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- Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2022$29. 99Bottle$359.88 Dozen
This is the most comprehensive and thoroughly researched guide to the world’s whiskies ever produced. Honest, forthright and proudly independent, Jim Murray has, for this 19th edition, tasted and rated over 4,300 whiskies, shedding light on more than 1,800 Scottish single malts, nearly 400 blended Scotches and in excess of 900 American whiskies.
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- Limit One per customer
2011 Ardbeg Single Cask No.2323 Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)Islay, SCOTLAND$2499. 00Bottle$29988.00 DozenABV: 58.2%Exclusively allocated to Ardbeg embassies with just 304 bottles available globally. This is one for the lucky few.
Considering the cult following Ardbeg has developed over the last few decades, it's almost unbelievable to think that the distillery was closed on and off for fifteen years until 1996, when it was purchased by Glenmorangie. Part of the huge upsurge in popularity has been driven by a steady stream of new releases, targeting both drinkers and collectors. The latest super-premium addition is this all-natural expression matured in a first-fill x-Cote Rotie wine cask, sourced from the Northern Rhone Valley in France (the exact estate is not disclosed). Filled on the 22nd August 2011 and bottled on the 28th of July 2020 exclusively for Ardbeg embassies around the world, cask #2323 is also reported to be one of the last to be signed by Distillery Manager, Mickey Heads before retiring. The new Manager, Colin Gordon is set to take over the helm and drive the company forward to even greater success. Instantly snapped up in global markets, this is certain to show considerable future upside for ardent investors and promises a full-throttle Islay tasting experience. Official notes by Dr Bill Lumsden below.
Notes from the producers... Nose – Deep, pungent and salty, with medicinal notes, dark chocolate, brambly fruit and the tiniest hint of vanilla. A splash of water brings out a flinty minerality, along with pungent floral notes like narcissus or lilies. As the bouquet continues to open up, the classic, smoky Ardbeg character starts to build. Palate – The mouthfeel is full and rounded. The primary flavour is bold and svaoury, with deep peat smoke, a curious rubbery note, and the suggestion of smoked cocoa powder. There is a soft oiliness throughout, with crunchy oak tannins and a touch of clove and nutmeg. The aftertaste lingers with salted peanuts, dark chocolate cream and a touch of coal tar. Non chill filtered. 58.2% Alc./Vol. Strictly limited to one bottle per customer.
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- Biodynamic
2019 Clemens Busch Marienburg Riesling AusleseMosel, GERMANY$145. 00Bottle$1740.00 DozenABV: 7.5%Closure: CorkClemens and Rita Busch are one of the pioneering organic, and now biodynamic, producers working in Germany. As the fifth generation winemaker at this estate, Clemens stopped using herbicides in 1976, then in 1984 he and wife Rita converted to organics. They were among the first in Germany to commit to organic viticulture and led the movement establishing an association of organic growers in 1986. The estate converted to biodynamics entirely in 2005, earning certifications from the EU and Respekt-Biodyn.
Based in Pünderich, almost all of the vines they work are on the slopes of the Marienburg, and unique for the Mosel, feature parcels planted on the three main colours of slate; blue, red, and grey. In the winery Clemens works with wild yeasts, and ferments mostly in very old 1000-litre barrels. Nothing is added to the wines at any stage, apart from a touch of sulphur at bottling. Most of the wines at the Busch estate are vinified dry, and they are rich, complex and often powerful. They age very beautifully, gaining in complexity and texture. However, the sweet and noble sweet wines from the estate are also impressive, ranking among the finest wines made anywhere on the Mosel.
- Coravin Sparkling CO2 Capsules 6pk$84. 99Bottle$1019.88 Dozen
Coravin Pure™ Sparkling CO2 Capsules power your Coravin Sparkling™ System. These replacement Capsules are filled with pure CO2, the same gas that creates bubbles in sparkling wine, to preserve its taste and effervescence for up to 4 weeks. Each Capsule preserves up to 7 standard bottles of sparkling wine.
Only compatible with the Coravin Sparkling™ Sparkling Wine Preservation System.
- Coravin Sparkling Stoppers 2pk$154. 99Bottle$1859.88 Dozen
Additional Coravin Sparkling™ Stoppers allow you to preserve even more bottles with your Coravin Sparkling™ System, so you will never have to pick between your favorite champagnes or other sparkling wines. Sparkling Stoppers fit on all standard sparkling wine bottles, up to magnums.
Only compatible with the Coravin Sparkling™ Sparkling Wine Preservation System.
- Coravin Sparkling Unit$699. 00Bottle$8388.00 Dozen
Coravin Sparkling™ is the sparkling wine preservation system that allows you to open a bottle one weekend, then finish it at brunch the next. Whether it’s a pre-dinner glass of bubbly, celebrating the end of a long day, or kicking off the weekend, now you can pop any bottle of sparkling wine without hesitation. The Coravin Sparkling™ Sparkling Wine Preservation System preserves the crisp flavor and effervescence of your favorite sparkling wines for up to 4 weeks, guaranteeing that the last glass will taste just as amazing as the first.
This pack contains:
Coravin Sparkling™ Charger
2 x Coravin Sparkling™ Stoppers
4 x Coravin Pure™ Sparkling CO2 Capsules
- 1993 Maison Leroy Saint-Aubin RougeBurgundy, FRANCE$1899. 00Bottle$22788.00 DozenABV: 13%Closure: Cork
Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy started out as a négociant working for Maison Leroy, which was founded in Auxey-Duresses in 1868 by her great grandfather, François. Since then, her fame has spread right across the world of fine wine as part-owner and former co-director of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. She is also the formidable driving force behind Domaine Leroy and Domaine d'Auvenay, this latter her personal domain based in Saint-Romain. In 2015 she celebrated her 50th vintage of choosing the wines for the family négociant business, and continues to show the prowess and judgment that earned her the moniker "Guardian of Great Wines".
Maison Leroy is a central part of the Leroy portfolio providing a wealth of wines hand-selected by Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy herself. Her lifetime of experience as a winemaker producing wines from almost every appellation in the Côte d'Or makes her one of the most experienced vignerons and tasters in the region. Lalou selects the Maison wines by blind tasting hundreds of wines each year and selecting from the top wines presented. She does this with no ties or obligations to buy from growers, allowing her to select wines purely based on quality. It is well known that she pays a premium for the wines she chooses, to allow herself to cherry-pick the greatest expressions of each terroir. She stakes her considerable reputation on her expert palate and market knowledge, selecting all the Maison’s out-turn entirely from what she has tasted. Following the initial selection process the wines are then aged at the domaine and selected for release when she believes the wines are ready. This is one of a few houses that can offer twenty, thirty or forty year-old wines that have lain unmoved in the cellar since bottling.
1993 Maison Leroy Saint-Aubin Rouge was released from the winery in 2021. While we do everything possible to ensure back vintage wines are of the finest provenance, old wines are not guaranteed in any way. Be aware that flavour profiles can change dramatically in older wines. If you are unsure that you will enjoy the flavours that come with older wines, we recommend you don't buy them. "I don't like it" does not qualify for a refund.
- 2014 Maison Leroy Chambolle-MusignyBurgundy, FRANCE$2799. 00Bottle$33588.00 DozenABV: 13%Closure: Cork
Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy started out as a négociant working for Maison Leroy, which was founded in Auxey-Duresses in 1868 by her great grandfather, François. Since then, her fame has spread right across the world of fine wine as part-owner and former co-director of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. She is also the formidable driving force behind Domaine Leroy and Domaine d'Auvenay, this latter her personal domain based in Saint-Romain. In 2015 she celebrated her 50th vintage of choosing the wines for the family négociant business, and continues to show the prowess and judgment that earned her the moniker "Guardian of Great Wines".
Maison Leroy is a central part of the Leroy portfolio providing a wealth of wines hand-selected by Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy herself. Her lifetime of experience as a winemaker producing wines from almost every appellation in the Côte d'Or makes her one of the most experienced vignerons and tasters in the region. Lalou selects the Maison wines by blind tasting hundreds of wines each year and selecting from the top wines presented. She does this with no ties or obligations to buy from growers, allowing her to select wines purely based on quality. It is well known that she pays a premium for the wines she chooses, to allow herself to cherry-pick the greatest expressions of each terroir. She stakes her considerable reputation on her expert palate and market knowledge, selecting all the Maison’s out-turn entirely from what she has tasted. Following the initial selection process the wines are then aged at the domaine and selected for release when she believes the wines are ready. This is one of a few houses that can offer twenty, thirty or forty year-old wines that have lain unmoved in the cellar since bottling.
2014 Maison Leroy Chambolle-Musigny was released from the winery in 2021. While we do everything possible to ensure back vintage wines are of the finest provenance, old wines are not guaranteed in any way. Be aware that flavour profiles can change dramatically in older wines. If you are unsure that you will enjoy the flavours that come with older wines, we recommend you don't buy them. "I don't like it" does not qualify for a refund.
- 1978 Maison Leroy Puligny-Montrachet Champ Gain Premier CruBurgundy, FRANCE$4699. 00Bottle$56388.00 DozenABV: 13%Closure: Cork
Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy started out as a négociant working for Maison Leroy, which was founded in Auxey-Duresses in 1868 by her great grandfather, François. Since then, her fame has spread right across the world of fine wine as part-owner and former co-director of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. She is also the formidable driving force behind Domaine Leroy and Domaine d'Auvenay, this latter her personal domain based in Saint-Romain. In 2015 she celebrated her 50th vintage of choosing the wines for the family négociant business, and continues to show the prowess and judgment that earned her the moniker "Guardian of Great Wines".
Maison Leroy is a central part of the Leroy portfolio providing a wealth of wines hand-selected by Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy herself. Her lifetime of experience as a winemaker producing wines from almost every appellation in the Côte d'Or makes her one of the most experienced vignerons and tasters in the region. Lalou selects the Maison wines by blind tasting hundreds of wines each year and selecting from the top wines presented. She does this with no ties or obligations to buy from growers, allowing her to select wines purely based on quality. It is well known that she pays a premium for the wines she chooses, to allow herself to cherry-pick the greatest expressions of each terroir. She stakes her considerable reputation on her expert palate and market knowledge, selecting all the Maison’s out-turn entirely from what she has tasted. Following the initial selection process the wines are then aged at the domaine and selected for release when she believes the wines are ready. This is one of a few houses that can offer twenty, thirty or forty year-old wines that have lain unmoved in the cellar since bottling.
1978 Maison Leroy Puligny-Montrachet Champ Gain Premier Cru was released from the winery in 2021. While we do everything possible to ensure back vintage wines are of the finest provenance, old wines are not guaranteed in any way. Be aware that flavour profiles can change dramatically in older wines. If you are unsure that you will enjoy the flavours that come with older wines, we recommend you don't buy them. "I don't like it" does not qualify for a refund.
- 1982 Maison Leroy Chassagne-Montrachet Premier CruBurgundy, FRANCE$4499. 00Bottle$53988.00 DozenABV: 13%Closure: Cork
Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy started out as a négociant working for Maison Leroy, which was founded in Auxey-Duresses in 1868 by her great grandfather, François. Since then, her fame has spread right across the world of fine wine as part-owner and former co-director of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. She is also the formidable driving force behind Domaine Leroy and Domaine d'Auvenay, this latter her personal domain based in Saint-Romain. In 2015 she celebrated her 50th vintage of choosing the wines for the family négociant business, and continues to show the prowess and judgment that earned her the moniker "Guardian of Great Wines".
Maison Leroy is a central part of the Leroy portfolio providing a wealth of wines hand-selected by Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy herself. Her lifetime of experience as a winemaker producing wines from almost every appellation in the Côte d'Or makes her one of the most experienced vignerons and tasters in the region. Lalou selects the Maison wines by blind tasting hundreds of wines each year and selecting from the top wines presented. She does this with no ties or obligations to buy from growers, allowing her to select wines purely based on quality. It is well known that she pays a premium for the wines she chooses, to allow herself to cherry-pick the greatest expressions of each terroir. She stakes her considerable reputation on her expert palate and market knowledge, selecting all the Maison’s out-turn entirely from what she has tasted. Following the initial selection process the wines are then aged at the domaine and selected for release when she believes the wines are ready. This is one of a few houses that can offer twenty, thirty or forty year-old wines that have lain unmoved in the cellar since bottling.
1982 Maison Leroy Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru was released from the winery in 2021. While we do everything possible to ensure back vintage wines are of the finest provenance, old wines are not guaranteed in any way. Be aware that flavour profiles can change dramatically in older wines. If you are unsure that you will enjoy the flavours that come with older wines, we recommend you don't buy them. "I don't like it" does not qualify for a refund.
- 2011 Maison Leroy Puligny-Montrachet Premier CruBurgundy, FRANCE$3499. 00Bottle$41988.00 DozenABV: 13%Closure: Cork
Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy started out as a négociant working for Maison Leroy, which was founded in Auxey-Duresses in 1868 by her great grandfather, François. Since then, her fame has spread right across the world of fine wine as part-owner and former co-director of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. She is also the formidable driving force behind Domaine Leroy and Domaine d'Auvenay, this latter her personal domain based in Saint-Romain. In 2015 she celebrated her 50th vintage of choosing the wines for the family négociant business, and continues to show the prowess and judgment that earned her the moniker "Guardian of Great Wines".
Maison Leroy is a central part of the Leroy portfolio providing a wealth of wines hand-selected by Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy herself. Her lifetime of experience as a winemaker producing wines from almost every appellation in the Côte d'Or makes her one of the most experienced vignerons and tasters in the region. Lalou selects the Maison wines by blind tasting hundreds of wines each year and selecting from the top wines presented. She does this with no ties or obligations to buy from growers, allowing her to select wines purely based on quality. It is well known that she pays a premium for the wines she chooses, to allow herself to cherry-pick the greatest expressions of each terroir. She stakes her considerable reputation on her expert palate and market knowledge, selecting all the Maison’s out-turn entirely from what she has tasted. Following the initial selection process the wines are then aged at the domaine and selected for release when she believes the wines are ready. This is one of a few houses that can offer twenty, thirty or forty year-old wines that have lain unmoved in the cellar since bottling.
2011 Maison Leroy Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru was released from the winery in 2021. While we do everything possible to ensure back vintage wines are of the finest provenance, old wines are not guaranteed in any way. Be aware that flavour profiles can change dramatically in older wines. If you are unsure that you will enjoy the flavours that come with older wines, we recommend you don't buy them. "I don't like it" does not qualify for a refund.
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2018 Domaine Belargus Clos des Rucheres Savennieres Magnum (1500ml)Loire Valley, FRANCE$530. 00Bottle$6360.00 DozenABV: 13%Closure: CorkDomaine Belargus is the realisation of a dream by former Parisian investor Ivan Massonnat. While it was his love and respect for Burgundy that ignited his passion for wine, his family connection to Chinon opened his eyes to the potential of Chenin Blanc from the great terroirs of the Loire Valley. A chance encounter with retiring vigneron Jo Pithon lead the pair to meet at the foot of the legendary Coteau des Treilles vineyard one frosty morning, and the fate of each was sealed. Further acquisitions followed, including one quarter of Les Quarts in the historic heart of the Quarts-de-Chaume appellation, along with sites across the river in Savennières. This new estate is 100% dedicated to Chenin Blanc and celebrates the grape's versatility regarding terroirs and wine style. Ivan has installed a young team, and together they are currently converting to biodynamics, with a single-plot approach inspired by Ivan's first love: Burgundy.
Adapting their approach each vintage, the various plots are harvested at their optimum maturity at incredibly low yields of around 25 hectolitres per hectare. Fermentation occurs in barrel using indigenous yeasts, and can last from less than a month to more than a year, depending on each plot and the vintage characteristics. This is one of the most exciting new ventures in France today, and should appease lovers of high quality, terroir specific wines.
Located at the bottom of La Roche-aux-Moines, the “Clos des Ruchères” (Monopole) rests on a slope of purple schists, covered with a very thin layer of soil of only twenty centimetres. This tiny steep plot, worked like a garden, gives birth to a wine carried by a great mineral tension. Two years of maturation give it length and aromatic complexity, as well as a significant aging potential.
Other Reviews....
Located at the bottom of La Roche-aux-Moines, the steep, southwest-facing 0.4-hectare Clos des Ruchères monopole rests on a slope of purple schists, covered with a very thin layer of soil of only 20 centimeters. Aged two years on the lees, the 2018 Savennières Clos des Ruchères has a golden-yellow color and opens with an intense but also quite developed nose of ripe and stewed yellow fruits, whereas the crystalline, flinty schist notes remain in the background. Round, highly elegant and refined on the fruit-intense and aromatic palate, this is a crystalline, linear but also juicy and well-concentrated Ruchères with great mineral tension but most of all finesse. The finish is much fresher and purer than expected from the nose and very long and intense. Given the elegant and sustainable finish, the 2018 should have significant aging potential. Tasted in June 2021. Drink 2021 - 2045.
93 points
Stephan Reinhardt - Wine Advocate (July 2021)Clos des Ruchères is a tiny plot, facing south-west. Chenin Blanc planted in 2008, and a terroir of loam and clay on purple schist. A nose of hazelnut, almond and perfectly integrated oak. After some swirling, the bouquet develops with aromas of spices, flowers and flint. Superb mouthfeel with a texture that is both fine-grained and fleshy. This wine has remarkable freshness, also some salinity while also leaving a slight sensation of tannins. A Savennières of crystalline clarity. Drinking Window 2025 - 2040.
94 points
Yohan Castaing - DecanterStill in élevage, this cuvée is sourced from a tiny 0.4-hectare vineyard on degraded purple schist and clay. The total crop amounts to just three barrels, and this is a sample from one barrel rather than a blending, so not entirely representative. Compared to Gaudrets the nose offers a huge step up in character, showing a very pure schistose style, much more focused, and dressed with a fragrant floral minerality. This is very fine, but the palate is heavily marked by vanillin oak at the moment, all wrapped up in threads of stone and schist, along with very fresh acidity. Really focused, with a very fine-boned style, swirled with liquorice, vanilla and fennel from the oak. It is difficult to judge on this sample taken from one obviously new barrel. Nevertheless it feels evidently superior to Gaudrets.
92-94 points
Chris Kissack - Winedoctor -
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White Oak Tokinoka Black Blended Japanese Whisky (500ml) - 50%Akashi, JAPANReduced from $149.99$139. 99Bottle$1679.88 DozenABV: 50%New from Akito Ueda, Master Blender of White Oak distillery, this 50% malt and 50% grain whisky blend comes aged in three different casks (Bourbon, Xeres and new oak). The malt bestows a nice roundness in the mouth with a spicy and creamy counterpoint. Bottled at 50% Alc./Vol.
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Amrut Single Malts of India Neidhal Single Malt Indian Whisky (700ml)Bangalore, INDIA$149. 99Bottle$1799.88 DozenABV: 46%Amrut's new umbrella brand, ‘Single Malts of India’, sails into the unchartered waters of local independent bottlings to showcase some of the country's hidden gems. 'Neidhal' is the first in the series, and is a limited release of 12,000 bottles with 1200 bottles being allocated to India. The name references ancient Tamil texts, dating back to the Sangam period (300 BC – 300 AD), in which earth is classified into five regions called 'Tinais', each being associated with its own distinct literary style, grammar, mood, romance, culture and even cuisine. Neidhal comprises all oceans and neighbouring regions and the way of living associated with them.
Matured & bottled at Amrut, the source of the whisky is not disclosed. Whoever distilled it could well have taken inspiration from Ardmore, as this presents in a Highland smoke-guise while retaining a sparkle of coastal freshness. The aromas are mirrored on the palate where sweet smoke melts into even sweeter malt; super pure, the finish balances out with hints of mint chocolate, medicine chest, pepper and sooty peat. 46% Alc./Vol.
Notes from the bottlers... tropical fruit and vanilla punctuated by soft phenols and sea salt on the nose. On the palate, a fruit cocktail with a touch of iodine. The middle ground is an essay in chewability and a finish that is phenolic with a touch of sweet vanilla.
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2020 Les Perrieres (Chateau Lafleur)Bordeaux, FRANCE$210. 00Bottle$2520.00 DozenClosure: CorkOther Reviews....
The 2020 Les Perrières from limestone soils is the first vintage with massal-selection Merlot (from Lafleur). It has an exceptionally pure bouquet of intense black berry and blueberry fruit, crushed stone and touches of Japanese nori. The medium-bodied palate is structured, tensile and very saline, with taut tannins and that limestone-driven pixelation clearly apparent on the finish. Vibrant, almost steely, this will require 2–3 years in bottle.
92-94 points
Neal Martin - VinousThis is a wine for those who really love going deep-diving into limestone. It performs the acrobatic, trapeze artist feat of tiptoeing high above the palate with gunsmoke, cool blueberry and redcurrant fruits and flowers curling upwards. Austere and fierce, stretching forward, then softening as it opens, although it takes its time to do so. There is really a feeling that they are doing something different here, thinking deeply about what it means to link wine's sense of a place to its expression in a glass. Brilliant. Harvest September 11 to 19. Drinking Window 2024 - 2038.
94 points
Jane Anson - Decanter -
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2020 Chateau HosannaPomerol, Bordeaux, FRANCE$320. 00Bottle$3840.00 DozenClosure: CorkOther Reviews....
Sporting an opaque purple-black color, the 2020 Hosanna gallops out of the glass with bright, vivacious scents of crushed black and red plums, mulberries and redcurrant jelly, leading to underlying scents of powdered cinnamon, lilacs, pencil shavings and damp slate with a hint of wild sage. The medium to full-bodied palate is exquisitely constructed, giving lots of nuanced, tightly wound black fruits and earthy layers with a fine-grained texture and seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral laced.
96-98 points
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Wine Advocate (May 2021)The 2020 Hosanna has a wonderful, compelling bouquet of deep and alluring scents of blackberry, raspberry, dried iris and incense, plus a subtle minerally element that becomes more prominent with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with superb grip and density. The wine just fills the mouth (as banal as that sounds), but it has incredible volume and depth. Clockwork precision on the finish, which maintains great freshness, but this is clearly a Hosanna that will benefit from a decade in the cellar.
95-97 points
Neal Martin - VinousThis shows very intense, old-vine character with bark, black mushroom and dark fruit. Full-bodied and creamy with unique flavors of earth and fruit. Layered and soulful. The best Hosanna ever? Merlot and cabernet franc. 45% from old vines, dating from the late 1950s.
99-100 points
James SucklingThe 2020 Château Hosanna is up there with the crème de la crème of the appellation and is a true gem. Awesome cassis, candied violets, truffle, chocolate, and underbrush-like notes define the bouquet, and it's full-bodied, with a seamless, silky texture, ultra-fine tannins, and a rock star of a finish. This is another magical Pomerol from the Moueix family that you couldn't have enough of.
96-98 points
Jeb DunnuckDark in color, the wine is loaded with truffle, flowers, black and blue fruits and spice. Full-bodied with a serious depth of flavor, the wine is rich, supple, silky, long and intense. With the texture of velvet, the perfectly ripe, sweet, plums, cherries, blackberries, blueberries and dark cocoa holds on to your palate for at least 50 seconds. The purity here is just great. Give it a decade in the cellar and this will be a beauty. Clearly, this is the finest vintage of Hosanna ever produced.
97-99 points
Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider -
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2020 Chateau La Fleur-PetrusPomerol, Bordeaux, FRANCE$630. 00Bottle$7560.00 DozenClosure: CorkOther Reviews....
Unwinding in the glass with aromas of minty blackberries, loamy soil, black truffles and petroleum jelly, the 2020 La Fleur-Pétrus is full-bodied, ample and enveloping, with a rich, layered core of fruit framed by supple, polished tannins, concluding with a broad, licorice-inflected finish. As in 2019, it outshines Trotanoy as the star of the Mouiex Pomerol portfolio. Drink 2025 - 2045.
96 points
William Kelley - Wine Advocate (Apr 07, 2023)The 2020 La Fleur-Pétrus is a gorgeous, polished wine. Super-ripe red cherry, plum, blood orange and pomegranate lend tons of immediacy and primary fruit character. Suave on the palate, with exquisite length, La Fleur-Pétrus is a wine of total sensuality. In 2020, ripeness is pushed to the edge, while the new oak is a bit present. Bright acids and sweet floral notes linger on the long, beautifully delineated finish. This is a bit more extroverted than I remember en primeur, but superb just the same. Drink 2030-2060.
95 points
Antonio Galloni - VinousOne of the most powerful and significant La Fleur-Petrus I have ever tasted with incredible depth and power. It’s full and so layered with fine and intense tannins. It shows very dark fruits, dark chocolate with hazelnuts, and milk chocolate with almonds. This will age for eternity.
100 points
James SucklingThe finest vintage from this address I've ever tasted, as well as a perfect wine, the 2020 Château La Fleur-Petrus reveals a dense purple hue to go with a deep, layered, full-bodied, yet flawlessly balanced style carrying a smorgasbord-like array of red and black fruits, chocolate, dried flowers, spicy oak, and damp earth. It's not a powerhouse in the style of Trotanoy, Vieux Château Certain, or say, Clinet, but is all about finesse, elegance, and complexity. This magical Pomerol will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and cruise for 20-30 years in cold cellars. Drink 2027 - 2057.
100 points
Jeb DunnuckThe combination of incredible purity in the fruit, silky textures, a complex aromatic profile sporting truffles, flowers, licorice, plums, cherries, and cocoa, and a finish that is all about its silky, cashmere texture is what we call a hit! In every sense of the word, this is a magical wine that is rich, full-bodied, sensuous, and sexy, with a finish that lingers, expands, and inspires you to take another sip to experience it all over again. Drink from 2025-2055.
97 points
Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider -
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2018 Conterno Nervi Gattinara Magnum (1500ml)Piedmont, ITALY$380. 00Bottle$4560.00 DozenABV: 14.5%Closure: CorkOther Reviews....
Roberto Conterno acquired Nervi in 2018, and this is the first vintage in which the brand name is listed as Conterno Nervi (as opposed to Nervi Conterno, or just Nervi). Fully under his winemaking watch, the 2018 Gattinara comes from a vintage that performed well in this part of Alto Piemonte. Roberto had the confidence to produce his two single-vineyard expressions (Vigne Molsino and Valferana) in 2018, which is not exactly intuitive, as the growing season proved more challenging in other parts of Piedmont. But Roberto interprets each vintage with a keen eye and deft approach that is often contrary to his peers. I think what stands out here is the freshness, the balance of acidity that plays nicely into the minerality of the wine and the brightness of its wild rose and redcurrant flavors. This Gattinara carries a lot of fruit and primary intensity, all backed by subtle touches of balsam herb and soft tarry end notes. This 2018 underlines the elegance in Nebbiolo. Drink 2024 - 2040.
94 points
Monica Larner - Wine Advocate (Dec 2021)The 2018 Gattinara is a stunning wine in the making. Extraordinary in its complexity and nuance, the 2018 dazzles with a kaleidoscope of aromas, flavors and textures. Kirsch, hard candy, flowers and lively acids captivate the senses. The 2018 is elegant, weightless and full of character. It is, quite frankly, everything Gattinara can and should be. This is a great place to start for readers who want to know why the 2018 vintage is so magical at Nervi-Conterno. If it weren't for the single-vineyard wines, I would have said the 2018 is one of the very best wines that have ever been made here! Drink 2026 - 2048.
95 points
Antonio Galloni - Vinous - Ardbeg Monsters of Smoke Limited Edition Single Malt Scotch Whisky Tasting Pack (3x200ml)Islay, SCOTLAND$99. 99Bottle$1199.88 Dozen
Ardbeg's new collectable packs are an affordable way to sample the core range in an ‘at home’ tasting experience. They're also a great gifting opportunity. The presentation is inspired by old B-grade horror movie posters and each bottle has a peelable label that reveals unique artwork lurking beneath.
The pack comprises 3 x 200ml bottles: The flagship Ardbeg Ten Years Old, the feisty and youthful Ardbeg Five Years Old Wee Beastie and Ardbeg An Oa, which is finished in three different cask types. This is a once-off release so Ardbeg enthusiasts take note! -
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Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask Matured Single Malt Taiwanese Whisky (700ml)TAIWAN$169. 99Bottle$2039.88 DozenABV: 40%Kavalan have launched a new expression matured in three different Sherry casks, namely oloroso, Pedro Ximénez (PX) and Moscatel casks.
Senior Blender, Zerose Yang adds, “Its main character, the dried fruits of the oloroso cask, are embellished with the sweetness of PX and Moscatel casks... The resulting liquid offers notes of cinnamon, candied smoked plum, and citrus, layered with a nose of berry, tropical fruits, and longan, alongside a dash of honey, chocolate, and toffee on the palate."
For those who are used to the distillery's extravagant cask strength expressions, this takes a step back. The nose presents an attractive array of dried fruits and plummy malt, mingling with sweet spices. It's an accessible, middle weight style, with a convincing sherry lick and an appropriate dash of spice. You can't really fault the balance, but in the context of what this distillery is best known for, it's Kavalan light. 40% Alc./Vol.
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- 94
2014 Bobby Dazzler ShirazSouth Australia, AUSTRALIA$14. 99Bottle$179.88 DozenCellar: Drink now - 2 Years (2022-2024)ABV: 14.5%Closure: StelvinDeep midnight black colour with a very dark red hue. A bounty of aniseed and dark plum scents jump out of the glass followed by toasty vanillin oak and peppered earth notes. Rich and lush, the palate is doing a remarkable job at holding onto its fruit with lashings of aniseed, blackberry and black plum flavours layered across the medium to full bodied palate. Vanillin oak, earthy fennel and spicy pepper characters lie underneath. Velvet smooth tannins with an impressively long and fleshy finish. Great value especially given the bottle age.
Drink over the next 1-2 years.
Alc. 14.5% -
- 88
- 85
- Reduced
Isle of Jura 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)Isle of Jura, SCOTLANDReduced from $169.99$149. 99Bottle$1799.88 DozenABV: 44%Other reviews... There is an outlandish outbreak of massive flavour on delivery, both the malt and fruit almost shrill in their proclamations of intent. This is high juiciness in excelsis, the sugars crisp and full of grist and Dmaerara. And on the finish a slight chocolate note hovers, but then a degree of sulphur drifts in... as threatened by the nose.... This has so many beautiful moments. But... 85.5 points - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2014
Jura has introduced a new house style of ‘sweetness and smoke,’ and this spent 18 years in bourbon barrels, with a finish in red wine casks. Malt, peach blossom, raspberries, vanilla, and dark chocolate on the nose. The palate offers red berries, more chocolate, cloves, and peat. Dry red wine notes in the finish, with fruity spices and black pepper. 44% Alc./Vol. 88 points - whiskyadvocate.com, reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Fall 2018)
Imagine I haven’t tried the 18 since… Oh my, 2007! But Jura was weak back then, really. Some nasty bottlings, not all of them, but there. Now this newer expression was finished in some Bordeaux red, most sadly (not STR), but you never know, this little juice may have escaped the mighty cabernety army. Which, by the way, I just love – In my wine glass. Colour: golden amber. Nose: some earth, peonies, blood oranges marmalade, heather honey, candied cherries, leather and ginger, more earth, wallflowers, pecan pie… I have to say this is a fine, rather rich and yet pretty elegant nose. But don’t we all know that silly wine finishings usually rather fail… on the palate? Mouth: nah, they know what they’re doing. This is not my preferred style at all, and we’re rather finding more café latte plus these dusty and honeyed sides (both at the same time), but otherwise except a drying cardboard and coffee combo in the back, this would rather kind of work, relatively. Well no, I’m having trouble liking it a lot, honestly. Finish: medium, dry and a little burnt and bitter. Burnt molasses, heavy cinnamon, some sour cardboard in the aftertaste. Comments: love the distillery, the people, the master blender, the settings and some of their whiskies, but frankly, I find this one rather too difficult. Tough love. 75 points - whiskyfun.com
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Pizzini ProseccoKing Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA$21. 99Bottle$263.88 DozenCellar: Drink now (2021)ABV: 11.1%Closure: Crown SealPours with a buoyant mousse that dissipates to reveal a very pale straw coloured base that’s finely threaded by a steady stream of tiny bubbles. Pear and red apple scents mix with subtle lees and lemon sherbet notes. Delicious pear and apple fruits grace the racy, well formed palate that shows a hint of creaminess. Dry crisp finish with notions of lemon sherbet also present. Good length with a stimulating aftertaste that has an airy feel to it.
Drink now.
Alc. 11.1% - 2019 Charles Van Canneyt Chambolle-Musigny Aux Echanges Premier CruBurgundy, FRANCE$370. 00Bottle$4440.00 DozenABV: 13.5%Closure: Cork
Charles Van Canneyt is the current winemaker at the iconic Domaine Hudelot-Noellat in Vougeot, but he also produces wine under his own label. Using his extensive contacts with the finest growers in Burgundy, Charles sources grapes from some of the top plots in the area, and makes the wines at a separate facility in Beaune. Charles is aiming for a similar purity and terroir focus as those wines of Hudelot-Noellat, and as such has minimal use of new oak each year.
Located between the Premier Cru vineyards of Aux Combottes and Aux Beaux Bruns, roughly one third of this vineyard is classified as Premier Cru and has been owned by Domaine Leymarie-Ceci since 1976. That domaine does not bottle much itself, and this plot is more widely seen in negociant bottlings such as this from Charles Van Canneyt.
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- 90
2020 Guy Breton RegnieBeaujolais, FRANCE$64. 99Bottle$779.88 DozenABV: 12.5%Closure: CorkSince legendary US importer Kermit Lynch dubbed them the Gang of Four in the 1980's, wine collectors the world over have been searching for the precious few bottles of Beaujolais from Jean Foillard, Marcel Lapierre, Guy Breton, and Jean-Paul Thévenet. Each of these producers were inspired by the natural wine growing and wine making methods of local hero Jules Chauvet. Their aim is to help the unique Beaujolais terroir express itself with minimal intervention, harnessing old vines farmed with organic practices, fermentation with natural yeasts, along with limited use of sulphur. Together they have raised not only the profile of the region, but demonstrated that Beaujolais is more than just 'Nouveau' and can indeed produce meaningful, complex and wonderful wines.
Also known as "Petit Max" by his friends, Guy Breton produces wines that are easy to drink, and his are typically the lightest in colour, the lowest in alcohol, and the least tannic of the Gang of Four. Breton’s domaine is comprised of just over four hectares, most of which are located in Morgon, and are supplemented with purchased grapes from surrounding appellations enabling him to vinify a diverse portfolio of Beaujolais crus. Like fellow Beaujolais stars, Guy Breton has access to incredibly old vines that are organically farmed, and are vinified with the lightest of touches. These are dangerously drinkable wines, but if you can resist the urge also age with grace for many years.
First produced in 2008, the Regnie is sourced from the hills between the Côte de Brouilly and the Côte du Py of Morgon, around the village of Régnié-Durette. Guy’s grandfather handed down the two parcels that go into this wine: one with 100-year-old and the other with 35-year-old vines. The shallow soil of sand and decomposing stones gives the vines easy access to the bedrock, creating firm wines with more grip and acidity than in Morgon.
Other Reviews....
Only a few pay grades up from rosato, and kind of like a Lamoresca Frappato in a way, tangy strawberry, sour cherry and spice. Light in body, sappy and peppery, with a loose-knit texture, a bit of edgy lift, but fun and good to drink. Drink 2022 - 2025.
90 points
Gary Walsh - The Wine Front - 2017 J.L. Chave Selection Hermitage FarconnetHermitage, Northern Rhone, FRANCE$170. 00Bottle$2040.00 DozenABV: 14.5%Closure: Cork
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave represents one of the longest examples of vinous lineage in the world, with the family making wines in the area since 1481. Now under the guidance of Gerard Chave and his son Jean-Louis, the pair draws on five centuries of expertise to craft each of their wines. While known for the enviable collection of prime plots on the hill of Hermitage, their other main skill is in precise blending each year to best express the region and vintage. The backbone of their red Hermitage is sourced from the steep, granite slope of the Les Bessards cru, and is essential for making the finest red each year. Likewise, the base for Chave’s heroic Hermitage Blanc is the plot of century-old Marsanne vines in their Péléat monopole, which provides rich and intense fruit without heaviness.
J.L. Chave Selection is the exclusive negociant label of Jean-Louis Chave, and represents a more accessible way to experience the wines of the Chave family. Mon Coeur Cotes-du-Rhone is a blend of excellent plots in Vinsobres, Visan, Buisson, and Estargues, while Silene Crozes-Hermitage is 50% estate Syrah and 50% purchased, and the white Crozes-Hermitage Sybele a blend of 60% Marsanne and 40% Roussane. As with all things Chave, quality is paramount even at the entry level.
Other Reviews....
A little hard on the nose, it's very young still. Medium- to full-bodied, this is certainly Hermitage, it has that grandeur and stature. Intense and structured, this is good, but will improve. You can open this now, but try to wait until 2025. Drinking Window 2021 - 2033.
94 points
Matt Walls - Decanter -
- 90
- 99
2015 Dr Loosen Erdener Pralat Reserve Riesling Grosses GewachsMosel, GERMANY$370. 00Bottle$4440.00 DozenABV: 12.5%Closure: CorkOther Reviews....
This dry Mosel masterpiece is a sleeping giant, just beginning to awaken, but has decades of life ahead of it. Extremely deep and concentrated, but no less finely delineated, this is so complex you could spend hours studying all the spicy details. However, the ripe-mango note that dominates the foreground is also ravishing. The best wine of this category (long matured GGs) made so far in Germany! Drink or hold.
99 points
JamesSuckling.comIn reviewing the “regular” vintage 2015 Erdener Prälat Reserve, I looked forward comparing the eventual Reserve bottling, and expressed “my hunch ... that the latter will prove not just more expressive in its early years but also longer-lived.” Well, that time is here, and at least in terms of expressiveness, this tasting unfortunately failed to confirm my hunch. This Reserve appears less successful than the “regular” Grosses Gewächs in reflecting Loosen and Schug’s determination (beginning with 2004) to capture an animation and dynamic exchange of flavors in all of their Prälat bottlings that were missing when the site was getting picked later and based more on achieving high must weight. The nose here shows an oxidative tendency that I haven’t noted in other Loosen Reserve bottlings, though in itself, I don’t consider that a problem. Prickly notes of lemon and kumquat zests, along with an incisive note of white pepper, are very much in keeping with how the “regular” Grosses Gewächs performed in its youth. But smoky black tea and Latakia tobacco, along with suggesions of wet stone, moss and lichen, take the nose here to a new level of complexity. So far, so good – very good, in fact. Furthermore, the midpalate comes off as slightly slimmer as well as more texturally refined than that of the regular bottling, which might in part be a function of alcohol having been blown off by an additional year in cask, but also and in large part of lees buffering. It’s the finish of this Reserve – though impressive in its sheer persistence – that I find a letdown. A slightly dank alkaline and mossy impression seems to be all that remains of those elements that the nose led one to anticipate, and there is a sense of opacity, with only modest primary juiciness. “This is just Prälat being Prälat,” insisted Loosen, “and it needs time to come back.” As for longevity, that must obviously also remain an open question. Drink 2022 - 2026.
90 points
David Schildknecht - VinousThe 2015er Erdener Prälat Reserve Alte Reben, as it is referred to on the main label (the reference to GG is left for the back label), is made from very old un-grafted vines and was fermented in oak with ambient yeasts and aged on its gross lees for 24 months before being bottled. It offers a captivatingly aromatic and smoky nose of lime, pineapple, prune, spices, herbs, a hint of camphor, licorice, and tar. The wine is very compact and has great dry extract, but also a smoother and softer side on the palate as ripe and even exotic fruits join the party. The finish is superbly long and structured, with a touch of power in the background. This is already very impressive but has clearly upside potential as it will gain finesse over the years. Drink 2023-2035.
92+ points
Jean Fisch & David Rayer - Mosel Fine Wines - Angostura Cocoa Bitters (100ml)TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO$24. 99Bottle$299.88 DozenABV: 48%
Trinitario cocoa from Trinidad and Tobago and two hundred years of unparalleled bitters expertise have resulted in this indulgent new flavour. Top notes of rich, bitter, floral, nutty cocoa with a bold infusion of aromatic botanicals provide endless possibilities to remix classic cocktails or put a luxurious spin on a main dish or a sweet treat. Also pairs perfectly with sweet vermouth or aged spirits, like whiskey, rum, cognac and tequila and promises another layer of depth and complexity to Espresso Martinis. 48% Alc./Vol.
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- Nicks Import
Aalborg Grill Aquavit (700ml)Copenhagen, DENMARK$74. 99Bottle$899.88 DozenABV: 37.5%Launched in 2014, 'Grill' was created as a perfect match for barbecued food. Cumin, vanilla, anise, orange and elderflower extract are included in the botanical mix, with the spirit subsequently aged in sherry casks for six months.
The profile works with smoky and spicy flavours, be it meat, fish or vegetables. 37.5% Alc./Vol.
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- Nicks Import
Aalborg Fad Lagret Snaps Liqueur (700ml)Copenhagen, DENMARK$74. 99Bottle$899.88 DozenABV: 37.5%The latest member of the Aalborg range brings new flavours to the table. This schnapps is based on aquavit matured in sherry barrels for four months, with added warmth from well-aged Caribbean rum. While there's less traditional cumin flavour, the rum comes through clearly, yet the taste is mild, round and warm. A little pomegranate and lemon peel mix with vanilla for added complexity. As far as food matching goes, this is perfect for salty and smoky dishes such as meat and fish. Blue cheese and firm aged cheeses also work, as do chocolate desserts. 37.5% Alc./Vol.
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2008 Krug Vintage ChampagneChampagne, FRANCE$999. 00Bottle$11988.00 DozenABV: 12.5%Closure: CorkVintage Krug holds a special place among the landscape of prestige cuvée Champagne, over the years having produced some of the most mesmerising and memorable wines of the region. Appearing only when conditions allow, and never at the sacrifice of their number one wine Grande Cuvée, Vintage Krug is cherished and chased by collectors the world over.
Other Reviews....
Krug's 2008 Brut is slated to be released at the end of 2021, but any readers who purchase the wine will need to exercise considerably more patience if they are to enjoy it in its prime, as it is very tightly wound out of the gates. Unwinding in the glass with a youthfully discreet bouquet of clear honey, dried fruit, walnut oil, Meyer lemon and rock salt, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and incisive, with a racy spine of acidity, a pretty pinpoint mousse and a penetrating, saline finish. The polar stylistic opposite of the rich, demonstrative 2006, the 2008 is a rather understated, taut vintage from Krug that isn't as liberally endowed with the house's characteristic toasty patina as its immediate predecessor. Drink 2026 - 2046.
94+ points
William Kelley - Wine Advocate (Sept 2021)The 2008 Vintage is a nervy, electrifying Champagne, the likes of which has not emerged from Krug's cellars since the magical 1996. Bright and sculpted, with tremendous precision, the 2008 dazzles from start to finish. Stylistically, the 2008 doesn't have the toastiness or explosive breadth often found in young Krug, but that in no way detracts from its magnificent beauty. Krug ID: 419044. Drink 2028 - 2058.
97 points
Antonio Galloni - VinousExceptional freshness with aromas of flinty white stones, flowers, almonds and lemons. There’s hazelnut and strawberry here, too. Complex. The palate has a long, powerful and smooth-honed feel with very assertive citrus flavors, driven by long acidity. A perfect 2008.
100 points
Nick Stock - jamessuckling.comThere’s a supernova of sensation with each sip of this powerful version, starting with the vivid streak of mouthwatering acidity that drives a rich panoply of ripe black currant, mandarin orange peel and grilled nut flavors, accented by hints of candied ginger, briny oyster shell, verbena and ground cardamom. This burns bright from start to finish, yet its fine integration and lovely, raw silk–like mousse pull it all together into a seamless, vibrant package. Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Disgorged autumn 2019. Drink now through 2038.
99 points
Alison Napjus - Wine SpectatorWhat a burst of fresh fruit on the nose! The aromatic freshness is evident from the first whiff, suffused with notes of citrus fruits including grapefruit, menthol, and a hint of liquorice. The texture has precise contours, giving an impression of rectangular rectitude and perfect balance. This is a finely chiselled Champagne offering great harmony and a long finish enhanced by delicious underlying notes of nutty bitterness. 53% Pinot Noir, 25% Pinot Meunier and 22% Chardonnay. Disgorged in the first quarter of 2020. Dosage: 4.5g/L. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040.
97 points
Yohan Castaing - DecanterA vintage Champagne from this producer is rare. But 2008 was a great year in Champagne and that shows in this intense, still amazingly young wine. Freshness works with the richness to give concentration, density and the sure-fire possibility of long-term aging. So drink now, but the Champagne will last for many years.
97 points
Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast -
- 91
- Organic
Georges Laval Cumieres Brut Nature ChampagneChampagne, FRANCE$240. 00Bottle$2880.00 DozenClosure: CorkWhile the Laval family has been growing vines for four generations, it was not until 1971 that Georges Laval began producing estate-bottled Champagne. Now under the direction of George's son Vincent, this is one of the great under the radar properties in the region. Laval’s vineyard holdings comprise just 2.5 hectares, most in the premier cru village of Cumières. Across the seven parcels the average vine age is over 30 years, with the oldest vines of the estate over 70 years of age. Organic viticulture has been practiced since 1971, and despite the challenges of this approach in Champagne, they are now certified by Ecocert. Laval’s wines are harvested ripe and almost never chaptalized, and fermentation takes place in barrel, with indigenous yeasts. The wines are bottled late, usually about ten months after the harvest, and they are neither fined, filtered nor cold-stabilized.
Cumieres Brut Nature is a blend of 57% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Noir, and 10% Pinot Meunier, and is fermented in oak before three years in bottle prior to disgorging with no dosage.
Please note: Disgorgement dates can vary. Please contact the store if you would like to check which disgorgement is currently available.
Other Reviews....
The NV Brut Nature Cumières (2017) makes me feel like I am in the cellar, tasting with Vincent Laval. A Champagne of tremendous purity and nuance, the NV captures all of the flavor intensity, drive and nuance that make the wines of Cumières so alluring. This release, based on 2017, sizzles with nervy energy. Time in the glass brings out layers of perfume and a whole range of red-toned fruits. In a word: terrific. Disgorged: February 21, 2020. Drink 2020-2028.
91 points
Antonio Galloni - Vinous -
- 92
2019 Domaine Bernard & Thierry Glantenay Pommard Les Saussilles Premier CruBurgundy, FRANCE$240. 00Bottle$2880.00 DozenABV: 14%Closure: CorkOnce known only to a dedicated group of Burgundy devotees due to their reputation selling much of the production to noted perfectionists Dominique Laurent and Lalou Bize-Leroy, Domaine Thierry Glantenay now enjoys no such anonymity. Formally trained as an engineer, Thierry brings those methodical and exacting skills to his winemaking, crafting ethereal Volnay and powerful Pommard that display fantastic transparency of each specific terroir. Blessed with small parcels in the best vineyards of Volnay and Pommard, Thierry has set about a gradual process of refining and perfecting how his vines are managed, and guiding the wines through vinification with a delicate touch.
Other Reviews....
The latest rendition of a cuvée that goes from strength to strength, Glantenay's old vine 2019 Pommard 1er Cru Les Saussilles offers up notions of Griotte cherries, cassis, potpourri and dark chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, racy and concentrated, with superb depth at the core and a saline finish, it's well worth seeking out. As I've written before, this climat takes its name from the Combe Saussilles, a shallow ravine that divides the communes of Beaune and Pommard—and, importantly, an air drainage for cool breezes from the Hautes-Côtes.
92-95 points
William Kelley - Wine Advocate (Jan 2021) -
- 91
- 91
2019 Domaine Bernard & Thierry Glantenay Volnay Les Brouillards Premier CruBurgundy, FRANCE$190. 00Bottle$2280.00 DozenABV: 14%Closure: CorkOnce known only to a dedicated group of Burgundy devotees due to their reputation selling much of the production to noted perfectionists Dominique Laurent and Lalou Bize-Leroy, Domaine Thierry Glantenay now enjoys no such anonymity. Formally trained as an engineer, Thierry brings those methodical and exacting skills to his winemaking, crafting ethereal Volnay and powerful Pommard that display fantastic transparency of each specific terroir. Blessed with small parcels in the best vineyards of Volnay and Pommard, Thierry has set about a gradual process of refining and perfecting how his vines are managed, and guiding the wines through vinification with a delicate touch.
Other Reviews....
The 2019 Volnay 1er Cru Les Brouillards is showing very well, bursting with notes of smoky berry fruit, plums and spices. Medium to full-bodied, gourmand and enveloping, with fine tannins and lively acids, it's a touch more dynamic than the similarly sensual 2018 rendition.
91-93 points
William Kelley - Wine Advocate (Jan 2021)The 2019 Volnay Les Brouillards 1er Cru, which includes around 25% whole bunch fruit, has an open and transparent nose of brambly red fruit laced with sous-bois. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy red berry fruit laced with graphite. This is taut and fresh, a Volnay belying the warmth of the growing season with a vivacious, limestone-driven finish. Classic in style, this Volnay should give 15-20 years of drinking pleasure. Drink 2022 - 2040.
91-93 points
Neal Martin - Vinous -
- 92
- 91
2019 Domaine Bernard & Thierry Glantenay Volnay Les Santenots Premier CruBurgundy, FRANCE$220. 00Bottle$2640.00 DozenABV: 14%Closure: CorkOnce known only to a dedicated group of Burgundy devotees due to their reputation selling much of the production to noted perfectionists Dominique Laurent and Lalou Bize-Leroy, Domaine Thierry Glantenay now enjoys no such anonymity. Formally trained as an engineer, Thierry brings those methodical and exacting skills to his winemaking, crafting ethereal Volnay and powerful Pommard that display fantastic transparency of each specific terroir. Blessed with small parcels in the best vineyards of Volnay and Pommard, Thierry has set about a gradual process of refining and perfecting how his vines are managed, and guiding the wines through vinification with a delicate touch.
Other Reviews....
The 2019 Volnay 1er Cru Les Santenots was the last wine in the cellar to finish its malolactic fermentation, and its bouquet of smoky blackberries and cherries was still comparatively unformed. Medium to full-bodied, layered and lively, its bright acids and powdery tannins mark it out as a particular success this year.
91-93+ points
William Kelley - Wine Advocate (Jan 2021)The 2019 Volnay Les Santenots 1er Cru is the only cru completely de-seemed as Glantenay felt that it was already powerful. It has a clean and pure bouquet with red cherries and wild strawberry, undergrowth and light black pepper scents. The palate is well balanced, succulent and fleshy, a generous Santenots that benefits from Glantenay's decision to eschew stems. Quite saline on the finish, this is excellent. Drink 2024 - 2040.
92-94 points
Neal Martin - Vinous -
- 94
2015 Pascal Agrapart Mineral Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Champagne Grand CruChampagne, FRANCE$280. 00Bottle$3360.00 DozenClosure: CorkOther Reviews....
The 2015 Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Minéral Grand Cru is bracing, taut and wiry. Crushed rocks, mint, white pepper and lemon peel drive this blend. The Minéral is especially fine in 2015. There is a bit of youthful austerity, but nothing a few years in bottle can't take care of. The Minéral is one of the finer 2015s I have come across so far. Dosage is 3 grams per liter. Disgorged: May, 2021. Drink 2022 - 2027.
94 points
Antonio Galloni - Vinous -
- 91
- 93
2019 Domaine Faiveley Bienvenues Batard Montrachet Grand CruBurgundy, FRANCE$850. 00Bottle$10200.00 DozenClosure: CorkDomaine Faiveley was founded in 1825, and while they have been known for producing outstanding quality wines throughout this time, they are widely considered one of the most improved domaines in Burgundy over the last decade. Since taking over from his father Francois, Erwan Faiveley has made a deliberate decision to emphasise freshness and purity of fruit rather than fruit extraction, and at times, excessive use of new oak. This change has resulted in wines with greater refinement and vineyard character expression.
Other Reviews....
Aromas of orange oil, white flowers, fresh pastry, smoke, pastry cream, confit lemon and ripe pears introduce Faiveley's 2019 Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, a full-bodied, textural and enveloping wine that's satiny and incisive, with tangy acids and a seamless, elegant profile.
93-95+ points
William Kelley - Wine Advocate (Jan 2021)The 2019 Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has a crisp, well-defined bouquet of green apple and juniper scents infused with crushed limestone; very good concentration here. The harmonious palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, touches of apricot and tangerine and a pretty finish that leaves a spicy aftertaste. Drink this Bienvenues over the next 12–15 years.
91-93 points
Neal Martin - VinousDeep yellow and green. Quite accessible but suggesting depth, mandarins, citron confit and Jérôme Flous brings out his saffron suggestion again. This is very well balanced on the palate, just a light touch of toast, very good natural acidity, fine and stylish, keeps coming on. Normal yields here. Very long. This is a bit like an over exuberant puppy. Fun at a very high level.
94-97 points
Jasper Morris - Inside Burgundy -
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2019 Domaine Faiveley Batard Montrachet Grand CruBurgundy, FRANCE$950. 00Bottle$11400.00 DozenClosure: CorkDomaine Faiveley was founded in 1825, and while they have been known for producing outstanding quality wines throughout this time, they are widely considered one of the most improved domaines in Burgundy over the last decade. Since taking over from his father Francois, Erwan Faiveley has made a deliberate decision to emphasise freshness and purity of fruit rather than fruit extraction, and at times, excessive use of new oak. This change has resulted in wines with greater refinement and vineyard character expression.
Other Reviews....
Rich and muscular, the 2019 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru exhibits aromas of pear, citrus zest, toasted nuts, honeycomb and white flowers. Full-bodied, broad and powerful, with lively acids and an ample core of ripe fruit, it's the most dramatic wine in the range. If it can pick up some additional tension during a second winter on the lees, my score will seem conservative.
92-94+ points
William Kelley - Wine Advocate (Jan 2021)The 2019 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru conveys much more terroir expression on the nose, offering chalk dust and wet limestone aromas; great intensity here. The taut, fresh palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, a mineral-driven finish and commendable persistence. This is a step above the Bienvenues this year and it should age with style. Bon vin!
94-96 points
Neal Martin - VinousIf anything, the Bâtard has the fresher colour of the two, or perhaps less yellow, but the nose is softer and creamier. Less in the fruit register, more powerful, even though these are the same rows of vines as the Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet, just slightly up the slope! More stones here, so the soil drains better. The fruit is agreeably lifted on the palate, ultimately the more classic, the more stylish of the two. A wine for greater reflection over a long period. Impressive.
95-98 points
Jasper Morris - Inside Burgundy - 2019 Maison Louis Latour Meursault Perrieres Premier CruBurgundy, FRANCE$250. 00Bottle$3000.00 DozenABV: 13.5%Closure: Cork
Founded in 1797 Maison Louis Latour has survived the ages, and has always made it a point of honour to remain family owned. It is now run by the seventh Louis Latour who represents the 11th generation of the founding family, who like each generation before him, has worked hard to preserve the company’s unique heritage whilst ensuring the future with an ambitious and visionary spirit. The Latour family Domaine has been built up over the years and today covers 50 hectares of exceptional vineyards.
Widely considered the finest vineyard in Meursault, Les Perrières is marked by thin, rocky soils with high proportions of limestone. Across the various parts of Perrières, the topsoil is the thinnest, consisting of just a crumbling of limestone marl over the hard bedrock. The presence of the limestone helps to contribute minerality to the wines, a characteristic that Perrières wines are particularly noted for, especially in relation to Charmes or Genevrières wines.
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2015 Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino RiservaTuscany, ITALY$350. 00Bottle$4200.00 DozenABV: 15%Closure: CorkCanalicchio di Sopra was founded by Primo Pacenti in 1962, and is now run by his grandchildren Francesco, Simonetta and Marco. Their 19 hectares of vineyards are planted in Canalicchio and Montosoli on northern side of Montalcino, and each of these locations lend an elegance and grace to these exquisite Sangiovese wines. All wines are aged in medium sized Slavonian oak botti.
Other Reviews....
The Canalicchio di Sopra 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a beauty. It offers a brilliant interpretation of a warm and sunny vintage from cool, mineral-rich soils in an area with steep shifts between day and nighttime temperatures. This is one of those special wines in which the vintage characteristics fit the territory with the precision of a jigsaw puzzle. The bouquet is fluid and complex with tart cherry fruit, cola, licorice, aniseed and blue flower. That aniseed comes around a second time. The arrangement and order of those aromas changes with each successive swirl of the glass. This Riserva is fermented in stainless steel and aged in Slavonian oak casks for 36 months. Drink 2025 - 2050.
98 points
Monica Larner - Wine Advocate (Dec 2020)The 2015 Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a dark and exotic expression of Sangiovese. It pulls you closer to the glass with an alluring display, showing medicinal cherry, plum, a sweet dusting of cinnamon, clove and finally crushed violets. The textures are like pure silk being slowly draped across your palate, offset by tart red and black fruits, as a complex web of acids, minerals and tannins saturate, clamping down toward the close. Structured and tart, as it should be at this youthful phase, the 2015 is still just an infant, with the potential for over a decade’s worth of positive evolution. This year’s Riserva hails from fruit exclusively from the Vigna Vecchia Mercatale vineyard within the Canalicchio cru, and it spends only two extra months in 2,500-liter Slavonian oak casks prior to bottling. Tasted over the course of two days it got better each time I revisited it. Drink 2024 - 2036.
95+ points
Eric Guido - VinousAn opulent red with black-cherry and plum aromas and flavors with undertones of orange peel and porcini mushrooms. It’s full-bodied and layered with depth and intensity throughout. Solid and layered. Very structured. Give this at least three to four years of bottle age. Try after 2024.
98 points
James Suckling -
- 95
- 93
2019 Selbach-Oster Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling SpatleseMosel, GERMANY$87. 99Bottle$1055.88 DozenABV: 9%Closure: CorkSelbach-Oster has a history in the wine trade dating back 1660, while the current winery was formed in the mid 1800's. Known for producing highly detailed and pure expressions of Riesling, Selbach-Oster have vines planted in some of the greatest sites in the Mosel, including Zeltinger Himmelreich, Schlossberg, and Sonnenuhr; Wehlener Sonnenuhr; and Graacher Himmelreich and Domprobst. Today, Johannes Selbach and his wife Barbara, with the increasing help of son Sebastian and daughter Hannah, manage their vineyards and winery with passion and respect for the estate’s long held traditions. Johannes, like his late father Hans, has continued the use of traditional oak fuder in his cellar, bringing in new large casks every few years. Vinification is carried out in a combination of fuder and stainless steel, in a hands-off manner with no fining, and predominantly with wild yeasts. The focus is on meticulous work in the vineyard with the aim to produce and bring home perfect fruit.
Other Reviews....
Planned to be a Kabinett that finally got too ripe (100° Oechsle), the 2019 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese * is clear and intense on the nose. Juicy and quite rich on the palate, this is a piquant and acidity-driven Spätlese with an enormously piquant and salty finish. Picke din the first week of October, it has laser sharp acidity that cuts through the rich texture that is based on 15% to 18% botrytis fruit. Tasted at the domain in September 2020. Drink 2026 - 2050.
93 points
Stephan Reinhardt - Wine Advocate (Oct 2020)Hang on to your hat. With its enormous ripeness and brilliant acidity, this monumental wine defies the limits of the Spätlese category. None of the exotic fruit that’s so typical for 2019, rather you're in the kingdom of the peach here ! Decades of aging potential. Drink or hold.
95 points
Stuart Pigott - jamessuckling.comThe 2019er Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese * was made from fruit harvested at 100° Oechsle and fermented down to sweet levels of residual sugar (81 g/l). It exhibits some smoky, minty, and ripe scents of pear, quince, almond cream, lavender, pineapple, and smoke on the nose. The wine reveals a more exotic and animating side on the delicate and subtly smooth palate, and leaves one with a feeling of presence and intensity, but all focused and chiseled in the long finish. Drink 2026-2039.
93 points
Jean Fisch & David Rayer - Mosel Fine Wines -
- 98
- 99
2019 Max Ferdinand Richter Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese (375ml)Mosel, GERMANY$940. 00Bottle$11280.00 DozenABV: 6.5%Closure: CorkWeingut Max Ferdinand Richter produces world-class Rieslings from some of the most esteemed vineyards in the Mosel, and all production comes from estate holdings. The terroir of their steep vineyard sites is generally grey slate with different compositions of ferruginous (Brauneberg), mineral quartz (Veldenz) or clay (Graach, Wehlen, Mülheim) soils; those deeply influence character and flavour of the wines. In order to reduce quantity and increase concentration, pruning is severe and in prolific years a green harvest is carried out in August. The vintage is picked much later than that of most growers and is done entirely by hand. Three passes are done to select the best qualities to eliminate all inferior grapes and to keep perfect botrytis bunches or single berries for Auslese qualities and above. The same attention is paid to all vines from the QBAs on up through the Eisweins.
Other Reviews....
Based on single berries affected by an early botrytis, the raisin selection of the three-starred Auslese is the 2019 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese. Intense, very precise and spicy on the nose, the 2019 displays concentrated peach, almond and biscuit as well as lemon chutney, tea and ginger aromas. Silky, refined and highly delicate on the palate, this is a super precise and elegant TBA with great precision, finesse and salinity. The sweetness is certainly palatable but balanced by the clarity, precision, finesse and seamless texture of this crystalline and stimulating TBA that is extremely hard not to score 100 points. Maybe later, after some years of bottle aging? This wine has all the potential to become a legend. Bottled with roughly 400 grams of acidity, 6.5% alcohol and high acidity that was at 16 grams per liter in the must stage. 70 liters produced. Drink 2035 - 2100.
99+ points
Stephan Reinhardt - Wine Advocate (Oct 2020)This is packed with dried-fruit aromas, ranging from pineapple to dates and figs, but it remains finely nuanced, rather than drifting off into opulence and density. With aeration, some ceps/porcini character appears, too. A super elegant wine, in spite of the enormous concentration and the sweetness that comes with it. The playful, filigree finish makes it really stand out in this category. Drink or hold.
98 points
Stuart Pigott - jamessuckling.comThe 2019er Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese was made from fully-botrytized fruit picked at 210° Oechsle, and was fermented down to fully noble-sweet levels of residual sugar. It offers a hugely exotic nose made of baked pineapple, coconut, mango, starfruit, almond cream, dried fruits, and honeyed elements. The wine is hugely sweet and unctuous on the palate, where a whiff of volatile acidity adds pep to the structure. The finish is long and alluring, but also marked by a touch of volatile acidity at this early stage. This superb TBA may eventually exceed our high ratings, especially as the volatile elements withdraw into the background. What an impressive effort! Drink 2029-2069.
96+ points
Jean Fisch & David Rayer - Mosel Fine Wines -
- 97
- 98
2019 Max Ferdinand Richter Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese*** cask 42 (375ml)Mosel, GERMANY$135. 00Bottle$1620.00 DozenABV: 7%Closure: CorkWeingut Max Ferdinand Richter produces world-class Rieslings from some of the most esteemed vineyards in the Mosel, and all production comes from estate holdings. The terroir of their steep vineyard sites is generally grey slate with different compositions of ferruginous (Brauneberg), mineral quartz (Veldenz) or clay (Graach, Wehlen, Mülheim) soils; those deeply influence character and flavour of the wines. In order to reduce quantity and increase concentration, pruning is severe and in prolific years a green harvest is carried out in August. The vintage is picked much later than that of most growers and is done entirely by hand. Three passes are done to select the best qualities to eliminate all inferior grapes and to keep perfect botrytis bunches or single berries for Auslese qualities and above. The same attention is paid to all vines from the QBAs on up through the Eisweins.
Other Reviews....
From a very young and very old part of the cru, the 2019 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese *** –42– is the pre-selection of the TBA, and the grapes weighed in at 145° Oechsle. The lime- and lemon-tinged, very intense and aromatic bouquet is amazingly fine, fresh and pure on the nose, displaying ripe stone fruit and pineapple aromas intermixed with the flinty and spicy notes of the specific slate soils in the WSU. Based on 70% to 80% botrytis grapes, this is a sweet yet highly refined and piquant Beerenauslese sold as a three-starred or "highly finessed" Auslese. This is a really delicate and promising Sonnenuhr of great class and style, with lingering and stimulating finesse and salinity. Fabulous. Tasted at the domain in September 2020. Drink 2030 - 2080.
98 points
Stephan Reinhardt - Wine Advocate (Oct 2020)A breathtaking Auslese with a cornucopia of exotic fruit, flowers and herbs. Packed with super ripe fruit, but so bright and precise with great energy. Hard to resist this combination of tropical seduction and uplifting freshness. Drink or hold.
97 points
Stuart Pigott - jamessuckling.comThe 2019er Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese *** -42-, as it is referred to on the consumer label, was made from partially botrytized (60%) fruit picked at 140° Oechsle on old vines and also virgin vines, and was fermented down to noble-sweet levels of residual sugar (150 g/l). It offers a most subtle nose of a BA as scents of exotic fruits (pineapple, coconut, starfruit, etc.) mingle with some dried fruits (date and fig) and some creamy almond paste. The wine is stunningly complex and balanced on the palate, where multi-layered and refined flavors of creamy fruits are wrapped into some ripe but firm acidity. While intense, the wine remains superbly light-footed and beautifully alluring. This gorgeous sweet wine is a huge success! Drink 2029-2059.
97 points
Jean Fisch & David Rayer - Mosel Fine Wines -
- 96
- 95
2019 Max Ferdinand Richter Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese (375ml)Mosel, GERMANY$74. 99Bottle$899.88 DozenABV: 7%Closure: CorkWeingut Max Ferdinand Richter produces world-class Rieslings from some of the most esteemed vineyards in the Mosel, and all production comes from estate holdings. The terroir of their steep vineyard sites is generally grey slate with different compositions of ferruginous (Brauneberg), mineral quartz (Veldenz) or clay (Graach, Wehlen, Mülheim) soils; those deeply influence character and flavour of the wines. In order to reduce quantity and increase concentration, pruning is severe and in prolific years a green harvest is carried out in August. The vintage is picked much later than that of most growers and is done entirely by hand. Three passes are done to select the best qualities to eliminate all inferior grapes and to keep perfect botrytis bunches or single berries for Auslese qualities and above. The same attention is paid to all vines from the QBAs on up through the Eisweins.
Other Reviews....
From the overripe and botrytized berries of the Spätlese selection, the 2019 Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese is intense and concentrated on the nose, but due to the sulfuric notes, it is far from being as terroir-driven as the Spätlese or even the Kabinett. The fruit is concentrated yet piquant, fresh and elegant on the palate and pure, refined and subtle on the finish due to the crystalline acidity and finesse that represents the JSU. This is an excellent Spätlese that needs at least a decade to age to its full finesse. Tasted at the domain in September 2020. Drink 2035 - 2070.
95+ points
Stephan Reinhardt - Wine Advocate (Oct 2020)Plenty of exotic-fruit character from botrytis, but they haven’t made this refined Auslese loud, only more complex and tantalizing. Considerable concentration, but everything fits together so neatly that it comes off as restrained. Very complex, almost dry finish with a hint of vanilla pod. Delicious now, but so much aging potential. Drink or hold.
96 points
Stuart Pigott - jamessuckling.comThe 2019er Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Auslese was made from partially botrytized fruit (1/3) picked at 115° Oechsle, and was fermented down to noble-sweet levels of residual sugar (125 g/l). It offers a gorgeous nose made of elderflower, cassis, white peach, coconut, almond paste, fresh pineapple, and loads of citrusy and minty elements. The wine proves stunningly tactile and subtle on the palate, where delicately creamy fruits mingle with ripe yet gorgeously juicy acidity. The finish is all about bright exotic fruits, citrusy elements, and fine notes of cream. This gorgeous sweet wine may seem almost irresistible now, but it will gain from a decade of aging as the sweetness will have receded and given way to more nuances. Drink 2029-2049.
95 points
Jean Fisch & David Rayer - Mosel Fine Wines -
- 95
- 92
- 95
2019 Max Ferdinand Richter Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling SpatleseMosel, GERMANY$74. 99Bottle$899.88 DozenABV: 8%Closure: StelvinWeingut Max Ferdinand Richter produces world-class Rieslings from some of the most esteemed vineyards in the Mosel, and all production comes from estate holdings. The terroir of their steep vineyard sites is generally grey slate with different compositions of ferruginous (Brauneberg), mineral quartz (Veldenz) or clay (Graach, Wehlen, Mülheim) soils; those deeply influence character and flavour of the wines. In order to reduce quantity and increase concentration, pruning is severe and in prolific years a green harvest is carried out in August. The vintage is picked much later than that of most growers and is done entirely by hand. Three passes are done to select the best qualities to eliminate all inferior grapes and to keep perfect botrytis bunches or single berries for Auslese qualities and above. The same attention is paid to all vines from the QBAs on up through the Eisweins.
Other Reviews....
From 80- to 90+-year-old vines in the original plot below the sundial, the 2019 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese is very precise and fresh on the flinty, slatey and crisp fruit bouquet. Juicy-piquant and sweet on the palate, this is a tight and crispy, very intense yet still sulfuric Spätlese from a really great terroir. The fruit is still fresh and precise and was picked together with the dry GG selection, which is picked from the inner part with a higher acidity, whereas the Spätlese is from the outside berries that have more ripeness. The 2019 should be aged for at least 10 years. Tasted at the domain in September 2020. Drink 2030 - 2070.
95+ points
Stephan Reinhardt - Wine Advocate (Oct 2020)The white-peach and citrus aromas with a touch of spring blossoms pour from the glass of this classic Mosel Spätlese that has a great interplay of ripeness and cool elements on the palate, leading into a very filigree finish that’s pristine and full of herbal freshness. Drink or hold.
95 points
Stuart Pigott - jamessuckling.comThe 2019er Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese was made from fruit picked at 95° Oechsle, and was fermented down to almost noble-sweet levels of residual sugar (95 g/l). It offers a hugely aromatic and creamy nose made of pineapple, honey, apricot blossom, almond, grapefruit, and floral elements. The wine develops the creamy side of a refined Auslese on the palate and leaves an intense feel of whipped cream, apricot, honey, and fine floral and herbal elements in the engaging and nicely racy finish. This sweet wine will please lovers of suave yet light-footed and engaging expression of the genre, but needs more than a decade to reach its drinking window. Drink 2034-2049.
92 points
Jean Fisch & David Rayer - Mosel Fine Wines - 2019 Domaine Faiveley Chambolle Musigny Les Fuees Premier CruBurgundy, FRANCE$399. 00Bottle$4788.00 DozenClosure: Cork
Domaine Faiveley was founded in 1825, and while they have been known for producing outstanding quality wines throughout this time, they are widely considered one of the most improved domaines in Burgundy over the last decade. Since taking over from his father Francois, Erwan Faiveley has made a deliberate decision to emphasise freshness and purity of fruit rather than fruit extraction, and at times, excessive use of new oak. This change has resulted in wines with greater refinement and vineyard character expression.
The Les Fuées parcel is situated in the north of Chambolle Musigny, just after Bonnes Mares Grand Cru.
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- 93
- 93
2019 Domaine Faiveley Corton Clos Des Cortons Faiveley Grand CruBurgundy, FRANCE$530. 00Bottle$6360.00 DozenClosure: CorkDomaine Faiveley was founded in 1825, and while they have been known for producing outstanding quality wines throughout this time, they are widely considered one of the most improved domaines in Burgundy over the last decade. Since taking over from his father Francois, Erwan Faiveley has made a deliberate decision to emphasise freshness and purity of fruit rather than fruit extraction, and at times, excessive use of new oak. This change has resulted in wines with greater refinement and vineyard character expression.
Other Reviews....
Here too there is a mentholated top note to the much earthier aromas of poached plum, underbrush, red currant and touches of the sauvage. There is excellent verve to the equally broad-shouldered and muscular flavors that possess outstanding complexity on the tannic, serious and beautifully long finish that is a bit less austere than it usually is at this early juncture. This beautifully well-made effort will also require extended bottle age to reveal its full potential, but it should very much be worth the wait.
93-95 points
Allen Meadows - BurghoundThe 2019 Corton Grand Cru Clos des Cortons Faiveley opens in the glass with notes of cassis, wild berries, warm spices, orange rind, rose petals, espresso roast and sweet soil tones. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's vibrant and lively, marrying notable concentration with fine-boned structure. Long and mineral, it's more ethereal than its rich, muscular 2018 counterpart.
93-95+ points
William Kelley - Wine Advocate (Jan 2021)The 2019 Corton Clos des Cortons Faiveley Grand Cru comes from the 2.77-hectare monopole. This was actually quite closed on the nose compared with Faiveley’s Gevrey Grand Crus, coming across earthy and rather sullen at first, and opening with earthy/woodland aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and harmonious on the entry. The fine, lightly spiced finish reveals clove and touches of graphite. Nice persistence here. This holds a lot of promise.
93-95 points
Neal Martin - VinousVery dense red purple, lively though, and holds up after the sensuality of Clos de Bèze. Stricter. Darker fruit, very good structure here, fills out the palate, dark raspberry, with slightly more severe tannins. Very good fruit acid balance. This works very well, and has a distinguished future. Lightly saline to finish.
93-96 points
Jasper Morris - Inside Burgundy -
- 95
Johnny Drum Private Stock Bourbon Whiskey (700ml)Kentucky, UNITED STATES$124. 99Bottle$1499.88 DozenABV: 50.5%One of those Bourbons where a single glass is never quite enough. Located on the outskirts of Bardstown, Kentucky, lies the old Willet Distillery. Correspondence is currently pending as to the status of production, but its history dates from shortly after the repeal of prohibition in 1935. The distillery was established by brothers Thompson and Johnny Willett. The 1970s petrol crisis saw Old Willet producing alcohol as an alternate resource for fuel. The distillery closed its doors when the fuel crisis was no longer dire, unfortunately, all the whisky distilling equipment was stripped from the premises.
Great stuff! - Jim MurrayEnter Evan Kulsveen. Norwegian by descent, Evan married Thompson Willett's daughter, Martha, and endeavoured to bring the family distillery back to life by exporting old stock to Japan and Europe in the late 1980s when the market for Bourbon was starting to boom. The stock eventually ran out and whilst the goal of re-opening the distillery was still in sight, the cost involved made it an unviable proposition at the time. Instead, Evan started purchasing casks from multiple distilleries, masterfully creating his own whiskies, marketed under numerous labels, including ‘Old Bardstown’, ‘Kentucky Vintage’, ‘Rowans Creek’ and ‘Johnny Drum’, amongst others.
Pages on the Kentucky Bourbon Distiller’s website (a subsidiary of the distillery as a premium bottler and vendor of private brands) have indicated that the distillery is undergoing restoration (some twenty years after that promise was made!) Evan continues to operate the facility along with his children, Drew and Brit Kulsveen, continuing the line of prestigious American whiskies. We anxiously await the re-opening of this legendary Kentucky producer.
Tasting note: Copper gold colour with a gold hue. A touch of shellac at first, then the nose reveals aromas of toffee apple, mixed nuts and an enticing array of spices including clove, vanilla, anise and nutmeg over a charry oak base note. A big palate attack yields concentrated flavours of dried fruits, caramel, sweet spices and sandalwood. The mouthfeel is creamy and mildly prickly at the same time, however the whisky maintains excellent balance at this strength. Finishes soft and dry with an aftertaste of vanillan oak, creme caramel and a subtle liquorice strap fade. A big, complex Bourbon experience. 50.5% Alc./Vol.
Other reviews... Plenty of color, and the nose says it ain’t lying. Sharp warehouse oak aroma puts an edge on an authoritative nose of honey, Indian pudding, spicy hard candy, and old-fashioned root beer, the not-too-sugary kind. Fiery and bold on the tongue as oak roars from start to finish, but the sweetness builds sip-by-sip: cornbread, buckwheat honey, King syrup, and a teasy bit of citrus peel. Long finish as the oak dies down. At this price, let’s keep it our secret. Sourced whiskey. 88 points - www.maltadvocate.com, reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Fall 2015)
















































