New Wines from Berry Bros. & Rudd

2011 Cotes du Rhone Rouge, Domaine de la Janasse

The 2011 Cotes du Rhone (50% Grenache, 40% Syrah and the rest Carignan, Mourvedre and Cinsault) possesses cherry notes, a lush, front end-loaded personality, and good texture, purity and ripeness. It should drink well for several years.

Domaine de la Janasse is one of the great winemaking estates of not only France, but of the world. It is situated adjacent to the Auto Route de Soleil opposite Chateauneuf du Pape, at the entrance to the village of Courthezon. Janasse is managed by Christophe Sabon and his sister, Isabelle. Although their father is technically retired, he is still a visible as well as spiritual presence at this superb estate.

Janasse owns over 40 acres in Chateauneuf du Pape as well as significant holdings in the Cotes du Rhone appellations. The consistency at this estate since the mid-1990s has been remarkable. Year in and year out, the wines, both reds and whites, are among the finest one will find ... anywhere! 2011 is consistently a top vintage at Janasse, even though it is by no means a great vintage in the southern Rhone, and their prodigious 2010s compete with their remarkable array of 2007s and 2009s.
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate #203 Oct 2012

2012 Ch. Angludet, Margaux

Ben Sichel is becoming recognised as a brilliant winemaker and he has really pulled out the stops in 2012. While many of his neighbours struggled, he has managed to produce a wine with the perfect balance of fruit, freshness and elegance. The tannins are firm but far from aggressive, meaning that this will be a wine that will repay maturation over the next five years or more. Ch. Angludet has been a favourite with Berry Bros. & Rudd customers for as long as I can remember, always sensibly priced and reliable. This vintage will be no exception.
Simon Berry, Chairman

2010 Berrys' Australian Shiraz, Barossa Valley (Stelvin)

The Barossa is the spiritual home of this famous Australian grape, and we have chosen Shiraz both for its rich typicity, but also because it is made by one of the great estates of the region, Elderton (also known under the holding company name Citrus Cellars).

Made from grapes sourced exclusively from the Barossa, the wine is aged for nine months in American oak, resulting in a smooth, ripe, concentrated wine packed full of blackberry and plum fruit with notes of leather, spice and vanilla. This is made in a classic Australian style and, not surprisingly, is a great barbecue wine.
Alun Griffiths MW,

This is the finest Berrys' Own Selection Shiraz that I've tasted. Lovely smooth texture with delicious peppery spicy black fruits and a suprisingly long finish. Great with food but also delicious on its own. A real value wine and the best sub £10 red in the Berrys' Own Selection range.
Charlie Bennett - BBR E-Commerce Manager
.....................................................................................
Wines for our Berrys' own selection are hand-picked by our expert buyers and are standard-bearers of style and quality from classical wine regions, offering exceptional value for money.

2009 Ch. Argadens, AOC Bordeaux

Bordeaux has been blessed in recent times with two of the greatest vintages ever, 2009 and 2010. 2009 tips the scale because of it’s consistency across all quality levels, and this is a great example of just what superb wines can be found in great years, at a relatively modest price. Rich cassis and blackberry nose as well as ripe plum, and touch of ground coffee on the nose. Balanced acidity and rounded, lush tannins. Good intensity of firm black fruits and some dark raspberry too, on the palate. Well balanced and good length with a touch of vanilla on the finish.
Blend: Merlot 63%, Cabernet Sauvignon 32%, Cabernet Franc 5%

2011 Sauvignon de Touraine, Jean-Christophe Mandard

A family business since 1870, this new name to Berrys is now led by Jean-Christophe whose been making the wines since 1993. Though the mode is for making tutti-frutti Touraine Sauvignons to rival the Kiwis, Mandard has stuck to his roots to make this true, understated, fleshy cassis wine that stands out for its grounded authenticity. Very moreish, a mini-Sancerre, especially with summer lunches and salads. Drinking but will keep.
David Berry Green, Wine Buyer

2010 Vinsobres, Les Cornuds, La Famille Perrin

The burgeoning reputation of Vinsobres, now recognised as a stand-alone Cru and therefore standing out from the rest of the Villages, has been championed in particular by the Perrin family form Château de Beaucastel.

The relatively northerly location with its concomitant emphasis on Syrah engenders wine of rare purity and focus. Les Cornuds in 2010, a vintage already celebrated for the harmony and balance of tis wines, is a superb example, with silky tannins supporting crushed berry fruit and a pleasing savoury backdrop.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)

2011 Terroir des Chateaux-Forts Edelzwicker, Domaine Rolly-Gassmann

A blend of Auxerrois 60%, Gewürztraminer 30%, Riesling and Pinot Gris 10% each. Pronounced rich nose with honeyed peaches, ripe grapes and a touch of exotic lychee wafting up from the glass.

On the palate, bright acidity and a gently perfumed palate of roses and lychees compliment the luscious peach and apricot fruit. A long, minerally finish with a delicate hint of hand cream. This is a medium dry wine which makes it the perfect match for pâtés or other rich starters. It’s a good alternative to a Spatlese Riesling. Serve at a cool 11˚C.

2012 Tavel Rose, Prieure de Montezargues

The Medieval Priory at Montezargues is run by Guillaume Dugas, son of the former régisseur at Château la Nerthe, another imposing property which is making superlative Mediterranean wines. Tavel gained its reputation for Rosé in the time of King Philipe le Bel, whoever he may have been, during the Avignon Papal schism. A handful of local varieties add complexity to the ten percent of the blend that is not shared between Cinsault and the two Grenaches, Blanc and Noir. The wine has a distinctive rose-hip herbal aromatic then a palate which marries flavours of peach, cherry and sloe. It is subtly powerful and would make a great march for goat’s cheese salad or grilled fish.
Simon Field MW, Southern France Buyer

2009 Zinfandel, Peachy Canyon Paso Robles

Aromas of sweet oak and smoke mingle with ripe strawberries, raspberries and vanilla, merging into flavors of black cherry and caramel. Mild tannins, spice, and a hint of menthol give the wine character and complexity.

Zinfandel is California`s most distinctive red grape and is one of the few that is considered one of their "own", even though it originated in Europe. Although it has been grown in California for well over a century, it took the popularity of white ("blush") Zinfandel in the mid-1980s to persuade growers to retain their Zinfandel vines and indeed to plant more. Within 10 years, plantings had doubled and Red Zinfandel had become a Californian icon. It is grown all across California though seems to perform best in meso-climates, which combine hot days and cool nights, epitomised by Paso Robles.

Peachy Canyon Winery is a small family owned winery in the beautiful wine country of Westside Paso Robles on the Central Coast of California; near Hearst Castle and Big Sur. Peachy Canyon Winery specializes in estate Zinfandels and has been family owned and operated, not without hyperbole, by the Beckett Family since 1988.
Mark Pardoe MW, BBR Wine Director

2011 Chablis, Samuel Billaud

The 2011 comes from organic grapes grown on the right bank of the river Serein. This was an early vintage throughout Burgundy and has produced some very fine, well balanced Chablis. On the nose, this is fresh and flinty with notes of apple and firm pear and a hint of honeysuckle blossom. Balanced acidity and crisp, clean flavours on the palate. Green apple and pear with some bright lemon flavours and a waxy, light touch on the finish.

2011 Pinot Blanc, Gebreit, Domaine Lucas & Andre Rieffel

2011 Sancerre Blanc, Brigitte et Daniel Chotard

Another new name on Berrys’ books, the Chotard family makes textbook Sancerre in the village of Crézancy-en-Sancerre, the quality of which rivals that of more household names such as André Dezat. A brilliant, crunchy, faithful expression of their fossil-filled Kimmeridgean clay soils. Will keep.
(David Berry Green, BBR Buyer)

2010 Fleurs de Mai, Vin de Pays, Domaine Georges Vernay

When I started buying Rhône wines a decade ago, there was one name, above all others, which commanded universal respect and adulation amongst producers and that was the name of Georges Vernay, known affectionately as Le Pape de Condrieu for his almost single –handed feat of rescuing this magnificent appellation from obsolescence. Indeed it became clear that not mentioning Domaine Georges Vernay when in the region could be like going to Jerusalem and not visiting the Church of The Holy Sepulchre, in other words a terrible mistake. Imagine our delight when the House agreed to work directly with Berry Bros and Rudd.

Today managed with brio by George’s daughter Christine and her husband Paul Ansellem, the domaine covers 10ha of Appellation Contrôlée vineyards and a similar area of Vin de Pays, in this case vineyards literally just outside the relevant AOC boundaries. The typically delightfully-named Fleurs de Mai (with its deliberate deference to Beaudelaire) is a case in point; the wine is a charming early-drinking Syrah sourced from vines just outside of the commune of Tupins in the south of Côte Rôtie. Aromatics of violet, high season roses and a Thomas Hardy cornucopia of fruit presage a palate of great harmony.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer,

2007 Berrys' Margaux, Ch. Giscours

If anything the 2007 is even softer and more voluptuous than the 2006 and is drinking beautifully now. From the famous Château Giscours Estate in Margaux this wine has floral notes of youth which are starting to mature and there are hints of cedar and cigar. On the palate the full depth of sweet fruit is starting to shine through. Enjoy over the next 12 months, with shoulder of lamb or rib of beef.

.....................................................................................

Wines for our Berrys' own selection are hand-picked by our expert buyers and are standard-bearers of style and quality from classical wine regions, offering exceptional value for money.

2010 Montefalco Rosso, Fattoria di Antano, Umbria

Wallow in warm Umbrian summer brambly fruit, the nose pings with raspberries zip yet is also laid back, nonchalant. Similarly the palate’s a real charmer, with no tannins to speak of, so easy, lush, fairly medium/full bodied, yet bright and alive, mystical too as it ebbs this way and then that across the palate. A wonderful wine of the soil, of the place, of Montefalco. Drinking now with the likes of turkey or chook.
David Berry Green, BBR Buyer

2004 Ch. Doisy-Daene, Barsac

2010 Gigondas Tradition Rouge, Moulin de la Gardette

Thick with seductive herby,perfumed, peppery spice and some enticing sweet violet-scented fruit this 14.5% alcohol Gigondas was almost the star red in this price bracket. Perfect with a haunch of venison or roast pigeon
(Jane MacQuitty - 50 Best Reds For Winter - (The Times - 01-Dec-2012)

Gigondas is the most exciting village in the Southern Rhône at the moment. Beyond its sleepy medieval façade and implicit inferiority complex vis-à-vis Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, a Cru since 1971, is re-establishing itself as a key appellation. It was ever thus, and the name itself (from the Latin jocunditas, meaning ‘merry city’) hints at an approach to life which is not without its merits.

Jean-Baptiste Meunier took over this ancient family estate (dating from 1670, it is even older than BBR!) in 1988 and has quietly brought it to its current size of 9 hectares, with some of the Grenache vines now having achieved centurion status. Organic by inclination and with the occasional biodynamic impulse, Jean -Baptiste makes some of the best Gigondas that is available today.

The Tradition is a blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Cinsault and 10% Mourvèdre. 10% is raised in used Burgundian barrels but the majority of the wine has been both fermented and matured in concrete, traditionally in other words. Of a modest garnet hue, the 2010 has a nose of herbs, plums and warm rooftops, then a supple almost gamey palate, with hints of aniseed at the end of the palate. A lick of Mediterranean rusticity adds texture and colour to the impeccably ripe black fruit. Excellent!
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)

2009 Bandol Rouge, Domaine du Gros'Nore

Domaine du Gros'Nore Bandol Rouge is made from 80% Mourvèdre, 15% Grenache and 5% Cinsault, its 30 year-old vines luxuriating in a fine Mediterranean aspect. Ageing for this wine takes place in old foudre and lasts for 18 months.

The fruits of a ripe and sunny vintage have brought out the feminine side of Mourvèdre, with crème de cassis, violets and bay dominating the nose. More masculine savoury notes are not absent on the palate; the tannins are powerful yet ripe and the finish is long. Warming and long, this will work well with winter casserole or game.
Simon Field MW, BBR Wine Buyer

2010 Penfolds Bin 28, Kalimna Shiraz

Penfolds Bin 28 offers a showcase of warm-climate Australian Shiraz – ripe, robust and generously flavoured. First made in 1959, Bin 28 is named after the famous Barossa Valley Kalimna Vineyard purchased by Penfolds in 1945 and from which the wine was originally sourced. Today, Bin 28 is a multi-region, multi-vineyard blend, with the Barossa Valley always well represented. It provides a substantial proportion of the fruit for this vintage.

On the nose: In a word, Shiraz. Style? Unhesitantly, warm(er)-climate. Generous, distinctive. An initial lift of coffee grind, mocha/malt and spice sequentially volatilise, consorting to form an initial aromatic wave. Then, ascending elements of dark chocolate, black licorice, European dark-berry fruit salad … with an emphasis on the dark/black! No new oak? Not part of the Bin 28 mindset. Yet so much more lies beneath …

On the palate Full-bodied and multi-dimensional. An assortment of flavours, including blackcurrant, dates, beef and stout pie, dried fig … Expansive – length, depth and weight … reverberating with amplitude and attitude! Mid-palate fruit sweetness, aligned with solid/firm tannins, culminating in a long, lingering finish.

Officially The Bin Series was born in 1959. But in truth the first Bin wine was created in 1951 by the now legendary chief winemaker, Max Schubert. Back then the experimental wine was simply known as Bin 1, referring to its storage location in Penfolds cellars while ageing. 1952 was Bin 4. Later vintages carried various designations as Max continued to refine what was to eventually become the most lauded wine in Australian history. By 1964 the designation was standardised as ‘Bin 95’. Grange, as it’s more famously known, now holds a place so exalted in the pantheon of wine that in 2001, it became a national heritage icon. Grange was of such rare importance and so influential that it became the first in a long and illustrious ‘bloodline’, defining a Penfolds style and philosophy that inspired a dynasty of wines, with an unmistakable resemblance and relationship to each other. It is this pedigree and lineage that lives on in the Bin range and makes it such a celebrated family of wines.

2009 Pulenta Gran Corte, Mendoza, Argentina

The Holy Grail of vinous sophistication is undoubtedly the Bordeaux blend. The Gran Corte employs all but Cabernet Franc from the Bordelais canon and the result is stunning. The precise blend is 37% Malbec, 27% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc, aged for a year in 100% new French oak..

With a deep plum-red colour, a richly expressive nose which marries spice and cherry, and a structured and sophisticated palate, with black cherry, mocha and blackcurrant coming through, this is a great success. Of Cru Classé quality, but with an additional touch of Latin warmth, this is a great wine to accompany guinea fowl or venison.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer

2009 Monthelie Duresses, 1er cru, Bouchard Pere et Fils

With prices ever rising for the most famous appellations of Burgundy, it is the villages that lie just behind the front line which provide the best value. The potential of these villages has been enhanced in recent years by the higher temperatures associated with global warming One such village is Monthélie, tucked in behind Meursault and Volnay.

It shares its best vineyard, Les Duresses, with neighbouring Auxey. Les Duresses is on a steep east-facing slope that catches the morning sun. Bouchard Père and Fils, one of the grand old houses of Burgundy, was rescued from the doldrums in the 1990s by Joseph Henriot, of Champagne fame. Their veteran winemaker, Philippe Prost, keeps turning out beautiful wines, especially when aided by the sunshine of the 2009 vintage.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Buyer

2009 Grosvenor Blanc de Blancs, Ridgeview Estate

This fantastic all-Chardonnay cuvée from our friends at Ditchling (West Sussex may be a more helpful geographical pointer) is probably their most impressive yet . Mike Robert’s best vineyard, located outside his well-upholstered winery and in full view of the eponymous ridges of the South Downs , is planted with Chardonnay only and the resulting wine is aged on its lees for nearly two years after the second fermentation.

The 2009 Grosvenor is fresh as well as round, lively as well as profound; the ideal sparkling wine in other words. The palate is complex with notes of honey, acacia and orchard fruit vying for attention, then a long and nicely tapered finish. It is now a self-evident truth that the best English wines are better than the majority of Champagnes, and this one is probably the best English sparkling wine of all!
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)

2008 Nyetimber, Classic Cuvee

2003 Ch. Ormes de Pez, St.Estephe

"More restrained than some of its St. Estephe peers, this offering exhibits a deep saturated ruby/plum/purple color as well as a sweet nose of black fruits and earth, medium body, decent acidity, fine flesh, and good follow through on the palate. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Franc, it will drink well for ten years." (Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - April 2004)

2010 Savennieres, l'Enclos, Eric Morgat

Eric Morgat has impeccable pedigree and vineyards, being that latest scion of the famed Château du Breuil estate. With that in mind, the wines are full, dry, and expertly sculpted, extracted the very best of the unique Savennières schistous rock through the Chenin Blanc grape. Statuesque, but needs some time in bottle before revealing its potential! Wow.
David Berry Green, Wine Buyer

2010 Pinot Gris, Clos Windsbuhl, Domaine Zind Humbrecht

Despite the high alcohol (15.6%), the soil's limestone content, lofty position (300-380 msl) and 60 yo vines balance this with great minerality and excellent low pH. You sense the 'sweet' influence of the noble rot present in 2010, yet the off-dry wine is delicate and finely poised (as you'd expect from Clos Windsbuhl), but needing time to come round. Drinking till 2025.
(David Berry Green, Berrys' Alsace Buyer)

2009 Les Tourelles de Longueville, Pauillac

The second wine of Ch. Pichon-Baron has long been a wine trade insider’s secret, consistently delivering a wonderful dollop of the ripe cassis fruit for which the Grand Vin is famous, for a fraction of the price.

2007 Nyetimber, Blanc de Blancs

Nyetimber's history has been colourful, its vinous ownership having passed from the American Stuart Moss, via the flamboyant pop impresario Andy Hill to the Dutch entrepreneur Eric Heerema. In the more distant past its decorative Manor House was built by Henry VIII for Anne of Cleves, although she never actually took ownership, thanks, famously, to Holbein's pictorial exaggeration of her charms.

The far more charming Cherie Spriggs is now firmly at the helm making the wines at Nyetimber and the 2007 is one of the first wines that she has supervised from start to finish... A great success all round; Aromas of nectarine, bergamot and sourdough lead onto a poised and harmoniously balanced palate, with scant evidence of the slightly grassy notes that one sometimes associates with English sparklers. Extended ageing has added a pleasing biscuit complexity and the finish is both refreshing and powerful.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer

2008 Ch. Giscours, Margaux

The long, late harvest resulted in such ripeness at Ch. Giscours that, for the first time since 1995, 5% Cabernet Franc was of high enough quality to be added to the blend (along with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot). Lower than normal yields have created a concentrated wine with a creamy blackcurrant palate, fine-grained tannins and spicy, oak complexity. Almost Burgundian in structure, there is a lovely roundness to this wine which is completed by an impressively long finish: a beautiful wine. Drink 2013 - 2025

2002 Ch. Feytit-Clinet, Pomerol

Situated at the end of the Allée de Feytit, just down from Ch.Clinet, this feels more like a Burgundy domaine than any of the grandiose buildings more usually associated with this august region. Under new ownership, the 2000 and 2001 were a great success and the 2002 looks likes being just as good, if not even better. Made from 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the enticing nose is bursting with fruit with subtle chocolate hints. The palate is rich, smooth and supple with that classic velvety Pomerol texture. Given its price, this is one of the star wines of the vintage. Drink 2008-2012. 18/20

1985 Domaine Pichard, Madiran

The 1985 demonstrates both the longevity and the complexity inherent in this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat. Despite the age of the wines, the tannins are still disciplined and firm, with the fruit still dark and dense, but now with a savoury gamey twist which will match, naturally enough, dishes of a savoury and gamey inclination.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)

If you are looking for a wine off the beaten track, this must be a contender. A blend of 70% Tannat; 25% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, this Madiran displays a developed and powerful character. Robust and savoury, it is packed with bags of leafy, soft spices, cedar wood and hints of pruneau and figs. A beautiful and authentic wine!
(Francis Huicq – London Shop Manager)

1990 Ch. Beychevelle, St. Julien

1999 Ch. la Conseillante, Pomerol

The dark ruby-colored 1999 is a beautifully complex, evolved, seductive style of La Conseillante. The wine exhibits sweet black raspberry and cherry liqueur notes intermixed with cedar, toasty oak, licorice, new saddle leather, and dried herbs. It is medium-bodied with no hard edges, extremely pure, and almost sweet (from ripe fruit, not sugar). This is a lush, delicious La Conseillante that merits its reputation as "a Burgundy from Bordeaux".
(Robert Parker - Wine Advocate # 140 - Apr 2002)

1990 Ch. Brane-Cantenac, Margaux

1996 Ch. Leoville-Barton, St Julien

There can surely be few other estates that are as sought-after or as consistently brilliant as Léoville-Barton and 1996 was an outstanding year for this impressive Second Growth. This wine highlights St Julien’ssuccess in 1996 with a richly opulent style that will give incredible satisfaction for years to come. This may not be as flamboyant as the 1995 and still very much in its youth, but it is already approachable and will provide sublime drinking until 2030.

2000 Ch. Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac

"This larged-scaled wine has a saturated rubt/purple colour and a big créme de cassis nose, with a hint of licorice and tobacco. Still somewhat closed, this deep, full-bodied, luscious, muscular offering exhibits ripe tannin, loads of fruit and tremendous purity. This is a gorgeous example of one of the most popular wines in the Médoc. Its savoury tannin and low aacidity suggets it should be close to its plateau of drinkability in 4-6 years. Antcipated maturity: 2007-2020+. 93+/100 pts (Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - Apr-2003)

The Summer Roses Mixed Case

Start summer early with this superb mixed case, which is available with a 15% discount.

Containing three bottles of each of the four delicious Rosés listed below, it shows off the quality and value that is waiting to be discovered this year

2012 Ch. Plantey Canteloup Rosé, Bordeaux
2012 Sancerre Rosé, Brigitte et Daniel Chotard
2012 Tavel Rosé, Prieuré de Montézargues, Rhône
2012 Rosato, Villa Calcinaia, Tuscany, Italy

1996 Cos d'Estournel, St Estephe

Subtle spicy oak and red fruitnose, with round opulent flavours; although slightly closed on the finish, this will surely be a very good wine indeed. The complexity which was so evident from the start is now starting to unravel itself as the wine matures, promising great rewards for the patient.

Our Bestselling Wines - Sampling Case

Price: £154.00 (Save 15%)
Our Bestselling Wines Mixed Case comprises two bottles each of six of our most popular wines. This case features a peachy Prosecco, a fresh New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, a crisp Gavi from Northern Italy, a warming Vinsobres from the Rhône Valley, a rich Rioja and a concentrated Shiraz from South Australia, with a 15% discount off the usual bottle price.

Include two bottles of each of the following:
86884B Prosecco Asolo Extra Dry, Bele Casel, Veneto, Italy
84876B 2011 Isabel Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
89711B 2011 Gavi di Gavi, Bric Sassi, Roberto Sarotto, Piedmont, Italy
90486b 2010 Vinsobres, Les Cornuds, La Famille Perrin, Rhône
90613b 2008 Tinto Reserva, Bodegas Muga, Rioja, Spain
87457b 2009 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz, South Australia

1996 Ch. Palmer, Margaux

The sensuous, generous dollop of 40 % Merlot that went into this I think is what makes this so exquisite and beguiling. Warm, sweet red fruit with a hint of vanilla leading you to a palate which is plump and fleshy but elegant and sophisticated. It really reminds of a top Grand Cru Burgundy from a great year with its purity and grace. Please don't be put off if you read words like "elegant" to mean thin and lacking flavour as it can often mean in wine terms. Quite the contrary here, this is jam packed full of oomph and the finish is 3 to 4 minutes long. If its a small Christmas Day or New Years Eve gathering this year for you ( or you are an incredibly generous host/hostess and having the hordes in!) and you want something that will tick all the boxes ( and some boxes you hadn't even known you had) you wont be disappointed and you will certainly have a very happy Christmas.
(Simon Staples - Berrys' Fine Wine Director - 25-Nov-2009)

2003 Cos d'Estournel, St Estephe

"... The 2003 is one of the greatest offerings this hallowed estate has ever produced.... it is a substantial yet extraordinarily elegant claret. There are no hints of over-ripeness (prunes, saddle leather, etc.) or exoticism, just classic black currant, melted licorice, blackberry, smoke, and spice notes.... The wine possesses a thickness and unctuosity typical of the top 2003 northern Medocs as well as remarkable definition and elegance. It is the most impressive young Cos I have ever tasted. However, the tannin is high, so it will require patience. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2030. Bravo!"
(Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - April 2004)

1995 Ch. la Mission Haut-Brion, Pessac-Leognan

"Medium-full colour. Depth and class here. Quite Medoc-y. Still youthful. Fullish. Quite tannic but very good tannins. Backward but splendidly promising. Ripe and concentrated and profound. Very fine." (Clive Coates - The Vine - 01-Jan-1999)

2000 Ch. Pichon-Longueville, Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac

Bluer than the Pichon-Longueville by quite a margin. A hint of herbaceousness. Pretty. Not excessively ripe. Neat and vibrant but it may disappoint those looking for mass and ripeness? Certainly very 'fresh'. Maybe just a bit too much so for expectations of this vintage and this appellation.
(Jancis Robinson - jancisrobinson.com - 23 Mar 2010)

2012 Ch. Haut-Brion, Pessac-Leognan

There is an amazing dual hit of black fruit and fine-grained tannins here, which is rounded off with a wonderful creaminess. The fruit is encased in a huge structure, which is not always easy to assess when tasting en primeur, but it has a lovely fleshiness to it and the wine is multi-layered with flavours evolving in the mouth. Notes of cocoa, vanilla and tar show towards the finish and it all ends completely seamlessly. The tannins are extremely ripe and well-integrated. Ch. Haut-Brion is often understated at this stage, which serves to underline how fine this wine will be.

2007 Taylor Vargellas Vinha Vehla

Heady, plummy, very flattering nose. Spicy, beguiling - rather more transparent than the regular Taylor's. Interesting and rather intellectual. This demands attention and has notably supple tannins. .
(Jancis Robinson MW - jancisrobinson.com – May 09)

2005 Ch. Leoville-Las Cases, St Julien

If the 1855 Classification was rewritten tomorrow there is no doubt that this aristocratic estate would be reclassified as a First Growth. Their incredible 2005 simply adds to this cause. This has all the power and well-tailored elegance of a classic St Julien but with a sleek, concentrated, amazingly fresh character. Coffee and dark chocolate permeate the dense blackcurrant fruit, and while this is maybe less muscular than we expected, the very firm tannins are merely hiding within the massive, harmonious and elegant structure, this will be magnificent.

2012 Ch. Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac

A return to elegance and precision is backed-up by a commendably low ABV of 12.6%. Charles Chevallier was more relaxed than ever when he showed us the wine; one senses this is very much his preferred style of Lafite and there was a deftness of touch that only comes with experience, the finest terroir and a non-interventionist approach. With seamless purity and a fine texture, this is a very handsome Lafite.
Tom Cave, Cellar Plan Manager

1990 Ch. la Mission Haut-Brion, Pessac-Leognan

Much like its nearby rival, Haut Brion, the 1990 La Mission has always been relatively evolved, complex, and supple-textured. Even at age 3-4 it performed beautifully. The tannins are sweet, the acidity low, and the high levels of glycerin and concentrated fruit have always been present, and they show no signs of abating. A dark plum/blue/garnet color is followed by a sweet perfume of chocolate, rich, jammy, berry fruit, and hints of smoked herbs as well as meat juices. It remains a full-bodied, opulent, even ostentatious wine that should drink beautifully for two more decades...
(Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - Jun-2009)

2006 Ch. Mouton-Rothschild, Pauillac

In 2006 Mouton has justified its First Growth status with a vengeance. Since Mouton began to select their wines parcel by parcel in 2004, quality has soared. And with only 44% of the wine making it into the Grand Vin (normally it is 50-60%) this is about as good as it could possibly be. It has all the exotic richness you would expect, with a minty cassis nose, a lovely silky palate and opulent, expressive smoky black fruit. Made from 87% Cabernet Sauvignon (plus 13% Merlot) it has great structure with melted tannins and a gorgeously rich complexity. A truly majestic Mouton.
(Simon Staples, Berrys' Fine Wine Director - Feb 2010)

2008 Penfolds Grange

A blend of 98% Shiraz with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon from across vineyards in the Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, and Magill Estate. Matured for 19 months in new American oak hogsheads.

First vintage since 1976 to be awarded 100 points by the Wine Advocate 2008 was an early harvest. A seamless growing season with steady, early season growth, followed by cool, dry conditions at the start of summer, and the anticipated rise in temperatures from the New Year. A vintage where the oldest vines with balanced canopies capitalised on the perfect growing conditions before the highest temperatures arrived.

1990 Ch. Haut-Brion, Pessac-Leognan

Deep red colour with hints of tawny at the rim. Very expressive bouquet, typical Graves earthy, warm tobacco leaf and cigar box. On the palate a real kernel of sweetness on the mid-palate, lovely texture in the mouth, very well balanced, fresh, with a long, exemplary finish. Ready to drink now with great pleasure but not in any way tiring.

1989 Ch. la Mission Haut-Brion, Pessac-Leognan

A powerful and concentrated wine whose multilayered flavours unfold with patient intensity.

2009 Le Montrachet, Domaine de la Romanee Conti