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    • Nick's Import
    2022 Chateau Pavie Macquin Pre-Arrival Offer
    Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, FRANCE
    $215. 00
    Bottle
    $2580.00 Dozen
    Closure: Cork

    Other Reviews....
    This site can deliver such powerful, tannic wines that I was left especially impressed by the supple, harmonious style of the 2022 Pavie Macquin. Unwinding in the glass with notions of sweet wild berries, rose petals, spices, violets, bay leaf and new oak, it's full-bodied, deep and vibrant, with a layered core of fruit, bright acids and a long, penetrating finish, where powdery structuring tannins make themselves felt but without any asperity. Of course, this remains a deep and powerful wine, but Nicolas Thienpont and his team continue their shift toward more judicious extraction, with excellent results.
    94-96 points
    William Kelley - Wine Advocate (Apr 2023)

    The 2022 Pavie Macquin is a gorgeous wine, not quite as exotic as it can be, which will no doubt please those who find this wine on the richer side within the context of Saint-Émilion. Dark red fruit, chalk, mint, white pepper and spice all race across the palate. Given the small size of the berries and the heat, the winemaking team led by Nicolas Thienpont opted for gentler vinification with fewer punchdowns than the past. The result is a decidedly linear, vibrant Pavie Macquin that bristles with the chalky, saline energy that is a signature of this part of Saint-Émilion, but that has not always been present in a wine that in the past has been more about textural opulence. The blend is 80% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Tasted four times. Drink 2030-2052.
    95-97 points
    Antonio Galloni - Vinous

    Another wine that's going to flirt with perfection is the 2022 Château Pavie Macquin, and this might be the finest vintage I've ever tasted from this address. A blend of 80% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc, and a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon, it reveals an inky purple hue as well as a stunning bouquet of pure cassis, liquid black raspberries, truffle, scorched earth, and graphite. Full-bodied, concentrated, and massive on the palate, it may be the largest-scaled Pavie Macquin ever produced. But don't let that scare you off – it stays flawlessly balanced, has pure, fine-grained tannins, and a great finish. I'll be a buyer.
    96-98+ points
    Jeb Dunnuck

    Perfumed and aromatic, smells rich but not too intensely with roses and soft purple flowers. Succulent and really quite crisp and clear, such clarity to the fruit, with both a sharpness of acidity and mineral bite to the tannins. Liquorice, blue fruits, cool chalky tones. You get a sense of the power and structure, it’s wide and full, thick but keeping the freshness and tension with super high acidity giving the mouthwatering nature and a touch of austerity. Precise and detailed with energy and tension as well as depth and clarity. Great potential. A yield of 31hl/ha. Harvest 23 September - 11 October. Ageing 16 months; 70% new barrels, 30% one wine. Derenoncourt consultants. Drink 2025 - 2045.
    96 points
    Georgina Hindle - Decanter

    Dark garnet in color, the wine offers its nose of cherry blossoms, licorice, black fruits, orange rind, olives, and tobacco leaf profile with ease. The perfect blend of power, elegance, and oceans of fruit, there is a beautiful balance, and harmony here. The opulent, silky fruits deliver purity, length, and freshness that is close to seamless. The sensations linger on the backend long after the wine has left the glass. The wine blends 80% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.7% ABV, 3.4 pH. The harvest took place September 14-September 20. Drink from 2027-2055.
    97-99 points
    Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider

    Conditions of Pre Arrival Offer:
    1. There is no minimum order unless stated.
    2. All wines are 750ml unless indicated otherwise.
    3. Payment is due at the time of ordering to secure stocks.
    4. The wines are being collected and shipped in refrigerated containers and are due to arrive in late 2025.
    5. Nicks Wine Merchants reserve the right to pass on any changes in Government duties and taxes and delivery charges from the date of order to the date of final delivery of the wine.
    6. Errors and omissions excepted.
    7. Delivery charges may apply - these can be determined by visiting the Freight Rates page.

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    2020 Joseph Faiveley Chambolle-Musigny Les Charmes Premier Cru
    Burgundy, FRANCE
    $325. 00
    Bottle
    $3900.00 Dozen
    ABV: 13.5%
    Closure: Cork

    Other Reviews....
    Classic ruby color. Bright and fresh aromas of red pinot fruit are liberally laced with plenty of floral and spice wisps. The delicious, rich and seductively textured medium-bodied flavors possess an opulent mid-palate that contrasts somewhat with the firm, clean, dry, youthfully austere and mildly warm finale. Drink: 2030+.
    90-93 points
    Allen Meadows - Burghound

    The 2020 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes is perfumed and elegant, soaring from the glass with scents of roses, peonies, orange rind and sweet red berries. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and sensual, with melting tannins, succulent acids and a saline finish, it's one of the most ethereal wines in the range.
    92-94 points
    William Kelley - Wine Advocate (Jan 2022)

    The 2020 Chambolle-Musigny Charmes 1er Cru has a ripe nose with raspberry, cranberry and quite conspicuous rose petal scents. The palate is medium-bodied with sweet, ripe tannins, the new oak a little more present here, smooth towards the finish that just needs a little more Chambolle DNA. Drink: 2024-2038.
    89-91 points
    Neal Martin - Vinous

    A slightly less intense but pretty purple, some whole bunches here. They also stretch out the fruit across the palate beautifully. This is a very deft Chambolle with plenty of nuance, extremely floral, and with a graceful structure.
    93-95 points
    Jasper Morris - Inside Burgundy

    • 95
    2015 Luigi Baudana Barolo Cerretta
    Piedmont, ITALY
    $180. 00
    Bottle
    $2160.00 Dozen
    ABV: 14%
    Closure: Cork

    Other Reviews....
    If the Baudana is a wine of sensuality, the 2015 Barolo Cerretta is a Barolo of virile, explosive power, which, among other things, shows just how different the wines of Serralunga can be. Black cherry, plum, sage, menthol and licorice hit the palate in a firm, massively tannic Barolo that is going to require considerable patience. The Cerretta is the embodiment of Serralunga richness and structure. What a wine!
    95 Points 
    Antonio Galloni - Vinous

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    2019 AA Badenhorst Ramnasgras Cinsault
    Swartland, SOUTH AFRICA
    $84. 99
    Bottle
    $1019.88 Dozen
    ABV: 12.5%
    Closure: Cork

    Other Reviews....

    Floral, dried-cranberry and apple aromas follow through to a medium body, fine and polished tannins and a lightly dusty finish with pleasant fruit. Drink now.
    91 Points
    JamesSuckling.com (August 2021)

    Straight cinsault, the fancy release, mid 60’s planting of the gear. In Swartland.
    Fine boned red wine expression but with heaps of freshness, buckets of spice, sappy tannins and a powdery, minerally finish. Lighter style, fine boned, silky and elegant. A very pure, almost pinot like expression but with more grunt. Stellar expression. Drink 2021 - 2027
    94 Points
    Mike Bennie - The Wine Front (September 2021)

     

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    2018 AA Badenhorst Family Red
    Swartland, SOUTH AFRICA
    $64. 99
    Bottle
    $779.88 Dozen
    ABV: 13.5%
    Closure: Cork

    Crafted from old bush vines planted in the 1950’s and 1960’s which are grown without irrigation on various types of granite soil. The vineyards are planted on varying facing slopes bringing tremendous variety to the fruit. Fruit from other selected sites within the appellation are also purchased to complete the final blends.

    The fruit is fermented 100% whole bunch in large concrete tanks and wooden vats, with post ferment maceration continuing for up to 4 months. Maturation takes place in a mixture of barrels and large, neutral foudres. Inspired by the history of the old, long forgotten Cape Blends that were around before the advent of modern winemaking.

    Other Reviews....
    A blend of 56% Shiraz, 19% Grenache, 12.5% Cinsault and 12.5% Tinta Barocca, the 2018 Family Red Blend begins with a fruity and rustic nose of wild brush, smoked meat, black olive, elements of dark cherry and plum before showcasing subtle aromas of wilted flowers and baked clay. Medium-bodied, the palate offers flavors of juicy tobacco and bitter black tea and a balanced structure with firm, buttressing tannins as the wine sits on the tongue. The wine concludes with a drying finish and lasting flavors of black cherry skin and dusty plums with a nuance of undusted leather. I can see this being incredibly versatile with food. Just give it some time in the cellar before opening. Drink 2022 - 2032.
    91 points
    Anthony Mueller - Robert Parkers Wine Advocate (February 2021)

    The 2018 Red Blend, comprising Shiraz, Grenache, Cinsault and Tinta Barocca fermented in concrete tanks, offers appealing mulberry, black plum, curry leaf and potpourri aroma that gradually gain intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with red berry fruit, white pepper and clove. The finish has a precision that I admire and a saltiness that lingers in the mouth. Toothsome! Drink 2022 - 2032.
    92 points
    Neal Martin -  Antonio Galloni's Vinous (April 2021)

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    2016 Agly Brothers Cotes du Roussillon Villages
    Cotes de Roussillon, FRANCE
    $42. 99
    Bottle
    $515.88 Dozen
    Cellar: 5 - 6 Years (2025-2026)
    ABV: 14%
    Closure: Cork

    A blend of 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache matured in French oak barriques for 18 months. Midnight black in colour with a vibrant dark red hue. Aromas of black cherry and liquorice have a leathery overlay with notions of graphite, scorched earth and pepper following on. Medium to full bodied, rich black raspberry, black cherry, liquorice and leather flavours are wrapped up in a tense chewy mouthfeel. Scorched earth, provincial herbs and peppered dried meat elements are also evident. Muscular tannin structure finishing dry and slightly grippy with a long peppery aftertaste.
    Cellar 5-6 years.
    Alc. 14%

    Other Reviews….
    From the same parcel every year and a blend of 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache, the purple-hued 2016 Côtes du Roussillon Villages gives up a very young, juicy bouquet of blue fruits, violets, lavender, and pepper. This beauty packs ample fruit and offers terrific purity, full body, and supple, sweet tannins. It needs a year of bottle age but is a ripe, sexy wine. Drink 2018-2026.
    93 points
    JebDunnuck.com

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    • Nick's Import
    2020 Almaviva
    Valle de Maipo, CHILE
    $380. 00
    Bottle
    $4560.00 Dozen
    ABV: 15%
    Closure: Cork

    Almaviva is the ambitious partnership of the Baron Philippe de Rothschild group (Bordeaux) and Viña Concha y Toro (Chile) with the intention of creating a wine of exceptional character, complexity and ageing potential from extraordinary Chilean terroir. Launched with the 1996 vintage, consistent vineyard improvements and meticulous winemaking today mark Almaviva as one of the finest wines produced in Chile.
    The 2020 vintage is adorned with a special anniversary label to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the winery.

    Other Reviews....
    Fresh and deep nose, full of blueberries, minty cassis, mussels, cigars, dark spice and roasted sesame oak, which will need a year or two to fully integrate. A medium-to full-bodied Almaviva with supple, silky tannins and a wealth of black and blue fruit that provides a lot of charm now. Voluptuous and flattering on the palate, hallmarked by its tension and taut texture. Very long. This is the 25th anniversary bottling. 68% cabernet sauvignon, 24% carmenere, 6% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Drinkable now, but better from 2024.
    98 points
    James Suckling

    2020 was exceptionally dry, with 75% less rain than usual in the period between May and September, which resulted in an earlier harvest to produce a 2020 Almaviva with 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Carmenère (from Peumo), 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, so with no Merlot this time. The process was as careful as possible, without using any bombs, doing manual and optical sorting of the grapes, pressing in small vertical presses and aging of 20 months in French oak barrels, 73% of them new and the rest second use. The wine reached good ripeness with 14.9% alcohol. It still shows the effect of the élevage a bit, with abundant notes of sweet spices, a creamy touch and some smoke. I tasted it next to the 2019, and the wines have a very similar aromatic palette with a clear note of baked peppers. What was amazing in 2020 was that they harvested the Carmenere almost five weeks earlier than they normally would, and the result is not a green wine at all. As in all dry years, the wines show a little more tannic, a little in the style of the 2017—but the 2020 has more tension than the 2017, and the 2017 was more powerful and with a bigger tannic structure. The 2019 had more volume than the 2018, and the 2020 is closer to the 2019 than the 2018. 200,000 bottles produced. It was bottled during the second half of February 2022. Drink: 2024 - 2036.
    96 points
    Luis Gutiérrez - Wine Advocate

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    • Nick's Import
    2020 Almaviva Epu
    Valle de Maipo, CHILE
    $110. 00
    Bottle
    $1320.00 Dozen
    ABV: 14.8%
    Closure: Cork

    Almaviva is the ambitious partnership of the Baron Philippe de Rothschild group (Bordeaux) and Viña Concha y Toro (Chile) with the intention of creating a wine of exceptional character, complexity and ageing potential from extraordinary Chilean terroir. Launched with the 1996 vintage, consistent vineyard improvements and meticulous winemaking today mark Almaviva as one of the finest wines produced in Chile.
    For the second year running, we see the release of the second wine from Almaviva, named Epu. With a slightly higher Cabernet component in this wine the feel is more reminiscent of Bordeaux.

    Other Reviews....
    Lots of finely roasted sweet spice and roasted sesame to the blackberries, cassis and iron, together with hints of blue fruit and cured meat. A medium-to full-bodied palate, filled with rather generous sweet berries. Fleshy, supple and savory with quite fine-grained tannins and a long finish. First year with 10% new wood. 81% cabernet sauvignon, 12% carmenere, 5% merlot and 2% cabernet franc. Already delicious, but can hold, too.
    94 points
    James Suckling

    The current release of their second wine is the 2020 Epu. It's selected from the same terroir and vineyard in Puente Alto, one of the most reputed places for Cabernet Sauvignon in Chile, but from the younger vines (five- to 20-year-old vines) and harvested a little earlier to preserve acidity and fruit. In the warm and dry 2020 vintage, the wine was produced with a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Carmenere, 5% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, usually higher in Cabernet and lower in Carmenere than Almaviva. It has red ripe berries, the textbook blackberries and cassis and some creamy oak. It's ripe at 14.8% alcohol and has mellow acidity, good freshness and balance, with a pH of 3.71 and 4.8 grams of acidity (tartaric). It matured for 12 months in French barriques, 10% new and 90% second use. The wine has a bright nose with a clean note of baked "morrón" peppers intermixed with red berry compote. It has a velvety plate with the luxurious texture of the modern Bordeaux, with abundant, slightly dusty tannins. It's approachable and round but should reward some time in bottle. This is a pretty serious Epu. 75,000 bottles produced. It was bottled at the end of 2021 and the first days of 2022. Drink: 2023 - 2030.
    94 points
    Luis Gutiérrez - Wine Advocate

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    • Nick's Import
    2015 Antinori Solaia
    Tuscany, ITALY
    $850. 00
    Bottle
    $10200.00 Dozen
    ABV: 14.5%
    Closure: Cork

    Other Reviews....
    There is a magical infinity, a continuous loop of compatibilities, between the icon wines of Tuscany and the 2015 vintage. The stunning 2015 Solaia is solid evidence of this perfect alignment. This was a warm vintage that shows less favorably in my opinion in different parts of Italy and with other grapes that render their most elegant performances in the cooler vintages. I would put pure expressions of Nebbiolo and Sangiovese in this category. However, Tuscany and many of her great blended reds (made partially or fully with international grapes) operate according to a different logic. To me, their maximum expression comes when you can taste that Tuscan sunshine beaming from within. Its rays are brilliant and warm. They shine across the senses with opulence and intensity. The very name Solaia evokes the concept of sunshine and this unique Tuscan wine archetype I am referring to. With the 2015 vintage, Solaia is liquid sunshine not just in name but also in fact. The bouquet is immediately soft and sensual with dark fruit, spice and sweet tobacco. The mouthfeel shows intensity and power, but you don't get any heavy residue from the dry extract (measured at 33 grams per liter). Indeed, the wine feels glossy, tonic and fresh. It is composed of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with Sangiovese and a tiny part Cabernet Franc. There is a bit of crunch or snap that comes thanks to the more acidity-prone Sangiovese grape (the wine measures 3.5 in pH). Finally, the tannins are beautifully sweet and ripe. This wine is meticulously executed, and the 2015 vintage lives up to an ideal of what we imagine Solaia to be. It will be released about a week after this review is published.
    100 points
    Monica Larner - Wine Advocate (Sep 2018)

    The nose to this Solaia is truly phenomenal with currants, blackberries, roses and violets. So perfumed. Full-bodied and everything is in check and harmony with polished tannins that last for minutes. Purity and focus. Is it the greatest Solaia ever? So drinkable already, but this is a wine for ages ahead.
    100 points
    JamesSuckling.com

    Floral, mint and medicinal herb aromas introduce this rich, black currant—infused red. Firm and compact, with vibrant structure, youthful harmony and a lingering, fruit-, herb- and spice-tinged finish. Shows terrific balance and length, with the best yet to come. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2038. 500 cases imported.
    98 points
    Bruce Sanderson - Wine Spectator

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    • Hot Item
    2020 Arnaud Lambert Terres Rouges Lieu-Dit Saumur Champigny
    Saumur, Loire Valley, FRANCE
    $42. 99
    Bottle
    $515.88 Dozen
    Cellar: Drink now - 5 Years (2023-2028)
    ABV: 13.5%
    Closure: Diam Cork

    Arnaud Lambert is considered to be one of the most talented winemakers in Loire regularly producing what are amongst the best wines in and around Saumur. Practicing bio-dynamic viticulture and bringing a Burgundian approach to his winemaking, his Cabernet Francs are perfumed, fresh and make for delicious drinking.
    A 100% Cabernet Franc from vines averaging 45 years old planted on clayey-sandy silt over limestone (90cms below) with a warmer west facing exposition. 100% de-stemmed and fermented with partial whole berries with indigenous yeast in tank after separating free run and press juices with no SO2 for ageing and just 1 mg SO2 at bottling after 8 months in tank.
    Totally opaque black dark red colour with a vibrant red purple hue. Alluring red currant and red cherry scents infused with aromatic herbs intermingle with violets, subtle tobacco and dusty earth notes. Mid weighted and charming, juicy red currant and red cherry fruits are delivered with ample intensity and fruit richness overlaying a back drop of fresh herbs, tobacco and spicy earth. Loaded with freshness it has fine grained tannins and concludes with a vibrant red fruited finish that’s very savoury.
    Drink over the next 4-5 years.
    Alc. 13.5%

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    • Nick's Import
    2020 Aromes de Pavie
    Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, FRANCE
    $215. 00
    Bottle
    $2580.00 Dozen
    Closure: Cork

    Other Reviews....
    Composed of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc, the 2020 Arômes de Pavie has an alcohol of 14.78% and a pH of 3.57. It is aging in French oak barriques, 70% new. Deep purple-black in color, it needs a little swirling to unleash its exuberant scents of stewed black plums, black cherry compote and boysenberries, plus hints of tar, sautéed herbs and chargrill. The full-bodied palate packs in the black fruit layers, framed by soft tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long and earthy.
    91-93 points
    Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Wine Advocate (May 2021)

    The 2020 Arômes de Pavie represents a major step up in quality vis-à-vis previous vintages. It is a deep, statuesque wine endowed with tremendous power, richness and resonance. Plum, mocha, licorice, espresso and spice all flesh out in the glass. I can't wait to taste this in bottle. This is the first year in which the blend is equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc, both increasingly from plots dedicated to the Arômes, a departure from the past, when this wine was a selection of younger-vine fruit and lots that did not make it into the Grand Vin.
    91-93 points
    Antonio Galloni - Vinous

    Second wine of Pavie with wonderful blackberry, black olive and dark chocolate. Full and chewy with a powerful finish. Lots of structure and intensity.
    95-96 points
    James Suckling

    Deeply colored, the wine offers red and black plums, flowers, boysenberry, espresso and dark chocolate on the nose. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, lush and concentrated, velvet textures and loads of sweet, fleshy, flashy, dark red fruits, spice, espresso and cocoa in the finish. Aromes de Pavie is no longer the second wine of Pavie. Because all its fruit comes from a specific 11 hectare parcel, it should be looked at as its own brand. The wine blends 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc.
    93-95 points
    Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider

    Powerful and upfront, with a thick layer of liquorice and clove, blueberry and blackberry fruit. A little more of a monolith than the main estate wine of Pavie - something that you find often this year, where the tannins seem to go to the second wines. 70% new oak, 3.57pH. A yield of 35hl/ha.
    90 points
    Jane Anson - Decanter

    50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Franc. From designated parcels (11 ha) on the plateau. Cask sample.
    Ripe and pure-fruited but the freshness really comes through with this (first time) 50/50 blend. Chalky, mineral note behind. Fine-grained tannins. Drives on the finish with the fruit and freshness. More than adequate understudy while awaiting the grand vin.
    16.5/20 points
    James Lawther MW - jancisrobinson.com

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    • Organic
    2020 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir
    Martinborough, NEW ZEALAND
    $115. 00
    Bottle
    $1380.00 Dozen
    Cellar: 8 - 10 Years (2031-2033)
    ABV: 14%
    Closure: Stelvin

    Only fruit, from the oldest parcels of vines at Ata Rangi makes it into this wine. The fabled Abel clone, allegedly smuggled from Burgundy in the mid-70s, makes up 40% of the blend. Incorporates 40% whole bunch fruit with maturation taking place in French oak (35% new) for a period of 11 months.
    Deep dark red heart with black shaded edges and a dark red hue. Enchanting the olfactory senses are delightful perfumed like aromas led by red to dark cherries, wild strawberries and subtle anise infused with a mix of rose petals and violets. Hints of blueberry, spicy cedar and light forest floor are also evident. Rich, dense dark plum, ripe cherry and strawberry fruits flood the expansive palate with infusions of fresh herbs, spicy cedar, subtle earth and dried meat characters adding further nuance. Quite supple and full in texture it boasts outstanding concentration and power with a solidly built yet seamlessly integrated matrix of tannins providing great structure. Finishes very long and fleshy yet vibrantly robust.
    Cellar 8-10 years.
    Alc. 14%

    Other Reviews….
    A beautiful nose of sliced strawberries, crushed cherries, violets, grated nutmeg and a hint of white pepper. Some hibiscus, too. Supremely vibrant and perfumed with fine tannins that run the length of the medium-bodied palate. Textural. Ground spice and fresh fruit are intertwined, providing wonderful depth and complexity. So long as well. Seamless balance. Superb. Sustainable. Drink or hold. Screw cap.
    98 points
    JamesSuckling.com

    The 2020 Pinot Noir reminds me of walking into a cathedral - that quiet, cool hush that falls as you walk through its doors. This is harmonious, supple, unshowy and unforced. Hailing from old vines and delicately textured despite the abundance of fruit concentration. Refined tannins with the finest of gravelly textures, akin to licking a stone. Scented yet restrained, with a fragrance of sweet red fruit, tea leaf and cedar spices with persistent acidity that carries it. Very complete and already approachable. Drink 2023-2038.
    96 points
    Rebecca Gibb MW – Vinous

    • 93
    2016 Avanzi Montecorno Rebo
    Veneto, ITALY
    $44. 99
    Bottle
    $539.88 Dozen
    Minimum 12 bottles
    Cellar: Drink now - 3 Years (2022-2025)
    ABV: 14.5%
    Closure: Cork

    Rebo is a dark skinned cross of Merlot and Teroldego grapes. Dense black dark red colour with a dark red hue. Elevated dried cherry and liquorice aromas mix with old vanillin oak, earth and spicy leather notes. Rich black cherry, liquorice and dried cherry flavours carry an opulent feel over an earthy leather, vanillin oak and cinnamon spice back drop. Ripe, slightly chewy tannins with a generously fruited yet rustic like aftertaste.
    Drink over the next 2-3 years.
    Alc. 14.5%

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    • 98
    • Nick's Import
    2019 Beaux Freres The Beaux Freres Vineyard Pinot Noir
    Willamette Valley, Oregon, UNITED STATES
    $250. 00
    Bottle
    $3000.00 Dozen
    Closure: Cork

    Other Reviews....
    The 2019 Pinot Noir The Beaux Frères Vineyard is super expressive this vintage, with scents of brambly fruit, rose petals, forest floor, sweet balsamic and blood orange. The palate has a weightless quality, its silty tannins and bright acidity highlighting an array of earthy accents, and it finishes very long. Drink 2022 - 2032.
    98 points
    Erin Brooks - Wine Advocate (Dec 2021)

    A perfumed nose of cherry, wild strawberry, forest floor, dried flower, smoke and spice box. It’s medium-bodied with fine, creamy tannins and lively acidity. Round and balanced with a velvety texture. Layered with a long, savory finish. Unfiltered. Drink or hold.
    95 points
    James Suckling

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    • Hot Item
    • 98
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    • Nick's Import
    2020 Bibi Graetz Colore
    Tuscany, ITALY
    $420. 00
    Bottle
    $5040.00 Dozen
    Cellar: 8 - 10 Years (2030-2032)
    ABV: 13.5%
    Closure: Cork

    Fascinated by old vines, in just 20 years, Bibi Graetz has assembled one of the largest holdings of old vineyards in Tuscany. He shuns the traditionalist Chianti constraints and unlike other Super Tuscan producers focuses on championing the local varieties of Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino rather than pursuing Bordeaux blends.
    Deep dark red colour with black tinged edges and a bright red hue. Alluring red cherry and red currant scents infused with crushed rose petals meld into earth, tobacco, dusty cedar, fresh herb and spice notes. Delicious vibrant red fruits decorate the mid weighted palate with notions of tobacco, earth, fresh herbs and mineral infused crushed rocks lying underneath. Bright acidity combines with savoury yet slightly chalky tannins. Superb line, tension and length with a deceptively long and finessed finish.
    Cellar 8-10 years.
    Alc. 13.5%

    Other Reviews….
    The subtlety and perfumed nature of this wine is enchanting, offering flowers, orange peel and cherries. Wonderful ripe strawberries, too. Full-bodied, but not over the top, with tannins that are polished and run the length of the wine. It’s tight, but gives you every indication of a terrific wine. You want to drink it now, and you probably should do, because it’s so alluring. Yet it will age beautifully as well. Drink or hold.
    98 points
    James Suckling

    The Bibi Graetz 2020 Colore is a pure expression of Sangiovese all sourced from old vines that are carefully selected in various parts of Tuscany. Much of the fruit comes from a high elevation and cool site in Lamole, or from 70-year-old vines in Bagno a Ripoli or Vincigliata near Fiesole. A small percentage of old vines in Olmo is also used. Bibi has a preference for old vines, and you can taste the lovely depth and complexity that comes through in the Colore. Compared to his other wine Testamatta, this wine has seen fewer stylistic changes over the years, and the goal has always been elegance and finesse. Colore boasts a pretty luminous quality with dark fruit aromas and wild berry. There are hints of licorice and mint as well. Mineral flavors and bright acidity are what set Colore apart.
    Drink 2023-2045.
    96 points
    Monica Larner – Wine Advocate

    Bright and lively on the palate, such beautifully expressed raspberry and red cherry fruit flavours alongside high-shining acidity that is so clean and precise. A supremely joyful expression with hints of caramelised strawberries and fresh mint. So sharp but so well defined with a clarity to the palate that is gorgeous. Really delivers a sophisticated, charming, characterful wine that is balanced, easy to enjoy with plenty of life. A more structured and perhaps harder to understand wine than Testamatta this year, but both have their own lovely personalities. This is so complete and abundant, muscular but controlled and full of complexity and detail - there's weight and density without heaviness. A sensational wine. Ageing 12 months in 500l French oak barrels.
    98 points
    Georgina Hindle - Decanter

    • 96
    • Hot Item
    • 94
    • 95
    • 97
    • Nick's Import
    2020 Bibi Graetz Testamatta
    Tuscany, ITALY
    $165. 00
    Bottle
    $1980.00 Dozen
    Cellar: 6 - 8 Years (2028-2030)
    ABV: 13%
    Closure: Cork

    Dark red core with black shaded edges and a red to dark red hue. Delightful spicy red currant, red cherry and a faint whiff of rose petal aromas enchant the olfactory senses. Notions of earth, dried herbs, tobacco and cedar ensue. Savoury and mid weighted the palate features crunchy red currant and red cherry fruits which are underlined by Sangiovese’s trademark bright acidity. Earth, tobacco, dried herb and spicy cedar nuances are also present. Dryish finish with grainy tannins providing structure. Concludes long, elegant and fresh.
    Cellar 6-8 years.
    Alc. 13%

    Other Reviews….
    Bibi Graetz has long been tinkering with his formula for this wine, and this vintage represents a new chapter. The 2020 Testamatta is a blend of Sangiovese from old and new vines, with a priority on cooler growing conditions (and even a few northern exposures). In the wake of climate change, and in the pursuit of elegance, Bibi is changing his approach. He also has a new vineyard property near Fiesole, and the introduction of these grapes (from a breezy, high-elevation site) are what gives Testamatta its beautiful clarity, sharpness and lifted bouquet. The new Fiesole fruit makes up about 30% to 35% of this wine. The results are vibrant, transparent and fresh both in terms of acidity and aromatic intensity. This is a wine in transformation and a wine to watch. Drink 2023-2043.
    95 points
    Monica Larner – Wine Advocate

    Beautiful, fresh aromas of sour cherries, orange peel and lemon bush. Medium-bodied with firm, racy acidity and ultra-fine tannins that add brightness and energy to the wine. This is definitely following the new wave of crunchy, vivid Tuscany sangioveses, which emphasize drinkability and transparency. Lighter than past vintages. Drink now or hold.
    94 points
    James Suckling

    Wild roses and wild strawberries, the nose has a lovely fragrance and expression. Lifted and bright, this has such a beautiful delicacy to it, a creamy, chalkiness comes from the fine tannins with bright, succulent strawberry and raspberry leaf elements. You feel the savoury side too, the sweet vanilla spice and dried herb aspect which counter the fruit and the high acidity. I adore the finesse here, the sharp fruit giving the energy and the chalky texture giving the layers. Feels well controlled, powerful yet delivered with poise. It doesn't have so much overt weight, it's definitely more ethereal in terms of density, but the nuance of flavour is thrillingly captivating and this has a long lifted finish. A contemplative wine that keeps you wanting more and more. Made in new winery facilities in Fiesole. Grapes were picked from the best six vineyards; Vincigliata, Olmo, Londa, Lamole, Montefili and Siena with each divided into parcels and harvested up to eight times to get the perfect ripening points. Natural and indigenous fermentation in open top barriques (225l) for smaller parcels and 50hl cask or stainless steel tanks for larger plots. After 7-10 days of maceration, the parcels are moved into old barriques and 50hl casks for 20 months.
    97 points
    Georgina Hindle - Decanter

    • 98
    • 99
    • 96
    • Nick's Import
    2019 Bibi Graetz Colore
    Tuscany, ITALY
    $450. 00
    Bottle
    $5400.00 Dozen
    Cellar: Drink now - 15 Years (2021-2036)
    ABV: 14%
    Closure: Cork

    Colore is Bibi Graetz's Gran Vin, from very old vineyards of Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino. Poor soils mixed with sand and stone create the perfect terroir.

    Deep dark red core with black shaded edges and a red to dark red hue. Super expressive aromatics entrance the olfactory senses with red currant and red cherry scents in union with hints of rose petals, graphite, earth, tobacco, fresh herbs and spicy cedar. Carrying superb intensity of flavour, the palate is energetic and finessed with a powerful core of delicious ripe red currant and red cherry fruits underpinned by a muscular structure and wonderfully fresh acidity. Earth, dried herb, subtle graphite, light cedary tobacco characters and spice play their part on the back half. Well cut and nimble it finishes exceptionally long with a focused core of red fruits.
    Drink over the next 10-15 years.

    Other Reviews….
    Dressed for a party, the Bibi Graetz 2019 Colore celebrates the estate's 20th anniversary with a special commemorative (2000-2019) bottle. This vintage of Colore is 100% Sangiovese (the small part of Colorino in the blend we saw last year has been removed) because Bibi thought the Sangiovese elegant enough to stand alone. Fruit comes from three vineyard sites with 70-, 80- and 90-year-old vines, respectively. The wine offers big intensity and beautifully lifted aromas and more textural support than we saw in the slightly thinner 2018 vintage. The bouquet reveals balsam herb, cassis, pressed rose, garden mint and crushed stone. Fruit from the southern-most site, Poggio Matto in Casciano del Murlo (in the province of Siena), was blended in at a greater percentage to help build the structure and momentum of this cellar-worthy wine. Drink 2022 - 2045.
    96 points
    Monica Larner - Wine Advocate (Aug 2021)

    This is so perfumed and seductive, with blackberries, cherries, dried flowers and perfume. It’s full-bodied and tight with very fine tannins. Really structured and long. Superb tannin texture. So fine, yet so powerful. This is an incredible combination of fruit and structure. Old-vine magic. Drink after 2026.
    99 points
    JamesSuckling.com

    • 97
    • 97
    • 94
    • Nick's Import
    2019 Bibi Graetz Testamatta
    Tuscany, ITALY
    $180. 00
    Bottle
    $2160.00 Dozen
    Cellar: Drink now - 15 Years (2021-2036)
    ABV: 14%
    Closure: Cork

    Dark red in colour with black shaded edges and a bright red hue. The nose has a perfumed quality to it featuring delightful rose petal like scents which meld into ripe red to dried cherry and red currant fruits. Earth, light tobacco, fresh herb and delicate spicy cedar scents then emerge. Very long and elegant, the seemingly weightless palate is flooded with a mix of red to dark cherry and red currant flavours that show an appealing savouriness. Adding complexity are spicy cedar, light earth and dried herb elements. Beautiful freshness with muscular yet finely etched tannins leading into a powerful yet refined finish.
    Drink over the next 10-15 years.

    Other Reviews….
    A pure expression of Sangiovese, the Bibi Graetz 2019 Testamatta is a wine in constant evolution. Bibi has added 17 more hectares of vineyard to the program, with 12 hectares in Fiesole (north of Florence) and 5 hectares in San Donato in Colle (south of Florence) with 70-year-old vines. The base of the wine sees fruit from old vines planted in the 1950s in the cool-climate Lamole subzone of Chianti Classico. These new terroirs bring a lot more aromatic nuance and complexity to the wine with perfumed blue flower, candied orange peel, wet earth and plumy black fruit. White Alberese soils add a strong chalky mineral signature to the finish of this elegantly streamlined and linear Tuscan red. Drink 2022 - 2042.
    94 points
    Monica Larner - Wine Advocate (Aug 2021)

    Very attractive combination of dried fruit and spices with black cherries and plums. Aromas of flowers and sandalwood, too. Full-bodied and very refined, yet intense, with plush, velvety tannins that are wonderfully integrated and intertwined with the fruit. Ripe center palate. Tight at the end, suggesting the need for some serious bottle age. Very structured. Try after 2025.
    97 points
    JamesSuckling.com

    • 90
    • 91
    • Vegan
    2021 Boekenhoutskloof The Chocolate Block
    Swartland, SOUTH AFRICA
    $59. 99
    Bottle
    $719.88 Dozen
    ABV: 14.6%
    Closure: Cork

    The Boekenhoutskloof vineyard, named after the original property set up in 1776, was founded in 1993 in the Franschhoek Valley, when it was planted with Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Semillon, and Viognier. Today, under the helm of the winemaker Mark Kent, they produce a range of iconic wines including the Boekenhoutskloof Estate Wines, The Wolftrap, Porcupine Ridge, The Chocolate Block, and the Porseleinberg from the Swartland.
    The 2021 Chocolate Block (the 21st vintage of this wine) is a blend of 74% Syrah, 10% Grenache, 8% Cinsault, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Viognier. The wine is matured in a combination of seasoned 2,500L French oak foudres, 225L barriques, and seasoned 600L demi-muids for a period of 14 months.

    Other Reviews….
    The 2021 The Chocolate Block had been bottled a month before my visit. The Grenache and Cinsault plus part of the Syrah comes from Boekenhoutskloof's own vines and the remainder from purchased fruit. It undergoes whole berry fermentation and aged for 14 months in French barriques and two oak foudres. This has a much more refined and focused bouquet than the Chocolate Blocks of yore, brambly black fruit mixed with pencil lead and undergrowth. Impressive delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with powdery tannins, well judged acidity, quite structured and sappy towards the finish. Fine length. Drink 2023 – 2030.
    90 Points
    Neal Martin - Antonio Galloni's Vinous

    An inviting nose of pitted cherries, sliced plums, white pepper and tobacco leaf. Medium-bodied with silky tannins. Juicy and savory with nicely ripened red and black fruit. Subtle spice and cocoa undertones. 74% syrah, 10% grenache, 8% cinsault, 7% cabernet sauvignon and 1% viognier. Sustainable. Vegan.
    91 Points
    JamesSuckling.com

    • 94
    • 96
    2016 Borgogno Barolo Fossati
    Piedmont, ITALY
    $180. 00
    Bottle
    $2160.00 Dozen
    ABV: 14.5%
    Closure: Cork

    Borgogno are known for their classic and unforced style, producing complex wines that age extremely well. The Borgogno team harvest from 31 hectares of vineyards, 60% planted to Nebbiolo, with the balance Dolcetto, Barbera and Freisa, along with a tiny amount of Riesling and Timorasso. Vineyard management has been organic and eco-friendly for many years, while they will be certified from the 2019 harvest.

    Other Reviews....
    Cedar and orange peel to the ripe-plum character on the nose. Full-bodied with layers of fine tannins that are nicely interwoven with fruit and chocolate. Flavorful at the end. Just starting to open now. Drink or hold.
    94 points
    James Suckling

    Rustic charm here, grippy tannins, black tea, and rose hip tea, yes, and old flowers, clove, some dried meat. Good pucker and chew, dried fruit and nut, blood orange amaro, savouriness, meatiness, cranberry and dried cherry. Wonderful old school expression. Seriously good.
    96+ points
    Mike Bennie - The Wine Front

    Cherry essence, bit of liquorice root, spice, new leather and game meats. Round feel in the mouth, but still very fine, with a ‘mineral’ feel to acidity and brick dust tannin, some orange peel and dried herb/amaro perfume, plus raw almond grip and flavour as it goes. Juicy and sooty. Lovely wine. Loads of character. Drink 2023 - 2036.
    94 points
    Gary Walsh - The Wine Front


    • 93
    • 96
    2016 Borgogno Barolo Liste
    Piedmont, ITALY
    $180. 00
    Bottle
    $2160.00 Dozen
    ABV: 14.5%
    Closure: Cork

    Borgogno are known for their classic and unforced style, producing complex wines that age extremely well. The Borgogno team harvest from 31 hectares of vineyards, 60% planted to Nebbiolo, with the balance Dolcetto, Barbera and Freisa, along with a tiny amount of Riesling and Timorasso. Vineyard management has been organic and eco-friendly for many years, while they will be certified from the 2019 harvest.

    Other Reviews....
    Dried fruit with orange peel and spice on the nose. Full-to medium-bodied with rather firm, austere tannins and a chewy finish. Slightly dry at the end. Needs time to soften. Try after 2024.
    93 points
    James Suckling

    Fleshy textured with earthiness, sour cherry, dried meats, amaro too. Orange juice, blood orange, dried herbs and fennel notes, mint and dark cherry. Such a great expression here. Tannins slightly gummy but wrap beautifully around the palate. Charming wine of rustic nature but great beauty.
    96+ points
    Mike Bennie - The Wine Front

    Red fruit, earthy and biscuity, spicy strawberry, minty perfume. Fine boned, some orange juice character alongside a clip of orange peel bitterness, brick dusty tannin, slight warmth and tang, some development to colour here too, though that’s not so much of an issue with Barolo. Spicy and a little meaty on the finish. Classic feel. Approachable now too, I feel. Drink 2023 - 2033+.
    94 points
    Gary Walsh - The Wine Front

    • 95
    • Hot Item
    • 94
    • Organic
    • Biodynamic
    2019 Brancaia Chianti Classico DOCG Riserva
    Tuscany, ITALY
    $79. 99
    Bottle
    $959.88 Dozen
    Cellar: Drink now - 6 Years (2022-2028)
    ABV: 14%
    Closure: Cork

    Podere La Brancaia is located in the heart of the Chianti Classico zone at Poppi in Radda with its vineyards planted on ideal south facing hillside locations at elevations of between 230-400 metres. Their Chianti Classico Riserva is a selection of their best Sangiovese along with 20% Merlot with the Sangiovese aged in tonneaux for 16 months and the Merlot in barriques.
    Totally opaque dark red black colour with a dark red hue. Fragrant spicy dark cherry and red currant aromas meld into earth, tobacco, dried herb, dusty cedar and faint leather notes. Medium bodied red to dark currant and red cherry fruits stretch across the palate with earth, tobacco, dried herb, spicy cedar and leather characters adding complexity. Nicely integrated fine yet robust tannin structure with bright acidity and a long savoury, slightly rustic aftertaste.
    Drink over the next 5-6 years.
    Alc. 14%

    Other Reviews….
    This has a classic nose of sour cherries, redcurrants, lemon peel, bark and tomato leaves. Medium-bodied with tight-grained tannins and bright acidity. Fresh and light-footed, yet persistent, long and evolving. Very elegant. Drink after 2023.
    94 points
    JamesSuckling.com

    • 98
    • 94
    2015 Bruno Giacosa AA Falletto Barolo Falletto
    Piedmont, ITALY
    $499. 00
    Bottle
    $5988.00 Dozen
    ABV: 14.5%
    Closure: Cork

    Other Reviews....
    Superb aromas of ripe fruit, such as plums and berries with peaches and tar. Very intense. Full body, great depth and density. Incredible richness and power with superb length and persistence. One of the most dense and vertical Falletos I have tasted. Try in 2025.
    98 Points
    Jamessuckling.com

    Dense and firmly structured, this red features a distinctive saltiness underlying the floral, cherry, mineral and tobacco flavors. A bit standoffish now, but all the components are in the right proportions. Best from 2023 through 2048.
    94 points
    Bruce Sanderson - Wine Spectator

    • 95
    • 93
    • Organic
    • Biodynamic
    2021 Burn Cottage Moonlight Race Pinot Noir
    Central Otago, NEW ZEALAND
    $69. 99
    Bottle
    $839.88 Dozen
    ABV: 13.5%
    Closure: Stelvin

    Burn Cottage is a family-owned, biodynamically farmed 10-hectare vineyard set in the foothills of the Pisa Range in New Zealand’s Central Otago. With consulting help from Ted Lemon, of Littorai fame, the first blocks were planted in 2003 to Pinot Noir with the balance made up of Riesling and Gruner Veltliner. The property is managed holistically, incorporating cattle, chickens, bees, and native fauna to create a balanced environment for grape cultivation.
    The Moonlight Race is a mixture of three sites managed by the winery, the estate Burn Cottage Vineyard in Lowburn, and the Sauvage Vineyard and Luna Vineyard in Bannockburn. Handpicked fruit is fermented with 7% whole bunches for 17 days before being pressed to French oak barrels (22% being new oak) for maturation.

    Other Reviews….
    Lots of boysenberry and strawberry aromas and flavors with an underlying smoky and mineral edge. It’s full and layered with beautiful tannins and a long and flavorful finish. A little tight at the end. Gorgeous and curated. Drink or hold. Screw cap.
    95 Points
    JamesSuckling.com

    The 2021 Moonlight Race Pinot Noir is a blend of three different vineyards and multiple blocks and clones (56% is Burn Cottage in Lowburn, 22% is Sauvage Vineyard and 22% is Luna Vineyard in Bannockburn). On the nose, there is fresh red cherry, plum skin, raspberry pip and brine. The tannins are super fine in the mouth—pulverized and chalky. This is a gorgeous wine, mineral and cooling, with a svelte shape and satisfying flow of flavor across the tongue. Great! And, it must also be said, great value. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink 2023 – 2033.
    93 Points
    Erin Larkin - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

    • 94
    • 96
    • Organic
    • Biodynamic
    2021 Burn Cottage Pinot Noir
    Central Otago, NEW ZEALAND
    $105. 00
    Bottle
    $1260.00 Dozen
    ABV: 13.5%
    Closure: Cork

    Burn Cottage is a family-owned, biodynamically farmed 10-hectare vineyard set in the foothills of the Pisa Range in New Zealand’s Central Otago. With consulting help from Ted Lemon, of Littorai fame, the first blocks were planted in 2003 to Pinot Noir with the balance made up of Riesling and Gruner Veltliner. The property is managed holistically, incorporating cattle, chickens, bees, and native fauna to create a balanced environment for grape cultivation.
    The Burn Cottage Estate Vineyard was planted with a mixture of clones and rootstocks on varying aspects, soils, and exposures, all contributing to the complexity of the site, and ultimately the wine. Handpicked fruit is fermented with 10% whole bunches for 17 days before being pressed to French oak barrels (24% being new oak) for maturation.

    Other Reviews….
    Baked strawberries, pomelo zest and potpourri with underlying sweet spices of red licorice and ground cloves. Medium-bodied, finely-grained silky tannins with refreshing acidity. A hint of tomato leaf notes at the end. Zesty and flavorsome. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
    94 Points
    JamesSuckling.com

    The 2021 Burn Cottage Vineyard Pinot Noir is alive and energetic, svelte and composed. As I write this, I am sitting at the bottom of the Burn Cottage Vineyard in Lowburn, looking up the rows. This is a mineral, nuanced expression, with graphite and white tea, pomegranate pearls, raspberry licorice, rosehips and crushed pink peppercorns. This is what I came here for. It’s thrilling, lacy, delicate and focused. Exciting wine, exciting drinking. It sits on the palate nicely—evenly weighted, and it spools through the long finish... yes! 13.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. Drink 2023 – 2036.
    96 Points
    Erin Larkin - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

    • 96
    • 96
    • 95
    • 93
    • Nick's Import
    • Organic
    • Biodynamic
    2019 Caiarossa Toscana
    Tuscany, ITALY
    $120. 00
    Bottle
    $1440.00 Dozen
    Cellar: 6 - 8 Years (2029-2031)
    ABV: 14.5%
    Closure: Cork

    Caiarossa is an original blend of 7 different varieties harmoniously put together to reflect the complexity of its outstanding terroir; Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon make the majority of the blend. The estate is made up of a variety of vineyards (which have been managed following organic and biodynamic principles since 1998) specifically tailored according to differences in soil, altitude and exposure. Caiarossa - since 2004 - has been part of the Albada Jelgersma family, which also owns the historic Chateau Giscours in Margaux.

    Dense midnight black heart with a deep dark red black tinged hue. Delightful red to black currant and dark cherry aromas rise from the glass complimented by hints of liquorice, vanillin cedar, earthy tobacco characters, dried herbs and spice. Rich, amply powered and bold yet wonderfully structured, the medium to full bodied palate is engulfed with blackcurrant and dark cherry fruits that are held within a robust tannin framework. Infusions of dried herbs, earthy cedar, tobacco and spice add complexity. Finishes dry and firm with loads of red to dark fruit lingering through the long sturdy aftertaste.
    Cellar 6-8 years.
    Alc. 14.5%

    Other Reviews....
    This is an intense, full-bodied yet very well-balanced and polished red with velvety, firm and caressing tannins. Ripe black plums, blueberries, chocolate, mocha, sweet spice and dried lavender. Some oyster shells, too. Layered and full of character. Creamy at the end from the polished tannins. 26% syrah, 24% cabernet franc, 23% merlot, 14% cabernet sauvignon, 7% petit verdot, 4% sangiovese and 2% grenache. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink from 2026.
    96 points
    James Suckling

    The Caiarossa 2019 Caiarossa is a complex blend featuring Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, Syrah and Alicante from vineyard sites across this beautiful property in the high hills off the Tuscan coast. This organic and biodynamic wine is full and generous to the palate, yet it never feels heavy or too extracted. The wine is balanced and fresh with thick layers of dark fruit, crushed stone, tobacco and exotic spice. Drink: 2023 - 2045.
    95 points
    Monica Larner – Wine Advocate

    Richly scented plums and black cherries on the nose. Weighty and full in the mouth but smooth and soft, the fine tannins well integrated and supporting the bright strawberry, creamy red cherry and plum fruit flavours. Tannins give a chalky texture to the palate, gently supporting the fruit which has a subtle toasted spice to the finish. I love the acidity, the intensity of the sweet yet full fruit at the beginning, a smoky spiced element to the mid palate and a mineral tinged - wet stone, saline finish. Still feels very youthful. Under the same ownership as Château Giscours in Bordeaux. Blend completed after malolactic fermentation and aged for 14 months in barriques (30% new), then rests for six months in concrete tanks before being bottled. A blend of Syrah (26%), Cabernet Franc (24%), Merlot (23%) Cabernet Sauvignon (14%), Petit Verdot (7%), Sangiovese (4%) and Grenache (2%). Axel Marchal consultant.
    93 points
    Georgina Hindle - Decanter

    • 95
    • 98
    • 98
    2015 Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
    Tuscany, ITALY
    $350. 00
    Bottle
    $4200.00 Dozen
    ABV: 15%
    Closure: Cork

    Canalicchio 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 - Vinous

    An 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

    • 97
    • 97
    • 98
    • 98
    • 98
    • Nick's Import
    2018 Cardinale
    Napa Valley, California, UNITED STATES
    $630. 00
    Bottle
    $7560.00 Dozen
    Closure: Cork

    Other Reviews....
    Composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot, the 2018 Cardinale was aged in French oak barrels for 22 months, 81% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it prances out of the glass with gregarious notions of warm cassis, black cherries and wild blueberries, followed by emerging earth scents with a tobacco and garrigue undercurrent. Medium to full-bodied, gracefully styled and refreshing, the vibrant black and blue-fruited palate offers a wonderfully fine-grained texture and bags of energy, finishing long with a skip in its step. 5,107 cases were made. Drink 2022 - 2050.
    98 points
    Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Wine Advocate (Jan 2021)

    The 2018 Cardinale Cabernet Sauvignon is rich and sumptuous right out of the gate. Soaring aromatics and silky tannins add finesse to the dark mountain fruit. It's hard to remember a vintage with this much sheer appeal in the early going. As always, Cardinale is a blend of choice hillside blocks. In 2018, the core is built around Stags Leap, Atlas Peak and St. Helena. Winemaker Chris Carpenter has backed off some of the overtness of the past years, and that is a huge benefit in allowing the wine to be more natural, more relaxed. The 2018 spent 21 months in 80-90% new oak, and clearly has the stuffing to handle the oak. It is one of the most refined Cardinales I can remember tasting. Drink 2026 - 2043.
    97+ points
    Antonio Galloni - Vinous

    Aromas of blackberries, plums and spice with some pine needles and fresh mushrooms. Full-bodied with very fine, round tannins and a juicy sophistication and flavorful profile. Dark and thought-provoking. So approachable. 90% cabernet sauvignon and 10% merlot. Drink or hold.
    97 points
    James Suckling

    The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is based on a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot that spent 22 months in 81% new French oak. It’s a wonderfully complete, borderline perfect wine that shows the class of this estate as well as the vintage, revealing a seamless, full-bodied style that carries lots of blackcurrant, graphite, lead pencil, and tobacco aromatics, a deep, layered mid-palate, ultra-fine tannins, and flawless balance. As with most of Chris’s 2018s, it’s a wine that builds slowly with time in the glass, offering a layered, singular character. It’s a gorgeous 2018 that can be drunk today with ample pleasure, but it will ideally be given 4-6 years of bottle age, at which point it should evolve gracefully for 30-40 years. Drink 2025 - 2066.
    98+ points
    Jeb Dunnuck

    Sourced from a variety of vineyards across the Napa Valley. 90% Cabernet and 10% Merlot.
    So much perfume, symphonic and layered with so much complexity, black pepper and exotic spice laid on thick, deep purple tasting wine with cherry chocolate, rolling fleshy melting tannin that spreads through the mouth, and that seductive scent again, carrying on the finish, with sumptuous tannin and so much length. Outstanding. Drink 2024 - 2038+.
    98 points
    Gary Walsh - The Wine Front

    • 93
    • Special Order Product – Delayed Dispatch
    2019 Carmel Road Central Coast Pinot Noir
    California, UNITED STATES
    $49. 99
    Bottle
    $599.88 Dozen
    Minimum 12 bottles
    Cellar: Drink now - 2 Years (2024-2026)
    ABV: 13.5%
    Closure: Stelvin

    Carmel Road is based in the town of Soledad, inland from Monterey’s rugged coastline and along the Arroyo Seco river. The first vintage was released in 1999 with the winery producing cool climate Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc that showcase the elegance of California's coastal vineyards.
    100% Pinot Noir from Central Coast vineyards featuring red fruit, warm spice and supple texture. Semi translucent dark red colour with black toned edges and a light brick red hue. Spicy cherry and rhubarb scents are trailed by dried herb and subtle earthy cedar notes. Fleshy dark cherry and strawberry fruits overlay dried herb, earth and spicy cedar notes. Silky feel with velvet smooth tannins. The lengthy conclusion juicy, supple and spicy.
    Drink over the next 1-2 years.
    Alc. 13.5%

    • 100
    • 97
    • 96
    • Biodynamic
    2010 Castello dei Rampolla Sammarco IGT Rosso Toscana
    Tuscany, ITALY
    $425. 00
    Bottle
    $5100.00 Dozen
    ABV: 14.5%
    Closure: Cork

    Castello dei Rampolla is located in Panzano’s famous Conca d’Oro or ‘golden basin” district, an amphitheater of striking, pristine hillside vineyards in Tuscany. The di Napoli family has owned Rampolla since 1739, and Alceo di Napoli inherited the estate in 1965. At the time, Rampolla was essentially a summer residence. Wheat, olive trees and other mixed crops were cultivated, but there were no vineyards. With the assistance of Piero Antinori amongst others, Alceo began making and bottling wines under the Rampollo label in 1975. Rampolla are now a reference point for the highest level of quality that does not fit into Chianti Classico or Brunello for Tuscany.

    In 1980, Rampolla produced their first vintage of Sammarco, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese. It was the early days of Italy’s infatuation with international grapes that would in turn bring a handful of wines a level of recognition and accompanying prestige that was unthinkable back then. Antinori’s first vintage of Tignanello was 1971. Solaia followed in 1978. Tenuta dell’Ornellaia did not exist yet and Sassicaia was still under the radar. It was the very beginning of an entire movement. The first Sammarcos were 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Sangiovese. Merlot was added in 2003, gradually replacing Sangiovese and giving the wine softer, more modern contours as well as greater early approachability. The Cabernet has always been aged in French oak barrels, with an increasing move towards larger 500-liter formats, while the Sangiovese sees only cask.

    Other Reviews....
    The 2010 Sammarco tastes like biting into a combination of graphite, crushed rocks, smoke, violets, kirsch, lavender and sweet spices. The flavors are intense and concentrated, yet also incredibly nuanced. Firm tannins give the wine an extra kick of energy on the sculpted finish. I don't expect the 2010 will be ready to drink anytime soon, but it is a real pleasure to revisit today, as it is just as stunning as it has always been. In a word: magnificent! Drink 2020-2040
    100 points
    Antonio Galloni - Vinous

    The 2010 Sammarco Vino da Tavola is based on Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller parts Sangiovese and Merlot. The 2010 vintage is still very closed and will require ten years or more to blossom. What you get at this young stage in the wine’s life are tightly wound tones of bramble, wild berry, light spice, bacon fat and loads of vibrant medicinal herb. The mouthfeel shows a great degree of finesse and silkiness that will surely evolve in time to embrace an even finer texture. Give it time.
    96 points
    Monica Larner - Wine Advocate #215 (Oct 2014)

    Wow. The nose to this wine is truly wonderful with currant, berry, orange peel and minerals. Full body, firm, chewy tannins and an intense, beautiful finish. It goes on for minutes. So complex. A blend of cabernet sauvignon and sangiovese. Better in 2017.
    97 points
    James Suckling

    • 98
    • 96
    • 94
    • Nick's Import
    2019 Catena Zapata Nicolas Catena Zapata
    Mendoza, ARGENTINA
    $175. 00
    Bottle
    $2100.00 Dozen
    ABV: 14%
    Closure: Cork

    The Catena Zapata family's mission is to make profound and unforgettable wines that reflect the special character of each vine within the family's historic vineyards. Constantly pushing the viticultural envelope, Nicolás and Laura Catena have identified Mendoza's best microclimates, selected the highest quality Malbec vines and pioneered viticulture in undiscovered regions. The inaugural 1997 vintage of Nicolas Catena Zapata, a Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec blend set a new standard of quality for wines from South America. 20 years later, it stands at the pinnacle of great wines of the Andes.

    Other Reviews....
    This has a complex nose of baked blackberries, grilled plums, dried earth, moss, pine cones, sandalwood, charcoal and cloves. It’s medium-bodied with firm, tightly knit tannins. Wow. So much going on. Layered, seamless and silky. Incredible length. Keeps going. 42% cabernet sauvignon, 30% malbec and 28% cabernet franc. Try this from 2024.
    98 points
    James Suckling

    The 2019 Nicolás Catena Zapata was produced with 42% Cabernet Sauvignon from Gualtallary (Adrianna vineyard) and 30% Malbec from Altamira (Nicasia vineyard) and a high percentage of Cabernet Franc (28%) also from Adrianna, which took the place of Cabernet Sauvignon. It fermented in small oak barrels, concrete and stainless steel tanks with a short post-fermentative maceration. Élevage was in first and second use French oak barrels and lasted for 18 months, including malolactic. This is always quite classical in style, with some spiciness from the barrels and hints of smoke and toast, still very young and undeveloped. It has the traditional Bordeaux blend character and is herbal, floral and spicy, with a beautiful texture, very nice balance and very fine, chalky tannins. 2019 was a very dry year, and the berries were small, very healthy and delivered powerful wines. It's 13.7% alcohol and has mellow acidity and good freshness, reflecting a relatively cool season, coming though as elegant and balanced with the stuffing and balance to develop nicely over the years in bottle. 66,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2021. Drink: 2025 - 2032.
    96 points
    Luis Gutiérrez - Wine Advocate

    Richly scented on the nose. Concentrated and full on the palate, a serious wine with intention. Driving flavours of blackcurrant and black cherry with cinnamon spice and mineral saltiness abound on the palate with a touch of sweetness. Tannins are ripe and massy, plush and gently chewy but this has exceptional freshness that keeps the whole palate quite lifted and alive. Feels well worked and there is a sense of serious style to this. I like the expression - lovely nuance and finesse, the details are so appealing. Enjoy with some hearty food.
    94 points
    Georgina Hindle - Decanter

    • 96
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    • 96
    • Nick's Import
    2019 Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard Mundus Bacillus Terrae Malbec
    Mendoza, ARGENTINA
    $450. 00
    Bottle
    $5400.00 Dozen
    ABV: 13.5%
    Closure: Cork

    Other Reviews....
    One of the most exciting wines of the September Releases, and one that captures the progress and interest around terroir in the Argentinian wine scene right now. This is set at 1,500m elevation, on limestone dominant soils, and it immediately sets itself apart by its soaring aromatics that give nuance and depth, with seductively curling peony and raspberry leaf. Powerful and full of character, somehow translates the idea of minerality that is so argued over in wine - here you feel it in the slightly chalky tannins, the pulses of electricity, and dried herb and fennel studding to the fresh raspberry and red cherry fruits. So good. Ungrafted vines, Fernando Buscema winemaker.
    100 points
    Jane Anson

    The sleek and elegant 2019 Adrianna Vineyard Mundus Bacillus Terrae is now certified organic (since 2018) and comes from vines planted in 1992 at 1,390 meters above sea level in Gualtallary on alluvial limestone soils. Seventy-five percent of the volume fermented in concrete vats with 50% full clusters, and the remaining 25% fermented in oak foudres. But instead of fermenting the grapes, they only fermented the juice (like it's usually done for white wines), to give the wine more elegance and lightness. I was listening to a record from a new band, Generation Radio, with musicians from Journey and Chicago, and the music had a similar profile to the wine: sleek, elegant, polished, nicely crafted, clean and harmonious, easy to listen to (and drink) with a soft side to it. The wine has ripeness (14% alcohol) but also the high acidity from the high-altitude vineyards that makes it very lively, beautifully textured, balanced and elegant. Beautiful. 5,400 bottles were filled in November 2020.
    98 points
    Luis Gutiérrez - Wine Advocate

    Lots of black fruit with black truffles and dried flowers. Moss and earth, too. Full-bodied and earthy on the palate with blackberry and black earth. Firm, tight finish with juicy fruit at the end. Needs three or four years to open. Drink after 2024.
    97 points
    James Suckling

    Sweet, joyful and full of life, this is immediately really quite vibrant on the palate, the rich, concentrated blackcurrants and black cherries given lift by high acidity and a touch of sweetness as well as saltiness that gives such a brilliant combination of flavours. Complex and confident. I like the styling here, there are hints of bitterness and some spiced edges that give nuance, still quite youthful. Great potential. Consistent winemaking and quality. Fermentation in concrete vats (75%) with 50% whole cluster, the remaining 25% in oak foudres. Ageing 18 months in French oak barrels.
    96 points
    Georgina Hindle - Decanter

    Aged for 18 months in new and used French barrels, it is a rich purple in hue. A complex, fragrant, aromatic profile of fresh blueberry and blackberry along with hints of plum, country herbs, black tea, lavender and a whiff of violets over a well-integrated bed of oak. In the mouth, it’s sheer elegance. The chalky tannins combine with the juicy freshness in such a way that the delicately balanced palate remains compact without drying out. The finish is a repeat of the nose.
    96 points
    Antonio Galloni - Vinous

    • 92
    2018 Charles Van Canneyt Gevrey Chambertin Les Cazetiers Premier Cru
    Burgundy, FRANCE
    $380. 00
    Bottle
    $4560.00 Dozen
    ABV: 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.

    Other Reviews....
    The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er Cru has an intense, powerful bouquet of red and black fruit and undergrowth; touches of menthol develop with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, good structure and matière, and saline on the midpalate, leading to a grippy, quite assertive finish. Good aging potential.
    92-94 points
    Neal Martin - Vinous

    • 98
    • 99
    • 98
    • Nick's Import
    2016 Chateau Angelus
    Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, FRANCE
    $999. 00
    Bottle
    $11988.00 Dozen
    Closure: Cork

    As with a lot of properties in Saint-Emilion, Chateau Angelus has had its share of struggles in the mid-late 1900s, but after taking over from his father in 1988 Hubert de Bouard quickly turned around the property, to the point where it was upgraded to Premier Cru Classe A in 2012. The 27 hectare vineyard used for Chateau Angelus is planted to 50% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. Maturation takes place in 100% new French oak for 18-24 months.

    Other Reviews....
    The 2016 Angélus is composed of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, aged 18 to 22 months in new barrels and foudres. Deep garnet-purple colored, it drifts effortlessly out of the glass with sensuous notes of lavender, candied violets, garrigue, Ceylon tea and iron ore with a core of warm black cherries, mulberries, ripe plums and aniseed plus wafts of cedar chest and cloves. Medium to full-bodied, the perfumed fruit whispers of great intensity and depth, with the vivacious fruit well knit into the plush, seductive frame of velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. Still very tightly wound with amazing tension at this stage, it truly needs a good 6-8 more years in bottle to deliver the fully expressed layers that this soft-spoken, profound beauty promises.
    98+ points
    Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Wine Advocate

    The 2016 Angélus has a very well defined bouquet featuring blackberry, melted tar, pencil box and floral notes, though they are less pronounced than they were from barrel. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins. This is well balanced with plenty of freshness and fine grip, and quite dense in the mouth compared to its peers. Notes of blackberry laced with sea salt and a touch of licorice govern the finish to this substantial Angélus, which will benefit from several years in bottle. Patience will be undoubtedly rewarded.
    96 points
    Neal Martin - Vinous

    The 2016 Angélus is a total stunner. Despite its late bottling in September 2018, the 2016 is simply magnificent. Soaring aromatics and layers of bright, vibrant fruit are two of the main signatures in the 2016. The tannins, so often hard in young Angélus, are almost impossibly refined. Pomegranate, blood orange, raspberry jam, wild flowers and mocha are some of the many notes that race through the 2016. All the elements fall into place in a memorable, exquisite Saint-Émilion that is clearly one of the wines of the year. Don't miss it!
    98 points
    Antonio Galloni - Vinous

    Subtle and profound aromas of blackberries, wet earth and sweet tobacco. Hints of spice, too. Full-bodied and so deep. It’s incredibly vertical and long. Just like looking down a well. Firm and powerful tannins, yet polished and balanced. Goes on for minutes. One of the greatest ever. Try after 2025.
    99 points
    James Suckling

    • 95
    • 95
    • 93
    • 94
    • 96
    • Nick's Import
    2020 Chateau Barde-Haut
    Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, FRANCE
    $82. 99
    Bottle
    $995.88 Dozen
    Closure: Cork

    Other Reviews....
    The 2020 Barde-Haut unwinds in the glass with aromas of blackberries, cassis and blueberries mingled with hints of violets and spices. Medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with a deep core of ripe but lively fruit, powdery tannins and a floral finish, it's the usual blend of more or less 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc (the latter increasingly deriving from massal selections taken at Clos l'Eglise). Drink 2025-2045.
    93 points
    William Kelley - Wine Advocate (Apr 07, 2023)

    The 2020 Barde-Haut is just as compelling it was from barrel. Blueberry jam, crème de cassis, hard candy, spice, new leather and lavender infuse the 2020 with exotic beauty. Soft contours and silky tannins add to its immediacy. Bright acids lend vibrancy to play off all the natural opulence. The 2020 is a fine vintage of Barde-Haut, one of the best in recent memory. The intensely saline finish alone is a thing of beauty. Drink 2027-2040.
    95 points
    Antonio Galloni - Vinous

    Aromas of black and blue fruit, toasted spices, walnut and dark chocolate. Medium- to full-bodied with a juicy character and firm, polished tannins which build on the palate. Well-balanced, structured and compact with velvety texture and hints of spices and bark to close. Lingering finish. Try after 2027.
    95 points
    James Suckling

    I always love this wine, and the 2020 Château Barde-Haut is a quintessential Saint-Emilion revealing a deep ruby/purple hue, awesome notes of red plum, cherries, tobacco leaf, and chalky earth, full-bodied richness, bright acidity, and fine tannins. A gorgeous wine, it will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for two decades. Drink 2027-2047.
    96 points
    Jeb Dunnuck

    A good drop of damson and black cherry fruits right up front, and holds its line while the more austere tannins come in towards the finish. Expertly extracted, self-contained right now, firm fruits that don't dip through the mid palate alongside a glossy wash of liquorice, black chocolate, sage and anis. This is clearly going to age well. 60% new oak for ageing. Owned by Hélène Garcin-Leveque, this is located right next to Troplong Mondot.
    94 points
    Jane Anson - Decanter

    • 97
    • 96
    • 95
    • 95
    • 95
    • Nick's Import
    2020 Chateau Beau-Sejour Becot
    Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, FRANCE
    $160. 00
    Bottle
    $1920.00 Dozen
    Closure: Cork

    Other Reviews....
    A terrific performance for an estate on a continuing upward trajectory, the 2020 Beau-Séjour Bécot unwinds in the glass with a deep bouquet of cherries and blackberries mingled with violets and spices. Medium to full-bodied, pure and layered, it's deep and concentrated, with a vibrant core of fruit, polished tannins and a long, sapid finish. The 2020 is a blend of 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, some two-thirds of which was matured in new oak, with the balance in tanks, amphorae and foudres. Drink: 2027-2055.
    95+ points
    William Kelley - Wine Advocate (April 2023)

    The 2020 Beau-Sejour Becot is a dense, powerful wine. A rush of black cherry, plum, chocolate, new leather, licorice, spice and sweet oak builds as this towering, vertically explosive Saint-Émilion opens in the glass. This is an especially broad, expansive Saint-Émilion, much of that attributable to the clay in these soils. The 2020 is magnificent in its intensity and overall volume. Superb. Drink: 2028-2050.
    97 points
    Antonio Galloni - Vinous

    This has a fantastic finish with crushed blackberries and raspberries and salt undertones. It’s full-bodied, yet really racy and polished with such fine, intense tannins. Love the length to this. Very distinguished and toned. Excellent energy. 85% merlot, 13% cabernet franc and 2% cabernet sauvignon.
    96-97 points
    James Suckling

    A brilliant wine that's up with the finest to date from this incredible terroir, the 2020 Château Beau-Séjour Bécot checks in as 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon. Revealing a vivid purple hue as well as a drop-dead gorgeous nose of black raspberries, cassis, violets, and a liquid rock-like sense of minerality, it’s medium to full-bodied and concentrated, with ultra-fine tannins and perfect balance. This beauty deserves 4-5 years of bottle age and will evolve gracefully over the following two decades or more. Don't miss it. Drink: 2023-2043.
    95 points
    Jeb Dunnuck

    With striking floral notes on the nose, you also find licorice, Asian spice, spearmint, cigar wrapper and an array of red and black plums. The wine is lifted, elegant, refined and focused on its purity and silky tannins. The energetic palate leaves you with layers of velvet-textured, sensuous, spicy fruits that lingers and expands for over 50 seconds in the finish. This is a new level of quality at Beau-Sejour Becot and also a change in style with less volume, but more intensity, purity and precision. The wine blends 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.3% ABV.
    96-98 points
    Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider

    Velvety rich deep blue fruits, this is powerful and measured, fruit-forward and yet subtle, layered blueberry and raspberry with smoked almonds and mocha on the finish. Sleek and finessed fruit flavours, a sense of forward motion from beginning to end and a burst of freshly-grated minerality on the finish. Extremely good quality. This is the second to last vintage in the new cellar, before building a new cellar for 2023 vintage. They have done a lot of work in the vineyards studying the terroir to understand how smaller sectors and zones within each plot reacts, and this work of studying the plots will help to inform the new cellar. Harvest September 8th to September 29th. 3.5ph. A yield of 42hl/ha. 16 months ageing in 65% new oak barrel, 35% in vats, amphoras and 20hl oak tanks. Thomas Duclos consultant.
    95 points
    Jane Anson - Decanter

    • 97
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    • 97
    • 97
    • Nick's Import
    2018 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin
    Chateauneuf du Pape, Southern Rhone, FRANCE
    $799. 00
    Bottle
    $9588.00 Dozen
    Closure: Cork

    Other Reviews....
    Red-fruited and garrigue-laden, the nose of the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin is glorious, showing remarkable complexity in its notes of cherries, raspberries and strawberries, all accented by hints of bay leaf, lavender and thyme, plus deeper bass notes of black olives, roasted meat, espresso, star anise and dark chocolate. Full-bodied and intense, it seems to have added structure since last year, with a firm matrix of tannins holding it all together and lingering on the lengthy finish. Put this Mourvèdre-based blend (approximately 60%) away for five or more years; it should drink well for a couple of decades beyond that.
    99 points
    Joe Czerwinski - Wine Advocate (Dec 2020)

    Inky ruby. Deep-pitched red and dark berry liqueur, candied violet, licorice and Moroccan spice scents show superb detail and a smoky mineral overtone. Densely packed and focused on the palate, offering powerful blueberry, bitter cherry and black raspberry flavors, along with chewing tobacco, floral pastille and fruitcake notes. Hangs on with serious persistence, steadily building tannins and reverberating florality. Two-thousand eighteen was a superb vintage for Mourvèdre, and it shows here, with that variety making up about a third of the blend. Drink 2027-2040.
    97 points
    Josh Raynolds - Vinous

    Very spicy with grilled meat and lots of blackberry and blueberry aromas, together with moss and bark, following through to a full body with round, dusty tannins that are polished and together. Finishes a little tight, suggesting the need to age and open up. Chewy at the end, too. Better after 2024, when it opens.
    96 points
    James Suckling

    Lastly, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin showed beautifully, and while it doesn’t hit the heights of the 2001, 2007, 2010, 2016, or 2017, it’s a beautiful expression of this cuvée that deserves a place in the cellar. Revealing a deep purple hue as well as a kaleidoscope-like array of blueberries, charred meat, graphite, ground pepper, violets, and garrigue, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless texture, building tannins, and a magical finish. It doesn’t have the sheer wealth of material found in truly great vintages and stays compact and focused on the palate, but it has beautiful depth of fruit and intensity as well as a seamlessness to its tannins. I suspect it will be relatively approachable by this cuvee’s standards, yet it still has enough structure and tannins to warrant a solid 7-8 years of bottle age. Given its balance, freshness, and purity, it’s going to age beautifully. Drink 2025 - 2050.
    97 points
    Jeb Dunnuck

    This is deeply coloured but not opaque. The 2018 Hommage has a heavy Mourvèdre fug that rises up from the glass with higher toned violet notes along with bass notes of liquorice, rolling tobacco, blackcurrant leaf and a little sticky damson. It’s fairly full-bodied, but without excesses, showing well balanced acidity and alcohol alongside grippy, gently muscular tannins. There are no signs of the more adverse climatic features of the vintage at this stage and it has a good sense of harmony. It’s an excellent wine, though perhaps not the most thunderous or profound Hommage but still a great wine and a remarkably elegant iteration of this cuvée. Amazingly drinkable already, but wait until 2028 if you can. Drink 2024 - 2036.
    97 points
    Matt Walls - Decanter

    • 95
    • 97
    • 95
    • Nick's Import
    2020 Chateau Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse
    Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, FRANCE
    $320. 00
    Bottle
    $3840.00 Dozen
    Closure: Cork

    Other Reviews....
    Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Beausejour (Duffau Lagarrosse) wafts out of the glass with a glamorous perfume of red roses, kirsch, garrigue and black raspberries, giving way to a core of ripe blackberries and juicy black plums, plus earthy hints of truffles and tar. The medium to full-bodied palate is densely laden with loads of very finely packed and fragrant red and black fruit layers, framed by multilayered grainy and satiny tannin textures and amazing freshness, finishing fantastically long and mineral laced.
    95-97 points
    Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Wine Advocate (May 2021)

    The 2020 Beauséjour Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse is one of the most harmonious young wines I have tasted here in some time, maybe ever. All the elements are so well put together. The tannins that can usually be so fierce when the wine is young are totally covered by layers of inky dark fruit. Graphite, wild herbs, lavender, chocolate and gravel add layers of aromatic nuance. In the glass, the 2020 towers with its imposing, vertical structure and pure pedigree.
    95-98 points
    Antonio Galloni - Vinous

    This is a very cool and refined young Bordeaux with crushed-berry, walnut, mushroom, chocolate and salt character. Some wet earth, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with very integrated tannins that are polished and poised. Energetic, long and precise at the finish. 81.5% merlot and 18.5% cabernet franc.
    97-98 points
    James Suckling

    A blend of 81% Merlot and 19% Cabernet Franc, the 2020 Château Beausejour (Duffau-Lagarrosse) should end up being up with the top wines in the appellation. Showing the more straight, focused style of the vintage, it has a monster of a mid-palate, full-bodied richness, building tannins on the palate, and incredible minerality on the finish. Loaded with cassis fruit as well as lead pencil and graphite notes, this dense, powerful beauty almost requires a fork. It’s brilliant all the way and will have 30-40 years of longevity.
    95-97+ points
    Jeb Dunnuck

    Inky in color with purple accents, the wine pops from the glass with notes of crushed rocks, flowers, licorice, espresso, plums, cherries, black raspberries and oceanic nuances. Fresh, full-bodied, concentrated and intense, the layers of plush, pure fruits are made even better by its salty tannins and seamless finish that doesn't know when to quit. There is an incredible sense of purity in the fruits that comes through loud and clear in the more than 50-second finish. The wine is a blend of 81% Merlot and 19% Cabernet Franc.
    97-99 points
    Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider

    Takes time to fully show itself - perhaps more than ever this year, as there is so much noise surrounding an estate that was overseen during the growing season and vinification by the team under Nicolas Thienpont, but given its final blend by new owner Josephine Duffau-Lagarosse, who will also take care of ageing from this point. Things kick off with a raspberry and damson softness that is quickly overtaken by iris, peony, white rose aromatics, giving a push-and-pull between flowers and fruit on the attack. As the palate opens out, blueberry and raspberry fruits dominate, as do fennel and almond notes, giving a spicy kick before a saline-drenched mouthwatering finish. As ever with Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarrosse, the wine combines delicacy with laser-like focus, and a build up of tannins that you barely notice until they kick back against the fruit. Takes a good few minutes before the softness that I found on the opening returns as the mid palate widens out, and the richly textured Merlot becomes dominant after a clear Cabernet Franc hit on the attack. It's going to be fascinating watching what happens over the next decade at this estate, but the quality and potential of this terroir is unmistakable.
    97 points
    Jane Anson - Decanter

    • 95
    • 95
    • 96
    • 98
    • Nick's Import
    2019 Chateau Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse
    Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, FRANCE
    $290. 00
    Bottle
    $3480.00 Dozen
    Closure: Cork

    Other Reviews....
    Composed of 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Beausejour (Duffau Lagarrosse) was harvested from the 24th of September to the 7th of October. Yields were 45 hectoliters per hectare this year with about 60% of production going into the grand vin. Deep garnet-purple in color, the nose is deceptively forward to begin, giving a wonderful intensity of Morello cherries, wild blueberries and boysenberries scents, soon unfurling to reveal more and more layers: pencil lead, cast-iron pan, wilted roses, oolong tea and charcoal with a hint of garrigue. The medium to full-bodied palate is charged with energetic, crunchy black fruits, framed by firm, grainy tannins and tons of freshness, finishing very long and minerally. If this delivers on its promise, it should be very long-lived indeed! About 2,000 cases are anticipated to be made.
    96-98 points
    Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Wine Advocate

    The 2019 Beauséjour Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse is shaping up to be magnificent. A wine of tremendous breadth and power, the 2019 has so much to offer. An infusion of scorched earth, gravel, spice, menthol and blackberry makes a strong first impression. Virile and potent, the 2019 offers remarkable persistence and yet retains quite a bit of finesse, especially given its size. The tannins are there, but they are matched by the intensity of the fruit. This is one of the most impressive wines of the year in the early going. Tasted two times.
    95-97 points
    Antonio Galloni - Vinous

    The 2019 Beauséjour Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse is endowed with precocious black cherries, kirsch and blueberry on the nose. Just a hint of menthol emerges with several minutes' aeration. The palate is beautifully balanced with fine precision, detailed and tensile with real quality stacked up towards the mineral-driven, lightly spiced and sophisticated finish. This year, it might just be pipped by Pavie Macquin, another Saint-Émilion managed by Nicolas Thienpont, nevertheless this has great potential and it should cellar for 30-40 years.
    94-96 points
    Neal Martin - Vinous

    A smooth red, showing richness and strength. Blackberries, blueberries, hazelnuts and morel mushrooms. Full body and fine tannins. Solid length.
    95-96 points
    James Suckling

    Another stunning vintage from this brilliant estate that is just delivering hit after hit. Concentration and intensity right from the initial aromatics, damson, cassis and blackberry fruits that you could almost drink now until the tannins build up across the palate and remind you that this is built to last. Velvety texture, black chocolate and crushed stone minerality on the finish. One of the wines of the vintage. Tasted twice, one week apart. 60% 1st wine. A yield of 45hl/ha.
    98 points
    Jane Anson - Decanter

    Deep in color, this is beautiful from start to finish. Elegant, full-bodied, sensual, sexy, fresh and sweet, there is ample concentration and length here. The fruit is ripe and clean with a fabulous sense of purity in its essence. The finish holds your attention, making you want to take another swirl, sniff and sip to see what else you can find here. The wine is made from blending 86% Merlot with 14% Cabernet Franc. The harvest took place September 24-October 7. The production is well above last year with close to 2,000 cases produced. This is one of the stars of the vintage.
    97-99 points
    Jeff Leve - Wine Cellar Insider

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    • Nick's Import
    2016 Chateau Bellevue Mondotte
    Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, FRANCE
    $370. 00
    Bottle
    $4440.00 Dozen
    Closure: Cork

    Other Reviews....
    The 2016 Bellevue Mondotte is a blend of 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon cropped at 18 hectoliters per hectare because of the old vines and the shallow depth of the earth, 20-30 centimeters until the pickaxe hits limestone. It is matured in 100% new oak, and the alcohol level is 14.84% this year. It has an opulent bouquet with ravishing blueberry and black cherry fruit, crushed violets and a touch of glycerin. The palate is silky smooth on the entry, and whereas I had anticipated being overwhelmed by this Bellevue-Mondotte, it actually retains wonderful elegance and precision. You cannot help but be seduced by this Saint Emilion and its satin-like texture. This is not always my favorite wine from Gérard Perse, as my previous scores attest. However, this year the Bellevue-Mondotte has pulled off a very luxuriant 2016 with a greater sense of control, a wine that should drink beautifully for many years. Tasted twice with consistent notes.
    95-97 points
    Neal Martin eRobertParker.com #230 (Apr 2017)

    Very, very solid, showing a core of delicious blackberry and dark plum fruit laced with anise and light bramble notes. Has a dose of toast, but it's integrated and the finish has drive, thanks to a buried chalky spine.-J.M.
    92-95 points
    Wine Spectator

    There's a vibrance and brilliance that gives this wine focus and energy. Medium body, ultra-fine tannins and a long and beautiful finish. Very fine.
    96-97 points
    James Suckling

    This wine is already well-balanced between the ample acidity, fruitiness and structure. There are bright aromas, plenty of good fruitiness on the palate and a solid background structure. A fine showing for this Gerard Perse estate, it has the freshness and elegance of the vintage.
    92-94 points
    Wine Enthusiast

    The 2016 Bellevue Mondotte is striking. An explosion of fruit and mineral-drenched overtones make a strong first impression. Remarkably nuanced for such a big, powerful wine, the 2016 possesses exceptional balance from the very first taste. Graphite, smoke, crème de cassis, lavender and menthol are some of the many notes that build into the huge finish.
    95-98 points
    Vinous

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    2018 Chateau Bellevue Mondotte
    Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, FRANCE
    $340. 00
    Bottle
    $4080.00 Dozen
    Closure: Cork

    Other Reviews....
    Grapes for this wine come from the plateau and were harvested October 3, with yields of 30 hectoliters per hectare. Composed of 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon with a 3.5 pH and 14.56% alcohol, the deep purple-black colored 2018 Bellevue Mondotte opens with alluring scents of Christmas cake, blueberry pie, chocolate-covered cherries and hoisin with nuances of Chinese five spice, iron ore, rose hip tea and cracked black pepper. Full-bodied, rich, opulent and totally decadent in the mouth, the palate has a plush texture and maintains that incredible freshness that defines these beautiful wines on the terrace—finishing with tons of spicy fireworks.
    95-97 points
    Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Wine Advocate

    Vibrant blackberry and plum fruit flavors are pure, engaging and fresh in this red. Light-handed toast detail lets this play out nicely. Seems to be a tasty fruit bomb in the making.
    93-96 points
    James Molesworth - Wine Spectator

    This has a real mineral undertone this year with lots of dark-berry, cherry and blueberry character. Full-bodied, chewy and powerful. Excellent. Limestone coming through.
    96-97 points
    James Suckling

    The 2018 Bellevue Mondotte is a hugely promising wine that deftly balances fruit intensity and structure. Often a tannic, forbidding Saint-Émilion in the early going, Bellevue Mondotte is dark, sensual and incredibly inviting. The tannins are there, but they are pretty much buried by the opulence of the fruit. Dark red plum, rose petal, leather and spice all pulse with tremendous energy. The 2018 is an unusually racy, sensual Bellevue Mondotte. I loved it.
    93-96 points
    Antonio Galloni - Vinous

    The 2018 Bellevue Mondotte is a blockbuster that just jumps out of the glass with its crème de cassis, crushed violets, blackberry, and licorice aromas and flavors. It's powerful, opulent, and massively textured, yet never over the top or too much. It has building tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish.
    96-98 points
    Jeb Dunnuck

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    2020 Chateau Berliquet
    Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, FRANCE
    $130. 00
    Bottle
    $1560.00 Dozen
    Closure: Cork

    Other Reviews....
    A brilliant success for this property in the ascendant, the 2020 Berliquet opens in the glass with aromas of dark berries and cherries mingled with hints of warm spices and violets. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's vibrant and dynamic, with polished tannins, a bright spine and a long, elegantly chalky finish. It represents another step up for Berliquet, which will soon benefit from a new winery. Drink: 2025-2050.
    95 points
    William Kelley - Wine Advocate (April 2023)

    Very soft and polished with beautiful tannins that are poised and beautiful. It’s medium-to full-bodied and gorgeously proportioned. Ready for even more polishing.
    95-96 points
    James Suckling

    Another brilliant Saint-Emilion in the vintage, the 2020 Château Berliquet is mostly Merlot yet includes close to a third Cabernet Franc, which no doubt contributes to its elegant, finesse-driven, floral character. It's incredibly pure and classy, with notes of red and blue fruits, sappy spring flowers, graphite, and baking spices all emerging on the nose. These carry to a medium-bodied, ultra-fine, pure, seamless 2020 that offers pleasure today and will offer pleasure in 15+ years as well. This wine is never the biggest or richest in a vintage, but it shines for its purity, balance, and elegance. It's beautifully done. Drink: 2023-2038.
    94 points
    Jeb Dunnuck

    Quite floral in nature, with tinges of orange rind, cherry blossoms, licorice, red plum liqueur and minerality on the nose. The wine is elegant, fresh, polished, sweet and long. Silky and precise, with no hard edges, there is length and salty tannins with energetic, pure red fruits squeezed over crushed rocks and stones. This is the best vintage of Berliquet I have ever tasted. The wine blends 69 % Merlot with 31 % Cabernet Franc 14.5% ABV.
    94-96 points
    Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider

    A slightly cooler terroir than its sibling estate Château Canon, a little more clay-based which gives weight, depth and power while also being austere right now, with grippy tannins and a bite of blood orange. Great stuff, can start drinking this in five to six years to allow the structure to soften while keeping the appeal of the wild cherry and blackberry fruits. 50% new oak for 16 months. Drink: 2028-2042.
    93 points
    Jane Anson - Decanter

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    2022 Chateau Cantenac Brown Pre-Arrival Offer
    Margaux, Bordeaux, FRANCE
    $130. 00
    Bottle
    $1560.00 Dozen
    Closure: Cork

    Other Reviews....
    A few years ago, this estate purchased 22 additional hectares in the heart of the plateau of Margaux, including old vine Cabernet Sauvignon that is now making an appreciable contribution to the blend, and that helps to explain why the 2022 Cantenac Brown is so good. Unwinding in the glass with notes of dark berries, plums, charcoal, pencil shavings and violets, it's medium to full-bodied, rich and elegantly muscular, with a layered core, refined tannins and a penetrating finish. The finest wine that José Sanfins has produced to date, the 2022 only improved during the several weeks I spent in Bordeaux. It's a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon and 31% Merlot.
    94-96 points
    William Kelley - Wine Advocate (Apr 2023)

    The 2022 Cantenac Brown has an elegant nose, showing pure black cherry, wild strawberry, blackcurrant pastilles and cedar aromas. I appreciate the mineralité here. The palate is medium-bodied with supple but firm tannins, nicely structured. There's a crescendo of fruit toward the mineral-driven finish. Cohesive and full of character, this is another superb Margaux from an estate in the ascendant under winemaker José Sanfins. Drink 2030-2070.
    94-96 points
    Neal Martin - Vinous

    A solid Margaux with creamy and fine tannins that spread across the palate. Medium-bodied, layered and already delicious. Hints of dried citrus at the end.
    93-94 points
    James Suckling

    The dense purple-hued 2022 Château Cantenac Brown is based on 69% Cabernet Sauvignon and 31% Merlot. A beautiful Margaux, it offers lots of smoky red and black fruits intermixed with violets, graphite, and lead pencil-like nuances. With medium to full-bodied richness, a vibrant spine of acidity, and nicely integrated tannins, it plays in the more focused, elegant, pretty end of the spectrum. It's going to reward a solid 5-7 years of bottle age.
    93-95 points
    Jeb Dunnuck

    Juicy and lively, cool and crisp with concentrated but cool tannins that give the structure and density. It's massy, full, upfront, but retains a charm in that nothing is harsh or austere or too spiced. It's full but there's something very captivating about this, has excitement and vibrancy and will be totally delicious and moreish when the time is right. Lovely acidity, beautiful red fruits, crisp and tense yet layered and ripe, mineral too. Gives you the emotion! Harvest 7-27 September. Ageing in French oak, 60% new, 40% one year old. Drink 2025 - 2045.
    96 points
    Georgina Hindle - Decanter

    Deeply colored, the wine shows off its violets, lilacs, licorice, black cherry, and currant character with a single swirl. On the palate, the wine is rich, lush, polished, creamy, and loaded with black, red and blue fruits. There is length, opulence, and layers of ripe, sweet, pit fruits that linger. The wine is a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon and 31% Merlot. 13.8% ABV, 3.64 pH. Yields were 30 hectoliters per hectare. The Grand Vin was produced using only 52% of the harvest. Picking took place September 7 - September 27. Drink from 2027-2055.
    94-96 points
    Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider

    Conditions of Pre Arrival Offer:
    1. There is no minimum order unless stated.
    2. All wines are 750ml unless indicated otherwise.
    3. Payment is due at the time of ordering to secure stocks.
    4. The wines are being collected and shipped in refrigerated containers and are due to arrive in late 2025.
    5. Nicks Wine Merchants reserve the right to pass on any changes in Government duties and taxes and delivery charges from the date of order to the date of final delivery of the wine.
    6. Errors and omissions excepted.
    7. Delivery charges may apply - these can be determined by visiting the Freight Rates page.

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    • Nick's Import
    2020 Chateau Capbern
    Saint Estephe, Bordeaux, FRANCE
    $59. 99
    Bottle
    $719.88 Dozen
    Cellar: 6 - 8 Years (2029-2031)
    ABV: 14%
    Closure: Cork

    Chateau Capbern (formerly Capbern Gasqueton) is on a roll since the new owners took over the estate, along with Calon Segur, in 2012. Already blessed with prime vineyards close to heavyweights Montrose and Phelan Segur, their winemaking facilities have recently been rejuvenated and the wines haven't looked better.
    Vineyards at the estate are planted to 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, with an average vine age of 30 years. Vinification takes place in stainless steel vats, malolactic fermentation in tank, and the wine is aged in 50% new French oak barrels for 18 months.

    Superb colour saturation featuring an inky black heart and a very deep black dark red hue. Sailing out of the glass with authority are blackcurrant and liquorice scents infused with a mix of graphite, spicy cedar, dried herb and black olive notes. Medium to full in body the palate is awash with rich cassis and liquorice flavours which are framed by a sturdy graphite like tannin structure. Lending tension is some nicely balanced fresh acidity with notions of dusty vanillin cedar, tobacco, subtle black olives and spicy leather emerging through the back half. Opulent yet robust mouthfeel concluding long and generously fruited.
    Cellar 6-8 years.
    Alc. 14%

    Other Reviews....
    The 2020 Capbern offers up aromas of sweet cassis, plums, pencil shavings, loamy soil and licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied, rich and seamless palate that's polished, penetrating and dynamic. It's a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petit Verdot and the balance Merlot, produced by Vincent Millet and his team from Calon Ségur. Drink: 2025-2045.
    91 points
    William Kelley - Wine Advocate (April 2023)

    The 2020 Capbern remains quite the powerhouse, but it has come together well. Punchy red berry fruit, kirsch, gravel and white pepper all meld together in a Saint-Estèphe of class and personality. There's real depth and plenty of character. This is very nicely done. Tasted two times. Drink: 2026-2040.
    91 points
    Antonio Galloni - Vinous

    This is pretty and aromatic with ripe black cherries and blackberries as well as hints of chocolate, sweet spices and nut shell. Full-bodied with a deep character of mellow black fruit. Firm and structured with ripe, fine-grained tannins and a velvety finish. Try after 2025.
    93 points
    James Suckling

    Another terrific Saint- Estèphe is the 2020 Château Capbern, which comes from the same team as Calon Ségur. (Current director Vincent Millet was brought on board in 2021.) Coming from 33 hectares of vines on sandy, gravelly, clay soils, the final blend is 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The élevage spanned 18 months in 60% new French oak, and this beauty hit just 12.8% natural alcohol. Gorgeous cassis, violets, damp earth, iron, and classy oak all emerge on the nose, and it's full-bodied on the palate, with beautiful tannins, a layered, seamless mouthfeel, and the vintage's pure, focused, age-worthy style front and center. Give bottles just 4-6 years and enjoy over the following two decades. Drink: 2027-2047.
    95 points
    Jeb Dunnuck

    Spicy, dark red berries, blackberry, savory herbs, cedar and cigar box open the nose. On the palate the wine is fleshy, rich, chewy and packed with ripe currants with peppery, savory herbs. There is length, freshness, complexity and character here. This a vineyard to keep an eye on as it getting better and better. The wine blends 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, 14.1% ABV.
    92-94 points
    Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider

    Fine, new saddle leather aromas, vivid violet, juicy blackberry and tobacco leaf. Smooth and fresh, it has superior depth with noticeable yet refined tannins. The high percentage of new oak and Cabernet Sauvignon make for a seamless, long finish: opulent, fresh and precise. Enjoy with duck breast. Drink: 2023-2040.
    95 points
    Panos Kakaviatos - Decanter

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    • Nick's Import
    2020 Chateau Clerc Milon
    Pauillac, Bordeaux, FRANCE
    $199. 00
    Bottle
    $2388.00 Dozen
    Closure: Cork

    Other Reviews....
    The 2020 Clerc Milon - a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot with just a splash of Carmenere - has a deep garnet-purple color, opening with notes of tar, unsmoked cigars, bouquet garni and graphite, giving way to a core of ripe black and red currants, boysenberries and tree bark, plus a touch of black olives. The medium-bodied palate delivers fantastic tension and impressively ripe, fine-grained tannins to support the crunchy, energetic black fruit flavors, finishing with a lively herbal lift.
    92-94 points
    Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Wine Advocate (May 2021)

    Very pure character to this wine with crushed fruit and round tannins. It’s really transparent and delicate, yet bold at the same time. Super tannins. Vivid. Very primary and berry-like. May well turn out to be even better than this in bottle.
    95-96 points
    James Suckling

    The top wine 2020 Château Clerc Milon checks in as 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Petit Verdot and Carmenère, and it's another beauty, offering both richness and elegance. Ripe currants, cassis, damp earth, graphite, and crushed stone-like minerality define the bouquet, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a more focused, pure texture, plenty of expansive richness on the mid-palate, and ripe, building tannins. This beautifully layered, pure wine shows the style of the vintage nicely.
    93-95 points
    Jeb Dunnuck

    With a floral, spicy, tobacco leaf, currant and chocolate filled perfume, the wine is elegant, fresh, supple and silky. There is a beautiful sweetness to the currants, cherries and plums in the mouth. The sensation of the Merlot comes through the blend more than usual as you find a touch of dark chocolate gently coating your palate in the finish, adding length, texture and complexity. This is so good now. But it is going to be even better with 7-9 years of age. The wine blends 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 13.3% ABV.
    94-96 points
    Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider

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    2022 Chateau Clinet Pre-Arrival Offer
    Pomerol, Bordeaux, FRANCE
    $260. 00
    Bottle
    $3120.00 Dozen
    Closure: Cork

    Given Chateau Clinet are situated on some of the finest terroir in Pomerol, the wines from here are relatively under the radar relative to some of the most revered wines from the region. Planted to 88% Merlot, 11.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 0.5% Cabernet Franc, the wines are typically supple with generous richness and complexity.  However, as with many in the area, production is small with an average of 3,200 cases produced annually.

    Other Reviews....
    A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon that represents the earliest harvest in this estate's history (beginning on September 6), the 2022 Clinet is a success, offering up aromas of cherries and dark berries mingled with hints of spices and a discreet patina of new oak. Medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, it's impressively vibrant, with a rich core of fruit framed by powdery tannins from judicious extraction. This has more in common with the more refined 2018 and 2019 vintages at this address than with the powerhouse 2020, and that is no mean feat in an even more extreme vintage. Bravo to Ronan Laborde and his team.
    94-96+ points
    William Kelley - Wine Advocate (Apr 2023)

    The 2022 Clinet is terrific. Vibrant, aromatic and beautifully sculpted, Clinet is also a terrific example of the energy quality-minded winemakers were able to achieve in 2022. Crushed rose petals, spice, blood orange, mint and white pepper give Clinet a compelling upper register of presence in the bouquet. Wonderfully delineated, Clinet builds effortlessly into the mid-palate and finish, where a closing burst of red/purplish fruit framed by clean mineral notes leaves a lasting impression. This is stellar. Tasted two times. Drink 2030-2052.
    94-96 points
    Antonio Galloni - Vinous

    A very fine and polished red with silky tannins, medium body and a savory finish. Hints of hazelnut to the currant and berry fruit.
    94-95 points
    James Suckling

    The 2022 Château Clinet showed beautifully, with an almost Médoc-like style in its darker cassis, graphite, cedar pencil, and tobacco aromas and flavors. Full-bodied on the palate, it has ripe, velvety tannins, a round, layered mouthfeel, and remarkable purity. Pomerol was one of the erratic appellations in 2022, but this beauty does everything right and brings a beautiful mix of richness and elegance. It should round into form with just short-term bottle age and evolve for two decades. The blend is the usual 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon.
    96-98 points
    Jeb Dunnuck

    Streamlined and sleek, silky smooth but also gorgeously textured, clean and clear with grip and interest. Less fleshy and chewy than some, more charming and elegant with tannins that have a weight in the mouth. There is clear power and concentration underneath the juicy acidity with a straight backbone and direct energy from start to finish. Appealing layers of salinity, blackcurrant fruit, creamy vanilla, cool cola touches and crushed stones on the finish. Feels well made and sophisticated. 3.74pH. A yield of 34hl/ha. Earliest harvest ever starting on 6 September for Merlot and 20 and 21 September for Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink 2025 - 2045.
    96 points
    Georgina Hindle - Decanter

    Inky, dark in color, the wine explodes from the glass with its floral display before moving to its wealth of dark red pit fruits, chocolate, truffle, wild cherry, and mint aromas. However, it is the velvet-drenched layers of dark fruit, opulent-textures, and cashmere tannins where the wine really takes off. The finish is pure hedonistic-decadence that must be felt to be believed. You have plenty of time to experience it as the fruits remain on your palate for over 60 seconds! This is Pomerol. and Clinet at its best! The wine blends 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc. 14.5% ABV, 3.75 pH. Harvesting took place September 6, September 21. This is the earliest start to a vintage in the history of Clinet. Yields were 34 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2027-2060.
    97-99 points
    Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider

    Conditions of Pre Arrival Offer:
    1. There is no minimum order unless stated.
    2. All wines are 750ml unless indicated otherwise.
    3. Payment is due at the time of ordering to secure stocks.
    4. The wines are being collected and shipped in refrigerated containers and are due to arrive in late 2025.
    5. Nicks Wine Merchants reserve the right to pass on any changes in Government duties and taxes and delivery charges from the date of order to the date of final delivery of the wine.
    6. Errors and omissions excepted.
    7. Delivery charges may apply - these can be determined by visiting the Freight Rates page.

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    • Nick's Import
    2020 Chateau Cos d'Estournel
    Saint Estephe, Bordeaux, FRANCE
    $530. 00
    Bottle
    $6360.00 Dozen
    Closure: Cork

    Chateau Cos d’Estournel have made great strides in the recent past, and their new winemaking facility is one of the most impressive and purpose driven in the area. All movement of wine from the moment grapes arrive is done via gravity, a process involving a style of wine elevator to raise and lower tanks, and one that removes the use of pumps entirely.

    While the wines from this Second Growth property have been patchy throughout their history, it’s no secret that they have been on fire over the last 15 years, producing rich, concentrated, and potentially very long lived wines warranting perfect scores for numerous wine critics.

    Other Reviews....
    The 2020 Cos d'Estournel is composed of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Merlot. The harvest took place September 10–24 with a yield of 39 hectoliters per hectare. The alcohol weighs in at 13.46% with a pH of 3.9 and an IPT (total phenolic index) of 80. It is being aged in French oak barrels, 55% new.
    Deep purple-black in color, it pops with explosive scents of ripe red and black currants, black cherry preserves and black raspberries, followed by sparks of violets, wild sage, pencil lead and clove oil, with emerging hints of iron ore and damp soil. The medium-bodied palate has amazing elegance and grace contrasted by jaw-dropping energy, featuring a firm frame of finely grained tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with a whole firework display of mineral nuances. I love the way this Cos d'Estournel shimmies and shines—a unique vintage signature expressed so beautifully at this estate!
    96-98 points
    Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Wine Advocate (May 2021)

    The 2020 Cos d'Estournel is a wine of extreme elegance. Silky and light on its feet, the 2020 is incredibly nuanced. In fact it is without question the most finessed of all the top wines in Saint-Estèphe, showing more in common with some of its neighbors in the north of Pauillac than the more potent wines of Saint-Estèphe. Impossibly soft, silky tannins wrap around a core of dark red fruit, spice and orange zest. The 2020 is not a huge Cos, but rather a wine for readers who appreciate elegance over power. I can't wait to see how it ages. Magnificent. Drink 2030-2060.
    97 points
    Antonio Galloni - Vinous

    A brooding and deep wine just on the nose, with blackcurrants, redcurrants, spices such as cardamom and nutmeg, as well as black truffles with earth. Complex. Full-bodied with fine yet chewy tannins, that are wonderfully interwoven. Very structured and long. Needs five to six years to come around. 62% cabernet and 38% merlot. Try after 2028.
    98 points
    James Suckling

    Another brilliant Saint-Emilion, the 2020 Château Canon actually reminds me of the 2019 with its pure, elegant, yet concentrated profile. Based on 68% Merlot and 32% Cabernet Franc, it reveals a deep ruby hue as well as classic upper plateau notes of perfumed red and black fruits (black raspberries, darker cherries), wildflowers, graphite, and chalky minerality. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a seamless, elegant mouthfeel, perfectly integrated tannins and acidity, and flawless overall balance. As with the 2019, it's not the blockbuster style of the 2015, but it’s lively, elegant, and pure class. It needs 7-8 years of bottle age to hit maturity and will have 2-3 decades of overall longevity. Drink 2030-2060.
    97+ points
    Jeb Dunnuck

    A first-growth level wine. With aristocratic ease it conveys nimble energy and sneaky sensuality. Pencil lead, white tobacco, cassis, juicy blackberry and cherry gorgeously delineated with refined tannins providing impressive structure for long-term cellaring. The pH is the highest since 2003, but you get neither heat nor imbalance. Impressive dry extract and rather 'normal' alcohol at 13.5% evokes a positively classic feel, leading to a subtle yet super-long finish. For owner Michel Reybier, the vintage marks 20 years of 'passion at the helm'. Comes encased in a uniquely gold-coloured engraved bottle with the phrase 'C’était Cos sinon rien' - Cos or nothing else. Drink 2025 - 2065.
    99 points
    Panos Kakaviatos - Decanter

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    2018 Chateau Cos d'Estournel
    Saint Estephe, Bordeaux, FRANCE
    $550. 00
    Bottle
    $6600.00 Dozen
    Closure: Cork

    Chateau Cos d’Estournel have made great strides in the recent past, and their new winemaking facility is one of the most impressive and purpose driven in the area. All movement of wine from the moment grapes arrive is done via gravity, a process involving a style of wine elevator to raise and lower tanks, and one that removes the use of pumps entirely.

    While the wines from this Second Growth property have been patchy throughout their history, it’s no secret that they have been on fire over the last 15 years, producing rich, concentrated, and potentially very long lived wines warranting perfect scores for numerous wine critics.

    Other Reviews....
    The 2018 Cos d'Estournel is a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, aged in 50% new oak barriques. The alcohol weighs in at just over 14.5%. Sporting a deep purple-black color, it needs a lot of swirling to begin to unlock a powerful nose of crème de cassis, stewed plums, wild blueberries and chocolate-covered cherries, followed by nuances of Sichuan pepper, star anise, tree and clove oil, plus a waft of charcoal. The full-bodied palate is densely packed with taut, muscular black fruits and earthy layers, framed by super firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and wonderfully earthy. A very impressive behemoth, this is going to need a good seven to 10 years to truly show its stuff and should drink for a good 40 years and beyond. Drink: 2028-2068.
    98+ points
    Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Wine Advocate

    The richness and beauty of this wine is impressive with blackcurrant, cherry, berry and fresh cloves. The fruit is so pure here. Full-bodied with tannins that are so integrated and refined that you don’t feel them, yet they are there! Very creamy and layered with great length and beauty. It turns to tar and licorice at the finish. Tight now, but the texture is special. Try after 2027.
    98 points
    James Suckling

    The 2018 Cos d'Estournel is a racy, powerful Saint-Estèphe that is going to need quite a bit of time to find its center. Today, it is tightly wound, but all the energy is there. Lush and extravagantly ripe, the 2018 possesses tremendous depth and plenty of energy to back it all up. Here, too, I found the wine a bit more expressive and giving en primeur. Drink: 2028-2058.
    98 points
    Antonio Galloni - Vinous

    Deeply colored, the 2018 Cos D'Estournel shows the incredible purity and elegance that this estate delivers these days as well as fabulous crème de cassis, graphite, white flowers, and spicy oak aromas and flavors. Made from 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot, aging in 50% new barrels, it builds with time in the glass and has a full-bodied, decadent yet also seamless mouthfeel, layers of tannins, and a great finish. This is as classy as it gets and certainly a candidate for the King of Saint-Estèphe in 2018. Given its purity and balance as well as depth of fruit, it should offer loads of pleasure in its youth yet also evolve nicely for 3-4 decades. This estate has been on an incredible roll over the past 7-8 years and this is another killer wine. For those interested in the technical data, this wine hit 14.59% alcohol, with a pH of 3.69, total acids of 3.3, and a whopping IPT of 80.
    97-99+ points
    Jeb Dunnuck

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