Fine wine highlights

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The 2016 Clos Marsalette is in line with the property’s classic blend, with the Cabernet Sauvignon outweighing the Merlot only slightly, complemented by a dash of Cabernet Franc. The terroir is particularly gravelly here, with a high content of marine sediments and clay from the shifting of the Garonne river’s course over the centuries. The wine shows an expressive bouquet of plums, cassis and lavender. Generous yet defined, the tannins are smooth; the palate tuned perfectly with a refreshing mineral edge. Delightful. Drink now to 2030.
Stefania Masin, Buying Assistant (December 2019)

Louis Roederer, a wonderful family-owned Champagne House founded in 1776, has a tremendous reputation for quality. It has remained an independent, family-owned company and is now managed by Frédéric Rouzaud, who represents the seventh generation of the lineage. Eighty percent of the firm's needs are supplied by their own, magnificent, 444 acres of vineyard holdings.

This wine is without doubt one of the very top non-vintage Champagnes. Its elegant complexities come from the barrel-ageing of a high proportion of the blend, together with at least four years' maturation in bottle before disgorging.
The quintessence of the House style, Brut Premier offers quality and glamour as well as excellent value. A structured, elegant wine, it is deliciously creamy with almond and toast characteristics alongside the complexity and roundness that are the hallmarks of this House.

Dirk Niepoort's 1997 is a triumph. Vinified traditionally at their showpiece estate, Quinta do Passadouro, and including unusual varieties such as Tinta Amarela, the wine is intense and beautifully concentrated. Copious levels of sweet black fruits on the nose lead to a fruit-basket of flavours on the palate, supported by silky-soft tannins and an opulently sweet finish.

Eponymous slopes, suitably adroit, from the near homophone lieu-dit, Les Chailles, host one of Alain’s most sublime pieces of work. Syrah is seldom as expressive in youth, and after only a little time in glass it will cede a cornucopia of woodland magic. Oak plays its part, but discretely, diplomatically, as the fruit rejoins an almost painfully eloquent soliloquy. Drink 2022-2030+.
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer

Commonly thought to be the second wine of Léoville-Las Cases, Clos du Marquis is actually a vineyard separate to the main estate, a little further inland adjoining Léoville-Poyferré and Léoville-Barton.  However, the wine is made by the team at Las Cases so, if not a second wine, it is certainly a mini-Léoville-Las Cases. The 2000 is now at its peak maturity.  The bouquet is warm and mellow, with subtle notes of tobacco and cedar. Its meltingly soft tannins are supported by a suave, velvety texture. The wine should be decanted to separate any sediment, but only just before service; its beguiling maturity has no need of further aeration. Drink now to 2022. 

Having made Clos des Epeneaux at Comte Armand, Ben had always harboured an ambition to make Pommard’s other great wine, so was delighted to take the opportunity; this comes from a plot in the lower part of Les Rugiens-Hauts. There is a real concentration of fruit here, Grand Cru weight and a wonderfully elegant tannic structure which underlines the class of this site. Drink 2023-2035.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

Having created a name for himself as régisseur (general manager) of Comte Armand in Pommard from 1999 until 2013, Benjamin Leroux established a small négociant business based in Beaune in 2007. The emphasis is on Côte de Beaune whites and Côte de Nuits reds. The company also owns a small holding of Bâtard-Montrachet and since 2014 some vineyards in Meursault. In a short space of time Benjamin Leroux’s wines have built an impressive reputation. Ben is a big fan of his 2016s, praising the sizzling tension of the whites and the beautiful quality of the Pinot fruit, which allowed him to use more whole bunches than in 2015. In early stages of élevage he drew comparisons to 2010, and feels these are wines which will surprise people and gain complexity with time. Thanks to his strong relationships with suppliers, Ben was able to maintain production at around 2015 levels despite the frost, although in general he has less Village and Grand Cru wine and more at the Premier Cru level. For reasons of space, the limited volumes of Grands Crus have not been included in this catalogue. Since the 2014 vintage, all white wines are bottled under screwcap.

The name “Yattarna” comes from the Aboriginal word for “gradually” and represents Penfolds’s desire to conquer the realm of Australian Chardonnay. This is made from 100 percent Chardonnay from cool-climate regions in Tasmania and the Adelaide Hills. The wine spent eight months in French barriques (65 percent new). The nose shows hints of pear, apple and a touch of oak. Fine acidity races through the mouth with generous apple and pear flavours. The hint of new oak, as on the nose, shows itself here. It finishes long and balanced. Drink now to 2023+.
Mike Jordan, Private Account Manager

A wine that is contemporary in feel and yet has deep historic roots within the story of Penfolds, the single-vineyard Magill Estate is singing this year. The nose is complex and inviting, with a melange of blackberry, damson and hints of mocha, thyme and beef fat. The palate is precise, svelte and medium-bodied. The French and American oak is absorbed beautifully into the rich fruit. Great acidity gives a moreish, tannic (filigree) bite at the end – full of spice and coffee notes. This is a rich succulent style of Shiraz, and yet with great coolness, purity and length. A wonderful expression of terroir. Drink 2021-2030+.
Stuart Rae, Commercial Manager
Dark purple. Very dense. Rich and very high toned. Sweet and with extremely high tannins. Lots of dried spices on the nose – handmade and with lots of dry integrity on the end. Very different from the Penfolds norm. Much drier and more traditional.
18/20, Jancis Robinson MW

The nose blows up in your face, like walking into a spice shop: cinnamon, cardamom and lavender along with hints of chocolate, orange and forest floor. The palate is classically Barossa in its proportions, with massive blue and black fruit supported by layers of cinnamon, lavender, five spice and smoked meat flavours. It’s all wrapped in a blanket of cedar and vanilla. The tannins and wood are still very strong and need a little time to integrate. Drink 2021-2030.
Mike Jordan, Private Account Manager

This the pure essence of Pauillac: profound, ripe cassis aromas flow from the glass and herald a palate of cool, spicy, incredibly concentrated blackcurrants, and cream, vanilla and bitter dark chocolate all tightly woven together in a precise core. Lynch-Bages has again performed as well as many of the super-Second Growths.

Bottles of this product are discounted by 30%. Price shown includes saving.

Ch. Gruaud Larose is a Deuxième Cru Classé property that produces one of St Julien's most full-bodied and long-lived wines. Sometimes tannic and ungainly in youth, with bottle-age the wines become marvellously harmonious, developing complex and beguiling characteristics of concentrated black fruits, cedar, spices and liquorice.

Deeply coloured, massively structured, with ample mature tannins, spicy oak and tobacco-scented dark berry fruit. A wine of undisputed ageing potential, this is drinking gloriously now.

A dark, inky purple, aromas of dark fruit, plum, cedar and spice give way to a wave of sweet, blue fruit on the palate. The texture is silky and soft. There is a little crunchy fruit on the mid-palate, but it has a way to go and is packed full of sensual dark fruit. Big and high-toned, the finish is long.

Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon 60%, Merlot 35%, Cabernet Franc 4%, Petit Verdot 1%

It certainly feels that in 2014, the wine has come of age. It has a beautiful nose of raspberries, blackberries and Christmas spice. The approach on the palate is initially gentle, like a caress, yet the power and perfection of this wine gradually builds. Layers of such juicy, pure, crunchy fruit come through, perfectly offset by a graphite edge giving focus and linearity. The purity, freshness and sheer class of this wine is incredible; the gentle skill of Gonzalo Iturriaga is apparent in its harmony and balance which has much more restrained oak than has been common for Valbuena in the past. The tannins are silky smooth and present with definite grip on the finish yet with a corduroy texture to begin. This is a wine that will stand the test of time, there’s no question about it. It is absolutely delicious. Drink 2024-2040.
Catriona Felstead MW, Spain Buyer