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 percent), the Cabernets (Franc and Sauvignon) and Malbec (all 30 percent), made by Hervé Lhuillier, the fourth-generation owner of Ch. 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. Six months in new oak might overwhelm a lesser Bordeaux Supérieur, but are just right in this case, contributing extra complexity to the nose and roundness to the palate. A truly marvellous accompaniment to roast beef, lamb or venison.
Will Heslop, 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

The Bolgheri Rosso 2016 grows at 100>200m altitude, under 2km from the Mediterranean sea. The 2016 has a deep core of black cherry, cassis and balsamic flashes, framed by an immediate and fruity expression. Sweet spices of smoke and oak, attained from 10 months in barrique and  framed by firm, yet silky tannins. Grown on rocky and calcareous soils, the signature of Grattamacco is expressive and mineral salinity which carries the palate on and on. Drink now to 2026.

Ch. 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 percent 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 percent 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 to 2020.
Will Heslop, Wine Buyer

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

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

Located in Zillah, Washington this vineyard is part of the Yakima Valley AVA and is the coolest site that the estate works with. The wine tends to show much more restraint and the 2011 vintage benefits from a delicate herbal quality supported by a mix of red and black fruits.
Fiona Hayes, Buyer.  

If a wine could have perfect pitch this would be it: the tightly-coiled nose of this 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc wine is poised with juicy graphite and cassis notes while the palate's delicious with pretty, small-berried red fruit, some spice & cocoa, the silkiest of tannin structures &, overall, a certain aristocratic aloofness commensurate with top Rutherford wines. Immaculate but ideally savoured between 2010 & 2020, along with some fine rib-eye.
(David Berry Green)

This has a classic 389 nose – black fig, blackcurrant, mint, anise, buttered toast and black pepper. There’s excellent balance between the Cabernet and Shiraz – neither overwhelms the other. The silky structure comes courtesy of the Cabernet, while there is plenty of flesh on the bones from the Shiraz. There is a long black-fruited finish. This year definitely lives up to the “baby Grange” moniker and it is no surprise that this is collected for future enjoyment year in, year out. Drink 2022-2030+.
Fergus Stewart, Private Account Manager

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.

A barrel selection of the best of both from the S.L.V (45%) and Fay (55%) vineyards, the 2013 Cask 23 is dark and brooding, tightly coiled at the moment but there is plenty of black and blue fruit on the nose, along with the merest touch of smoke from the oak ageing.

Multi layered on the palate, with waves of lush fruit, ripe tannins, mocha and menthol, this will require patience. The finest Cask 23 for some time, give this at least five years in the cellar and enjoy over the following two decades. A Napa Cab to rival the Bordeaux greats.
Fergus Stewart, Private Account Manager

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars is a famous Napa valley “First growth” producing wines of exceptional beauty, full of New World vivacity yet balanced by Old World sensibility.  Warren Winiarski coined the descriptive phrase 'iron fist in a velvet glove' to describe his polished but sturdy Cabernets, marrying power and elegance.

2013 was a classic vintage, with textbook weather conditions, though we do see a 30% drop in production from the 2012.  Commenting on the 2012 & 2013 harvests, Robert Parker states “… as a wine critic commenting only on the quality, these are two very, very exciting vintages that will provide enormous pleasure over the next three decades. Readers who can afford the entrance fees will love these wines - make no mistake about that!” 
Robert Parker has accordingly given the 2013 (& 2012) vintage the highest ever scores for these wines.

The 2013 release celebrates 40 years since the controversial (at the time) 1976 “Judgement of Paris” tasting (particularly the S.L.V. bottling which displays a commemorative label) when the 1973 vintage of S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon took first place over leading red Bordeaux. 
The impact of the tasting for American wines was immediate, catapulting Californian wines onto the world stage by illustrating that exceptional wines could come from somewhere other than traditionally sacrosanct French terroir. 

Nevertheless, the estate has come a long way in the last 40 years producing some of the best wines to come out of California from some of the best and most envied terroir.  Winemaker Michael Silacci joined the winery in 1995, and together with assistant winemaker Julia Winiarski is producing outstandingly complex, multi layered wines that are amongst the very finest in California, if not in the world.

Warren Winiarski gave up a promising academic career in Chicago to pursue his dream of making wine. He learnt his trade at Robert Mondavi before setting up Stag's Leap Wine Cellars in the heart of the Napa Valley in 1972.

In 1986, Winiarski purchased the adjoining Fay Vineyard which, in what is known today as the Stag's Leap District Appellation, which had been planted by Nathan Fay in 1961.  S.L.V. is the name-sake single vineyard wine, a vineyard famed as one of the great sites of Napa valley.  Cask 23, the proprietary red wine blend made only in select vintages, is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stag's Leap Vineyard (S.L.V) and the Fay Vineyards.  Artemis is a Cabernet Sauvignon named after a Greek goddess associated with the protection of wild animals, especially the sacred Stag, a wine produced for earlier consumption.