Showing 1–15 of 16 results

• Red Wine

  2012 Cauquenina, Clos des Fous

  £1495

  Cauquenina meaning “girl from Cauquenes” is a blend of several varietals. Each lot was vinified and aged separately to create aromas of black pepper, tea leaves, graphite and violet and full-bodied wine.

  This 2012 vintage is dark ruby red in colour with violet tones. On the nose, it has black and red fruit aromas, predominately cherry and raspberry. The complex nose also has floral notes of chamomile and tea leaves. A touch of minerality comes through on the palate with notes of graphite and earth. The wine is generous and silky with very fine tannins and excellent acidity which enhance the Cauquenina’s liveliness and balance.

  James Suckling rated Clos des Fous Cauquenina 2012 94 points: “A crazy blend of blackberry, blueberry, cloves, leather and dried flowers. Full body with great fruit and round tannins. Such depth and genuine character. Fresh too. Comes from ancient vines in the south of Chile.

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• Red Wine

  2011 Aglianico, Chalmers

  £2350

  In Southern Italy, Aglianico is hailed as the noblest of red varieties. In Australia, it has proven to produce wines of finesse, structure and elegance in the most adverse of climatic conditions. At Chalmers, the Aglianico wines have always been considered top-tier reds within the range. To reflect that the latest planting has been established on the prized, top elevation, rocky site on the ridge of the Mt Camel Range at the Heathcote vineyard which is similar in characteristics to the variety’s native terroir.

  This 2011 Aglianico shows earthy cherry, aromatic spice and delicate petal perfume on the nose. The balanced, savoury palate shows subtle fruitcake spices, tobacco, leather, herbal notes and candied orange rind with a pleasant mouth-watering acidity and the fine, smooth, building tannins you would expect of the variety. An elegant and structured medium weight wine which, although it has already been cellared before release, still has excellent potential for long ageing.

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• Red Wine

  2013 Sagrantino, Chalmers

  £2350

  Chalmers make incredible characterful wines from Mediterranean grape varieties that they have imported, cultivated in vineyards in Heathcote, Victoria.  This amazing Sagrantino has an invitingly sumptuous nose of rich, ripe fruit and savoury herbal complexity. There is a wonderful sense of completeness in the mouth: velvety texture, cinnamon and spicy dried fruit flavours and a concentrated maturity reminiscent of rare, oak-aged balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. Superbly rounded and well-balanced.

  One of the most tannic varieties in the world, Sagrantino is a relatively small player in Italy where there are only about 250 hectares of the grape grown in the Montefalco region of Umbria. Despite this, it is a highly revered wine with DOCG status since 1992. It has been growing in Australia since 2000 with the first Australian wine made by Chalmers in 2004. There are now a number of producers making great examples of the variety which has proven to perform fantastically well in both extreme heat/drought conditions and wet vintages like 2010 and 2011.

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• Red Wine

  2012 Solanera Vinas Viejas, Bodega Castano

  £2495

  The Castaño family owns over 410 hectares of vineyards in the Yecla DO in south-eastern Spain. 80% of these vineyards are planted with the native Monastrell variety. For several generations, Bodegas Castaño has been a pioneer in this region and has come to symbolise the best of what southern Spain has to offer: rich, warm climate wines made from grapes grown at altitude, resulting in wines of great character and finesse.

  Made from grapes grown on non-irrigated bush vines at high altitude, Solanera is full-bodied with silky sweet tannins, yet boasts an intense aromatic freshness with flavours of graphite, acacia flowers, black raspberries and bramble.

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• Red Wine

  2015 Corryton Park Cabernet Sauvignon, Grant Burge

  £2850

  At the southern end of the Barossa near Mount Crawford there is a magnificent property established over 150 years ago, the entrance marked by two grand pillars – Corryton Park. Grant Burge had admired Corryton Park since He was a small boy. One of the highest and coolest sites in the Barossa region, it provides perfect conditions for creating first-class Cabernet with finesse, great depth and complexity. In his pursuit of excellence in Cabernet Sauvignon, he purchased the property in 1999.

  In the glass, this 2015 Corryton Park is deep plum in colour and richly perfumed with aromas of blackcurrant, spearmint leaves, cedarwood characters and woody spice with underlying aromas of pine needle, vanilla and subtle char with hints of liquorice and new leather.  The palate is surprisingly soft for cabernet; a fleshy, juicy cabernet with refined tannins and acidity. An all-round gorgeous glass of wine.

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• Red Wine

  2012 Bandol Rouge, Domaine de L’Olivette

  £2950

  Domaine de L’Olivette were one of the pioneers of the Bandol appellation when it was formed in 1941.   Bandol is a unique and magnificent amphitheatre between land and sea, bathed in sun all year round, stretching from the Sainte-Baume massif to the shore of the Mediterranean between Marseille and Toulon.   It is an exceptional site that generations of winegrowers have shaped stone by stone, to build the famous “restanques (terraces).  According to appellation law, all grapes are handpicked and yields are kept low to ensure quality over quantity.

  This 2012 Bandol Rouge, Domaine de L’Olivette is distinguished by the quality of its balance and power. It is constructed around the appellation’s key grape variety, the Mourvèdre that gives it the strength, fullness and above all the typicity of Bandol.  The Mourvèdre is blended with Grenache and Carignan making it a wine of rare complexity, characterised by a deep intense colour.   Its aromatic palette is varied and expresses ripe red fruit, liquorice, earthiness and spice. It is full, long and persistent in the mouth supported by a great structure. The finish is long and tasty with fine silky tannins.

  The wine is aged for 2 years in big barrels, then 2 more years in bottle before being released.

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• Red Wine

  2012 ‘The Gentleman’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Teusner

  £3250

  The Barossa valley is rightly famed for its Shiraz, meaning Cabernet Sauvignon is often overlooked. It’s hugely under-rated and examples like this are exceptional.

  This 2012 example of Teusners famed Cabernet Sauvignon ‘The Gentleman’ is drinking perfectly now and will reward the beneficiary!   One to savour by yourself……

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• Red Wine

  2012 Initial de Desmirail, Margaux

  £3395

  A real purity of fruit is showcased in this elegant Margaux, with an abundance of blackcurrant, black cherry and fruits of the forest, complemented by subtle hints of cedar, toast and cinnamon. Elegant with silky tannins, it is perfectly balanced through to a lingering finish.

  The vineyard is located around the town of Cantenac, neighbouring Château Palmer and Cantenac Brown. Bordeaux enjoys a maritime climate, influenced by the sea, with warm summers and cool winters. The soils are made up of Margaux’s renowned free-draining gravel which contributes to the rich style of wine imbued with finesse and elegance. The vines are trained according to a Double Guyot trellising system and are green harvested in order to concentrate the flavours in the remaining fruit. The grapes are carefully selected and harvested by hand when they have reached optimum maturity.

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• Red Wine

  2012 Peninsula Shiraz, Paringa Estate

  £3500

  A delicious cool climate shiraz from Morning ton Peninsula that we have aged in our cellars and after 8 years in bottle it is maturing nicely.

  In the glass, it is still opaque black purple colour with dark purple crimson hue. The aromas have developed since it was bottled and now waft tones of inky blackberry and liquorice with underlying dried meats and toasty vanillin spice also present.  Medium weight the palate has a flavour profile of blackberries, dark cherries and dark plum followed by a delicious spice flavour.  The finish is long, fresh and vibrant.    5% Viognier was co-fermented with the Shiraz and ageing took place in a combination of new and used French oak barriques for a period of 11 months

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• Red Wine

  2012 Syrah Le Pousseur, Bonny Doon

  £3500

  Bonny Doon Vineyards’ 2012 Syrah, “Le Pousseur,” is made from Syrah grapes grown in some nice Central Coast spots – 48% Alamo Creek Vineyard, 18% Bien Nacido Vineyard, 18% Spanish  Springs Vineyard and 16% Ventana Vineyard. These are cool-climate sites and the website states that with “a fair amount of whole clusters included, this is a savory Syrah of great restraint.”

  Randall Grahm writes that he finds Le Posseur “enchanting and captivating rather than overpowering.” He labels it as a “feminine” Syrah. I don’t make it a habit to argue with a winemaker about his wines, but I was taken to task once for the use of the term “feminine” as a sexist way to describe a wine. PC or not PC, it does not strike me as feminine. Maybe it’s feminine in a masculine way. Or masculine in a feminine way. Maybe it’s just a wine having a crisis of sexuality. Or maybe it’s just a Syrah of great restraint. It retails for $26 and 2,126 cases were produced.

  Under the screw cap is a wine which is opaque indigo. Big blueberry fruit dominates the nose with a savory undercurrent. It is possibly the fruitiest nose I’ve experienced from a Bonny Doon red, which usually lean savory. The palate shows dark fruit too, with just a hint of that black olive note Grahm’s wines often exhibit. Very nice acidity and a good tannic grip top off an entirely enjoyable experience. The oak touch is nice, just right in fact.

  90 points from PlanetGrape.com: “Seductive notes of red rose, lilac, raspberry and cherry mingle with earthy notes of game, bacon and underbrush. Smooth and silky. Decant to let oxygen do its thing.” (02/2015) According to the winery: “We’ve been in a nice aromatic groove of late with Le Pousseur, largely in virtue of the string of very cool vintages, and sourcing our fruit exclusively from cool climate sites. The ’12 Pousseur (who is to say why) is still in a Marlon Brando-like bit of a sullen funk, but there is no question that underneath that brooding exterior, there beats the heart of a Wild One. The Alamo Creek component (possibly in virtue of its extremely gravelly soil) seems to add a strong mineral/earthy/bloody note, not utterly unreminiscent of Cornas. With more air, you begin to gradually discern the characteristic anise/licorice character that typifies Syrah. On the palate, the wine has a refreshing acidity, tannins well-resolved and is remarkably savory with an exceptionally long finish. This wine is still amazingly young and will benefit from several years of ageing (if you can wait). If you can’t wait, decanting is well advised.”

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• Red Wine

  2013 Cornas ‘Les Eygats’, Domaine Courbis

  £4500

  The wines of the Courbis estate are some of the most compelling examples of St. Joseph and Cornas wines being made today. The Courbis brothers have combined their long family experience with a modern style and this has earned them international recognition.

  This 2012 Cornas Les Eygats is a stunning red wine. Made from 100% Syrah, the wine was part fermented in vats (50%) and French oak barrels (50%) of which 25% were new and bottled after 18 months ageing in oak.

  In the glass, it is dark purple with heady aromas of fresh dark berries, cherry liqueur, potpourri and incense, along with an overarching spicy note. Sweet and seamless in texture, offering energetic, palate-staining dark berry, violet and spice flavours enlivened by a spine of juicy acidity. Silky tannins build slowly on the strikingly long, penetrating finish, which leaves behind notes of candied fruit, cracked pepper and violet.

  Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – 95 points

  ‘Starting out with the 2012s, which are some of the strongest in the vintage, the 2012 Cornas Les Eygats is a classic Cornas that exhibits knockout aromas and flavors of smoked meat, barbecue sauce, violets, sweet cassis and a hint of dusty pebble. A blend of 100% Syrah and aged 16-18 months in 50% new French oak, this medium to full-bodied, pure, fresh and focused effort will benefit from short-term cellaring and have 15 years or more of prime drinking. ‘

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• Red Wine

  2012 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Poggio Sant’ Enrico, Carpineto

  £5700

  Bold and intense, this mature wine shows pronounced black fruit aromas, combined with hints of walnut, black pepper spice and vanilla. With great intensity of colour and flavour, the fine integrated tannins underpin the complex palate and lead to a long and powerful finish.

  This wine is produced from 100% Sangiovese fruit from the 1.33 hectare Poggio di Sant’Enrico Piccolo vineyard and the 3.65 hectare Poggio Sant’Enrico Grande vineyards. These are single vineyards situated at between 300 and 350 metres in elevation on Carpineto’s Chianciano Estate in Montepulciano, with southern exposures on rolling hillsides. The Piccolo vineyard was planted in 1978 and the Grande vineyard was planted in 1995.

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• Red Wine

  2012 3D Pinot Noir, Clifton Brewer

  £7950

  This is an outstanding Pinot Noir from the renowned Brewer-Clifton.  The 3D vineyard is nestled between Lafond and Ampelos in the Santa Rita Hills and was the first vineyard planted by the Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton in 2007.     It is pure and elegant on the nose with expressive aromas of red cherries, candied raspberry and strawberry.  The palate is expansive with flavours of sweet fruits, tea leaf and fine spices.  Lovely structure and precision here. Incredible finesse and purity.

  At Brewer Clifton they strive to remove the winemaker’s signature, allowing the voice of the vineyard to be the overriding expression.  Only neutral barrels are employed and they strive for whole cluster fermentation, interestingly the fruit from each vineyard is handled identically from harvest to bottling, allowing the true essence of each site to be expressed.

  They also farm with a focus of ripening the stems of the bunch alongside the fruit, allowing the cluster to be in harmony. Working with the stems allows for wines that are structured, earthy and balanced with the exceptional Santa Rita Hills fruit. The analogy they use is roasting fish or meat on the bone, the bone offers complex flavours very different than taking it off of the bone to cook it.

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• Red Wine

  2012 Armagh Shiraz, Jim Barry

  £19500

  This is one of the worlds greatest wines.

  The iconic ‘Armagh’ vineyard was named by the original Irish settlers who arrived in 1849 and called the lush, rolling hills after their homeland. In 1968, the vineyard was purchased by Jim Barry who planted it with Shiraz. Today these low-yielding vines produce less 27 hectolitres per hectare. The soil is sandy gravel and receives an average rainfall of 600 millimetres per year. The vineyard lies on a northwest-facing slope which acts as a natural sun trap, ensuring the fruit is always fully ripened at harvest time. The Clare Valley climate is continental with a high diurnal temperature difference, producing Shiraz with evenly ripened tannins and flavour.

  ‘Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2012 Shiraz The Armagh offers a gorgeous perfume of baking spices, violets, Sichuan pepper and fragrant earth. More earthy and savory in the mouth than on the nose, the palate is superbly structured and taut—built for the long-haul—with a long, complex finish. Still very youthfully, forget this wine for 3-5 more years and consider drinking it over the next 20+’      98+ points Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate

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• Red Wine

  2012 ‘The Caley’ Cabernet & Shiraz, Yalumba

  £22400

  This is the first vintage of Yalumba’s Cabernet/Shiraz-based flagship wine, The Caley.  Named after Fred Caley Smith, grandson of Yalumba founder Samuel Smith, who was a horticulturist that had a profound impact on the development of Yalumba’s vineyards. In the early 1890’s he spent 18 months trekking across the USA, Britain, Europe, the Middle East, India and Sri Lanka, observing and reporting on scientific and horticultural developments. His detailed letters, sent home every few days, underpinned the way the vineyards were managed and laid the foundations of sustainable viticulture at Yalumba today.

  At the time of blending, the winemaking team made the following tasting notes … Deep garnet red in colour, fruit is at the core of the bouquet, all red and black currants – overlaid with savoury herbs, green spices, cedar and pipe tobacco. The palate is of sophisticated precision with a refined line. Long and textured it captures the concentrated flavours and presents them with a silken grace. Under all that supple, fleshy muscle, the wine has a strong spine, structured to last and last.

  The Caley has been sourced from three outstanding vineyards of the Coonawarra and Barossa regions. The Ming D block of the Yalumba Coonawarra vineyard provides 52% of the Cabernet Sauvignon of the blend. This 2.7ha plot was planted in 1992 with two clones of Cabernet Sauvignon selected for structure and depth of flavour. This block differs from the ubiquitous Coonawarra terroir, with a higher content of clay than the other blocks on The Menzies Estate. The Shiraz is sourced from the Burgemeister “Linke Block” between Nuriootpa and Angaston. Planted in 1901, these Shiraz vines run east-west and are on a single wire trellis. The soil is a red-brown earth in the Light Pass loamy fine sand family. There is also a component that comes from the 1971 Yalumba Horseshoe Block in Eden Valley.

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