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96+ Points - Stuart McCloskey “Another wine which has come-on leaps and bounds since last year. The wine opens to Morello cherry, raspberry (almost Bakewell tart) – the fruit feels mineral driven and incredibly fresh. With time, the wine feels a touch brooding – dark fruits turning to jasmine tea and onto fresh sage leaf. The palate feels poised – the acidity working in harmony with the ripe, red and black fruits. Unlike two of Pat’s Chardonnays, this feels understated but charming, nonetheless. Give it a few years and allow it to open its arms. The length is triumphant and tingles with a little spice and sorbet-esque frisk. Those who cellar for 5-years will be rewarded with a very, very good bottle of Pinot Noir for twenty quid. One of my top tips of 2021… Drink now to 2027/28. Served using Zalto Burgundy glassware.”

98 Points - Stuart McCloskey “The bouquet unfurls at its own pace and rushes for no one… With time, crisp orchard fruits, citrus oil, oyster shell, wet stones and the faintest whiff of smoke develop. The palate provides copious layers of soothing fruit infused with minerals. The wine feels tightly-knit (built for the long haul) and incredibly long – intense mineral finish with warming anise and saline. Impeccably balanced and wonderfully complete. This is quite a remarkable Chardonnay and one which has just started its journey. Clearly a different style to the Malmsbury, but equally compelling, nonetheless. I would love to see this served against, young Grand Cru Burgundy. Drink now to 2031. Best from 2025 onwards. Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware.”

Château Pontet Canet’s second wine, which is made in tiny quantities because much of the fruit is good enough to make Pontet Canet itself...

94 Points - Stuart McCloskey "Showing all the hallmarks of Pontet Canet itself and unmistakeably a powerful Pauillac. The nose is a little closed at first, however, with a little aeration, blackberry, cassis, boysenberry and cedar emerge from the glass. Lovely concentration on the palate too. This is one of the best second wines available and knocks the socks off Château Lafite's, Carruades de Lafite."

96 Points - Erin Larkin, James Halliday "The same layers of complexity and spice as the 2017, with all the ripe fruit and power hallmarks of the 2018 vintage. Bouncy and chewy, the tannins are woven into the fruit. Fruit, oak, acid and tannins are integrated and elegant, showing cohesion and harmony from the get-go. Cool-climate elegance is the lasting impression of this wine, as is the fine, chalky tannin profile that ultimately carries the fruit over the course of the palate. Very detailed. Margaret River can be responsible for seriously beautiful shiraz – this is one."

96 Points - Erin Larkin, James Halliday "The same layers of complexity and spice as the 2017, with all the ripe fruit and power hallmarks of the 2018 vintage. Bouncy and chewy, the tannins are woven into the fruit. Fruit, oak, acid and tannins are integrated and elegant, showing cohesion and harmony from the get-go. Cool-climate elegance is the lasting impression of this wine, as is the fine, chalky tannin profile that ultimately carries the fruit over the course of the palate. Very detailed. Margaret River can be responsible for seriously beautiful shiraz – this is one."

97+ - 98+ Points - Stuart McCloskey “It’s one of those bouquets which pins you to the spot and doesn’t let you go. This is beautiful and immediately appealing with mineral-rich fruit (laden with Crème de cassis, blackberry, violet) and cooling graphite. I would love to see how the aromatics develop in my glass however, I keep drinking it!  This is far from heavy but medium-bodied with wonderfully svelte tannins. I love the cedar infusion which and along with the acidity, provides freshness, a little textural grip and pitch perfect balance. But it’s the extraordinary sense of harmony that will be the hook for many. The length is fantastic (spiced fruit) and mineral driven. Mercurial and I believe will be a dream with a further 5-years in the cellar, which is where my case is heading. Decanted for two hours and served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware.”

95 Points - James Halliday "From a favourable parcel in the Amery Vineyard. A fine example of how the best suitors of grenache in the Vale marry a chiaroscuro of weightlessness with a rich core of fruit intensity. A steer of sandy tannins, a riff of briar and a long pull by the region's maritime freshness. Textbook. Poached strawberry, anise, kirsch, orange peel, cranberry, bergamot and myriad florals. But the tannins are what make me swoon."

94 Points - Joe Czerwinski (RobertParker.com) The 2019 Griffon's Key Grenache—basket-pressed and aged in well-seasoned French oak puncheons—continues the winery's recent tradition of excellence with this variety. On the nose, it's perfumed and complex, with herbal, floral and raspberry nuances. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied yet seems almost airy in feel, with a weblike structure of silken tannins providing structure without weight, while the mouthwatering finish brings further definition to the star anise, rose petal and red berry flavors. It should drink well for up to a decade, but there's no real reason to wait.

95 Points - James Halliday "From a favourable parcel in the Amery Vineyard. A fine example of how the best suitors of grenache in the Vale marry a chiaroscuro of weightlessness with a rich core of fruit intensity. A steer of sandy tannins, a riff of briar and a long pull by the region's maritime freshness. Textbook. Poached strawberry, anise, kirsch, orange peel, cranberry, bergamot and myriad florals. But the tannins are what make me swoon."

94+ Points - Gary Walsh, The Winefront "Such a distinct tannin and flavour profile to wines grown around the Seaview and Upper Tintara. So excellent. Blackberry, boysenberry, dried flower perfume, soy sauce, spice and nutty oak. Full-bodied, but fresh too, with deep ferrous tannin, firm acidity, a layer of nutty oak, iron tannin and some red berries on a long finish. Excellent. Will cellar beautifully, and improve."

94+ Points - Gary Walsh, The Winefront "Such a distinct tannin and flavour profile to wines grown around the Seaview and Upper Tintara. So excellent. Blackberry, boysenberry, dried flower perfume, soy sauce, spice and nutty oak. Full-bodied, but fresh too, with deep ferrous tannin, firm acidity, a layer of nutty oak, iron tannin and some red berries on a long finish. Excellent. Will cellar beautifully, and improve."

94 Points - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front) "I always enjoy this wine. So much personality, and not just because you have to love a wine called ‘Cuthbert’.

Blackberry, hazelnut, some mint and aniseed, oyster shell and spice. It’s medium to full-bodied, dense and savoury, love the umami flavours here, balanced acidity, the grainy yet ripe tannin profile, and saline nutty dark chocolate finish of excellent length. Excellent. So regional and distinctive."

94 Points - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front) "I always enjoy this wine. So much personality, and not just because you have to love a wine called ‘Cuthbert’.

Blackberry, hazelnut, some mint and aniseed, oyster shell and spice. It’s medium to full-bodied, dense and savoury, love the umami flavours here, balanced acidity, the grainy yet ripe tannin profile, and saline nutty dark chocolate finish of excellent length. Excellent. So regional and distinctive."

97 Points - Joe Czerwinski (RobertParker.com) From vines planted in 1892, the 2018 Block 6 Shiraz is another ripper, as Aussies might say. Aged in 40% new French and American oak, the cedar, grilled meat and vanilla accents are there, but they're just part of a compelling package that includes notes of blackberries, licorice, black olives and intricate herbal complexities of sage, thyme and the like. Full-bodied and concentrated, it's structured yet supple, powerful yet elegant, with a long, velvety finish, simply a terrific example of Block 6—perhaps the best I've had the privilege to taste. Impressive now, it really deserves a few years in the cellar, and it should drink well for up to two decades.

97 Points - Joe Czerwinski (RobertParker.com) From vines planted in 1892, the 2018 Block 6 Shiraz is another ripper, as Aussies might say. Aged in 40% new French and American oak, the cedar, grilled meat and vanilla accents are there, but they're just part of a compelling package that includes notes of blackberries, licorice, black olives and intricate herbal complexities of sage, thyme and the like. Full-bodied and concentrated, it's structured yet supple, powerful yet elegant, with a long, velvety finish, simply a terrific example of Block 6—perhaps the best I've had the privilege to taste. Impressive now, it really deserves a few years in the cellar, and it should drink well for up to two decades.

Our full tasting note coming soon...

Our full tasting note coming soon...

(Magnum) 100 Points - James Suckling "Welcome to one of the most beautiful faces of the Mosel. Essence of yellow fruit, from peach through mango to papaya. So concentrated, yet so vibrant and so pristine with such a mind-boggling number of nuances that your nervous system is pushed to the limit, in the nicest possible way. The generous sweetness is already well integrated, but this is made for the many decades to come. Drinkable now, but better from 2025."

Jaysen Collins - "I spent a few years living in the eastern foothills of Adelaide and would regularly grab a beer at the pub at the top of the hill, watching the sunset move across the city to the coast. I used to pass a newish vineyard on the way there, but never gave it much notice. Now twenty years later, after seeking out a new pinot vineyard in the Adelaide Hills, I found myself back at the same pub after sampling or picking grapes at this vineyard. A little full circle moment for me.

Leading up to harvest, I had been ruminating on a style of medium bodied pinot that reflected the vivid intensity the sun gives shimmering off the ocean. I always chase brightness in wines, so high altitude fruit suits this as a start – box ticked. I had imported a few concrete fermenters for the clarity and energy they give to Grenache. As Grenache ripens after pinot, i had a chance to ferment this wine in cement, to see if it would give the same vitality. The style is pretty much as I intended - is it the vineyard, is it the fermenter – a bit of both? Pull a cork and decide for yourself."

Jaysen Collins - "Being a Barossa guy at heart, I’ve always worked with varieties that fit in this landscape, think Viognier, Marsanne, Riesling, Semillon. So, for the past decade or more I’ve been ageing these broader white varieties on less for nearly a year - I love the texture it builds and the body and character it gives.

I wanted to push this ‘sur lie’ technique a bit further and I needed a variety that would have the balance of acidity and structure that would handle extended lees ageing in barrel. Chardonnay was the obvious choice, and with great vineyard sites in the Adelaide Hills under an hour away, there was no reason not to take a punt and have a go.

For me this example of chardonnay shows a bit of my Barossa breeding, a bit more oxidised, structured and full bodied than the normal hills examples, but the zippy acidity that interplays with toasty lees characters was exactly what I was looking for."

98 Points - Jeb Dunnuck "Always one of my favorite releases from this estate, the 2015 Syrah Lagniappe is 100% Syrah (mostly from the Red Willow Vineyard in Yakima, with 5% from the Forgotten Hills Vineyard just south of Walla Walla). Deep ruby/plum-colored and loaded with Côte Rôtie-like (Côte Blonde?) notes of black raspberries, crushed flowers, tapenade, and crushed flowers, this beauty is medium to full-bodied, seamless, and silky on the palate, with incredible finesse and elegance. It's going to benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age and knock your socks off over the following decade or more. It’s unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage."