Cab.Sauvignon

This wine, awarded a gold medal at the Concours Général Agricole in Paris, is everything one could want from a Bordeaux Supérieur. It’s a blend of Merlot (70%), the Cabs and Malbec (all 10%), made by Hervé Lhuillier, the fourth-generation owner of Château Fleur Haut Gaussens. Hervé achieves remarkable consistency year on year, but still manages to capture the characteristics of the vintage: his ’14 is delicately perfumed, with an array of dark fruit aromas, and shows crisp acidity yet sufficiently supple tannins to be uncorked now, in summer 2017. 6 months in new oak might overwhelm a lesser Bordeaux Sup, but are just right in this case, contributing extra complexity on the nose and roundness to the palate.
A truly marvellous accompaniment to roast beef, lamb or venison.
Will Heslop - Wine Buyer

A remarkably full-bodied and fruit expressive Cabernet Sauvignon, with masses of ripe blackcurrant and black cherry fruit, ably supported by spicy French oak notes. The fine, ripe tannins make this a very page-worthy wine.
Martin Hudson MW, Wine Buyer

Made from the few remaining parcels of old vines in the Adelaide Plains planted by Italian immigrants after World War II, this wine shows excellent concentration. Blueberry compote and violets on the nose develop into a rich palate dominated by brambles, mulberries and dark chocolate. A final peppy acid kick provides a long and fresh finish.  
Katherine Dart MW, Wine Buyer

Château Fleur Haut Gaussens, a thirty hectare property north of Fronsac on Bordeaux’s Right Bank, stands out for the quality and originality of its wines. This brand new cuvée, made from 100% Cabernet Franc – a valued supporting actor in these parts but rarely the lead – is a case in point. It hails from young vines, which winemaker-proprietor Hervé Lhuillier harvests relatively late, to produce a wine bursting with bright, ripe red fruit character on the nose and palate. La Bergeronette’s gorgeous, lifted bouquet speaks of Hervé’s decision to retain around 15% of the stems during vinification; a technique more commonly seen in Burgundy than Bordeaux. One third of the final blend is aged for six months in 400 litre barrels (the rest in stainless steel) which impart only the subtlest of aromas, but take some credit for its irresistibly supple tannins and sheer juiciness. The finish reverberates with Cabernet Franc’s trademark acidity. Drink now – 2020.
Will Heslop, Wine Buyer

Although this wine is classified as a “humble” Bordeaux Supérieur, its grower, Hervè Lhuillier, lavishes Grand Cru levels of care on its vines. This shows in the wine, which is incredibly sleek and polished for this level – a quality further enhanced by the generosity of the 2015 vintage. Lovely plum and cedar aromas are evident, and the wine is long, but not overdone. Overall, it’s a very impressive effort. 

Three quarters of the fruit for this wine comes from the Two Blondes vineyard, the rest from Champoux. One hundred percent Cabernet Sauvignon, it sees no new oak, but spends 14 months in older barrels. It offers classic Cabernet aromas of cassis and black cherry with attractive sweet spice and herbal notes. It has a firm, powdery tannin profile with vibrant acidity and density on the mid-palate.
Fiona Hayes, Wine Buyer

Beautifully proportioned, this has fine-grained tannins, lively acidity and plenty of matter. Notes of cassis fruit and smoke lead to a dense and concentrated core of dark fruit. Delicious now, it will open up and evolve with time.
Katherine Dart MW, Wine Buyer

Elderton’s Ashmead block has consistently produced small parcels of excellent quality fruit. The palate is well balanced with a generous serving of black olives and shavings of rich dark chocolate. There is also an abundance of concentrated forest fruits and sweet spice. With 22 months in new French oak puncheons the tannins are well-structured yet supple, producing a wine that is drinking well now, but equally one that will blossom in the next three decades. 
Katherine Dart MW, Wine Buyer

Complex and sophisticated and vert well integrated fruit and oak. Surprisingly supple in texture and very elegant on the finish. Needs another 4-5 years of cellaring.

David Ramey’s premier single vineyard Napa Cabernet has masses of concentration but has a foil of fresher acidity from the cool 2011 vintage.  Undoubtedly ageworthy, the ripe cassis fruit makes it delicious now.

In contrast to Bin 707, Bin 169 is the expression of the fruit and terroir from one single region, Coonawarra, perhaps the region more closely associated with Cabernet Sauvignon in Australia than any other. Matured for 14 months in new French oak, contemporary style showing both regionality and maturation of Cabernet Sauvignon in fine grained French oak. Until 31st August 2017 this product is discounted by 20%. Prices shown include discount; no further discount will be applied at checkout.

Brilliant energy from rich dense fruit and spicy floral tones on the nose. Blueberry, blackcurrant, strawberry – fresh and floral at the same time as rich, with cigar box, pepper and beautiful clove spiciness. Just a hint of something savoury underneath. The precision and purity on the palate will make you smile! Perfectly judged line of acidity to the vibrant fruit. Full bodied, powerful, and not overbearing at all, this is a joy to drink now, but will surely be at its best in another 10 years. Those that argue Cabernet is King would do well to show this to any non-believers.
Ben Grosvenor, Private Account Manager.

Reticent and tight at first on the nose, the wine opens up to reveal dark, small-berried cassis fruit, fruits of the forest and wet stone. The palate is the essence of power and elegance, like a giant slalom skier – elegant, suave in form, yet with great power and strength. The palate is full of minerality, with black and red fruit, and an iron or pepper-like spiciness. This has great acidity at the front and tensile tannins – ripe yet tight and huge, boding very well for its future development. One can almost see the remoteness and wildness of this unique vineyard, in terms of the wine’s strength and brooding darkness, yet at the same time an almost effortless, wistful, cerebral quality. For me, it has a distinct personality and sense of place, hints of Napa in the fruit and yet the structure reminded me of the strength and iron core so often found in the likes of Ch. Latour versus its other First Growth Bordeaux peers. Much like some of the world’s finest and most complex wines, this is a wine made on the edge of what is possible, truly expressive of its surroundings, opening and closing over its evolution, flirting with perfection. It’s something very special. It’ll be hard to resist over the next few years, but this has the stuffing to last very easily over the next decade or so. Drink 2027-35+.
Stuart Rae, Fine Wine Commercial Manager 

Returning to my original tasting notes, it is clear I must have been utterly captivated by the 2012 Promontory. Descriptors referencing black forest gâteaux, macerated blueberries and baking spices of all kind were scribbled with haste to capture the character of the wine before the next intriguing layer unfurled. On reflection, my initial excitement remains palpable, what a truly glorious offering. The precision and purity on the nose is remarkable, a crystalline clarity like you’re smelling in high definition, there’s lots of everything but not too much of anything. Cherry and blackcurrant fruit is rich and dense, but held in check by granite and cool stone. Left in the glass, a cooling freshness persists. So fine is the interplay of lustrous berries and svelte, silky tannins that, for a red of such grand proportions, it seems almost refreshing. All before a finish that lasts an age. Outstanding and a real joy to drink, an experience any wine lover should aspire to.
Jared Ehret, Private Account Manager