New Arrivals

Pierre Girardin Bourgogne Chardonnay Éclat de Calcaire unveils itself with a discreet presence and a velvety touch that gently caresses the palate. Olfactorily, it unfurls a spectrum of scents highlighted by crisp apples and succulent pears, interwoven with delicate hints of citrus. On the palate, its enveloping texture and well-balanced acidity lead to a pristine and invigorating finish.

We are delighted to be working with Château La Mascaronne’s brilliant team to produce this superb, terroir-driven rosé. The nose is full of juicy redcurrants and wild strawberries, with a refreshingly bright lift. The palate has the wonderfully pure, stone-pebble element of the property’s unique limestone-based vineyards. An herbal twist of wild oregano completes the delicious, salivating finish. This is drinking beautifully now, ready to open and share on a warm evening.

Catriona Felstead MW, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

This 2019 vintage is the best yet of our Nuits-St Georges from Benjamin Leroux. The nose is a heady perfume of dark berry fruit, violets and white pepper. The palate is creamy and succulent with a hint of vanilla. The tannins are like crushed velvet. This would be a perfect pairing with spiced lamb or lentil dishes.

Drink now until 2028

Adam Bruntlett, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Swathes of Cabernet fruit here. This wine has wonderful concentration, impressive layers of new oak, opulent fruit and a marvellously long finish. This is a wine that can be enjoyed in its youth, middle age and in 10 years time. Outstanding!

Francois Xavier Borie is now producing some of Bordeaux's greatest wines, expressing the personality of the terroir possibly more than any other proprietor. A fabulous wine balancing concentration, ripeness of fruit and complex structure all in one. One of the finest wines of the vintage.

Pretty pink purple with medium depth, this is extremely elegant, fills the mouth discreetly but with perfect composure and very good length, lightly marked by vanilla oak. Extremely attractive fruit that has not got too ripe.

Jasper Morris MW, InsideBurgundy.com (November 2020)

2005 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne is finely aromatic, a rich and creamy Blanc de Blancs at its very best. Although the 2005 can be enjoyed from release, a decade of patience will be well rewarded.

When Pierre Taittinger first discovered the Champagne region, he was a young officer during the First World War. He returned several years later to invest his energy into developing a family-owned independent Champagne house in Reims which is still managed by the Taittinger family today. 

Francois Taittinger chose Chardonnay as the dominant grape as he believed that modern tastes would increasingly appreciate the lightness, finesse and elegance of the Chardonnay grape in their flagship offering - Comtes de Champagne - first produced in 1952.

“We will never produce a large quantity of Comtes de Champagne because the technical characteristics we require so that this cuvée can be a very great wine are essentially unique in Champagne and very financially demanding. 

The Comtes de Champagne displays an eternal youth derived from our province’s greatest Chardonnay, a triumphant blend of force and elegance. Connoisseurs will appreciate it.”

Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger

A lean and focused Champagne with lemon rind hints and a fine mineral drive. It's chalky and stony with a tense, firm structure. - Decanter

Les Aussy is a generous Premier Cru vineyard, and the 2017 characteristically offers rich and earthy red fruit, more concentration and density than the village wine and a more refined tannic structure. There is plenty of charm and approachability here, but a little more stuffing than its little brother.

Francois is keen to highlight the importance of the solidarity shown by the Côte's vignerons at the end of April, when everyone came together to burn dampened bales and create cloud cover to ward off the frost. Without such action this could well have been another catastrophic yield. Having avoided this threat, the rest of the season was fairly straightforward with careful vineyard management and harvest began on the 30th August. He feels the whites are a mix of 2015 and 2014, while the reds are pretty and will drink well from an early age.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

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 (November 2009)

This is actually quite aromatically similar to the Fichots with perhaps just a bit more sauvage character. The supple but punchy middle weight flavours deliver similar depth and persistence on the slightly firmer and more rustic finale.

Drink from 2025 onward

Alan Meadows, Burghound.com (April 2020)

The first impression is as invigorating as a sea breeze. I love the interplay of mirabelle, grapefruit and lychee fruit with minty freshness and waxiness from lees contact. And all this is welded to a beautifully proportioned palate with plenty of structure, bright acidity and the mousse animating. It's a very salty finish that pulls you back for more. 

A cuvee of 41% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Noir and 26% Pinot Meunier. Of these, 15% fermented in oak and 85% in stainless steel. The final blend contained 36% reserve perpetual and 10% reserve wines of the 2012 - 2018 vintage from oak. The dosage is 7 g/l. 

Drink or hold

Stuart Pigott, Senior Editor at JamesSuckling.com (August 2023)

The first vintage of Leclerc Briant’s Abyss was in 2012. The cuvée takes its name from its unique ageing: it is stored 60 metres under the sea off the coast of Brittany for up to a year. Leclerc Briant considers this the ideal environment for the maturation of Champagne, devoid as it is of oxygen and light. Prior to submersion, the wine was aged for 10 months in second-fill oak barriques quietly sourced from some top estates in Bordeaux.

Abyss is always Leclerc Briant’s most intriguing cuvée, but the stunning 2018 is one of the finest they have released. The nose blends floral and white-peach aromas with a savoury and mineral edge. The palate is zesty and refreshing with a vivacious energy and tension running through it. A gentle salinity on the palate is interwoven with a purity of fruit derived from winemaker Hervé Jestin’s terroir-driven approach. This is a prestige-cuvée Champagne like no other, perhaps with its finest vintage yet.

Henrietta Gullifer, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd

The 2010 Solaia is even better than the Tignanello. Here, too, it is the wine's energy and sheer vibrancy that stand out most. Blackberry jam, graphite, tar, espresso, violets, crushed rocks and spices all take shape in the glass. The 2010 is a wine I have followed since its infancy, and it has never failed to deliver the goods. Earlier this year I had a chance to taste every vintage of Solaia back to the inaugural 1978. It is still early, but there is little question the 2010 is one of the greatest – if not the single greatest Solaia ever made
97/100 Antonio Galloni - Aug-2013

70% new oak. Hold + 3 years or carafe 3 hours.

Inky plum in colour, you can see this is rich and textured even before going anywhere near the nose, which then displays ripe fruit. Gorgeous quality, a wine that is packed full of graphite, pencil lead, waves of violet, cassis, liqourice, and chewy but well defined tannins. Leaps out of the glass and is clear proof that, when it gets it right, the 2014 vintage equals the 2015 in this northern sector of the Médoc. Good value also compared to the 2015 and 2016 - a must buy for me.

Drink 2024 - 2044

Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com (November 2022)

Pale straw with a very faint, green tint, En la Barre is muscular yet also elegant, offering a huge volume of fruit in the mouth, crisp acidity, perfumed red fruit notes, cherries and an excellent finish on which the fruit lingers.

Overall yields were better than Antoine feared in 2014, but some of his vineyards, including those used for his Bourgogne Blanc and Meursault En la Barre as well as part of Poruzots, were particularly badly hit by the hail. He picked from 13th September and has made his usual range of outstanding, ageworthy wines which will not be bottled until next summer. The secret to his style is not clarifying the juice out of the press, and no stirring of the lees.

For many years now and since the turn of the 21st century, Ch. Pichon-Longueville Baron has been performing exceptionally well, in both the challenging and more favourable vintages. Their best Merlot plots are located next to Ch. Latour, and although this provides just 20 percent of the blend this year, it contributes a lot to the whole – providing dignified elegance and the cooling freshness we are finding in the top performers of 2014. There is a layered complexity here, fine, grainy tannins and generosity of fruit. A creamy texture fills the finish, enhanced by a prolonged, lingering, spicy undercurrent. It is a very good result.

80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot

Nady Foucault working here on a consultation basis brings the obvious question, ‘Will this estate be the next Clos Rougeard?’. You get a hint of that ethereal nature in this cuvée, and that’s no surprise given the immense care taken, including four levels of sorting after harvest. 

Bright red cherry, raspberry and violets greet you in the glass and are carried by fine ripe tannins and zippy acidity. A garrigue and spicy nature complements the taut fresh notes and gives you a refreshing and clean finish. This is an instantly enjoyable Cabernet Franc that I’ve no doubt will continue to evolve and add further complexity over the next 10+ years. 

James Belok, Private Client Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Gloriously scented with a lightness of touchy that belies its ageworthy staying power. Rose petal, red fruit and assam overlay taut tannins and fresh acidity. Incredibly mineral on the finish. More subtle than the Brunate, but no less delicious. Drink from 2023+.
Katherine Dart MW, Wine Buyer 

The style of Pol Roger is always about opulence, sophistication and purity, and their flagship wine, Réserve Brut, is the epitome of their craft. This is a careful balance of the three noble varieties of Champagne: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir & Meunier, grown across 30 of the region’s most desired villages. Although this is a non-vintage Champagne, this Réserve Brut is made mainly from the harmonious 2020 vintage, with 25% reserve wine. The reserve wine is held in steel tank, a blend of older vintages adding weight and complexity to the palate.

Aged for four years, longer than many non-vintage Champagnes, this additional time on lees guarantees the toasted patisserie flavours but also gives the finest, foaming effervescence. White gold in the glass, with a nose of golden pear, tangerine and fresh almond croissant. The palate dances with white peach, clean lemon pith, golden crumb and crescendos with a saffron-infused, chalk stream finish. A Champagne which reminds you what Champagne should be.

Drink now

Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (October 2024)

Dosage is 6 grams per litre.

The NV Brut 7 Crus is a very pretty, entry-level wine in this range. Bright, mineral and intensely vibrant, the 7 Crus is all energy. All the elements are so well proportioned. A blend of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir, this captures all the house signatures with tons of energy and better overall balance than in some previous editions. White flowers, chalk and citrus linger.

Drink 2023 - 2031

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (November 2023)

The wine's intense red color reveals aromas of ripe red fruits and spices, with a beautiful tannic structure in the mouth. The vines for this wine are traditionally farmed by the winemaker Pierre Girardin, thus guaranteeing exceptional quality. For vintage 2021, this wine reflects the unique terroir of the region and fully expresses all the viticultural expertise of the house. Ideal to accompany meat dishes, this red wine is a real gem to enjoy in a convivial atmosphere.

Very much a young wine in its primary stage, this is silky and powerful and tasted excellent during this vertical, despite 2010 being an extremely difficult vintage for winemaker Michael Silacci. 

The year got off to a cool start, followed by a heatwave - the grapes at Opus escaped the shrivelling that much of Napa saw because of leaf cover. There are still plenty of signposts towards a hot summer - olive paste, rosemary, garrigue and liquorice notes, gorgeous ground coffee bean edging, and an excellent layer of freshness that picks things up on the finish and stops it being overly powerful. 

I like years in Napa that have a little fault in them - too much perfection with the natural generosity of Napa can make for an overly powerful wine, and I celebrate the nuances here. 

1% Malbec and 4% Petit Verdot complete the blend. 19 days skin contact.

Drink 2021 - 2040

Jane Anson, Decanter.com (September 2019)

This has a bright pink-purple colour, displaying darker fruit compared to the Vosne-Romanée and somewhat firmer tannins, combined with very good acidity behind. This is an excellent, intense, structured village wine. Drink 2020-2027
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

Etienne Grivot held off until 10th September because he felt the tannins were not quite ripe before then. Sugar levels never rose too high and acidity levels are good. When asked to describe the vintage, Etienne opined that 2015 has “charm and sensuality up front, energy behind; a charming but sophisticated vintage”. The vintage continues a superb recent run from the Grivots, with Etienne as éminence grise and Mathilde taking increasing responsibility during vinification.

I tasted two vintages of the top Garnacha (Peluda), so next to the 2017 Les Manyes, I also had the 2018; it was great to see the differences in the wines, even if the analytical data showed pretty similar. This amazing vineyard at 800 meters in altitude on red clay and gypsum soils has more in common with some vineyards from Montsant than the majority of other vineyards from Priorat. In 2016, they started ageing the wine 100% in concrete, and they have no intention of going back.

This is quite austere and compact and has had a slow oxidation in concrete, and the wine feels quite stabilized and fresher than other 2017s but again perhaps not as deep as the 2018. It's not a showy vintage; it's quite subtle. It takes a long time to open up in the glass, and it's clearly the freshest of the 2017s. 3,200 bottles were filled in June 2020 after a longer élevage, exclusively in concrete for this second bottling lot.

Drink 2020 - 2028

Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate (December 2020)

From five plots around the vineyard, Arnaud doesn’t use any whole-bunch here, feeling the floral profile of the vineyard does not need further embellishment. The nose is beautifully perfumed, with wild strawberry and delicate flowers drifting from the glass. Juicy, ripe red berries fill the palate, rounding out the middle, before the arrival of intensely fresh and chalky tannins. Seductive but serious.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

From five plots the vineyard, this is a wine for which Arnaud never includes any whole bunches. It has a wonderful, floral, red berry lift to the nose, while the palate is defined by the acidity and ethereal energy. Still discreet and hidden, this needs time to open. The new oak (70 percent) is so well-integrated as to be barely noticeable.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

The domaine was founded by Charles Mortet, but rose to fame with the exceptional 1993 vintage crafted by his son Denis who tragically died at the age of 51 in January 2006. Denis believed with a deep passion that the work in the vineyard was everything. He has been succeeded by his equally, indeed exceptionally, talented son Arnaud, now also with the assistance of his sister Clémence. At the domaine everything starts in the vineyard, where every measure is taken to produce the finest, ripest fruit possible, creating a style of wine which, as Denis used to say is “a pleasure to drink young or old”. Arnaud Mortet is very happy with the quality of the 2016 vintage, explaining that its balanced profile with a mixture of ripeness and elegance will please everyone. Yields are very variable across the range, with anything from 30 to 70 percent of the crop having been lost to frost. Fortunately, mildew was not an issue as he acted swiftly to treat the vineyard when conditions began to deteriorate. He has generally used fewer whole bunches this year than in 2015.

Domaine Denis Mortet in Burgundy was founded by Denis Mortet in the early 1990s. He died at the age of 51, after taking his own life in January 2006. In his brief, but highly acclaimed passage from the winemaking scene, he rose to become a colossal figure in Burgundy, fashioning wines from relatively modest vineyard holdings which punch far above their weight. He rose to fame with an exceptional range of wines from the 1993 vintage. 

This bright purple Clos de Vougeot wine is a blend from two holdings, one near the top of the Clos and the other lower down. The fruit is a little reticent on the nose at first but develops strongly to the back of the palate. A deep, rich, complex, and spicy finish envelopes the palate, with a noteworthy structure also in evidence.

Two recent trends that winemaker Pierre Vincent has continued here are a slight reduction in the amount of new oak, which now mostly comes from the local forest of Cîteaux, and a slight increase in the use of stems during vinification. The latter is subtly judged, though, as there is rarely any outright feel of the stems in the bouquet or palate. 2010 is a tiny crop, averaging 24 hl/ha across the cellar, but the wines are magically concentrated.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

The 2014 Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru les Véroilles has a perfumed and floral bouquet with touches of violet infusing the red berry fruit, complex and engaging, more mercurial in the glass - perhaps a Chambolle with secrets to covet. The palate is very supple and silky in texture, and there is wonderful, saturated tannin here matched with a sorbet-like freshness and great precision towards the tender finish. This is a divine, delectable wine from Ghislaine Barthod. - Wine Advocate 92-94/100

Bibi Graetz considers his new-and-improved 2022 a true renaissance of Casamatta – becoming “a little Testamatta”. From around 420 metres above sea level, the Sangiovese used here comes from Bibi’s Vincigliata and Olmo vineyards in Fiesole. This is bright and energetic, vinified entirely in stainless steel to protect that character. Leaping with perfume, the wine flows with red berries and sweet dried violets. This is followed by glistening red cherries, fresh cranberries and supreme balance on the palate. This is one for the true Bibi fans.

Charlie Leech, Buying Assistant, Berry Bros. & Rudd (June 2024)

Formerly known as the cuvée "La Croix Blanche," Tremblay's 2018 Bourgogne Côte d'Or derives from well-situated parcels in the communes of Vosne-Romanée and Chambolle-Musigny. Offering up an inviting bouquet of red berries, woodsmoke and raw cocoa that's framed by a deft touch of oak, the wine is medium to full-bodied, velvety and concentrated, with a fleshy core of fruit, elegant structuring tannins and lively acids.

William Kelley, Wine Advocate (January 2020)

From a mix of Meursault, St. Aubin, Puligny and Chassagne.

A fresh and ripe nose combines notes of apple, pear and a pretty floral whiff. There is good vibrancy and very good density as well to the delicious flavors that conclude in a citrus-tinged finish that is refreshing and sneaky long. This is quite good for what it is and worth checking out, especially as an all-around house white.

Drink from 2021 onward

Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (June 2020)

This parcel of old vines is situated at the top of the vineyard, alongside Drouhin’s Clos des Mouches.  The aromas are of red and black fruit, with some  spice adding complexity. On the palate, it is all  cherry, with real richness, plenty of power and chalky but ripe tannins. The finish is creamy and floral. Drink 2022-2027.

After the famine of 2016, this year is something of a feast, at least in the case of the reds. Sadly, the whites, which Dominique praises as having excellent clarity, are in slightly smaller volumes than 2016. The good news is that the full range of red wines has been made, and in good volume too. Dominique is effusive in his praise for the 2017 reds, describing them as appealing, with beautiful balance, a lightness of touch, refined tannins and a floral character with stunning red fruit.

This is one-third whole-bunch this year, using the older vine fruit and de-stemming the younger portions where stems are typically less ripe. The high active limestone content in this vineyard gives an energetic and mineral expression of Pinot Noir, with succulent cherry fruit in the middle and a violet perfumed lift to accompany the chalky tannins. Drink 2021-2026.

Winemaker Brian Sieve draws comparisons between the white wines of 2017 and 2014, explaining that the texture, weight and freshness are very similar in both years, although 2017 has perhaps a little more fruit ripeness, along with excellent tension and persistence. He believes that this same freshness and brightness in the reds will provide ageing capacity, pointing out that they worked hard to restrict the yield of Pinot Noir to achieve riper grapes. Overall slightly less whole-bunch fermentation was used as Brian felt the stems and fruit were not as ripe as in richer vintages.

The 2015 Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda is a magnificent wine that shows all the magic this site is so famous for. All the Rionda signatures open in the glass. Sweet dark cherry/plum, lavender, spice, mint and pine meld together in a sensual, beautifully layered Barolo that pushes all the right buttons. The 2015 is going to need a few years to soften, but it is undeniably vivid and arresting in its sheer allure.

Drink 2025 - 2042

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (January 2021)

Ripe purple, with a dense concentration of dark cherry fruit, there is something a touch firmer behind, with more structure, as befits a Premier Cru. The bones are covered by delicious, unctuous fruit. This is a wine with great persistence. Drink 2020-2028.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

Paul Zinetti’s second harvest at the domaine has at least given him a few more grapes to play with than 2014 and fruit of exceptional quality. Nonetheless 2015 was once again a very short crop because of the previous hail damage, delivering just one third of what used to be normal. The grapes were mostly de-stemmed, although some whole bunches were used, but always a minority.

An incredibly fresh, mineral and focused Champagne with aromas and flavours opening up in the glass beautifully. The nose is highly perfumed bringing notes of white flowers, fresh citrus fruits, lemon, grapefruit-like, with white peach and fresh yeasty dough coming along. On the palate the wine has a gentle creamy entry and shows racy acidity, amazing purity and steeliness, it will go a long way. Flavours of lemon, lime and orchards with touches of white pepper with a chalky finish and impeccable balance, truly exquisite and amazing vintage of Comtes to buy now and leave in the cellar for a few years.

Drink 2024 - 2040

Berry Bros. & Rudd

In classical Pol Roger style, this Rosé shows power, sophistication, and charm. Salmon pink in the glass, the nose is a heady mix of forest fruits and fine patisserie. The palate shows opulence but a firm grip and chalky cleansing tension. A blend of 60% Chardonnay, and 40% Pinot Noir, using the assemblage method using Pinot Noir red wine from the Grand Cru villages of Ambonnay and Bouzy, together with Hautvilliers. This gives a fantastic depth of fruit with a smoky, floral scent and muscularity on the palate. A proudly Pinot style, with raspberry and blood orange, mesmerized by a seamless, foaming and long mineral finish. Just superb. Drink with roast chicken and bearnaise. Or it is a spiced fish stew with a saffron rouille.

Perfect to drink now, but it will cellar to 2035.

Davy Zyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (November 2022) 

Blend: 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay.

The 2015 Grande Année is a testament to Bollinger’s exceptional winemaking, being aged for 7 years, all under natural cork which sets them apart. With their emphasis on a high proportion of Pinot Noir in the blend, the Champagne offers a symphony of aromas, from small stone fruits and a medley of red currant to exotic touches of mango, all layered with a delicate woody scent. On the palate, it presents a rich texture reminiscent of Mirabelle plum jam, culminating in a finish that blends nougat and citrus notes for a generous and complex tasting experience. 

Sigurdur Thor Gunnlaugsson, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd (March 2024)

From Gilly-les-Citeaux and below Chambolle. Dense dark purple. Ripe raspberry but better balanced than En Bollery. Spicy finish, and I enjoy the wealth of fruit.

Jasper Morris MW, InsideBurgundy.com (December 2021)

The Maranches vineyard has a significant proportion of old Chardonnay Muscaté vines, a variety which provides a floral note to the fruit. The vineyard faces south but has a high proportion of active limestone, so marries warm fruit and cool acidity. The wine is sunny and floral, with plenty of weight and a fresh finish.

Drink now

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Located in the very south of the Pauillac appellation, this property shares a similar maritime climate to that enjoyed by the Médoc: the Gironde estuary and the Bay of Biscay combine to act as a climate regulator, while the coastal pine forests shelter the vines from the westerly and north-westerly winds. This delightfully rewarding wine comes from a classic vintage. Cassis and cherry mix gracefully with smoke, cedar and spice. The fine-grained tannins offer a little grip, while the palate is fresh with a smooth, lingering finish.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Pitures is François’s only Volnay from the north of the village. It’s a higher vineyard close to Pommard and stylistically very different; François refers to it as a distant cousin. Certainly, there’s a Pommardian dash about the wine, with a sturdiness and more pronounced tannins. In 2019, it works really well, with the deeper creases seemingly ironed out.

Drink 2025 - 2038

Berry Bros. & Rudd

From 2.5 hectares of vines, this was fermented in 20% new oak and 80% tank. A brooding and serious nose gives little away at this early stage, with well-integrated oak and subtle spice. The palate is a little more yielding, with an earthy texture, dense apricot and peach fruit, and a saline, grippy finish. The flavours and textures come and go in waves, prolonging the finish.

Drink 2023 - 2033

This parcel of 60-year-old vines is at the top of the vineyard, alongside Drouhin’s Clos des Mouches. This fine vineyard makes wines of persistence and density, with fine, linear tannins. Drink 2024-2030.

Le Volte is consistently one of the best-value drinking reds you can find anywhere in the world, and the 2022 is no different. Bright, fresh fruit adorns the palate alongside nice levels of acidity, making this incredibly moreish. Whilst high-toned and perfumed, the palate has a lovely texture to it. There aren't many better options for mid-week drinking than this.

Liam Mckeown, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd (February 2024)

Le Serre Nuove may be known as Ornellaia’s little brother but it certainly does punch above its weight. The magical bouquet envelops your senses into a frenzy, such is the array of juicy red fruit and floral complexity here. The palate forms layers of dark red berry fruit, cedar, leather and exotic spice.

There’s a lovely opulence to the fruit whilst also exuding elegance and freshness which is particularly impressive. The velvety tannins melt in your mouth, leading to an immensely satisfying and lingering finish. This is an extraordinary wine, which should find a home in all cellars.

Hugo Dale, Account Manger, Berry Bros. & Rudd (August 2023)

The fear with removing the oldest vines from a blend is that the main bottling might suffer, but the average age of the other vines is still impressive at over 50 years old and the result is a wine of real intensity, with arguably more freshness, purity and elegance than usual. An ethereal and delicate expression of the clos. Drink 2020-2026.

Château des Quarts was created in 2012 by two of our favourite vignerons, Dominique Lafon and Olivier Merlin, who are old friends. The vineyard is managed by Olivier and the wine made in his facility at La Roche Vineuse. This monopole vineyard of 2.23 hectares in Chaintré is surrounded by a high stone wall, facing east, overlooking the Saône valley. The 2017 vintage saw the 100-year anniversary of the planting of the oldest parcel of vines in the Clos des Quarts. The key to their longevity is riparia rootstock and an old-school training and pruning regime.

To celebrate the centenary, Dominique Lafon and Olivier Merlin, custodians of the special property and vineyard, have decided to bottle the wine made from these ancient vines separately. Production is 10 barrels, equating to just 1,500 magnums, which are offered in individual wooden cases.

Ben has made this monopole wine since 2006. The vineyard is almost in the middle of the village and the wine is ebulliently cherry-fruited. Ben adds some polish (using a third whole-bunch this year). This is quite a major wine for Ben, with 13 and a half barrels this year. Drink 2022-2027.

It is fair to say that Ben is very happy with 2017, describing it as the kind of vintage he would sign up for every year. The whites, he says, are beautiful, and not far from 2014 in style, with purity, finesse, great definition and balance. He describes the reds as pretty, appealing and with body to support ageing, while highlighting the importance of lower-yielding old vines for serious ageing. He eloquently explains that there is no “black sheep” in 2017, that no village has underperformed. For reason of space, the limited volumes of Grands Crus have not been included in this brochure. Since the 2014 vintage, all white wines are bottled under screwcap.

Glistening violet. Smoke- and mineral-accented cherry and black raspberry scents are complemented by tobacco, violet and cracked pepper suggestions. Silky in texture and lively on the palate, offering gently sweet dark berry, cherry compote and floral pastille flavours firmed by a spine of juicy acidity. The spicy note returns an impressively long, penetrating finish with good clarity and subtle, fine-grained tannins.

Drink 2023 - 2031

Josh Raynolds, Vinous.com (September 2019)

The 2016 Pauillac de Château Latour is a compelling, sumptuous wine that shows just how magnificent the year is. How can this be a third wine? Dark and ample in the glass, Latour's Pauillac possesses tremendous breed right out of the gate. Black cherry, graphite, licorice, spice and leather all meld together in the glass. Floral overtones develop nicely with time. Only the (relatively) lighter structure suggests the Pauillac's place in the château's hierarchy. Everything else is first class all the way. The Pauillac is a blend taken from parcels outside the core holdings in the famed enclos, plus younger vines in the enclos. Drink 2022-2036
Antonio Galloni, vinous.com (March 2021)

Magical aromas of blackberry and blueberry compote with just a hint of mouth-watering vanilla make you want to dive in and embrace this beautiful wine. Packed full of concentrated black cherry and dark fruits of the forest it has a fabulous core that is very hard to top. Beautifully refined tannins coat this liquid centre. Exceptionally long finish that just leaves you gasping for more. Not as serious and St Estèphesque as 2010 but with more charm and opulence this could be their best wine since the brilliant 2005. Delicious.
Simon Staples, Sales Director - Asia

Blend: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot.

The yield was 40 hectolitres per hectare this year: that doesn't represent a great yield, but it is much better than recent years, in particular 2013. I always buy this wine for my own cellar and will be doing so again. Soft and really approachable, this is a gentle wine. Shy, but pretty on the nose, it is decadent and could be enjoyed very early; but that's not to say it won't age well, all the component parts are singing in harmony: ripe, fleshy fruit, freshness, attractive acidity and silky, fine tannins. The finish is soft too. This is so silky and enjoyable, even when tasting a barrel sample.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Crisp, classic Cabernet aromas of blackcurrant and tobacco lifted with hints of dark cherry and rosemary. A pleasing, measured mid-weight appeal and a freshness that really brings this wine to life. On the palate the primary dark berry and cassis notes are joined by notions of forest floor occasional hints of black pepper then a savoury yet sapid blackcurrant finish. Despite this wines immediate appeal there is also some gentle tannic grip that will ensure it drinks well for a number of years to come. Very easy to drink and neatly presented in a classic Pauillac mould.
Peter Newton - Private Account Manager

Possessing more overt fruit and body than the 2012, this Brunate, layers toasted nuts with cherry and savoury graphite and tar notes. Amazing grip and clean acidity underpin the dense, ripe fruit on the core of the wine. Contained power. Drink from 2025+.
Katherine Dart MW, Wine Buyer

Calcareous soils, with smaller and paler red berries compared to the Cerretta. Dark cherry, blackberry and bramble, and crushed petals on the nose. Mineral and saline on the palate, with a juicy red fruit core, tightly woven tannins, wonderful tension and poise. Linear and precise, with outstanding potential to age. drink 2023+
Katherine Dart MW, Wine Buyer

Tasting here is always very special as we are offered the three previous vintages to ‘compare and contrast’. This is very rare in Bordeaux as the vintage variance is so striking. Our experience here just showed us after a week of only tasting 2009s where this vintage really is. We bought a lot of 2007 and 2008 of this underrated château and they are showing beautifully but the 2009 literally blows them both into a different dimension. Sumptuous amounts of raspberry fruit just wafts from the glass. This is so clean and pure on the palate too, with layer after layer of minerality enhanced with generous puppy fat to round it off in a dramatic way. Totally classy, really breathtaking.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Most Exciting Wines of the Vintage: Hermitage Rouge, Domaine Marc Sorrel
A taste of this fabulous elixir confirms what a great site the hill above Tain-Hermitage really is. A seductive red fruit nose with hints of garrigue, leads to a punchy palate with notes of olives and flowers, as well as berry fruit and chocolate. This is beautifully made, proper Hermitage.
(Chris Pollington, BBR Fine Wine)

Marc Sorrel is a phenomenal wine maker and his Hermitage Rouge was a real wine moment for everyone that tasted it. The power that you expect from top Hermitage was there, along with fine detail and huge complexity. This will age gracefully for a long, long time and is among the best produced in this revered appellation.
(Matt Tipping, BBR Fine Wine)

Sourced from three sites (Les Plantiers, Les Bessards and Les Greffieux) all assembled at harvest time, this Hermitage wine has attractive floral aromas redolent of violets, and a creamy rich palate which underwrites the astonishing complexity of what is supposed to be the junior wine.
(Simon Field MW BBR Buyer)

Belonging to the Mouton stable, and with a prestigious location right next to both Mouton and Lafite, Ch. Clerc Milon is a fresher, lighter style of 2008 which has a delicious hint of creamy raspberry fruit to the more classic blackcurrant backbone. Fine with exceptionally fine tannins this has a lovely rounded finish with more than a hint of the savoury minerality of the vintage.

A wine of the vintage candidate in 2008, Troplong Mondots offering was produced from yields of 41 hectoliters per hectare and achieved 14.5% natural alcohol. A classic blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, it offers copious quantities of blue and black fruits, a full-bodied opulence, sweet tannin and a fabulous texture as well as finish. Already drinking beautifully, it will be even better in 2-5 years and should last for 20 years. A great effort for the vintage, it couldnt happen to a more deserving proprietor, Christine Valette. Bravo!
Robert M. Parker, Jr. - 02/05/2011

One of several highlights of 2008, Ch. Léoville-Las Cases is an example of how brilliant St Julien can be in a good year. Interestingly it was also virtually the only estate in the Left Bank where Cabernet Franc really seemed to work in 2008 and the successful addition of a heady 12% in this blend adds a voluptuous perfume to the 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. Intensely concentrated with dense blackcurrant cassis, vanilla, a creamy texture and tannins which are linear but softened by a massive coating of black fruit, this is most definitely a must-buy wine this vintage.

Domaine de Chevalier always seems to know how to please. The 2008 has a fantastic, opulent nose of liquid blackcurrants and a concentrated, intense palate of dark cassis fruit but with that lovely freshness indicative of the vintage. This is a wine with plenty of flesh on its bones, but one which combines power with grace and balance. Ripe, grainy tannins and a savoury, mineral finish complete this very rewarding wine.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

This Nuits-St. Georges, Clos de la Maréchale has a heavenly and hedonistic nose with black cherries and sweet ripe fruit in abundance. The fruit is really velvety and is rounded off with an elegant finish.

Deep ruby, softening in colour around the rim, packed with pencil lead, cigar box, slate, mint leaf, chewy tannins, great quality with an innate confidence. It has walls to scale and a ton of life ahead, an exceptionally enjoyable 2000 vintage that remains young—70% new oak.

Drink 2022 - 2040

Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com (March 2022)

Ornellaia is located in one of the world’s most exciting wine regions: Bolgheri. A breathtaking avenue lined by towering cypress trees leads inland from the Aurelia, the old Roman coastal road, up to the walls of Bolgheri’s medieval hamlet. From the village, the view extends far out to sea and on a clear day the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago and Corsica can be seen. Often spoken of in the same breath as Sassicaia, in reality the wines couldn’t be more different. Ornellaia is made from all four of the main Bordeaux varieties, with Merlot playing the supporting role to Cabernet Sauvignon.

Lots of power, concentration and a depth of ripe fruit are the hallmarks of this wine, which is rounded off with a full, tannic structure. Built to impress, this will age well. Drink 2019-2028.

"This stunning wine is one of the vintage's great successes. Administrator Thomas Duroux has fashioned a modern day version of Palmer's brilliant 1966. Displaying a rare combination of power and elegance, this dense purple-colored offering exhibits notes of blackberries, truffles, flowers, incense, and camphor. Long, classic, and medium to full-bodied with stunning texture and richness, this superb effort is a candidate for the finest Margaux of the vintage."
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - 30-Jun-2007

This property seem to be able to deliver exceptional wines whatever the weather due to arguably one of the best terroir in Bordeaux and a dedicated wine making team who is adverse to trends and do not manufacture their wines. This year is no exception, the nose is intense and layered with cassis and blackberries. Once on the palate the power and drive is instant, covering all parts with meaty, powerful black fruits. The length is firm and focused but the tannins are very ripe. This vintage will open up quite quickly but with such power and balance this is also built for the long term.

Max Lalondrelle, Fine Wine Buying Director, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Intense in both the glass and the mouth, this is another super 2014 wine. There is underlying power here, velvety, ripe tannins and notes of a savoury nature, perhaps even cedar. Very pure fruit, cassis, plum and dark cherry stick out, along with a juicy dollop of vanilla cream. Heavenly spice comes through on the long finish. The wine is utterly sumptuous and effortlessly persistent. Classically elegant, this is a wine of real pedigree. It is truly drinkable and approachable at an early age and could be one of the real bargains of the vintage.

82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot

65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc.

This Fourth Growth St Julien estate has been performing consistently well for the past several vintages and 2014 is no exception. The nose is pretty, attractively perfumed, fresh and expressive. The palate is dominated by rich, fleshy fruit. There is a purity here, great precision and ripe tannins which grip, and offer an intense focus. High acidity, complexity and a persistence on the finish suggest this wine has excellent potential for aging. Elegant and fine, it is a wine that the château can be proud of. Bravo indeed.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Fine, bright colour, this has a brilliantly concentrated nose, showing power and muscle, plus beautiful fruit. It is an astonishingly gorgeous mouthful of fruit with richness, density, and a lovely finish. This is accessible, adorable, but with the structure to age well.

Jean-Philippe is serene in the knowledge of the quality of his 2014 vintage. The grapes were entirely healthy, there were no problems in vinification, the maturation process is happening as it should and the wines are set to give a great deal of pleasure all round. There is less reduction than last year, so they will be accessible reasonably early, while still having good keeping potential.

Of the 13 plots which make up this wine, the key ones are Beaurenard in the north-west, Charbonnière on the central Crau plateau and Gallimardes in the south... in other words, this has a richly diverse provenance. The blend is 80 percent Grenache, 10 percent Mourvèdre, seven percent Syrah and three percent Cinsault. The wine displays classic aromas of thyme, sous-bois and macerated plum and an equally classic palate, which is long and unnervingly complex.  
Simon Field MW - Wine Buyer

The forebears of sisters Sophie and Catherine Armenier have been making superb wines since 1344 it seems, maybe modifying their techniques a little along the way, but not too much. Biodynamic in all but the letter, they are based close to Beaucastel, but their plots, albeit more modest in total surface area, are more widely spaced over the appellation, with the most significant holdings in the areas around Courthézon and on the central Crau plateau. Low yields are key to the exceptional quality of the wines.

Antoine observed that his higher vineyards have loved the 2017 vintage. This has much more bulk than usual, but it is well-toned, resolving to an assertive and intense finish, through which the year’s bright freshness glitters like a quartz lode. Drink 2023-2031.

Antoine feels that 2017 is a little less rich than 2015, but also fresher. He likes wines with body, so the freshness is a bonus, adding another dimension. He will bottle in December and January; he feels that after a warm summer, two winters in barrel is too long and earlier bottling is necessary to capture the fruit. He now wonders whether he should have bottled his 2015s sooner. Harvest began on 31st August – even for his Blagny, which used to be one of the last to ripen, indicative of the warming conditions in the region.

This wonderfully sophisticated wine wears its newly awarded Premier Cru badge easily. A charming perfume wafts from the glass – a heady cocktail of white flowers, ripe white peach, nectarine and smoky oak. The palate is succulent and mouth-watering, with dense fruit layered between chalky limestone notes and saline acidity carrying the lingering finish.

Drink 2025 - 2035

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Made from equal proportions of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre and aged in new barrique, this is the closest the Rhône comes to a Pomerol. The velvety texture coats a most generous fruit basket. This will need a decade to really sing; the 2005 is not quite as good and is still very closed!

La Nerthe is one of the few Rhône properties where the property perfectly captures the grandeur of the wines. Our Fine Wine team loves to visit because everything, including the elegance of the wines, makes them think they are in Bordeaux. Christian Voeux is particularly pleased with the 2010 vintage, which, he advises, shares the rigour and precision of the 2005 and the generous fruit character of the 2007. As the 2007 la Nerthe was our best-seller of that particular vintage, these are words that we are happy to hear.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

This wine is built mainly around Mourvèdre, Grenache and Syrah, but the palate reveals it to be a careful construction from all thirteen Châteauneuf-du-Pape varieties. Counoise lends smoky, tannic complexity, while Cinsault adds softness and elegance. All in all it’s a classic Beaucastel, with black fruits, truffles, spice and bitter chocolate notes all present.

Dominique has this parcel on a fermage contract. It's an elegant expression of Beaune, with a bright purple colour, floral aromatics and rich fruit on the palate.  The tannins are silky, seductive and perfectly integrated with the fruit. A wonderful, floral finish. Drink 2021-2026

After the famine of 2016, this year is something of a feast, at least in the case of the reds. Sadly, the whites, which Dominique praises as having excellent clarity, are in slightly smaller volumes than 2016. The good news is that the full range of red wines has been made, and in good volume too. Dominique is effusive in his praise for the 2017 reds, describing them as appealing, with beautiful balance, a lightness of touch, refined tannins and a floral character with stunning red fruit.

The outstanding wine in 2007 is equally brilliant in 2008. Deep purple in colour with exceptional power on the nose. Some fresh mulberry fruit at the start leads to more complex flavours and even a touch of bacon on the palate. Stems used in the vinification. Brilliantly put together. Very long finish, suffused with energy.
(Jasper Moris MW, BBR Buyer)

The vineyard is farmed by Benjamins right-hand man, Jean-Charles Carr, and the Clos de la Cave des Ducs is the epitome of perfectly balanced Volnay not massive but with an exquisite delicacy of red and black fruit and great persistence.

This wine is still very backward but it will certainly be dark in colour and exceptionally concentrated. We will have to wait to understand the detail of the fruit. 75% stems were retained.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

Sylvie feels that her 2012s will benefit from a long maturation in barrel; the wines were certainly at a very backward stage of development when we tasted them in November. There was no hail in Gevrey- Chambertin but the poor flowering conditions restricted her crop to 25 hl/ha overall and she began picking on 24th September.

In contrast to the sullen 2018, Jamet's 2017 Cote Rotie Terrasses is more open at the moment, with attractive notes of strawberry and raspberry compote framed by velvety tannins. It's full-bodied, with enough stuffing to carry it at least another decade, probably longer.

Just a few steps up the hill and a solid stone wall apart from the old family domaine now home to his brother, Jean-Luc Jamet continues to build and expand his brand-new cellars. As it had been some time since my previous visit, we had some catching up to do, and we went through a few short verticals of the domaine's wines, as well as a quick barrel tasting of the lots destined for the 2020 Cote Rotie Terrasses.

Drink 2022 - 2035

Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate (January 2022)

Reduction. This is completely different from the Beaux Monts, particularly in terms of size and weight as there is real muscle to the impressively concentrated and ripe medium-bodied plus flavors that culminate in a hugely long finish that coats the palate with dry extract. The supporting tannins are also markedly firmer and it's clear that this will require around 15 years to completely realize its full, and considerable, potential yet it should be approachable after 10 years or so. In a word, impressive.
Allen Meadows - burghound.com - Jan 2014

A perfumed and very pretty nose speaks mainly of various red berries and soft earth. The delicious, succulent and rounded flavours possess good vibrancy while exhibiting only a touch of rusticity on the moderately firm finale.

Drink from 2023 onward

Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (January 2021)

From a single 1.5 hectare monopole vineyard in Bizay. Fermented in 600-litre demi-muids.

Almost sour citrus, like lime pickle? Very structured, with taut acidity. Honey too, but overall the acid and citric sharpness rules. Quite an onslaught, but in a good way. 

Drink 2017 - 2027

Richard Hemming MW, JancisRobinson.com (October 2017)

The potential alcohol content was record high from the start, especially in Aÿ, with 11.1% straight away. Denis, just like me, sees great similarities between 2015 and 2019, but where the sharpness and freshness is better in 2019. It is not the acidity, but rather the mineral salt that gives the freshness together with the sense of umami the concentrated grapes give. Here, there is a swirl of exotic fruit and honey and a dry smokiness that I’ve learned to associate with the cluster of aromas that transforms over time into the note of railway on a hot summer’s day. It might sound fuzzy, but it makes perfect sense.

The combination of heated rail, dry gravel, dandelions and nettles that thrive in the embankment gives a concentrated, warm dryness strongly reminiscent of the character the grapes acquire when the temperature crosses the vine’s pain point on a few hot summer days. 41 degrees in the shade was a heat record in Champagne, especially a lot of shade, which the vineyards in Champagne cannot boast of, so the effect is reminiscent of that which arose in 1947, 1959, 1976, and 2003. Hence, this aroma was less marked in 2019. Let’s see if I’m right in 10 years when I expect “The Famous Note of Railroad Track” to appear in this beauty.

Richard Juhlin, The Champagne Club (June 2024)

For a 2021 this is brimming with sour cherry fruit, plus herbal and savory complexity. Fascinating interplay of fresh and ripe elements on the concentrated and lively medium-bodied palate. Long crisp finish with wet stone minerality. Only the third vintage from this new producer! Sustainable. Drink or hold.

Stuart Pigott, Senior Editor for JamesSuckling.com (March 2023)

Stacks of redcurrant and oolong tea character give this sleek, but substantial Chiroubles plenty of appeal. Crisp and zesty finish with plenty of wet stone character. Only the third vintage from this new producer! Sustainable. Drink or hold.

Stuart Pigott, Senior Editor for JamesSuckling.com (March 2023)

Frederic only uses a horse to work this vineyard and the grapes are 100% destemmed. The nose exhibits succulent aromas of roses and bright strawberry, some Pinotage here! Great tension on the palate coupled with a lovely salinity and velvety tannic structure. This is utterly delicious.

Yoan Bernard, Fine Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

This parcel is located at the foot of Cote de Py. Very floral on the nose alongside ripe black fruits retaining good freshness. We can also discern animal and leather notes compared to the straight Morgon adding a layer of complexity. Elegant on the palate with lovely bright blue fruit. Still, a more rustic Beaujolais compared to the rest of the range but will age very well. Give this one some time in a Carafe before drinking.

Yoan Bernard, Fine Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Les Vergers comes from 67 year old vines and is located right beside Chateau des Vergers from where it holds its name. The nose here is Chambolesque with loads of elegant red and black fruit alongside perfumed floral notes, piercing intensity, complexity and elegance - wow. On the palate we find the same elegance and concentration, great ripe tannins. This is much more delicate and ethereal compared to the Regnie Vernus parcel.

Yoan Bernard, Fine Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

The grapes here come from two parcels; l'Eveque, which Frederic sold in 2024, and Champs Levrier which will become the main source of grapes for this label going forwards. The nose is perfumed and boasts of violets and fresh cassis. On the palate, the same cassis is precise and full of freshness combined with well-integrated chalky tannins. Good balance and length and lovely integration of wood.

Yoan Bernard, Fine Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

The nose has lovely aromatics of strawberry and cream alongside a striking wet stone freshness. The palate is linear with good tension which balances the 14% alcohol. Fresh strawberries combined with ripe chalky tannins gives this Regnie a lovely balance. 100% destemmed, lovely.

Yoan Bernard, Fine Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Vinified with 50% whole cluster.

A fresh, cool, and airy mix is composed of perfumed aromas of rose petals, violet, red currant, and a background hint of earth. There is a first-rate intensity to the mineral-driven and muscular medium-weight flavours that exhibit terrific persistence on the firm and moderately rustic finish. Pommard villages wines rarely get much better than this, though it is necessary to have extended patience.

Drink from 2028 onward

Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (January 2018)

The new vintages see 50% cement tank and 50% large 500l wood barrels; however, the 2018 was aged in 100% cement vats for 18 months.

This cuvée  comes from a selection of 70-year-old vines, which sit just behind the winery. Lovely dark fruit aromas of cherry and fresh plum predominate, intertwined with black pepper and a stunning wet stone freshness. The palate has lovely notes of sweet spices alongside bright black fruits. Offering good length and balance, this is a lovely entry level Chinon.

Drink 2024 - 2032

Yoan Bernard, Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

The 2018 Chianti Classico Riserva is floral, ethereal and nicely lifted. Sweet pipe tobacco, cedar, mint, dried flowers and leather give the 2018 terrific aromatic presence. This mid-weight Riserva drinks well now, but also has enough energy to develop positively in bottle for at least a handful of years.

Drink 2022 - 2028

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (June 2022)

A markedly floral nose is comprised by notes of herbal tea, various dark berries and earth nuances. There is both good intensity and detail on the mildly rustic, complex and lingering finish. This is quite good for a Nuits villages and worth checking out.

Drink 2024+

Burghound (Apr 2019)

The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Champeaux, 1er Cru, comes from the southern flank of the vineyard and comprises just two barrels this vintage. It includes a little whole bunch, around 10%. When I tasted this from barrel, it had a reticent nose, quite distant and not as immediate or as seductive as Duroché’s other 2018s. The palate is mDuroché’sied with fine, pliant tannins matched with well-judged acidity. It develops a pleasant rondeur toward the finish, almost as if compensating for the aromatics. A multifaceted wine that becomes more and more floral with aeration. Mercurial and endlessly fascinating.

Drink 2022 - 2040

Neal Martin, Vinous.com (January 2020)

Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Volnay 1er Cru Santenots du Milieu showed just a touch of reduction, but otherwise there is appreciable blackberry and briary fruit here, tertiary/woodland scents with just a splash of balsamic. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, good backbone, more backward than its peers and probably befitting another 12 months in bottle. Broody perhaps? Yet there is appreciable balance and its sturdiness will soften with time.
Neal Martin - 30/10/2015

Benjamin Leroux’s Savigny-lès-Beaune blend is from Conardises and Fourneaux as usual; however, this year, no whole bunches were used, as there was too much fruit variation from the latter. The vineyards didn’t see too much frost damage, so yields were only down 15%. As in previous years, the wine was aged in 600l foudres. The wine behaved well in élevage, with a quick malolactic fermentation. This is a beautiful wine with good consistency and length. 

Drink 2023 - 2030

Berry Bros. & Rudd

This is on very cool Comblanchien limestone; the vines need Champagne rootstocks to prosper. For this, Laurent selects his oldest vines (some 70 years old) from Clos du Roy. It’s raised two-thirds in demi-muid, the rest in barrique. This has more Marsannay grip and a spicy graphite finish, but then it unfolds, and there is a delicacy, too. 

Drink 2024 - 2032

Berry Bros. & Rudd

The 2017 has more complexity and depth than the 2018. Selection from 60-to-70-year-old vines, aged 18 months in cement tank. Classic nose of violet, blackberry, black pepper and even a touch of jalapeño. This is very straight and savoury in the mouth, featuring black cherry, black olive, bay leaf and layers of dark minerality. The finish is attractive and long, full of smoke and tobacco leaf.

The father-and-son team of Philippe and Pierre Alliet have raised the bar for what’s possible with Loire Cabernet Franc and are now running one of the top domaines in Chinon. Pierre now mostly runs the estate's day-to-day, with 18 hectares of Cabernet Franc and a single hectare of Chenin Blanc. One thing he’s introduced is using more cement tanks and less oak. The south-facing limestone slope of L’Huisserie and the steep site called Côteau de Noire are two of the top single vineyards in all of Chinon.

Drink 2020 - 2032

Jason Wilson, Vinous.com (July 2020)

Lemon tinged hue with persistent, incredibly fine bubbles, its hallmark Pol from the off. Starting with a tantalising freshness, the Chardonnay is dominant with the nose offering crisp white currants, granny smith apples and notes of orange blossom. Hints of wild redcurrants arrive with aeration. Superb texture and weight, flavours of apple skin and toasted almond hits the mid-palate, complemented by an exquisite mineral zing which holds throughout.

Slight richness of warm gingerbread on the finish, followed by a crystalline acidity and saline crunch, the length goes on and on. So moreish and sophisticated, but one does not need to be to enjoy this! Another string to the bow of this adored Champagne house, this limited bottling is one to snap up.

Recommended to enjoy from 2023 - 2032.

Chris Lamb, Senior Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Champagne Bollinger is famed for its rich house style. This is partly because 80% of each Bollinger harvest is matured in oak barrels adding depth, complexity and texture. The nose tantalises with aromas of strawberry, orange blossom and warm cherry. The palate is wonderfully rounded, adding some cream to those strawberry flavours and a hint of rose petal. Enjoy this fresh and lively Champagne with grilled prawns or strawberries and cream.

Drink now

Alexandra Gray de Walden DipWSET, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Produced with 50% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay, and the rest Meunier, the 2018 Champagne Millésime Extra Brut was vinified and raised for nine months in barrels. It sees 3 grams per litre dosage and was disgorged in March 2023. It pours a rich, youthful yellow hue and is forward in its expressive notes of toasted oak spice that are very assertive and joined by notes of toasted croissant, orange marmalade, white pepper, and ripe red berries. 

Full-bodied, it has a lush and pillowy mousse and a fantastic texture, filling the palate with ample fruit, a chalky texture, and a rounded and fleshy personality. Although, at first, it feels as if its oak is not well-integrated, it impresses me more as it opens and is approachable in its ripe fruit now. It’s long on the palate and is a very well-made wine, but I’d like to see how this harmonizes over time. 

Drink 2025 - 2045

Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com (November 2023)

65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc.

Patrick Maroteau's excellent 2015 from this Fourth Growth estate shows real purity, with great precision and ripe tannins that grip and offer an intense focus—the rich, fresh, spicy nose of damsons and blackberry fruit oozes class. There is precision here, a polish—quite simply harmonious. The wine tastes glorious, just as great wine should taste: crunchy, pure and fresh fruit, high acidity, silky ripe tannins and nice balance. This is a triumphant wine, with a typical and classic blend for this great estate and phenomenal length. It's really elegant and one of our favourites—a must-buy this year.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

55% Cabernet Sauvignon; 41% Merlot; 4% Petit Verdot.

The nose has a really nice aroma of tobacco combined with floral notes. Darker fruits dominate, with blackberry, cherry, and plum to the fore. The palate is sweet, too, with an energetic lift and a very rewarding length. We really like the wine this year. A cooling, mineral earthiness arrives on the finish, which is welcome and pleasing. Quite sumptuous for a second wine, it is serious this year—a good fruit core, nice and savoury and a joy to taste.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Ch. Montrose is at the leading edge of low-impact winemaking in Bordeaux. For more than 15 years, the property has been improving biodiversity and vineyard health energy use – plus, all the CO2 from fermentation is captured and turned into bicarbonate of soda. “Ch. Montrose is in the middle of nature,” says spokesperson Lorraine Watrin. “Our vision here is to reveal the beautiful riches of the terroir.”

In 2010, Ch. Montrose purchased 22ha of prime land from their neighbours, Ch. Phélan-Ségur. The vineyard borders Montrose on its western side and is planted with 2/3 Merlot and 1/3 Cabernet Sauvignon. According to who you speak with, this may be Phélan’s best parcel, and the Merlot is especially prized. This has given the Montrose team a short-term puzzle, resulting in a higher-than-usual proportion of Merlot in the blend for the Grand Vin. This will be adjusted over the coming years as the existing Montrose Merlot on excellent Cabernet land near the river has been replanted for the latter. Still, there is an embarrassment of fine Merlot on the estate. Not that this is a problem: in 2012, Merlot excelled. 

This dense and spicy wine contains 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. The very low-yielding Cabernet is fully ripe and gives an earnest backbone to some high-quality Merlot. This is not a traditional Montrose but undoubtedly a beguiling one.

Mark Pardoe MW, Wine Director, Berry Bros. & Rudd

This is a delightful and fresh Pinot Noir vibrating with enchanting fruit-driven notes. From Bourgogne's natural wine legend Yann Durieux, it’s a 100% Pinot Noir from selected parcels near the commune of Villers-la-Faye, not far from Les Grands Ponts, on the border between Hautes Côtes de Nuits and Hautes Côtes de Beaune. Natural wild fermentation, and nothing added or taken away, with no hint of added SO2.

Not old by the standards of this domaine's other vineyard holdings - it was planted in 1980 - this 0.5ha piece of Les Petits Vougeots always seems to produce a delightfully scented, hedonistic Pinot in the hands of Charles van Canneyt. It's crunchy, juicy and vibrant, with chalky minerality and enticing raspberry and red cherry fruit. Drinking Window 2023 - 2029. - Decanter 95/100

This wine expresses the exceptional character of a great terroir combined with a great grape variety. Its fine, complex nose features notes of red and black fruit (cherry, raspberry, blackcurrant) combined with delicate nuances of oak and subtle hints of spices. On the palate, this wine's smooth, full-bodied texture is supported by elegant tannic structure. An exceptional, classy wine that is endowed with remarkable length.
On the palate, all the crispiness of Pinot Noir with very pleasing, smooth, mouth-filling tannic texture.

The 2016 Vosne-Romane 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts actually has a similar bouquet to the Les Beaux Monts but with heightened mineralit which is prioritized over the fruit. I was momentarily whisked back to my youth, pot-holing in the Lake District, that tang of limestone and moorland in the air. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannin. As Alec Seysses remarked, there is more wine in the Malconsorts compared to the Beaux Monts. It has brilliant delineation and a very complex finish that fans out with real confidence. This is one of the top wines from Dujac. Chapeau.
Neal Martin - 29/12/2017

Tasted at the Domaine

The 2016 Vosne-Romanée Les Chaumes 1er Cru has an expressive bouquet with blackberry and raspberry. It is quite floral, with touches of orange blossom surfacing with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin. There is plenty of matière here, with a masculine, spicy, and saline finish that appears to have gained length since I tasted it in barrel. This is very promising.

Drink 2023 - 2040

Neal Martin, Vinous.com (October 2019)

An overtly floral and spicy nose is quite restrained if exceptionally pretty with its cool array of spice, Asian-style tea, and red and blue pinot fruit scents. There is a terrific vibrancy to the much more mineral-driven medium-weight flavours, which also culminate in a linear and delineated finish that really firms up as it sits on the palate. This is very much built-to-age and will need at least half a dozen years to unwind. In a word, excellent.

Drink from 2027 onward

Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (January 2018)

Robert Parker has been quoted as saying that the wines of Vérité can compete with the best of Bordeaux when tasting a vertical of La Muse; “Not just ‘like Pétrus’ but a great vintage of Pétrus’.” Gorgeous, dark, layered fruit within a broad structured frame. Balances weight, power and freshness very well and develops meaty animal hints alongside the dark blackcurrant fruit. At 15 years old, the tannins are super fine, and the length across the palate is remarkable. A real treat, drink now and over the coming 15 years.

Martyn Rolph, Head of Buying, Berry Bros. & Rudd

The 2013 Le Desir represents 2,500 cases. 

This is the softest of the three wines in 2013, and this blend of 61% Cabernet Franc, 23% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec emerges with more than half of the cuvée coming from Hillsides in Alexander Valley, 37% from Chalk Hill and the rest tiny dollops from Bennett Valley and Knights Valley. Opaque purple, like its siblings, the wine shows incredible floral, blueberry and espresso notes, exotic Asian spices, velvety texture, a supple, multilayered mouthfeel and an incredible finish, with incense and liquorice. 

This is a magnificent young wine, with a good 40-50 years of upside potential. Pierre Seillan is justifiably proud of what he has achieved, and his first vintage of Vérité was only 1998, but they go from strength to strength.

Drink 2015 - 2065

Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate (October 2015)

From a south-facing vineyard immediately above the hamlet of Gamay, this delivers immediate pleasure. There is a pure expression of the redcurrant end of Pinot Noir’s spectrum, both aromatically and with the energy on the palate. This is more than a simple, pretty wine; there is a surprisingly well-layered palate, with more strawberry notes among the sapid tannins.

Drink 2023 - 2028

Berry Bros. & Rudd

The nose is complex and fascinating, slightly floral, with a little bit of graphite, giving the idea that the main block of wine is not even starting to show but is just giving off a few little waves of flavour to amuse us with. Huge potential here, more acidity at the back, what a wealth of fruit! Startling stuff and really very long indeed.

Jasper Morris MW, InsideBurgundy.com (February 2022)

This comes from the estate’s younger vines, many planted in albarelli “bush” style. Cool fermentation and short maceration aid aromatics and drinkability. Nine months in old tonneau and terracotta amphorae retain fruit purity without sweet oak influence and give a pleasing suppleness to the tannins. This is a bright expression of Rosso, but not without complexity. Floral high notes, spice, wild mint, fresh currents, dried cranberry and cherry flesh tannins are framed by a tangy freshness and earthy Tuscan charm.

Drink 2023 - 2030

Berry Bros. & Rudd

I knew it was only a matter of time before Davide Cilli would make a wine at Promontory that would represent the maximum expression of this rugged hillside site. The 2014 Promontory has been exceptional in the past, but it has also gained another gear or two over the last year, which is pretty much now standard for these wines. Stunningly delineated and precise, with tremendous purity and exceptional balance, the 2014 Promontory dazzles from start to finish. 

This is an especially translucent style, one that is more about persistence and balance than power alone. Stated simply, the 2014 Promontory is towering achievement from one of Napa Valley's most talented young winemakers. Kudos to the Harlan family and the winegrowing team led by Bob Levy and Cory Empting for creating the framework that allowed Cilli to craft this exquisite, riveting Cabernet Sauvignon.

Drink 2022 - 2039

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (December 2018)

This vineyard is located right next door to Vosne-Romanée and this Nuits-St Georges Les Damodes 1er Cru from Pierre Vincent shares many of its aromatic characteristics, with lovely soft, fleshy fruit and an impressive purity.

From Lavières and Bas de Combe plus two vineyards nearer to Nuits. Again there is no especial depth of colour, yet with this sublime fragrance. The whole bunches are a bit firmer but the fragrance comes behind.

Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy (Novemeber 2018)

There is exceptional weight to the nose of this majestic Montrachet; the fruit absolutely dances in the glass, keeping the wood in check. With massive weight, real elegance and perfect balance, this is a winner!

The 2018 Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières opens in the glass with notes of citrus oil, pear, oatmeal and struck flint, framed by a deft touch of smoky reduction. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and intense, with racy acids and a searingly chalky finish. Anne Morey tells me that her father farmed this 0.55-hectare parcel before acquiring it at the end of the 1980s, and the composition of the soils suggests that this was the location where rejected stones from the quarry that lends the climat its name were discarded. - Wine Advocate

A lovely wine, the 2018 Meursault Les Grands Charrons opens in the glass with notes of pear, peach and apple blossom, framed by delicate hints of wheat toast and praline. Medium to full-bodied, elegantly textural and precise, it's built around lively acids and fine-structuring dry extract. This may not be the most long-lived rendition of this cuvée, but it's among the most immediately charming.

Once again, the bearded Bernard Boisson presided over my annual tasting in the usual, refreshingly old-school, manner, offering splashes from a variety of bottles, some open for several days and some opened for my benefit. As readers will remember, Bernard's holdings have been entirely divided between his son Pierre and daughter Anne, who work together in the vineyards and cellar, since 2017. As I've written before, in his day, Bernard Boisson was one of the village's latest harvesters; and his wines only spent a year on the lees, with much of the production sold to the négociants.

With Pierre's arrival at the domaine some 15 years ago, that changed dramatically: the domaine has returned, as Bernard puts it, to do things as they were done in his grandfather's era. That means early harvesting, little débourbage, long sur-lie élevage ranging from 19 to 22 months and restrained use of new oak—up to 30%, largely from Saint-Romain's Tonnellerie Gillet. The entire production is now bottled without filtration. This is a fine address, and this first look at the 2018s—as well as some later-released 2017s—revealed wines that are very much in the classic style that followers of these domaines have come to expect.

Drink 2022 - 2035

William Kelley, Wine Advocate (January 2021)

From Laurent’s oldest vines in the Clos du Roy, this cuvée is brimming with its customary griotte aromas. On the palate, firm tannins, a cool berry fruit profile and crisp acidity point to the vineyard’s soil of hard Comblanchien limestone, and to the wine’s capacity to age.

Drink 2021 - 2028

Berry Bros. & Rudd

This is a wine with real personality. It’s from four plots of vines planted in the 1940s, including one on gravel to which David attributes its spicy, savoury aromas. Lots of juicy black fruit on the palate, with just the right degree of firmness to the tannins to give an extra sense of freshness.

Drink 2021 - 2025

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Another new lieu-dit bottling is the 2017 Mâcon-Verzé Le Monté, which derives from a vineyard located above the hamlet of Escolles on a plateau rich in flint, and fully one-third of which was fermented and raised in wood. Unfurling in the glass with scents of pear, pastry cream, smoky and toasted nuts, it's medium to full-bodied, with a broader attack and a more saline finish than the Chênes, though it shares the incisiveness that distinguishes all of Leflaive's Mâcon cuvées this year.

Drink 2018 - 2028

William Kelley, Wine Advocate (August 2019)

South west and sunny despite the altitude. Clear pale colour, a fine ripe but balanced nose, with real grip on the palate, some weight. Good tension despite the flesh.

Jasper Morris MW, Insideburgundy.com (November 2019)

Their first year of conversion to biodynamics. Vines were planted in 1934 and the late 1960s—half whole bunch.

Dark garnet. Very sumptuous, well-developed, rich notes on the nose. It has fully evolved already with some meatiness and delivery of finesse. It is a really useful, quite precocious 2005 Grand Cru. There are no infinite layers but lots of pleasure and good structure. Just a hint of dustiness. Mildly chunky on the end. Lip-smacking. 

Drink 2015 - 2030

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (August 2015)

While most vineyards in Bolgheri lie on flat alluvial plains, Grattamacco’s are on slopes, some reaching up to 200 metres’ altitude. This gives the wines of this organic estate more energy and freshness. The 2020 Bolgheri Rosso has an attractive and distinctive Mediterranean nose of wild herbs, bell pepper, cassis, rosemary and peppery smoke. The palate is silky and vibrant: black cherry layered with spice, with supple tannins and tangy fruit charm. This is a testament to the expert winemaking of Luca Marrone and the exceptional terroir of Grattamacco.

Drink 2024 - 2030

Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

From vines averaging between 60 and 70 years of age located in Les Champs Perriers, En Derée, Sylvie, Les Jeunes Rois, La Justice, La Burie and La Platière.

A perfumed and very pretty nose features notes of various dark berries, spice, earth and a hint of violet. The rich, naturally sweet, very round, medium-bodied flavours possess both excellent mid-palate volume and outstanding depth in the well-balanced finish. As it almost always does, this boxes well above its weight for a villages level Gevrey.

Drink from 2022 onward

Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (January 2018)

Deep dark purple, slight lack of freshness on the nose, but that soon blows off. Much riper fruit and drier tannins, this vineyard has been caught out a bit. - Jasper Morris

A heavenly, heady bouquet enthrals the nose whilst supple, vigorous black fruit flavours dance across the palate. This may have a firm, tannic finish but there is so much fruit here that this will develop beautifully over a decade or more.

From the villages portion of La Bossière among other parcels.

A slightly riper mix of dark currant, plum and freshly turned earth introduces very rich and attractively vibrant middle weight flavors that exude a subtle minerality on the youthfully austere finish. This too is very good for a villages level Gevrey.

Drink from 2026 onward

Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (January 2020)

Two thirds comes from their normal grape purchases to which is added a plot of Aux Leureys, recovered as part of the Daniel Rion inheritance. A rich even purple. Lifted raspberry fruit, not too dark, then a bundle of dark red cherries on the palate. Just fills the mouth out a little more than the very fine Bons Batons. Good length, a Côte de Nuits-Villages of considerable charm. 

Drink 2026 - 2034

Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy (October 2023)

From this vintage onwards, Thierry has incorporated the fruit from vines that are 30-years-old or older to give an extra kernel of concentration to what is a beautifully harmonious wine. Drink from 2015.

Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2014 tasting, Ghislaine Barthod's 2014 Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru les Cras has a slightly leathery, animally bouquet, but behind that is plenty of gutsy red fruit laced with pressed flowers. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, quite Morey-Saint-Denis in style in terms of structure, with a slightly tarry finish that needs more elegance to show through. I am certain that it will with time; indeed, the wine appeared to rapidly improve and gain cohesion in the glass as it aerated. Tasted September 2017.
Neal Martin - 31/10/2017

The annual release of 10 year old Château Palmer, and this time it's an often-underrated but delicious vintage that sits in the shadow of the most prestigious years of the last decade. Proof of how slowly this wine ages, it is packed with blueberry and cassis fruits, a shot of mint leaf, mandarin peel, sage and dark chocolate, with shoulders and a serious architecture, bigger than you might expect for a vintage with such an easy-drinking, gourmet reputation.

I last tasted this vintage around eight months ago and it has opened up further since then, often the case as wines shift around the decade mark, and this is an upscore. A moment when Palmer was fully committing to farming biodynamically, doubling its coverage to almost 15 hectares, and had just unveiled a new cellar. Harvest October 1 to 15, Sabrina Pernet technical director, Thomas Duroux director. 68% new oak. No rush to drink, and has many decades ahead, but you can begin thinking about it.

Drink 2023 - 2042

Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com (July 2022)

Extremely Cabernet dominant, with savoury black fruit and a ton of Pauillac character. A fairly reserved, finely-boned Lafite, with menthol and tobacco leaf. Subdued right now but in it for the long haul. The vintage with the Chinese symbol for eight engraved on the bottle, to commemorate the planting of the Long Dai vineyard in China - a fact that made the price of this bottle shoot up when it was released. Harvest October 1 to 14. 40% of overall production.

Drink 2021 - 2038

Jane Anson, Decanter.com (February 2021)

Made from 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, the silky, incredibly concentrated and elegant brambly fruit is wonderfully fragrant with lovely minerality and hints of cedar. The super-ripe tannins are accompanied by layer upon layer of fruit alongside a freshness and firm acidity. This slumbering giant will eventually awaken and become one of the most prized of the 2005 treasures. Even so it is utterly compelling now, with each taste like a PhD of Claret, such is its complexity. It may not have the immediate appeal of the legendary 2000 but we were all agreed that it is unquestionably a better wine. One of the wines of the vintage.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Aromas of minerals, forest floor, fresh mushrooms, plums, and currants are present in the moderately fragrant bouquet. Angular, with hard tannin, medium body, and sweet plums as well as currants, this 2002 is harder and tougher-textured than from barrel. Like many 2002s, it is reserved and angular at present. It remains to be seen whether it will flesh out and reveal more charm and succulence. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020.
Robert M. Parker, Jr. - 29/04/2005

What a lovely expressive nose: the sweet red fruits combine with violet notes. The palate has structured, yet very fine, grainy tannins. The pure, crunchy red fruit flavours are immediately appealing. Ch. du Tertre always offers great value for money and the 2015 vintage is no exception. Cool, refreshing acidity appears on the finish and the tannins are tremendously well textured. The wine brims with dark fruit flavours, and the fruit is dense, concentrated and luscious. The broad, fleshy fruit profile really appeals. Quite restrained, but precise and quite sophisticated. This is really cool on the finish and so attractive.

Blend: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 10% Cabernet Franc

With a massive concentration of bramble fruit and a high level of firm, ripe tannins adding structure, Cheval Blanc was one of the most masculine wines we tasted on the Right Bank during the 2009 en primeur tastings. Dense and earthy with a dark olive, almost sweet ‘n’ sour twist, this was a big, complex wine with many layers of flavour rippling across the palate towards the toasty finish. Very impressive indeed, this was one of the best Merlot-dominant (60%) wines we tasted in 2009.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

2010 was a superb vintage in Bordeaux that will go down in history for its excellent quality, so it’s worth searching out those great value gems that still exist from 2010. Chateau Cantemerle is a Bordeaux property capable of producing exceptional wines that compare with Ch. Batailley and Ch. Haut Bages Liberal in terms of the value it can offer. 

Classic Claret, elegant and charming, medium-bodied with good ageing potential and best of all, well priced. Named as a 5ème Cru Classé in the 1855 classification and situated just outside the Margaux Appellation, it’s one of the first classed growths one encounters in the Medoc as one drives up from the city of Bordeaux.

Wine critics worldwide see Chateau Cantemerle as offering some of the best value in Bordeaux with its combination of good quality and modest pricing. It will never be an investment wine per se, but mainly from a good vintage such as 2010, one can have a case of wine that will cellar effortlessly and will always be a joy to drink. 

This will fit perfectly into the Cellar of any connoisseur and, at this price, is an outstanding value; after five years or so of patience, you will have a great case of wine to drink over the next 15 years. 

This is terrific! Always reliable, good value but perhaps too steady, their 2010 takes it up several notches and on to a whole new level. It is generous with ripe fruit and should offer terrific value for the best Cantemerle we can ever recall tasting.

Simon Staples, Berry Bros. & Rudd

The 1996 Ausone is a vintage that I have tasted on four or five occasions. This was similar to previous examples with a very floral and outgoing bouquet, those wilted violet petals infusing the boysenberry and blueberry fruit, quite glossy in style, one of the most modern of that decade. It certainly has more intensity than earlier vintages. 

The palate is medium-bodied with sweet and ripe tannin, impressive acidity and weight, although it does not revel in the complexity of other vintages, perhaps because the growing season did not favour the Right Bank. There is a touch of headiness on the finish that is a little otiose, but otherwise, this is a thoroughly enjoyable Ausone—tasted at the Ausone vertical in London.

Drink 2018 - 2038

Neal Martin, Vinous.com (March 2018)

This is the baby Testamatta Bianco. It is produced using the youngest vines on the island of Giglio. The grapes are hand harvested and vinified entirely in stainless steel. The fermentation temperatures are kept low, protecting the wine’s fresh, crisp brilliance. The coastal fingerprint is unmistakable, the palate awash with grapefruit peel and lemon peel. Also present is the signature salty, fennel-like refreshment and complexity typical of Bibi Graetz’s whites. You may not have heard of Ansonica (the dominant grape), but you will certainly be pleased you found it.

Charlie Leech, Buying Assistant, Berry Bros. & Rudd (June 2024)

The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva emerges from the glass with freshly cut flowers, sweet red berries, liquorice and spices, all wrapped around a sensual, elegant frame of the notable class. Considerable aeration is needed to bring out the wine’s depth and textural richness. This is an excellent wine, but more often than not I am attracted more to the straight Brunello here, as is the case again in 2006. Costanti gave the 2006 Riserva 36 months in oak, 18 months in medium-sized barrels, followed by 18 months in cask.

Drink 2016 - 2026

Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate (April 2012)

14.3% alcohol

Rich dense purple with ultra lush extrovert raspberry, a thick sweet texture, plump through the middle, not unbalanced but you can still see the heat a bit. The tannins are ripe though and there is some acidity. 

Jasper Morris MW, InsideBurgundy.com (November 2021)

All the fruit is sourced from 1.5 ha within the Meursault commune which cover all aspects, from north to south. Aged in 600l and 500l barrels to avoid oak influence and retain the wine’s energy. There is a good spicy attack and, at tasting, some crispy reduction. A neat and delicious wine.

Drink 2023-2027

This is from two domaine vineyards near Clos de la Maréchale in Prémeux-Prissey – Chaillots and Roichottees – and purchased fruit from Bons Batons in Chambolle-Musigny. Each represents roughly a third of the blend. This is lovely with the spicy, limestone feel of Prémeaux and perfumed elegance of Chambolle. Juicy, creamy and saline, it will offer much pleasure in the short and medium term. 

Drink 2024 - 2030

Berry Bros. & Rudd

An explosive nose and dark fruit layered over a velvety texture. Though it is tightly knit, the exuberant fruit keeps trying to burst out. Made with 80% whole bunch and 80% new barrel this year, this is a dense glowing purple with a super succulent nose; very Chambolle. Hugely seductive with astonishing length and intensity. Bravo.

This superb domaine grows in reputation and also in size: this year sees the first vintage of Nuits-St Georges, Clos de Thorey. Look out for even further additions in the next two years. Winemaker Pierre Vincent’s style is for lighter colours and very sensual wines and he has done a cracking job again in 2012; a vintage which supported the plentiful use of whole bunch fermentation. The domaine is certified organic and fully biodynamic.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Only a small holding, alas, but the wine is very grand.Thoroughly rich, robust fruit, a mix of darker fruit and pureed berries, is supported by an excellent tannic structure.This will repay keeping for a decade. Drink 2015-2020

The 2015 Barolo Monvigliero is a wine of pure and total seduction. The warm vintage has filled out the wine's frame beautifully. The interplay of ripe, succulent 2015 fruit and aromatic intensity from the whole clusters yields a positively stunning, breathtaking wine of the very highest level. Once again, Burlotto's Barolo Monvigliero takes a place among the most compelling wines of the vintage. Readers who can find it should not hesitate!

Drink 2023 - 2055

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (February 2019)

Definitely more savoury, more mysterious, with a darker hue, earthier even, than the playful fruitiness of (baby sister) Villero. Tasted from barrel just prior to bottling in July 2014, Monprivato 2010 displays an intense spicy incense character; the palate suggests essential oils, together with exquisite balance and composure. Great.
David Berry Green

The Roagna 2015 Barbaresco Pajè Vecchie Viti opens to a light garnet color and a deep glossy shine. Fruit from old vines manages to intercept that impossible meeting point between power and elegance. This wine shows a delicately lifted and bright bouquet, yet it also reveals compact fruit and long persistence. You feel that extra richness on the finish. Production is a mere 2,418 bottles. - The Wine Advocate

Yellow colour with a nose showing ocean, saltiness and seaweed at first. With time in the glass, it shows tarragon and butterscotch, and at last, it offers honey and coffee. Intense palate with minerals, citrus and oxidized red apples that are starting to dry out. Nice finish showing sea buckthorn on the long-lasting finish.

The 2012 Comtes de Champagne is gorgeous. Warm and resonant in the glass, the 2012 Comtes shows all the allure that makes this vintage so appealing. The combination of bright citrus, mineral and floral notes typical of Comtes, enhanced by the soft contours of the vintage, makes for an inviting, open-knit Champagne that is quite showy right out of the gate. Light tropical accents on the finish add an exotic flair. Usually, I recommend cellaring just-released Comtes, but that won’t be necessary here.

Drink 2022 - 2042

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (May 2022)

Fruits of a one hectare plot in the southern Grand Cru village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Salon is the most famous statement of Chardonnay Champagne that one is likely to encounter; aged for a decade and to be kept, if one has the patience, for another decade at least. Green gold colour then intense aromas of honeydew melon, nectarine and recently  cooked brioche. The palate has a linear shard of acidity, a Keatsean composure and yet real energy and dazzling potential. From the best vintage so far this century, surely a contender for the best wine of the century...so far!

Berry Bros. & Rudd

I was a huge fan of the 2008 Sir Winston but this is certainly equally as good. The 2012 maintains the classic Pol richness and vivacity whilst also perfectly showcasing the elegance and length of the vintage. Sir Winston is all about subtle balance, never overstated but always reassuringly forthright. The elegance of the vintage comes across in the wine’s more welcoming personality, 2008 is impressively tight whilst 2012 shows generous fruit in the mouth, an open and approachable feel yet still with tremendous power and depth behind.

Red fruit crunchiness aligns neatly with impressions of brioche, baked apple and honey. The finish is long and fine, offering an uplifting combination of quince and citrus, but the standout for this year’s offering has to be its precision. Winemaking has never been better at this address and the class and finesse of the 2012 demonstrates that in spades.

Peter Newton, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd

An absolute privilege to sample the latest Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. There is incredible precision on the nose, showing delicate notes of waxed lemon, violets and a touch of toasted almond. The palate is simply divine; ripe and opulent white peach, apricots, apple tarte tatin, freshly baked bread encompassed in a vibrant mousse. There is an exceptional backbone of minerality too, giving this Champagne superb balance. I’d put this up with the 2008 in quality, it is truly exceptional.

Paul Keating, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd

The 2015 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill from Pol Roger shows opulent aromas of brioche, apricot and honeydew melon on the nose. This is followed by a lively palate of tangy lemon, apple and gingerbread. The finish is long and luxurious, leaving behind a lasting impression of creamy vanilla and toasted almond. This is an absolutely stunning expression

Joshua Friend, Senior Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd

The 2014 Brut Zéro Grand Blanc was made without any additions of sulfur dioxide. The buttery richness of raw short crust pastry is foremost on the nose, complemented by springy panettone. The freshness on the palate is immediate and deliciously bracing. Tiny, fine bubbles whirl up freshness, yeasty flavors and stony, chalky saltiness. Tension and tautness are compelling, as is the layered depth of rich, buttery autolysis. The finish is lasting, long and totally full-flavored. Zero dosage. Disgorged: May, 2022.

Drink 2023 - 2040

Antonio Galloni, Vinous (November 2023)

Laurent-Perrier make vintages very rarely, only selecting the very best years. This makes their Brut Millésimé a rare and outstanding champagne that expresses clearly the specific character of each vintage in the Laurent-Perrier style.

A charming nose that is both pronounced but also incredibly delicate. Touches of Amalfi lemons, oranges, stewed green apples and fresh pastries entice. The palate feels surprisingly settled, given the relatively recent disgorgement and the gentle mousse, a hallmark of the cuvée. Vibrant citrus, lemon compote, apple Tarte Tatin and a steely backbone.

Delicate floral aromas give a really refreshing feel, but there is considerable potential to age. This will cellar for 4 years or 40; the choice is yours. What is clear is that Grand Siècle has been, and still is, hugely underappreciated. 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir coming from 2008, 2007 and 2006. 12 years lees ageing.

Paul Keating, Private Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd (April 2022)

This is a completely different terroir expression to the 045, and the last vineyard to harvest each year – Paul never encounters problems with this ‘golden child’ plot. The soil is a deep, limey chalk. From the 2020 vintage, this has not gone through malolactic fermentation and has no added sugar, in order to express the purity of the Pinot Noir in Verzenay. A gourmand, exuberant champagne, this has been aged in 100% Burgundy barrels and demi-muids.

The nose has more tropical, exotic fruit flavours, extremely pure and intense, while the palate has a beautifully fine texture and citrus flavours. The finish is pure Pinot Noir, with a hint of iodine and a lovely minerality; this is such a food wine – but best paired with seafood.

Drink now to 2030

Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Krug ID: 322038

The 2011 Vintage is a very pretty wine in this highly challenging vintage. Apricot, mint, dried herbs and a kiss of French oak open nicely in the glass. There is some of the savory character of 2011, but it is nicely woven into the wine’s fabric. To be sure, the 2011 is a slender vintage at Krug. That is especially evident in the wine's light-ish mid-palate and overall feel, yet all the elements are impeccably balanced. I expect the 2011 to be a relatively early maturing Vintage and would not push my luck on aging. Disgorged: Summer 2022.

Drink 2024 - 2036

Antonio Galloni, Vinous (November 2023)