |
| ACC 14746 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $79 |
OUTRAGEOUS - RP97+ - The 2022 Coleraine is laden at this stage with the outrageous attractiveness of youth. I mean, it's irresistible. There's raspberry, nori, rose petals, coffee grounds, star anise, salted licorice, sun-dried kelp/nori, warm pine (I know this smell because I was hiking around the Te Mata peak yesterday, and there was a fallen pine tree lying in the sun, and it smelled great) and layers of peppercorns. In the mouth, the wine is so fresh, so alive, with so much energy, but it already is showing the svelte line of this house, this place. With a hint of raw cocoa laced through the finish, I'm sad to push this glass away. It will be the last time that I taste it for a while. A ripper. Excellent. This is composed of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc.
| ACC 17355 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $104 | |
| ACC 17356 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $104 | |
| XBW 3399 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $291 | |
| XBW 3400 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $291 |
SPECTACULAR - RP94 - This is a slightly more subdued vintage of this legendary wine, albeit just as sophisticated as past editions. The 2014 Barolo Sperss opens to gorgeous aromas of dark fruit, wet earth and white truffle. The vineyards in Serralunga d'Alba produced much less fruit than average and suffered from bouts of downy mildew during the rainy seasons. But Serralunga d'Alba fruit is also harvested late, and that extra time was important for achieving grape ripeness targets. The wine presents depth and complexity within the context of a thinner vintage. Having said that, the bouquet is spectacular.
| LUC 0001 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $320 |
BEAUTIFUL EXPRESSION - RP96 - A pure expression of Sangiovese, the 2018 Cepparello is a beautiful expression that speaks to the classic and most exemplary side of this versatile and deeply expressive grape. This vintage is especially bright and ethereal with a true sense of luminosity and clarity that radiates from both the wine's appearance and its fragrant bouquet. Tart cherry and cassis segue to balsam herb and wild violets. To the palate, the wine shows muscle and determination with sweet tannins and impressive depth of favor. Cepparello remains true to its unique identity in this vintage. Production is 42,000 bottles.
| XSA 2178 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $144 | |
| XSA 2179 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $144 | |
| XSA 2183 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $144 |
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.
XUBERANT 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
RENAISSIANCE - RP96 - The 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano is darkly concentrated and among the richest wines in this series of single-vineyard Riservas. Montestefano is angular, textured and bold with dark fruit aromas, dried blackberry, toasted almond and cured tobacco. With this vintage, you get an age-worthy wine that offers brawn and power for drinking in the medium term, but it will become increasingly silky and slender with time. Dusty tannins and crushed stone appear on the long finish. There were 14,486 bottles produced.
| ACC 13935 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $149 |
EXUBERANT - RP94+ - One of the bigger productions (with 17,744 bottles) in the Produttori del Barbaresco's portfolio is the 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello. All of the Riservas in this vintage are characterized by especially exuberant and bold aromas, and this bottle is a prime example. Cassis, wild cherry, tobacco, rusty nail and licorice build intensity. The wine is tapered and silky in texture, but it also offers a good amount of power (and 15% alcohol) to carry it through the aging process.
| ACC 14206 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $74 | |
| ACC 14205 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $74 | |
| ACC 14204 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $74 |
RENAISSIANCE - RP96+ - The Produttori del Barbaresco 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà is another spectacular release from this cooperative winery that hits it out of the ballpark with each set of new releases. That impressive track record includes this wine that delivers extreme focus, depth and integrity. The bouquet is very clear cut with dark cherry, tart plum, spice and blood orange, but it is also complex and fluid. It offers new perspectives with each swirl of the glass. From a hot vintage, the Rabajà is smooth, powerful and balanced. I would bet on long aging for this bottle. 14,438 bottles were produced.
| ACC 13936 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $99 | |
| ACC 13938 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $99 |
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 2204 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $614 | |
| XNE 2205 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $614 | |
| XNE 2203 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $614 |
DECADENT - RP95 - Pale gold colored, the 1998 d'Yquem features a flamboyant, rock-star nose of allspice, candied ginger, honeycomb and crème brûlée with a core of preserved lemons, mandarin peel and musk perfume plus a waft of potpourri. Beautifully balanced in the mouth, with seamless freshness lifting the decadent sweetness (134.4 grams per liter of residual sugar), it culminates with fantastically persistent layers of exotic spices.
| XNE 1158 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $2199 |
PERFECTLY BALANCED - RP98+ - The 2005 d'Yquem continues to drink beautifully today, evoking aromas of honey, saffron, vanilla pod, apricot, jasmine and orange peel. Full-bodied, sensual and juicy, it’s medium to full-bodied, with a seamless texture and a perfectly balanced palate, finishing fruity and racy. Although still a little closed and in a rather discreet phase, it has magnificent aging potential, and readers with bottles in their cellars should leave them to mature for 10 to 20 years.
PRISTINE HARMONY - RP100 - In comparison to the 2010 vintage, the 2009 d'Yquem is more concentrated with a stunning "rôti," the consequence of noble rot in French. Developing a powerful, complex bouquet with aromas of pineapple, apricot, saffron, flowers, spices and orchard fruits, it’s dense and concentrated, full-bodied and layered with a crystalline texture complicated by notes of white truffles that reveal a racy, endless and a superb finish concluding with a pristine harmony. Readers with bottles in their cellars will have to be patient before opening this masterpiece with 155 grams of residual sugar.
| ACC 17192 | 1 HALF BOTTLE | Current Bid: $629 |
PERFECTLY CONTROLLED - RP96 - The 2013 d'Yquem is open and demonstrative, evoking aromas of apricot, saffron, musk, spices and exotic fruits, followed by a medium to full-bodied, pure and deep palate paving the way to a perfectly controlled power. The finish is animated with bright acids and a sappy, fleshy texture typical of Yquem’s clay terroirs, and while it may stand in the shadow of its Bordeaux vintage red counterpart, whose reputation has been somewhat wanting, this Sauternes deserves of praise in its own right.
PRECISE - RP96 - With 135 grams of residual sugar, the 2016 d'Yquem has turned out brilliantly in bottle, exhibiting a precise, harmonic, deep bouquet with aromas of mango, lychee, jasmine, exotic fruits, dry apricot and menthol. It’s moderately weighted and tense with a layered yet concentrated texture and a long, vibrant finish. Racy, charming and attractively complete, it distinguishes itself from its peers with its bright acidity.
SIMPLY STUNNING - RP97 - The 2017 d'Yquem is simply stunning, evoking both a minty and fresh bouquet with aromas of apricot, baked pear, saffron, honeycomb and flowers. Full-bodied, rich and seamless, it’s perfectly balanced with a beautiful bittersweet mid-palate and a long, endless finish with aromas of crème brûlée, salted butter caramel and vanilla pod. This blend of 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc contains 148 grams of residual sugar.
| XNE 1157 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1049 | |
| XNE 1151 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1049 |
HOMMAGE - 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
| ACC 10638 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $499 |
SHOCKED AT THE QUALITY - RP97+ - I was shocked at the quality of the 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin and I can’t think of another wine that comes close to this level of depth, concentration and richness in the vintage. Its inky color is followed by sensational notes of roasted herbs, licorice, caramelized meats and layers of black and blue fruits. Rich, full-bodied, thick and unctuous, hats off to the Perrin family for this incredible effort! Give bottles 4-6 years of cellaring and drink over the following two decades.
| XNE 0646 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $749 | |
| XNE 0648 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $749 | |
| XNE 0654 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $749 |
WOW - RP98 - As this was bottled only a week before I tasted it, I suspect this rating will prove to be conservative once a few months have passed. The 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin is another prodigious version of this wine. How many wines in this world can be so huge yet so lacking the feeling of weight? There's plenty of layered spice but also a core of raspberries; rich tannins, yet no real astringency; and a long finish without any apparent heat. Wow!
| XNE 0655 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $814 | |
| XNE 0658 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $814 | |
| XNE 0659 | 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 0666 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $924 | |
| XNE 0663 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $924 | |
| XNE 0664 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $924 |
SAY SYRAH LEGEND - LA LANDONNE - RP95+ - La Landonne is never destemmed and is always the last of the single-vineyard wines to be picked. Philippe Guigal calls it “the most Pauillac of the Cote Roties,” and the 2013 Cote Rotie La Landonne bears that out. It’s slightly austere and firmly tannic, with attractive floral aromas and layers of dark fruit that will require time to fully emerge.
| KEV 0012 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $492 | |
| KEV 0013 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $492 |
SAY SYRAH LEGEND - LA LANDONNE - RP95+ - While the 2014 Cote Rotie La Landonne looked like the pick of the litter from barrel, now that it's in bottle, it's closed down a bit and is showing more of its stemmy, whole-bunch character. Medium to full-bodied, it's the most potent and concentrated of the La Las but considerably less charming at this point in time, with brooding, dark fruit, hints of espresso and black olive on the palate and a chewy, tannic finish. Give it at least 5 years in the cellar before checking in on it.
| KEV 0014 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $417 | |
| KEV 0016 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $417 |
SAY SYRAH LEGEND - LA MOULINE - RP94 - The 2013 Cote Rotie La Mouline shows none of the vintage’s sometimes dry tannins. It offers crisp black fruit—plums and blackberries—underscored by hints of pencil shavings, espresso and grilled meat. Suave and long, it should drink well for a couple of decades.
| KEV 0017 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $442 | |
| KEV 0018 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $442 |
SAY SYRAH LEGEND - LA MOULINE - RP97 - Floral aromas accent sturdy notes of grilled meat and almost delicate notes of red berries in the open, approachable 2014 Cote Rotie La Mouline. Medium to full-bodied, it shows great purity and a supple, silky, classic feel. It's built more on elegance and complexity than power, with those floral, herbal notes leaving a long, silky impression on the finish.
| KEV 0021 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $417 |
OUTSTANDING - RP90 - While La Mission Haut-Brion’s 2004 is not one of this estate’s top successes, it is an outstanding wine, no doubt because of this extraordinary terroir. Deep ruby/purple with notes of lead pencil shavings intermixed with black cherries, cassis, and a hint of scorched earth, medium body, sweet tannin, and a good, but uninspiring finish, this attractive, mid-weight La Mission should age nicely for 15 or more years.
| EIO 0237 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $353 |
POTENTIAL - RP99 - The 2019 La Mission Haut-Brion unwinds in the glass with aromas of inky berry fruit, wild plums and cherries mingled with notions of warm spices, burning embers and creamy new oak. Full-bodied, deep and layered, it's rich and concentrated, with a deep core of fruit, bright acids and fine, powdery tannins. Powerful and tightly wound, this is less sumptuous and demonstrative out of the gates than its sibling Haut-Brion, but I suspect it possesses even greater potential.
| SIM 0001 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $600 |
PERFECT? - RP98+ - Since I gave this wine a perfect score, I suppose some could see this as a downgrade. I found everything still there for a perfect rating, but I was just struck by how tight and backward the wine was. A blend of 93.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, the wine still has a dark ruby/purple color and an extraordinarily youthful nose of graphite, black currants, sweet, unsmoked cigar tobacco, and flowers. The wine is rich, medium to full-bodied, but has that ethereal elegance and purity that is always Lafite. I originally predicted that it would first reach maturity in 2011, but I would push that back by 5-7 years now, although it has 50-60 years of life in front of it. Owners of this beauty are probably best advised to forget it for 5 years. Tasted next to a 1996 several days after the 2000 tasting, the 1996, which is a perfect wine, was far closer to full maturity than the 2000.
| BRA 0003 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $1440 |
INTENSE NOTES - RP95 - The 1995 Léoville Las Cases is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc. Medium garnet colored with a touch of brick, it needs a fair bit of swirling to unlock the intense notes of baked plums, dried mulberries and boysenberry preserves with hints of black truffles, Chinese five spice, unsmoked cigars and dusty soil, plus wafts of beef drippings and cast-iron pan. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers good weight and generous fruit, supported by plush tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with loads of earth, sautéed herbs and mineral-inspired flavors.
| 106 0957 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $400 |
SPECTACULAR - RP98 - The 2000 Léoville Las Cases takes time to unwind in the decanter and glass, but when it begins to show all its cards, the display is spectacular. Mingling aromas of dark berries and red fruits with aromas of pencil shavings, loamy soil, cedar box, bitter chocolate, dried rose petals and licorice, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a layered, complete mid-palate that's rare in this vintage, powdery tannins and a long, resonant finish. An uncompromising classic, even as it closes in on its 22nd birthday, the 2000 Las Cases remains an infant in terms of evolution.
| BRA 0005 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $472 |
ACHINGLY BEAUTIFUL - RP99 - The 2015 Chateau Margaux is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Medium garnet-purple colored, the nose features oh-so-seductive notes of warm blackberries, cassis and black forest cake with touches of forest floor, sandalwood, anise and cigar boxes plus a waft of lavender. Medium to full-bodied, it delivers taut, muscular, densely packed black fruits and exotic spice flavor layers supported by a very firm backbone of grainy tannins with oodles of freshness and a long, savory finish. It is tightly knit and a little reticent at this very youthful stage; afford it at least 15 years in the cellar, and it will open out into a classic Chateau Margaux of incredible proportions. Readers may be interested to know that this wine is beautifully packaged in a special commemorative bottle honoring winemaker Paul Pontellier, who passed away in 2016. The gold-etched black bottle bears the message, “Hommage à Paul Pontellier” at the bottom. This 2015 is an achingly beautiful swan song from an incredibly gifted winemaker, taken from us too soon. In my view, this alone makes this vintage more than worth the investment for the many lovers of history in a bottle.
| XNE 1571 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $3824 |
Magificient MOUTON ROTHSCHILD - 2014 Art offer with David Hockney gracing the label - RP95 - The 2014 Mouton-Rothschild was closed at first when I tasted the wine in bottle with winemaker Philippe Dhalluin. But as it transpires, this First Growth is just toying with you. Initially quite understated, it responds to aeration like a young child peeking from around a corner and then running out, waving its hands. It suddenly hits you with gorgeous black cherries, bilberry, cedar and wilted rose petal. The palate is medium-bodied with a silky smooth entry. This is utterly seductive: a wine without a hair out of place. It is not as powerful or as complex as the 2015 Mouton-Rothschild, yet the precision and focus here is beguiling. It will require five to seven years to absorb the 100% new oak, then it will be an utterly delicious and to use a term employed at en primeur, "cerebral" First Growth that is destined to give two or three decades of pleasure.
| DCH 0002 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $952 |
MILLIONIARE - RP87 - Given the past performance of Petrus in vintages such as 1980 and 1984, I would not be surprised to see the rating of the 1987 go up three or four points in 5-6 years. This is one of the most backward and full-bodied wines of the vintage, with a tremendous amount of tannic clout, yet excellent underlying power and body. The problem is that it is impossibly closed, almost impenetrable, suggesting that my score may be entirely too conservative. If you are a millionaire who wants to buy wine for a child born in 1987, this wine will still be in reasonable condition by the time he or she turns 21. Anticipated maturity: Now-2010. Last tasted, 11/90.
| HEN 0001 | 1 BOTTLE Into neck, slight label damage | Current Bid: $1960 |
DEEP, UNCTUOUSLY TEXTURED - RP97 - It is hard to call Petrus a “sleeper of the vintage,” but the 2008 will merit more attention than most consumers would think. Low yields of 30 hectoliters per hectare resulted in only 25,000 bottles of this beauty. A wine of great intensity (possibly the most concentrated wine of the vintage), this 100% Merlot boasts a dark purple color as well as a sweet perfume of mocha, caramel, black cherries, black currants, earth and forest floor. Deep, unctuously textured, full-bodied and pure, it will benefit from 4-5 years of cellaring and should drink well for 25-30+ years.
| MIR 0299 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $4929 | |
| MIR 0300 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $4929 | |
| MIR 0301 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $4929 | |
| MIR 0302 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $4929 |
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: $345 |
HARMONOUS & TENSILE - RP94 - Tasted at the property, the 2006 Château Pichon-Lalande has a voluminous bouquet with outgoing blackberry, cassis and violets scents, a touch of boysenberry jam tucked just underneath, although it does not quite have the delineation of the Lynch Bages. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. This feels very composed in the mouth, quite fresh with well-judged acidity, harmonious and tensile on the finish. This deserves a higher score than I awarded out of barrel and it continues to improve year by year. Tasted April 2016.
| 131 0085 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $296 | |
| 131 0086 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $296 |
The Hill of Grace Market